Friday, November 19, 1909 Sabin sentenced and Belgian abuse.

Today In Wyoming's History: November 19: 1909  George Sabin sentenced for Second Degree Murder for his part in the Spring Creek Raid.  He escaped on December 25,1913, while on a work gang in  Basin, and was never recaptured.

The sentencing is remarkable and significance as it effectively meant an end to private warfare over sheep in Wyoming, and it also meant that conventional justice had come to the Big Horn Basin, where previously juries would not convict in these circumstances.  This reflected in part the horror of the  Spring Creek assault, but also the fact that the Basin was now closer to the rest of the state, having been connected some time prior by rail.

Members of the leadership of the Church of England, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, and fifty members of parliament assembled at Albert Hall to protest Belgium abuses in the Congo.

Last edition:

Saturday, November 13, 1909. Cherry Mine Disaster.

Labels: 1900s, 1909, Coal, Disaster, football, Illinois, Mining

Friday, November 17, 1944. Horrific losses at sea.

The Japanese aircraft carrier Shin'yō was sunk in the Yellow Sea by the USS Spadefish.  The Japanese landing craft depot ship Mayasan Maru was sunk in the East China Sea by the USS Picuda with the 3,856 lives.

Over the last few days, American submarines had effectively destroyed the numerical equivalent of an entire Japanese Army division.

The British 2nd Army took Wessem, Netherlands.

U.S. light tank destroyed by a German anti tank mine.  November 17, 1944.

The Allies agree with the Belgian government to have Belgian resistance forces lay down their arms.

Disarming resistance groups, which posed a danger to the governments of the liberated territories, was becoming a problem.

Last edition:

Thursday, November 16, 1944. Attack on the Siegfried Line.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, 1944 at the Movies, Army, Finland, Helsinki Finland, Movies, Operation Queen, Royal Air Force, Siegfried Line, U.S. Air Force, World War Two

Today in World War II History—November 2, 1944

Today in World War II History—November 2, 1944: 80 Years Ago: US First Army begins drive on Schmidt, Germany, through the Hürtgen Forest. All German males ages 13-60 are ordered to join Volkssturm militia.

Friday, October 24, 1924. Republicans, Monarchs and Fascists.

Éamon de Valera was arrested in Newry as he arrived at a meeting of the Sinn Féin. He was charged with entering a prohibited area under the Civil Powers Act.

Romanian fascist Iron Guard leader Corneliu Codreanu assassinated Constantin Manciu, the police chief of the city of Iași, and shot several other policemen. 

He would be acquitted on the grounds that he had acted in self-defense, despite entering the meeting and shooting Manciu from behind.

The British Foreign Office released the Zinoviev letter. The letter purported to be a directive from the Soviets addressed to the Communist Party of Great Britain to increase labor unrest in the UK.  A protest was lodged with the Soviet Embassy.

Belgium signed the Geneva Protocol.

Crown Princes Wilhelm of Germany and Rupprecht of Bavaria reconciled.

The Prince of Wales ended his visit to the United States and Canada.

Last edition:

Thursday, October 23, 1924. Beijing Coup.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, China, Chinese Army, Chinese Warlord Era, Ontario, Prohibition, Republic of China

Sunday, October 22, 1944. Smokey Smith.

Medics administer blood plasma to an American casualty wounded when his division command post was shelled. Leyte Island, P.I. 22 October, 1944. 96th Infantry Division.  The wounded soldier is wearing M1942 Jungle Boots.  The medic has a painted camouflage helmet.

The Red Army reached the Norwegian border.

The Sovies prevailed in the Battle of Memel.  The Americans the same at Angaur.

The Japanese fleet assembled at Brunei sets sail for the Philippines.

Canadian Private Ernest "Smokey" Smith preformed the actions that resulted in his winning the Victoria Cross.

In Italy on the night of 21st–22nd October 1944, a Canadian Infantry Brigade was ordered to establish a bridgehead across the Savio River. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada were selected as the spearhead of the attack, and in weather most unfavourable to the operation they crossed the river and captured their objective in spite of strong opposition from the enemy.

Torrential rain had caused the Savio River to rise six feet in five hours, and as the soft vertical banks made it impossible to bridge the river no tanks or anti-tank guns could be taken across the raging stream to the support of the rifle companies.

As the right forward company was consolidating its objective it was suddenly counter-attacked by a troop of three Mark V Panther tanks supported by two self-propelled guns and about thirty infantry and the situation appeared hopeless.

