Today in World War II History—November 2, 1944

Today in World War II History—November 2, 1944: 80 Years Ago: US First Army begins drive on Schmidt, Germany, through the Hürtgen Forest. All German males ages 13-60 are ordered to join Volkssturm militia.

Monday, October 23, 1944. The Largest Naval Battle In History.

The largest naval battle in history, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, began in the Leyte Gulf with the submarines Darter and DAce sinking the Japanese cruisers Atago and Maya.

The U-985 was irreparably damaged by a mine off of Lista, Norway.

The Provisional Government of the French Republic was recognized by the Allies.

German radio reported great success in raising Volkssturm volunteers.

Japanese-American GIs bring in wounded Jerries in Bruyeres, France. Here, one gets a free ride, probably his last of the war, via the back of one of his comrades. 23 October, 1944.  442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Last edition:

Sunday, October 22, 1944. Smokey Smith.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Battle of Leyte, Battle of Memel, Belgium, Canadian Army, Catholic, Christianity, Clothing, Finland, Heroes, Imperial Japanese Navy, Italy, Norway, Philippines, Red Army, religion

Wednesday, October 18, 1944. Levée en masse.

The Greek government in exile returned to Athens.  The British took Santorini and Scarpanto.

Germany announced the formation of the Volkssturm with all German men not serving in the Wehrmacht liable for conscription into it if they were between 16 and 60 years of age.

The British 8th Army took Galeata.

Rommel's state funeral took place.

Austrian composer Viktor Ullmann was murdered at Auschwitz at age 46.

Last edition:

Tuesday, October 17, 1944 The Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Army, Battle of Leyte Gulf, Filipino resistance, Greek Civil War, Philippines, U.S. Navy, Weapons, World War Two

Monday, September 25, 1944. Withdrawal at Arnhem.

British airborne POWs at Arnhem.  By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S73820 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5369460

Operation Market Garden failed to achieve its final objective at Arnhem and the British 1st Airborne was ordered to evacuate at night across the Rhine.  Only 2,400 men of the 10,000 that dropped into fight at the city were recovered.  1,100 were killed in the battle.  6.400 were captured.  A few remained hidden in Arnhem with Dutch families.

The battle achieved legendary status with the British nearly immediately, and was memorialized in a 1946 movie featuring many original British combatants entitled Theirs Is The Glory.  In spite of the significant American role, the battle tended to be ignored by American historians until 1974's book A Bridge Too Far by popular historian Cornelius Ryan, which was turned into a major movie in 1977.  

Operation Market Garden has been a matter of enduring controversy in military history circles.  It was an unusually bold plan for Montgomery, but it also emphasized his own forces, with the addition of available American airborne, for what was essentially a very long strike for a roundabout path into Germany based on a narrow advance over a single road, and depending upon all of the bridges that were targeted being taken.  If things had worked perfectly, it's doubtful that it would have brought the war to a conclusion in 1944, as was hoped, as the Germans, after the fall of France, were effectively regrouping for the defense of Germany.

It tends to be portrayed as an overall failure, which in many ways it was.  It did, however, liberate much of the Netherlands, although it helped to create the tactical scenario which gave rise to the German offensive in Belgium in December.  At the same time, however, Wacht am Rhein, which had already been approved, arguably only achieve a wasting of German resources in the final month of the war.  Moreover, if the offensive was a defeat, as some claim, it bears comparison to the treatment of the Battle of Anzio, which was arguably on part with it as a failure but which is not regarded as a defeat, or the delayed taking of Caen.

The British 2nd Army took Helmond and Deurne east of Eindhoven.  The Canadian 3d Division attacked trapped German troops in Calais.

The British urged foreign workers and slave laborers in Germany to rebel.

The Red Army took Haapsalu, Estonia on the Baltic.

Hitler ordered the formation of the Volkssturm, the militia formed of civilian men.

Partisans occupied Banja Luka, Yugoslavia.

Harvard announced that for the first time it would admit women to medical school starting in the fall of 1945.

Claire Poe of Miami Beach appeared on the cover of a Life magazine special issue entitled "A Letter to GI's" because she was attractive in the girl next store sort of way.  She was only 18, which is interesting to Generation Jones members like myself, as she clearly looked much more mature than 18 year old girls did when I was 18.

Life revealed that she'd just entered college with hopes of becoming a math teacher, and was corresponding to a Sergeant in Puerto Rico and an Ensign at Fort Lauderdale.

Last edition:

Sunday, September 24, 1944. Market Garden reaches the Rhine.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, 1940s, 1944, Battle of Arnhem, Battle of Nijmegen, Battle of Peleliu, boats and ships, Fascism, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Operation Overlord, Philippines, World War Two