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Post by emron on Feb 4, 2020 15:15:58 GMT 12
5 February 1945
Violette Szabo was killed in the execution alley at Ravensbrück concentration camp, aged 23, on or before 5 February 1945. She was shot in the back of the head while kneeling down and in the presence of camp commandant Fritz Suhren who pronounced the death penalty.
Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo (nee Bushell; born 26 June 1921) was a French/British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent. On her second mission into occupied France June 1944 she was captured by the German army, interrogated, tortured and deported to Ravensbruck where she was executed. Fellow agents Denise Bloch and Lilian Rolfe, neither of whom could walk and were carried on stretchers, were shot at the same time. Along with Szabo, Bloch and Rolfe, one other member of the SOE was also executed at Ravensbrück: Cecily Lefort. She was killed in the gas chamber sometime in February 1945. Forty-two female Section F SOE agents served in France, some for more than two years, most for only a few months. Twenty-six of them survived World War II. Twelve were executed, one was killed when her ship was sunk, two died of disease while imprisoned, and one died of natural causes. Female agents ranged in age from 20 to 53 years.
Szabo was the second woman to be awarded the George Cross, bestowed posthumously on 17 December 1946. The citation was published in the London Gazette and read:
"St. James's Palace, S.W.1. 17 December 1946
The King has been graciously pleased to award the George Cross to: — Violette, Madame Szabo (deceased), Women's Transport Service (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). Madame Szabo volunteered to undertake a particularly dangerous mission in France. She was parachuted into France in April, 1944, and undertook the task with enthusiasm. In her execution of the delicate researches entailed she showed great presence of mind and astuteness. She was twice arrested by the German security authorities but each time managed to get away. Eventually, however, with other members of her group, she was surrounded by the Gestapo in a house in the south-west of France. Resistance appeared hopeless but Madame Szabo, seizing a Sten-gun and as much ammunition as she could carry, barricaded herself in part of the house and, exchanging shot for shot with the enemy, killed or wounded several of them. By constant movement, she avoided being cornered and fought until she dropped exhausted. She was arrested and had to undergo solitary confinement. She was then continuously and atrociously tortured but never by word or deed gave away any of her acquaintances or told the enemy anything of any value. She was ultimately executed. Madame Szabo gave a magnificent example of courage and steadfastness." The Croix de Guerre avec etoile de bronze was awarded by the French government in 1947 and the Medaille de la Resistance in 1973. As one of the SOE agents who died for the liberation of France, Lieutenant Violette Szabo, FANY, is listed on the Valencay SOE Memorial. Both Violette and husband Étienne Szabo were awarded the French Croix de Guerre for their bravery in the field. Étienne had died on 24 October 1942 from chest wounds received while leading his men in a diversionary attack on Qaret el Himeimat, at the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein. On 17 December 1947 their five-year-old daughter Tania received the George Cross from King George VI on behalf of her late mother. Violette and Étienne Szabo are believed to be the most decorated married couple of World War II. On 22 July 2015 Violette Szabo's medals and numerous associated items were sold at auction. The purchaser was Lord Ashcroft, who placed the George Cross on permanent display at the Imperial War Museum.
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Post by emron on Feb 6, 2020 23:18:58 GMT 12
6 February 1940
New Zealand: Despite taking place in the midst of World War II, the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi was celebrated by events around the country, including the Centennial Exhibition in Wellington. An elaborate re-enactment of the Treaty signing ceremony was staged at Waitangi, with the National Commercial Broadcasting Service recording and broadcasting much of the ceremony live to the nation. Following the re-enactment, there was a further ceremony to mark the opening of a new national wharenui in the Treaty grounds. Known as Te Whare Rūnanga, this building was carved in a variety of styles, designed to reflect all iwi and be a truly national meeting house. Northern chief Tau Henare and Sir Apirana Ngata had led the project to have the wharenui built, with funding and support from several different iwi. In his introduction, Master of Cerermonies, Sir Apirana Ngata (Ngati Porou) explained what kapa haka performances were to come. He said when the official party arrived a Northern group would perform a Ngāpuhi war dance. Then two smaller groups from the Māori Battalion: one from Rotorua (B Company) and one from the East Coast (C Company) He commented that this was probably the last event at which such hakas would be seen until the war was over, as most Maori male performers were going into the Maori Battalion. He later led the haka performed by the East Coast - C Company men. Further in his speech Sir Apirana said that the Maori people had approached the Centennial year with much misgiving and listed their grievances; lands lost, powers of chiefs humbled, Maori culture scattered and broken. He referred to the Taranaki and Arawa land settlements and asked the government to assist Waikato, South Island, Bay of Plenty and Northland Maori to also move forward with settlements and move confidently into the future.
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Post by emron on Feb 8, 2020 10:13:13 GMT 12
8 February 1945
Western Front: Battle of the Reichwald; Operation Veritable commenced today, undertaken by Field Marshal Montgomery’s Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group, primarily consisting of the First Canadian Army and the British XXX Corps. Allied troops began the advance into the Reichwald (German Imperial Forest) near Nijmegen, the Netherlands, with the objective to clear the lower Rhineland. Allied bombing crews were being kept busy in support. Tonight RAF Bomber Command attacked targets at Politz, Wanne-Eickel and Krefeld; last night Goch, Cleve and the Dortmund-Ems canal were hit.
