Subject: WWII-L Digest - 17 Jul 1994 to 18 Jul 1994

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 00:01:57 -0400

There are 13 messages totalling 510 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. INF: USN Chronology 07-18-94
  2. [INF] USAAF 18 JUL 44
  3. INF: 50 Years Ago - 18-JUL-1944
  4. MISC:Political Correctness at the Smithsonian
  5. USS Hugh w. Hadley (DD-774)
  6. INF: 50 Years Ago - FTP archive
  7. MEDIA: PC at the Smithsonian cont'd (3)
  8. REF: and LOGISTICS: Vladivostock?
  9. [EDU/POL] audio visual enhancement (2)
 10. WWII

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Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 01:18:29 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 07-18-94

UNITED STATES NAVY CHRONOLOGY
from:
//byrd.mu.wvnet.edu/pub/history/military/wwii/naval_chronology/chr4(4,5).txt

1944
07/18 Tue. Premier Tojo and the Japanese cabinet resign; General Koiso
           forms a new cabinet.
            United States naval vessel damaged:
             Motor boat PGM-7, by collision, Bismarck Sea,
              07 d. 15'S., 155 d. 40'E.
            Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Submarine chaser No. 50, by submarine PLAICE (SS-390)
              south of Honshu, Japan,
              29 d. 22'N., 139 d. 14'E.

Theron P. Keller
Logicon, Inc.
Dahlgren, VA  22448 USA
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 07:05:00 EDT
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: [INF] USAAF 18 JUL 44

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
TUESDAY, 18 JULY 1944
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
  C-47, Douglas Skytrain
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  P-51, North American Mustang

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 25 P-40s hit the Myitkyina area; 8
P-47s attack Theinin, and 16 P-51s support ground forces at Pyindaw; 9 B-25s
bomb Myitkyina and Naungtalaw.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In the Hengyang-Tungting Lake region of
China, 30+ P-40s strafe shipping between Chaling and Hengyang, bomb the town
of Hengyang, and hit the airfield and several AA positions in the area; 16
P-51s and P-40s hit river shipping from Lienchiangkou to Samshui to Sainam;
13 P-40s hit a fuel dump on the railroad near Kangtsun-i.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 481: 1,394 bombers and 476
fighters are dispatched to hit targets in Germany and tactical targets in
France; 3 bombers and 3 fighters are lost:
  1. 644 B-24s are dispatched, in conjunction with Ninth Air Force and Royal
Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command, to bomb enemy equipment and troop
concentrations in support of the assault by the British Second Army in the
Caen area; 249 hit Solier, 146 hit Frenouville, 139 hit Troarns, 23 hit
Hubert la Folie and 12 hit the Mezidon marshalling yard; 1 B-24 is lost, 2
are damaged beyond repair and 182 are damaged. 90 RAF Spitfires fly
uneventful support for the B-24s.
  2. Of 291 B-17s, 107 hit the Kiel port area, 55 hit the Hemminstedt oil
refinery and 54 hit Cuxhaven; 21 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 48
P-38s and 84 P-51s without loss.
  3. Of 459 B-17s, 377 hit the Peenemunde experimental establishment,
scientific HQ at Zinnowitz, and marshalling yards at Stralsund; 3 B-17s are
lost and 64 damaged. Escort is provided by 297 P-38s and P-51s; they claim
21-0-12 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost (2 pilot are MIA) and 1 is
damaged beyond repair.
  25 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in France during the night; 1 B-24
collides with an RAF aircraft over France and is lost.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, 400+ B-26s and A-20s hit
various military targets in support of the ground forces in the Caen area,
and later in the day bomb rail and highway bridges beyond the frontlines;
large number of fighters fly escort, dive-bomb gun positions at Rouen and
Mantes-la-Jolie, hit military targets in the Chartres area (using rockets),
attack gun positions, bridges, and other targets in the Benney-Alencon-Saint-
Lo area, and fly armed reconnaissance and fighter sweeps over wide areas of N
and W France. In England, HQ 98th Combat Bombardment Wing (Medium) moves from
Earls Colne to Beaulieu; and HQ 387th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from
Chipping Ongar to Stony Cross. The following squadrons, based in England,
begin operating from bases in Italy with C-47s:
  - 91st, 92d and 94th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 439th Troop Carrier Group,
based at Upottery operating from Orbetello Airfield.
  - 95th, 96th and 97th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 440th Troop Carrier Group,
based at Exeter operating from Ombrone Airfield.
  - 99th, 100th and 302d Troop Carrier Squadrons, 441st Troop Carrier Group,
based at Merryfield operating from Grosseto.
  - 303d, 304th and 305th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 442d Troop Carrier Group,
based at Weston Zoyland operating from Follonica.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Germany, 200 B-24s and B-17s
attack Memmingen Airfield and the Dornier aircraft works at Manzell, and
Casarsa della Delizia railroad bridge in Italy; 250-300 fighters oppose the
formations attacking targets in Germany, beginning the interception at the N
Adriatic coast, continuing to the targets and back as far as the Brenner
Pass; 20 AAF aircraft are lost; the bombers and escorting fighters claim 66
fighters shot down.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-20s bomb a road
junction S of Campi and Sarzana and attack the La Spezia area during the
night of 17/18 Jul; during the day bad weather cancels medium bomber
missions; fighter-bombers, operating on a reduced scale, hit several bridges,
roads, rail lines, and other communication targets and guns N of and in the
battle area as US Fifth Army forces reach Leghorn.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-47s pound Tinian and Pagan
Islands. In the Marshall Islands, 5 B-24s, flying out of Kwajalein Atoll, hit
Wotje Atoll. 25 B-24s, staging through Eniwetok Atoll, attack Truk Atoll.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s strike Yap
Island, bombing the town and Blelatsch peninsula; several of the B-24s bomb
Sorol Atoll. In New Guinea, bad weather prevents strikes on the Vogelkop
Peninsula; fighter-bombers continue to hit barges, supply routes, and troop
concentrations in the coastal area from Aitape to Wewak.

