What happened today?

11th November 1937

Messerschmidt Bf109 V13, using a modified boosted DB601 engine, sets a new World Speed Record of 379.38 mph.



11th November 1940

In a surprise attack by the Fleet Air Arm, using outdated Swordfish bi-planes, armed with torpedos and bombs, the Italian fleet at Taranto is severely crippled. Three out of the six battleships at anchor in the harbour are sunk.

11th November 1942

Following the successfull "Operation Torch" alndings in North Africa. French authorities in North West Africa sign an armistice with the Allied forces. All resistance ends by 7.00am. The US 3rd Division enters Casablanca. That same day, German forces enter unoccupied France (Operation Anton) seizing control in Vichy, Lyons, Limogues and other strategic towns and cities.

12th November 1933

In general elections held throughout Germany, the Nazi Party receives an overwhelming 92 percent of the vote.

12th November 1940

Royal Navy cruisers and destroyers attack an Italian convoy in the Straits of Otranto. Four merchant ships are sunk.

The German General Staff prepare plans for operations in Greece following the failure of the Italian invasion.

12th November 1943

German forces invade Leros in the Dodecanese. The British-Italian garrison surrenders after four days of heavy fighting.

12th November 1944

29 RAF Lancasters, from No's 9 and 617 Squadrons, with their armour removed and extra fuel tanks added, attack the German battleship Tirpitz, resting at anchor in a fjord near Tromso, Norway. Several 12,000 pound Tallboy bombs hit the ship, causing her to turn turtle and sink. Over 1000 German sailors are trapped inside.

 

Nice picture of a Uffz with Pilots Badge and EK2.

 

Ahhh Sniper - you beat me to it !

http://www.framingfox.com/sinnictrud.html

A copy signed by Tony Iveson is on my study wall. Here's to 617 and 9....

 

13th November 1942

In North Africa, the British 8th Army reaches Tobruk, followed by Tmimi on the 14th.

13th November 1944

US aircraft from three carrier squadrons begin a two day assault on Japanese installations around Manila dn central Luzon Island, in the Phillipines.

14th November 1939

Following her politically aggressive stance against Finland, which had continued for almost 2 months, the Soviet Union is expelled from the League of Nations.

14th November 1940

449 German bombers carry out a massive raid on the British city of Coventry. 540 civilians are killed, and scores more injured, over 2000 homes are destroyed and the city centre left in flames. Many historical buildings are damaged or destroyed by fire, including the 14th century cathedral.

14th November 1941

Sinking of the Ark Royal. Whilst returning from an aircraft ferrying mission to Malta, the British aricraft carrier HMS Ark Royal is torpedoed by U-81 in the Mediterranean. Having been taken under tow, the ship remains afloat for almost 30 hours, finally sinking on the 14th November, 25 miles from Gibraltar. Only one naval rating is lost.

_____________

Believe me, Lang, the first twenty-four hours of the invasion will be decisive…for the Allies as well as Germany it will be the longest day - Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, April 1944

 

15th November 1942

First flight of the Heinkel He 219 (Uhu) night fighter prototype. Originally a private venture by Heinkel, the He 219 finally received recognition after conversion for use as a night fighter. The He 219 was the first aircraft in the world to, operationally, be fitted with ejector seats. Reportedly, on the night the aircraft entered operational service, Major Werner Streib, flying a He 219 with 1 Gruppe Nachtjagdgeschwader accounted for 5 RAF bombers. On landing his aircraft's flaps refused to operate and both Major Streib and his co-pilot ejected safely from the plane. Approximately 300 He 219s were built before production ceased in 1944.



Off Guadalcanal, an entire convoy of Japanese transports ships is destroyed by US forces. Four of the eleven transports manage to beach themselves before being destroyed by the combined eforts of US Marine aircraft and artillery.

___________

"There is no cannibalism in the British navy, absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount."

- Sir John Cunningham

 

November 11th – November 12th 1940, Italy.

Swordfish aeroplanes from the HMS Illustrious make a raid in Taranto, attacking the main naval base of the Italian fleet. Three Italian battleships are sunk and two more are put out of order. The Illustrious only loses two Swordfish. When the fleet departs to Naples, the British sink four more ships in the Otranto strait.

November 14th – November 22nd 1940, Greece.

Greece launches a counterattack against the Italians and 3.400 British soldiers and air support arrive from Alexandria, Egypt. When the Greeks entered Koritza they captured 2.000 Italians and they repel nearly all the invaders back to Albania.

