WW II Historical Thread, Discussion, Pics, Videos

[Jeff Head]

“

Operation Overlord, (June 1944)

I have always liked this photo of the D-Day landings. Speaks volumes about the immense amphibious effort there.

Huge, complicated, dangerous, an, ultimately, immensely successful.

Still, in the major landings themselves...upwards of 10,000 troops were lost.

But the beachhead was expanded for use afterwards.

The British built HUGE artificial harbors, called Mulberry Harbors at great expense in England and had all the parts towed to Normandy and kept off the coast until the landings were secured. They were in operation by June 9-10, a few days after the landings.

The US one, Mulberry A was destroyed by a very severe storm between June 19 and June 22, 1944, only two weeks after the landings. But the British one, Mulberry B, or Port Winston as it became known (and I will add a note at the end on why it was called that), continued to operate until the end of the war. They were marvels of engineering.

Mulberry B, or Port Winston off Normandy in September 1944
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Those long causeways, which had a very unique, very flexible design, allowed tanks, trucks, heavy equipment, etc. to off load in water deep enough for the large transports, and then drive ashore.

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This essentially created a deep water harbor where there had been none. Further off, artifial breakers were in place to protect the whole thing from large swells. T

The one storm off of Omaha Beach near Mulberry A, proved too severe...and this was the result:

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Many parts were salvaged from Mulberry A and used to keep Mulberry B operating for the duration. In the end, after the landings, 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles and 4 million tons of goods came ashore there.

The Germans, principally through sub activity, continued to attack and try and hamper the effort. Over 400 WWII wrecks litter the sea floor off of Normandy...the majority of them lost after the major landings.

So, here is why it was called Port Winston.

Winston Churchill, the prime Minister of England, insisted that they be built. He had engineers working on this over two years before the landings and they ultimately told him it could not be done in the time frame requested.

Churchill would not relent. He sent a short, terse message to his engineers:

Regarding these Piers for use on beaches. They must float up and down with the tide. The anchor problem must be mastered. Let me have the best solution worked out. Don't argue the matter. The difficulties will argue for themselves.

One of the leading US Admirals, Admiral John Hall, thought it would be a colossal waste of effort and money, and that they would be wrecked. His message was:

I think it’s the biggest waste of manpower and equipment that I have ever seen. I can unload a thousand LSTs at a time over the open beaches. Why give me something that anybody who’s ever seen the sea act upon 150-ton concrete blocks at Casablanca knows the first storm will destroy? What’s the use of building them just to have them destroyed and litter up the beaches?

But, even though he was proven right after the storm destroyed (ironically) the US Mulberry Harbor off of Omaha, he was then proven wrong in the end, and Churchill's persistence allowed all of the men, equipment, and material to start coming ashore within four days of the landings, without having to secure a large port so soon, and to continue for the duration.

Here is an EXCELLENT site about the Mulberry Harbors. A veruy interesting and informative read:

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[Miragedriver]

Excellent post Jeff. I thought I knew things about the D-Day invasion, however I just learned something new

 

[Miragedriver]

Corporal Charles H. Johnson of the US 783rd Military Police Battalion, waves on a 'Red Ball Express' motor convoy rushing priority material to the forward areas, near Alencon, France. September 5, 1944.

After the breakout of Normandy in July 1944, an acute shortage of supplies on both fronts governed all operations. Some 28 divisions were advancing across France and Belgium, each ordinarily requiring 700-750 tons a day. Patton's 3rd Army was soon grinding to a halt from lack of fuel and ordnance.

The key to pursuit was a continuous supply of fuel and ordnance, thus leading to the 'Red Ball Express'.

The 'Red Ball Express' was conceived in a 36-hour brain-storming session. It lasted only 3 months from August to November, 1944, but without it, the campaign in the European Theater could have dragged on for years.

At the peak of its operation, it was running 5,938 vehicles carrying 12,342 tons of supplies to forward depots daily.
(US. Army Transportation Museum)


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[Miragedriver]

The Crew of Avro Lancaster Mk.I HK576 AA-G - 1944/45

(Back row l-r)
F/O John Rees Layton, RNZAF NZ425914 – Pilot.
F/S Leslie Dixon Moore , RNZAF NZ421327 – Rear Gunner.
Sgt F. Samuel , RAFVR – Flight Engineer.
W/O Clive Woodward Estcourt, RNZAF NZ391045 – Air Bomber.
(Front row l-r)
Sgt. Lloyd Edward Anger, RCAF R.200903 – Navigator. (or F/Sgt John Christie, RNZAF NZ4212829.)
F/S David Onslow Light, RNZAF NZ4212848 – Mid Upper Gunner.
F/S Ta Tio "Tai" Tuaine Nicholas, RNZAF NZ425658 – Wireless Operator.


