Subject: WWII-L Digest - 2 Jan 1995 to 3 Jan 1995

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 00:00:46 -0500

There are 14 messages totalling 473 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Aol And Delphi (2)
  2. QUEST Commissioning Stripe
  3. <No subject given> (2)
  4. INF: USN Chronology 01-03-95
  5. INF: 50 Years Ago - 04-JAN-1945
  6. Untold Stories f/TLD, Pt. 8 (2)
  7. African POWs in Europe
  8. Revisionism, Again (2)
  9. Enola Gay Exhibit
 10. IJN Radio Silent to Pearl Harbor

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Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 00:29:15 -0500
From:    John Sloan <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Aol And Delphi

To George BAuer and others cosidering commercial services.
I happen to use AOL and have been pleased. I have paid via my Visa for nearly
2 years and have not seen any mistakes in the account. According to several
articles on INTERNET in various magazines AOL still has an easier interface
than Delphi, but I have not seen Delphi of course.  We have a "flashmail"
capability that enables me to set up an automatic log on - download mail - log
 off that pulls in all the mail much more rapidly than I could do it manually
looking at each item. I set it for the wee hours and am on and off in a
couple of minutes even with dozens of mail items. It also automatically upload
s my outgoing at the same time. The connection is at 14400 baud. You might
read some of the reviews in PC World and other mags to compare the content of
the two services. I know on AOL we have vastly more than I could ever
investigate let alone use by way of financial advice, general news,
specialized magazines, etc etc.
I spend most of my time acting as an academic tutor for the huge educational
assistance program. We have over 700 teachers and the total system handles
hundreds of student questions a day. Actually, one can log onto AOl academic
assistance by sending email to [email-masked] and tap into it from
outside AOL. The mail box will take 550 messages. There is no extra charge
beyond the basic time charge for INTERNET or any other of the departments. So
far we have newsgroups, some gopher and some FTP but not all as yet. They are
promissing WWW and full services shortly.
hope this helps some.

john sloan

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Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 00:34:54 EST
From:    "Carl Wernke - [email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Subject: QUEST Commissioning Stripe

 John A., Bill H., Jim A.  Posts of 30 Dec 1994

 Commission Pennant

 Every Navy ship in commission flies the commission pennant except when the
 pennant is replaced by a personal flag or command pennant or on hospital
 ships when it is replaced by the Red Cross flag. With these exceptions it is
 the distinguishing mark of a Navy ship in commission but without a flag
 officer or other commander embarked.

 The commission pennant itself is an elongated pennant with a swallow-tailed
 fly. That portion near the hoist consists of a blue field upon which is
 superimposed seven white 5-pointed stars in a row, each of the stars has
 one point upward. The number of stars in the commission pennant have no
 meaning whatsoever. The remaining portion of the pennant is horizontally
 divided into a red upper portion and a white lower portion with the last
 few inches split to form the swallow-tail. This pennant is available in two
 sizes, 6 and 7.

 The commission pennant is flown at the after truck of a naval ship, or, in
 a mastless ship, at the loftiest and most conspicuous point of hoist. It is
 also flown from the bow of a boat when a commanding officer not entitled to
 a personal flag is embarked on an official visit. While the pennant is not a
 personal one, it is sometimes regarded as the personal symbol of the
 commanding officer.

 A size 6 commission pennant is 6 ft. long, used on large ships, a size 7 is
 4 ft. long.

 The "homeward bound" pennant is divided vertically into two parts: that
 portion next to the hoist is blue and the fly is divided horizontally into
 halves, the upper red and the lower white. In the blue portion is placed
 one white star for the first year that the ship has been continuously on
 duty in foreign waters outside the continental limits of the United States,
 plus one additional white star for each additional 6 months. The over-all
 length of the pennant was normally 1 foot for each officer and man on the
 ship who has been on duty outside the United States in excess of 1 year.
 Where this produces a pennant excessively long, its length is kept within
 practical limits.

 Upon arrival in a port of the United States, the blue portion containing
 the star or stars is presented to the commanding officer. The remainder of
 pennant is divided equally among the officers and men of the ship's company.

