Subject: WWII-L Digest - 29 Nov 1993 to 30 Nov 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1993 00:01:24 -0500

There are 12 messages totalling 408 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. USAAF 30 NOV 43
  2. PERSONALITY: Leon Degrelle [Re: Vichy France] (2)
  3. Vichy France (2)
  4. Books on Italian Campaign (2)
  5. Photoflash? (2)
  6. TEST
  7. Proximity fuses
  8. Anyone live in Atlanta??

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 07:12:45 -0500
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 30 NOV 43

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
TUESDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 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:
  A-20, Douglas Havoc
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  F-5, Lockheed Lightning
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  Ventura, Lockheed (RNZAF)

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): 10 B-24's from
Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands strike Maloelap Atoll in the Marshall
Islands; 20 others, sent against the same target from Nanumea Island in the
Ellice Islands, run into bad weather; 2 attack a cargo ship (and other
vessels near Maloelap Atoll, the remaining 18 return to base without attacking.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 6 P-40's bomb a fuel and ammunition
dump at Luchiangpa; 8 others strafe several boats on a lake SE of Ansiang;
supplies are dropped to Chinese troops in Changte.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 143.
349 B-17's, 29 B-24's and 3 PFF B-17's are dispatched to the industrial area
at Solingen, Germany; 270 B-17's, the B-24's and 2 PFF B-17's abort the
mission due to cloud formations which cause assembly difficulties and require
flying at altitudes not feasible for the B-24's; 79 B-17's and 1 PFF B-17 use
blind-bombing equipment to hit Solingen plus 1 aircraft drops on
Wermelskirchen; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17's are lost; 3
are damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; casualties are 11 KIA, 20 WIA and
23 MIA. This mission is escorted by 20 P-38's and 327 P-47's; they claim
0-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 5 P-47's are lost and 1 each damaged;
casualties are 6 MIA.
  VIII Bomber Command Mission 144: 6 B-17's drop 1.4075 million leaflets on
Paris, Rouen and Tours, France; and Krefeld and Opladen, Germany during the
evening; no casualties.
  HQ 357th Fighter Group arrives at Raydon, England from the US.
  HQ 361st Fighter Group and it's 374th, 375th  and 376th Fighter Squadrons
arrive at Bottisham, England from the US with P-47's. They will fly their
first mission on 22 Jan 44.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ IX Fighter Command arrives at
Middle Wallop, England from Libya.
  HQ 362d Fighter Group and it's 377th, 378th and 379th Fighter Squadrons
arrive at Wormingford, England from the US with P-47's. They will fly their
first mission on 8 Feb 44.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-26's attack the
Monte Molino railroad bridge, Montalto di Castro, and areas around Bastia
and Torgiano; accuracy is severely hampered by overcast; B-24's, with P-38
escort, bomb Fiume through the overcast.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-20's, operating in
conjunction with light bombers of the South African Air Force (SAAF) and Royal
Air Force (RAF) attack ground installations and defended areas around Lanciano,
Fossacesia, Orsogna, Castelfrentano, and Guardiagrele; fighter-bombers, [US,
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), SAAF and RAF] hit pre-arranged targets in
the battle area, and by hitting targets of opportunity on roads between
Lanciano to Mozzagrogna aid in defeating a counterattack against the US 34th
Infantry Division on Monte Pantano.
  The 23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 5th Photographic
Reconnaissance Group, transfers from La Marsa, Tunisia to Foggia, Italy
with F-5's. The squadron has been operating from Foggia since 18 Nov.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): In the Solomon
Islands, 17 B-25's bomb Malai on Shortland Island. Fighter aircraft (AAF and
US Navy) attack barges and AA guns at Tonolai on Bougainville Island, the SE
coast of Ballale Island, the NW tip of Choiseul Island, Amun above Cape
Moltke, Numa Numa, and Chabai on Bougainville; also on Bougainville, other
fighters cover dive bombers attacking the Jakohina Mission area, gun positions
at Kangu and Malabita Hill, and in the Mosigetta area; a few Royal New Zealand
Air Force (RNZAF) Venturas hit the Mawareka area.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): B-24's bomb Cape
Gloucester airfield on New Britain Island. In New Guinea, B-25's bomb and
strafe villages along coast from Borgen Bay to Riebeck Bay; B-24's hit
Alexishafen; B-25's and A-20's attack Kalasa and hit trucks in the Waroe area.
  The 386th, 388th and 389th Bombardment Squadrons (Dive), 312th Bombardment
Group (Dive), arrives at Port Moresby, New Guinea from the US with P-40's.
They will be redesignated Bombardment Group/Squadrons (Light) on 6 Dec; fly
their first mission on 14 Jan 44; and convert to A-20G and H aircraft in
Feb 44.

