The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - JSDF Main Battle Tanks - Jan, 11th, 2005

www.rickard.karoo.net ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

.................................................................. .................... ...........................................

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Japan Self Defense Force Main Battle Tanks

Following World War II and the American Occupation, Japan regained its independence as a nation forbidden, by its own Constitution, to have a standing army. However, every nation has the right to defend itself, and so the Japan Self-Defense Forces, or jieitai were created. The Jieitai is one of the most techologically advanced armed forces in the world, and Japan spends a greater perecentage of its annual GDP on the Jieitai than any other nation spends on its military. For the most part, however, as per the agreements they made after World War II, Japan relies on the United States for defense, and hosts a number of American military bases on its land.

The Diet of Japan is currently deliberating an amendment to the Constitution which would repeal Article Nine, and allow Japan to once again have a proper military.



That said, however, it should be noted that Japan is very much so no longer the militaristic power it was 60 years ago. Japan has deployed the Jieitai to aid in a number of defensive missions, especially those involving humanitarian aid, such as aiding the victims of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, and, currently, helping to rebuild Iraq. They wish to have their own military because they fear the growing threat of China, and of North Korea, which has conducted various terrorist activities over the course of the last several decades and is now explicitly threatening nuclear attack. The United States has failed to properly address these threats, and so Japan seeks to grant itself the power to defend itself. In addition, Kofi Annan recently announced a planned expansion of the number of permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, and Japan seeks to gain one of these positions. Despite their economic power, and political influence, it is debateable whether or not a country with no standing military can be considered a 'world power,' enough so to be granted a permanent seat on the UNSC.

Type 61 Main Battle Tank


STA-1 is the first prototype built based on request specifications. Because they adopted rear engine front drive system, a shaft lies at a hull bottom. Some stature became high hereby.They designed turret ring lower than an engine deck in order to keep height. Therefore body length grows and had 7 wheels.

When the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force was formed in 1950, one of it's first requirements was for tanks. To meet its immediate needs, the USA supplied Japan with numbers of Sherman and M24 Chaffee tanks. A few American M 47 tanks were supplied for trials but, as was soon found out, they had one principal drawback. There are not designed with the small stature of the Japanese in mind. Additionally, their bulk and weight make them unsuitable for transportation across many parts of Japan. In 1954, design work on the first Japanese post-war tank began under the direction of the Ground Armaments Directorate, at the Technical Research and Development Headquarters of the Japanese Self-Defence Force.


STA-2 was built with STA-1 by simultaneous progress. STA-2 body was shortened, and the upper hull was flattened.

The first four prototypes were completed in 1957 and comprised two model ST-A1s and two model ST-A2s. These four prototypes were then followed by two ST-A3 and ten ST-A4 tanks, which were actually almost identical to the final production tank. The tank was designated the Type 61 Main Battle Tank and the first production vehicles were completed in 1962 at the Maruko works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Initial production was very low with 10 tanks being produced in 1962, another 10 in 1963, 20 in 1964, 30 in 1965 and another 30 in 1966. By late 1970, 250 tanks had been completed and it is believed that total production has amounted to some 560 units. The Type 61 was phased out of service and replaced by the Type 74 Main Battle Tank, which was also manufactured by Mitsubishi.


Mitsubishi built next prototype STA-3 on the basis of STA-2.
As for STA-3, The semiautomatic loading system was produced experimentally for the shell loading. and AA machine gun on STA-3 is operated with a remote-controll. However, because a real operation guarantee was unidentified, and these devices exceeded a limit of a cost, it was omitted in next prototype STA-4.

The hull of the Type 61 is of all-welded steel construction. The driver is seated at the front of the hull on the right hand side and is provided with a single piece hatch that has three periscopes mounted forward of it. The turret is made of cast steel with an overhanging bustle similar to that of the US M47 medium tank and has a light sheet steel stowage box at the very rear. The turret is of conventional layout with the commander and gunner seated on the right hand side and the loader on the left. The commander has a domed-shaped cupola that can be rotated through 360 degrees and has a single piece hatch and four vision blocs. The commander is also provided with a periscope sight that has a magnification of x 7 mounted in the forward part of the cupola roof. The gunner is seated forward of the commander and has a telescopic sight with a magnification of x 6 and a periscope with a magnification of x 4. The loader is seated on the left-hand side of the turret and has a single piece hatch and has a single periscope mounted in the turret roof.


