Subject: WWII-L Digest - 23 Nov 1993 to 24 Nov 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1993 00:00:05 -0500

There are 13 messages totalling 822 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Bombs,Books and reflections (2)
  2. USAAF 24-28 NOV 43
  3. P-51s and CARPETBAGGERS
  4. <No subject given>
  5. wwii naval intelligence
  6. Media:Eisenhower Symposium
  7. Vichy France (2)
  8. Holiday Wish
  9. Wargames (2)
 10. PERSONALITY: Leon Degrell [Re: Vichy France]

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

Date:    Tue, 23 Nov 1993 22:59:06 CST
From:    Steve Alvin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Bombs,Books and reflections

It is also suspected that Hitler left Austria to avoid the
draft!

--
Steve Alvin
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 16:41:38 +1100
From:    Mick Fauchon <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Bombs,Books and reflections

        Steve,

                I'm open to correction on this one, but my impression was that
Hitler left Austria because he had been declared unfit for service after
volunteering: the only way he could get into the Army was by going to
Bavaria, where he was accepted as a volunteer.

                                                                Cheers,

                                                                Mick.

--                                                                          --
Mick Fauchon                          | Internet: [email-masked]
Reference Section, Auchmuty Library   | Ph  (intl+61+49) 215861
University of Newcastle, AUSTRALIA    | Fax (intl+61+49) 215833

On Tue, 23 Nov 1993, Steve Alvin wrote:

> It is also suspected that Hitler left Austria to avoid the
> draft!
>
> --
> Steve Alvin
> [email-masked]

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 07:20:54 -0500
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 24-28 NOV 43

                  COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
                               24 - 28 NOV 43
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
  A-36, North American Apache
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  F-4, Lockheed Lightning
  F-5, Lockheed Lightning
  L-4, Piper Cub/Grasshopper
  L-5, Stinson Sentinel
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-39, Bell Airacobra
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  P-51, North American Mustang
  Ventura, Lockheed (RNZAF)

THURSDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 1943

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): 20 B-24's out of
Nanumea Island in the Ellice Islands bomb Maloelap Atoll in the Marshall
Islands, scoring hits on the landing ground and a cargo vessel.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 5 B-25's and 16 P-40's bomb Hanshow
and strafe 15-20 small boats N of the city; 2 other B-25's attack the harbor
and town of Amoy; 2 direct hits are scored on a docked freighter.      .

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 136:
7 B-17's dropped 2.4 million leaflets over Lille, France; and Brussels,
Antwerp, Charleroi/Gosselies and Ghent, Belgium between 2026-2111 hours. No
losses or casualties.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 100th Fighter Wing is activated
at Boxted, England.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): B-17's, with P-38 escorts,
strike the submarine base at Toulon, France and the marshalling yard at
Sofia, Bulgaria.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, Northwest African
Tactical Bomber Force (NATBF) bombers, along with Royal Air Force (RAF) Desert
Air Force (DAF) fighter-bombers, in close support of the British Eighth Army,
hit gun positions and defended points in the Fossacesia area; XII Air Support
Command A-36's, in support of the US Fifth Army, hit roads NW of battleline,
and bomb the harbor at Civitavecchia.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville
Island in the Solomon Islands, 25 B-24's bomb Chabai and Buka Island; 20
B-25's hit the airfield at Kahili and 6 others bomb and strafe a possible radio
station at Mutupina Point; fighter patrols strafe Gazelle and Queen Carola
Harbors, sinking a barge and damaging a schooner.
  The 371st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy),
based on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands with B-24's, begins
operating from Guadalcanal Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): Colonel Neel E
Kearby becomes Commanding Officer of the V Fighter Command. In New Guinea, 30+
B-25's, B-26's, and A-20's bomb village of Kalasa; 15 A-20's and B-25's, with
P-38's escorting, hit stores and supplies in the Finschhafen area. 20+ B-24's,
supported by P-38's, bomb Gasmata Island off New Britain Island in the
Bismarck Archipelago. 18 B-25's hit shipping at Halmahera Island in the
Moluccas Islands.
  The 25th Liaison Squadron, V Bomber Command, transfers from Sydney, New
South Wales to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia with L-5's. They will fly
their first combat mission in Feb 44.

THURSDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 1943

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In a raid on Rangoon, Burma, B-24's of the
308th Bombardment Group (Heavy), borrowed from the Fourteenth Air Force, are
unable to bomb because of bad weather, but B-25's, covered by P-51's, manage
to hit Mingaladon airfield, damaging the field and claiming 2 airplanes
destroyed. Japanese fighters intercept and in the ensuing battle the B-25's
and P-51's claim 2 shot down; 2 P-51's are lost.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 14 B-25's and 16 P-38's and P-51's
attack the airfield at Shinchiku, hitting a parking area, hangars, barracks,
and other buildings. 32 enemy aircraft are claimed destroyed in the air and
on the ground; 16 P-40's on armed reconnaissance over the Hanshow-Chanpte
area sink 2 60-ft (18.3 m) boats and 15 sampans and strafe many small supply
and troop carrying boats.
  The 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, transfers from Hengyang to
Chengkung, China with P-40's. A detachment begins operating from Tsuyung,
China.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS:

  AEAF: Air Chief Marshall Sir Trafford L Leigh-Mallory activates HQ Allied
Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF). The RAF's Second Tactical Air Force, and-on
15 Dec-the US Ninth Air Force (operationally) are included under AEAF.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): In France, bombing by P-47's is
inaugurated by the VIII Fighter Command in an attack on Saint-Omer airfield by
the 56th and 353d Fighter Groups; two other fighter groups, the 55th (P-38's)
and 352d (P-47's), carry out offensive sweeps in the Lille area; the fighters,
including 2 escorting groups, fly over 330 offensive sorties. The 401st
Bombardment Group (Heavy) reaches operational status, making 22 heavy bomber
groups now operational in the Eighth Air Force.
  The 712th and 713th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 448th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), arrive at Seething, England from the US with B-24's. They
will fly their first mission on 22 Dec.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ANTISUBMARINE OPERATIONS (First Air Force): The 2d Antisubmarine Squadron
(Heavy), 480th Antisubmarine Group, begins a movement from Port Lyautey,
French Morocco to the US with B-24's.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Bad weather causes a recall of
B-24's dispatched to the air depot at Klagenfurt, Austria. P-38's on supply
and air-sea rescue escort duty also abort due to rain storms.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, light and medium bombers
of the XII Air Support Command, along with Allied airplanes, bomb gun
positions and defended points in the Lanciano-Fossacesia area; medium bombers
also hit Sarajevo and Travnik, Yugoslavia and Ancona, Italy; US and RAF
fighters attack vehicles, gun positions, and strongpoints in the Casoli-
Castelfrentano-Lanciano-Fossacesia area.
  The 447th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 321st Bombardment Group (Medium),
transfers from Grottaglie to Amendola, Italy with B-25's.
  The 488th and 489th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 340th Bombardment Group
(Medium), transfer from San Pancrazio to Foggia, Italy with B-25's.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea,
P-39's strafe Bogadjim Road; Sattelberg falls to the Australian 9 Division.
  The 25th and 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadrons, 6th Photographic
Reconnaissance Group, transfer from Sydney, New South Wales to Brisbane,
Queensland, Australia with F-5's. They will fly their first mission on 5 Feb
and 10 Feb 44 respectively.

FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 1943

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 5 B-25's and 16 fighters attack
Kiangling airfield; 2 other B-25's damage freighter in Honghai Bay; 12 P-40's
attack numerous boats in the Changte-Tehshan area. 8 other P-40's hit railroad
yards at Cam Duong, French Indochina.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 138:
Bremen, Germany and Paris, France are targetted.
  1. 350 of 390 B-17's, 77 of 101 B-24's and 13 of 14 B-17 PFF aircraft
attack the port area of Bremen at 1145-1228 hours; they claim 16-3-10
Luftwaffe aircraft; 22 B-17's and 3 B-24's are lost; 3 B-17's and 1 B-24 are
damaged beyond repair and 139 B-17's, 19 B-24's and 7 PFF B-17's are
damaged; casualties are 10 KIA, 35 WIA and 215 MIA.
  2. 128 B-17's are dispatched to Paris but they abort the mission on arrival
over the target because of complete cloud cover which totally obscures the
objective; they claim 8-2-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost and 18
damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 40 MIA.
  These missions are escorted by 28 P-38's and 353 P-47's; they claim
36-3-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 P-47's are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 7
damaged; casualties are 4 MIA.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, almost 140 B-26's attack
Cambrai/Epinoy and Roye/Amy airfields and military construction in the town
of Audinghen.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-17's of the 2d and
99th Bombardment Groups (Heavy) hit the viaduct at Recco; 301st Bombardment
Group (Heavy) B-17's bomb Rimini marshalling yard and bridge; 17th Bombardment
Group (Medium) B-26'a bomb Cassino while B-24's of the 376th Bombardment
Group (Heavy) attack bridges in the Fano, Cesano, Senigallia, and Falconara
areas, scoring hits or near misses at Fano, Falconara and Senigallia.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25's and A-20's along
with RAF light bombers, attack the marshalling yard and harbor at Ancona,
defended positions near Fossacesia, Lanciano, and Castelfrentano; US and RAF
fighter-bombers hit these same positions and also attack troop concentration
near Palombaro and N of Casoli.
  The detachment of the 12th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 3d
Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), at Ajaccio/Campo del Oro, Corsica with
F-4's and F-5's, returns to it's base at La Marsa, Tunisia.
  The 379th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 310th Bombardment Group
(Medium), based at Philippeville, Libya ceases operating from El Adem,
Libya and starts operating from Gambit, Libya with B-25's.
  The 487th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 340th Bombardment Group (Medium),
transfers from San Pancrazio to Foggia, Italy with B-25's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): In the Solomon
Islands, Buka and Bonis airfields on Bougainville Island  are hit by 40+
B-24's, 30+ B-25's, and 30+ fighter aircraft. A few Royal New Zealand Air
Force (RNZAF) Venturas attack Green Island, causing heavy damage in the
bivouac and supply area and sinking a barge. A single B-25 bombs the
airfield on Ballale Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea,
almost 40 medium bombers hit barge hideouts near Sio; P-40's and P-47's
strafe villages and targets of opportunity around Alexishafen, Madang, and
Nubia; P-39's attack a force of about 40 Japanese fighters and bombers in
the Finschhafen area, claiming 4 shot down. B-24's bomb Gasmata Island off
the coast of New Britain Island and score hits on a cruiser near Ubili, New
Britain Island.

SATURDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 1943

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ZONE OF INTERIOR (Second Air Force): Brigadier General Kenneth B Wolfe
becomes Commanding General XX Bomber Command.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): 8 B-24's from
Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands and Nukufetau Island in the Ellice
Islands bomb Mille Atoll in the Caroline Islands.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): B-24's, with P-38 escort, and B-25's, covered
by P-51's, strike Insein, Burma; Japanese interceptors attack fiercely,
shooting down 6 fighters and 3 B-24's; US airplanes claim 19 Japanese fighters
downed.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 4 B-25's on sea sweeps attack docks
and warehouses at the port of Swatow and hit a convoy of 9 vessels heading S
toward Amoy; the B-25's claim 1 destroyer sunk and a destroyer and freighter
damaged by direct hits.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ANTISUBMARINE OPERATIONS (First Air Force): The 1st Antisubmarine Squadron
(Heavy), 480th Antisubmarine Group, begins a movement from Port Lyautey,
French Morocco to the US with B-24's.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-17's, with P-38
escort, bomb the marshalling yard and bridges at Rimini; other B-17's hit
bridges and the marshalling yard at Grizzana and a bridge approach on the Reno
River 25 miles (40 km) SW of Bologna.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the day and night,
Twelfth Air Force fighters, light and medium bombers and aircraft of the
associated RAF units of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF)
attack enemy positions, gun emplacements, roads, vehicles, railroad facilities,
and targets of opportunity in the Lanciano-Fossacesia-Castelfrentano-Casoli
area. B-25's also bomb Porto Civitanova, Italy and Sibenik, Yugoslavia.
  The 5th Photographic Squadron (Light), Twelfth Air Force, transfers from
La Marsa, Tunisia to Pomigliano, Italy with F-5's. The 5th has been
operating from Pomigliano since 14 Oct.
  The 446th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 321st Bombardment Group (Medium),
transfers from Grottaglie to Amendola, Italy with B-25's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville
Island in the Solomon Islands, 5 B-25's, with fighter escort, bomb Queen
Carola Harbor; 19 B-24's bomb Bonis airfield; a few B-25's and RNZAF Venturas
attack the areas at the mouth of the Mobiai River and Mutupina Point. 20+
B-24's, with fighter support, attack the airfield on Buka Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea,
medium bombers blast the airfield at Boram and the town and harbor at Wewak,
claiming 15 airplanes and 12 barges destroyed; medium bombers also bomb the
town of Finschhafen.
  HQ 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group transfers from Sydney, New South
Wales to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

SUNDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 1943

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): 11 B-24's from
Nanumea Island in the Ellice Islands hit Nauru Island.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, B-24's heavily damage the
Botataung docks at Rangoon; the B-24's claim 4 interceptors shot down; B-25's
pound Sagaing.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 8 P-40's bomb and strafe the
barracks area and village on the W bank of the Salween River near Litsaoho;
8 P-40's drop ammunition to besieged Chinese troops at Changte. In French
Indochina, 6 P-40's strafe the town area and airfield at Luang Prabang and
hit the radio building, barracks, and tower at Tran Ninh.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 153d Liaison Squadron, 67th
Tactical Reconnaissance Group, transfers from Membury to Keevil, England
with A-20's and L-4's.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS: The Tehran Conference begins and lasts
until 30 Nov. President Franklin D Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston S
Churchill, and Marshall Josef V Stalin discuss further action against Germany.
Operations OVERLORD (the overall plan for the invasion of W Europe) and ANVIL
(the plan for the invasion of S France) are given priority over all other
operations. Stalin agrees to commit Soviet forces against Japan after
Germany's defeat.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): B-26's are recalled over S
France due to bad weather; the medium bombers and their fighter escort claim
5 fighters destroyed in combat over the French coast; B-25's, with fighter
escort, bomb the railroad viaduct at Dogna, Italy.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Yugoslavia, B-25's bomb
warehouses, docks, marshalling yards, barracks, shipping, and other targets
at Sibenik, Zara, and Dubrovnik; RAF DAF fighters strafe trains between
Dubrovnik and Metkovic. In Italy, Twelfth Air Force fighters hit vehicles and
troops in the battle area; Allied fighter-bombers bomb and strafe buildings,
trucks, and roads in the Lanciano-Fossacesia-Caoli areas.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville
Island in the Solomon Islands, 6 B-25's bomb and strafe the Mutupina Point
area; fighters strafe Tinputs Harbor, barges at Tonolai, and targets of
opportunity along the W coast.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea,
nearly 50 B-24's bomb airfields at Wewak and Boram, and 40+ B-25's, B-26's,
and A-20's hit villages on the Huon Peninsula and tracks in the Finschhafen
area.

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              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 07:33:35 -0500
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: P-51s and CARPETBAGGERS

I sent this yesterday but it seems my system has sent it to the
Twilight Zone so I am resending.
Jack McKillop

      This electronic features package is published semi-monthly, on the
1st and 15th of each month, by the Air Force News Agency, 1015 Billy
Mitchell Rd., Kelly AFB, TX, 78241-5601.
     Information in AFNS Features is for use by Air Force base
newspaper editors and editors of other Air Force publications.  Please
credit AFNS Features and individual authors for material used.

-----------------------------------------------------
124.  FIRST P-51 FIGHTER ESCORT MISSIONS
125.  THE CARPETBAGGERS:  SECRET AGENTS OF THE SKIES
------------------------------------------------------

124.  FIRST P-51 FIGHTER ESCORT MISSIONS

BY COL. DELBERT R. TERRILL (USAFR-RET)
AIR FORCE HISTORICAL RESEARCH AGENCY
MAXWELL AFB, ALA.