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      |
|  Bellcore              |  privileges as we enjoy forget in      |
|  Piscataway, NJ USA    |  time that men have died to win them.  |
|  [email-masked]  |                       FDR              |
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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 06:44:54 GMT-6
From:    Terry Moore <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: PERSONALITY: Leon Degrelle [Re: Vichy France]

Akira,

Leon Degrelle spells his name as one word with the first letter only
capitalized. Your spelling of his name is thus correct.

Thanks again for the post.

Terry

Terry Moore, Professor of German and French, Amarillo College
P.O. Box 447, Amarillo, Texas 79178, voice 806-371-5077
fax 806-371-5370

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 06:56:19 GMT-6
From:    Terry Moore <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Vichy France

Joe,

Given the time frame for the use of those French vehicles you
mentioned, the Germans employed these as a matter of
practicality,i.e. they were handy and didn't represent a drain on
domestic production.

Thank you.

Terry

Terry Moore, Professor of German and French, Amarillo College
P.O. Box 447, Amarillo, Texas 79178, voice 806-371-5077
fax 806-371-5370

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 07:01:10 GMT-6
From:    Terry Moore <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Books on Italian Campaign

Rod,

I will begin sending you a lengthy listing tomorrow.

Terry

Terry Moore, Professor of German and French, Amarillo College
P.O. Box 447, Amarillo, Texas 79178, voice 806-371-5077
fax 806-371-5370

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 11:08:10 EST
From:    Crane Conrad LTC <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Photoflash?

>Jack McKillop sends around the Chronology of the Air Force for us to all look
>at.  While reading one of them today, it mentions VIII Air Force Mission 142,
>where 1 bomber dropped two 2000 lb bombs and 1 photoflash.
>
>My question is, "What is a photoflash?"
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>Joe Pohlmann
>Monsanto Port Plastics
>Process Systems Engineer
>[email-masked]

Joe,
     I believe that the photoflash was just like a large flashbulb that was
dropped to illuminate the target area for high resolution photography.  I bet
that Mission 142 was a night raid.

                                        LTC Con Crane
                                        USMA

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 13:12:23 -0500
From:    Akira Takiguchi <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Vichy France

Joe Barone wrote:
>The Germans didn't seem to have this mentality when
>it came to any captured armor, including French AFVs.  They used quite
>a few Renault R-35s and Hotchkiss H-39 in anti-partisan activities as
>well as modifying H-39 chases as tank destroyers (Marder I) and French
>Lorraine prime-movers as self-propelled arty (Lorraine Schlepper).

     It is amazing how well the German Army made use of captured tanks.
Thanks to Mr. Alfred Becker, there were a lot of French-origin, German-
flavor-added Panzerjaegers and miscellanous vehicles.  SS "Reich" built
Russian T34s in the captured factory and used them against former designers.
Czech 38(t) must be the most widely used foreign tank, which eventually
evolved to purely German 38D.

     A minor correction to Joe's message.  Marder I is a Pak 40 (7.5 cm
anti tank gun) on a Lorraine Schlepper.  A Pak 40 on a H-38 (and FCM)
*might* have been called a Marder, but I have no reference which confirms
it.
--
      Akira Takiguchi  VP, ATSON, Inc.  (a subsidiary of the Asahi Shimbun)
             CANAL TOWER  9-3 Nihonbashi-Koamicho Chuo-ku Tokyo 103  Japan
   +81 3 3666 2881(voice) 2882(fax)  EMAIL TO <[email-masked]>

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 13:57:43 -0500
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: TEST

This is a test to see if I can send a message to the network.

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

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 14:04:45 -0500
From:    Robert Doyle <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Photoflash?

