If your wife gave ya that... you're one lucky duck!!!!
Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
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stirlingsmg
Member
- Location
- East Central Alberta
Lots of SMLE rifles floating around that part of the world, I watched a short YouTube video several years ago about a squad of US Marines in Afghanistan, under fire from a SMLE at long range, though a old weapon, definitely not to be underestimated if the shooter know his stuff and has good quality ammo
FW-200 Condor. Sleek, pretty, limited firepower, but the range and loitering capacity made Churchill call it the "scourge of the Atlantic."
Fortunately, too expensive and time consuming to produce in significant numbers. Hitler had one converted to be his personal "Nazi Force One" executive transport.
Fortunately, too expensive and time consuming to produce in significant numbers. Hitler had one converted to be his personal "Nazi Force One" executive transport.
fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The Siege of Calais, May 1940.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Calais_(1940)
It seems the Allied destroyer flotillas were involved in naval gunfire support at Boulogne mainly.
You can infer what it might have been like in Calais at that time from reading the article.
The Condor was found wanting when it faced Allied fighters. Good enough through Spring 1941 I guess.
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fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Two battle wagons of 'The Battle of the Ports', May 1940.
HMS Venomous
HMS Whitshed
As if the evacuation of Allied soldiers was not enough, HMS Venomous took aboard a cargo of ASW warfare equipment(?) and a cargo of machinery from a rayon factory, while evacuating Allied soldiers from Calais.
Both of these ships battled against tanks of the 2nd Panzer Division with their 4.7 " guns in Boulogne Harbour, as well as enemy field guns and infantry. It is said HMS Venemous scored a direct hit on a German tank, sending it back 'like a child doing backflips.' < Apparently this has been verified as actually having happened according to a variety of eyewitness accounts. It must have been quite a metalstorm.
The ASW equipment was possibly a 'loop station' the RN had in France. It sounds like it may have been an early type of magnetic anomaly detector.
HMS Venomous
HMS Whitshed
As if the evacuation of Allied soldiers was not enough, HMS Venomous took aboard a cargo of ASW warfare equipment(?) and a cargo of machinery from a rayon factory, while evacuating Allied soldiers from Calais.
Both of these ships battled against tanks of the 2nd Panzer Division with their 4.7 " guns in Boulogne Harbour, as well as enemy field guns and infantry. It is said HMS Venemous scored a direct hit on a German tank, sending it back 'like a child doing backflips.' < Apparently this has been verified as actually having happened according to a variety of eyewitness accounts. It must have been quite a metalstorm.
The ASW equipment was possibly a 'loop station' the RN had in France. It sounds like it may have been an early type of magnetic anomaly detector.
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stirlingsmg
Member
- Location
- East Central Alberta
My dad was at Boulogne, aged 20 with 2nd Battalion, Welsh Guards, he talked about the destroyers giving fire support, with their 4.7 inch guns and Lewis guns , also being under attack from the Stuka dive bombers with their screaming sirens , the RAF was present and helped break up several attacks, being fired on by what he called 5th Columnists , either French or Germans , some of whom were captured and shotTwo battle wagons of 'The Battle of the Ports', May 1940.
HMS Venomous
HMS Whitshed
As if the evacuation of Allied soldiers was not enough, HMS Venomous took aboard a cargo of ASW warfare equipment(?) and a cargo of machinery from a rayon factory, while evacuating Allied soldiers from Calais.
Both of these ships battled against tanks of the 2nd Panzer Division with their 4.7 " guns in Boulogne Harbour, as well as enemy field guns and infantry. It is said HMS Venemous scored a direct hit on a German tank, sending it back 'like a child doing backflips.' < Apparently this has been verified as actually having happened according to a variety of eyewitness accounts. It must have been quite a metalstorm.
The ASW equipment was possibly a 'loop station' the RN had in France. It sounds like it may have been an early type of magnetic anomaly detector.
His company , No.1 company were able to fight their way down to the docks, and were evacuated by the destroyer, HMS Wild Swan, however several companies of his battalion were cut off & out of ammunition , unable to make it to down to the docks and were taken prisoner
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fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
A scandal where there is none?
A Norwegian government article detailing the care of the war dead of Norway:
https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topic...raves/foreign-war-graves-in-norway/id2550357/
An article critical of the exhumation and reburial of the Soviet WWII war dead of Norway:
https://s2pu.com/index.php/en/ww2/120-the-action-of-shame-action-asphalt
Even today, the remains of Canadian WWI war dead are being discovered or rediscovered, exhumed, and reburied with full honours.
***************
Operation Aerial, the Allied evacuation from Western and Southern France during the Summer of 1940 you were unaware of.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Aerial
One estimate is that as many as 6,500 people went down with the HMT Lancastria when she was sunk by enemy action off St. Nazaire. Another estimate says over 3,500 people. The actual number will probably never be known.