STA-4 is prototype to be the nearest to manufacturing type. The device of some examinations was omitted. But the engine was improved a little. The AA machine gun was enclosed by armour like a shellfish sealed. (But This machine gun system was abolished in manufacturing type.)

The engine is a Mitsubishi Type 12 HM 21 12-cylinder diesel (600hp) coupled to a Mitsubishi mechanical manual transmission. The suspension is of a torsion bar type, with six dual rubber tired road wheels, drive wheel at the rear, idler at the front and three track return rollers. The first, second fifth and sixth road wheels have hydraulic shock absorbers.



The main armament is a Type 61 90mm rifled tank gun, which is manufactured by the Japan Steel Works and is considered by many to be seriously undergunned. Mounted coaxially with the main armament is a 7.62mm Browning M1919A4 machine gun, while a 12.7mm (0.5) Browning M2 HB machine gun is mounted on the commander's cupola. The latter can be aimed and fired from within the tank. The Type 61 has no NBC system or deep wading equipment. Some models have been fitted with an infrared searchlight to the left of the main armament as well as infrared driving lights.



Variants include the Type 67 Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge, Type 67 Armoured Engineer Vehicle, Type 70 Armoured Recovery Vehicle and the Type 61 training tank.



Hull length: 6.3m. Hull width: 2.95m. Height: 2.49m. Crew: 4. Ground Clearance: 0.4m. Weight: 35,000kg (combat) Ground pressure: 0.65kg/sq.cm Max speed: 45km/h. Max range (internal fuel): 200km on road. Armament: 90mm Type 61 90mm rifled gun, 1 x 7.62mm Browning M1919A4 machine gun coaxial, 1 x 12.7mm (0.5) Browning M2 HB machine gun on commander's cupola.

[SAMWolf]

Type 74 Main Battle Tank



In the 1960s, the Japanese realised that the Type 61 would not meet their requirements in the 1980s and so Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force began project definition studies into a new MBT in 1962. A design had been formulated by 1964 and to prove the basic concept, a number of test rigs were built and extensively tested between 1964 and 1967. The first two prototypes are constructed at the Maruko works of Mitsubishi heavy industries late in 1968 and completed by September 1969. These were designated the STB-1, and contained many features of other tanks under development at the time, for example, the hydropneumatic suspension system of the MBT-70, the hull of the Leopard 1, the British 105mm L7 series rifled gun as used on the Leopard 1, and the M60, Centurion and other MBTs of the period and a turret that was similar to that on the AMX-30.



The STB-1 had an automatic loader for the British L7A1 gun, which was subsequently built under licence by the Japan Steel Works. This first prototype was followed by the S T been - a three in 1971, which had had the automatic loader removed as it proved too complex and too expensive. The turret had also been the slightly redesigned and deferred in shape with a much longer bustle. In actual fact, the first production contract was placed before the final prototype model, the STB-6, appeared in 1973. The tank was redesignated the Type 74 with the first production vehicle completed in September 1975 and by January 1980, some 225 had been built. Production has now been completed and there are 870 vehicles in service. The Type 74 is being supplemented by the Type 90 in Japanese service. The relatively long gestation period for this tank has meant that the unit costs have been relatively high and but it is a clear generation ahead of its predecessor.



The hull of the Type 74 is of all welded steel construction. The layout is conventional with the driver being seated at the front of a vehicle on the left side and has a single piece hatch as well as three JM17 Mod 2 periscopes that are mounted forward of the hatch, the centre one of which can be replaced by an infrared periscope. The turret is made of cast steel, with the commander and gunner seated on the right side and the loader on the left. The commander's cupola can be turned through 360 degrees of, has a single piece hatch and has a J3 infrared periscope sight with an integral laser rangefinder (with magnifications of x 1 and x 8) in its forward part. The commander also has another five periscopes to on either side and one to the rear. The gunner has a J2 infrared periscope sight (with magnifications of x 1 and x 8) in the roof of the turret, a ballistic computer and a telescope are linked to the main armament. The loader has a single piece hatch and a periscope mounted forward.