> Jack McKillop sends around the Chronology of the Air Force for us to all
> look at.  While reading one of them today, it mentions VIII Air Force
> Mission 142, where 1 bomber dropped two 2000 lb bombs and 1 photoflash.
>
>  My question is, "What is a photoflash?"
>
>
>  Thanks,
>
>  Joe Pohlmann
>  Monsanto Port Plastics
>  Process Systems Engineer
>  [email-masked]

Photoflash cartridges and bombs are used for nighttime aerial photography.
The old composition was 30% barium nitrate, 40% aluminum, and 30% potassium
perchlorate. The bomb was used for high altitude photography and contained
85 lbs. of the composition. This gave a peak intensity of 3 billion
candles. This composition was very sensitive to spark and friction and has
been replaced by far safer compositions.

Bob

Robert J. Doyle, Jr.
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
[email-masked]

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 15:50:20 EST
From:    Crane Conrad LTC <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Books on Italian Campaign

>Hi All,
>
>I'm trying to start to build a library on book son the Italian Campaign.
>I was wondering what people out there would suggest?
>
>Rod Holmes
>[email-masked]

Rod,
     I'd recommend you start with the two volumes from the Army "Greenbook"
series, SALERNO TO CASSINO and CASSINO TO THE ALPS.  Mark Clark's memoirs are
interesting, as is Farley Mowat's story of his experiences as a Lt., AND NO
BIRDS SANG.  Martin Blumenson's BLOODY RIVER is a classic, and a good example
of some of the blundering and awful conditions of the campaign.  I'd also
suggest you get a video of John Houston's THE BATTLE OF SAN PIETRO, it can
usually be found in video stores for less than 10 dollars.  I'm sure there are
some other good ideas out there, especially concerning battles like Anzio and
Cassino. I like W.G.F. Jackson's THE BATTLE FOR ROME, too, which describes
probably the biggest success of the campaign.

                                             LTC Con Crane
                                             USMA

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 16:19:35 EST
From:    Ron Babuka <[email-masked]>
Subject: Proximity fuses

I got into an discussion with my father over the proximity fuses used by
the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater during the later stages of the war
(late 44-45).  We couldn't agree if the fuses worked by detonating as
soon as the got within a set range OR if they did not detonate until the
shell started moving away from its target (i.e. closer, closer, closer,
farther, boom).  I don't have any other information such as models or
designations.

Thanks

National Warplane Museum                             Ron Babuka
Geneseo, New York                                    Cornell University

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 15:32:07 CST
From:    "[email-masked]. --Scherrer,
         Tim A." <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Anyone live in Atlanta??

I am going to Atlanta next week and I am wondering if anyone on the list
lives in or near Atlanta.  If so, please contact me directly.
Thanks---Tim

************************************************************************
*  Tim A. Scherrer          "You'll be fighting WWII for the rest of   *
*  Facilities Supervisor     your life", Ron Scherrer, 1971            *
*  WP:816-785-5253                                                     *
*  HP:816-665-6704                                                     *
*  ID# [email-masked]                             *
************************************************************************

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Date:    Tue, 30 Nov 1993 16:12:40 -0600
From:    WILLIAM HUBER - SCDR <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: PERSONALITY: Leon Degrelle [Re: Vichy France]

In Akira's message of 27 Nov 1993 at 0934 CST, he writes:

>      I'm told that following references about Wallonien Divisions exists:
> I would like to get Mabire/Lefevre if possible.  Does anyone have more
> info about it (like it is sold at so-so bookstore for $$)?
>
> Degrelle _Die Verlorene Legion_ K.W.Schuetz Verlag 1972
> Littlejohn _Foreign Legions of the Third Reich_ Bender Publishing 1982
> Mabire/Lefevre _Leon Degrelle et la Legion Wallonie, 1941-45_ Art et
>   Histoire D'Europe 1989

Hi Folks,

Answering the list in case others are interested in these books too.

Littlejohn _Foreign Legions of the Third Reich_ Bender Publishing
Volume 1 contains Norway, Denmark and France
Volume 2 contains Belgium, Britain, Holland, Italy and Spain.
both volumes cost $20 each

They and many other titles are available from:

Volume Control
955 Sandy Lane
Warminster, PA  18974-2643
                USA

Phone (215) 674-0217

The owner is a fellow named Jack Hatter.  He has been doing this for
quite a while and has many titles that are not advertized in his
brochure so if there is something in particular you are looking for
call or write him with your wants list.  He specializes in WWII and
military books and has better prices than the publisher in some
cases!

I get nothing out of this except helping my colleagues locate
references they are looking for.  I have no affiliation with Mr.
Hatter.

Ciao, Bill Huber
[email-masked]

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End of WWII-L Digest - 29 Nov 1993 to 30 Nov 1993
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