November 14th 1940, Great Britain.

The city of Coventry is bombed by 449 bombers. 500 civilians are killed and the city is smashed. This attack terrified the British people.

November 18th 1940, Great Britain.

A British radar device air-surface, adapted to an hydro-plane Sunderland finds its first U-boat in the war during a patrol in the Atlantic.

November 20th 1940, Hungary.

Hungary becomes an Axis ally.

November 23rd 1940, Romania.

Romania becomes an Axis ally.

November 30th 1940, Japan.

Japan recognizes officially the Muppet government of Wang-Ching-Wei in China.

November 1st 1941, Soviet Union.

Army Group South of field Marshall Gerd von Runstedt launches an offensive towards the city of Rostov, the “key of the Caucasus”. The deep and flexible defensive lines of the Soviet IX Army and the low winter temperatures halt the advance. On the 17th a frontal attack from the Soviet Armies IX and XXVI in the North of the city. However, the I Panzer Group of general Ewald von Kleist takes the city on the 21st and in the 29th it is recaptured by the Soviets. Von Runstedt, seeing the situation perfectly orders a retreat and the formation of a defensive line in the river Mius, but Hitler doesn’t accept it. Von Runstedt is sacked and replaced by field Marshall Walter von Reichenau. Later on, after many casualties, the troops had to withdraw to the Mius and form a defensive line there which would hold all the winter, as Von Runstedt had predicted.

November 6th 1941, USA.

$10.000 million dollars are lent to the Soviet Union to fight the war, with the system “Lend and Lease” (spelling?).

November 13th 1941, Mediterranean Sea.
Two U-boats attack the British carriers HMS Ark Royal and Argus on their way to Gibraltar. They had gone to Malta to deploy some planes. The Ark Royal is severely damaged but goes on until, 40 kilometres before Gibraltar a fire begins and finishes with her and 70 aeroplanes.

 

November 18th – November 26th 1941, Libya.

The VIII British Army in Egypt under general sir Allan Cunningham launch the operation “Crusader”, the British counteroffensive to liberate Tobrouk in Cirenaica. The British armoured units suffer some heavy losses in Sidi-Rezegh, South east of Tobrouk since the 19th to the 23rd. On the 22nd, the Tobrouk garrison attacks the Italian troops surrounding them to get to the lines of the VIII Army. Rommel attacks the British flanks but suffers heavy losses and retreats. On the 26th, general Cunningham is replaced by general Neil Ritchie.

November 2nd – November 24th 1942, Egypt, Libya.

Field Marshall Erwin Rommel decides to withdraw form El Alamein because his severe lack of supplies. After he received the order from Berlin and Rome: “to hold until the last man” he post-pones it 48 hours but after some enemy attacks he finally starts his retreat to Tobrouk, Benghazi and El Agheila on the 24th. The Axis forces have lost 59.000 men (killed, wounded or captured and nearly all their equipment; the Italian armoured divisions no longer exist and the Germans only have a few tanks). The VIII Army lost nearly 13.000 men. El Alamein is the first (and only by themselves) British victory in the war.

November 5th 1942, Madagascar.

The Vichy France’s forces that hold the Island, surrender.

November 8th – November 11th 1942, Morocco, Algeria.

Three Allied combat groups (including five aircraft carriers) land 34.000 American soldiers near Casablanca, Morocco, 39.000 British and American soldiers (including an airbourne unit) in Oran, Algeria and other 33.000 in Argel. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander pretends to have the North West of Africa from Vichy France to sweep North Africa of Axis forces and take the war to the Mediterranean.



November 11th 1942, France.

Italian and German forces occupy Vichy France to avoid its invasion from Northern Africa.

November 12th – November 14th 1942, Solomon Isles.

An American naval force of destroyers and cruisers causes serious damages to a Japanese flotilla of 18 battleships that tries to bombard Henderson Field, in Guadalcanal. Also, 11.000 American troops go ashore.

November 17th – November 22nd 1942, Tunisia.

British airborne troops are launched in Souk-el-Arba and gather into a little Allied advance towards Bizerta, but thousands of German reinforcements of Von Arnim’s V Panzer Army are reaching Tunisia everyday. On the 28th, they are 30 kilometres away from Tunisia, but the attacking force is too weak; the reinforcements from Argel are delayed because of the rain season and the Axis forces launch severe counterattacks.

November 1st – November 2nd 1943, Pacific Ocean.