The engine and transmission is mounted at the rear of the hull with the exhaust pipes and silencers are mounted on the running boards to the rear of the turret. The engine is a Mitsubishi 10ZF Type 22 WT 10-cylinder diesel (750hp) coupled to a Mitsubishi MT75 manual transmission. The suspension is of a hydropneumatic type and can be adjusted to suit the type of terrain being crossed. There are five dual rubber-tyred road wheels, drive sprocket at the rear and an idler at the front. Standard equipment includes infrared driving lights, an infrared searchlight to left of the main armament and an NBC system.



The main armament consists of a 105mm rifled tank gun (based on the British Royal Ordnance L7 series and built under licence in Japan) which fires the standard range of ammunition. The Type 74's main armament was not fitted with a thermal sleeve initially, but a number of tanks are starting to receive them now. The gun has a drop block breach mechanism and a new concentric recoil mechanism to reduce the volume of the upper part of the down as well as the frontal area of the turret. A 7.62mm Type 74 machine gun is mounted coaxially with the main armament and a 12.7mm (0.5) Browning M2 HB machine gun is mounted on the turret forward of the commander's and loader's positions.



Variants include the Type 78 Armoured Recovery Vehicle and Type 87 air defence system (twin 35mm cannon).

Hull length: 6.7m. Hull width: 3.18m. Height: 2.48m. Crew: 4. Ground Clearance: 0.2 to 0.65m. (adjustable) Weight: 38,000kg (combat) Ground pressure: 0.86kg/sq.cm Max speed: 53km/h. Max range (internal fuel): 400km on road. Armament: 105mm L7 series rifled gun, 1 x 7.62mm Type 74 machine gun mounted coaxially, 1 x 12.7mm (0.5) Browning M2 HB machine gun on turret roof.

[SAMWolf]

Type 90 Main Battle Tank



Research and development into a new Japanese MBT began in 1976, under the Designation STC, subsequently being renamed the TK-X by the Technical Research Headquarters of the Japanese Self-Defence Force. Funding for the engine, gun, ammunition and fire control system began in the Fiscal Year 1977 and for the suspension and the new armour in Fiscal Year 1978. The prime contractor for the Type 90 is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, who have been the prime contractor for all Japanese post-Second World War tanks including the Type 74 and the Type 61.

The Type 90 and all its subsystems have been designed and built in Japan, with the exception of the 120mm smoothbore gun, which is made under licence from Rheinmetall of Germany. It is the first Japanese tank to be at the cutting edge of technology, and in several aspects, it is ahead of most its competitors. Major sub-contractors include the Japan Steel Works, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Fujitsu and the NEC Corporation.



The final requirements for the Type 90 were completed in 1980, with two prototype vehicles, both armed with the Japanese 120mm gun, firing Japanese ammunition, being produced by 1984. These were used in extensive troop trials that continued throughout the following two years. A second group of four prototypes were built between 1986 and 1988 that incorporated a number of changes as a result of the trials. They were armed with the Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun, which is also fitted to the Leopard 2 and M1A1/M1A2 Abrams tanks. These vehicles were then used for development and user trials, which had been completed by 1989. The TK-X was type classified and redesignated the Type 90. Production started in 1992 and by 1999 is estimated that some 150 vehicles have been built, while production is still underway. The Type 90 and its variants, have not been offered on the export market.

Details of the armour used in the construction of the Type 90s hull and turret have not been released, but is understood that there is an extensive use of composite armour, particularly over the frontal area of the tank. The Mitsubishi Steel Works and Kyoto Ceramic Company have been responsible for much of the development of this armour.



The layout of the Type 90 is conventional, with the driver seated at the front left of the hull and is provided with a single piece hatch and three day periscopes, the centre one of which can be replaced by a passive periscope. The turret is similar to that of the Leopard 2 with vertical front, sides and rear, and a bustle that extends well over the top of the engine compartment. The commander is seated on the right of the turret with the gunner and on the left and an automatic loader been mounted in the turret bustle, for which was designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It is believed that it can hold a total of 16 rounds of ammunition for the main gun, with additional ammunition located next to the driver. A number of blow-out panels are provided in the turret roof. The commander is provided with a vision blocs for all-round observation.



