In Finland, General Timoshenko's troops begin to overrun the second Finnish defensive line.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
1940 Chronology: 27 February
Finland: Towards evening GEneral Mannerheim orders his army to evuate the second defensive line.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Saturday, February 26, 2011
1940 Chronology: 26 February
In view of the attack on the Altmark, Hitler sees Norwegian neutrality as too unreliable. Preperations for Operation Weserubung against Norway and Denmark are therefore accelerated and the Fuehrer signs the first Directive to get it under way.
Germany is interested in Norwegian iron ore as well as in the strategic position of the two Scandinavian countries.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Germany is interested in Norwegian iron ore as well as in the strategic position of the two Scandinavian countries.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
1940 Chronology: 23 February
Finland
The Soviet goverment passes to Finland the finl conditions for peace: Finland must surrender the Karelian isthmus and the borders of Lake Ladoga and grant a 30-year lease to the Soviet Union of the Hanko peninsula; and finally must sign a pact of mutual assistance making the Gulf of Finland strategically secure for both countries. In exchange, the Russians will evacuate the Petsamo area.'
Sweden
Sweden announces officially that it will in no circumstances intervene in the Russian-Finnish conflict and will not allow Allied troops to cross its territory.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
The Soviet goverment passes to Finland the finl conditions for peace: Finland must surrender the Karelian isthmus and the borders of Lake Ladoga and grant a 30-year lease to the Soviet Union of the Hanko peninsula; and finally must sign a pact of mutual assistance making the Gulf of Finland strategically secure for both countries. In exchange, the Russians will evacuate the Petsamo area.'
Sweden
Sweden announces officially that it will in no circumstances intervene in the Russian-Finnish conflict and will not allow Allied troops to cross its territory.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Florida Wires: Man finds WWII era bazooka while tearing down shed
I must say it never occurred to me that a bazooka could explode, any more than a rifle could explode. Now, rifle bullets or bazooka shells, that's another story.
Either a poorly written article and they meant to say that there was no shell in the bazooka, or the writer and the bomb squad folks don't know the first things about bazookas.
From Wikipedia
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the US Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat. Featuring a solid rocket motor for propulsion, it allowed for high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads to be delivered against armored vehicles, machine gun nests, and fortified bunkers at ranges beyond that of a standard thrown grenade or mine. The universally-applied nickname arose from the M9 variant's vague resemblance to the tubular musical instrument of the same name invented and popularized in the 1930s by US comedian Bob Burns. An alternative etymology ascribed the name to the unique sound the weapon made when fired.
During World War II, German armed forces captured several bazookas in early North African encounters and soon reverse engineered their own version, increasing the warhead diameter to 8.8 cm (amongst other minor changes) and widely issuing it as the Raketenpanzerbüchse "Panzerschreck" ("Tank frightener").
Due to the novelty and easy recognition of the name, the term "bazooka" continues to be used informally as a genericized term to refer to any shoulder-launched missile weapon.
The development of the bazooka involved the development of two specific lines of technology: the rocket-powered (recoilless) weapon, and the shaped-charge warhead. It was also designed for easy maneuverability and access.
World War II
The Rocket-Powered Recoilless Weapon was the brainchild of Dr. Robert H. Goddard as a side project (under Army contract) of his work on rocket propulsion. Goddard, during his tenure at Clark University, and while working at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's magnetics lab and Mount Wilson Observatory (for security reasons), designed a tube-fired rocket for military use during World War I. He and his co-worker, Dr. Clarence Hickman, successfully demonstrated his rocket to the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on November 6, 1918, but as the Compiègne Armistice was signed only five days later, further development was discontinued. The delay in the development of the bazooka was as a result of Goddard's serious bout with tuberculosis. Goddard continued to be a part-time consultant to the U.S. Government at Indian Head, Maryland, until 1923, but soon turned his focus to other projects involving rocket propulsion.
The shaped charge
The development of the explosive shaped charge dates back to the work of American physicist Charles Edward Munroe, who did the first practical work on the subject in 1880. This work was augmented in the 1930s by Henry Mohaupt, a Swiss immigrant who worked on shaped-charge explosives design for the US War Department (the predecessor of the Department of Defense).
