Subject: WWII-L Digest - 8 Jul 1993 to 9 Jul 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1993 00:01:05 -0400

There are 8 messages totalling 472 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. MISC: French goums, German kampfwert (2)
  2. CALL FOR PAPERS (3)
  3. USAAF 9 JUL 43
  4. Online Congressional Hearing
  5. MISC: French army

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Date:    Thu, 8 Jul 1993 14:56:10 EDT
From:    "William B. Thacker" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC: French goums, German kampfwert

Scott Hannon writes:

> Here's a quote from: J. Lee Ready, _Forgotten Allies: volume 1, The European
> Theater_, McFarland, 1985. (D743.R34)
>
> ---
>    "By the end of the year [1944] on the Western Front, the French Army would
>    have fifteen divisions and several brigades in line. The British would
>    have twelve divisions and a few brigades. The French therefore not only
>    outnumbered the British in fighting strength, but it would be the French
>    transport system which sustained the Allies, albeit with American engineer
>    aid. Yet the Anglo-Americans continued to control all facets of the war."

The French at this point in the war were using the American TO&E for their
formations.  A US Infantry Division of 1944 comprises 16,353 men.  At that
same time, a British infantry division included 18,347 men.   Twelve
British divisions would include enough manpower for 13.5 French divisions,
so the difference is less than it appears.  Scott's assessments of the
combat potentials of the French troops is right on the button.

When Ready speaks of "the French transport system" sustaining the Allies, I
can't figure what he means.  Is he simply stating that we drove on their
roads?  If so, he seems to be an idiot.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bill Thacker             AT&T Network Systems       attmail!att!cbemf!wbt
Quality Engineer            Columbus, Ohio              [email-masked]
          "Giving money and power to government is like giving
         whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." - P.J. O'Rourke

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Date:    Thu, 8 Jul 1993 12:18:18 -0700
From:    Hugh Bartling <[email-masked]>
Subject: CALL FOR PAPERS

                         CALL FOR PAPERS

IMAGES OF THE ENVIRONMENT: EVOLVING PERSPECTIVES OF THE GLOBAL
COMMONS

Interdisciplinary Graduate/Faculty Symposium

November 5 & 6, 1993

The Graduate Students of Northern Arizona University invite
students and faculty to attend the Third Annual NAU Graduate
Student Interdisciplinary Symposium.  We encourage graduate
students and faculty from all academic disciplines to present
papers that address issues pertaining to the environment.

Possible Topic Areas:
     Global Environmental Issues
     Environment and Behavior
     Environment and Trade
     Environmental Literature
     Environmental Protection
     Environmental Policy
     Environmental Planning
     Environmental Racism
     Environmental Groups in Politics
     Women and the Environment
     Land Conservation
     Water Issues

Abstracts are due July 16, 1993

For further information, please contact:

Andy Harper or Hugh Bartling
Department of History
Northern Arizona University
Box 6023
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
(602) 523-6167

E-Mail: [email-masked]
        [email-masked]

Please feel free to forward this message to any interested parties.

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Date:    Thu, 8 Jul 1993 12:52:45 -0700
From:    Hugh Bartling <[email-masked]>
Subject: CALL FOR PAPERS

This is a reminder that the deadline for abstracts for this
year's Interdisciplinary Graduate/Faculty Symposium is
approaching (July 16, 1993).  If you are still interesteed
in presenting a paper, please let us know.  Abstract submissions
may be done via e-mail.  If you have problems with this date
please contact one of us and we will discuss possible
alternatives.

Thank you.

                         CALL FOR PAPERS

IMAGES OF THE ENVIRONMENT: EVOLVING PERSPECTIVES OF THE GLOBAL
COMMONS

Interdisciplinary Graduate/Faculty Symposium

November 5 & 6, 1993

The Graduate Students of Northern Arizona University invite
students and faculty to attend the Third Annual NAU Graduate
Student Interdisciplinary Symposium.  We encourage graduate
students and faculty from all academic disciplines to present
papers that address issues pertaining to the environment.

