Service Introduction

The first prototype was presented to the trials establishment at Bourges in May 1930. The vehicle, to be christened Char B, weighed 25 tons and carried a crew of four who were protected by a maximum of 25mm of armour. It was armed with one 7.5cm gun situated beside the driver, two hull mounted forward firing machine-guns and two co-axially mounted machine-guns in a revolving one-man turret. The vehicle carried 800 litres of petrol and thus had a radius of action of some 10 to 12 hours. The 180-hp Renault 6-cylinder engine gave the vehicle a speed of 28 km/h. In October 1931 all three prototypes were brought together as a tactical trials unit for exercises at Mourmelon where firing and mobility trials were conducted. The equipment apparently performed ‘perfectly’.

In October 1930 studies were initiated for an upgraded version of the char de bataille. This was based upon experience gained with the Char B1 specifically during tactical trials. A revised statement on the required characteristics of the vehicle was presented. This demanded good mobility, with high speed and good cross-country performance. It was to be heavily armed and armoured and fitted with wireless communication and intercom equipment throughout.

Prototype trials continued with the Char B1and by 1935 the armour thickness had risen to 40mm and weight to 28 tons. There were some, mostly in authority, who held reservations about the vehicle, since the age of the basic design was nearly ten years old but it had, in that time, become an advanced and powerful weapon system with some very nice and unique features. Unfortunately these ‘features’ meant that components were expensive and slow to manufacture and demanding of a high proportion of regular soldiers to operate and maintain. The Char B1 was essentially hand built and did not lend itself to mass production. The German re-occupation of the Rhineland in March 1935 created a situation of crisis that demanded an immediate French re-armament program be instigated. This galvanised the Direction de l'Infanterie, in April 1935, to instigate the manufacture of 40 Char B’s, up-armoured to 60mm. They were to become known officially as the Char B1 bis.

Char B1 bis

Further design work and trials were carried out to accept the extra and obviously heavier armour. Meanwhile, production started slowly based on the prototype designs, with 40mm armour and with the cast APX 1 turrets carrying a 47mm SA 34 short barreled cannon and machinegun. Only 35 vehicles were delivered before the armour and other improvements were introduced. These early vehicles were referred to as Char B1, although the prototypes are also called Char B1. The new Char B1 bis weighed 32 tons, carried a crew of four and mounted a Renault engine boosted to 300 hp to haul the extra four tonnes. The turret was exchanged for the similar but thicker APX 4 turret mounting the superb high velocity 47mm SA 35 L34 armour piercing cannon, the very same turret and gun that was mounted to the highly effective Somua S-35 cavalry tank.

Development

Production continued slowly in peacetime but by May of 1940 the Char B1 bis had become the principal French medium tank along with the Somua S-35. A total of 365 Char B1 bis were manufactured before the French armed forces capitulated in the face of superior German tactics in June of 1940.

The hull of the CharB1was divided into two by a fireproof bulkhead, with the fighting compartment at the front holding the crew of four, and the engine and transmission at the rear. Armour components and armour plates were mounted to steel girders running along each side to form the hull of the vehicle. The suspension assemblies, which incorporated vertically mounted coil springs, were fixed to these girders so that the springs projected upwards into the hull. Armoured skirting plates protected the suspension system, which was developed from the Holt tractor. It comprised of three main assemblies each side, each of four bogies mounted in pairs on plates pivoted at the centre. Each of these plates was mounted at the end of a similar one balanced at the base of vertically mounted coil springs, whilst semi-elliptic leaf springs also came into play as dampers under extreme compression. In addition, but not bearing the weight of the tank, there were four independently mounted bogies (three forward, one rear) controlled by leaf springs. Unusually, the front idler wheel (tensioner) was also spring-mounted. Adjustments for track tension were made from inside the fighting compartment. All this involved considerable lubrication of bearings and guides, but the task was made easier with an arrangement of grease nipples in four groups each side behind small doors in the armoured skirting plates.

The main entrance to the hull was through a square door on the right hand side of the vehicle. The driver had a hatch over his head and there was a side door in the rear of the turret for the commander. An escape hatch was also provided in the hull floor, along with other doors for the disposal of empty ammunition cases.

