Subject: WWII-L Digest - 21 Aug 1994 to 22 Aug 1994

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 1994 00:01:07 -0400

There are 10 messages totalling 443 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. INF: USN Chronology 08-22-94
  2. MEDIA: Smithsonian Exhibit
  3. Small European countries in WWII
  4. INF: 50 Years Ago - 23-AUG-1944
  5. WEAP:  German Concrete Grenade (3)
  6. [INF] USAAF 23 AUG 44
  7. WEAP: German Concrete Grenade
  8. Battle of Java Sea

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Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 02:36:34 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 08-22-94

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

1944
08/22 Tue.  Japanese naval vessels sunk:
             Frigate SADO, by submarine HADDO (SS-255), and frigates
              MATSUWA and HIBURI, by submarine HARDER (SS-257), Philip-
              pine Islands area,
              14 d. 15'N., 120 d. 05'E.

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

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

Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 09:03:57 -0500
From:    "Sidney W. Kitchel" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA: Smithsonian Exhibit

James E Irwin writes to the list:
|->>From the DoD Newswire 19 August 1994
|->
|->:CONGRESS MULLS A BOMB EXHIBIT
|->
|->   WASHINGTON  -- The head of the Smithsonian Institution is
|->assuring members of Congress a coming exhibit on the atomic bombing of
|->Japan will balance the destructiveness of the bomb and the need to use
|->it.
|->   "The world was forever changed by the release of (the) bomb, and
|->the proper task of the Smithsonian is neither to apologize for nor to
|->celebrate this change but to account for it," Smithsonian Secretary
|->Robert McC. Adams wrote in a letter to two dozen members of Congress.

        <snip>

|->   "The development of the atomic bomb took place in a hugely
|->destructive war that the United States had no part in initiating,"
|->Adams said.

        This amazing, hyperbolic generalization forces me to wonder if
the current Smithsonian staff is capable of a balanced account of the
meaning of Enola Gay's mission. I think the critics are asking for an
honest and even-handed exhibit. There is every reason to believe that
certain actions by the U.S. government and certainly by American
isolationists had an effect on the beginning of WWII. Enola Gay flew
because she had a clear, military mission. I wonder how close the
Smithsonian will come to showing the context of that mission???

                                                        --Sid
--
Sidney W. Kitchel           [email-masked], [email-masked]
Data Parallel Systems, Inc.  ============||  DPSI  ||===============
4617 E. Morningside Drive                             (812) 334-8100
Bloomington, Indiana,  47408  USA               FAX:  (812) 334-8121

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Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 12:45:31 -0500
From:    Mike Yaklich <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Small European countries in WWII

Luxembourg was overrun by the Germans in May 1940...the neutrality of the
Vatican was generally respected by all sides (although Hitler apparently
made some threats to go in and clean out the whole mess, or words to that
effect)...particularly by the Italians...the Lateran Treaty of 1929 which
finally made peace between Italy and the Papacy (a problem since they fought
each other during the Italian wars of unification in the 1870's) was a widely
popular diplomatic coup for Mussolini's government and the Fascists didn't
want to upset the apple cart...that's about all I know...real interesting
question, though, I hope it generates some responses because I'd like to
know more but I'm too lazy to go look things up.

Regards

Mike Yaklich

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Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 09:58:06 -0700
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 23-AUG-1944

On 23-AUG-1944, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Northern France - Paris is liberated!! The French Forces of the Interior (FFI)
under General Koenig and Paris civilians free the French capital. Fighting has
been taking place in Paris since August 19th when Koenig announced a general
uprising against the Germans. The French 2nd Armoured Division (US V Corps)
begin to move towards Paris in preparation for supporting the FFI. The US 4th
Division captures Arpajon, south of Paris. The 30th Division (XIX Corps)
enters Evreau. Further north, the 2nd Armoured Division captures Le Neubourg
and head on towards Elfeuf. In the 3rd Army sector, the 79th Division (XV
Corps) maintains firm control of the bridgehead at Mantes-Gassicourt, north
of Paris. The 5th Division (XX Corps) takes Fontainebleau, while the 7th
Armoured Division is approaching Melun.

Southern France - The French 9th Colonial Division and the 1st Division (II
Corps) enter the suburbs of Toulon and head towards the center of the city.
The 3rd Algerian Division and 1st Armoured Division enter the outskirts of
Marseilles. The German garrison in Marseilles rejects a surrender demand by
the French.

Eastern Front - The pincer formed by the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts closes,
surrounding the German and Rumanian 6th Army. About 130,000 men are caught in
the pocket.

Marianas - US destroyers shell Aguijan. The bombardment continues daily until
August 26th.

New Guinea - The battle for Numfoor Island is over and most of the US forces
are withdrawn to other sectors.

Burma/China - General Stilwell receives orders to construct a highway from the
India-Burma frontier to Myitkyina and to improve the miserable track that
leads from Myitkyina to China. On the river Salween front, the Japanese
defending Lung-ling ask for reinforcements.

Naval Dispatches
----------------
US PT-555 damaged by mine, Southern France area.

