Wednesday, March 3, 1915. The Navy Reserve established.

The Unites States Naval Reserve was established.

Most Navy officers in wartime are actually part of the Navy Reserve.  It's stunning to think that it did not exist until 1915.  It's stunning to think what would have resulted after the US entry into World War One without the Navy Reserve.

The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor of NASA, was founded in the United States. The Committee was instituted to supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight, with a view to their practical solution. 

The GOP would likely eliminate it today.

Mount Mitchell State Park was established in Yancey County, North Carolina, the first state park North Carolina.  

The GOP, which had no presence in North Carolina at the time, would probably oppose it today.

The Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge in Yuma, Arizona, was completed.

Last edition:

Monday, March 1, 1915. Locusts.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Aircraft, Dardanelles, Imperial Russian Navy, Ottoman Empire, Palestine

Wednesday, February 28, 1945. Saudi Arabia declares war.

Saudi Arabia declared war on the Axis powers.

German officer taken prisoner by U.S. Army, February 28, 1945.

The Red Army too Neustettin.

The Third Army too Bitburg.

German POWs taken by 4th Infantry Division, part of the 3d Army.  The US infantrymen have the typical late war disheveled look in spite of being part of the 3d Army.  At least two of three of the German POWs are Luftwaffe personnel.

The US conducts landings at Puerto Princesa on Palawan.

John Harlan Willis performed the actions that resulted in his being conferred a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Platoon Corpsman serving with the 3d Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 28 February 1945. Constantly imperiled by artillery and mortar fire from strong and mutually supporting pillboxes and caves studding Hill 362 in the enemy's cross-island defenses, Willis resolutely administered first aid to the many marines wounded during the furious close-in fighting until he himself was struck by shrapnel and was ordered back to the battle-aid station. Without waiting for official medical release, he quickly returned to his company and, during a savage hand-to-hand enemy counterattack, daringly advanced to the extreme frontlines under mortar and sniper fire to aid a marine lying wounded in a shellhole. Completely unmindful of his own danger as the Japanese intensified their attack, Willis calmly continued to administer blood plasma to his patient, promptly returning the first hostile grenade which landed in the shell-hole while he was working and hurling back 7 more in quick succession before the ninth exploded in his hand and instantly killed him. By his great personal valor in saving others at the sacrifice of his own life, he inspired his companions, although terrifically outnumbered, to launch a fiercely determined attack and repulse the enemy force. His exceptional fortitude and courage in the performance of duty reflect the highest credit upon Willis and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Last edition:

Tuesday, February 27, 1945. Hard fighting on Iwo Jima.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Armor, boats and ships, British Army, Canadian Army, Heroes, Iwo Jima, Lebanon, Philippines, Red Army, United States Marine Corps, Weapons, World War Two

Wednesday, February 25, 1925. Preventing cruelty.

The 1925 Wyoming Legislature passed a law prohibiting the Wyoming Legislature passed a law prohibiting harsh, cruel or abusive treatment of human beings.  The law was inspired by the work of E. T. Payton who worked at the State Mental Hospital.

The first electrical recording of a phonograph record was made on a Western Electric patent by the Columbia Phonograph Company.

The Guna Revolution broke out in Panama in which native peoples rose up on the islands of Tupile and Ukupseni in an attempt to create their own nation. 

After a few days, a U.S. Navy cruiser arrived and a truce was negotiated to make the San Blas Islands autonomous within Panamanian rule.

Tuesday, February 24, 1925. Lake of the Woods Convention and Protocol

Labels: 1920s, 1925, Canada, Cartoons, Diplomacy, United States

Lex Anteinternet: DOD Employees to get the axe on Monday. CQ Brown ends up being first.

Lex Anteinternet: DOD Employees to get the axe on Monday.:   DoD Probationary Workforce Statement Feb. 21, 2025 As the Secretary announced yesterday, the Department of Defense is re-evaluating o...

It started with the Joint Chief of Staff CQ Brown. Rumor has it that his replacement, if he can condescend to take it, will be another Air Force general,   Dan “Razin” Caine, who has spent a lot of his career as a reservists.