The engine compartment was itself divided into three parts, left, right and centre. The engine, with associated power train to the gearbox and rear sprockets, was mounted in the centre. A Renault 6-cylinder aircraft engine with magneto ignition, incorporating an unusual compressed air starting system in addition to the normal electric starter motor powered the vehicle. This ‘Viet’ starter system provided independent ignition and a source of mixed fuel and air under pressure to the engines cylinders. This was sufficient to turn the engine slowly until the normal firing sequence started. On the right was a narrow gangway, gained access to by a door in the fireproof bulkhead. This gave access to fuel gauges and extra ammunition but more importantly gave access to yet another escape hatch situated in the roof of the engine deck between the two exhaust ports.

Two self-sealing fuel tanks were situated on the right side with another on the left. Two radiators with fans were mounted on the left along the axis of the tank, so that cooling air was drawn in from above the gangway, across the engine and out through a grill on the left side of the tank.

The driver, who was an extremely busy crewmember, sat at the left front of the vehicle. He was the only crewmember apart from the commander who had any means to see what was going on outside. The driver steered the vehicle by means of a steering wheel, which was connected by chain and rods to the Naeder hydrostatic steering mechanism. The gearbox and transmission incorporated a differential, which was connected directly to the final drive and sprockets, together with an auxiliary differential controlled by the Naeder hydrostatic system for the steering. The Naeder system, in conjunction with this double differential unit, controlled power distribution to each track and permitted the infinitely fine variations in steering, which were vital in aiming the 7.5cm main gun.

Brake drums were mounted externally at each end of the auxiliary differential, operated with servo-assistance by the driver's hand brakes and pedal. These brakes could also be used for steering. The driver changed gear, by means of a lever situated to his right and used his feet to control the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals, in the normal way.

Also to the driver’s right was the elevating hand-wheel for the 7.5cm gun. This weapon was mounted behind a mantlet bolted to the hull front. Movement of this gun in elevation operated a linkage mechanism that automatically turned prismatic binocular sights mounted on the driver's hood in a way that was parallel with the gun trunnions. The sights rotated behind a pair of vertical slits beneath the driver's scope. The gun, however, was fixed in azimuth. Gun laying for line was effected by swinging the vehicle in azimuth, hence the need for the Naeder hydrostatic steering mechanism. This weapon incorporated an unusual feature found mostly in naval gun turrets. Upon firing, fumes from the gun were literally blown out through the muzzle by the Luchard air compressor and air-blast system fitted to the 7.5cm gun.

As if the driver was not already doing enough he was also, often, responsible for firing (by cable) the fixed machine-gun that was mounted low in the hull and to the right of the 7.5cm gun. Alternatively the firing handle could be repositioned in the tank roof where the tank commander could have access. There was limited movement of the machine-gun in elevation but, as with the 7.5cm gun, it was fixed for line.

The loader and wireless operator were both situated at the base of the tank commander’s feet. The loader performed a number of duties. He was to serve the two hull guns, fit fuses to the 7.5cm shells when needed and also provide ammunition to the tank commander when rounds were used up from racks immediately to hand. The ammunition for all weapons was stowed in bins or racks fixed to the walls of the hull or under the floor of the fighting compartment. As mentioned previously, ammunition was also stowed in the engine compartment.

The tank commander was the sole occupant of the cast APX 4 turret, which was mounted centrally but towards the rear of the fighting compartment. This turret, in the case of the Char B1 bis, mounted the 4.7cm SA 35 high velocity armour piercing cannon along with a machine-gun and was equipped with electric power traverse. The turret was identical to that mounted to the Somua S-35 tank, while the APX 1 turret mounted to the earlier Char B1, housed a short-barreled 47mm SA 34 gun with less armour and was the same as that mounted to the Char D2. The turret was known as the ‘command post’ and included the wireless set, inter-comm control box, a gyroscopic direction indicator and a binnacle-mounted compass. The gyroscope was driven by compressed air supplied from the same Luchard air compressor through a reserve air bottle mounted beside the driver.

The Char B was a sophisticated vehicle with some technically advanced features. Its complexity was probably to see its downfall for it was difficult to manufacture and maintain, whilst it’s layout and demands on the crew hindered the efficient use of its weapons in battle unlike German manufactured tanks of the time. It was, in effect, a heavily armoured self-propelled assault gun, an equivalent to the German manufactured Sturmgeschütz but which also carried a rather potent anti-tank gun in a separate turret. Certain features of the Char B are said to have influenced the design of the British Churchill tank, which was initially designed with a 3-inch howitzer mounted beside the driver. The Char B1 bis was regarded as an extremely powerful weapon in its day and stood up well to attack by all German anti-tank guns, except, of course, the dreaded 88mm, which was to become the bane of all Allied tank crews throughout the entire war.