Mohaupt developed a shaped charge hand grenade for anti-tank use, effective at defeating up to 60 mm (2.4 in) of vehicle armor, thus by far the best such weapon in the world at the time. The grenade was standardized as the M10. However, the M10 grenade weighed 3.5 lb (1.6 kg), was difficult to throw by hand, and too heavy to be launched as a rifle grenade. The only practical way to use the weapon was for an infantryman to place it directly on the tank, an unlikely means of delivery in most combat situations. A smaller, less powerful version of the M10, the M9, was then developed, which could be fired from a rifle. This resulted in the creation of a series of rifle grenade launchers, the M1 (Springfield M1903), M2 (Enfield M1917), and the M7 and M8 (M1 Garand). However, a truly capable anti-tank weapon had yet to be found, and following the lead of other countries at the time, the U.S. Army prepared to evaluate competing designs for a large and powerful anti-tank rifle.
The combination of rocket motor and shaped charge warhead would put paid to Army development of light antitank guns.
Rocket-borne Shaped Charge Weapons Development
In 1942, U.S. Army Colonel Leslie Skinner received the M10 shaped-charge grenade which was capable of stopping German tanks. He tasked Lieutenant Edward Uhl with creating a delivery system for the grenade. Uhl created a small rocket, but needed to protect the firer from the rocket exhaust and aim the weapon. According to Uhl,
"I was walking by this scrap pile, and there was a tube that ... happened to be the same size as the grenade that we were turning into a rocket. I said, That's the answer! Put the tube on a soldier's shoulder with the rocket inside, and away it goes."
Uhl developed the rocket launcher and is known as father of the Bazooka.
Development of the M1 prototype took place in Corcoran Hall at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. with the help of Clarence Hickman who had worked for Goddard. The M1 consisted of a sheet metal tube with a simple wooden stock, hand grips, and sights (replaced by metal in production models), into which the 60.07 mm-diameter (officially designated "M6, 2.36-inch" to avoid confusion with rounds for the 60 mm mortar) rocket grenades were inserted at the rear with trailing electrical leads. The cast steel warhead contained 1.6 lb of Pentolite high explosive. A two-cell dry battery in the wood shoulder rest provided a charge to ignite the rocket when the trigger was pulled; the wires sticking out the back of the round having been connected to two contacts by the assisting loader.
Although the weapon had some reliability and accuracy problems, Ordnance officials were greatly pleased with the penetrative effect of the new M1, which blew the turret off a tank during field trials.The weapon's M6 rocket warhead was capable of penetrating roughly 4.5 inches (112 mm) of armor plate.As a result, the War Department cancelled all plans for anti-tank rifles and in 1942 adopted the M1 rocket launcher and its M6 rocket as standard. The M1 rocket launcher was the first type to see combat use.
By late 1942, the improved Rocket Launcher, M1A1 was introduced. The forward hand grip was deleted, and the design simplified. The production M1A1 was 54 inches (1.37 m) long and weighed only 12.75 pounds (5.8 kg).
The ammunition for the original M1 launcher was the M6, which was notoriously unreliable. The M6 was improved and designated M6A1, and the new ammunition was issued with the improved M1A1 launcher. After the M6, several alternative warheads were introduced. The 2.36-Inch Smoke Rocket M10 and its improved subvariants (M10A1, M10A2, M10A4) used the rocket motor and fin assembly of the M6A1, but replaced the anti-tank warhead with a white phosphorus (WP) smoke head. WP smoke not only acts as a visible screen, but its burning particles can cause burns on human skin. The M10 was therefore used to mark targets, to blind enemy gunners or vehicle drivers, or to drive troops out of bunkers and dugouts.
The 2.36-Inch Incendiary Rocket T31 was an M10 variant with an incendiary warhead designed to ignite fires in enemy-held structures and unarmored vehicles, or to destroy combustible supplies, ammunition, and materiel.
The original M1A1 rocket launcher was equipped with a simple hinged rear sight and fixed front sights, and used a launch tube without reinforcements. During the war, the M1A1 received a number of running modifications. The battery specification was changed to a larger, standard battery cell size, resulting in complaints of batteries getting stuck in the wood shoulder rest (the compartment was later reamed out to accommodate the larger cells).
This was followed by a new aperture rear sight and a front rectangular "frame" sight positioned at the muzzle. The vertical sides of the frame sight were inscribed with graduations of 100, 200, and 300 yards. On later models, the iron sights were at first replaced by a plastic optical ring sight, which proved unsatisfactory in service, frequently turning opaque after a few days' exposure to sunlight. Later iron sights were hinged to fold against the tube when not in use, and were protected by a cover. The launcher also had an adjustable range scale that provided graduations from 50 to 700 yards (46 to 640 meters) in 50-yard (46 m) increments. An additional strap iron shoulder brace was fitted to the launcher, along with various types of blast deflectors.