Possible Topic Areas:
     Global Environmental Issues
     Environment and Behavior
     Environment and Trade
     Environmental Literature
     Environmental Protection
     Environmental Policy
     Environmental Planning
     Environmental Racism
     Environmental Groups in Politics
     Women and the Environment
     Land Conservation
     Water Issues

Abstracts are due July 16, 1993

For further information, please contact:

Andy Harper or Hugh Bartling
Department of History
Northern Arizona University
Box 6023
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
615-523-6167

E-Mail: [email-masked]
        [email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 9 Jul 1993 07:21:24 -0400
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 9 JUL 43

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
FRIDAY, 9 JULY 1943
FTP SITES
  1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf
  2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/
     wwii_chronology

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  Wellington, Vickers (RAF)

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force)
    B-25's bomb the railroad bridge on the Mu River between Ywataung and
Monywa, Burma scoring 2 direct hits and leaving the bridge temporarily
unusable.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
  HQ 56th Fighter Group and it's 63d Fighter Squadron with P-47D's transfer
from Horsham St Faith, England to Halesworth, England.
  HQ 355th Fighter Group arrives at Steeple Morden, England from the US to
join the three squadrons that arrived yesterday.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force)
    B-24's bomb airfields at Maleme, Crete, and Comiso and Taormina, Sicily.
In Sicily, B-25's hit Sciacca landing ground and Biscari Airfield and
dispersal areas while P-40's escort bombers over Castelvetrano, and Milo
Airfields. This pre-invasion air bombardment of Sicily provides air
superiority over the enemy. British and US airborne contingents are dropped
on the island during the night of 9/10 Jul to help facilitate the amphibious
assault of seaborne troops which are to land tomorrow morning. This is the
first major airborne operation to be undertaken by the Allies in World War
II, and subsequently becomes the subject of intensive study.

  WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force)
    In Sicily during the night of 8/9 Jul, Northwest African Strategic Air
Force (NASAF) Wellingtons bomb the airfields at Catania, Gerbini, and
Comiso, and throughout the following day B-17's, B-25's, B-26's, and
fighters attack other targets, including Sciacca and Biscari Airfields,
Gerbini satellite field, and Cape Passero Island radar stations; and
Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) planes hit Sciacca and Milo
Airfield during the night of 8/9 Jul, and on 9 Jul hit Milo and Biscari
Airfields, Sciacca, Porto Empedocle, HQ at Taormina, a junction NE of Gela,
the Canicatti area, and targets of opportunity.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force)
  In the Solomon Islands during the night of 8/9 Jul, B-24's bomb Kahili
Airfield and Buin on Bougainville Island, and Poporang Island. B-25's and
several fighters sent against forces near Vella Lavella Island, fail to
locate the target and strafe Buki and Ganongga Islands, and a destroyer
beached on SE Kolombangara Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
  In New Guinea, B-25's hit forces in the vicinity of Old Bobdubi, Malolo,
and Busama. On Timor Island, B-25's hit landing fields, Dili, and Cape
Chater.

SOURCES:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
  Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
  History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
  Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2

Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59

----------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop      |  Those who have long enjoyed such privileges |
|  Bellcore           |  as we enjoy forget in time that men have    |
|  Piscataway, NJ     |  died to win them.     FDR                   |
|  USA                |  [email-masked]                        |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Date:    Fri, 9 Jul 1993 11:29:09 -0400
From:    Lydia Fish <[email-masked]>
Subject: Online Congressional Hearing

Forwarded from vwar-l@ubvm

***********************************************************************

From:           Leona coffee (NOTES1, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, CIT100)

Date:           07/08/93 08:54:53 AM

Subject:        ONLINE CONGRESSIONAL HEARING -- CALL TO ACTION

Comment:

        from: Jack Kessler <[email-masked]>
Subject: Online Congressional hearing July 26 -- help needed!