A Japanese force of three heavy cruisers, a light cruiser and six destroyers try to avoid the landings in Bougainville, in Empress Augusta’s bay. The lack of radar and many complicated manoeuvres allow the American Operation Group 39 to sink the light cruiser and a destroyer. Two heavy cruisers and a destroyers are damaged. Just one of the 12 American ships is damaged.

November 5th – November 11th 1943, Pacific Ocean.

Operation Group 38 of counter admiral Frederick C. Sherman, with aircraft carriers USS Saratoga and USS Princeton attack Rabaul. A surprise air raid of 97 planes hits 8 Japanese cruisers and destroyers of vice admiral Takeo Kurita. A second air raid, launched from the carriers USS Bunker Hill, USS Essex and USS Independence hits Rabaul on the 11th. A light carrier and a destroyer are sunk; another five light cruisers and destroyers are damaged and the Japanese also lose 55 aeroplanes.



Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita

November 6th 1943, Soviet Union.

The Red Army retakes Kiev. The German XVII Army is trapped in the Crimea because Hitler didn’t authorize the withdraw. Two Soviet bridgeheads are created to release Western Ukraine in Kiev and Kremenchug.

November 10th 1943, Aegean Sea.

The island of Kos is now under German control. British destroyers bombard the ships in the docks. The German depart now fort Leros. The strong air-support help the Germans to stabilise their positions.

November 15th 1943, Italy.

The supreme Allied commander in the Mediterranean, general sir Harold Alexander orders the XV Army Group to stop for reorganisation and rest after the exhaustive fight.



November 16th 1943, Aegean Sea.

Germany conquests Leros and defeats the British try to get the Dodecanesus. Great Britain, because of the bad planning and strong enemy air support losses 4.800 casualties, 20 ships and 115 aeroplanes. Germany suffers 4.000 casualties during the whole campaign, along with 12 merchant ships and 20 landing crafts.

November 18th – November 26th 1943, Solomon Isles.

In the battle of Piva Forks, in Bougainville, the Japanese try desperately to get the strong position in Cibik hill, they fail and the Americans take the position.

November 8th 1944, Belgium.

The I Canadian Army sweeps entirely the river Scald. 41.000 prisoners are taken and there are 12.873 Canadian casualties.
November 9th 1944, France.

The American III Army of general George S. Patton crosses the river Mosele with half a million men and 500 tanks.

November 11th – November 12th 1944, Iwo-Jima.

The American fleet bombards the island for the first time.

November 12th 1944, Norway.

Lancaster bombers of the RAF squadrons 9th and 617th attack and sink the last German battleship, the Tirpitz in Altenfjord, killing 1.100 men of its crew.

 

16th November 1941

German Army group South captures Kerch, on the Crimean peninsula.

17th November 1937

Lord Halifax visits Adolf Hitler regarding Germany's claims for Sudetenland. This meeting marks the beginning of Britain and France's attempts at appeasing German claims for territory.

17th November 1941

British commandos carry out a raid on Rommel's North African headquarters. After a short fire fight the British discover that they have missed their prey.

_______________

Believe me, Lang, the first twenty-four hours of the invasion will be decisive…for the Allies as well as Germany it will be the longest day - Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, April 1944

 

18th November 1936

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini officially recognise Franco's government in Spain.

18th November 1942

In North Africa, the British 8th Army reaches the town of Cyrene.

18th November 1943

RAF bombers drop 350 4,000lb bombs on Berlin. The "Battle of Berlin" begins. The bombing campaign against the German capital will continue until the 24th of March 1944.



18th November 1944

The US 3rd Army crosses the frontier into Germany.

_______________

Why should I demoralize him (the enemy) by military means if I can do so better and more cheaply in other ways - Adolf Hitler

 

Not World War 2...
14th November-Lt Col Hal Moore leads 1st Bn, 7th US Cavalry Regt into the 'Valley Of Death', Ia Drang Valley.

 

19th November 1940

The Greek Army drives the Italian invaders back across Kalarnas. Heavy fighting between Greek and Italian forces is taking place near Koritsa in ALbania.

19th November 1941

In North Africa, Operation crusader is launched by General Alan Cunningham's 8th Army in Cyrenaica

19th November 1942

At 7.30 am, on the morning of the 19th of November, 3,500 Russian guns and mortars begin a devastating 80 minute barrage of the Rumanian 3rd Army, holding the northern flank of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. Masses of Russian infantry, supported by T-34's crush the dazed Roumanians, and force a general retreat along the entire front. The Roumanian 3rd Army is decimated, taking over 55,000 casualties in the assault.