Eastern Europe: Marshal Ivan Konev's six armies surged out of their Oder River bridgehead in eastern Germany. Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front commenced the Lower Silesian Offensive at 0600 hours after a 55-minute artillery bombardment; by the end of the day, Soviet troops had penetrated German lines by as much as 35 miles at certain locations.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Battle of Manila: Gen. Beightler had ordered the 148th Regiment to cross the Pasig River and clear Paco and Pandacan; The 129th Regiment met bitterest opposition while fighting to capture the steam-driven power plant on Provisor Island; By this afternoon 37th Division units had cleared most of the Japanese from their sector, but the residential districts were damaged extensively; The Japanese added to the destruction by demolishing buildings and military installations as they withdrew; Japanese resistance in Tondo and Malabon continued.
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Post by emron on Feb 9, 2020 19:21:01 GMT 12
9 February 1945
Western Front: Operation Veritable: Nijmegen: The Netherlands; After an overnight attack by heavy bombers and a 1,000-gun bombardment, linked to a second air strike, British and Canadian troops of 21st Army Group swept forward into the Siegfried Line. A rapid amphibious advance continued. Canadian 3rd Division cleared Mehr, Niel, Keeken, and Milligen and patrolled to the Rhine. 15th Division overran the West Wall defences at Nuetterden and reached heights near Materborn; patrolled to outskirts of Cleve. From Nijmegen, 43rd Division began drive toward Goch, reaching Nuetterden. Moving east through the northern part of the Reichswald, 53rd Division cleared Stuppelburg feature and high ground SW of Materborn. 51st Division drove through the southern part of the Reichswald toward Hekkens Road centre and cut Mook-Gennep Road. Upstream, the US First Army was poised to seize the Roer dams, hoping to prevent the Germans from opening the floodgates. The French 1st Army completed the reduction of the Colmar Pocket, leaving German 19th Army virtually destroyed as an effective fighting force. Unremitting efforts of planes of U.S. XII TAC and French 1st Air Corps contributed greatly to the success of this operation.
Burma: In ALFSEA area, 15 Corps completed capture of Ramree Island.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: U.S. Sixth Army;. In XIV Corps area, 37th Division units fighting south of the Pasig River in Manila made very small gains against tenacious resistance. 1st Cavalry Division forces clearing the eastern suburbs reached the Pasig and began crossing. In U.S. Eighth Army area, 11th Airborne was meeting intense opposition at Nichols Field.
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Post by emron on Feb 10, 2020 11:52:33 GMT 12
10 February 1945
Western Front: Operation Veritable; 21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army area, British XXX Corps was hampered by extremely poor road conditions and congestion as well as stiffening resistance. Canadian 3rd Division pushed almost to Cleve-Rhine Canal. 43rd Division was held up at Cleve and Materborn. 15th Division partly cleared Cleve against strong resistance. 51st Division closed in on Hekkens and overnight, crossed elements over the flooded Niers River north of Gennep. In U.S. Ninth Army area, Germans had destroyed outlets to the Roer River dams in First Army zone to the south, flooding the proposed crossing sites of Ninth Army and forcing postponement of its attack across the Roer. Army continued preparations and special training for Operation Grenade.
Easstern Europe: In East Prussia, the important port of Elbing and communications centre of Preussisch Eylau fell to Second and Third White Russian troops. Baltic Sea: Operation Hannibal; The German ship SS General von Steuben, carrying over 5,000 passengers and crew, including at least 1,000 German evacuees from East Prussia, was sunk by two torpedoes from the Soviet submarine, S-13. An estimated 4,500 died in the sinking; there were 650 survivors. Hungary: Budapest fell to the Soviet Army. The Germans had fought for 2 months to hold this city.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: 33rd Divsion arrived from Morotai. In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, opposition in South Manila was so stubborn and losses to 37th Division were so great that it was decided to increase the volume of artillery bombardment.
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Post by emron on Feb 11, 2020 12:05:41 GMT 12
11 February 1940
U.S.S.R: The Gerrman-Soviet Commercial Agreement was signed today in Moscow. It was an intricate trade pact in which the Soviet Union would send Germany 650 million Reichsmarks in raw materials in exchange for 650 million Reichmarks in machinery, manufactured goods and technology. Between January 1940 and the German invasion in June 1941, the USSR exported goods of a total estimated value 597.9 million Reichsmarks to Germany. German deliveries amounted to 437.1 million Reichsmarks. The agreement resulted in the delivery of large amounts of raw materials to Germany, including over 900,000 tons of oil, 1,600,000 tons of grain and 140,000 tons of manganese ore. In return the Soviet Union received the incomplete Admiral Hipper-class naval cruiser Lutzow, the plans to the battleship Bismarck, information on German naval testing, "complete machinery for a large destroyer", heavy naval guns, other naval gear and samples of thirty of Germany's latest warplanes, including the Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters and Ju 88 and Do 215 bombers. The Soviet Union also received oil and electric equipment, locomotives, turbines, generators, diesel engines, ships, machine-tools and samples of Germany artillery, tanks, explosives, chemical-warfare equipment and other items. Raw materials that Germany had obtained from the Soviets through the 1940 agreement supported the German war effort against the Soviet Union from 1941. In particular, the German stocks of rubber and grain would not have sufficed to support the invasion of the USSR if the Soviets had not already exported these products to Germany.
