Thursday, February 8, 1945. Offensives started in the East and West.

The Red Army launched the Lower Silesian Offensive (Нижне-Силезская наступательная операция)

The Western Allies launched Operation Veritable.

Day G. Turner performed the actions that resulted in his being awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.

He commanded a 9-man squad with the mission of holding a critical flank position. When overwhelming numbers of the enemy attacked under cover of withering artillery, mortar, and rocket fire, he withdrew his squad into a nearby house, determined to defend it to the last man. The enemy attacked again and again and were repulsed with heavy losses. Supported by direct tank fire, they finally gained entrance, but the intrepid sergeant refused to surrender although 5 of his men were wounded and 1 was killed. He boldly flung a can of flaming oil at the first wave of attackers, dispersing them, and fought doggedly from room to room, closing with the enemy in fierce hand-to-hand encounters. He hurled handgrenade for handgrenade, bayoneted 2 fanatical Germans who rushed a doorway he was defending and fought on with the enemy's weapons when his own ammunition was expended. The savage fight raged for 4 hours, and finally, when only 3 men of the defending squad were left unwounded, the enemy surrendered. Twenty-five prisoners were taken, 11 enemy dead and a great number of wounded were counted. Sgt. Turner's valiant stand will live on as a constant inspiration to his comrades. His heroic, inspiring leadership, his determination and courageous devotion to duty exemplify the highest tradition of the military service.

Soviet POWs led by Mikhail Devyatayev escaped from Peenemünde.

Yalta continued on.  The notes from Communist spy Alger Hiss, part of the US delegation from that day:

2/8 After the noon meeting of {Tel. to Dept re Assoc. Ns}

For Sees, Jebb, Gromyko & A H

met as committee to discuss Un Ns

Conference procedure. A. H. ex- 2/8

Plenary

4.30 p m

plain ed State Dept views but said Pres.

had not approved. After lunch before

plenary session ERS cleared all with Pres.

& A H told Gromyko & sent word to Jebb

Pres called on Eden to report for For Mins

Ed: We met to consider etc. & read his report

re place Ed. repeated his statement of this morning that next meeting of For Mins be held in Lon & that seemed to meet with a measure of approval

Ed: Reason for saying those who are members now should be invited was to prevent nations from becoming Un Ns Just to be invited Understands Am. Del. has different view

St: I have the list of states which declared war on Ger I count this no. into official members of the Ass. Among these are 10 which [Page 783]have no dip. rels with S. U. We will together with them build up world security——

Pres: I think many of them will be glad to recog & est. dip. rels with S U. Haven’t got round to it yet. In few is very strong Cath. Church influence At same time we recognize most of these who have not exch. dip. rels with Sov Un. have sat with Sov Un at Bretton Woods & other dip. conferences held.

St.: That’s right but on other hand is very diff. build up world sec. with countries which don’t recog. Sov Un

Pres: Easiest way to est. complete dip rels. is to invite them. That involves matter of history which should be explained. 3 yrs. ago Actg Sec State Welles told number of these states not nec. to declare on Ger. but should break all rels. So there are 5 or 6 of these which expect to be invited—& are in good standing Sec. of State has embarrassed me further by bringing this to my attention 1 month ago. As a result I sent a letter to the 6 pres. of these 6 reps explaining that if they wanted to be invited they should declare war on either Japan or Ger. Ecuador has declared war but hasn’t had chance sign Un Ns decl. Paraguay will soon. Peru, Venezuela etc (not Chile, soon) Will be embarrassing if not invited. In meantime in past 4 yrs. all of these nations have helped us in waging war because large part of raw materials for munitions of war came from them.

Result is I’m in a somewhat diff. position

St: Not discussed today

Pres: We have phrase Associated Ns meaning nations which have broken rels but haven’t declared war.

The list of nations which Mr Stett gave to Mr Molotov at lunch today

St. asked about Argentine

Pres: Not an assoc. nation

St: If “associates” come in that would include Argentina. Would include Turkey

Pres. My idea & it would save my life would be to invite those who have are on the list who have helped us on condition that they declare war.

St: Before or after they declare war

Pres: Before, put a time limit, say 1st of March

St: Agreed

Church: I am glad to say these nations would be required to declare war before they would be invited to the Conf. Of course I feel like Marshall St that some of them have played a poor part, waiting to see who would win. Now it’s quite safe they would like to come in Will have depressing effect on Ger to realize another batch has come in. [Page 784]Might also have effect on other hostile belligerents to see how whole world is turning ag. them

Pres: I should like to add one name to list for sake of clarity—newest rep. in world Iceland

Church: re Eg. HMG feel special resp. On 2 occasions were willing to declare war It was more convenient to us to have them stay formally neutral

Pres: In other words you’re in same fix I’m in

Church Also I must say on behalf of Eg that when enemy was only 30 miles from capital Egyptian Army rendered service, guarded bridges, communs & generally was more helpful than if she had declared war & made Cairo subject to air bombardment ∴Feel if Eg. now feels she wanted to declare war she should have the opportunity

Iceland also rendered very val. services. At a time when the U. S. had not herself had entered the war she admitted Brit & US troops, violated her neutrality in a marked fashion & guarded a life line across the Atlantic. I think those two have certainly a case provided they declare war

Is it intended any nation which declares war.

Pres: no, only the Assoc Ns

(Italy, Ireland—no)

Church: I shall mention a name which I think will cause universal satisfaction—Turkey T. made an alliance with us before the war at a very dangerous time. But when the war broke out, after it had been going on little while, T’s found their army was not equipped with any of weapons that decide modern battles. But att. has been friendly although they would not take the opportunity which was offered to us yr. ago

St. says all right if by end of Feb. It will declare war

Ger. is not yet defeated war & war hardly will terminate by end of Feb.