 Carl Wernke USN (Ret)           Tidewater Community College
                                 History Instructor
                                 Portsmouth, VA

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

Date:    Mon, 2 Jan 1995 23:01:42 -0700
From:    Colin Mcdonald <[email-masked]>
Subject: <No subject given>

 Unsubscribe Colin McDonald

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 04:00:23 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 01-03-95

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

1945
01/03 Wed. Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Adm. J. S.
           McCain),commence 2-day strike on Japanese shipping and
           aircraft in the Ryukyu Islands and Formosa.
            United States naval vessels damaged:
             Escort carrier SARGENT BAY (CVE-83) and destroyer
              escort ROBERT F. KELLER (DE-419), by collision,
              Philippine  Islands area.
             Minelayer MONADNOCK (CM-9), by collision, Luzon area,
              P. I.,
              12 d. 22'N., 121 d. 01'E.
            Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Submarine chaser NO. 10, by Army aircraft, Philippine
              Islands area,
              07 d. 04'N., 123 d. 37'E.
            United States naval vessel sunk:
             Escort carrier OMMANEY BAY (CVE-79), damaged by suicide
              plane, Luzon area, P. I.,
              11 d. 25'N., 121 d. 19'E;
              sunk by United States forces.

Information compiled by U.S. Navy Historians.  For more information,
contact the Naval Historical Center at (202) 433-3940.
Archived by: "Larry W. Jewell" <[email-masked]>
Posted by:
Theron P. Keller
Logicon, Inc.
Dahlgren, VA  22448 USA
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 03:47:43 -0800
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 04-JAN-1945

On 04-JAN-1945, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - In the British 2nd Army sector, the XXX Corps opens an
offensive west of the Ourthe River, protecting the U.S. 1st Army right. The
6th Airborne Division meets strong resistance south of Rochefort. In the
U.S. 1st Army sector, the 2nd Armoured Division captures Beffe and
Lamormenil. The 3rd Armoured Division captures Baneux, Jevigne and Lansival
and gains a bridgehead at Groumont Creek. The 82nd Airborne Division
advances its line to include Heirlot, Odrimont, St Jacques, Bergeval and
Mont de Fosse. In the 3rd Army sector, the 87th Division is halted by the
Germans near Pironpre. The attack of the 17th Airborne Division triggers
strong reaction in the Pinsamont-Rechrival-Hubermont area. The 6th Armoured
Division is repeatedly attacked in the Mageret-Wardin area east of Bastogne
and withdraws to shorten its line. The 35th Division clears Luterbois but
is unable to take Harlange. In the 7th Army sector, the 44th Division tries
vainly to clear Frauenberg and Gros Rederching. The 45th Division,
continuing its fight to reduce the Bitche salient, drives to the outskirts
of Wingen and takes Saegmuhl.

Philippines - Japanese aircraft attack the ships on their way to the Gulf
of Lingayen, Luzon. The escort carrier Ommaney Bay is seriously damaged by
a kamikaze and has to be sunk. A destroyer and tanker are also badly hit.
The main body of the Luzon Attack Force sorties from Leyte Gulf after
nightfall. The X Corps, 8th Army terminates its offensive operations on
Leyte. Japanese planes continue to be active over Mindoro and destroy an
ammunition ship.

Burma - The British XV Corps completes the occupation of Akyab, a key port
and air base on the Arakan Front. The U.S. 475th Infantry Regiment crosses
the Shweli.

Formosa - TF 36 continue strikes against Japanese aircraft and shipping
but weather conditions again sharply curtail the action. As a result of the
2 day attack, 110 Japanese planes have been destroyed, 12 ships sunk and 28
other vessels damages.

Caroline Islands - Troops of the 81st Division complete a search of Fais
Island and are withdrawn.

The Homefront
-------------
6th War Loan Results - Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr. has
announced that the Sixth War Loan brought in $21,621,000,000, exceeding the
quote by 54%.

Chaplin Paternity Suit - Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Henry Willis has
declared a mistrial in the paternity suit against actor Charlie Chaplin an
dismissed the jury when it reports itself hopelessly deadlocked. The jury
has been deliberating the case filed by Joan Berry, who claims Chaplin is
the father of her daughter, Carol Ann.

Army & Navy
-----------
U.S. Air Record - Lt. Gen. Carl A. Spaatz, commanding U.S. air units in
Europe, said today that his planes flew 1,045,728 sorties and dropped
958,000 tons of bombs in 1944. American losses for the year were 9,284
planes. U.S. aircraft destroyed 15,318 enemy planes.

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

Sources: "United States Army in World War II, Chronology 1941-1945" compiled
by Mary H. Williams, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of
the Army, "2194 Days of War" by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo Pallavisimi,
"Facts On File Yearbook 1945, Person's Index Of World Events" edited by R.L.
Lapica.

