Posted on 01/27/2014 5:18:54 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
27 January. Enemy attempting to use inland routes.
Maintenance of vehicles is almost impossible for us because the roads are so bad.
Major General H.W. Blakeley, USA, Ret., The 32d Infantry Division in World War II
Herewith is an interim answer from the Minister of Production about D.D. tanks. It does not look too bad.
2. I shall have a further report presently about waterproofing material. 200,000 vehicles seems a vast outfit to attach to an army which, at thirty divisions of 20,000 men apiece, would only have 600,000 men, of which less than three-quarters would actually fight. As each vehicle takes at least a man and an half to drive and look after it, here are 300,000 men already absorbed. One hopes there will be enough infantry with rifles and bayonets to protect this great mass of vehicles from falling into the hands of the enemy.
Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/jan44/f27jan44.htm
Soviet break the siege of Leningrad
Thursday, January 27, 1944 www.onwar.com
Soviet soldiers inspect captured German siege guns [photo at link]
On the Eastern Front... General Govorov, commanding the Leningrad Front, announces the end of the siege in a special order of the day. Nearby, Tosno and Valosovo are captured by Soviet forces. In the Ukraine, the south pincer forces of 2nd Ukrainian Front (Konev) take Shpola as the offensive to encircle the Korsun-Sevchenovsky salient continues.
In Italy... US 5th Army continues attacks on the Gustav Line. The British 10th Corps attacks Santa Maria Infante. The US 34th Division (part of 2nd Corps) captures Monte Maiola and Caira to the north of Cassino. The Free French Corps near Monte Abate is pushed by by German counterattacks.
In the Bismark Archipelago... The Cape Gloucester beachhead, on New Britain, is expanded to the northwest by US marine regimental forces.
From Sydney, London and Washington... The governments of Australia, Britain and the United States protest the Japanese treatment of prisoners of war. They indicate a determination to investigate and punish those responsible.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/27.htm
January 27th, 1944 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: USAAF Captain James Stewart is promoted to the rank of Major.
London: Churchill lays down two priorities for Bomber Command: first to bomb targets on the continent, and second, to drop supplies to resistance fighters.
Rescue tug HMS Emphantric commissioned.
Submarine HMS Subtle launched.
GERMANY: U-1202 is commissioned
U.S.S.R.: The blockade of Leningrad is lifted. This has continued for 872 days and took the lives of over a million people. The news was announced by General Govorov, the planner and commander of the onslaught which drove the Germans away from the beleaguered city. In an order of the day he announced: “The city of Leningrad has been completely freed from the enemy blockade and the barbaric artillery shelling.”
Addressing his troops, sailors of the Baltic fleet and “workers of the city of Lenin”, Govorov said that in 12 days’ fighting the Red Army had liberated 700 places and driven back the Germans along the whole front for 40 to 60 miles.
Leningrad had suffered grievous damage. Many of its fine buildings have been destroyed by shelling and bombing. In the occupied southern suburbs the retreating Germans looted and set fire to buildings, and left the bodies of partisans hanging from the trees.
As the sound of gunfire faded from the city for the first time for nearly two and a half years, the people, gaunt and tired, emerged from their shelters to celebrate in the unusual safety of the streets.
They are the true victors of the siege. They withstood everything that the Germans threw at them. They watched their families die of starvation. They ate bread made of sawdust. Some even ate the dead. One million citizens died, mainly from hunger, along with 150,000 troops. But their city has become an example to the world that Hitler’s military might could be defied.
Now, as they celebrate their release, their liberators are rushing on to the west in great strength, outnumbering Field Marshal von Kuchler’s weakened Army Group North in men, arms and aircraft.
The Red Army is now approaching the German defence zone codenamed “Panther”, which runs south from the Gulf of Finland, along the river Narva and the banks of Lakes Peipus and Pskovskoye, to the town of Ostrov. Hitler thinks the “Northern Wall” is impregnable: that remains to be seen.
LIBERIA: The government of Liberia declared war on Germany and Japan.
CANADA: Frigate HMS Ettrick transferred to RCN while under refit Halifax, Nova Scotia. Became HMCS Ettrick.
Tug HMCS Parksville assigned to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
U.S.A.: Atrocity stories on the treatment by the Japanese of American and Filipino soldiers after the surrender of Bataan and Corregidor disclosed in official reports of the United States Army and Navy.
Destroyer escort USS Bowers commissioned.
Destroyer escort USS Bray laid down.
Submarine USS Razorback, Redfish, Ronquil and Scabbardfish launched.
Destroyer escorts USS Alfred Wolf and Groves launched.
ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires breaks off diplomatic relations with Berlin. (Mike Yared)
Thanks Homer
Nice.
Argentina made the right decision.
Great pic of Pappy Boyington....
I saw the picture of Boyington too. I actually wrote a paper about Pappy Boyington for a class. Hard to believe we have fallen so far as a nation in so short a time.
Was he pictured with the "Lambs"?
Argentina just saw the obvious, the allies were going to win. it was inevitable by this point I think
Believe it or not the tail gunner survived.
Joe Foss was a great man, too.
I know Operation Overlord is being planned and organized in this time period. General Patton has the “mythological” Army Group that’s supposedly going to attack the Pas de Calais.
What should I be watching for in the papers that would be “Faux News” or part of the disinformation campaign?
I love the story of the guy who bailed out of the plane and landed on the horse.
That said, I don't know if there was any mention of FUSAG in the press, although within the last week I remember seeing a story where mention was made of Bradley wearing a First Army patch.
In a few months we'll have the firestorm over Patton's Knutsford speech. Some think Patton was set up when he was told there was no press present and that the British intelligence people leaked details of the speech so the Germans would know Patton was traveling around England doing something. I have fairly high skepticism about that, however, because Ike had told Patton to keep a low profile and not make any speeches.
Thank you. I can remember “First United States Army Group,” I think, although if you happen to notice anything you could mention it.
With the Italian campaign underway, I looked up Audie Murphy to see when his exploit occurred: it’s months away still. I saw his uniform at a museum in San Antonio. He was so tiny! About my height, 5’4”, but an incredibly slight build.
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