Finland: After more than a week of fighting, the Red Army finally breached the Mannerheim Line. So far the Finnish troops had been able to stop the Soviet advances and conquer back the lost territory, but this latest brutal trench warfare had badly worn down the Finnish Army units.
11 February 1945
U.S.S.R: Yalta; The leaders of the "Big Three" Allied powers, today spelt out the decisions reached in a week's conference here. They have decided to divide Germany into four zones of occupation, one for each of the Big Three and a fourth for France. A conference will be held in San Francisco in April to prepare the charter of a new United Nations organization. Agreement was reached on new governments for Poland and Yugoslavia. The Soviet-backed Lublin government for Poland would include members from London, and the partisan leader, Marshal Tito, would join Ivan Subasich, the royalist prime minister, in the Yugoslav government.
Western Front: Operation Veritable; 21 Army Group: In the Canadian First Army area, British XXX Corps continued to advance despite increasingly strong resistance and flooded terrain. 3rd Canadian Division reached the Cleve-Rhine Canal; 15th Division completed capture of Cleve; 43rd Division maintained positions SW of Cleve and took Materborn and Hau; 53rd Division continued to clear the Reichswald; 51st Division took important road centres of Hekkens and Gennep.
Eastern Europe: Moscow confirmed German reports of fighting NW of Breslau in German Silesia with the announcement of a 4-day-old offensive in that region during which troops of First Ukrainian Front had crossed the Oder NW of Breslau and broken through German defences along the west bank to seize Steinhau, Lueben, Haynau, Liegnitz, Neumarkt, and Kanth, thus, in conjunction with assault of forces SE of Breslau, threatening the Silesian capital with encirclement and menacing less imminently the city of Dresden, 80-odd miles to the west. In NE Germany, Soviet forces overran Deutsch Krone. Other Red Army troops were eliminating enemy garrisons of Schneidemuehl and Posen; claimed capture of 45 city blocks in Budapest.
Australia: British Pacific Fleet, Group ABLE comprising carriers HMS Indomitable, Illustrious, and Indefatigable with cruisers HMS Argonaut and Black Prince; destroyers HMS Grenville, Undine, Undaunted, Wager and Wessex arrived at Sydney after sailing from Fremantle a week ago and undertaking exercises en-route.
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Post by emron on Feb 12, 2020 17:32:15 GMT 12
12 February 1940
Egypt: The first ships of Convoy US.1 carrying the First Echelon 2 NZEF and the Australian 16th Brigade arrived at Port Tewfik and disembarked. The convoy had left Auckland on 6 January and Sydney on 10 January. 12 February 1945
Bonin Islands: 21 B-29s of USAAF 313th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) expended 84 tons of bombs in a shakedown mission against pinpoint targets on Iwo Jima: gun emplacements on Suribachi Yama, the formidable rock at the southern tip of the island, Anti-Aircraft positions, and radar and radio installations.
British Pacific Fleet, Group BAKER comprising battleship HMS King George V with carrier HMS Victorious, cruiser HMS Euryalus and destroyers HMS Kempenfelt, Ursa, Whirlwind, Whelp, and Wakeful arrived at Sydney after sailing from Fremantle. Admiral Fraser had arrived at Auckland from Sydney on Feb 5 in battleship HMS Howe which was accompanied by cruiser HMNZS Achilles and the Australian fleet destroyers HMS Quality, Quadrant, and Queenborough. He visited Wellington to confer with the War Cabinet and the Naval Board and returned by air to Sydney 3 days later in time for the arrival there of the other vessels of the BPF. After exercises in the Hauraki Gulf, HMNZS Gambia joined Howe when they departed for Sydney on Feb-10. Achilles remained in Auckland for refit.
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Post by emron on Feb 13, 2020 11:49:12 GMT 12
13 February 1945
Western Front: Operation Veritable: Troops from General Sir Henry Crerar's First Canadian Army had almost won a desperate hide-and-seek battle for the Reichswald, 50 square miles of close-growing evergreen firs on a hogsback between the Maas and the Rhine river south of Nijmegen. The town of Cleve had been taken by the 43rd Division of Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks's XXX Corps.
Hungary: Budapest, the strongest of Hitler's "satellite" capitals, fell today to the Red Army after a bloody siege lasting 50 days. The German commander, General Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, was caught hiding in a sewer. According to Moscow, more than 49,000 German and Hungarian soldiers fell in the battle.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: US forces captured the Cavite Naval Base and Nichols Field airbase, near Manila. The first US Naval units entered Manila Bay since 1942. In XI Corps area, mine sweeping and naval gunfire bombardment of Corregidor was begun. Cruisers and destroyers shelled from close to shore and braved sporadic Japanese artillery counter-fire, in preparation for the landings.
