Friday, 2 July 2010
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
30 June 1943
Fenton Airfield in Northern Territory, Australia experiences its first bombing raid by the Japanese when a force of twenty seven Mistubishi G4M (Betty) bombers escorted by A6M (zero) fighters attack at 12:50 hours. Three USAAF B-24 Liberator bombers are destroyed and several others are damaged but there are no fatalities.
Named after Dr Clyde Fenton, Northern Territory's first flying doctor, the airfield was primarily used as a base for B-24 Liberators of the RAAF and the USAAF who mounted raids against Japanese targets in the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea and Borneo as well as Japanese shipping.
Named after Dr Clyde Fenton, Northern Territory's first flying doctor, the airfield was primarily used as a base for B-24 Liberators of the RAAF and the USAAF who mounted raids against Japanese targets in the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea and Borneo as well as Japanese shipping.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
29 June 1940
HMS Edgehill (X39) is a Royal Navy Q-ship, a heavily armed decoy vessel disguised as a merchantman, sailing with the North Atlantic convoys with the intention of luring U-boats into exposing themselves in surface attacks.
At 00.12 hours she is torpedoed amidships by U-51 but her specially designed buoyant cargo prevents her from sinking. The U-boat surfaces at 01:06 hours to deliver the coup de grace but a third torpedo is required to finish her off at 01:24 hours. Fifteen of her crew of thirty nine died.
Nine Q-ships were commissioned by the Royal Navy for North Atlantic operations but none were able to sink a U-boat. U-51 was a type VIIB U-boat commanded by Kapitanleutnant Dietrich Knorr. Edgehill was sunk on his third patrol and on his fourth, on 20 August 1940, U-51 was sunk by a torpedo from the British submarine HMS Cachalot in the Bay of Biscay with all hands lost, 43 men. Knorr was 28 years old.
At 00.12 hours she is torpedoed amidships by U-51 but her specially designed buoyant cargo prevents her from sinking. The U-boat surfaces at 01:06 hours to deliver the coup de grace but a third torpedo is required to finish her off at 01:24 hours. Fifteen of her crew of thirty nine died.
Nine Q-ships were commissioned by the Royal Navy for North Atlantic operations but none were able to sink a U-boat. U-51 was a type VIIB U-boat commanded by Kapitanleutnant Dietrich Knorr. Edgehill was sunk on his third patrol and on his fourth, on 20 August 1940, U-51 was sunk by a torpedo from the British submarine HMS Cachalot in the Bay of Biscay with all hands lost, 43 men. Knorr was 28 years old.
Monday, 28 June 2010
28 June 1944
Georg Pfeiffer, General der Artillerie commanding VI Army Corps of Army Group Centre, is killed in action in Mogilev, eastern Belorussia, during Operation Bagration. Operation Bagration was the Soviet offensive which cleared German forces from the Belorussian SSR and eastern Poland in just two months between 22 June and 19 August and led to the almost total destruction of Army Group Centre.
It is uncertain how General Pfeiffer was killed. Varying sources report that his Geländewagen was hit by a Soviet anti-tank shell, that the vehicle was brought to a standstill by machine gun fire and then attacked with hand grenades or destroyed by a Soviet air strike. He was a highly decorated officer who received the first and second class Iron Cross in both the First and Second World Wars, was presented with the German Cross in Gold on 16 January 1942 and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 January 1943. He served during the invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa, at Stalingrad and at Monte Cassino.
He had experienced war twice at its most brutal and horrifying and war finally caught up with him at the age of 54. A man who continues to fight to the end like Georg Pfeiffer must either thrive on combat or really believe in the cause. In his case it was probably both.
It is uncertain how General Pfeiffer was killed. Varying sources report that his Geländewagen was hit by a Soviet anti-tank shell, that the vehicle was brought to a standstill by machine gun fire and then attacked with hand grenades or destroyed by a Soviet air strike. He was a highly decorated officer who received the first and second class Iron Cross in both the First and Second World Wars, was presented with the German Cross in Gold on 16 January 1942 and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 January 1943. He served during the invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa, at Stalingrad and at Monte Cassino.
He had experienced war twice at its most brutal and horrifying and war finally caught up with him at the age of 54. A man who continues to fight to the end like Georg Pfeiffer must either thrive on combat or really believe in the cause. In his case it was probably both.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
27 June 1945
In 1945, Ralph A. Bard was Under Secretary of the US Navy and one of the eight members of the Interim Committee appointed by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson to advise President Harry S. Truman on the use of the atomic bomb.