The bazooka required special care when used in tropical or arctic climates or in severe dust or sand conditions. Rockets were not to be fired at temperatures below zero F or above 120 F.
Field experience induced changes
In 1943, field reports of rockets sticking and prematurely detonating in M1A1 launch tubes were received by Army Ordnance at Ogden Arsenal and other production facilities. At the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Testing Grounds, various metal collars and wire wrapping were used on the sheet metal launch tube in an effort to reinforce it. However, reports of premature detonation continued until the development of bore slug test gauges to ensure that the rocket did not catch inside the launch tube.
The original M6 and M6A1 rockets used in the M1 and M1A1 launchers had a pointed nose, which was found to cause deflection from the target at low impact angles. In late 1943, another 2.36-in rocket type was adopted, the M6A3, for use with the newly standardized M9 rocket launcher.[6] The M6A3 was 19.4 inches (493 mm) long, and weighed 3.38 lb (1.53 kg). It had a blunted nose to improve target effect at low angles, and a new circular fin assembly to improve flight stability. The M6A3 was capable of penetrating five inches (125 mm) of armor plate.
Battery problems in the early bazookas eventually resulted in replacement of the battery-powered ignition system with a magneto sparker system operated through the trigger. A trigger safety was incorporated into the design that isolated the magneto, preventing misfires that could occur when the trigger was released and the stored charge prematurely fired the rocket.
The final major change was the division of the launch tube into two discrete sections, with bayonet-joint attachments. This was done to make the weapon more convenient to carry, particularly for use by airborne forces. The final two-piece launcher was standardized as the M9A1. However, the long list of incorporated modifications increased the launcher's tube length to 61 inches (1.55 m), with an overall empty weight of 14.3 lb (6.5 kg). From its original conception as a relatively light, handy, and disposable weapon, the final M9A1 launcher had become a heavy, clumsy, and relatively complex piece of equipment.
In October 1944, after receiving reports of inadequate combat effect of the M1A1 and M9 launchers and their M6A1 rockets, and after examining captured examples of the German 8.8 cm RPzB 43 and RPzB 54 Panzerschreck, the U.S. Ordnance Corps began development on a new, more powerful anti-tank rocket launcher, the 3.5-inch M20. However, the weapon's design was not completed until after the war.
In 1945, the U.S. Army's Chemical Warfare Service standardized improved chemical warfare rockets intended for the new M9 and M9A1 launchers, adopting the M26 Gas Rocket, a cyanogen chloride (CK)-filled warhead for the 2.36-in rocket launcher. CK, a deadly blood agent, was capable of breaking down the protective chemical barriers in some gas masks, and was seen as an effective agent against Japanese forces (particularly those hiding in caves or bunkers), whose gas masks lacked the impregnants that would provide protection against the chemical reaction of CK. While stockpiled in U.S. inventory, the CK rocket was never deployed or issued to combat personnel.
Even though in late 1942 the general American public became aware of the bazooka in small articles in the monthly magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science it was not until early 1945 that they learned in a very large and detailed article in Popular Science the true secret of the bazooka's warhead. The US War Department had decided that it was only a matter of time before both Germany and Japan were defeated and the secrets of shape charges were already well known by its enemies.
Operational use
World War IISecretly introduced via the Russian front and in November 1942 during Operation Torch, early production versions of the M1 launcher and M6 rocket were hastily supplied to some of the U.S. invasion forces during the landings in North Africa. On the night before the landings, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was shocked to discover from a subordinate that none of his troops had received any instruction in the use of the bazooka.
Initially supplied with the highly unreliable M6 rocket and without training, the M1 did not play a significant armed role in combat in the North African fighting,but did provide a German intelligence coup when some were captured by the Germans in early encounters with inexperienced U.S. troops. A U.S. general visiting the Tunisian front in 1943 after the close of combat operations could not find any soldiers who could report that the weapon had actually stopped an enemy tank. Further issue of the bazooka was suspended in May 1943.
During the Allied invasion of Sicily, small numbers of the M1A1 bazooka (using an improved rocket, the M6A1) were used in combat by U.S. forces. The M1A1 accounted for four medium German tanks and a heavy Tiger I, with the latter being knocked out by a lucky hit through the driver's vision slot.A major disadvantage to the bazooka was the large backblast and smoke trail, which gave away the position of the shooter. Moreover, the bazooka fire team often had to expose their bodies in order to obtain a clear field of fire against an armored target. Casualties among bazooka team members were extremely high during the war, and assignment to such duty in the face of German counterfire was typically regarded by other platoon members as not only highly dangerous, but nearly suicidal.