Copyright 1995 by John B Davis, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Previous articles are archived at ftp.webcom.com in directory /pub/jbd/www
and can be accessed via the WWW by URL: http://www.webcom.com/~jbd/ww2.html.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Davis                Cary, North Carolina                 [email-masked]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date:    Mon, 2 Jan 1995 14:13:56 GMT+6
From:    Esaul Zermeno Bautista <[email-masked]>
Subject: <No subject given>

   Can anybody help me to find some information about the u-boat
activities during wwii in gulf of mexico specific in Veracruz port.

   thanks in advance.

   Alfredo Zermeno B.

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 10:50:24 EST
From:    Doug McCabe <[email-masked]>
Subject: Untold Stories f/TLD, Pt. 8

                   Ohio University Electronic Communication

   Date:  03-Jan-1995 10:50am EST

     To:  Remote Addressee                     ( _MX%"[email-masked]" )

   From:  Doug McCabe                                Dept:  Library
          MCCABE                                   Tel No:  (614) 593-2715

Subject:  Untold Stories f/TLD, Pt. 8

    [There are, of course, many other untold stories sleeping in the files
    of the Ryan Collection and all these installments represent just a few
    (and not always the best) of the personal accounts of real experiences
    of battle.  I'll try, as time becomes available, to bring out more of
    these facinating stories.]

    REACTION FROM THE OTHER SIDE

         General Reichert thought the normandy invasion was a 'raid' aimed
    at creating a diversion to suck various German units into the vortex
    and that the real spearhed of the attack would follow elsewhere.  He
    ordered his divisions NOT to attack because he knew there were two
    panzer divisions in reserve.  He spent most of D-Day waiting for these
    two divisions to attack because he was convinced that they would throw
    the invaders back into the sea.
         - interview with General Reichert, Commander, German 15th Army

         "On D-Day there was great confusion due to contradictory orders
    and contradictory strategic concepts, and the total lack of
    coordination which prevailed throughout the German command channels."
                        - Lt. Gen. Feuchtinger, German 21st Panzer Div.

         "It was two _Russian_ battalions near Meauvaines that broke and as
    a result the whole German front collapsed."
                                  - Lt. Gen. Richter, German 716th Div.

         At the end of the day Captain Hummerich had grave doubts that the
    war was over, but he decided that he "must keep smiling."
                        - interview with Capt. Hummerich, German 709th Div.

         "On the evening of the 6th, I personally was convinced that the
    war was over."
                   - Admiral Krancke, Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy

    And then dawned a new day, this time signaling the beginning of the end
    on the Western Front.

    Doug

Received:  03-Jan-1995 10:50am

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 11:51:07 EST
From:    Roger Coon <[email-masked]>
Subject: African POWs in Europe

        While I was looking through the books containing reprints of
the German propaganda magazine, Signal, I noted a number of photos of
French African POWs.  Does anyone on the list know what the fate of
these prisoners was?  Thanks in advance,
Brad Coon

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 12:06:00 EST
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: Revisionism, Again

I picked the following up from the sci.military newsgroup on Usenet.
Any comments?

Jack McKillop

>From the December 19, 1994, Baltimore Sun (reprinted without permission):

 On the editorial page:

 Theo Lippman, Jr.,

 I highly recommend the exhibit at the Smithsonian on the 50th anniversary
 of the Battle of the Bulge.  I have to warn you, though, that like all
 things connected with war, it's not always pretty.
 For example, there is one mural-size photograph of dead German soldiers
 lying in the Belgian snow.  According to the Smithsonian's exhibit
 catalog, this picture depicts the results of "a skirmish in which over
 300 brave young Germans, fighting to defend their homeland and unique
 culture (Nazism, See Page 139) from invading American hordes, were
 slaughtered by blood-thirsty U.S. paratroopers, some of whom were
 descendents of cavalry-men who practiced genocide against peaceful Native
 Americans in the 19th century."
 Another mural shows the famous scene when a German officer brings a
 message to the American commander at Bastogne (site of the "bulge", a
 German counter-offensive), Gen. Anthony McAuliffe.  Beside the mural is
 what is said to be a replica of the now lost message from the German
 commander.  According to the catalog, that message was actually an offer
 to surrender.
 Also on display is the message General McAuliffe sent back:  "Nuts!"
 The catalog says that according to some witnesses to the exchange of
 messages, McAuliffe delivered this spoken reply, too:  "We won't let you
 surrender!  And we won't stop fighting until every last one of you
 stinking foreigners is dead!"
 A footnote says McAuliffe "may have been acting on direct orders from
 General Dwight Eisenhower, who smoked four packs of cigarettes a day."
 Another display is a diorama of a section of the Ardennes Forest.  Many
 destroyed trees.  Abandoned Jeeps and tanks everywhere and some discarded
 C-rations containers.  The catalog notes that "Americans, unlike Germans,
 were notorious litter-bugs who had no respect for the environment."
 All in all, it's an interesting exhibit, and it puts things in a context
 I hadn't thought of before.  Some critics say it is a mis-reading of
 history by historians too young to remember the war, but I say, every
 generation has to interpret events in accordance with its own values.
 I don't criticize the Smithsonian for most of the exhibit, but I think
 maybe they went a little too far with one display:
 Hitler, himself, may have suggested the surrender, the Smithsonian says,
 in an accompanying exhibit of several of his vegetarian menus and his
 membership card in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  Also a
 photograph of him helping a little old lady across the street.
 These are displayed next to pictures of President Roosevelt eating a big
 ham sandwich and a platter of fried chicken.  Accompanying them are
 pictures of stockyard workers slaughtering hogs and a cook wringing the
 neck of a hen.  "Like most American workers of the day," the catalog
 states, "especially blacks and women, the ones pictured here were denied
 adequate health insurance."

