Posted on 05/02/2014 4:29:18 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
ib4tp.
Not that it matters on this thread.
How long until Armistice Day?
Tactical Attacks (Middleton) 2-3
War Decorations 3
Our Airmen Hitting at Vital Nazi Targets (photos) 3
4 Italian Harbors Bombed at Night 4
Pacific Attack-Bomber Pilot Ace Has Been on 118 Combat Missions (Kluckhohn) 4
Tydings is Victor in Maryland Poll 4
Vessel Hit in Mediterranean Sinks Quickly after Assault 5
War News Summarized 5
U.S. Tankmen Join Stilwell in Burma (Durdin) 6
China Forces Lose Hulao Pass to Foe 7
Latest Casualties of Army and Navy 8-9
Following in Path of Retreating Japanese at Hollandia (photo) 9
President is Urged to Rest a Bit More 9
Fliers Preface Invasion (Baldwin) 10
The Texts of the Days Communiques on the War 11-13
Halifax Predicts Shipping Accord 13
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/may44/02may44.htm#
Spain restricts tungsten exports
Tuesday, May 2, 1944 www.onwar.com
In Madrid... Spain reaches an agreement with Britain and the US on restricting the exports of wolfram (tungsten ore) to Germany.
In Occupied France... The management of the Aubert and Duval steel works at Ancizes cooperate with French Resistance in shutting down.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/02.htm
May 2nd, 1944 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: London: The crossword in the Daily Telegraph has caused uproar among the D-Day planners today by apparently revealing two of the most closely guarded codewords of the invasion. The clue to 17 across is “One of US” and that of 3 down is “Red Indian on the Missouri”, the answers - “Utah” and “Omaha” - are the names given to two of the American invasion beaches.
These clues were spotted with horror by senior officers who are among the devotees of the crossword. Their immediate reaction was that the invasion’s secrets were being leaked to the Germans.
Their fears have been increased by the discovery that, in a puzzle prepared by the same compiler for publication a few days before D-Day, the answer to one clue is “Overlord”, the codename for the whole invasion. MI5 is now investigating the compiler, Leonard Dawe, a 54-year old teacher from Leatherhead, Surrey.
FRANCE: D-Day Countdown
The German Perspective
02 May, 1944
It is a lovely spring day. Field Marshal Rommel, up early as usual,
is on a tour of the Mediterranean positions - perhaps for the last
time before the impending Allied invasion. He leaves with his
entourage at 0630, off to inspect the units along the coast.
They start with the nearest unit, the 338th Infantry Division, and
move eastward. Through La Marargue, the ancient town of
Aigues-Mortes, Le Grau-du-Roi, and Port St-Louis, where they
pass fields of plowed trenches. The staff officers note with
amusement that these furrows will make excellent cover for
airborne troops that might land nearby.
Onward, to the areas of the 244th and 242nd Infantry, Port-de-Bouc,
and finally to Couronne, where Rommel finds himself facing a assembly
of officers from the two divisions. Time for another one of his famous
pep talks. Partially for effect (it never hurts to add a little ginger
to his subject) and partially because of the beautiful weather, he
gives his speech outside. He stands atop of a small knoll facing
inland, with the men gathering around him.
He started off by telling them about the North African campaign.
“Look,” he continues. “I understand that you men want to use your own
experiences instead of the experiences of troops who have already
faced the enemy. That’s perfectly understandable.”
He points his marshal’s baton at them. “But men, time has just about
run out for us. The clock stands at five minutes to twelve, and we
can no longer take time to gather our own separate experiences on
how to fight the enemy. That’s why I’M here.”
A few quiet cheers here.
“Don’t get me wrong; what you’ve done so far is a good start. But
nobody should believe that our goal has been reached yet. “
He went on to explain his objectives in detail, before winding up.
“I’ve heard that the enemy is reputed to say, `Kill the Germans
wherever you find them.’ Such behaviour is alien to us. We fought
as respectable soldiers; but we were just as tough as the others.
The crushing defeat of this enemy attack on the coast of France
will be OUR contribution to vengeance.”
To his surprise, they applauded him and cheer. Somewhat embarrassed,
he walks down the hill.
He dines that evening in Avignon with *General der Artillerie*
Sodernstern, commanding the 19th Army.
-—Peter Margaritis
GERMANY: U-2503 laid down.
CANADA: Destroyer HMCS Niagara assigned as training ship to Torpedo School Halifax, Nova Scotia.
U.S.A.: While getting underway in Boston, Massachusetts for Norfolk, Virginia USS Parrott (DD-218) is rammed by SS John Morton. She was beached by tugs and later towed to Norfolk Naval Shipyard. (Ron Babuka)
Baseball star Ted Williams earns a his wings and a commission to become a pilot in the USMC. (234)
While getting underway in Boston, Massachusetts for Norfolk, Virginia USS Parrott is rammed by SS John Morton. She was beached by tugs and later towed to Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Destroyer escorts USS Walter C Wann, McCoy Reynolds and Lough commissioned.
Destroyer USS Lyman K Swenson commissioned.
Minesweeper USS Scuffle commissioned.
Destroyer escort USS Johnnie Hutchins launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
On U-276 two crewmembers were wounded in an accident with the Anti-Aircraft gun.
U-846 shot down an RAF 58 Sqn Halifax shortly after 0100.
U-674 sunk in the Arctic Ocean NW of Narvik, in position 70.32N, 04.37E, by rockets from an 842 Sqn Swordfish from HMS Fencer. 49 dead (all hands lost)
U-959 sunk SE of Jan Mayen, in position 69.20N, 00.20W, by depth charges from an 842 Sqn Swordfish from HMS Fencer. 53 dead (all hands lost).