At the same time that funds were made available in 1935 for production of the Char B1, instructions were given for subsequent development of the vehicle to remedy certain disadvantages found in the B1 and B1 bis. These included vulnerability of the sidewalls and tracks to armour piercing shells. Practical experience had also shown that there were distinct disadvantages in laying the gun for line solely by turning the tank and this was to be addressed. The new design was to give the 7.5cm gun a mounting with limited traverse of 5 degrees each way. The opportunity was then taken to make space for a fifth crewmember, described as a mechanic. The APX 4 turret was retained and armament remained the same. The new vehicle was dubbed the Char B1 ter, with the first of three prototypes rolling off the line at Rueil in 1937.

Char B1 ter prototype

The vehicle was presented before M Daladier at Satory in 1937 and incorporated several improvements over and above those listed such as a 350-hp engine and protection against gas attack. Testing of the prototype ran from 1937 to 1940. The official test report described the gasoline supply as of ‘insufficient capacity’ and complained about ‘fragile’ electrical installation. In conclusion, the Char B1 ter presented little interest to the French armed forces at the time and that its mass production was only to be considered when all defects had been ‘cured’. Little by little the necessary modifications were made and by January of 1939 the vehicle was again ready for testing. The weight of the vehicle had increased to 36.6 tonnes and a decision was made to increase the power of the engine, yet again, to 400-hp. By April of 1940 another two prototypes had been completed, one by FCM and another by Fives-Lille. As hostilities commenced in May of 1940 and the situation in France became steadily unbearable all three prototypes were embarked aboard a cargo liner in June of 1940 which was unfortunately sunk before reaching its final destination and so no examples of this unique vehicle exist today.

1 posted on 12/13/2004 11:41:52 PM PST by SAMWolf

To: snippy_about_it; PhilDragoo; Johnny Gage; Victoria Delsoul; The Mayor; Darksheare; Valin; ...

Theatres of Service

General Estienne, in the years immediately following the First World War, had advocated the replacement of the Renault FT series by a new and more powerful char de bataille, as detailed earlier. He wished for this vehicle to exercise a decisive influence in operations by its mobility and use in mass numbers as part of a totally independent mechanised force, which included motorised infantry and self-propelled artillery. Colonel Fuller and Liddell Hart had virtually come to the same conclusions and made largely the same recommendations to the British armed forces across the English Channel but in France these recommendations went unheeded amongst a General Staff which utterly refused to contemplate conditions of war beyond that of 1918. This blinkered view resigned tanks to control by infantry officers and further development for any other purpose other than infantry support was stifled. Indeed, this is how the position stayed in the French armed forces for the next two decades.

Char B1 bis of the 4th D.C.R taking up positions on the 15th May 1940

As a result the headquarters of the wartime Artillerie d’Assaut, which might have served as the nucleus of an independent armoured force, was disbanded in 1920. There would be no testing or development of radical new ideas on armoured warfare without a new and independent arm such as the Royal Tank Corps in Britain, or the Panzerwaffe in Germany. Whereas the German Panzertruppen made great strides in armoured fighting vehicle formations and tactical doctrine between the two world wars, the French however, made virtually no progress at all.

However, ironically, it was the French cavalry that was the first to create an armoured formation designed to operate entirely on its own. Mechanisation of French cavalry divisions had developed quicker than in Britain, so much so, that by as early as 1930 one horsed brigade was replaced by a regiment of motorised riflemen (dragons portés). In 1932, the detachment of 36 armoured cars in said division was enlarged to 80 in number. Cavalry and infantry divisions then both took part in combined exercises of mechanised detachments. Upon the conclusion of these exercises the cavalry then went ahead and assembled a fully motorised division the following year. This led to the permanent formation of the first Ire Division Légère Mécanique (DLM) in 1934. This preceded by four years the British Mobile Division and by one year that of the first German panzer division. The distinction to make here was that the first DLM had gradually evolved during a process of mechanisation and was not a product of new thought on the conduct of armoured warfare as was the case in Germany. The DLM’s role was restricted to one of strategic reconnaissance, security and the protection of infantry formations. It did, however, resemble the organisation of an early panzer division, more by luck than judgement.

The development of both French infantry and cavalry vehicles continued slowly albeit in tandem during peacetime. From 1935 the industrial and military technical resources for armoured fighting vehicles were brought together under one roof and by the late 1930's both cavalry and infantry armoured fighting vehicles were generally of comparable performance. They were often armed with the same guns, used the same ammunition and some even used the same turrets, the Char B1 bis and Somua S-35 for instance.