The main armament comprises a 120mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun, made under licence from Germany. The ordnance and breach are identical to the German 120mm smoothbore gun, but the recoil system and gun mount were designed and built locally in Japan. A 7.62mm machine gun is mounted coaxially to the left of the main armament, while eight 12.7mm (0.5) machine gun is mounted on the roof. There are also two banks of three electrically operated smoke grenade dischargers, one on either side of the turret. The gunner has a periscope sight that is stabilised in azimuth, while commander has a periscopic sight capable of 180 degrees traverse with dual axis stabilisation, both linked to a digital fire-control computer. The gunner has a day channel, a thermal infra-red sensor and a laser rangefinder. The gunner's sight is manufactured by the Nikon Corporation, the commander's sight by the Fuji Photo Optical Company and the thermal unit by the Fujitsu Company.



The fire control system includes an advanced auto-tracking capability that is based on the output of the thermal imager and is effective against ground targets and can use while the tank it is both stationary and in motion. The commander's dual axis stabilised sight, permits him to require and engage targets directly, but additionally, the commander can hand-off a target he has acquired to the gunner, by pushing a button on his override control handle. This provides the tank with a hunter-killer capability. Mounted towards the front of the turret roof is a laser detector, which provides an audible signal, as well as an indication of direction at the commander's station.

The suspension of the Type 90 is really a hybrid type, with torsion bars for the centre two road wheels and hydro-pneumatic units for the first and last two road wheels. There are six dual rubber-tyred road wheels, drive sprocket at the rear and an idler at the front. The upper part of the track is protected by a light-weight skirt. The engine is a Mitsubishi 10ZG 10-cylinder diesel (1,500hp) coupled to an automatic transmission incorporating a torque converter with an automatic car lock-up clutch. An NBC system is fitted as standard.



Variants include the Type 90 mine-clearing MBT (which has a Type 92 mine clearing roller system fitted), the Type 90 Armoured Recovery Vehicle and the Type 91 Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge.

Hull length: 7.5m. Hull width: 3.05m. Height: 2.34m. Crew: 3. Ground Clearance: 0.45m (adjustable between 0.2 to 0.6m front and back) Weight: 50,000kg (combat) Ground pressure: 0.89kg/sq.cm Max speed: 70km/h. Max range (internal fuel): 400km on road. Armament: 120mm smoothbore gun, 1 x 7.62mm machine gun mounted coaxially, 1 x 12.7mm (0.5) machine gun on turret roof.

Additional Sources:

www.globalsecurity.org
www.defencetalk.com
en.wikipedia.org
fortus.hp.infoseek.co.jp
tankguy.gooside.com
www.panzerbaer.de
ww5.ocn.ne.jp
www.tamiya.com

[SAMWolf]

MBT-X Future Main Battle Tank



On 15 December 2001, the Japanese Government approved a new mid-term procurement plan for its Self-Defense Forces totaling 25,160 billion yen (US$223.6 billion) over the next few years. Research projects planned for the next five years include the development of a new battle tank with advanced command-and-control capabilities.

Japan to stop procurement of costly Type 90 battle tankTOKYO — Japan's Defense Agency has decided to end procurement of costly Type 90 main battle tanks in two to three years to pave the way for the introduction of missile defense systems, agency officials said Tuesday.

The Ground Self-Defense Force introduced the Japanese-developed Type 90 tank in 1990 to replace the Type 74 main battle tank. But purchases of Type 90 tanks have been limited to around 280 units against about 870 Type 74 tanks. That is because the advanced tank costs some 800 million yen, several times more than any foreign main battle tank.

Is that in 2001 the Japanese government allocated USD$25Billion for the development of the Type 90's replacement.

The problem is that the the Type 90 was developed prior to the end of the Cold War, and both the Gulf Wars . . . . . pivotal events in the evolution of MBT design.

In simple, the Type 90 design is aging fast. Really what they are doing is cancelling their orders for the Type 90 in order to free themselves up for MBT-X (the next generation) when it makes it's first appearance in roughly 2006, 2007

[SAMWolf]

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.