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Post by emron on Feb 14, 2020 13:37:41 GMT 12
14 February 1945
Western Europe: Belgium: The Ostend Disaster; Fire and explosions broke out amongst Canadian and Royal Navy patrol boats, closely moored in Ostend Harbour, when accidently spilt high-octane fuel ignited on the water around them. The final outcome was twenty-six sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy killed and five of their boats destroyed and thirty-six British sailors killed and the loss of seven Royal Navy boats. The boats were: Canadian [British] Power Boat MTBs, numbers 459, 461, 462, 465 and 466; the British Fairmile D MTBs 776, 789, 791 and 798; the Royal Navy [British] Power Boats 438 and 444 and White type MTB 255. Germany: 12th Army Group: In U.S. Third Army area, XII Corps had firm control of the bridgehead through the West Wall and was consolidating it and preparing for a drive to Pruem River. 80th Division improved positions in north portion of bridgehead; 317th Infantry crossed river and began clearing enemy from Bollendorf area. 5th Div's 10th Infantry expanded bridgehead northward toward Schankweiler; 11th took Ernzen. On south flank of bridgehead, 417th Infantry of 76th Div took hill positions, reduced pillboxes, and helped 5th Div capture Ernzen. Bombing of Dresden: In four controversial and devastating raids between 13 and 15 February, 722 heavy bombers of RAF and 527 of USAAF dropped over 3.900 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices on Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony. The bombing and resulting firestorm destroyed over 1600 acres of the city centre. An estimated 25,000 people were killed. The Red Army overran Schneidemuehl (NE Prussia); in German Silesia, gained ground north-west and south-west of Liegnitz. Pacific: Gunfire and Covering Force TF 54 (under Rear Admiral B. J. Rodgers) and Support Carrier Group of Amphibious Support Force TF 52 (commanded by Rear Admiral W. H. B. Blandy) left Saipan for Iwo Jima for pre-D-day operations.
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Post by emron on Feb 16, 2020 18:06:50 GMT 12
16 February 1940
Europe: Sweden made public its refusal to send troops to Finland or to allow the passage of British and French troops.
Atlantic: The Altmark Incident; The German supply ship with Merchant Navy prisoners aboard (whose ships were sunk by the pocket battleship Graf Spee in the South Atlantic) was located off Norway and took refuge in Jøssingfjord, within territorial waters. In the evening the destroyer HMS Cossack (Captain Philip Vian) sent an armed boarding party onto the tanker and freed all the 299 prisoners, killing eight German seamen with firearms and wounding ten others. Germany claimed that the attack was a grave violation of international law and of Norwegian neutrality.
16 February 1945
Eastern Europe: Siege of Breslau: The Red Army completed it’s encirclement of the German fortress city of Breslau, Silesia.
Volcano Islands: Battle of Iwo Jima; Weather greatly reduced the effectiveness of the first day's bombardment. When Rear Admiral William H.P. Blandy's Task Force 54 arrived off Iwo Jima, ready to begin shelling, rain and low visibility made effective gunfire control nearly impossible. Though six battleships; USS Arkansas, New York, Texas, Nevada, Idaho and Tennessee, five cruisers; USS Pensacola, Salt Lake City, Chester, Tuscaloosa and Vicksburg and many destroyers were present and shooting, at the end of the day results were modest, at best.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Battle of Corregidor; After a naval bombardment and an air strike, American paratroopers and a seaborne assault force landed on the island fortress of Corregidor which dominated the entrance to Manila Bay. Rock Force (503rd Para RCT and reinforced 3rd Bn of 34th Infantry, 24th Division) started landing on Corregidor about 0830: Fifth Air Force began dropping 1000 troops of 503rd PRCT; 3rd Bn of 34th Infantry arrived by sea from Mariveles and started ashore about 1030. Beachhead was established and contact made between paratroopers and 34th Inf troops without serious difficulty since enemy was shaken by preparatory bombardment and was taken completely by surprise. Japan: US Navy aircraft from Admiral Mitscher's massive Task Force 58, en route to Iwo Jima, attacked targets in Tokyo and Yokohama, including a strike on Nakajima's Ota plant.
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Post by emron on Feb 17, 2020 10:45:24 GMT 12
17 February 1945
Bonin Islands: Off Iwo Jima, fire support ships, minesweeping units and underwater demolition teams (UDT) arrived and encountered fire from shore batteries. UDT reconnaissance disclosed that no underwater obstacles existed, and that the surf and beach conditions were suitable for landings. Infantry landing craft (gunboat) USS LCI(G)-474 was sunk by shore battery. Japanese guns also account for damage to the battleship USS Tennessee, heavy cruiser USS Pensacola and destroyer USS Leutze as well as to eleven infantry landing craft (gunboats). The weather cleared, visibility was excellent, and aircraft from the Jeep carriers of TG 52.2 flew 336 sorties against airfield defences. Surface ships moved in to bombard the island with a complex schedule of round-the-island firing which had to be co-ordinated with the work of under-water demolition teams. 42 7th Air Force B-24s returned to bomb from 5,000 feet. They dropped 832 260-pound frag clusters on defence installations just north of Suribachi's crater.