Under heavy fire from the approaching enemy tanks, Private Smith, showing great initiative and inspiring leadership, led his P.I.A.T. Group of two men across an open field to a position from which the P.I.A.T. could best be employed. Leaving one man on the weapon, Private Smith crossed the road with a Private James Tennant and obtained another P.I.A.T. Almost immediately an enemy tank came down the road firing its machine-guns along the line of the ditches. Private Smith's comrade, Private Tennant was wounded. At a range thirty feet and having to expose himself to the full view of the enemy, Private Smith fired the P.I.A.T. and hit the tank, putting it out of action. Ten German infantry immediately jumped off the back of the tank and charged him with Schmeissers and grenades. Without hesitation, Private Smith moved out on the road and with his Tommy gun at point-blank range, killed four Germans and drove the remainder back. Almost immediately another tank opened fire and more enemy infantry closed in on Smith's position. Obtaining some abandoned Tommy gun magazines from a ditch, he steadfastly held his position, protecting Private Tennant and fighting the enemy with his Tommy gun until they finally gave up and withdrew in disorder.

One tank and both self-propelled guns had been destroyed by this time, but yet another tank swept the area with fire from a longer range. Private Smith, still showing utter contempt for enemy fire, helped his wounded friend to cover and obtained medical aid for him behind a nearby building. He then returned to his position beside the road to await the possibility of a further enemy attack.

No further immediate attack developed, and as a result, the battalion was able to consolidate the bridgehead position so vital to the success of the whole operation, which led to the capture of San Giorgio Di Cesena and a further advance to the Ronco River.

Thus, by the dogged determination, outstanding devotion to duty and superb gallantry of this private soldier, his comrades were so inspired that the bridgehead was held firm against all enemy attacks, pending the arrival of tanks and anti-tank guns some hours later.

Smith survived the war and joined the Canadian Army again in 1950, at the start of the Korean War.  He retired from military service in 1964, after which he owned a travel agency.

With rifles slung across their backs, these four combat-clad U.S. infantrymen are bound for mass in a Catholic church in Nancy, France. 22 October, 1944.  NOte that all of these men are wearing older pattern field jackets and leggings.

Related thread:

Today in World War II History—October 22, 1939 & 1944

Labels: 1930s, 1939, 1940s, 1944, Blog Mirror, Home Front, Poland, USSR, Weapons, World War Two

Last edition:

Saturday, October 21, 1944. The Nemmersdorf Massacre.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, 1944 Election, Battle of Aachen, Battle of Leyte, Franklin Roosevelt, Nemmersdorf Massacre, Palau, Palau Island, Prisoners of War, Rape and the Red Army, Red Army, War Crimes, World War Two

Monday, October 2, 1944. The end of the Warsaw Rebellion.

With Soviet troops across the Vistula not crossing the river, something often regarded as intentional, the Germans prevailed in defeating the Warsaw Uprising.  200,000 Poles were killed in the battle, most of them civilians, and central Warsaw destroyed.  Between 2,000 and 17,000 German troops were killed in the battle.  Around 15,000 Polish underground and Polish Home Army troops were killed. 15,000 went into captivity.

There's good reason to believe that Stalin saw the Poles and the Germans fighting in the city to his overall benefit.  It killed a lot of Germans, and it killed non communist Poles.

The Battle of Aachen commenced with an American offensive.

The Battle of the Scheldt commenced.

Pack train of 2nd Indian Mule Co., Royal Indian Service Corps, which helped supply British 1st Div. 2 October, 1944. Near Crespino, Italy.

Japanese resistance on Peleliu's Mount Amiangal was defeated.

Lucian Truscott appeared on the cover of Life Magazine.

Cpl. Charles A. Klein, 1929 45th Street, Pennsauken, New Jersey, seals his soldiers' ballet. 2 October, 1944. 6th Armored Division.

The first French regiment of Paris, France, recently organized and put in uniform, passes in review. 2 October, 1944.

 Execution of a French traitor who acted as a spy for the Germans and received 2000 Francs ($40.00) for his services. Traitor is tied to post as firing squad gets ready. 2 October, 1944.

Last edition:

Sunday, October 1, 1944. Battle of Tornio starts.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Adolf Hitler, Army, Battle of Tornio, British Army, China Burma India Theater, Commandos, Greek Army, Italy, July 20 Plot, Lapland War, Red Cross, Southeast Asia, World War Two

Friday, September 29, 1944. Soviet amphibious operations and executions.

GIs with mess gear standing in the mud in Gothic Line in Apennines. 29 September, 1944. Fifth Army, Route 65, Italy.

The Red Army began the Moonsund Landing Operation, an amphibious operation to take German held Estonian islands.   Some Logistic support was provided by Finland.

The Battle of Arracourt ended with an American victory.

John William Harper preformed the actions that lead to a posthumous Victoria Cross.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: —

No. 4751678 Corporal John William Harper, The York and Lancaster Regiment (Doncaster).