The following announcement appears to me to be of interest -- perhaps
of vital interest -- to everyone on the networks. Congressman Markey is
one of the leaders in getting all of us an expanded and upgraded
network, and he apparently needs a flood of e-mail to the address shown
below if he is to convince Congress that we are important in this
budgetarily-austere year.

Jack Kessler
[email-masked]

Subject: On-Line Congressional Hearing

     On July 26 at 9:30AM EDT, the Subcommittee on Telecommunications
and Finance of the U.S. House of Representatives will hold the first
Congressional Hearing ever held over a computer network.  The oversight
hearing on "The Role of Government in Cyberspace" will take place in
the Grand Ballroom of the National Press Club at 14th and F Streets,
N.W., Washington, D.C.  The hearing is open to the public. An open
house will be held from 3-5PM on the same day in the same location and
is also open to the public.

     Chairman Markey has asked that this historic occasion demonstrate
the potential and diversity of the global Internet.  Thirty Sparcstations
will be in the hearing room, allowing members of Congress, staff, and
their guests to read e-mail, use Gopher menus, read testimony in WAIS
databases, browse the World Wide Web, and otherwise use the resources
of the global Internet as part of the hearing.

     Some witnesses for the hearing will testify remotely, sending audio
and video over the Internet.  Audio and video of the hearing will also
be multicast over the Multicast Backbone (MBONE).  We are hoping that
C-SPAN and other traditional media will also carry the event.  *MORE
DETAILS ON MBONE AND OTHER WAYS TO WATCH THE HEARINGS REMOTELY WILL BE
FORTHCOMING SHORTLY.*

     One of the primary points that we are hoping to demonstrate is
the diversity and size of the Internet.  We have therefore established
an electronic mail address by which people on the Internet can communicate
with the Subcommittee before and during the hearing:

          [email-masked]

     We encourage you to send your comments on what the role of government
should be in the information age to this address.  Your comments to this
address will be made part of the public record of the hearing.  Feel free
to carry on a dialogue with others on a mailing list, cc'ing the e-mail
address.

     Your cards and letters to [email-masked] will help
demonstrate that there are people who use the Internet as part of their
personal and professional lives.  We encourage you to send comments on
the role of government in cyberspace, on what role cyberspace should play
in government (e.g., whether government data be made available on the
Internet), on how the Internet should be built and financed, on how you
use the Internet, and on any other topic you feel is appropriate.  This
is your chance to show the U.S. Congress that there is a constituency
that cares about this global infrastructure.

     If you would like to communicate with a human being about the
hearing, you may send your comments and questions to:

          [email-masked]

     Support for the Internet Town Hall is provided by Sun Microsystems
and O'Reilly & Associates.  Additional support for the July 26 on-line
congressional hearing is being provided by ARPA, BBN Communications,
the National Press Club, Xerox PARC, and many other organizations.

     Network connectivity for the Internet Town Hall is provided by
UUNET Technologies.

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Date:    Fri, 9 Jul 1993 11:48:06 EDT
From:    "William B. Thacker" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: CALL FOR PAPERS

> IMAGES OF THE ENVIRONMENT: EVOLVING PERSPECTIVES OF THE GLOBAL
> COMMONS

I've decided to submit a paper for this.  Thought y'all would be interested
in the abstract.

"The Environmental Impact of The Battle of Kursk"

by William B. Thacker

Abstract:

The Battle of Kursk, fought in July, 1943, was the largest tank battle in
human history, and had a proportionally deleterious environmental impact.
The conflict is widely considered to have been the final turning point of the
Second World War's Eastern Front, and the forces of the USSR prevailed.
Yet, had STAVKA (Soviet Army High Command) possessed the least measure of
environmental consciousness, they would have prevented the geo-organic
trauma of this confrontation by retreating.  Moreover, the findings of this
report can be generalized and extrapolated to armored combat and warfare in
general, with far-reaching global implications.