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:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 07:48:58 -0500
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 18-JUL-1944

On 18-JUL-1944, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - The XIX Corps enters St Lo. The Canadian II Corps crosses the
     Orne river southwest of Caen and captures Colombelles and Giberville.
     The British VII Corps attacks in force from the west and reach the line
     Hubert-Folie-La Hogne-Cagny, south of Caen.

Eastern Front - The 1st Ukraine Front captures Bordy, east of Lvov, in Poland.
     Armoured columns of the 1st Belorussian Front advance from Kovel towards
     Lublin. The 3rd Baltic Front threaten Ostrov and Pskov, advanced German
     strongpoints which until now the German have maintained at a high cost.
     West of Grodno the Russian nearly reach the East Prussian border, but
     are halted by a violent counter-attack by the Germans near Augustow.

Italian Front - The US 34th Division opens its final attack on Leghorn. The
     9th Division reaches the Arno at Pontedera. In the British sector, the
     South African 6th Armoured Division reaches and passes Radda in Chianti.
     The 4th Division and British 6th Armoured Division are almost brought to
     a halt in the Arno valley. The 4th Division reaches Montevarchi. The
     Germans are defending Citta di Castello strongly against attacks by the X
     Corps. The Polish II Corps takes Ancona.

New Guinea - The Americans capture the west bank of the Driniumor from the
     mouth to the village of Afua.

Naval Dispatches
----------------
Japanese submarine chaser sunk by submarine PLAICE (SS-390), south of Honshu,
     Japan.

The Homefront
-------------
New Books - "Little Coquette" by Renee McCormick, "Onwards To Victory" by
     Winston Churchill, "Artist At War" by George Biddle.

Huge Death Toll In Munitions Blast - At least 319 people, most of them Navy,
     Coast Guard and Merchant Marine personnel are reported killed or missing
     following the explosion last night of two munitions ships at a Navy
     loading pier at Port Chicago, California, 40 miles northeast of San
     Franciso. Property damage is estimated at $7,000,000.

=============================================================================

Sources: "2194 Days of War" by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo Pallavisimi, "The
World Almanac Book Of WW II" by Peter Young, "United States Naval Chronology,
World War II" by Naval Historical Division - United States Navy, "Facts On
File Yearbook 1944, Person's Index Of World Events" edited by R.L. Lapica.

----------
John Davis  [email-masked]
Cary, N.C.
----------

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Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 07:44:43 -0400
From:    "Steven Pudlo, Dept. Computer Svcs." <[email-masked]>
Subject: MISC:Political Correctness at the Smithsonian

Having just returned from my first real vacation, 4 days in Nova Scotia, I
would like to share my experience about historic revisionism and political
correctness rampant in this country.

In Grand Pre, there is a small park dedicated to the early (1750ish) French
settlers who were forcibly deported by the British. Imagine, thousands of
people uprooted, their farms burned to prevent their returning. Surely one
of the worst mass-deportations in history.