Pres: One other case—curious case.

Den.2 was invaded. Has been under Ger. domination since

Only one man claimed to represent Den. was the the Dan. Min. in Wash. He could not declare war but he disowned acts of his own govt

Would be with us 100% if they could

Church: Have they agreed to the independence of Iceland?

I do not think it is of very great importance. I think Mar & Pres are quite right in letting any one come to the party who declares war by end of month

[Page 785]

St & Denmark could wait

Pres Yes

Church: She would have a perfect right to come if she is able to speak

Pres Amend Un Ns & also those of assoc. powers & T. who declare war by Mar 1

Church All who declare war

Ed. Un Ns as they exist on the 1st of Mar.

Church:

Pres Ger. or Japan

Common enemy

Mol Would it not facilitate position of Sov. Reps if they would sign Decl. of Un Ns before 1st of Mar.

Pres I think its easier to take the list we’ve got. San Marino & Andorra might sign, nations like that

Church. What is the position

St: But T is not fighting

Pres: read list of Assoc. Ns & T only if they declare war

Mol: If Uk & Byelo-R sign decl before 1st of Mar.

Pres. That had been settled in this formula We are prepared to support them.

St. I propose to name the Reps, which would be invited: Uk & Byelo-R. To call them by name in this protocol and secondly I propose that they should sign the Decl of Un Ns before 1st of Mar. Change the protocol

Church Delay invitations to two states of Sov. Un till we are all met If so many new ones are to be brought in now be confusing

St: I have point out that’s not quite logical. 3 great powers agree to seat White R & Uk But some might say they haven’t signed

Church: Two R states should be treated same as other late arrivals

St. I wouldn’t like to embarrass Pres. What is his difficulty. I might withdraw my proposal

Pres: Only technical. We have been discussing admitting other people. Uk & Wh R are not other people they are here already. We & UK will support it. We change SU from 1 vote to 3 right here. Why 3, why not 4, 5, 6?

St. Withdrew his request. But names of the two republics should be in the report

Poland

" "The Dirty Dozen" - the last remaining members of the original 161st Regt. Combat Team, 25th Inf. in San Manuel, Luzon, P.I. 8 February, 1945. 25th Infantry Division."

The  Alaskan Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945 passed thanks to the efforts of Tlingit Elizabeth Peratrovich.

Last edition:

Tuesday, February 6, 1945. False hopes at Manila.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Army, Battle of Berlin, Battle of Manila, Douglas MacArthur, German SS, German Wehrmacht, Iwo Jima, Personalities, Philippines, Yugoslav Partisans

Monday, June 2, 1924. All Native Americans granted citzenship.

The Indian Citizenship Act was signed into law making all Native Americans U.S. citizens.  A little under half of the 300,000 Native Americans in the country became citizens for the first time due to the act.

It read:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all non citizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby, declared to be citizens of the United States: Provided That the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Indian to tribal or other property.

The Communist Party's Central Committee chose the real leaders of the country, the Politburo.  The leaders chosen, in the wake of Lenin's death, were Bukharin, Stalin, Trotsky, Rykov, Kamenev, Tomsky and Zinoviev.  They'd all be victims of Stalin's purge, save obviously for Stalin, with Tomsky being the only one who wasn't executed, but only because he killed himself rather than be arrested.

Frank Lloyd's The Sea Hawk made an early premier in New York City.

Last prior edition:

Sunday, June 1, 1924.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, Camping, Radio, Science, technology

Sunday, August 19, 1923. Ada Delutuk Blackjack.

Ada Delutuk Blackjack was rescued from Wrangel Island.  A Native Alaskan, she had survived alone on the island since September 15, 1921.  The only native member of an expedition to the Arctic island, which sought to claim it for Canada, she had been hired as a cook and because she was good at sewing.  The other members of the expedition died on the remote island or disappeared seeking to walk the 90 miles to Siberia to obtain help.

She was not completely alone. The expedition's cat, Victoria, also survived.

She took the job to raise money for her son's treatment for tuberculosis, and in fact upon her retrun moved to Seattle so that he could be treated there. Divorced from her first husband prior to the expedition, she remarried and ultimately returned to Alaska and died in Palmer at age 85 in 1983.

The object of a Canadian claim to the island was quixotic at best, as it is well off of Siberian Russia.  The large island features flora and fauna, including large numbers of polar bears, but remains uninhabited by humans.  It is believed the world's last surviving mammoth populations lived on the island, dying out only perhaps as recently as 2,000 years ago.  Musk ox and reindeer have been introduced to the island for some weird reason, and wolves have reintroduced themselves.

Monday, September 7, 1914. Rescued.

The  King and Winge reached Wrangel Island in the Bering Sea and found 14 of the original 25 survivors of the Karluk shipwreck.  They were transferred to the ship, which then went on, unsuccessfully, to search for other survivors.

In the Battle of Grand Couronné the Germans attacks drove drove French defenders back south of Verdun, France.

In the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes the Germans attacked the Russians under the command of the very German named Paul von Rennenkampf in East Prussia.  He was, in fact, a Baltic German.

Last edition:

Sunday September 6, 1914. Day two of the First Battle of the Marne.

Labels: 1910s, 1914, Austro Hungarian Army, Automobiles, British Army, First Battle of the Marne, France, French Army, Imperial Japanese Navy, Serbian Army, Siege of Tsingtao, Tsingtao (Qingdao) China, World War One