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[delft]

This looks pretty good... interviews with soldiers and civilians who were there...
Stalingrad... 2 and a half hours documentary in English

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Question, a small one:
At about 2:00:00 we see the wings of a biplane and I don't think these played a role in the air bridge. Beside they look to me like the wings of an An-2, the first prototype of which only flew in 1947. Can anyone identify them with certainty?

 

[delft]

Corporal Charles H. Johnson of the US 783rd Military Police Battalion, waves on a 'Red Ball Express' motor convoy rushing priority material to the forward areas, near Alencon, France. September 5, 1944.

After the breakout of Normandy in July 1944, an acute shortage of supplies on both fronts governed all operations. Some 28 divisions were advancing across France and Belgium, each ordinarily requiring 700-750 tons a day. Patton's 3rd Army was soon grinding to a halt from lack of fuel and ordnance.

The key to pursuit was a continuous supply of fuel and ordnance, thus leading to the 'Red Ball Express'.

The 'Red Ball Express' was conceived in a 36-hour brain-storming session. It lasted only 3 months from August to November, 1944, but without it, the campaign in the European Theater could have dragged on for years.

At the peak of its operation, it was running 5,938 vehicles carrying 12,342 tons of supplies to forward depots daily.
(US. Army Transportation Museum)


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The Allies passed the Channel ports and went to the big port of Antwerp, that they took easily. But then that port proved to be useless until the connection to the sea could be secured and that took a very long time. Antwerp was taken on September4, but the Battle of the Scheldt only began October 2 and was completed on November 8, after which the mines had to be swept from the waterway. The first convoy entered Antwerp on November 28. Taking one of the other ports in Northern France or Belgium would have been much better. And delaying the Scheldt battle because of the priority given to Market Garden was a blunder.

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BTW I visited Walcheren with a party of the Dutch Society of Maritime History in 1974. I was taken along by a friend who was a member.

 

[Miragedriver]

A Panzer crew, belonging to 1./s.SS-Pz.Abt.101 "Leibstandarte-SS-Adolf-Hitler" are here seen camouflaging their Panzer VI 'Tiger' tank with tree branches in the vicinity of Villers-Bocage, Normandy, in June 1944.

Date unconfirmed but possibly taken on the 14th of June, on the Ancienne Route de Caen (the old Caen Road), where Michael Wittmann's company spent the night of 12/13 June.
(Source - Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-738-0275-09A)


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[Miragedriver]

A knocked out Panzer V 'Panther' Ausf. A (Nº215) aka "Ingrid" of 2 Kompanie I/Pz.Rgt.6 then serving with Pz-Lehr Division, 19th July 1944.

It was attacked by US P-47 Thunderbolts on the 11th of July 1944 near Le Dézert in Normandy.

It is being viewed by a group of GIs, MPs and P-47 pilots of the 366th Fighter Group located at the Saint-Pierre-du-Mont A1 airfield.


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[Player 0]

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KMT veterans to be invited to attend V-Day parade
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) 12:24, June 23, 2015
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BEIJING, June 23 -- Some Kuomintang (KMT) veterans will take part in a military paradein Tian'anmen Square on Sept. 3 on the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II,according to parade organizers on Tuesday.

"KMT troops played an important role in the Chinese People's War of Resistance againstJapanese Aggression," Major-general Qu Rui, one of the parade organizers, said at a pressconference.

This year, the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistanceagainst Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, will be the first time Chinahas held a parade to commemorate the events.

Japan signed the formal surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, and China celebrated its victory thefollowing day. After the war, KMT forces led by Chiang Kai-shek were defeated in a civilwar by the Communist Party of China and fled to Taiwan in 1949.

 

[Miragedriver]

During ww2, the Luftwaffe tested some versions of his famous dive bomber JU-87 Stuka. The link below provides a small collection of pictures, some rare and unknown to me, these versions. I hope you enjoy.

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