Wednesday, September 1, 1943. Tiny islands. Amon Göth.

U.S. forces landed on Baker Island.  An airstrip was built within a week.

Baker is a minuscule uninhabited Pacific Island, but was situated to support the campaign in the Gilberts.  Despite its tiny size, it had been briefly inhabited in the 1930s, when Baker and Howland saw American settlers brought there under the American Equatorial Islands Colonization Project.

Baker in the 1930s.

The remaining three-person population was evacuated in 1942 after the Japanese attacked the island.

U.S. forces took Orete Cove on Vella Lavella.

Minami-Tori-shima, 1,000 miles from Tokyo and the easternmost island of the Japanese archipelago. was attacked by the Fast Carrier Task Force consisting of the Essex, the Yorktown and the Independence.

Minami-Tori-shima.  The nearest island is 1,000 miles distant.

The I-182 was sunk in the Coral Sea by the USS Wadsworth.

From Sarah Sundin's blog, the Navy took over coastal submarine patrols, relieving the Army Air Force from that duty.  Sundin also noted that the Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force Auxiliary, had during its run spotted 173 subs, 91 vessels in distress, and lifeboats carrying 363 survivors, quite a record.

The Red Army took Dorogobuzh.

Vogue hit the stands with a cover that had a stylish woman on the cover, and the words "Take A Job. Release a man to fight".  One of the articles was "Why Aren't You Working?"  Another was "Does War Drive People Crazy?"

Amon Göth, a central figure portrayed in the movie Schindler's List, decreed that Jewish workers could no longer work in factories in neighboring Płaszów, but excluded non-Jewish Poles in his confinement.

A brutal camp commandant, Göth was an Austrian.  He's turned to extreme right wing poliics by age 17, and was an early member of the Nazi Party.  His frst marriage to Olga Janauschek, a woman with a notably Slavic name, was brief and ended in 1934.  He married again to Anny Geiger, but that marriage, which overlapped with his crimes, ended when Geiger discovered his affair with Schindler secretary, Ruth Irene Kalder.  He had several children, including one with Kalder.

He was relieved of his command in September 1944 under suspicion of theft and other crimes, one being failing to adequately feed his prisoners.  SS doctors subsequently diagnosed Göth with a mental illness, and he was committed to a mental institution in Bad Tölz in Bavaria.  He was arrested by U.S. authorities at the end of the war, and turned over to Poland, which executed him after a trial.

Tuesday, August 31, 1943. Debut of the F6F.

Grumman F6Fs made their combat debut.

The fighter was a leap in Navy fighter technology, joining the Corsair as a new generation of flattop launched fighter aircraft.  The plane would be responsible for approximately 2/3s of the Japanese aircraft shot down by the U.S. Navy during World War Two.

The carrier born first use was in a day-long raid on Marcus Island.

Radar equipped F6F's would remain in service until 1954, completing their service as night fighters.

On the same day, the 14th Air Force bombed Gia Lam, Co Bi, Ichang Airfiled, Stonecutters Island and the Yoyang rail yards.  The 5th Air Force hit trages in Saint George Channel and the Dutch East Indes.

Stalin issues the following order to General Rokossovsky

Troops of the Central Front, breaking through strongly fortified enemy defense lines in the area of Sevsk by a decisive attack, on August 30 captured the town of Glukhov and Rylsk and entered the Northern Ukraine.

In the fighting for the liberation of the towns of Sevsk, Glukhov and Rylsk from the German invaders, the troops which distinguished themselves were Guards tankmen commanded by, Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Korchagin, tankmen commanded by Major-General Ruchenko, troops commanded by Lieutenant-General Cherny-kovsky, Lieutenant-General Batov, and Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Bogdanov, and airmen commanded by Lieutenant-General of Aviation Rudenko.

To mark the victory they have won, the divisions and artillery formations which exceptionally distinguished themselves in the fighting for Glukhov, Rylsk and Sevsk are to have the following titles conferred upon them. The name of "Glukhov" is to be conferred on the 70th Guards Red Banner Infantry Division, the 226th Infantry Division, the 23rd Tank Brigade and the 1st Guards Artillery Division.