If he really wants to raise cain, his first action should be to exclude the Space Farce from anything serious.

addendum:

Hegseth also fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, head of the Navy.

Wednesday, February 21, 1945. Sinking of the Bismark Sea.

The USS Bismark Sea was sunk by kamikazes off of Iwo Jima.

The Battle of Baguio began in the Philippines.  

" While the town of Portz, Germany, burns in the background, 10th Armored Division jeeps of the 3rd Army advance on Saarburg, Germany. 21 February, 1945. 10th Armored Division.  Photographer: T/5 L. G. Crabtree, 166th Signal Photo Co."

The British 17th Indian Division begins a breakout at Myaungu.  The British take Myitson.

Last edition:

Tuesday, February 20, 1945. Slow advance on Iwo Jima.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Battle of Berlin, Berlin Germany, Eastern Front, Iwo Jima, Philippines, Red Army, U.S. Air Force, World War Two

Sunday, February 18, 1945. Off of Iwo Jima.

 

"HoM2/C Charles R. Roth, USCG, leads hymn singing and gives brief talk to his shipmates aboard a Coast Guard-manner LST the day before landing on Iwo Jima. Photographed February 18, 1945."

Pre landing bombardments continued at Iwo Jima.

Iwo Jima, February 18, 1945.

Operation Solstice ended in a German defeat.

American forces breached the Siegfried Line north of Echternach.

The USS Gamble was damaged beyond repair off of Iwo Jima.

General Ivan Chernyakhovsky, commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, dies from wounds received outside Konigsberg at age 37.

General Dmitry Mikhaylovich Karbyshev was tortured to death along with other Soviet POWs by being doused with water and left out in a freezing night.

Last edition:

Saturday, February 17, 1945. Rum and Coca Cola. Cold Comfort. Scientist leave Peenemünde. Iwo Jima.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Alcohol, British Army, Conscription, Elon Musk, Growing up in the 1980s, Imperialism, Iwo Jima, Music, Operation Cold Comfort, Peenemünde, Science, Special Air Service, Swing Music, World War Two

Friday, February 16, 1945. Corregidor.

The U.S. Navy launched its first carrier raid against Japan itself.

The US launches an airborne and seaborn attack on Corregidor.

Lloyd G. McCarter performed the actions which caused him to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

He was a scout with the regiment which seized the fortress of Corregidor, Philippine Islands. Shortly after the initial parachute assault on 16 February 1945, he crossed 30 yards of open ground under intense enemy fire, and at pointblank range silenced a machinegun with hand grenades. On the afternoon of 18 February he killed 6 snipers. That evening, when a large force attempted to bypass his company, he voluntarily moved to an exposed area and opened fire. The enemy attacked his position repeatedly throughout the night and was each time repulsed. By 2 o'clock in the morning, all the men about him had been wounded; but shouting encouragement to his comrades and defiance at the enemy, he continued to bear the brunt of the attack, fearlessly exposing himself to locate enemy soldiers and then pouring heavy fire on them. He repeatedly crawled back to the American line to secure more ammunition. When his submachine gun would no longer operate, he seized an automatic rifle and continued to inflict heavy casualties. This weapon, in turn, became too hot to use and, discarding it, he continued with an M-1 rifle. At dawn the enemy attacked with renewed intensity. Completely exposing himself to hostile fire, he stood erect to locate the most dangerous enemy positions. He was seriously wounded; but, though he had already killed more than 30 of the enemy, he refused to evacuate until he had pointed out immediate objectives for attack. Through his sustained and outstanding heroism in the face of grave and obvious danger, Pvt. McCarter made outstanding contributions to the success of his company and to the recapture of Corregidor."

The U.S. Navy begins pre landing bombardment of Iwo Jima.

The Red Army captured Żagań.

The U-309 was sunk by the HMCS Saint John.

Last edition:

Thursday, February 15, 1945. Operation Solstice.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Army, Ethnicities, German Wehrmacht, Heroes, Navy, Operation Solstice, Women, World War Two, Yugoslav Partisans

Wednesday, February 14, 1945. A great President and a great king, meet.

