Thursday, May 4, 1944. Smoke on the Water.

Sgt. Sam Marinkovich, Anaconda, Mont., Sgt. Raymond Pasvogel, Davenport, Iowa, write up daily paper "The Cyclops Sentinel". Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea. 4 May, 1944.  Sgt Marinkovich is wearing heavily hobnailed boots, something the US generally did not issue in World War Two.  The boots are almost certainly British pattern "clodhoppers" that were issued as replacements in Australia.  Boots are one of the very few items of Commonwealth issuance that Americans sometimes issued in World War Two.

Troops making C-Ration coco.  The soldier on the far left is wearing the rarely seen light pattern field jacket.   This photograph illustrates something that surprised Japanese soldiers, which was that American uniforms were comfortable and practical.  Of interest, every single uniform item depicted in this photograph came into US use either since the start of the war, or immediately before, except for the boots depicted.

From "Uncle Mike":

May 4, 1944: The St. Louis Browns Desegregate Sportsman's Park

Gaslight premiered in New York City.

It's another one I haven't seen, but should.

Sarah Sundin reports that another Overlord exercise occured:

Today in World War II History—May 4, 1944: In Exercise Fabius, a full-scale rehearsal for D-day, Allied troops who will land on Sword, Juno, Gold, and Omaha Beaches make landings on English beaches.

The RAF hit rail facilities at Budapest at night.

The U-371 was scuttled off of Algeria.  The U-846 was attacked and sunk in the Bay of Biscay by the RCAF.

Smoke on the Water was recorded. . . the patriotic Red Foley one . .  not the Deep Purple one.

Last prior edition:

Wednesday, May 4, 1944. Japanese Command Changes.

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