In 1938 the second DLM was formed and a third was added in August 1939. A fourth was being assembled in May 1940, but was never completed. The organisation of a DLM consisted of a combat brigade with two regiments each of 87 tanks, two squadrons of armoured cars and two of motorcyclists for reconnaissance, with a motorised rifle regiment consisting of three battalions of dragons portés that each included a squadron of 20 tracked autos-mitrailleuses.

Captured Char B1 used by the Germans

During the winter and spring of 1939/40 another type of cavalry formation with tanks was formed when three horsed cavalry divisions were broken up and five horsed brigades were released to join five new partially mechanised Divisions Légères de Cavalerie or DLC’s. These were smaller and weaker versions of the DLM and comprised of a mechanised brigade with a combat group of light tanks and a reconnaissance group of armoured cars, supported by two battalions of dragons portés.

Meanwhile, the infantry had come to accept that tanks would be needed in greater numbers. They had even decided that they might be concentrated at the corps or divisional level, but they were still tasked in the role of infantry support. It was not until 1934, when Colonel de Gaulle's celebrated book Vers L'Arniée de Métier proclaimed the need for a highly trained and professional mechanised army, that some original thinking was injected into the French military hierarchy. This gave a stimulus to the younger regular officers and soldiers of the time but in doing so frightened the politicians and General Staff. From then on the open discussion of any new ideas, particularly on mechanisation, which did not meet with official approval was stifled.

The infantry gradually evolved plans for grouping together armoured fighting vehicles but progress was painfully slow. Observations during the Spanish Civil War had confirmed, to the critics of armour, that anti-tank guns would be as devastating to tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles as the machine-gun had already proved to be against infantry formations. The French High Command, however, accepted that there should be some form of operational grouping of infantry medium tanks in a force heavier than battalion strength and so, eventually, during 1937/38 formal instructions on tactical doctrine were issued upon the employment of modern tanks and armoured formations. These instructions covered general principles and were totally based on theory. It was not until September 1939, after the Germans had invaded Poland and war had been declared, that four battalions of Char B’s were united into two demi-brigades, with two battalions of motorised infantry, with supporting artillery and engineers, to form the first Ire Division Cuirassée de Réserve (DCR). In January 1940 this armoured division was split up to help form a second by re-distribution of its available vehicles, replacing two battalions of Char B’s by two made up from the Hotchkiss H-39’s, previously regarded as a cavalry light tank by the infantry. The end result was two DCR’s made up from two demi-brigades each comprising one battalion of 33 Char B’s and one of 45 Hotchkiss H-39 light tanks, together with the associated battalion of motorised riflemen, artillery and engineers. A third DCR was formed in March 1940, whilst assembly of the fourth was hurriedly completed under General de Gaulle after the German assault had started in May 1940.

The DCR was heavily weighted in terms of tanks as opposed to infantry. The role of the DCR was still confined to that of a shock force used ahead of the infantry. It was without means of reconnaissance, air support or anti-aircraft defence and was therefore, in essence, an armoured combat group of strictly limited capability. The exploitation of an attack or counter-attack was to be handed over to a DLC or other motorised infantry formation to try to exploit.

Apart from those vehicles belonging to the DCR’s, there were over 1,000 other modern infantry tanks, excluding the aged Renaults FT’s, which were dispersed throughout France assigned to battalions supporting infantry field formations. By May 1940 both infantry and cavalry formations represented a formidable array of armoured fighting vehicles to be matched against any invading army, nearly 2,500 modern tanks in total. Unfortunately the German war machine only required some six weeks to render this force completely impotent and the Char B1, like many other French tanks, was taken into use by the Wehrmacht. The one-man turret was seen as a severe handicap for use within the Panzer divisions. The Char B was however, adapted for other purposes including driver training, where it was known as the Panzerkampfwagen (PzKpfw) B1 (f) Fahrschulewagen and again in 1942 when a conversion to self-propelled artillery was undertaken by Rheinmetall-Borsig. The tank turret was removed and a 105mm-field howitzer was mounted with limited traverse in a fixed, open-topped enclosure above the fighting compartment. Another conversion, known as the PzKpfw B1 Bis (f) Flammpanzer replaced the 7.5cm hull gun with a flame projector unit. The APX 4 turret with 47mm cannon was still retained, but only 24 of these conversions were ever made.