President Roosevelt met with King Ibn Saud on the USS Quincy.

Memorandum of Conversation Between the King of Saudi Arabia (Abdul Aziz Al Saud) and President Roosevelt, February 14, 1945, Aboard the U.S.S. “Quincy” 

February 14, 1945

I

The President asked His Majesty for his advice regarding the problem of Jewish refugees driven from their homes in Europe.6 His Majesty replied that in his opinion the Jews should return to live in the lands from which they were driven. The Jews whose homes were completely destroyed and who have no chance of livelihood in their homelands should be given living space in the Axis countries which oppressed them. The President remarked that Poland might be considered a case in point. The Germans appear to have killed three million Polish Jews, by which count there should be space in Poland for the resettlement of many homeless Jews.

His “Majesty then expounded the case of the Arabs and their legitimate rights in their lands and stated that the Arabs and the Jews could never cooperate, neither in Palestine,7 nor in any other country. His Majesty called attention to the increasing threat to the existence of the Arabs and the crisis which has resulted from continued Jewish immigration and the purchase of land by the Jews. His Majesty further stated that the Arabs would choose to die rather than yield their lands to the Jews.

His Majesty stated that the hope of the Arabs is based upon the word of honor of the Allies and upon the well-known love of justice of the United States, and upon the expectation that the United States will support them.

The President replied that he wished to assure His Majesty that he would do nothing to assist the Jews against the Arabs and would make no move hostile to the Arab people. He reminded His Majesty [Page 3]that it is impossible to prevent speeches and resolutions in Congress or in the press which may be made on any subject. His reassurance concerned his own future policy as Chief Executive of the United States Government.

His Majesty thanked the President for his statement and mentioned the proposal to send an Arab mission to America and England to expound the case of the Arabs and Palestine. The President stated that he thought this was a very good idea because he thought many people in America and England are misinformed. His Majesty said that such a mission to inform the people was useful, but more important to him was what the President had just told him concerning his own policy toward the Arab people.

II

His Majesty stated that the problem of Syria and the Lebanon8 was of deep concern to him and he asked the President what would be the attitude of the United States Government in the event that France should continue to press intolerable demands upon Syria and the Lebanon. The President replied that the French Government had given him in writing their guarantee of the independence of Syria and the Lebanon and that he could at any time write to the French Government to insist that they honor their word. In the event that the French should thwart the independence of Syria and the Lebanon, the United States Government would give to Syria and the Lebanon all possible support short of the use of force.

III

The President spoke of his great interest in farming, stating that he himself was a farmer. He emphasized the need for developing water resources, to increase the land under cultivation as well as to turn the wheels which do the country’s work. He expressed special interest in irrigation, tree planting and water power which he hoped would be developed after the war in many countries, including the Arab lands. Stating that he liked Arabs, he reminded His Majesty that to increase land under cultivation would decrease the desert and provide living for a larger population of Arabs. His Majesty thanked the President for promoting agriculture so vigorously, but said that he himself could not engage with any enthusiasm in the development of his country’s agriculture and public works if this prosperity would be inherited by the Jews.

The raid on Dresden concluded with a nighttime raid by the RAF.

The USAAF bombed Prague.  The raid killed 701 people, destroyed houses and historical sites, in a country that was a victim of Nazi oppression. This was attributed to a navigational error.

The Red Army liberated the Gross-Rosen concentration camp.

The U-989 was sunk by the Royal Navy.

Last edition:

Tuesday, February 13, 1945. Dresden.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Allied Air Campaigns, Battle of Manila, Manila Philippines, Nazi Germany, Philippines, Royal Air Force, Siege of Budapest, The bombing of Dresden, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, War Crimes, Weapons

Tuesday, February 13, 1945. Dresden.

By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1994-041-07 / Unknown author / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5483604

The bombing of Dresden commenced.  It would end on the 15th.

