Posted on 02/14/2014 5:07:50 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/feb44/f14feb44.htm
German relief attempt fails
Monday, February 14, 1944 www.onwar.com
On the Eastern Front... In the south, Soviet forces occupy Kosun-Sevchenkosky in the ongoing battle. German resistance within the Korsun pocket continues to be strong. A Belgian SS brigade is prominent in the defense. The German 3rd Panzer Corps (part of Army Group South) is unable to break through Soviet forces to relieve the pocket.
In the Solomon Islands... American and New Zealand forces land on the Green Islands.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/14.htm
February 14th, 1944 (MONDAY)
FRANCE: Marseilles: German officials have told the Vichy government that they are taking direct control of the Mediterranean coast which they say is threatened with invasion. Martial law will be declared tomorrow in the seven coastal departments between Italy and Spain: “non-essential” people have been urged to leave the coast.
GERMANY: U-738 sunk near Gotenhafen, in position 54.31N, 18.33E, after collision with SS Erna. 22 dead and 24 survivors.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet troops enter the Korsun pocket, meeting strong resistance from the Germans trapped inside.
INDIAN OCEAN: Salvage vessel HMS Salviking torpedoed and sunk by U-168 SW of Ceylon at 03.30N, 76.30E.
MALACCA STRAITS: A German crewed ex-Italian submarine, UIT-23, launched as the Reginaldo Giuliani on 13 March, 1939 is sunk in position 04.27N, 100.11E, by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Tallyho. 26 dead, 14 survivors. She has been taken over by the Germans following the Italian capitulation, at Singapore on 10 September, 1943. (Alex Gordon)
PACIFIC OCEAN:
While operating off Cape Santiago, Luzon, USS Flasher torpedoes and sinks army cargo ship Minryo Maru (2224 BRT) in position 13.43N, 120.39E and the Japanese tanker Hokuan Maru (3712 BRT) in position 13.44N, 120.29E.
Submarine USS Snook torpedoes and sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Nittoku Maru (3591 BRT) SW of Tsushima, Japan in position 33.48N, 128.50E.
CANADA: Corvette HMCS Vancouver and Dawson departed Esquimalt for Halifax.
U.S.A.: Corvette HMCS Mayflower completed refit and forecastle extension Norfolk, Virginia.
Destroyer USS Irwin and Monssen commissioned.
Destroyer escort USS Mack laid down.
Destroyer USS Wallace L Lind laid down.
Destroyer USS Jarvis launched.
Seaplane tender USS St George launched.
Submarine USS Shark commissioned.
USS PCE-877 commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: RAF 10 Sqn Liberator attacked U-845 with 8 depth charges. One man died and another wounded.
Looks like de Seversky stayed off the Scotch today. He’s partially correct in his analysis of air operations in the Pacific. Yes, there will never again be the lines of battleships slugging it out. The “Battle” of Surigao Strait will be the last battleship fight, but it won’t be another Jutland. In reality, Jutland only happened once.
De Seversky is partially correct that the Japanese will not bring their fleet out from under their own land-based air umbrella. This has been the lesson to them since the Battle of the Bismarck Sea; they have not and will not sail under the American air umbrella. And the next (and last) two engagements of the IJN, they will believe they have an air umbrella over the Marianas and the Philippines. But they won’t.
Where De Seversky is wrong is his belief that the USN will not sail outside the support of our land based air power. The Pacific Fleet is getting large enough and powerful enought that the carrier based aviation is sufficient to overwhelm any land-based air power the Japanese can assemble. Those fixed aircraft carriers, as De Seversky calls the Japanese held islands, cannot hold that many aircraft. Not as many as the hangar decks of a dozen Essex class carriers. But it may be that De Seversky doesn’t see yet just how big our navy is going to be.
On the other hand, he seems to have consistently downplayed the effectiveness of carrier based aviation against land based aviation. He also should have noticed the many articles in his own newspaper concerning the pounding we have given Japanese land based aircraft, to the point where they do not pose a significant risk to our ground troops on New Guinea, Bougainville and New Britain.
On the whole, however, I agree it is refreshing to see de Seversky get one mostly right. Maybe Hanson Baldwin is taking him to school. :-))
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