Japan: The US Navy's Task Force 58 under Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, attacked airfields, aircraft factories and shipping in the Tokyo and Yokohama areas for the second day and launched the final wave of the bombardment of Iwo Jima before landings commenced. Tokyo targets included the Musashi factory. Weather was so bad in the area that a third strike, provisionally scheduled for tomorrow, was cancelled and the task force moved south to cover the landings at Iwo Jima.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: The light cruisers USS Phoenix and Boise, along with three destroyers, provided call-fire support for continuing operations on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. Light cruiser USS Cleveland and destroyers USS O'Bannon and Taylor bombarded the Ternate area on the south shore of Manila Bay. In the U.S. Sixth Army area, XIV Corps began intensive fire against the Intramuros (historic walled inner city area) of Manila in preparation for assault.
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Post by emron on Feb 18, 2020 13:12:17 GMT 12
18 February 1940
Atlantic: Operation Nordmark; German battle cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp, Karl Galster and Wolfgang Zenker made an unsuccessful foray as far as the Shetland Islands in search of Norway/UK convoy HN12. It was the escort of U-boats that made the attack and D class destroyer HMS Daring was torpedoed and sunk by U-23, 40 miles east of Duncansby Head, Scotland. There were only 15 survivors, who were rescued by HM Submarine Thistle.
18 February 1945
Western Front: Operation Veritable; The British XXX Corps attacked Goch. The Siegfried line was breached by the US 3rd Army and they continued their advance toward the Pruem River.
Eastern Front: Ivan Chernyakhovsky, Commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front and youngest ever Russian General of the Army, died of wounds received when struck by shell fragments from artillery fire while inspecting preparations for an offensive, near Mehlsack, East Prussia. He was aged 37. Volcano Islands: In spite of difficulties in observing results of their fire, the ships of TF 54 did an excellent job of destroying defensive positions on Iwo Jima, concentrating especially on the landing beach areas. Their force was too light, though, and the period of preparatory fire too short so that a great majority of the defence installations elsewhere remained intact. TG 52s aircraft only flew 28 sorties against beach defences on Iwo Jima due to low clouds and occasional rain. Task Force 58 arrived from Japanese waters but they were too late to mount any major attacks. TG 58.4, the carriers Randolph, Yorktown and the light carriers Cabot and Langley, were able to attack Chichi Jima, sending up 318 sorties.
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Post by emron on Feb 19, 2020 19:17:37 GMT 12
19 February 1945
Western Europe: The Eighth Air Force flew Mission 835 against targets in Germany from bases in England: 1,135 bombers and 560 fighters in seven forces were dispatched to hit oil, industrial and rail targets. The Ninth Air Force dispatched B-26s, A-26s and A-20s to attack targets in Germany. Fighters escorted the bombers, attacked railroads and bridges, flew armed reconnaissance and alerts, and cooperated with the VIII, XII, and XX Corps east of the Our River, between the West Wall and the Pruem River, and in the Saar-Mosel triangle.
Eastern Europe: Vigorous fighting was reported on Samland Peninsula (Prussia) as the Germans attempted to escape westward from Koenigsberg. In NW Poland, Red Army troops were pressing northward toward Danzig and had encircled Grudziadz. Soviet forces in Silesia continued attacks against Breslau garrison and in region NW of Breslau. Malaya: The XX Bomber Command flew Mission 37 from bases in India: 49 of 59 B-29s bombed the Central Railroad Repair Shops at Kuala Lumpur; 4 other B-29s hit alternate targets, the Alor Star Airfield, and the marshalling yard at Martaban, Burma.
Japan: The XXI Bomber Command flew Mission 37 from bases in the Mariana Islands: 150 B-29s were dispatched to hit the Musashino aircraft plant in Tokyo hoping to draw air reinforcements away from the Iwo Jima invasion; thick clouds completely covered the primary target so 119 bombed the port and urban area of Tokyo; 12 others hit targets of last resort and targets of opportunity.
Volcano Islands: Operation Detachment; Invasion of Iwo Jima; Starting at 0640 hours, seven battleships and various other warships laid down the heaviest pre-landing bombardment of WWII. Between 0805 and 0815 hours, 24 Corsairs (VMF-124) and 24 Hellcats (VF-4) of USS Essex mounted low-level strafing and rocket attacks on the beaches supporting the V Marine Amphibious Corps which landed at 0900 hours. The first wave of US Marines of the 4th and 5th Divisions hit the beaches north-east of Mount Suribachi and under the US Navy's barrage; moved inland about 200 yards on a 1,500 yard front. By evening 30,000 Marines were ashore: the 5th Division had pushed almost across the island at its narrowest point, just north of Suribachi, but the 4th, against very heavy opposition, had been stopped at the edge of Montoyama Airfield No. 1. During the day, aircraft from Task Groups 58.2 (Hancock, Lexington and San Jacinto) and 58.3 (Bunker Hill, Essex and Cowpens) flew 602 sorties supporting the Marines. Aircraft from the escort aircraft carriers, Task Group 52.2 support the Marines by flying several hundred sorties against Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: US Army troops covered by USMC aircraft landed on the north-west coast of Samar and on Capul Island to ensure control of San Bernardino Strait. In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, intensive bombardment of the Intramuros, Manila, continued.