Dresden was an ardently Nazi city that was rail transport and communication center, and contained 110 factories and 50,000 workers.  The raid was to have commenced as a daylight raid by the USAAF 8th Air Force but bad weather precluded it, so the RAF commenced operations first instead with a nighttime raid.  Polish pilots servign in British supplied units had their sidearms removed due to outrage over the Yalta Agreement.  Two raids were conducted that night.  The USAAF hit the following day.  A firestorm erupted during the raids leading to mass destruction,

Up to 25,000 civilians, a fraction of the casualties claimed by the German propogandists, lost their lives due to the raid.  

The bombing became infamous, in part because of the grossly exaggerated casualty figure, but also because of the horrible nature of the destruction.  In reality, the city was more of a military target than legend would have it, and if the destruction was horrific, which it was, it raises the question of the overall morality of the Allied bombing efforts, particularly as they evolved during the war.

The Germans surrendered Budapest to the Red Army.

The British 2nd Army completed clearing the Reichswald Forest.

The US Navy began operations in Manila Bay.  

Corregidor was bombarded.

The 11th Airborne Division took Caviete.

Last edition:

Monday, February 12, 1945. Peru enters the war.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Alabama, Greece, Greek Resistance Movements, Heinrich Himmler, Japan, Missippii, Peru, Philippines, War Crimes, Weather

Sunday, February 11, 1945. Yalta winds up.

The final day of the Yalta Conference occurred.

It's interesting to note how many things in World War Two that outright failures or downright evil (I'd categorize this as a failure) took place or started on a Sunday.  People should have observed it as a day of rest.

The key results of Yalta were:

The US, UK, and USSR agreed that Germany would surrender unconditionally.

Germany would be divided into four occupation zones, each controlled by the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union, although France was added later.

Berlin would be likewise divided into four occupation zones, each controlled by one of the Allied powers.

Free elections in Poland and other liberated areas, outside of Germany.

Germany would undergo demilitarization and denazification.

The Allies would establish the United Nations.

Nazi's accused of humanitarian and war crimes would be put on trial.

The USSR would declare war against Japan.

It's easy, I suppose, to be harsh on Yalta without appreciating that at the time it appeared the Soviets were on the verge of taking most of the Soviet Union, something that in fact would not happen.  The occupation zones made sense.

Poland and the territories in the east, outside of Austria, never had free elections.  The UN was established but after the Korean War it never lived up to expectations, which doesn't mean it wasn't worthwhile.  It was, and is.  The USSR did declare war on Japan, but by the time it would did, its help wasn't needed and it made the post war world worse. 

Operation Veritable ended in an Allied Victory with the Canadian Army taking Kleve.

The U-869 was sunk by the USS Howard D. Crow and USS Koiner.

Last edition:

Saturday, February 10, 1945. German defenses.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Battle of Hürtgen Forest, German Wehrmacht, Hurtgen Forest, Luzon, Philippines, War Crimes

Sunday, January 21, 1945. Removing Hindenburg.

The Red Army captured Gumbinnen, crossed the Warthen and approached Poznań.  They also took Tannenberg, the site of a major German victory in World War One, where the Germans had begun demolishing key structures of the Tannenberg Memorial and where they also disinterred the remains of Paul von Hindenburg and his wife ahead of the Red Army's advance.

The U.S. Army took Titiz in the Ardennes.

"Reinforcements for front line duty move through Apach, France. 21 January, 1945. 94th Infantry Division."

The U-1199 was sunk by the Royal Navy off of Sicily.

The British landed on the northern tip of Ramree, Burma.

The US took Tarlac on Luzon.

The USS Ticonderoga was hit by two kamikazes.

Last edition:

Saturday, January 20, 1945. FDR Reinaugurated.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Armor, Army, Battle of the Bulge, Belgium, Burma, China Burma India Theater, Eastern Front, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Henry A. Wallace, Red Army, Slovakia, World War Two

Friday, January 12, 1945. The beginning of the last Red Army Winter Offensive of World War Two.

The Red Army commenced the Sandomierz–Silesian Offensive and the Vistula–Oder Offensive.

German troops were outnumbered at least 4 to 1 in all classes of equipment.