Additional Sources:

www.wwiivehicles.com
www.vojska.net
www.hq.wwiionline.com

2 posted on 12/13/2004 11:42:46 PM PST by SAMWolf (I thought about being born again, but my mother refused.)

Tank B1 bis was superior in his armor and armament. With his 47mm gun it was stronger then Pz.Kpfw. III and IV and could only be disabled by hit to the tracks or to vulnerable engine grate on the left side or by hits from 88mm Flak-18. However B1 bis didn't have success in a combat. Badly trained crews couldn't perform complicated tasks and small radius combined with often stooping and moving through roads crowded with refuges resulted in fear of running out of fuel and often stops to refuel. First DCR never recovered from surprise done by German tanks at the moment her tanks where refueling.

Char B1 bis converted to a PzKpfw B1 (f) Fahrschulewagen

After June 1940, Germans used Char B for occupation duties (like Channel islands) as Pz.Kpfw. B1 bis 740 (f). Some had there turret and armament removed and become Pz.Kpfw. B1 (f), driver training tanks. 25 tanks had there 75mm gun replaced with flame-thrower and become Pz.Kpfw. B1 (f) Flamm. Several where converted at Rheimetall-Borsing to mount 105mm filed howitzer - 10,5cm le FH 18 Ausf Gw B2 (f).

Some surviving tanks where used by SS Tank Company of the 7th SS Freiwilligsten Gebirgsjägerdivision Prinz Eugen in Yugoslavia for occupation duties.

3 posted on 12/13/2004 11:43:10 PM PST by SAMWolf (I thought about being born again, but my mother refused.)

Here are the recommended holiday mailing dates for military mail this year:

For military mail addressed TO APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

Parcel Post - November 13
Space Available - November 27
Parcel Airlift - December 4
Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - Mailing date is December 11 to all locations
- EXCEPT for locations starting with ZIP 093. For all locations starting with ZIP 093 the mailing date is December 6.
Express Mail - December 20 to locations where Express Mail service is available. Check with your local post office to determine which APO/FPO addresses can receive Express Mail. Note: This service is not available to ships.

------

For military mail FROM APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

Space Available - November 20
Parcel Airlift - December 4
Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - December 11
Express Mail - December 18 from APO/FPO addresses where Express Mail can be accepted. Check with your local military post office to determine if they can accept Express Mail. Note: This service is not available from ships.

Thanks for the information StayAtHomeMother

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004

The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

4 posted on 12/13/2004 11:43:30 PM PST by SAMWolf (I thought about being born again, but my mother refused.)

To: SZonian; soldierette; shield; A Jovial Cad; Diva Betsy Ross; Americanwolf; CarolinaScout; ...

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!

It's TreadHead Tuesday!

Good Morning Everyone

If you would like added to our ping list let us know.
If you'd like to drop us a note you can write to:

The Foxhole
19093 S. Beavercreek Rd. #188
Oregon City, OR 97045

5 posted on 12/13/2004 11:53:48 PM PST by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)

To: mostly cajun; archy; Gringo1; Matthew James; Fred Mertz; Squantos; colorado tanker; The Shrew; ...

Free Republic Treadhead Ping

mostly cajun ;archy; Gringo1; Matthew James; Fred Mertz; Squantos; colorado tanker; The Shrew; SLB; Darksheare; BCR #226; IDontLikeToPayTaxes; Imacatfish; Tailback; DCBryan1; Eaker; Archangelsk; gatorbait; river rat; Lee'sGhost; Dionysius; BlueLancer; Frohickey; GregB; leadpenny; skepsel; Proud Legions; King Prout; Professional Engineer; alfa6; bluelancer; Cannoneer No.4; An Old Man; hookman; DMZFrank; in the Arena; Bethbg79; neverdem; NWU Army ROTC; ma bell; MoJo2001; The Sailor; dcwusmc; dts32041; spectr17; Rockpile; Theophilus;

************Snippy, I bequeath to you the FR TH PL.

148 posted on 08/24/2004 11:39:45 AM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4 (I've lost turret power; I have my nods and my .50. Hooah. I will stay until relieved. White 2 out.)

Good morning Cannoneer. How goes things? :-)

6 posted on 12/13/2004 11:55:19 PM PST by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)

To: SAMWolf; snippy_about_it; bentfeather; Darksheare; Light Speed; PhilDragoo; Matthew Paul

Good morning y'all!

To all our military men and women past and present, military family members, and to our allies who stand beside us
Thank You!