In North-West Europe, on 29th September, 1944, the Hallamshire Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment attacked the Depot de Mendicite, a natural defensive position surrounded by an earthen wall, and then a dyke, strongly held by the enemy. Corporal Harper was commanding . the leading section in the assault. The enemy were well dug in and had a perfect field of fire across 300 yards of completely flat and exposed country. With superb disregard for the hail of mortar bombs and small arms fire which the enemy brought to bear on this open ground, Corporal Harper led his section straight up to the wall and killed or captured the enemy holding the near side. During this operation the platoon commander was seriously wounded and Corporal Harper took over control of the platoon. As the enemy on the far side of the wall were now throwing grenades over the top, Corporal Harper climbed over the wall alone, throwing grenades, and in the face of heavy, close range small arms fire, personally routed the Germans directly opposing him. He took four prisoners and shot several of the remainder of the enemy as they fled. Still completely ignoring the heavy spandau and mortar fire, which was sweeping the area, once again he crossed the wall alone to find out whether it was possible for his platoon to wade the dyke which lay beyond. He found the dyke too deep and wide to cross, and once again he came back over the wall and received orders to try and establish his platoon on the enemy side of it. For the third time he climbed over alone, found some empty German weapon pits, and providing the covering fire urged and encouraged his section to scale the wall and dash for cover. By this action he was able to bring down sufficient covering fire *to enable the rest of the company to cross the open ground and surmount the wall for the loss of only one man. Corporal Harper then left his platoon in charge of his senior section commander and walked alone along the banks of the dyke, in the face of heavy spandau fire, to find a crossing place. Eventually he made contact with the battalion attacking on his right, and found that they had located a ford. Back he came across the open ground, and, whilst directing his company commander to the ford, he was struck by a bullet which fatally wounded him and he died on the bank of the dyke. The success of the battalion in driving the enemy from the wall and back across the dyke must be largely ascribed to the superb self sacrifice and inspiring gallantry of Corporal Harper. His magnificent courage, fearlessness and devotion to duty throughout the battle set a splendid example to his men and had a decisive effect on the course of the operations.

Otto Herfurth, Joachim Meichssner, Fritz von der Lancken, Wilhelm-Friedrich zu Lynar and Joachim Sadrozinski were hung for their rule in the July 20 Plot.

Virginia Turneli, Italian partisan, was burned to death.  

Last edition:

Thursday, September 28, 1944. The Belgrade Offensive and a last telegraph.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Belgrade Offensive, Bill Mauldin, British Army, Bulgarian Army, Cartoons, Polish Home Army, Red Army, Warsaw Uprising, Winston Churchill, World War Two, Yugoslav Partisans

Saturday, September 16, 1944. "Wacht am Rhein" approved.

Adolf Hitler approved the Ardennes Offensive "Wacht am Rhein", known in the west as the Battle of the Bulge.

Market Garden, the semi failed or wholly failed, hastily put together Allied invasion of The Netherlands hadn't even commenced yet and therefore makes for a remarkable contrast.  The Germans were planning a mid winter offensive and it was still summer, showing planning foresight, but also an appreciate at some level of the inevitability of further retreats into the winter.

"Members of an American airborne unit (82nd Airborne Division) flock to an American Red Cross Clubmobile for coffee and donuts on the eve of their takeoff for the airborne invasion of Holland. 16 September, 1944. Cottesmore Airdrome, England."  These troops are equipped with the then new M1943 Field Jacket and M1943 paratrooper field pants.  This uniform was new and replaced the ones that had been used just a few months prior in Operation Overlord.  The M1943 field jacket wa already becoming a universal issue item, although oddly the trousers were not.

The Red Army took Sofia, Bulgaria.  They then turned west to attempt to block the Germans from retreating from Greece.

The fronts were drawing close.

A general strike broke out in Denmark over deportations by the Germans.

The Royal Navy raided Sigli in Northern Sumatra.

The Second Quebec Conference ended.  The course of combat across the globe was ratified, wit there being an additional agreement for a campaign in Burma, and the British joining American forces in the Pacific in its final campaigns against the British, something the US would effectively recant on as the war drew to a close.

Gustav Bauer, German Chancellor in 1919 and 1920, and very briefly a prisoner of the early Third Reich, died.

Last edition:

Friday, September 15, 1944. Landing at Peleliu.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Army, Australian Army, Battle of Morotai, Battle of Peleliu, Finland, German Kriegsmarine, Germany, Italy, Lapland War, Operation Stalemate II, United States Marine Corps, World War Two

Sunday, September 10, 1944. Reaching Germany, Freeing Luxembourg, Continuation War lost.