"A civilian casually picks his way through the rubble - all that remains of the Belgian town of La Roche, entered earlier in the day by Allied troops. 12 January, 1945."

"Double trouble for the Germans comes in the form of twin bazookas mounted on a .50 caliber machine gun mount, which can be completely traversed. Although only two men are shown in the jeep, a third is present to load the projectiles while the unit is in actual operation. L-R: T/5 Louis Gergye, Youngstown, Ohio, and Pvt. William R. Jump, Owenton, Ky. 12 January, 1945. I & R Platoon, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division."  This must be a field modification.  I've never seen another example of this.

The British 18th Indian Division took bridgeheads over the Irrawaddy.  Commandos were landed near Myebon on the mainland between Akyab and Ramree.

Aircraft of the U.S Navy sank 40 Japanese ships in Cam Ranh Bay and most of the ships in a convoy from Qui Nho'n, including the carrier Kashii.

Last edition:

Thursday, January 11, 1945. Reinforcements at Lingayen

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Army, Battle of the Bulge, British Army, Dekemvriana (Δεκεμβριανά), Greece, Heroes, Imperial Japanese Navy, Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Kamikaze, Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, World War Two

Thursday, January 11, 1945. Reinforcements at Lingayen

"Graves registration officer identifies dead Yanks among Germans killed in Ardennes salient during 1st and 3rd Army squeeze against Von Rundstedt's lines. 11 January, 1945. Photographer: Pvt. Arthur H. Hertz, 166th Signal Photo Co."

The 3d Army and 30 Corps joined near St. Hubert.

"Pvt. Thomas Amenta, 1391 S. Concord St., Los Angeles., Calif., of the 3rd Armored Div., hikes back to the rear area after his tank was knocked out by a road mine in the fighting beyond Langlir, Belgium during the First Army drive into Ardennes salient. 11 January, 1945."

"M-4 tractors tow captured 88mm Nazi guns into place to be fired against Germans pocketed in the "bulge" between the 1st and 3rd U.S. Armies. Luxembourg. 11 January, 1945.

90th Infantry Division."

Archer T. Gammon preformed the actions that resulted in his being awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.

He charged 30 yards through hip-deep snow to knock out a machinegun and its 3-man crew with grenades, saving his platoon from being decimated and allowing it to continue its advance from an open field into some nearby woods. The platoon's advance through the woods had only begun when a machinegun supported by riflemen opened fire and a Tiger Royal tank sent 88mm. shells screaming at the unit from the left flank. S/Sgt. Gammon, disregarding all thoughts of personal safety, rushed forward, then cut to the left, crossing the width of the platoon's skirmish line in an attempt to get within grenade range of the tank and its protecting foot troops. Intense fire was concentrated on him by riflemen and the machinegun emplaced near the tank. He charged the automatic weapon, wiped out its crew of 4 with grenades, and, with supreme daring, advanced to within 25 yards of the armored vehicle, killing 2 hostile infantrymen with rifle fire as he moved forward. The tank had started to withdraw, backing a short distance, then firing, backing some more, and then stopping to blast out another round, when the man whose single-handed relentless attack had put the ponderous machine on the defensive was struck and instantly killed by a direct hit from the Tiger Royal's heavy gun. By his intrepidity and extreme devotion to the task of driving the enemy back no matter what the odds, S/Sgt. Gammon cleared the woods of German forces, for the tank continued to withdraw, leaving open the path for the gallant squad leader's platoon.

The 25th Infantry Division, reinforced by an armored group, landed at Lingayen to reinforce the beachhead.  Heavy kamikaze attacks occurred and many smaller ships were damaged.

Aircraft from the US 3d Fleet sank 25 ships and damaged 13 more from Japanese convoys off of Indochina.  On the same day a German coastal convoy lost at least 3 or 4 of the 8 ships in it in a British air attack off of southern Norway.

The HMS Thane, an escort carrier, was sunk in the Irish Sea by the U-1172.

The Dekemvriana came to an end.

Last edition:

Wednesday, January 10, 1945. Continuing to gain ground.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Armor, Army, Artillery, Battle of the Bulge, British Army, Luzon, World War Two