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Post by emron on Feb 21, 2020 13:03:12 GMT 12
21 February 1940
United Kingdom: Under the direction of Australian physicist Mark Oliphant, two engineers at the University of Birmingham, Harry Boot and John Randall, combined a number of ideas from researchers in the U.S, Denmark, France, and Japan to build a centimetric microwave generating magnetron. They made their magnetron tube enclosure out of a solid block of copper, which conducted heat very well. In order to tune the tube’s output wavelength efficiently, they drilled special holes called “cavities” into the block. Today, the English researchers tested their first working cavity magnetron. They were amazed to find that it produced over 400 watts of power at the extremely short wavelength of 9.8 cm (about 4 inches). This was nearly a hundred times more power than anyone else had ever produced at that wavelength. By May, other researchers were using the cavity magnetron in a radar set that could detect a submarine periscope six miles away.
21 February 1945
Western Europe: 21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army's British 30 Corps area, 51st Division overcame final resistance in Goch. U.S. Third Army in VIII Corps area; seized Strickscheid and Euscheid; assisted by aircraft, took high ground above Lichtenborn, cleared Stalbach, assisted in capturing Binscheid; cleared between Halenbach and Hickeshausen and took both towns; widened breach in West Wall, seizing Roscheid and reducing pillboxes to NE and NW; seized Dahnen and Dasburg; cleared Reipeldingen and Daleiden. In XII Corps area; cleared high ground south of Mettendorf; enveloped and destroyed enemy in West Wall positions between Our and Gay Rivers with capture of Roth; also cleared Korperich and Lahr. against disorganized resistance, drove to final objective in Saar-Moselle triangle and attacked toward Kanzem and Wiltingen bridges: cleared Rehlingen, Nittel, Temmels, and Fellerich; took Wawern and cleared to the Saar; drove NE on Saarburg, which it largely cleared; mopped up to the Saar in Ockfen area; cleared eastward to the Saar within its zone, between Orscholz and Saarburg, overrunning a number of towns and villages. RAF Bomber Command's 349 aircraft dropped 1,116 tons of bombs on Wörms, a rail centre 12 miles north of Mannheim. The US 8th Army Air Force sent 1,195 bombers, escorted by 650 fighters, to drop 400,000 incendiaries on Nürnberg.
Burma: Nyaungu: Seven days after crossing the Irrawaddy, Major General "Punch" Cowan's 17th Indian Division had broken out of the bridgehead and was racing to Meiktila, the main Japanese base in central Burma. The success of the crossing owed much to the British deception to persuade Lt-Gen Shihachi Katamura that the main crossing would be to the north of Mandalay. By striking south, Lt-Gen William Slim, the British 14th Army commander, aimed to cut off Katamura's 15th Army and destroy it.
Bonin Islands: Casablanca class carrier USS Bismark Sea was sunk, and the carrier USS Saratoga was damaged by kamikaze attacks off Iwo Jima. Other ships including USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) and an LST received damage. Two Japanese planes hit Bismark Sea, despite being heavily damaged by defensive gunfire. They started uncontrollable fires that reached several ready use magazines and set off the ammunition. All efforts to save the ship were halted by the exploding ammunition and she sank 90 minutes after being hit. Three hundred and eighteen of her 860 crewmembers were lost in this incident. Onshore, after preparatory air, naval, and artillery bombardment, V Amphibious Corps attacked north toward Airfield 2 and south toward Mt Suribachi. Progress was slow and costly; effective tank strength at end of day was about 50%.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: In U.S. Sixth Army area, XI Corps successfully concluded operations on Bataan Peninsula with junction of East Force and South Force south of Bagac. Casualties: about 50 killed or missing. Japanese dead total about 200.
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Post by emron on Feb 22, 2020 10:39:08 GMT 12
22 February 1940
Tibet: The enthronement ceremony for the 14th Dalai Lama, 4-year old Tenzin Gyatso, took place in the capital Lhasa. Born Lhamo Dhondup in Takster in the Tibetan region of Amdo on 6 July 1935, he would not assume full political duties until 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, which was after the Peoples’ Republic of China’s occupation of Tibet.
22 February 1945
Western Front: In US Third Army’s VIII Corps area, enemy resistance had disintegrated. On 80th Division north flank, 359th Infantry cleared its zone and patrolled to the Pruem River at Lunebach; 357th quickly overran Lichtenborn; 358th, reinforced by newly formed TF Spiess, took Arzfeld, Holzchen, and the heights extending from SW of Heckeshausen to SE of Neurath; Elements of CCA crossed the Our River and relieved units of CCB within Dasburg, then drove south along the east bank, taking Preischeid and Afer; West of the Our, 15th Tank Bn, after supporting the crossings, moved south and captured Ober Eisenbach, completing reduction of West Wall positions within div zone; 6th Cavalry Group crossed rest of 28th Sq over the Our at Vianden, where a Bailey bridge was completed, and made contact with 80th Div (XII Corps) at Obersgegen. In XX Corps area, 10th Armoured Division cleared rest of Saar-Moselle triangle; attempting to secure bridgehead across the Saar near Ockfen, attached RCT 376 of 94th Division was prevented from crossing before dawn by lack of assault boats and in afternoon by heavy enemy fire, but succeeded in crossing during the night. To the south 94th Division began crossing 302nd and 301st Regiments in assault boats in Staadt (opposite Serrig)-Taben region in the morning and partly cleared Serrig against determined resistance.