The name of "Rylsk" is to be conferred on the 121st Infantry Division and the 112th Infantry Division.

The name of "Sevsk" is to be conferred on the 69th Red Banner Infantry Division, the 103rd Tank Brigade, the 43rd Motorized Brigade, the 255th Independent Tank Regiment, the 68th Heavy Artillery Brigade and the 100th Red Banner Heavy Artillery Brigade.

Henceforth these formations are to be named the 70th Guards Red Banner Glukhov Infantry Division, the 226th Glukhov Infantry Division, the 23rd Glukhov Tank Brigade, the 1st Glukhov Guards Artillery Division, the 121st Rylsk Infantry Division, the 112th Rylsk Infantry Division, the 69th Red Banner Sevsk Infantry Division, the 60th Sevsk Infantry Division, the 103rd Sevsk Tank Brigade, the 43rd Sevsk Motorized Brigade, the 255th Sevsk Independent Tank Regiment, the 68th Sevsk Heavy Artillery Brigade and the 100th Red Banner Sevsk Heavy Artillery Brigade.

In the name of our country, our capital Moscow will to-day, August 31, at 20.30 Moscow time, salute our glorious troops who liberated the towns of Glukhov, Rylsk and Sevsk, with twelve artillery salvoes from 124 guns.

For distinguished military services and skilful operations I express my thanks to all troops led by you who have taken part in the fighting for Sevsk, Glukhov and Rylsk, and above all to the 70th Guards Red Banner Glukhov Infantry Division commanded by General Butev, the 226th Glukhov Infantry Division commanded by Colonel Vitrenko, the 1st Guards Glukhov Artillery Division commanded by Major-General of Artillery Godin, the 23rd Glukhov Tank Brigade commanded by Colonel Demidov, the 121st Rylsk Infantry Division commanded by Major-General Ladygln, the 112th Rylsk Infantry Division commanded by Colonel Gladkov, the 69th Red Banner Sevsk Infantry Division commanded by Colonel Kuzadkov, the 60th Sevsk Infantry Division commanded by. Colonel Babilensky,,. the 103rd Sevsk Tank Brigade commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Khalayev, the 103rd Sevsk Motorized Brigade commanded Major-General Barinov, the 655th Sevsk Independent Tank Regiment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Mukin, the 68th Sevsk Heavy Artillery Brigade commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Vassilev, the 100th Red Banner Sevsk Heavy Artillery Brigade commanded by Colonel Kuznetsov, the 6th. Guards Infantry Division., commanded by Major-General Ahoprienko, the 322nd Infantry Division commanded by Colonel Losenko, the 150th Independent Tank Brigade commanded by Lieutenant-General Griumov, the 178th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment commanded by Colonel Fedov, and air formations commanded by Major-General of Aviation Denisov, Major-General . of Aviation Antoshin, Major-General of Aviation Kravatsky, Colonel Komarov and Colonel Budilev.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the fight for the freedom and independence of our Motherland! Death to the German invaders!

Troops of the western front recently broke through the strongly fortified enemy defence line and, developing their offensive in the Smolensk direction, yesterday, August 30th, captured the' town of Yelnya, a strategically important large junction of roads and the most important centre of resistance of the enemy defences in the Smolensk direction.

In the fighting for the town of Yelnya the following distinguished themselves: Guards tankmen commanded by Major-General Burdeinov, troops commanded by Lieutenant-General Gordov, by Major-General Krylov, by Lieutenant-General Trubnikov, airmen commanded by Marshal of Aviation Golovanov and Lieutenant-General of Aviation Gromov.

To mark the victory won .by our troops at the town of Yelna, the name of Yelna will be conferred on the 29th Guards Red Banner Infantry Division, the 25th Tank Brigade, the 26th Tank Brigade, the 23rd Guards Independent Tank Brigade and the 119th Independent Tank Regiment, which distinguished themselves in the fighting for the town of Yelna. They will henceforth be named the 29th Guards Red Banner Yelna Infantry Division, the 76th Yelna Infantry Division, the 25th Yelna Tank Brigade, the 26th Yelna Tank Brigade, the 23rd Guards Yelna Independent Tank Brigade.