20th November 1940

The RAF bombs the Skoda works near Pilsen in Bohemia.

20th November 1941

Japanese negotiators in Washington present the US Government with an ultimatum, regarding the US embargos on Japanese trade.

20th November 1942

Ar 10.00 am on the 20th of November, 1000 Katyusha salvoes signal the beginning of another massive artillery bombardment, this time aimed at the 4th Roumanian Army, holding the southern flank of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. This bombardment is also followed by mass waves of infantry supported by Russian T-34's. The Roumanian 4th Army fares no better than the 3rd, suffering over 35,000 casualties in this attack, and being forced to retreat along it's entire front.

The encirclement of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad has begun.

20th November 1943

US forces land on the atolls of Makin and Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. The fighting was heavy and deadly. On Tarawa alone, 4 Medals of Honour were awarded to US soldiers. Only 17 wounded Japanese were taken alive. Of the 146 enemy soldiers captured, the majority were Koreans. The remainder of the 4,750 strong garrison choosing to fight to the death. 1000 US marines lost their lives in the battle with over 2000 being wounded.

____________________

Uncommon valor was a common virtue - Admiral Chester Nimitz, after the capture of Iwo Jima

 

22nd November 1943

The heaviest night raid of the war on Berlin takes place. Hundreds of British and Canadian Lancasters, Stirlings, and Halifaxs drop over 2,300 tons of bombs on the German city, in a 30 minute period.

23rd November 1941

Totensonntag (Death Sunday)

Following the failure of the British "Operation Crusader" Rommel's Afrika Korps continues to counter-attack against the British forces.

At 8.00 am, the 15th Panzer Division, followed by the 21st, set of southwestwards for Bir el Gubi, breaking through scattered British units sitting between the 5th South African Brigade and the 1st South African Brigade, laagered some 10 miles apart.

Joining up with the Italian Ariete Division at Bir el Gubi, the Panzer Divisions then turn and move to the north east, and commence their attack on the 5th South African Brigade. In one of the fiercest battles ever fought by the Afrika Korps, the 5th Brigade is overrun and virtually annihilated.

According to reports from his officers, Cruewell and Ravenstein, Rommel's Afrika korps had succeeded in destroying the 7th Armoured Brigade at Sidi Rezegh, the 4th Armoured Brigade near Gabr Saleh, the 22nd Armoured Brigade at Bir el Gubi, and the 5th South African Brigade.

To Rommel the road to Cairo and the Nile was virtually open.

23rd November 1942

Despite fierce and deadly counter-attacks, Russian infantry, supported by tanks and aircraft, complete the encirclement of Stalingrad.

Unknown to the German defenders, the fate of the 6th Army has been sealed.

___________________

Believe me, Lang, the first twenty-four hours of the invasion will be decisive…for the Allies as well as Germany it will be the longest day - Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, April 1944

 

another slaughter in the air over the Reich. The 398th bomb group is jumped by Fw 190's of JG 301, my cousins first mission and incidently JG 301's first mission using the Fw 190 in general. The 398th lose upwards of 12 B-17's with 3 additional CAT E lost. The Fw's are later attacked by the US P-51 escorts and lose a total of 25 a/c with 12 pilots KIA and 8 wounded. JG 301's second mission with the Fw 190A-8 and A-9 in the day fighter role comes on 26 November when my cousin is shot down and killed in action south of Misburg/Hannover against the 445th and 491st B-24's.

E

 

November 26th 1939, Finland.

The USSR and Finland break all diplomatic relations.

November 30th 1939, Finland.

600.000 Soviet soldier, supported by naval and air forces invade Finland in support of the just created Government of the Finnish People of Otto Kussinen, a muppet of the USSR. Soviet planes bombard Helsinki and the Finnish field marshall, Carl Emil Gustav Baron von Mannerheim organises the defense of the country. The Soviets outnumber the Finnish and overwhelm them in weaponry, but the Finnish are going to exploit their terrain knowledge and high morale. The "Mannerheim Line", some fortifications from 1918 stop the main Soviet attack in the Carelian Istmus.

November 26th 1941, Pacific Ocean.

The I Japanesse fleet departs from Kurile Isles on their way to the Hawaiian Isles. The fleet is formed by 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 9 destroyers, 3 submarines and 8 tankers. The aircraft carriers group which is commande by Admirañ Chuichi Nagumo advances 5.500 kilometres undetected.