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Post by emron on Feb 23, 2020 19:31:21 GMT 12
23 February 1945
Western Europe: Operation Grenade commenced at 0330 hrs following heavy artillery fire in preparation. The US Ninth Army began crossing the Roer River near Juelich and US First Army in the vicinity of Dueren, although difficulties with bridging caused delays for rear elements and supporting armour. South in U.S. Third Army's VIII Corps area, enemy resistance was becoming increasingly disorganized. 357th Infantry, 90th Division, overran Kopscheid and pushed to Pruem River line at Waxweiler, where enemy blew the bridge; In XX Corps' area RCT 376 gained its objectives east of the Saar and cleared Ockfen. Against heavy fire, 94th Division continued crossing troops into Serrig bridgehead, first by assault boats and later by foot bridge erected near Taben, and completed capture of Serrig; on west bank of the Saar. Further south in the U.S. Seventh Army's XV Corps area, 275th and 274th Regiments, 10th Division improved positions below Saarbruecken while 276th mopped up in Forbach.
Eastern Europe: Moscow announced the collapse of enemy resistance in Arnswalde (Pomerania) and Posen (Poland). In Silesia, Russians continued fighting in the suburbs of Breslau and pushed into south part of the city.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Luzon; In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, 37th Division began assault on Intramuros, the final enemy stronghold in Manila, at the conclusion of a powerful program of artillery bombardment. Raid on Los Banos: Elements of 11th Airborne Division, in an amphibious, overland, and airborne operation with Filipino guerillas, attacked the Japanese internment camp at Los Banos resulting in the successful liberation and rescue of 2,147 Allied civilian and military internees from the former agricultural school campus.
Iwo Jima: Surface vessels, aircraft and artillery continued to support VAC closely as it attacked toward O-2 line and it's main effort was made in the centre against Airfield 2; RCT 28, of the 5th Marine Division in continuing assault on Mt Suribachi, got elements to the summit, where the American flag was raised; completed circle about the mountain and was methodically eliminating enemy from it’s slopes.
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Post by emron on Feb 25, 2020 15:26:34 GMT 12
25 February 1945
The US Eighth Air Force flew Mission 847: 1,197 bombers and 755 fighters were dispatched to hit tank factories, airfields associated with jet aircraft, oil depots and rail targets in Germany. Bombers of the US Ninth Air Force struck 4 rail bridges, 4 communications centres, a marshalling yard and 9 targets of opportunity as part of the interdiction campaign against Germany; fighters escorted the bombers, attacked assigned ground targets, flew armed reconnaissance, and supported the 8th and 104th Infantry Divisions in the Duren area, the XIII and XlX Corps east of the Roer River, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps along the Prum and Saar Rivers. The US Fifteenth Air Force attacked targets in Austria: 600+ B-17s and B-24s bombed marshalling yards in Amstetten, 2 in Linz, 2 in Villach, and Salzburg, plus the Linz benzol plant and ordnance depot and several targets of opportunity. Western Europe: 21 Army Group: Operation Blockbuster; In Canadian First Army's British 30 Corps area, 53rd Division was about a mile from Weeze, as they advanced south-east from Goch. The plan was to link up with the US Ninth Army. which was presently crossing the Roer River. In US First Army area VII Corps completed capture of Dueren and reached bridgehead line, while other units also crossed the Roer and made contact with Ninth Army on their northern flank. In U. S. Third Army's VIII Corps area, CCB (51st Armoured Infantry Bn, 37th Tank Bn, and supporting units) drove east against disorganized resistance, crossing the Pruem at Hermesdorf and establishing bridgehead across the Nims River at Rittersdorf; CCA (10th Armoured Infantry Bn, 8th Tank Bn, and supporting units) moved from Brimingen to the Pruem and started across at Oberweis. In XX Corps area, since enemy continued to prevent bridging in 10th Armoured Div zone, CCB crossed the Saar in Taben area of 94th Div zone, driving through Irsch toward Zerf.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Luzon; In the U.S. Sixth Army area, XIV Corps began assault on the last 3 strong-points in Manila, the Legislative, Finance, and Agriculture buildings.
Japan: USAAF XXI Bomber Command flew Mission 38: 172 B-29s bombed the urban area of Tokyo; 29 others hit alternates and targets of opportunity; this was their largest mission to date and its first 3-wing strike against Japan as the 73rd and 313th Bombardment Wings (Very Heavy) were joined by the 314th; 450 tons of incendiaries were dropped and 28,000 buildings gutted. Task Force 58 also attacked targets in the Tokyo area despite bad weather. Nine USN carrier aircraft were lost, along with four pilots, but the raids destroyed 150 Japanese aircraft on the ground plus five small ships. Two aircraft factories were also hit.
Iwo Jima: VAC, with 3 divisions abreast, continued the attack, making main effort in centre where, by end of day, E-W strip and two thirds of N-S strip of Airfield 2 were secured. Airfield 1 was now ready for emergency use.
Australia: The British Pacific Fleet departed Sydney for it’s forward base at Seeadler Harbour, Manus Island. En route they conducted air, gunnery and replenishment at sea exercises and practised, for the first time, USN tactical fleet formations, manoeuvres, and communications.