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

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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"

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LINK TO FOXHOLE THREADS INDEXED by PAR35

[snippy_about_it]

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!



It's TreadHead Tuesday!


Good Morning Everyone

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[snippy_about_it]

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************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, enjoy today's thread and check in. :-)

[U S Army EOD]

I was going to ask where Godzilla fit in.

[SAMWolf]

Japan and Godzilla, they just seem to go together. :-)

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[Pippin]

Good Morning everybody!

I just want to thank you for the info on the VA, Lot's to read about. I gave mom some of what I found from what you gave me.

God bless you all!

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Good mornin', snippy.

I just knew somebody would mention that the primary mission of JSDF Armor is protecting Tokyo from Godzilla.

36 years ago I was on a Boy Scout camp out at Gotemba MCAS at the base of Mt. Fuji. We kept digging out sharp chunks of metal and spent bullets out from under our sleeping bags. Turns out we were camping on an old firing range which was still in use as a manuever training area, which we discovered when a company of Japanese M41's (or the Japanese version thereof) ran through our camp at breakfast. Kicked up dust which landed in the frying pan and got our bacon gritty.

Whenever they had an open house and airshow at Tachikawa AB the JSDF would have tanks on static display. Those were the first real tanks I ever saw.

[GailA]

Good morning..raining here.

[The Mayor]

January 11, 2005

What's The Point?

Read: Eccl. 1:1-11; 12:13-14

Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. —Ecclesiastes 12:13

Bible In One Year: Genesis 33-36

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What's the point? This question came to mind as I watched my grandsons' dog fetch a ball for me again and again.

What's the point? That's what the writer of Ecclesiastes asked as he thought about the monotonous cycle he observed in nature and in life—the same things happening year after year, generation after generation.

What's the point? That's what a retired businessman was asking, in effect, when he told me he would just as soon die as live any longer. He had seen and done everything he had wanted to do. Now he had reached the place where life held more pain for him than pleasure.

What's the point? Here it is. A few years before a friend of mine died, he said, "Life is a wonderful experience. It's marvelous to see that God keeps nature going in its pattern. It's wonderful to know that we're here to love God above everything and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It's comforting to believe that all our sins are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross. And it's exciting to think about the eternity God has for us. It sure is great to be alive."

Life can be depressing when God is left out. But how exciting it is when He is at the center! —Herb Vander Lugt

The life that counts is linked with God
And hopes in His unfailing love;
It walks with joy where Jesus trod—
The life that counts is from above. —Anon.

When we focus on Christ, everything else becomes clear.

[alfa6]

Hat tip bump to Cannoneer No. 4 and a Tuesday bump for Treadheads.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.
WOO HOO!
Threadhead Tuesday!
Come on Bitty Girl, get your tank up!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on January 11:
1746 William Curtis English botanist/publisher (Botanical Magazine)
1757 Alexander Hamilton West Indies, 1st US Secretary of Treasury ($10 face)
1807 Ezra Cornell founder (Western Union Telegraph, Cornell University)
1807 Alfred Eugene "Stonewall" Jackson Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1814 Richard Griffith Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1862
1815 Sir John A MacDonald (C) 1st PM of Canada (1867-73)
1816 Fitz-Henry Warren Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1878
1818 John Reese Kenly Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1891
1831 James Ronald Chalmers Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1898
1885 Alice Paul ERA advocate/founder (National Woman's Party)
1886 George Zucco England, actor (Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Captain Fury)
1887 Aldo Leopold founder (Wilderness Society)
1903 Alan Paton South Africa, writer (Cry, the Beloved Country)
1904 Frederick Boland Irish diplomat/President (UN General Assembly)
1922 Neville Duke English test pilot
1924 James Moore aka Slim Harpo Blues musician
1926 Grant Tinker broadcasting executive (NBC-TV)
1934 Jean Chrétien Canada PM (Liberal, 1993- )
1942 Clarence Clemons rock saxophonist (Bruce Springsteen's E St Band)
1946 Naomi Judd [Diana Ellen], Ashland KY, singer (Judds-Why Not Me)
1952 Lee Ritenour Los Angeles CA, jazz musician
1959 Brett Bodine auto racer
1974 Rosenkowitz sextuplets Cape Town South Africa (1st known to survive infancy)