In the name of our country, our capital Moscow, to-day, August 31, at 19.00 hours Moscow time, will salute with twelve artillery salvoes from 124 guns our glorious troops who have won victory at the town of Yelna.

For distinguished military service and skilful manoeuvring I express my thanks to all the troops you command who participated in ‘ the operations in the Smolensk direction, and above all for the skilful operations by the 29th Guards Red Banner Yelna Infantry Division commanded by Lieutenant-General Stuch-enko, to the 26th Yelna Infantry Division commanded by Colonel Babayan, the 25th Yelna Tank Brigade commanded by Colonel Shevchenko, the 26th Yelna Brigade commanded by Colonel Nester-ov, the 23rd Guards Yelna Independent Tank Brigade commanded by Colonel Kalinin, the 119th Yelna Independent Tank Regiment commanded by' Lieutenant-Colonel Losik and the 63rd Infantry Division commanded by Colonel Lapkin.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the fight for the freedom and honour of our Motherland! Death to the German invaders!

It's interesting how Stalin would urge "eternal glory" for a state which didn't recognize eternity in any meaningful sense. 

On his day, the Red Army took  Glukhov and Rylsk.

The Civil Air Patrol's coast patrol ceases, given as the U-boot threat has been so reduced in recent months.

Saturday, February 3, 1923. French Guns, Legislative Hijinks, Kamchatka Earthquake

The Saturday Evening Post was out, as it was of course a Saturday, with a Rockwell.  This one is apparently entitled "Grandpa's Little Ballerina".

The Country Gentleman went with a mid winter fox and its prey.

A magnitude 8.3+ earthquake struck Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula causing a twenty-five foot tsunami.  Twelve people were killed by seven resulting waves in Maui.

The Soviet Union approved plans to create a civil aviation authority for passenger airlines, leading to the world's most dangerous major airline, Aeroflot.

French guns and legislative shenanigans were in the news.

 

Friday, January 23, 1942. The Japanese land on Rabaul, Partisans withdraw in Croatia, Dutch aircraft score, the Afrika Korps advances, the Red Army surrounds.

Soon to be added to the nation's fighting forces will be an all black aviation squadron, whose members now are in training at Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama. Some of the cadets at the Basic and Advanced Flying School for Negro Air Corps Cadets are shown here, January 23, 1942, lined up for review with Major James A. Ellison returning the salute of Mac Ross of Dayton, Ohio, as he inspects the cadets." (Source: AP Photo/U.S. Army Signal Corps)

On this day in 1942, the Battle of Rabaul commenced on New Britain, pursuant to Japanese Operation R.

Australian troops in withdrawal in New Britain.

The Battle of Balikpapan began in eastern Borneo.

Yugoslavian partisans withdrew, ending Operation Southeast Croatia.  Perhaps the most notable thing, however, is that it was 1942 and Yugoslavia clearly wasn't under uncontested Axis control.

The Italian submarine Barbarigo sank the Spanish freighter SS Navemar, thereby seeing an event in which an Axis state sank the ship of a putative Axis ally.  

On the same day the Japanese I-72 sank the USS Neches 120 miles west of Pearl Harbor.  This caused the U.S. Navy Task Force 11 to return to Pearl Harbor, as it could not make Wake Island, which it had been detailed to strike, without refueling, and the Neches was an oiler.

USS Neches.

The MS Nana Maru was sunk by Dutch Martin B-10 bombers and Brewster Buffalo's.

A Martin B-10.

Both aircraft would be regarded as nearly obsolescent by this point in the war, and yet they could still give first-rate service in the hands of capable crews.

Brewster Buffalo.

The Germans sink a British and a Norwegian merchant ship in Operation Drumbeat.

The Afrika Korps continues to rapidly advance in North Africa, which didn't keep these coastal artillerymen from getting clean.

Or this Army bakery from doing its work.

The Luftwaffe raided Tobruk.

British anti-aircraft crews near Tobruk on this day in 1942.

The Red Army surrounds 5,500 German troops in Kholm, USSR.

Tuesday December 13, 1921. The Four Power Treaty Signed

The signatories, the United States, United Kingdom, France and Japan agreed to maintain the status quo in the Pacific.

Reporters examining the treaty.