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 09:13:14 -0800
From:    Ellen Shepard <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Aol And Delphi

You wrote:

>
>I am considering America On Line and Delphi for internet access.
>But I do not like giving them my credit card number.  Any advice?
>Any experiences you can tell me, either good or bad?
>
>Reply privately if you prefer.
>         [email-masked]
>
> * RoboBOARD/FX 1.04
>
>

I have tried both delphi and AOL.  However, for extensive research you want to
be hooked up to www and the whole internet.  try netcom who uses netcruiser.
it is 19.95 per month, but you get 40 hours per month, plus all free hours during
the weekend.  aol is very easy and friendly if you do not need complete access
to the internet.  i found dephi not as user friendly if you use windows.  hope
this is of assistance.

ellen

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 12:25:11 EST
From:    Mike Fetters <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Enola Gay Exhibit

The opening date for the exhibition "The Last Act: The Atomic Bomb and
the End of World War II" has not yet been determined. The Museum still
intends to open the exhibition in May, but specific opening dates are
still under discussion. The Museum hopes to be able to announce an
official opening date by the end of January. The May 1 date is
incorrect. I appreciate the heads up and have called our Visitor
Information office to make sure that more incorrect information is not
given out. Thank you.

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 16:32:26 EST
From:    Mike Fetters <[email-masked]>
Subject: Revisionism, Again

FROM THE BALTIMORE SUN, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 1995
(reprinted without permission)

"Like many readers, I misinterpreted the column written by Theo Lippman
Jr. I was so concerned about the content of the column, I contacted the
Smithsonian Institution to protest the exhibit.
  That is how I learned that Mr. Lippman's column was meant to be
satirical. The Smithsonian does not currently have an exhibit such as
Mr. Lippman describes, nor does it plan to at any time in the future.
Regrettably, I believe this column has generated a great deal of
confusion and has caused undue alarm to our veterans, who have served so
honorably when their country called." Barbara A. Mikulski, Washington
The writer is a U.S. Senator from Maryland

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 21:26:42 -0500
From:    Thomas Pike <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Untold Stories f/TLD, Pt. 8

I'm a big fan of C. Ryans. Do you work where his records are archives?

Thomas Pike/Washington D.C.
MILARCHIVE

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

Date:    Tue, 3 Jan 1995 23:49:11 EST
From:    "Carl Wernke - [email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: IJN Radio Silent to Pearl Harbor

 A late response to John De Virgilio's earlier post about the U.S.Navy's
 ability to read the JN-25 : (3) Does anyone know on what date/hour that the
 ADM Yamamoto flight itinerary was intercepted by American Intelligence ?
 Please inform RADM Koyama the following:
 At 1755, 13 April 1943, the Navy monitor at Wahiawa radio station used an
 ingenious typewriter with the "Kana" keyboard in Japanese, which
 simultaneously cut a teletype tape; this tape, in turn, was fed into a
 transmitter and sent automatically to Combat Intelligence, where a talented
 group of code-crackers whose code name was Hypo, who started the
 cryptanalysts and translators in Washington, working simultaneously with
 those in Hawaii, discovered its secrets within five hours. --- Yamamoto had
 forcast a year to eighteen months of Japanese victories after the
 destruction of the U.S.Pacific Fleet. It was one year, four months and
 eleven days after Pearl Harbor when he was killed, and after him there were
 no major Japanese victories; there were only growing disasters, coming
 ever nearer the home islands.

 Source: _Get Yamamoto_, by Burke Davis.

 Carl Wernke
 [email-masked]

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End of WWII-L Digest - 2 Jan 1995 to 3 Jan 1995
***********************************************