Japanese destroyer ASAKAZE sunk by submarine HADDO (SS-255), Philippine
Islands area.

Japanese minesweeper No. 22 sunk by submarine BATFISH (SS-310), Palau Islands
area.

Foreign Affairs
---------------
Rumania - A coup d'etat takes place in Bucharest. The pro-German premier, Jon
Antonescu, is disposed and arrested. King Michael I asks the moderate
Sanatescu to form a government and also orders the cessation of hostilities
against the Red Army, accepting the unconditional surrender demands from
Moscow. At the same time though, he allows the Germans in Rumania to leave the
country unmolested.

Swiss Break With Vichy - Switzerland has broken relations with France's Vichy
regime "because Chief of State Marshal Henri Philippe Petain has been forced
to leave Vichy and no longer can exercise his rights."

The Homefront
-------------
76 Killed In Bomber Crash - a US 8th Air Force B-24 bombers has crashed into a
school in Freckelton, Lancashire, England, killing 76 persons including 51
children.

Roosevelt Says "Big Four" Can Keep Peace - President Roosevelt talking
informally at the White House to delegates to the World Security Conference,
says "the four of us" - the United States, Great Britain, Russian and China -
can prevent war by force "if we remain friends."

Roosevelt Leads In Gallup Poll - President Roosevelt wins 28 states to 20 for
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey in a preliminary Gallup Poll and leads by 286 to 245
electoral votes.

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

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, 22 Aug 1994 13:30:11 GMT-6
From:    "Robert T. Moore" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: WEAP:  German Concrete Grenade

Hello, Patrick!

Will try to answer your question.

 I wonder what else they made out of
>  concrete?

    Launchers for V-1s, repairs on the blown-out hull of the Tirpitz,
    the Siegfried Line. Regarding weapons, other than what you
described, will have to be researched, but, I am not aware of any
specific attempts to use concrete in weapons' development that
involved any thing other than hand-manipulated grenades.

    Will check into it, however, if someone else hasn't already.

    Hope this helps.

    Terry

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Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 14:49:09 -0400
From:    "Steven Pudlo, Dept. Computer Svcs." <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: WEAP:  German Concrete Grenade

 I wonder what else they made out of
>  concrete?

Weren't the Liberty ships made of concrete?

(didn't say it was a SMART question...)                         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, 22 Aug 1994 16:29:52 -0500
From:    "Tim J. Watts" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: WEAP:  German Concrete Grenade

Didn't they make some bombs out of concrete very early in the war, when
the demand exceeded the supply?  I thought I remembered a story of air
attacks on British ships in the North Sea with concrete bombs.

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

Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 20:28:00 EDT
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: [INF] USAAF 23 AUG 44

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
WEDNESDAY, 23 AUGUST 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-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  C-47, Douglas Skytrain
  L-5, Stinson Sentinel
  Mosquito, deHavilland
  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, 32 P-47s support British advances
down the railroad in the Pinbaw area hitting gun positions, troops, and HQ
buildings, immediately N of Pinbaw, and along Nansonti Creek; and 6 P-47s
pound Onsansaing, and 8 P-51s bomb an encampment near Kadu. In China, 4 P-51s
hit Lungling and Mangshih; 5 others attack guns, fuel dump, and other targets
of opportunity along the Burma Road from Wanling to Lungling while 7 more hit
buildings and vehicles during sweeps of the general Mangshih-Chefang area; and
12 P-51s hit targets of opportunity SW of Lungling and 2 P-40s strafe trucks
at Chefang.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 7 B-25s and 21 fighter-bombers
attack villages, compounds, other targets of opportunity near Hengyang,
Lingyang, and Anjen; 40+ fighter-bombers hit villages, shipping, troops,
supplies, and other targets of opportunity around Ichang, Yangtien, Siangtan,
and Yiyang, and S of Sungpai and Siangyin; and the 529th Fighter Squadron,
311th Fighter Group, moves from Dinjan, India to Pungchacheng with P-51s.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 142 of 163 P-47s bomb and strafe
rail transportation from Saint-Omer to Reims, France; 2 P-47s are damaged.
  Mission 567: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France and Belgium during the
night.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, 4 B-26s drop leaflets in
the Lisieux-Bernay area; fighters fly ground forces cover, sweeps, armed
reconnaissance over the battle areas and along the Seine River, and attack
artillery positions; 150+ C-47s fly supply and evacuation missions and
several hundred reconnaissance aircraft fly tactical, visual, photographic,
and artillery adjustment reconnaissance missions; HQ 98th Combat Bombardment
Wing (Medium) arrives at Lessay from Beaulieu, England; HQ 36th Fighter Group
moves from Brucheville to Le Mans; HQ 363d Fighter Group and the 381st and
382d Fighter Squadrons move from Maupertus to Azeville with P-51s (the 363d
will be redesignated the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group and the 381st and
382d Fighter Squadrons to 161st and 162d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons on
25 Aug); HQ 368th Fighter Group moves from Cardonville to Chartres; the 125th
Liaison Squadron, Ninth Air Force (attached to Ninth Army), based at
Erlestokes, England begins operating from bases in France with L-5s; the 153d
Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to First Army), moves
from St Pois to Couterne with L-5s; and the 397th Fighter Squadron, 368th
Fighter Group, moves from Cardonville to Chartres with P-47s. The 98th Troop
Carrier Squadron, 440th Troop Carrier Group, ceases operating from Ramsbury
with C-47s and returns to base at Exeter, England. The following units that
have been operating from bases in Italy with C-47s since Jul return to the
bases indicated:
  - 76th and 78th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 435th Troop Carrier Group, from
    Tarquinia to Welford Park
  - 79th, 80th and 81st Troop Carrier Squadrons, 436th Troop Carrier Group,
    from Voltone Airfield to Membury
  - 83d, 84th, 85th and 86th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 437th Troop Carrier
    Group from Montala Airfield to Ramsbury
  - 87th, 88th and 89th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 438th Troop Carrier Group
    from Canino Airfield to Greenham Common

