Friday, March 2, 1945. Advances.

 

"Pvt. Robert E. Hammond, Osceola Mills, Pa., directs artillery fire on Modrath, Germany, in support of an infantry regiment's drive to take the town. The observation post is in Kerpen, 1½ miles west. 2 March, 1945. 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division."  When I did this same job, I used a binocular BS Scope.  This scope is basically what target shooters use now.

The 9th Army took Neuss, Roermond and Venlo.

The 3d Army took Trier.

"Soldiers of the 8th Armored Division rest along the roadside, during the drive toward the Rhine River. U.S. Ninth Army. 2 March, 1945. [Illegible], Germany. 8th Armored Division. Photographer: Tesser."  Note that the solider is taking a photograph with a 120mm camera'.

The U.S. Navy bombarded the Rhyku Islands, vis naval artillery and airstrikes, for 48 hours.

Marines on Iwo Jima, March 2, 1945.

The U-3519 was sunk by a mine.

Last edition:

March 1, 1945. Iran declares war on Japan.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Armor, Army, Eastern Front, Franklin Roosevelt, German Wehrmacht, Iran, Japan, Weapons, World War Two, Yalta Conference

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

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

"In the background, behind the U.S. soldier and tank destroyer, the town of Irsch, Germany, burns. 27 February, 1945. 10th Armored Division."  Photographer: T/5 D. R. Ornitz.

Civil administration of the Philippines was handed over to President Sergio Osmeña.

Lebanon declared war on the Axis.

The U-327 and U-1018 were sunk by the Royal Navy.

Sgt. Ross F. Gray won a posthumous Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima.  His citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Acting Platoon Sergeant serving with Company A, First Battalion, Twenty-Fifth Marines, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, February 21, 1945. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation when his platoon was held up by a sudden barrage of hostile grenades while advancing toward the high ground northeast of Airfield Number One, Sergeant Gray promptly organized the withdrawal of his men from enemy grenade range, quickly moved forward alone to reconnoiter and discovered a heavily mined area extending along the front of a strong network of emplacements joined by covered communication trenches. Although assailed by furious gunfire, he cleared a path leading through the mine field to one of the fortifications then returned to the platoon position and, informing his leader of the serious situation, volunteered to initiate an attack while being covered by three fellow Marines. Alone and unarmed but carrying a twenty-four pound satchel charge, he crept up the Japanese emplacement, boldly hurled the short-fused explosive and sealed the entrance. Instantly taken under machine-gun fire from a second entrance to the same position, he unhesitatingly braved the increasingly vicious fusillades to crawl back for another charge, returned to his objective and blasted the second opening, thereby demolishing the position. Repeatedly covering the ground between the savagely defended enemy fortifications and his platoon area, he systematically approached, attacked and withdrew under blanketing fire to destroy a total of six Japanese positions, more than twenty-five of the enemy and a quantity of vital ordnance gear and ammunition. Stouthearted and indomitable, Sergeant Gray had single-handedly overcome a strong enemy garrison and had completely disarmed a large mine field before finally rejoining his unit and, by his great personal valor, daring tactics and tenacious perseverance in the face of extreme peril, had contributed materially to the fulfillment of his company's mission. His gallant conduct throughout enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

 Gunnery Sergeant William G. Walsh likewise won a Medal of Honor:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Leader of an Assault Platoon, serving with Company G, Third Battalion, Twenty-seventh Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on 27 February 1945. With the advance of his company toward Hill 362 disrupted by vicious machine-gun fire from a forward position which guarded the approaches to this key enemy stronghold, Gunnery Sergeant Walsh fearlessly charged at the head of his platoon against the Japanese entrenched on the ridge above him, utterly oblivious to the unrelenting fury of hostile automatic weapons and hand grenades employed with fanatic desperation to smash his daring assault. Thrown back by the enemy's savage resistance, he once again led his men in a seemingly impossible attack up the steep, rocky slope, boldly defiant of the annihilating streams of bullets which saturated the area, and despite his own casualty losses and the overwhelming advantage held by the Japanese in superior numbers and dominate position, gained the ridge's top only to be subjected to an intense barrage of hand grenades thrown by the remaining Japanese staging a suicidal last stand on the reverse slope. When one of the grenades fell in the midst of his surviving men, huddled together in a small trench, Gunnery Sergeant Walsh in a final valiant act of complete self-sacrifice, instantly threw himself upon the deadly bomb, absorbing with his own body the full and terrific force of the explosion. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved his comrades from injury and possible loss of life and enabled his company to seize and hold this vital enemy position. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

The British 21st Army Group took Udem and Calcar.

The Red Army entered Pomerania.

Last edition:

Monday, February 26, 1945. Syria declares war. US coal curfew.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Artillery, Axis Powers, Burma, Christianity, Coal, Corregidor, Judaism, Pacific, religion, Syria, U.S. Air Force

It is May 12, 1968.