Do the Canadians tell the story? You bet they do. The thing is the way they
tell it. They stick to historic facts, present them in an understated way,
and let the visitor reach their own opinions. Conspicuously missing is those
nasty little adjectives so common in the US.

The SI can learn from the Canadians in how to relate historic cruelty without
shame, guilt, or recrimination. Just class.

Sid Allison; I really loved your country. If your coast is as nice as the
East, you are one lucky guy!
                                                                Steve
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Steven E. Pudlo  - [email-masked] |"Life may be a drag BUT
STC Programmer/Analyst - (203) 885-2343  |  it sure beats the only
Three Rivers Community-Technical College |           known alternative"
574 New London Turnpike                  |                     (S.E.P.)
Norwich, CT. U.S.A. 06360                |No one gets out of it alive..
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 08:06:29 EDT
From:    Ken Koester <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: USS Hugh w. Hadley (DD-774)

Interesting post about the Hadley, Larry; do you also have the one about the
Laffey?  She's currently at Patriot's Point in Charleston, SC.

ken koester
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 08:16:43 -0500
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - FTP archive

[I have changed the archive location for the 50 YA articles. Please use the
following instructions to retreive the articles via anonymous FTP.]

The June 1944 50 Years Ago Today articles are now available for downloading
via anonymous FTP.

Instructions for downloading 50 YA articles -

The articles are stored by month. To retrieve the articles by FTP, open host
"ftp.netcom.com", enter "anonymous" when prompted for login ID, enter your
Internet mail address when prompted for password. To change to the directory
where the articles are stored enter "cd /pub/jbd". The file name identifies
the month (example - jun1944.txt, contains the June 1944 articles).

----------
John Davis ([email-masked]/[email-masked])
Cary, N.C.
----------

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Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 08:27:58 EDT
From:    Ken Koester <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA: PC at the Smithsonian cont'd

On Fri, 15 Jul 1994 17:45:34 -0500 Bill Smith said:
>I have not seen the Smithsonian display, but I will in two weeks.  From
>what I have read (both here and elsewhere), it is entirely revisionist,
>sensationalist and exhibitionist.

So far, the only things I have seen here about it criticized as "revisionist"
are entirely factual.

>The point is to *display the plane* not make a statement of policy.  PC of
>the right or a cold representation of the event?

To *display the plane* WITHOUT considering its most famous mission or the
results therefrom is *ALSO* to make a political statement--don't kid yourself
otherwise.

>And, IMHO, I did not need a charred body photograph to run chills down my
>spine and give me a cold, sick feeling in the stomach when I touched
>Bock's Car.

That's ok for you. . . but I can think of a few people who need the visuals.

ken koester
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 09:52:20 -0400
From:    Emery Ford <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: REF: and LOGISTICS: Vladivostock?

On JUL 16 Rob George wrote:

>Can anybody point me to some references to the use
>of Vladivostock as a port by the Soviets during the
>2nd World War?
>
>Or provide any information directly?
>
>My specific interest is weather-related: what months
>could the port be used? When Vladivostock couldn't be
>used, were there other Soviet Far Eastern ports through
>which Lend-Lease material could be shipped?
>

Hi Rob,

I'm currently reading _World_At_Arms_ by Gerard Weintraub.   In it I
read for the first time that the U.S. funnelled more than half of the
Lend-Lease effort through Vladivostock via U.S. merchant ships that were
reflagged with the Hammer and Sickle so the Japanese wouldn't bomb
them.

This is fascinating to me for two reasons:
1. I was always led to believe that Lend-Lease went to Archangelsk in
the North and through Iran in the South.

2.  U.S. ships flying the Soviet flag seems like a very politically
sensitive move, and perhaps that is why I never before heard of this.

I'll provide more details later, if no one else has.

Emery

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 10:57:39 -0500
From:    "W.C. (RUSTY) DIVENS" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA: PC at the Smithsonian cont'd

>So far, the only things I have seen here about it criticized as "revisionist"
>are entirely factual.

>To *display the plane* WITHOUT considering its most famous mission or the
>results therefrom is *ALSO* to make a political statement--don't kid yourself
>otherwise.

>That's ok for you. . . but I can think of a few people who need the visuals.

>ken koester
>[email-masked]

Ok Ken...let's stop a minute and consider what you have said here. Assume
that the stuff displayed with the Enola Gay is factual.  If the photos that
show the burned, mutilated bodies are in fact authentic, then they display
what is factual.  Granted.  That still doesn't negate the attempt at
moral revisionism.

