British and Commonwealth WWII Vehicles, National Museum of Military Vehicles.

Last edition:

U.S. Marines at Iwo Jima. National Museum of Military History.

Labels: 1940s, Armor, Iwo Jima, National Museum of Military Vehicles, United States Marine Corps, Weapons, World War Two, Wyoming (Dubois)

Thursday, November 23, 1899. "I detest war, people congratulate me; the men seem to look on me like a father, but I detest war the more I see of it."

Australian troops prior to the battle.

The British prevailed at the Battle of Belmont, in the Boer War.

The victorious British commander, Lord Methuen wrote to his wife, "I detest war, people congratulate me; the men seem to look on me like a father, but I detest war the more I see of it.' 

Last edition:

Monday, November 13, 1899. Guerilla warfare.

Labels: 1890s, 1899, Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino Army, Philippine Insurrection, Philippines

Monday, November 20, 1944. The sinking of the Mississinewa.

The US tanker USS Mississinewa  was sunk by Japanese manned torpedoes off of Ulithi, Micronesia.

She was the first ship to suffer such an attack.

French troops in action, November 20, 1944.

Hitler left the Wolfsschanze for good.

Partisans took Kosovo.

The British commence attempting to disarm Greek partisans.

Lights came back on in the Piccadilly, the Strand and Fleet Street districts of London.

Facing discontent, Chiang Kai-shek appointed a new Minister of War.

M4 Sherman of French 5th Armored Division, Nov 20, 1944.

Last edition:

Sunday, November 19, 1944. Sixth War Loan.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, boats and ships, British Army, poster, Roosevelt, War Loan Drives, World War Two

Sunday, November 19, 1944. Sixth War Loan.

 

November 19, 1944

The Sixth War Loan Drive that starts tomorrow is something more than just a money-raising affair.

We cannot all fight the enemy face to face. We cannot all produce the weapons and the raw materials that are so vital to our armed forces.

But there is one front on which all of us—every man, woman, and child—can serve, and serve for the duration. We can all practice self-denial. We can all sacrifice some of our comforts to the needs of the men in service; and yes, even some of our needs to their comforts.

The war in the present month of November alone will cost us seven and one-half billions of dollars. That is two hundred and fifty millions a day.

That is why every war bond that you buy is so important.

The war is not over- no, not by many a costly battle. While we have every reason to be proud of what has been done—even optimistic about the ultimate outcome—we have no reason to be complacent about the tough road that still lies ahead of us.

We have just been through a wartime election, demonstrating to the people of the world the deep roots of our democratic faith.

This Sixth War Loan, I am confident, will be a further example of democracy in action in a world at war.

There is an old saying about sticking to the plow until you have reached the end of the furrow. Every rule of common sense and patriotic thought makes that maxim applicable to our conduct in this war.

And so in the name of our wounded and sick, in the name of our dead, and in the name of future generations of Americans, I ask you to plow out this furrow to a successful and victorious end.

Franklin Roosevelt. 

The cost of the war was estimated at that point to be $250,000,000 per day.

The British Second Army gook Geilenkirchen, Germany.

The submarine USS Sculpin was scuttled off Truk after being damaged by the Yamagumo.

Last edition:

Saturday, November 18, 1944. Entering Metz.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Battle of Metz, Belgian Resistance Movements, boats and ships, Imperial Japanese Navy, World War Two

Thursday, November 9, 1944. Sorge meets his end.

The Japanese hanged Soviet master spy Richard Sorge, one of the most effective, if perhaps ignored, spies of all time.

Sorge's passport in Japan, noting his cover as a journalist.

The 3d Army crossed the Moselle near Metz.

The 8th Army captured Forli.

The Japanese landed 2,000 reinforcements on Leyte.

Last edition:

Wednesday, November 8, 1944. Mystery of explosions resolved. Canadians prevail on the Scheldt.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Army, Battle of Metz, Battle of the Scheldt, boats and ships, Canadian Army, Imperial Japanese Navy, Operation Infatuate, Rocketry, Tracked vehicles, U.S. Navy, Weapons, World War Two

Tank Destroyers. National Museum of Military History

Tank destroyers are a uniquely American weapon from the Second World War, like "assault guns" and Jadgpanzers were uniquely German.  They stem from the early war debate in the U.S. Army on whether the best defense against tanks were tanks, or anti tank guns.  Infantrymen tended to feel antitank guns were, which is also the same basic line of thinking that gave rise to German assault guns.  The war would prove this line of thinking incorrect.

The M36 was a large tank destroyer with a really substantial gun.  Like the description below notes, it was open topped, and it was not as heavily armored as a tank, hence its disadvantage.
 

The M18 was the best of the American tank destroyers, even though it was not the most heavily gunned.  It was fast, which gave it an advantage over other tank destroyers.

Last edition:

The M4 Sherman Tank. National Museum of Military Vehicles

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Armor, Korean War, National Museum of Military Vehicles, Tracked vehicles, World War Two, Wyoming (Dubois)

Sunday, November 5, 1944. The air and sea war off of Luzon.

A photograph taken seconds before a Japanese pilot crashed his plane into the USS Lexington. The Lexington was severely damaged in these attacks.

AMM 2/c Loyce Deen, a torpedo plane gunner, is buried at sea in his TBF Avenger  He was the only crewman buried in his airplane. November 5, 1944.

Task Force 38 struck targets on Luzon, losing 25 aircraft.  The USS Lexington was damaged in Kamikaze attacks.  The Japanese lost 400 planes and the cruiser Nachi.

The British 8th Army captured Ravenna.  The victory cutoff rail transportation to Bologna.

The British landed at Salonika.

"This M-4 medium tank is put thru the (?) in the mud by members of the Motor transport unit, near Nancy, France. 5 November, 1944. 761st Tank Battalion."  This M4 is an "Easy 8", the best of the wartime Shermans in U.S. use.  The 761st was an African American unit.

Last edition:

Saturday, November 4, 1944. Sir John Dill.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Antwerp Belgium, Artillery, Australian Army, British Army, Budapest Offensive, Burma, Indian Army, New Britain, Red Army, Royal Air Force, Washington DC, World War Two

M3 Stuart Light Tanks. Outside Display. National Museum of Military Vehicles.

 

M3 Stuart in British desert camouflage pattern. The British made extensive use of the M3.  To the right is a M3 half track.  The "M3" designation repeated for various things by category.

Another M3 Stuart with British unit markings.

Last edition:

Central World War Two Display, U.S. manufactured light tanks: National Museum of Military Vehicles Dubois Wyoming.

Labels: 1940s, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1945, Airborne, Armor, Army, British Army, Korean War, National Museum of Military Vehicles, Tracked vehicles, United States Marine Corps, World War Two, Wyoming (Dubois)