     During the summer and fall of 1943, the long-range heavy bombers
of Eighth Air Force mounted daring daylight raids from bases in the
United Kingdom against strategic targets located deep inside Germany.
     Flying well beyond the range of available fighter escorts, the
bombers suffered unacceptably high casualties inflicted mostly by enemy
fighters.  During October, the Eighth suspended unescorted daylight
strategic bombing missions pending the arrival of the P-51B (Mustang)
fighter, the first Allied aircraft capable of long-range fighter escort.
     Early in November, the 353rd, 355th and 356th Fighter squadrons of
the 354th Fighter Group, equipped with the P-51B, debarked at Liverpool,
England.  After a short stay, the squadrons moved to Boxted, where the
pilots began initial check and transitional flights, while their ground
crews familiarized themselves with the new aircraft.
     The Mustang squadrons celebrated their first day of operational
status by flying a mission over the lightly defended Knocke/Ghent, Lille
and St. Omer areas of France.  Shortly after that, on 13 Dec, 45 of the
54 P- 51B Mustangs set a penetration record, accompanying B-17 bombers
490 miles (784 km) to targets over Kiel, Germany.  The escort force
remained in the target area protecting the bombers for approximately 40
minutes.  Dogfighting with German fighters for the first time on this
mission, the American escorts claimed destruction of their first enemy
aircraft.
     The clash over Kiel ushered in a new phase of the strategic
daylight bombing campaign.  Growing in numbers and confidence, the long-
range escorts regularly accompanied the heavy bombers deep inside
Germany, wrestling control of the skies from the defending German
fighters.  Their presence restored Allied air superiority over Germany,
enabling the resumption of systematic daylight bombing against distant
strategic targets.  (AFNS Features)

125.  THE CARPETBAGGERS:  SECRET AGENTS OF THE SKIES

BY COL. ALAN H. CLAIR, USAFR
AIR FORCE HISTORICAL RESEARCH AGENCY
MAXWELL AFB, ALA.

     Army Air Force air and ground crews ordered to report for duty at
RAF Alconbury, England, in 1943, thought they were being assigned to
new bombardment squadrons.  The 36th and 406th Bombardment Squadrons
didn't know they were about to become the air arm of the Office of
Strategic Services (OSS) -- the Carpetbaggers -- which conducted
clandestine operations behind German lines.  Several months later, two
more bomb squadrons joined the force.  Together, all four would later
serve as the inspiration for many spy thrillers.
     Included in the Carpetbaggers fleet were modified B-24s, with all
but the barest armaments removed.  These black aircraft delivered
supplies, munitions, psychological warfare leaflets and secret agents,
either by parachute or at clandestine airstrips.  Their black paint was
a World War II version of stealth technology, rendering them more
difficult for enemy aircraft and flak searchlights to pinpoint.
     In place of a normal lower ball turret, a modified hatch called a
"Joe-hole" enabled the agents, affectionately called Joes or Janes, to
depart the aircraft into the darkness, in relative safety.  Positive
radio contact with the "reception committee" below served to confirm
that the coast was clear.
     The Carpetbaggers also dropped leaflets by the millions in an
effort to demoralize German soldiers, apprise them of current events and
induce them to surrender.  Other leaflets directed towards German
civilians were so effective that the Nazis nicknamed them "Trojan
Horses."
     Ever present was the danger of betrayal to the German Secret
Police, the Gestapo, by a collaborator.  Still, as the war progressed,
reports from France, Denmark, Norway and other occupied countries told
of bridges destroyed, munitions plants and factories shut down for
"unexplained reasons," and other incidents that hindered enemy
production of war material.  By these reports, the Carpetbaggers could
measure their passengers' success.
     Long before the Allies invaded the beachhead at Normandy, the
Carpetbaggers had helped create a second front of agents and resistance
fighters behind enemy lines.  After D-Day, 6 Jun 44, four C-47 Skytrains
assigned to the Carpetbaggers began landing in liberated territory to
rescue downed aircrews and evacuate key agents.  Follow-on flights by
other units performed similar rescue missions in Poland, the Balkans,
Italy and Greece.
     From Jan 44 to May 45, the Carpetbaggers compiled an impressive
record, delivering 11,174 packages of supplies and 1,000 agents into
enemy territory.  However, sacrifice accompanied success.  Of 2,857
missions flown, the Carpetbaggers completed 1,860 at a cost of 24 B-24s
lost and 208 men missing or killed.
     The ancestors of today's special operators, the Carpetbaggers
demonstrated the effectiveness of air power in undercover operations by
putting the right people, supplies and information in the right places.
(AFNS Features)

--

      // \\
    //     \\                    Air Force News Agency
   |         |               Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, USA
   \\  {*}  //                   [email-masked]
   \  CMSgt  /      ___________________ /____________________________________
   \  Mike   /
   \ Bergman /
     \     /