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Deaths which occurred on January 11:
0705 John VI Catholic Pope (701-05), dies
1055 Constantine IX Monomachos emperor of Byzantium, dies
1674 Jan Zoet actor/playwright/poet (Brutal-Roffel), dies at 58
1797 Francis Lightfoot Lee US farmer (signer Declaration of Independence), dies at 62
1843 Francis Scott Key composer (Star Spangled Banner), dies at 63
1914 Ambrose Bierce writer, dies at 71
1923 Constantine I king of Greece (1913-17, 20-22), dies at 54
1928 Thomas Hardy novelist (Maddening Crowd), dies at his home near Dorchester at 87
1929 Julio Antonio Mella Cuban revolutionary, murdered at about 28
1953 Ernst H Ridder Rappard Dutch Nazi founder (NSNAP), dies at 53
1959 Dr Mohammed Zakaria Ghonein discoverer of 6,000 year old pyramid, dies
1979 Jack Soo actor (Nick Yemana-Barney Miller, Green Berets), dies at 63
1981 Beulah Bondi actress (It's a Wonderful Life), dies at 91
1988 Gregory (Pappy) Boyington ace WWII pilot, dies at 75 of cancer
1994 John Bradley, raised US flag at Iwo Jima, dies at 70
1995 Willem N "Pim" Koot pianist (Concert Building), dies at 76
1997 Sheldon Leonard producer/director (Dick Van Dyke), dies at 89

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 GODFREY JOHNNY HOWARD---PHOENIX AZ.
1968 ANDERSON DENIS L.---HOPE KS.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 BUCK ARTHUR C.---SANDUSKY OH.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 MANCINI RICHARD M.---AMSTERDAM NY.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 OLSON DELBERT A.---CASSELTON ND.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 ROBERTS MICHAEL L.---PURVIS MS.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 SIOW GALE R.---HUNTINGTON PARK CA.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 STEVENS PHILLIP P.---TWIN LAKE MI.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 THORESEN DONALD N.---DETROIT MI.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1968 WIDON KENNETH H.---DETROIT MI.
[CRASH NO SEARCH]
1970 CHORLINS RICHARD DAVID---UNIVERSITY CITY MO.