Bard sennds the following message to Stimson today:
MEMORANDUM ON THE USE OF S-1 BOMB:
Ever since I have been in touch with this program I have had a feeling that before the bomb is actually used against Japan that Japan should have some preliminary warning for say two or three days in advance of use. The position of the United States as a great humanitarian nation and the fair play attitude of our people generally is responsible in the main for this feeling.
During recent weeks I have also had the feeling very definitely that the Japanese government may be searching for some opportunity which they could use as a medium of surrender. Following the three-power conference emissaries from this country could contact representatives from Japan somewhere on the China Coast and make representations with regard to Russia's position and at the same time give them some information regarding the proposed use of atomic power, together with whatever assurances the President might care to make with regard to the Emperor of Japan and the treatment of the Japanese nation following unconditional surrender. It seems quite possible to me that this presents the opportunity which the Japanese are looking for.
I don't see that we have anything in particular to lose in following such a program. The stakes are so tremendous that it is my opinion very real consideration should be given to some plan of this kind. I do not believe under present circumstances existing that there is anyone in this country whose evaluation of the chances of the success of such a program is worth a great deal. The only way to find out is to try it out.
They didn't try it out and they didn't find out, the Potsdam Declaration of 26 July making no mention of the possible use of weapons of mass destruction. On 6 August 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and the second was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August.
Would the Japanese have surrendered if they had been warned? Given the American experiences of the Philippines, Saipan and Okinawa and the fact that Emperor Hirohito did not finally broadcast his capitulation speech until 15 August, probably not. But a warning may have made the decision to launch Enola Gay and her payload appear a little less chilling now that we look back.
Bard sennds the following message to Stimson today:
MEMORANDUM ON THE USE OF S-1 BOMB:
Ever since I have been in touch with this program I have had a feeling that before the bomb is actually used against Japan that Japan should have some preliminary warning for say two or three days in advance of use. The position of the United States as a great humanitarian nation and the fair play attitude of our people generally is responsible in the main for this feeling.
During recent weeks I have also had the feeling very definitely that the Japanese government may be searching for some opportunity which they could use as a medium of surrender. Following the three-power conference emissaries from this country could contact representatives from Japan somewhere on the China Coast and make representations with regard to Russia's position and at the same time give them some information regarding the proposed use of atomic power, together with whatever assurances the President might care to make with regard to the Emperor of Japan and the treatment of the Japanese nation following unconditional surrender. It seems quite possible to me that this presents the opportunity which the Japanese are looking for.
I don't see that we have anything in particular to lose in following such a program. The stakes are so tremendous that it is my opinion very real consideration should be given to some plan of this kind. I do not believe under present circumstances existing that there is anyone in this country whose evaluation of the chances of the success of such a program is worth a great deal. The only way to find out is to try it out.
They didn't try it out and they didn't find out, the Potsdam Declaration of 26 July making no mention of the possible use of weapons of mass destruction. On 6 August 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and the second was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August.
Would the Japanese have surrendered if they had been warned? Given the American experiences of the Philippines, Saipan and Okinawa and the fact that Emperor Hirohito did not finally broadcast his capitulation speech until 15 August, probably not. But a warning may have made the decision to launch Enola Gay and her payload appear a little less chilling now that we look back.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
26 June 1942
This is an extract from the diary of 24 year old Private J.W. Bickley of the New Zealand Division written on the day before the artillery battle at Minqar Qaim in the Western Desert in North Africa and the subsequent bloody breakout in the early hours of 28 June.
Up before dawn & on again to a good place - for a dug out that is. But about 1500 hrs we moved on again. Dug in again twice and then at dusk got word that the Hun was on top of us. We were hunted round badly & watched Ack-ack fire at Dorniers - none brought down. Then finally after moving about the whole area, we were attached to B Coy. We had to carry in our gear on our backs & I was still digging in at 2 a.m. Couldn't dig in anyway, all stone.
Up before dawn & on again to a good place - for a dug out that is. But about 1500 hrs we moved on again. Dug in again twice and then at dusk got word that the Hun was on top of us. We were hunted round badly & watched Ack-ack fire at Dorniers - none brought down. Then finally after moving about the whole area, we were attached to B Coy. We had to carry in our gear on our backs & I was still digging in at 2 a.m. Couldn't dig in anyway, all stone.
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