This presentation will discuss the numerous environmental results of
armored combat, including:

        Soil Topology Reconfiguration by Tank Treads (STRTT) with
          considerations to erosion and soil conservation;
        Effect of heavy transient air pollution by high-viscosity petroleum
          products in combination with gunpowder reaction products;
        Soil iron enrichment via shrapnel and its long-term impact upon
          human body nutrition;
        Spill-over dangers, including downwind effects upon the South
          American rain forest, the Snail Darter, and the Spotted Owl;
        Alteration of water run-off and wind patterns as a result of
          entrenchments and anti-tank obstacle excavation;
        Mitigation of soil cratering by female artillery crews as perceived
          through co-dependency theory.

Alternative historical theories of the battle will be discussed, including
Stalinist eco-terrorism of the Ukraine and the Scorched Earth policy as an act
of environmental racism.  A Twelve-Step approach to reduction and
prevention of recurrences of this form of eco-damage will be prevented.

I'll let you know if they accept my proposal. 8-)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bill Thacker             AT&T Network Systems       attmail!att!cbemf!wbt
Quality Engineer            Columbus, Ohio              [email-masked]
          "Giving money and power to government is like giving
         whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." - P.J. O'Rourke

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 9 Jul 1993 12:35:56 -0400
From:    "Mr. Scott Hannon" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC: French army

I wrote:
>> Here's a quote from: J. Lee Ready, _Forgotten Allies: volume 1_

>>    [In 1944]...it would be the French transport system which sustained
>>    the Allies, albeit with American engineer aid. Yet the Anglo-Americans
>>    continued to control all facets of the war."

Bill Thacker writes:
>When Ready speaks of "the French transport system" sustaining the Allies, I
>can't figure what he means.  Is he simply stating that we drove on their
>roads?

Ready's paragraph was leading up the book's next chapter, which deals
with Nordwind/Colmar Pocket and the crisis in the Allied high command
in the first few days of Jan 1945.

Briefly...Eisenhower *ordered* the abandonment of Strasbourg (without
consulting his French allies). De Gaulle *ordered* the French to hold
Strasbourg no matter what the Allies said. Annoyed, the US threatened
to cut off supply to the French. The French then threatened to withdraw
from Allied command and deny the Allies use of the French transport
system. The Allied high command soon agreed to the French demand that
Strasbourg be held.

The French transport system refered to was not only the roads, but the
ports and, perhaps most importantly, the railroads. The infrastructure
was French run and operated (with US engineering help...and of course
the US Army trucks had US Army drivers, etc). When the threats were made,
it was indirectly hinted the Allies might face partisans if they tried
and use the French transport system. The Allies would be forced to move
100's of thousands of men to take over the French front lines *and rear
area* (to guard and operate the supply lines thru France). Ouch!

The French perspective was that the loss of Strasbourg without a fight
would probably bring down the gov't and likely lead to civil war. France
would be forced to withdraw from the war as a major anti-Axis combatant.
They were serious about holding Strasbourg. In his _Operation Nordwind_
book, Charles Whiting opines this incident may well have been a large
factor in France's decision to withdrawl from NATO high command.

This crisis in command is covered in most WW2 histories (for example,
the rather short US Army West Point series book on the WW2 ETO even
has a few paragraphs about this).

The campaign in Alsace in Oct 44 - Feb 45 is not covered by the US Army
in WW2 "green series", so finding a detailed campaign history is quite
hard. Whiting's book is the only one easy to find, and while it's OK,
its of the "popularized history" type.

Scott.

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Date:    Fri, 9 Jul 1993 11:17:31 MDT
From:    Steve Alvin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC: French goums, German kampfwert

On Thursday, July 8th William Thacker wrote:

>  If so, he seems to be an idiot.

Hey come on Bill, people can disagree on this list without resorting
to calling people names!

Steve Alvin
Dickinson State University
[email-masked]
**********************************************************************
*Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it.--Proverb*
*Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat my class.-SA*
**********************************************************************

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End of WWII-L Digest - 8 Jul 1993 to 9 Jul 1993
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