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

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On this day...
0314 St Militiades ends his reign as Catholic Pope
0532 Nika-revolt against Justianus & Theodora in Hippodrome Constantinople
0705 John VI ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1158 Vladislav II of Bohemia becomes king
1569 1st recorded lottery in England is drawn at St Paul's Cathedral
1599 Jacob van Necks fleet leaves Bantam Java with pepper, clove & muskaat
1672 Isaac Newton is elected a member of Royal Society
1693 Mt Etna erupts, Sicily
1758 Russian troops occupy Königsberg, East-Prussia
1759 1st American life insurance company incorporated, Philadelphia
1774 Messier adds M51 (spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici) to his catalog
1775 Francis Salvador becomes 1st Jew elected to office in America (SC)
1785 Continental Congress convenes in New York City NY
1787 Titania & Oberon, moons of Uranus, discovered by William Herschel
1803 Monroe & Livingston sail for Paris to buy New Orleans; they buy Louisiana
1805 Michigan Territory is organized
1813 1st pineapples planted in Hawaii
1861 Alabama becomes 4th state to secede
1863 Naval engagement near Galveston between CSS Alabama & USS Hatteras
1863 Union forces capture Arkansas Post, or Fort Hindman AR
1865 Battle of Beverly WV
1879 Zulu war against British colonial rule in South Africa begins
1892 Paul Gauguin marries a 13-year-old Tahitian girl
1913 1st sedan-type car (Hudson) goes on display at 13th Auto Show (New York City NY)
1919 3 year old German communist party (Spartacus) crushed
1919 Romania annexes Transylvania
1922 Insulin 1st used to treat diabetes (Leonard Thompson, 14, of Canada)
1925 Franc B Kellogg replaces Charles Hughes on as US Secretary of State
1940 Sergei Prokofiev's ballet Romeo & Juliet premieres in Leningrad
1942 -23ºF (-31ºC), Kingston RI (state record)
1942 Japan conquers Kuala Lumpur, Malaya
1943 US & Britain relinquish extraterritorial rights in China
1944 Crakow-Plaszow Concentration Camp established
1946 Enver Hoxha declares People's Republic of Albania with himself dictator
1949 Snowfall 1st recorded in Los Angeles
1960 Lamar Clark sets pro boxing record of 44 consecutive knockouts
1961 Racial riot at University of Georgia
1962 Mandela leaves South Africa, travels to Ethiopia, Algeria & England
1962 Volcano Huascaran in Peru, erupts; 4,000 die
1963 Beatles release "Please Please Me" & "Ask Me Why"
1963 1st discotheque opens, The Whiskey-a-go-go in Los Angeles CA
1964 US Surgeon General Luther Terry reports that smoking may be hazardous
1970 Super Bowl IV Kansas City Chiefs beat Minnesota Vikings, 23-7 in New Orleans; Super Bowl MVP Len Dawson, Kansas City, Quarterback
1971 Tigers ace reliever John Hiller, 27, suffers a heart attack, misses the 1971 season, but later makes a remarkable comeback to record 38 saves
1972 East-Pakistan becomes independent state of Bangladesh
1973 American League adopts designated hitter rule(BOOOO)
1973 Trial of the Watergate burglars begins in Washington DC
1974 ABC airs final episode of "Love, American Style"
1975 Soyuz 17 carries 2 cosmonauts to space station Salyut 4
1976 Dorothy Hamill wins her 3rd consecutive national figure skating championship
1977 France releases Abu Daoud, a Palestinian suspected of involvement in the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics
1983 Billy Martin named New York Yankee manager for 3rd time
1989 140 nations agree to ban chemical weapons (poison gas, etc)
1990 Bobby Knight becomes basketball's Big 10 winningest coach (229)
1991 Ric Flair wins NWA/WCW wrestling title
1991 Soviets storm buildings in Vilnius to block Lithuania independence (To little to late)
1993 Independent presidential candidate Ross Perot publicly returns to politics
2000 The British government declared Chile’s Gen. Augusto Pinochet medically unfit to stand trial in Spain.

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

International Thank You Day
Albania : Republic Day (1946)
Chad : Independence Day (1960)
Puerto Rico : De Hostos' Birthday (1839)
US : Pharmacists Day
US : Man Watcher's Week Begins
National Oatmeal Month

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Religious Observances
ancient Rome : Carmentalia (a d iij Id Jan)
Roman Catholic : Feast of St Theodosius the Cenobite
Anglican, Roman Catholic : Feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Hyginus, 9th pope (c 136-c 140), martyr

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Religious History
1523 German reformer Martin Luther wrote in a letter: 'It is unchristian, even unnatural, to derive benefit and protection from the community and not also to share in the common burden and expense; to let other people work but to harvest the fruit of their labors.'
1777 Anglican hymnwriter John Newton wrote in a letter: 'A soul may be in as thriving a state when thirsting, seeking and mourning after the Lord as when actually rejoicing in Him; as much in earnest when fighting in the valley as when singing upon the mount.'
1791 In Philadelphia, Episcopal Bishop William White, 43, founded the First Day Society. It became the forerunner of the American Missionary Fellowship, chartered in 1817 and headquartered today in Villanova, PA.
1907 The Church of God, headquartered today in Cleveland, Tennessee, and with roots going back to 1886, officially adopted its current name.
1933 In Hamburg, Germany, the Altona Confession was issued by area pastors, offering Scriptural guidelines for the Christian life, in light of the confusing political situation and the developing Nazi influence on the State Church.

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

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Thought for the day :
"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow."

[Iris7]

My family was in Japan as dependents from 1956 to 1960. Tokyo, on the economy, mostly, and 10 months in Camp Zama.

My brother observed that Godzilla is a metaphor for the American bombing of 1944 and 1945, the helpless civilians, the mass destruction, nuclear radiation, all that stuff. Believe he is right. Godzilla is America.

[Iris7]

See #18 for my take on the Godzilla metaphor.

[bittygirl]