November 27th - November 28th 1941, Ethiopia.

After an Allied attack on the city of Gondar, the Italian supreme commander, general Nasi orders the surrender of 20.000 of his troops. Now, Ethiopia is totally liberated.

November 20th 1941, Atlantic Ocean.

The first U-boat is sunk by using radar. U-206 is sunk by a British Whitley bomber of squadron 502/B. (According to my book, but it is completely false).

U-206 of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Opitz was sunk by a mine on November 30th 1941 in the Biscay Gulf with all its 46-men-crew lost. The real attack came on U-71 of Korvettenkapitän Walter Flachsenberg which escaped unharmed.

The things you learn...

November 19th 1942, Soviet Union.

The Soviet operation "Uranus" is launched with 10 Armies, 900 tanks and 1.100 planes. The Northern pincer strikes and smashed the Romanian III Army and two days later, on the 22nd the Southern pincer smashed the IV Romanian Army. On the 23rd, both pincers meet at Kalach, encircling 250.000 German and some Romanian soldiers of the German Armies VI and IV Panzer and Romanian Armies III and IV. On November 25th, the air lift to keep the pocket supply starts, but the lack of transports is big, the quantities of supplies are immense, the weather and other conditions are horrible. It would be one of the Luftwaffe biggest disasters.

November 27th 1942, France.

At Toulon, the main port of the French Fleet, 72 ships are scuttled (including 3 battleships) to avoid their capture by the Germans.

November 30th 1942, Pacific Ocean.

In the battle of Tassafaronga, five American heavy cruisers and seven destroyers sink a Japanesse destroyer of a convoy heading Guadalcanal, but they lose four heavy cruisers!

 

November 18th 1943, Germany.

A British bombardment campaign starts. The country will be devastated and many thousands will be killed.

November 20th - November 23rd 1943, Gilbert Isles.

The American Group of Operations 53 lands 18.600 soldiers in Tarawa and Betio, after several days of previous naval and air bombardment. In Tarawa, 4.800 Japanesse troops perfectly resist the attack. There are many, many problems in Tarawa and the island would cost some 1.000 American men killed before conquering the island in the 23rd. The close island of Makin is taken by the US 27th Infantry division.

November 20th - November 24th 1943, Italy.

The Allied attack against Rome goes on but they meet the German dfensive line: the "Gustav line". They achieve to make a bridgehead in the Sangro river.

November 22nd - November 26th 1943, Egypt.

The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, the USA president Franklin D. Roosvelt and Chinesse premier Chiang-Kai-Shek meet in El Cairo, Egypt to discuss the future of Burma and China.







November 24th 1943, Gilbert Isles.

A Japanesse submarine sinks the American escort aircraft carrier U.S.S. Liscombe Bay in front of island Makin with the loss of 644 lifes.

November 25th 1943, Salomon Isles.

In the battle of Cape Saint George, five American destroyers attack a Japanesse transport fleet. The Japanesse lose three ships in Buka, near of Bugainville.

November 28th 1943, Iran.

The 'great three' gather in Teheran, Iran. British prime minister Winston S. Churchill, USA president Franklin D. Roosvelt and USSR premier Iósif Stalin discuss the priorities of the war: Operations "Overlord" and Anvil.



November 24th 1944, Japan.

After two years, since the "Doolitle raid", Tokio is bombed. Now, by the gigantic B-29 superfortresses, based in the Marianne Isles.

[ 23. November 2002, 09:58 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]

 

25th November 1940

First flight of the De Havilland Mosquito prototype.

Only 10 months and 26 days after the detailed design work had commenced, Mosquito prototype W4050, flown by Geoffrey De Havilland Jnr, makes her first flight. Originally envisaged as an unarmed, fast light bomber, the Mosquito was also conceived as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft and as a night fighter.

The first official Mosquito sortie was made on the 20th of September 1941, when a single aircraft carried out a reconnaissance flight over France.

The night fighter version was introduced into operational service with No. 23 (Fighter) Squadron during mid 1942. This was the Mosquito N.F. Mk II. This aircraft carried four 20mm cannon in the front fuselage and four .303 Browning machine guns in the nose.

In total, 7,781 Mosquito’s were built, 6,710 during WW2. The aircraft seeing service in most theatre’s of the war.



Also on the same day in 1940…

In the US, the Martin B-26 Marauder makes her debut. No prototypes of the aircraft are built, over 1000 of the medium bombers being ordered straight off the drawing board.