7 posted on 12/14/2004 1:30:18 AM PST by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)

To: snippy_about_it

Good morning Snippy.

8 posted on 12/14/2004 1:58:33 AM PST by Aeronaut (May all the feckless become fecked.)

To: snippy_about_it

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Freeper foxhole.

9 posted on 12/14/2004 3:03:51 AM PST by E.G.C.

To: snippy_about_it

Hi snippy! Hi SAM! Happy Tuesday!

10 posted on 12/14/2004 3:33:09 AM PST by soldierette

To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf; All

December 14, 2004

Believing Is Trusting

Read: Romans 5:1-11

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. —Romans 1:16

Bible In One Year: Joel 1-3; Revelation 5

Occasionally I meet people who know they have a spiritual need but are reluctant to make a personal commitment to Christ. Although they have seen what faith in Christ has done for others, they are confused by the advice they get from some good churchgoing people.

One man told me he had been advised to join a certain church to be saved. He was told by someone else that he had to be baptized in a particular church. Still others spoke vaguely about trying to obey the Sermon on the Mount. And one of his friends said he needed to go through a period of intense sorrow for sin before he could expect God to save him.

Frankly, I don't blame that confused man for saying to me, "I don't want to read any pamphlets or tracts. Show me right from the Bible how I can be saved." So we started reading passages in Romans and discussing them. By the time we reached the fifth chapter, he said, "It's clear to me now. All I need to do is place my trust in Jesus Christ." He did, and he found peace.

We have saving faith when we believe what the Bible says about us and about Jesus Christ, and when we act upon that truth by placing our trust in Him.

If you have not done so, trust Jesus now. —Herb Vander Lugt

God sent His Son to die for us—
No other life would do;
So why not trust in Christ today,
Accept His gift to you. —Branon

We are saved not by what we do but by trusting what Christ has done.

11 posted on 12/14/2004 3:56:13 AM PST by The Mayor (If Jesus lives within us, sin need not overwhelm us.)

To: snippy_about_it; All

12 posted on 12/14/2004 4:03:07 AM PST by GailA (JESUS is the reason for the season)

To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf; Valin; bentfeather; All

It's a Treadhead Tuesday Bump for the Freeper Foxhole.

SAM, valin to continue from yesterdays discussion of Alice's Resturant there is a radio station here in Kansas City that plays the song every year at Noon on Thanksgiving. St Louis also had a station that would play it on Thanksgiving as well.

Christmas Pic for All

Have a great day everybody

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

13 posted on 12/14/2004 5:07:44 AM PST by alfa6

To: snippy_about_it; bentfeather; Samwise; msdrby

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-gram.

14 posted on 12/14/2004 6:01:15 AM PST by Professional Engineer (All wisdom is from the Lord, and with him it remains forever. ~ Ecclesiasticus 1.1)

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on December 14:
1503 Nostradamus, (Michael de Notredame), French astrologist/prophet/some say fraud, born in St. Remy, Provence, France.
1546 Tycho Brahe, Knudstrup Denmark, astronomer (Golden nose)
1829 John Mercer Langston 1st black to hold US political office
1830 Allen Thomas Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1907
1832 Daniel Harris Reynolds Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1902
1837 William Wells Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1892
1895 George VI, king of England (1936-52)
1896 James Doolittle (aviator: U.S. Army Air Force Lt. General awarded Congressional Medal of Honor for leading 1st U.S. aerial raid against Japan in WWII)
1897 Margaret Chase Smith (politician)
1909 Edward L Tatum, US, molecular geneticist (Nobel 1958)
1911 Spike (Lindley) Jones (musician: drummer; band leader: City Slickers: Cocktails for Two, Der Fuhrer's Face)
1914 Morey Amsterdam (comedian, actor: The Dick Van Dyke Show; radio: NBC Monitor)
1917 Dan Daily (singer, dancer, actor)
1922 Don Hewitt, NYC, CBS news executive producer (60 Minutes)
1932 Abbe Lane (Lassman) (singer)
1932 Charlie Rich ('The Silver Fox': Grammy Award-winning singer)
1935 Lee Remick (actress)
1942 Dave Clark (singer: group: The Dave Clark Five)
1946 Patty (Anna Marie) Duke (Academy Award-winning actress: The Miracle Worker)
1946 Stan Smith (tennis: Amateur US Open Champ [1969], US Open Men's Singles Champ [1971], Wimbledon Men's Singles Champ [1972])
1949 Bill Buckner California, 1st baseman, error cost Red Sox 1986 world series

Deaths which occurred on December 14:
0872 Adrian II, Italian Pope (867-72)/last married pope, dies at about 80
1542 James, king of Scotland (1513-42), dies at 30
1754 Mahmud I sultan of Turkey, dies at 58

1799 George Washington, 1st president USA (1789-97), dies at 66. Some believe from incompetence of physicians who bled him to death while fighting acute laryngitis.

