Posted on 05/14/2014 4:06:17 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945
Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring
The News of the Week in Review
Fifteen News Questions – 13
Thirty Days of Pre-Invasion Bombing (chart) – 14
Bombers’ Invasion Role Important, but Limited (Middleton) – 15
Report from the Nation (by Lawrence Dame, Virginius Dabney, James E. Crown, Louther S. Horne, Roland M. Jones, and Lawrence E. Davies) – 16-17
Running Away Commentary (cartoon) – 17
Answers to Fifteen News Questions – 17
The New York Times Magazine
Invasion: The Five Great Problems (by Hanson W. Baldwin) – 18-23
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/may44/14may44.htm#
Free French penetrate German line
Sunday, May 14, 1944 www.onwar.com
In Italy... The attacks by forces of the US 5th Army continue. The French Expeditionary Corps advances into the Ausente Valley, capturing Ausonia, and continue to advance over the Aurunci Mountains toward the next German defensive line, which is not occupied in strength at this time. The US 2nd Corps makes progress against the defending German 94th Division.
Over Britain... The Luftwaffe conducts a night raid on Bristol and southwestern England with 91 planes of which 15 are lost.
In the North Sea... German E-boats attack Allied landing craft lying off the coast of Britain near the Isle of Wight. The Free French destroyer La Combattante sinks S-141 in which the second son of Admiral Donitz, Klaus Donitz, is serving. The entire crew is lost at sea.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/14.htm
May 14th, 1944 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Intelligence officers decode a cipher message from Göring uncovering a campaign to trick Allied bombers into raiding inactive airfields.
ITALY: The The French Mountain Corps (North African Colonial troops from Morocco and Algeria) advance into the Ausente Valley and cross the Aurunci Mountains. This advance assists the US forces on the left flank of the French.
The 2nd French Infantry Division under General Juin, moves in the direction of the city of Liri and makes its junction with the 1st DMI, led by General d. Brosset. (Yanni Kadari)
The British XIII Corps consolidates a bridgehead over the Rapido river, and advances into the Ausente valley.
The USAAF Fifteenth Air Force dispatches just over 700 B-17s and B-24s to attack targets in Italy; B-17s hit marshalling yards at Ferrara and Mantua and an air depot at Piacenza; B-24s hit Vicenza marshalling yard and air depots at Piacenza and Reggio Emilia; fighters fly 170+ sorties in escort; 48 P-38s strafe Aviano and Villaorba airfields.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: 14.05.44 SS Fort Fidler (7,127 GRT) Canadian-owned, British-registered merchantman and British-flagged SS GS Walen heavily damaged in the Mediterranean Sea, at 36.45N, 000.55E, when torpedoed by U-616, OLtzS Siegfried Koitschka, Knights Cross, CO. U-616 was scuttled on 17 May 44 in the Mediterranean, east of Cartagena, in position 36.46N, 000.52E, after a 3 day-long action by USS Nields, Gleaves, Ellyson, Macomb, Hambleton, Rodman, Emmons and assistance from a ‘Wellington’ patrol a/c from RAF 36 Sqn. All of 53 of her crewmembers survived this incident. U-616 attacked the 94-ship Port Said to Hampton Roads convoy GUS 39 on the night of 13-14 May and damaged the American tanker G.S. Walden (10,627) plus Fort Fidler. The USN mounted a massive ‘swamp’ ASW operation code named ‘Monsterous’ that employed a/c from 5 Sqns and 8 US escorts. Two Benson-class destroyers (Nields and Gleaves) from the convoy were tracking and attacking U-616 during the day on 14 May, they were joined by the assisting units. U-616 repeatedly evaded her attackers but, on 15 May, further attacks finally produced an oil slick whereafter contact was lost. Unwilling to give up the search on such evidence, the searchers stayed in the area, at 2226 on 17 May, they were rewarded when the Wellington sighted U-616 on the surface. The destroyers were vectored in on the contact. At 2359, USS Macomb illuminated the U-boat with starshell, which then crash-dived. Sonar contact was re-established at 0017 and continuous attacks finally forced U-616 to the surface at 0807 on 17 May. The crew abandoned the boat and were recovered by USS Ellyson. Only 5 hours later, U-960 attacked Ellyson off Oran. Her torpedo missed and another Swamp operation began that eventually resulted in the sinking of U-960 on 19 May.
U.S.A.:
Destroyer USS Hawkins laid down.
Submarines USS Moray and Roncador launched.
Escort carrier USS Lunga Point commissioned.
"Dwarfed by the mountain of shoes before them, women inmates at Auschwitz sort the footwear into piles according to size.
Often the shoes would exist longer than the women who sorted them.
After initial sorting, the shoes would be moved to 'Canada,' the storage depot.
Then the women of the Schuhkommando (shoe detail) set to work, separating uppers from soles and leather from rubber.
Most of the material was sent to Germany."
"Aufräumungskommandos (cleaning commandos), most of whom were Jews, were given the ghoulish task of sorting through the belongings of the victims of Auschwitz's gas chambers.
The camp's inmates referred to the several dozen barracks in which this material was stored as 'Canada,' associating them with the riches of that country."
Interesting to note the fine distinction drawn between "air-borne troops" and "parachute troops".
Today, "parachute troops" are no more, now called "air-borne", while the old "air-borne troops" are now called "air-mobile".
D-Day "parachute troops":
WWII "air-borne" C-47s with gliders:
Today's air-borne / air-mobile troops:
Third image down, the painting of the C-47s dropping their sticks of parachute infantry, shows Market-Garden, not D-Day. Market (the airborne/parachute assault component) was a low level daylight drop, as seen in the painting. Of note is how the D-Day invasion stripes on the C-47s upper surfaces had been overpainted by September 1944 ...
What is that equipment in the last photo?
Fortunately, General Marshall was no fool.
Stilwell didn’t really want American ground troops in China. He always dreamed of his 30/30/30 plan where he would create a 90 division Chinese army on the American pattern 30 divisions at a time. They would be trained by American “advisers” (sound familiar?). Unfortunately, Chaing never intended to defeat the Japanese with Chinese troops. He wanted to defeat them with American troops. And yes, Stilwell was tactless and not at all articulate. So those divisions were never created. But I don’t think anyone would have succeeded with “Cash My Check.” Never forget the Chinese proverb: “We can always fool the foreigner.”
Yes, the Chinese were poorly served by Chaing. Certainly not the regime to stop the Communists. Stillwell was in an impossible position.
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