The first B26’s entered service with the US 22nd Bombardment Group in February 1941. The 22nd made it’s first raid of the war using B-26’s against Rabaul on the 5th of April 1942.

The aircraft served with various allied units, throughout the war, including the RAF Middle East Command., in the western desert.

The B-26 had a cruising speed of 260mph and a service ceiling of 23,500 feet.

Overall 4,708 B-26’s were built during the war.

25th November 1941



The British battleship HMS Barham is sunk by U-331 off Sollum, North Africa.

HMS Barham, sailing with HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant, along with an escort of eight destroyers had left Alexandria, in Egypt with orders to cover the operations of two enemy convoys heading for Benghazi.

The British ships were spotted by U-331, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen just off Sollum. U-331 coming within sonar range of the British ships three times before finally managing to infiltrate the screen of destroyers. Cruising at periscope depth between 2 destroyers, von Tiesenhausen, fired four torpedoes from a range of 1,200 yards, at the middle battleship in the line.

At 4pm, three torpedoes struck the Barham below the waterline, on the port side, causing the ship to take water instantly. A fourth torpedo struck the ship near the port 4 inch gun magazine, causing a fire which began to spread to the main magazines.

The Barham took on a list of 15 degrees, which increased to 30 degrees rapidly.

As the ship rolled over to 90 degrees, the ship was ripped apart by a tremendous explosion ,as the main magazines detonated.

Of the Barham’s crew, 861 officers and men were killed, including her captain, G. C. Cooke. Vice Admiral Pridham Wippell, and 395 other crew were rescued.

Kapitanleutnat von Tiesenhausen and his crew did not know which ship they had sunk, only finding out some months later that it was the Barham. For his role in the sinking he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class.

U-331 was sunk on the 17th November 1942, near Algiers in the Mediterranean. Having been badly damaged by a Hudson aircraft, the U-Boat signalled her surrender to a British seaplane. She was then attacked by aircraft from HMS Formidable. 32 sailors were killed. Von Tiesenhausen and 17 survivors were rescued by the British and spent the rest of the war as POW’s in Canada.

 

26th November 1938

The ongoing non-aggression pact between Russia and Poland is renewed by both governments.

26th November 1941

The Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier task group, under the command of Vice Admiral Nagumo, sails from Japan. Destination: Hawaii.

26th November 1944

In Yugoslavia, Tito agrees to allow the RAF and Royal Navy temporary access to ports and airfields on Yugoslavian soil,in order for the British to press home their attacks on Germany.

In Western Europe, German forces begin the V-1 and V-2 assault on the important port of Antwerp. Scores of V-1's and V-2's are fired at the city in order to disrupt the supply chain to the Allied forces assaulting germany.

In the worst recorded attack, occurring in December '44, 567 civilians and soldiers are killed and 291 injured, when a single V-2 rocket, fired by SS Battery 500, located at Hellendoorn, lands on the Rex Cinema. 296 of those killed are Allied soldiers, another 194 are among the injured.

______________

"We have invaded space with our rocket and for the first time - mark this well - have used space as a bridge between two points on the earth; we have proved rocket propulsion practicable for space travel. This third day of October, 1942, is the first of a new era of transportation, that of space travel." - General Walter Dornberger

 

Hehe Sniper... you 'got' me there with your 23rd Nov posting....

 

Sorry Martin, I know it's your passion, just couldn't help myself.

FYI, here in Sydney, in an outer suburb called Camden, there was (I think still is) a privately owned air museum. Apart from a reasonable collection of mostley RAAF warbirds, they were rebuilding a Mosquito, from the ground up. Haven't been there for a while but I remember they had the wing root section made and I think, the cockpit section under wraps.

If I get a chance over Xmas I might go have a look.

___________________

"Flying is more than a sport and more than a job; flying is pure passion and desire, which fill a lifetime". Adolf Galland

 

27th November 1940

A wave of political assassinations sweeps through Roumania. Prominent anti-fascists are being systematically eliminated by the Roumanian Iron Guard, the local fascist movement in that country.

In the mediterranean, a short skirmish occurs between ships of the Royal Navy and the Italian fleet off Sardinia. The "Battle of Cape Spartivento".

27th November 1941

On the Eastern front, the German offensive against Moscow grinds to a halt in the city's suburbs.

27th November 1942

Following the occupation of Vichy France, German forces enter the French city of Toulon. During the occupation of the city, warships of the French Navy are scuttled by their crews.

_______________

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
- Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)