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Austria, 472 B-24s and B-17s
supported by P-51s and P-38s bomb the S industrial area of Vienna, the
Wiener-Neudorf aircraft engine factory, Vosendorf oil refinery, and
Markersdorf Airfield, and attack targets at Ferrara, Italy, missing a river
bridge but hitting a synthetic rubber factory.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, medium bombers attack
road and rail bridges N of the Arno River and roads leading N from Florence,
and also hit bridges in the Rhone Valley of France; widespread haze in parts
of France and Italy prevents accurate bombing; fighter-bombers continue to
attack communications, gun positions, and road movements in the Provence
battle areas; the 314th Fighter Squadron, 324th Fighter Group, moves from
Corsica to Le Luc, France with P-47s; and the detachment of the 416th Night
Fighter Squadron, 62d Fighter Wing, operating from Borgo, Corsica with
Mosquitos returns to base at Pomigliano.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Saipan Island bomb
Yap and Iwo Jima Islands while P-47s hit Pagan and Aguijan Islands, Mariana
Islands. Gilbert Island-based B-25s attack Ponape Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound the
Galela, Halmahera Island area; in New Guinea, B-24s hit Langgoer Airfield and
Saumlakki; fighter-bombers hit the airfield at Nabire, Moemi, and Urarom, the
village of Moari, and town of Manokwari; B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers
continue to attack barge hideouts, troops, villages, and general targets of
opportunity around Wewak; HQ 18th Fighter Group and it's 12th and 70 Fighter
Squadrons move from Guadalcanal Island and New Georgia Island, Solomon
Islands (70th FS) to Sansapor with P-38s; and the 69th and 390th Bombardment
Squadrons (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Stirling Island
to Hollandia with B-25s.

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

23/0031Z AUG

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Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 17:45:16 -0700
From:    Ed Kettler <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: WEAP: German Concrete Grenade

The Liberty ships used normal steel construction, but were made of
prefabricated sections.  There were some concrete (ferro concrete) ships,
but they were universally unpopular with their operators.  Tended to
seep/leak.  The US Army operated some of them during WW2.

Ed Kettler                                       [email-masked]

On Mon, 22 Aug 1994, Steven Pudlo, Dept. Computer Svcs. wrote:

>  I wonder what else they made out of
> >  concrete?
>
>
> Weren't the Liberty ships made of concrete?
>
>
> (didn't say it was a SMART question...)                         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..
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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

Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 1994 21:00:02 -0400
From:    Ron Babuka <[email-masked]>
Subject: Battle of Java Sea

Earlier there had been a post in regards to the sinking of the Houston and
the Perth in the naval engagements at Bantam Bay in February of 1940.  I
just found some intresting quotes in 'But Not in Shame' by John Toland.

  "Eight torpedoes aimed by the cruiser Mikuma at the Houston had sped past
by their targets and exploded against friendly hulls.  One of the unlucky
transports was Ryujo Maru, headquarters ship of the 16th Army.  General
Imamura, his aide and hundreds of soldiers leaped into the warm water."

  "Japanese survivors of the torpedoed transports were crawling onto the
sandy beaches of Bantam Bay.   General Imamura's aide, exhausted and
dispirited, was looking for his chief.  At last he saw the general, his
face black from oil, sitting on a pile of bamboo.  The aide hurriedly
limped to the general.  "Congratulations," he said, "on the successful
landing."

  "Commander Shukichi Toshikawa of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla was talking
to Imamura's chief of staff.  He had been chosen, he explained, to
apologize to the general for torpedoing his four transports and dumping him
in Bantam Bay.
  "Don't tell General Imamura," said the chief of staff in alarm.  "He
thinks the American cruiser Houston did it.  Let her have the credit."  To
this day official records have done just that."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Babuka                                         National Warplane Museum
Cornell University                                 Geneseo, New York
CIT - Information Resources
Ithaca, New York 14850
(607) 254-6492

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End of WWII-L Digest - 21 Aug 1994 to 22 Aug 1994
*************************************************