-------------------------------------------------------------------
|  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              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 09:18:08 -0500
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: <No subject given>

Newsgroups: mail.wwii-l
Path: shawnk
From: [email-masked] (Shawn Kenny)
Subject: Re: Vichy France
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
Sender: [email-masked] (NNTP server account)
Organization: CS Dept., Memorial University of Newfoundland
References: <no.id> <[email-masked]>
Distribution: mun
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1993 14:18:01 GMT
Lines: 27

[email-masked] (William B. Thacker) writes:

>Terry Moore writes:

>> Another  point, even if Vichy France were to declare war on the
>> British, for example, how could they do it? More importantly, what
>> would resources did they have at their disposal to fight against
>> the British?

>There was the remainder of the French fleet; not a formidable force in
>itself, but a substantial augmentation to the power of the Italians.

>All in all, though, France had little to fight the Allies with.  Her only
>strategic power lay in her colonies and their geographical importance.

I would agree with the second paragraph but I think the French Naval forces
were a significant threat to the Allies, basically Britain at the time, to
naval operations in the Mediterranean.  The British felt that those ships
could create huge problems if they fell into Italian/German hands.

Shawn

--
--
"Life is full of surprises, but never when you need one."
                        [email-masked] St. John's, NF Canada

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 09:54:03 CST
From:    phyllis soybel <[email-masked]>
Subject: wwii naval intelligence

As someone new to the list, I have a request for information. I am
currently working on a dissertation that focuses on WWII naval intell.
cooperation between the United States and Great Britain. While doing
background work, i.e. WWI naval coop between G.B. and the U.S., I have
come across references to Anglo-French (or the lack thereof) and Franco-
American coop in intelligence. I am looking for one or two really good
sources which might trace such cooperation. I am not looking for someone
to do my research, but this topic is really tangential to mine, so I am
truly out of my element. Any help--realizing it is a WWI topic--would be
helpful.

Thanks ahead of time.
Phyllis Soybel, University of Illinois at Chicago
                u09113@uicvm

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 12:43:42 -0500
From:    James E Irwin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Media:Eisenhower Symposium

FYI

Valley Forge Military Academy and College (Gen. Schwartzkopf's
alma mater) in Wayne PA is presenting the first Forge of
Freedom Symposium entitled Eisenhower: The Irreplaceable
Commander from January 14th to January 16th, 1994.

The featured speakers are: Dr. Stephen E. Ambrose, Dr. Raymond
A. Callahan, LTC Carlo D'Este, USA (ret), Dr. Forrest C. Pogue,
and Dr. Russell F. Weigley.  All of the lectures take place on
Saturday, January 15.

Cost is $95.00 for all three days, including a cocktail party
Friday night, banquet Saturday night, and continental breakfast
on Saturday and Sunday.  The cost for just the talks is $60.00

If anyone is interested, there is a four-page brochure.  E-mail
me directly and include a FAX number and I'll pass on the
brochure.

Jim

Jim Irwin
Defense Personnel Support Center
Philadelphia PA
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 14:05:39 GMT-6
From:    Terry Moore <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Vichy France

Date sent:      Tue, 23 Nov 1993 21:31:05 EST
Send reply to:  World War II Discussion List <[email-masked]>
From:           "William B. Thacker" <[email-masked]>
Subject:        Re: Vichy France
Originally to:  [email-masked]
To:             Multiple recipients of list WWII-L <[email-masked]>

Hello, Bill!

Thank you for your input to my post. I want to make one or two other
comments, that might also clarify what I was trying to say.

No doubt true, but Petain was largely a figurehead.  His relationship with
Pierre Laval, the Vichy "Head of Government" was not unlike that of
Hindenburg to Hitler.  Laval was actively collaborationist, going on record
with strongly-worded statements to the effect that the future of France was
tied to a German victory.

Bill, you said here specifically what I had been trying to say. The
Germans were relying on Petain to keep order in the unoccupied
portion of the country, and his figurehead status was just what the
Germans wanted.

 > Another  point, even if Vichy France were to declare war on
the
> British, for example, how could they do it? More importantly, what
> would resources did they have at their disposal to fight against
> the British?

There was the remainder of the French fleet; not a formidable force in
itself, but a substantial augmentation to the power of the Italians.