The US 3d Armored Division occupied St. Vith and accordingly reached the German border.  St. Vith is in the German speaking border region of Belgium.

Luxembourg was liberated.

Gen. Eisenhower approved what would become Operation Market Garden, Field Marshall Montgomery's concept for an airborne assault in the Netherlands.

The U-20 and U-23 were scuttled in the Black Sea.

The Red Army attacked German forces holding a suburb of Warsaw.

The RAF launched Operation Paravane, an attempt to sink the Tirpitz.

Finland signed a formal armistice with the Soviet Union which restored the 1940 borders and required reparations to be paid by Finland.  Finland had, accordingly, lost the Continuation War, but the Soviet terms were remarkably generous.

"Soldiers from Co. A, 145th Inf., 37th Div., in position on a hillside where they had the Japs surrounded.Bougainville. 10 September, 1944."

Last edition:

Saturday, September 9, 1944. A coup in Bulgaria.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, 1980s, 1986, 1990, 1990s, Aircraft, Armor, Army, Artillery, Belgium, Buchenwald, Bulgaria, Burma Road, Cheyenne, Cheyenne Wyoming, Communism, Nationalist Chinese Army, World War Two, Wyoming (Cheyenne)

Saturday, September 9, 1944. A coup in Bulgaria.

U.S. infantry advancing with Sherman, Spangle, Belgium, September 9, 1944.

A captured Japanese Mitsubishi A6M fighter, the Zero, was displayed in Cheyenne (Wyoming State History Calendar).

A coup in Bulgaria put the Communist Fatherland Front (Отечествен фронт) in control of the country, which it would control until the fall of Hungarian Communism in 1986.  It dissolved in 1990.

French race car driver Robert Benoist, a member of the French Resistance, was executed at Buchenwald.

The U-484 was sunk by the Royal Navy northwest of Ireland.

Ten mule team draws heavy Chinese howitzer over many mountains in the Burma Road on its way to the fighting at Tung Ling, Yunnan, China. 9 September, 1944.

Last edition:

Friday, September 8, 1944. Belgian government returns.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Army, Battle of Dukla Pass, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canadian Army, France, German Wehrmacht, Hungarian Army, Red Army, technology, Weapons, World War Two

Friday, September 8, 1944. Belgian government returns.

The Belgian government returned to Belgium.

Bulgaria, at war for a day with the Soviet Union, accepted an armistice.  It then declared war in Germany.

Canadian troops captured Nieuport and Ostend.  The US Army captured Liege.

Men climbing ladders to allow crossing of Doubs River in Besancon. 8 September, 1944.

Company A, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

Miss Helen Rehak, St. Louis, Mo., an American Red Cross Clubmobile girl, passes out cigarettes to members of an American reconnaissance unit who have halted their motorized vehicle near the Moselle River, France. 8 September, 1944.  80th Reconnaissance Troop, 80th Infantry Division.

Members of the 80th Reconnaissance Unit fall in line for doughnuts and and coffee furnished from an American Red Cross Clubmobile in the vicinity of the Moselle River, France. 8 September, 1944.

80th Reconnaissance Troop, 80th Infantry Division.

T/5 Harry C. Snader, of Lancaster, Cpl. William J. Gorey, of Philadelphia, Pvt. Clifford A. Brilhart, Scottdale, Pvt. Chester A. Sajeska, Nanticoke, Pvt. Jacob L. Riker, Conshohocken, and T/5 Oliver J. Laudenslager, Orefield, second row, left to right: T/S R.M. Miller of Pittsburgh, and S/Sgt. Johnny Davies, of Pittsburgh, Pvt. Anthony D. Ragne, of Johnstown, Pvt. William B. George, of Philadelphia, T/4 Lynn J. Blum, of Pittsburgh, and Pfc. Paul B. Miller, of Waynesboro. Brest, France. 8 September, 1944. 2nd Infantry Division.

A V-2, an ballistic missile, hit Chiswick, west London.  It was the first such missle to do so.

It had been launched from a German site at The Hauge.

The Battle of Dukla Pass began on the border between Poland and Slovakia. German resistance was much heavier than expected, which is something that would mark how combat on the Eastern Front would increasingly develop.  Hungarian forces fought with the Germans.

Last edition:

Thursday, September 7, 1944. Hungary declares war on Romania. The Chinese Army prevails at The Battle of Mount Song (松山戰役), The Shin'yō Maru incident.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Battle of Mount Song (松山戰役), boats and ships, Burma, Burma Road, Disaster, Hungary, Imperial Japanese Army, Nationalist Chinese Army, Prisoners of War, Romania, Vichy France, World War Two