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Post by emron on Feb 26, 2020 16:52:16 GMT 12
26 February 1935
United Kingdom: The Daventry Experiment: H. E. Wimperis, Director of Scientific Research at the Air Ministry and a member of the Tizard Committee, had read a newspaper article claiming that the Germans had built a death ray using radio signals. In January 1935, he contacted the Superintendent of the Radio Research Station, Robert Watson-Watt asking if radio might be used for such a device. Watson-Watt and his assistant Arnold Wilkins quickly calculated that the energy required would be enormous and determined it was not possible. Wilkins however, suggested the possibility of using radio signals to locate aircraft at long distances. So Watson-Watt wrote back to Wimperis that a functional death ray device was unlikely but advised that separately they had turned their attention to developing a method of detection using reflected radio waves and this data would be submitted when required. Over the following several weeks, Wilkins considered the radio detection problem. He outlined an approach and backed it with detailed calculations of necessary transmitter power, reflection characteristics of an aircraft, and needed receiver sensitivity. Watson-Watt sent this information to the Air Ministry on February 12, 1935, in a secret report titled "The Detection of Aircraft by Radio Methods". Reflection of radio signals was critical to the proposed technique, and the Air Ministry asked if this could be proven. To test this, Wilkins set up receiving equipment in a field near Upper Stowe, Northamptonshire. Today a Handley Page Heyford bomber flew along a path between this receiving station and the transmitting towers of a BBC short-wave station at nearby Daventry. The aircraft reflected the 6 MHz (49 m) BBC signal and it was readily detected by Wilkins using Doppler-beat interference at ranges up to 8 miles (13 km). This convincing test, known as the Daventry Experiment, was witnessed by a representative from the Air Ministry, and led to the immediate authorization to build a full demonstration system. Radio-based detection and ranging was first formally demonstrated in Britain when the target aircraft a Supermarine Scapa flying boat was detected at 17 mile range using this trial system at their test site at Orfordness, Suffolk, on June 17, 1935.
26 February 2005
New Zealand: WONZ Forum born today in Cambridge, brainchild of Dave. Thank you and congratulations to all who have nurtured it since.
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Post by emron on Feb 27, 2020 20:59:00 GMT 12
27 February 1945
Western Europe: 21 Army Group: Operation Blockbuster; target Xanten; In Canadian First Army's Canadian 2 Corps area, British 43rd Div overran Calcar and Grieth, latter on the Rhine. Canadian 2nd Infantry and 4th Armoured Divs entered Hochwald Forest, east of Udem, and gained positions between there and Balberger Forest to south. 3rd Div cleared Udem and British 11th Armoured Div drove from Udem toward Kervenheim. In U.S. Ninth Army's XVI Corps area, 35th Div advanced rapidly east of the Roer River against moderate resistance. 12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VII Corps advanced steadily across Cologne Plain despite enemy's stubborn defence of approaches to Cologne. 4th Cavalry Group took Tollhausen and Esch. CCR, 3rd Armoured Div, gained two bridgeheads across the Erft River, the final crossing required before the Rhine. U.S. Third Army, in VIII Corps area, made limited gains toward Ormont and Hallschlag, crossed the Pruem and Nims Rivers and seized Heilhausen and Niederweis. In XX Corps area, CCA of 10th Armoured Div began drive on Trier and 301st and 302nd Regiments expanded Ockfen-Serrig bridgehead across the Saar River.
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Post by emron on Feb 28, 2020 19:53:15 GMT 12
28 February 1945 Western Front: Along a 150 mile front from Trier in the south to Udem in the north, US, Canadian and British troops were driving the Germans back to the Rhine. A British unit found four miles of the river at Calcar clear of the enemy. Units of the US 9th Army have been moving forward so fast that a security blackout has been imposed on their positions. The 9th was last reported two miles from Mönchen-Gladbach, the gateway to Düsseldorf. Köln, now just ten miles from the front, was being shelled by American 155mm Long Toms. U.S. Seventh Army, with XXI, XV, and VI Corps abreast, held a defensive line generally along the Saar, Rothbach, and Moder Rivers between Emmersweiler (Germany) and Oberhoffen (France). 6th Army Group: French Army Detachment d'Armee des Alpes was established under 6th Army Group with responsibility for Alpine sector along Franco-Italian border from junction of France, Switzerland, and Italy to the Mediterranean.
Eastern Europe: Moscow announced the capture of Pomeranian communications centres of Neustettin and Prechlau and further gains in Breslau (Silesia).
Burma: In British Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, Indian 17th Division began assault on Meiktila against strong opposition. Commonwealth of the Philippines: Luzon; In U.S. Sixth Army area, Gen Krueger ordered XIV Corps to open Balayan and Batangas Bays, SW Luzon. With reduction of opposition in Legislative building, only the Agriculture and Finance buildings remained to be cleared in Manila. At Palawan, Attack Group Victor III (TG 78.2) arrived off Puerto Princesa at dawn; after air and naval bombardment landed assault waves of RCT 186, reinforced, 41st Div, without opposition. Town of Puerto Princesa and its airfields were quickly seized and radar installations established.
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