These sinkings speak to something.
A Norwegian government article detailing the care of the war dead of Norway:
https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topic...raves/foreign-war-graves-in-norway/id2550357/
An article critical of the exhumation and reburial of the Soviet WWII war dead of Norway:
https://s2pu.com/index.php/en/ww2/120-the-action-of-shame-action-asphalt
Even today, the remains of Canadian WWI war dead are being discovered or rediscovered, exhumed, and reburied with full honours.
***************
Operation Aerial, the Allied evacuation from Western and Southern France during the Summer of 1940 you were unaware of.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Aerial
One estimate is that as many as 6,500 people went down with the HMT Lancastria when she was sunk by enemy action off St. Nazaire. Another estimate says over 3,500 people. The actual number will probably never be known.
These sinkings speak to something.
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Heh, a couple of days ago I had a YouTube short suggested to me showing a PYT going through the process of putting those waves in her hair 1920's "Flapper Girl" style. Quite the process. To think of those gals putting an hour in every morning to look good for the factory floor is exhausting.
fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Tabular record of movement, IJN Agumi (late WWII Japanese corvette)
https://www.combinedfleet.com/Aguni_t.htm
(See the entry for 27th of May 1945)
Lieutenant Commander George L. Hicks, USN.
https://www.earlyaviators.com/pimagw49.htm
OAKLAND FLIER AND BUDDY
SINK 7 JAP SHIPS, HIT 2
By VERN HAUGLAND
OKINAWA, May 27.------(Delayed)
---(AP)---Two Navy Privateer search planes, sweeping "the last hunting ground for Japanese ships," along the Korean Coast, sunk seven enemy vessels, including a destroyer, and damaged two others today.
Most of the ships were fairly small, so the total tonnage sunk probably didn't exceed 5000. However, it was a record in numbers which included a warship, a type of vessel not normally attacked by these planes.
Five freighter type ships were sunk and two damaged by Privateers piloted by Lieut. Comdr. Hicks, 3275 Dakota Street, Oakland, and Lieut. Leo Kennedy, Ethlyn, Missouri.
Turning homeward with just one bomb left--a 1000-pounder in Kennedy's plane--they sighted two destroyers of a fairly new class 30 miles off Korea. The ships were heading north toward Kyushu.
Hicks strafed one of the destroyer's gun crews heavily, enabling Kennedy to make a good, straight bombing run.
The bombardier, ARM 2c, Gerald M. Kenyon, Owatonna, Minn., dropped his thousand-pounder smack amidships. The tail gunner, S1c Perry Goodson, Cusseta, Ala., saw the ship explode and sink.
The planes, out of explosives, had to let the other destroyer get away. The thousand-pound bomb blew the bow completely off the destroyer, Hicks said.
"We strafed all the freighters and the gunners set three of them afire," he added. "In fact, one ship was sunk entirely by strafing. It's easy to miss with a bomb, but those armor-piercing 50 calibers don't miss, specially from mast-height, which is how we attacked."
Lt. Kennedy was killed in action off the coast of China on their second tour.
Oakland Airman Gets Gold Star for D.F.C.
Lieut. Comdr. George L. Hicks, 32, of 3275 Dakota Street, has received the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Gold Star in lieu of the second D.F.C.
A veteran of more than eight years of naval service, Hicks was given the Gold Star in October for what was described as a daring, single-plane attack on an 11-ship enemy convoy last June.
"While piloting a Liberator bomber on a search mission," an official report related, "he sighted the Japanese ships west of Truk and tore right into them. He received a warm response as anti-aircraft fire blazed all around him, but he kept working on his targets despite the fact that his plane was hit several times."
"The Oakland flier dived after the largest ship first, scoring a direct bomb hit and one near-miss that sent the 7,000 ton vessel to the bottom. He repeatedly strafed the convoy, damaging a destroyer and other ships in the group."
Hicks is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hicks of 22235 Baywood Avenue, Hayward.
His wife, Charlotte, and their son, Lloyd Leighton Hicks, live at the Dakota Street address.
The flier is a graduate of the University of California. He saw action of Wake, Saipan, Truk, the Bonins and Kwajalein.
This is from the Oakland Tribune, May 29, 1945
The Agumi survived the attack, though.
The Mk 57 was one of the better gen zero Allied guided bombs. Its RADAR seeker was easily confused by ground clutter. It was taken out of service around the end of the open combat phase of the Korean War.
The AZON was probably more reliable but it was MCLOS, and required clear skies and good visibility so it made bomber crews jittery.
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- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
Associated Equipment Company Armoured Car Mk I
Honey... just going to the store...
Oh, that's the 5th time today!
fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The big turret - flipping hazard? There was no belly armour for the engine. All the AEC armoured cars were donated to friendly countries after WWII combat ended. The UK required quick quiet low slung recce vehicles.
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