1861 Albert, prince consort of England/husband of Queen Victoria, dies in London at 42 .
1873 J Louis R Agassiz Swiss geologist/paleo-biologist), dies
1903 William Ennis, 1st cop to die in electric chair
1918 Sidonio Pais, prince of Portugal, murdered
1926 Theo van Rysselberghe, Belgian painter (pointillism), dies at 64
1945 Josef Kramer known as "beast of Belsen", & 10 others
hanged for crimes committed at the Belsen and Oswiecim Nazi concentration camps
1947 Stanley Baldwin English premier (1923, 24-29, 35-37), dies at 80
1964 William Bendix actor (Life of Riley), dies in Los Angeles at 58
1974 Walter Lippmann US journalist (One of Dynasty), dies at 85
1985 Roger Maris, HR hitter (61 in 61, NY Yankees), dies of cancer at 51
1989 Andrei Sakharov, father of the Soviet H-bomb, dissident and Nobel Peace Prize (1975) winner for defending human rights, died at age 68.
1989 Lee Van Cleef actor (Good Bad & Ugly, Sabata), dies at 64
1997 Owen Barfield philosopher of language, dies at 99
1997 Stubby Kaye actor (Guys & Dolls, Sweet Charity), dies at 79

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 BRIGHAM ALBERT---SAVANNAH GA.
1966 HOLMAN GERALD A.---NORTHVILLE MI.
[ACFT DITCHED 2 SURV REFNO 0548]
1966 KOENIG EDWIN LEE---SPOKANE WA.
[ACFT DITCHED 2 SURV REFNO 0548]
1966 MOWREY RICHARD L.---SHAWNEE MISSION KS.
[ACFT DITCHED 2 SURVIVED]
1966 NEWELL MICHAEL T.---ELLENVILLE NY.
1966 WILSON CLAUDE D. JR.---STOCKTON CA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 06/89]
1967 SEHORN JAMES E.---FOREST GROVE OR.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]
1971 BOYANOWSKI JOHN G.---HARRISBURG PA.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 BREMMER DWIGHT A.---OAKLAND TN.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 CALDWELL FLOYD D.---ST LOUIS MO.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 HOLLINGER GREG N.---PAUL ID.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 PERKINS CECIL C.---PORTSMOUTH VA.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]
1971 PERRY OTHA L.---DETROIT MI.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SEARCH NEG."]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
0644 Osman ibn Affan appointed 3rd kalief of islam
0867 Adrian II begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0872 John VIII begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1124 Theobald Buccapecus elected Pope Coelestinus II (he refuses)
1287 Zuider Zee seawall collapses with loss of 50,000 lives
1799 George Washington dies on his Mount Vernon estate.
1819 Alabama is admitted as the 22nd state, making 11 slave states and 11 free states.
1861 Prince Albert of England, one of the Union's strongest advocates, dies.
1863 Confederate General James Longstreet attacks Union troops at Bean's Station, Tenn.
1863 President Abraham Lincoln grants amnesty to the widow of Confederate General B.H. Helm after she swears allegiance to the Union. Mrs. Helm is the half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln.
1882 Henry Morton Stanley returns to Brussels from the Congo
1900 Max Planck presents the quantum theory at the Physics Society in Berlin.
1906 The first U1 submarine is brought into service in Germany.
1908 The first truly representative Turkish Parliament opens.
1909 The Labor Conference in Pittsburgh ends with a "declaration of war" on U.S. Steel.
1911 Roald Amundsen and four others discover the South Pole. ("It's right over there.")
1915 Jack Johnson is 1st black world heavyweight boxing champion
1920 The League of Nations creates a credit system to aid Europe.
1941 German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel orders the construction of defensive positions along the European coastline.
1941 1st NFL division playoff, Bears beat Packers 33-14
1941 Prime Minister Winston Churchill travels to US on board HMS Duke of York
1946 The United Nations adopt a disarmament resolution prohibiting the A-Bomb. (Well that worked out real well)
1949 Bulgarian ex-Premier Traicho Kostov is sentenced to die for treason in Sofia.
1960 A U.S. Boeing B-52 bomber sets a 10,000-mile non-stop record without refueling.
1969 Jackson Five made their 1st appearance on "Ed Sullivan Show"
1977 War criminal Pieter Menten sentenced in Amsterdam to 15 years
1977 "Saturday Night Fever,"starring John Travolta, premieres in NYC
1980 NATO warns the Soviets to stay out of the internal affairs of Poland, saying that intervention would effectively destroy the détente between the East and West.
1981 Israel annexes Golan Heights (seized from Syria in war of 1967)
1986 The experimental aircraft Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world.
1990 Right to Die case permits Nancy Cruzan to have her feeding tube removed, she dies 12 days later
2000 U.S. businessman Edward Pope was pardoned and released by Russia after being convicted of espionage.
2000 President-elect George W. Bush conferred by phone with congressional leaders of both parties and planned a goodwill tour of Washington, D.C.; he also received a flood of congratulatory calls from world leaders on his first full day as president-elect
2003 Saddam Hussein(Lion of Iraq, Scourge of the Crusaders) shows off his latest palace and proves to the world that he doesn't have lice.