 

It is May 12, 1968.

Friday, February 23, 1945.

 

Last edition:

Thursday, February 22, 1945. Waiting.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Axis Powers, Germany, Iwo Jima, Japan, Turkey, United States Marine Corps, Uruguay, World War Two

Thursday, February 22, 1945. Waiting.

Drivers of senior officers.  22 February 1945.

Turkey declared war on Germany and Japan.

This may be scoffed at a bit, but Turkey is traditionally an enemy of Russia, and at this point was watching the Soviet Union enter into areas bordering it.  It likely feared a Soviet intervention, and by throwing in with the Allies, albeit late, hoped to avoid that.

Uruguay also declared war on Germany and Japan.

Fighting continued on Iwo Jima.  Most, but not all, of the northern portion of the island was now in the hands of the Marines.

Last edition:

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

Labels: 1940s, 1945, boats and ships, Burma, Iwo Jima, Kamikaze, U.S. Navy

Monday, February 19, 1945. The Battle of Iwo Jima commences.

Marines landed on Iwo Jima.

I once knew a fellow who had been one of those Marines.  He became a banker after the war.

Amongst those Marines was Darrell S. Cole, who was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions on that day.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Leader of a Machine-gun Section of Company B, First Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Assailed by a tremendous volume of small-arms, mortar and artillery fire as he advanced with one squad of his section in the initial assault wave, Sergeant Cole boldly led his men up the sloping beach toward Airfield Number One despite the blanketing curtain of flying shrapnel and, personally destroying with hand grenades two hostile emplacements which menaced the progress of his unit, continued to move forward until a merciless barrage of fire emanating from three Japanese pillboxes halted the advance. Instantly placing his one remaining machine gun in action, he delivered a shattering fusillade and succeeded in silencing the nearest and most threatening emplacement before his weapon jammed and the enemy, reopening fire with knee mortars and grenades, pinned down his unit for the second time. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation and evolving a daring plan of counterattack, Sergeant Cole, armed solely with a pistol and one grenade, coolly advanced alone to the hostile pillboxes. Hurling his one grenade at the enemy in sudden, swift attack, he quickly withdrew, returned to his own lines for additional grenades and again advanced, attacked, and withdrew. With enemy guns still active, he ran the gauntlet of slashing fire a third time to complete the total destruction of the Japanese strong point and the annihilation of the defending garrison in this final assault. Although instantly killed by an enemy grenade as he returned to his squad, Sergeant Cole had eliminated a formidable Japanese position, thereby enabling his company to storm the remaining fortifications, continue the advance and seize the objective. By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sergeant Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Another one of them was Medal of Honor John Basilone, who was killed in D-Day of the battle.

Last edition:

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

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Army, German Wehrmacht, Iwo Jima, Personalities, Prisoners of War, Red Army, U.S. Navy, World War Two

Saturday, January 10, 1925. The KKK gets the boot from Kansas.

The Supreme Court of Kansas issued a ruling that the Ku Klux Klan was a corporation organized for profit. This had the result of banning the organization from Kansas as it could not receive a corporate charter there.

The clause of the Treaty of Versailles requiring it to grant most favored nation status to the Allied Powers of World War One expired.

France declined to withdraw form the Rhineland in spite of the negotiated date for that occurring on the baes that Germany, in its view, had violated the disarmament provisions of the treaty.

The British submarine HMH L24 sank after hitting the HMS Resolution, resulting in the loss o fits complete crew of 43.

USMC Sergeant Nelson Huron with his Fita-Fitas guards, Tutuila, Samoa. Leatherneck magazine, Jan. 10, 1925.

Last edition:

Thursday, January 8, 1925. Adding to Custer State Park

Labels: 1920s, 1925, Art, Calvin Coolidge, South Dakota

Doing away with the Space Farce. A project for the Doggy Agency.

Logo of the Space Farce, which is part of the Department of the Air Force.  With the Department of the Air Force including the Space Farce, and the Department of the Navy including the Marine Corps, only the Department of the Army is left without two branches within it.  We'd fix that. . . but not by keeping the Space Farce around.

South African billionaire Elon Musk (who GOP darling           claimed was a Chinese stooge just two years ago) and Vivek Ramaswamy, who has a name and ethnicity that Donald Trump would have made fun of but for Ramaswany becoming a Trump stooge, are going to run the Doggy Agency which will study efficiency in government and make non binding recommendations.  A Doggy Caucus has been formed already, with one of Wyoming's Senators signing up for it, to support the anticipated brilliant musing of the super wealthy.

One thing they can do for efficiency sake is get rid of the Space Farce.  The axe should have been applied to that shrub already.

The enabling act for the  Space Farce provides, in its initial portion, as follows:

10 U.S. Code § 9081 - The United States Space Force (sic)

(a)Establishment.—

There is established a United States Space Force (sic) as an armed force within the Department of the Air Force.