But why stop at the Enola Gay?  Let's put the ENTIRE NASM display into a 'PC'
mode and do the following:

How's about a diorama of all the charred test pilots in full detail beneath
the X-planes.  And lets not forget the WWII flight deck simulation there...let's
make it  REAL factual and put a few burned mannequins to make it look like the
USS Franklin.  And what about the Japanese planes...let's place some
photos of charred American sailors from Pearl Harbor around them and
make a statement about surprise attacks.  All of these displays would
be quite factual, would they not?

The point that others are trying to make is that the NASM does not exist
for this purpose.  The political statements are to be kept elsewhere.
Political 'nuances' have no place in the museum.  It is about AVIATION.

Things CAN be presented in an apolitical, balanced way.  The landside
headquarters for the USS Arizona memorial does this quite well, IMHO.

If the descriptions of the display posted so far are accurate, then the
public does have a reason to complain.

Bill
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 10:54:55 CDT
From:    Robert Hohlt <[email-masked]>
Subject: [EDU/POL] audio visual enhancement

Bill Smith wrote:

 >And, IMHO, I did not need a charred body photograph to run chills
 >down my spine and give me a cold, sick feeling in the stomach when
 >I touched Bock's Car.

Ken Koester followed with:

 >That's ok for you. . . but I can think of a few people who need the
 >visuals.

>From me:

I guess I have to agree with both of you.  I have had the priviledge
of visiting the Arizona Memorial twice in recent years.  Both times
I went the feeling I got is hard to describe except maybe Magical in
a very sober and somber sort of way. But my second visit there, in the
little film room just before you get on the launch, they showed a small
clip from someones private home movie of the Arizona actually blowing
up.  Even with mono sound the sight and sound left me with a terrible
hollow feeling inside.  The audio and visual really made a big
difference.

I also have had the priviledge of living in Houston, close to Seawolf
park in Galveston.  In permanent drydock there is the S.S. Cavalla.
The Cavalla sank the Shokaku (one of the six aircraft carriers that
attacked  Pearl Harbor) on her maiden voyage.  For me, touching the
Cavalla gives me a very satisfied and appreciative feeling.  I don't
need audio or visuals for the Cavalla.

Have any of you list readers seen the Arizona film at Pearl Harbor and
either Bocks Car or Enola Gay?  If you have what were your feelings?

Thanks to ALL of you who have contributed to the discussion on
A-Bomb(s)/Truman, and kept it at a reasonably high level.

regards,

Robert Hohlt, Jr.

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 14:28:42 -0500
From:    Bill Smith <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: [EDU/POL] audio visual enhancement

In the back of my mind, I knew I had another example of war tragedy
tastefully done, and I thank Mr. Hohlt for having reminded me of it.

I had similar feelings on visiting the Memorial (Pearl Harbor Weekend
last year) and came away with an awesome sense of the meaning -- meaning
in that fuzzy-wuzzy PC-sih sense too -- of the event.

I'll reserve further comment until Aug 1 (I'll be at NA for research and
plan to make a special walk over to NASM to witness the bruhaha).

On Mon, 18 Jul 1994, Robert Hohlt wrote:

> I guess I have to agree with both of you.  I have had the priviledge
> of visiting the Arizona Memorial twice in recent years.  Both times
> I went the feeling I got is hard to describe except maybe Magical in
> a very sober and somber sort of way. But my second visit there, in the
> little film room just before you get on the launch, they showed a small
> clip from someones private home movie of the Arizona actually blowing
> up.  Even with mono sound the sight and sound left me with a terrible
> hollow feeling inside.  The audio and visual really made a big
> difference.
>

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 14:32:58 -0500
From:    Bill Smith <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA: PC at the Smithsonian cont'd

On Mon, 18 Jul 1994, Ken Koester wrote:

> On Fri, 15 Jul 1994 17:45:34 -0500 Bill Smith said:
> >I have not seen the Smithsonian display, but I will in two weeks.  From
> >what I have read (both here and elsewhere), it is entirely revisionist,
> >sensationalist and exhibitionist.
>
> So far, the only things I have seen here about it criticized as "revisionist"
> are entirely factual.
>

Fair enough -- strike revisionist.  Make simply "it is entirely
sensationalist and exhibitionist."  Next up -- the Harry Truman exhibit,
complete with placard :^)

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

Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 1994 16:02:19 -0500
From:    Bob Milan <[email-masked]>
Subject: WWII

[email-masked]

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

End of WWII-L Digest - 17 Jul 1994 to 18 Jul 1994
*************************************************