All in all, though, France had little to fight the Allies with.  Her only
strategic power lay in her colonies and their geographical importance.

Bill, this is also correct, and certainly well known. Quite honestly,
I have often wondered why the German Navy or Hitler, if you will, had
not simply required the French to hand over its fleet to the Germans
as part of the surrender package, notwithstanding the possible
consequence of scuttling. At the time, it may have been very
difficult for the French to prevent the Germans or Italians from
gaining access to French naval units based in France. That was
certainly a fear of the British and Americans, which led of course,
to the shelling of Dakar and the sinking of the Jean Bart. Do you or
anyone else have thoughts on this?

I suspect that the largest factor keeping Vichy neutral was Germany.  I'm
sure Hitler didn't want France re-arming or gaining significant combat
experience.  Too, as Terry says, the French people, while angry at the
Allies, were probably not angry enough to actively fight them.

Yes, this, too. Germany would never have been able to trust a re-
armed or reconstituted France, under any circumstances, even if the
rearming and recruitment were under German auspices. What comes to
mind is, of course, the French contingent that fought with the
Germans in the Wallonia Legion of the Waffen-SS. But even this outfit
was commanded by a Belgian who was a close confidant of Heinrich
Himmler. This officer, BTW, Leon DeGrelle, is still alive and lives
in Madrid, Spain under an assumed name.

Thanks, again for the response.

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

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 14:07:27 GMT-6
From:    Terry Moore <[email-masked]>
Subject: Holiday Wish

To One and All on WWII-L:

My colleagues and I wish everyone on this net the happiest of
Thanksgivings and the all the best during the coming holidays.

Terry Moore

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

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 14:01:51 -0600
From:    Joe Pohlmann <[email-masked]>
Subject: Wargames

        I didn't know if anyone was interested, but since I am a relatively
new subscriber to this BB, I thought I'd mention a wargame I've been interested
 in.  It's called 'Victory' and it is a play-by-mail adaption of the European
World War II conflict.
        In it you can pick any one of 40 nations, and also pick your choice of
units - British, American, German, or Russian.

        The game runs from September, 1939 through to 1945, and all units you
can build are the ones that were accessible at that point in time.  In other
words, someone with American units has to wait quite a while for good armor,
since they really didn't make much of an attempt until the war seemed close
(around the summer of 1941).

        Anyway, if you are interested in getting more information, or just
finding out what the heck I'm talking (writing) about, please respond and I'll
give you the 'lowdown.'

Joe Pohlmann
Process Systems Engineer
Monsanto Port Plastics
(513) 467-2106
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 18:44:14 -0500
From:    Akira Takiguchi <[email-masked]>
Subject: PERSONALITY: Leon Degrell [Re: Vichy France]

Terry Moore:
>What comes to
>mind is, of course, the French contingent that fought with the
>Germans in the Wallonia Legion of the Waffen-SS.

     There were also French volunteer batallions, later to become
Charlemagne divison.

>But even this outfit
>was commanded by a Belgian who was a close confidant of Heinrich
>Himmler. This officer, BTW, Leon DeGrelle, is still alive and lives
>in Madrid, Spain under an assumed name.

     He exiled to Spain at the end of war and lives there since then.
I don't know if he uses an assumed name or not, but I understand there
is no illegality involved.
     I saw his recent (1989) pictures in _Siegrunen_ No. 47/48.
--
      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]>

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 19:33:01 -0500
From:    Paul Lehman <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Wargames

>        Anyway, if you are interested in getting more information, or just
>finding out what the heck I'm talking (writing) about, please respond and I'll
>give you the 'lowdown.'

I am.

Paul Lehman
500 E. Riverside #223
Austin, TX  78704

----------
[email-masked]

Second Favorite email message: 550 Host unknown (Authoritative answer from name
server): Address family not supported by protocol family
A Ref: Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning, vol. 1, G. Polya

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

Date:    Wed, 24 Nov 1993 21:52:14 CST
From:    Steve Alvin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Vichy France

This is just a guess, but if the Germans demanded that the
French hand over their fleet as part of the surrender, much of
it may have sailed immediately for England.  A neutral Vichy
navy was probably the best the Germans could hope for.

--
Steve Alvin
[email-masked]

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

End of WWII-L Digest - 23 Nov 1993 to 24 Nov 1993
*************************************************