(b)Composition.—The Space Force (sic) consists of—

(1)the Regular Space Force (sic);

(2)all persons appointed or enlisted in, or conscripted into, the Space Force (sic), including those not assigned to units, necessary to form the basis for a complete and immediate mobilization for the national defense in the event of a national emergency; and

(3)all Space Force (sic) units and other Space Force (sic) organizations, including installations and supporting and auxiliary combat, training, administrative, and logistic elements.

(c)Functions.—The Space Force (sic) shall be organized, trained, and equipped to—

(1)provide freedom of operation for the United States in, from, and to space;

(2)conduct space operations; and

(3)protect the interests of the United States in space.

(Added Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(a)(1), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1718, § 2279c; amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title X, § 1081(a)(17), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1984; renumbered § 9081 and amended Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title IX, § 952(b)(3), (4), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1562; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 922(a), (b), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3806; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1712(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 625.)

M'eh.

I looked it up as I was curious if the sitting President could simply decline to fund the stupid thing, or simply order it non staffed.  From looking at the statute pertaining to it, I think not.   Its goofballedness must be funded and the Boy Scouts of Space must be staffed.

Joe Biden, who never served in the military, left the Farce alone while he was in office, unfortunately.  Trump certainly will leave it in place as it was the darling of his silly little mind.  So, the super efficient businessman caused the formation of something we already had, separating it out from its parent agency, the Air Force, so we could have some degree of needless duplication.

So we're stuck with it for the time being.

But it really ought to go.

Air Force security team guarding junior bird men base, as they apparently can't guard it themselves.

Elon Musk has shown that at least to some degree when he voices an opinion and spreads it all over Twitter, he gets something like what he wants.  He killed a continuing resolution briefly, and of course he wanted Donald to be President, and therefore was successful at bot of those things.  If Musk opined that the Farce should be folded back into the Air Force (with its officers of course busted in grade if they volunteered to go into such an absurdity), he might be able to pull it off.

And that would save money.

Frankly, what might also save some money is putting the Air Force back into the Army, or at least the Department of the Army.  It doesn't entirely make sense that the Air Force is seperate from the ground forces, although you can make a logical argument for it.

Tuesday, January 1, 1925. Marines in China.

Christiania, Norway, was renamed Oslo, it's old and original name.

Marines landed at Nanjing to patrol near the university and to protect Americans in the vicinity.

Costa Rica, unhappy with the League of Nations failure to address regional issues, withdrew form the body.

The French mandate states of Aleppo and Damascus were united in the State of Syria.

Last edition:

Wednesday, December 31, 1924. Final Home Edition.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, Casper Wyoming, Crime, New Year, press, Prohibition

Sunday, December 24, 1944. The high water mark of the German offensive.

The highwater mark of Wacht am Rhein was reached at Celles.  By the end of the day, the Germans had exhausted their offensive capabilities.

Gen. Frederick Castle performed the actions that resulted in his winning a posthumous Medal of Honor.

He was air commander and leader of more than 2,000 heavy bombers in a strike against German airfields on 24 December 1944. En route to the target, the failure of 1 engine forced him to relinquish his place at the head of the formation. In order not to endanger friendly troops on the ground below, he refused to jettison his bombs to gain speed maneuverability. His lagging, unescorted aircraft became the target of numerous enemy fighters which ripped the left wing with cannon shells, set the oxygen system afire, and wounded 2 members of the crew. Repeated attacks started fires in 2 engines, leaving the Flying Fortress in imminent danger of exploding. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the bail-out order was given. Without regard for his personal safety he gallantly remained alone at the controls to afford all other crewmembers an opportunity to escape. Still another attack exploded gasoline tanks in the right wing, and the bomber plunged earthward, carrying Gen. Castle to his death. His intrepidity and willing sacrifice of his life to save members of the crew were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.

Race riots broke out between black and white Marines on Guam.

The U-486 sank the Belgian troopship Léopoldville in the English Channel, killing 763 American soldiers and 56 crew. 

V1s killed 42 in Manchester, England.

Anti German and anti fascist Hungarian politician Endre Kálmán Bajcsy-Zsilinszky was executed.

Today In Wyoming's History: December 24:  1944   All beef products are again being rationed. New quotas are introduced for most other commodities as well.

Last edition:

Saturday, December 23, 1944. German command worries.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Arizona, Bastogne, Battle of Leyte, Battle of the Bulge, Christmas, Gerd von Runstedt, Prisoners of War, Siege of Bastogne, U.S. Air Force, World War Two

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

 

Last edition:

US and German, Mid Winter 44/45 Display. National Museum of Military Vehicles.

Labels: 1940s, Armor, Army, Battle of the Bulge, German Wehrmacht, National Museum of Military Vehicles, Tracked vehicles, World War Two, Wyoming (Dubois)

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)