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Alabama : Admission Day (1819)
El Salvador : Revolution Day
Iran : Death of Iman Ja'far Sadeq Day
Turkey : Festival of Mevlana-Jelaeddin Rumi (Whirling Dervishes)
World : Halcyon Days
US : Halcyon Days Begins (7 days, 1st of two zones)
US : Tell Someone They're Doing A Good Job Week (day 2)
Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month

Religious Observances
Third Sunday of Advent
Lutheran : Commemoration of Teresa of Avila
Roman Catholic, Lutheran : Memorial of St Spyridon
Roman Catholic, Lutheran : Feast of John of the Cross, priest/doctor

Religious History
1363 Birth of Jean Charlier de Gerson, French theologian. During the papal schism of 1378_1414, Gerson attended the councils of Pisa (1409) and Constance (1414_18). He spent his last years in a monastery at Lyons teaching children, composing hymns and writing books on Christian mysticism.
l836 Birth of Frances Ridley Havergal, English devotional writer. In frail health most of her life, Miss Havergal was nevertheless a fruitful writer, and authored such hymns as "Take My Life and Let It Be," "Who is on the Lord's Side?" and "I Gave My Life for Thee."
1922 "Toc H" (the British alphabetic letter abbreviation for "Talbot House") was chartered. A Christian fellowship which originated in 1915 in Belgium under Anglican chaplain P.T.B. Clayton, M.C., its various branches minister through a variety of Christian social services.
1955 Catholic religious leader, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, 60, was quoted in "Look" magazine on this date as stating that 'an atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.'
1981 The modern nation of Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights, which had been captured from Syria during the 1967 War.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"If your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."

Modern Lies...
Don't worry, I can get another 40 miles when the gauge is on "empty."

How to tick off Santa Claus...
Instead of milk and cookies, leave him a salad, and a note explaining that you think he could stand to lose a few pounds.

The Rules of Chocolate...
Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less.

Famous Last Words...
You look just like Charles Manson

15 posted on 12/14/2004 6:37:36 AM PST by Valin (Out Of My Mind; Back In Five Minutes)

To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf

Good morning, thanks for the ping. I just honored a fallen soldier's last request, kinda bummed about the fact that it had to be a last request for such a fine young man.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1300741/posts

Have a good day!

16 posted on 12/14/2004 7:03:06 AM PST by SZonian (Just damn...what else is there to say when one of our best fall?)

To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf; radu; PhilDragoo; Professional Engineer; Valin; alfa6; Samwise; ...

Good morning FOXHOLE!

LOL It's all Alfa's fault!

17 posted on 12/14/2004 7:20:28 AM PST by Soaring Feather (The Spirit of Love Shines from Your Soul to Mine--Dragonfly)

To: SZonian; snippy_about_it; SAMWolf

I found the hardest thing in my war was the death of the good ones. A big lesson for me was that my own death doesn't mean too much but that my Mom will be sad. But the good ones dieing, that is a heartbreaker.

18 posted on 12/14/2004 7:20:36 AM PST by Iris7 (.....to protect the Constitution from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Same bunch, anyway.)

HEY! Radu has her own Armor!!

Good Morning.

19 posted on 12/14/2004 7:35:47 AM PST by SAMWolf (I thought about being born again, but my mother refused.)

20 posted on 12/14/2004 7:38:56 AM PST by SAMWolf (I thought about being born again, but my mother refused.)

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