The restriction on tungsten imports will cut Germany’s ability to manufacture armor piercing ammution. The chromium restrictions from Turkey, recently put into effect, will have an impact on the German’s ability to make high-quality steel products like armor plate and gun barrels. Speer knows that economic disaster is looming from lack of raw materials. In a few months, he will be able to calculate the point at which armaments production will necessarily cease.
The puzzler was the headmaster at a boys school. To save time he had boys write out words in crossword format. He would then devise the clues and submit to the newspaper.
After the authorities released him, he asked the 14 year old boy where he was getting his words. The boy showed him his notebook, which was full of military codewords. Horrified, the headmaster ordered the boy to burn the notebook and swear never to reveal the words again.
In 1984, the 40th anniversary of D-Day caused people to reminisce about the incident and even look to see if codewords showed up in crosswords during the Falklands War, which none did. The "old boy" then came forward to reveal he was the source of the words. He said hundreds of inquisitive boys must have known what he knew.
That doesn't sound very positive ... but anyway, it still worked out okay.
How in the world did the 14 year old come by the code words? There’s got to be a good story behind that and more than meets the eye.
John Philip "Jock" Henebry
US Army, C.O. 3rd Bombardment Group, CRTC
Pacific Wrecks
Background
John Henebry, was born in Plainfield, Illinois on February 14, 1918 to Hannah Blair and Joseph Henebry. Enrolled at the University of Notre Dame in 1940.
Wartime History
He enlisted in the United States Army on July 30, 1940. Commissioned a second lieutenant on March 14, 1941, upon graduation from pilot training at Randolph and Kelly Fields in Texas. His first military assignment was to the 22nd Bomb Group at Langley Field in Virginia and then he was transferred to the newly formed 13th Bomb Group at Orlando, Florida in which he had his first flight experience in the B-25 airplane.
During June, 1942 John Henebry was transferred to the 3rd Attack Group (3rd Bombardment Group), Fifth Air Force then based at Charters Towers Airfield then based at Port Moresby.
Henebry was largely responsible for the reconfiguration of the B-25 Mitchell into a strafer variant, which was implemented by "Pappy" Gunn. During the Battle of The Bismark Sea, newly armed with forward facing 50 caliber machine guns and utilizing a low level skip-bombing technique, Henebry and the other pilots were able to sink an entire enemy convoy for the first time.
November 2, 1943 mission against Rabaul
Henebry led the the November 2, 1943 mission over Rabaul. That attack was carried out with 185 fighter and bomber planes and was one of the largest air attack formations in the Pacific Theatre at the time. Piloting B-25D "The Notre Dame de Victoire" 41-30316, he was credited with sinking two ships before his bomber was damaged over the target and forced to ditch without injury to the crew.
Later, the unit moved to Dobodura, Nadzab and Hollandia, Leyte and Mindoro. In July 1943, he became Commander of the 90th Bombardment Squadron of the 3rd Attack Group and Commander of the entire 3rd Attack Group during November, 1943.
During late 1944 became Commander of the FEAF Combat Replacement and Training Center (CRTC) based at Nadzab Airfield. When Japan officially surrendered, he was aboard the USS Missouri along side of General MacArthur and General Kenney for the signing of the Instrument of Surrender. He went on to become Commander of Clark Field in the Philippines, the largest American overseas base, for some time after the war.
During World War II he received every Air Force medal, except the Medal of Honor, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Unit Citations.
Postwar
After the war he retired from active duty as Colonel and entered Air Force Reserve duty. In Reserve duty he was Commander of the 437th Troop Carrier Wing based at OHare Field. Named Brigadier General on his 30th birthday.
Korean War
In August, 1950 that Wing was called to active duty and it went to Korea and Japan to serve with the Combat Cargo Command. These two units were combined to form the 312th Air Division and carry out the Korean Airlift. General Henebry was the first Commander of the Division.
For his contributions during the Korean War, by appointment of the Queen, he was named Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and also received the Korean Ulchi Medal with gold star from the Republic of Korea. In August, 1952 he returned to Air Force Reserve duty and he was named Major General in August, 1957. Major General Henebry retired from the Air Force in 1976 after 37 years of duty to his county.
Among his business interests, he and his brother Joseph founded Skymotive in 1946, a private aviation service company located at OHare, and on the property that is now occupied by the United Airlines terminals. In addition, he had owned a number of stainless steel and aluminum fabricating businesses.
In 2002 he wrote The Grim Reapers At Work in the Pacific Theatre an autobiography of his experiences during World War II. Henebry died of heart failure at age 89 on Sunday morning September 30, 2007 surrounded by his family at Evanston Hospital in Illinois.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this project is getting the opportunity to remind us all of some of the great people and their deeds that would otherwise be forgotten by now. Then I read the news of something like the White House/State Dept. behavior during the Benghazi crisis and I can only shake my head at the comparison. I know there have always been sleazy characters in government but I can't imagine people like Lt. Col Henebry - and I know we are still producing them - have been treated with the contempt and scorn as they are now.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1460892/D-Day-crosswords-are-still-a-few-clues-short-of-a-solution.html
Thanks. Fascinating story, isn’t it. The old “Loose Lips Sink Ships” adage was never truer than in this case, huh?
All I can say is we were really lucky counterintelligence did such a good job of shutting down or turning what agents the Germans managed to get into Britain.
And the amazing thing is, you never really know who these people are until the going gets tough at which point the tough instinctively step forward, reveal themselves and get going.
I'm sure that a few years earlier, Lt. Col J.P. Henebry had no idea what he was made of.
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