When the existence of the bazooka was revealed to the American public official press releases for the first two years stated that it "packed the wallop of a 155mm cannon". Something that was obviously war time disinformation, but it was widely accepted by the American public
In late 1942, numbers of early-production American M1 bazookas were captured by German troops from Russian forces who had been given quantities of the bazooka under Lend-Lease as well as during the Operation Torch invasions in the North African Campaign.
The Germans promptly developed their own version of the weapon, increasing the diameter of the warhead from 60 mm to 88 mm (2.4 to 3.5 in). In German service, the bazooka was popularly known as the Panzerschreck. The German weapon, with its larger, more powerful warhead, had significantly greater armor penetration; ironically, calls for a larger-diameter warhead had also been raised by some ordnance officers during U.S. trials of the M1, but were rejected. After participating in an armor penetration test involving a German Panther tank using both the RPzB 54 Panzerschreck and the U.S. M9 bazooka, Corporal Donald E. Lewis of the U.S. Army informed his superiors that the Panzerschreck was "far superior to the American bazooka" ...
“ I was so favorably impressed [by the Panzerschreck] I was ready to take after the Krauts with their own weapon.”
In France, a Major Charlie Carpenter mounted a battery of three bazookas under each wing of his L-5 Sentinel aircraft to attack German tanks and claimed to have destroyed fourteen.
Despite the introduction of the M9 bazooka with its more powerful rocket—the M6A3—in late 1943, reports of the weapon's effectiveness against enemy armor decreased alarmingly in the latter stages of World War II, as new German tanks with thicker and better-designed cast armor plate and armor skirts/spaced armor were introduced. This development forced bazooka operators to target less well-protected areas of the vehicle, such as the tracks, drive sprockets, bogey wheels, or rear engine compartment. In a letter dated May 20, 1944, Gen. George S. Patton stated to a colleague that "the purpose of the bazooka is not to hunt tanks offensively, but to be used as a last resort in keeping tanks from overrunning infantry. To insure this, the range should be held to around 30 yards."
In the Pacific campaign, as in North Africa, the original bazookas sent to combat often had reliability issues. The battery-operated firing circuit was easily damaged during rough handling, and the rocket motors often failed because of high temperatures and exposure to moisture, salt air, or humidity. With the introduction of the M1A1 and its more reliable rocket ammunition, the bazooka was effective against some fixed Japanese infantry emplacements such as small concrete bunkers and pill boxes. Against coconut and sand emplacements, the weapon was not always effective, as these softer structures proved too resilient, often absorbing the warhead's impact sufficiently to prevent detonation of the explosive charge. Later in the Pacific war, most infantry and marine units often used the M2 flamethrower to overcome such obstacles.
In the few instances in the Pacific where the bazooka was used against tanks and armored vehicles, the rocket's warhead easily penetrated the thin armor plate used by the Japanese and destroyed the vehicle.[27] Overall, the M1A1, M9, and M9A1 rocket launchers were viewed as useful and effective weapons during World War II, though they had been primarily employed against enemy emplacements and fixed fortifications, not as anti-tank weapons.[20] General Dwight Eisenhower later described it as one of the four "Tools of Victory" which won World War II for the Allies (together with the atom bomb, Jeep and the C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft).
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A man found a World War II era bazooka round while tearing down a shed and alerted the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Bomb squad technicians examined the device Wednesday morning and determined it was not in danger of exploding.
Lt. Andy Morgan says the device, which was discovered in the city's San Marco neighborhood, appears to have been inert for some time.
I must say it never occurred to me that a bazooka could explode, any more than a rifle could explode. Now, rifle bullets or bazooka shells, that's another story.
Either a poorly written article and they meant to say that there was no shell in the bazooka, or the writer and the bomb squad folks don't know the first things about bazookas.
From Wikipedia
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the US Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat. Featuring a solid rocket motor for propulsion, it allowed for high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads to be delivered against armored vehicles, machine gun nests, and fortified bunkers at ranges beyond that of a standard thrown grenade or mine. The universally-applied nickname arose from the M9 variant's vague resemblance to the tubular musical instrument of the same name invented and popularized in the 1930s by US comedian Bob Burns. An alternative etymology ascribed the name to the unique sound the weapon made when fired.
During World War II, German armed forces captured several bazookas in early North African encounters and soon reverse engineered their own version, increasing the warhead diameter to 8.8 cm (amongst other minor changes) and widely issuing it as the Raketenpanzerbüchse "Panzerschreck" ("Tank frightener").
Due to the novelty and easy recognition of the name, the term "bazooka" continues to be used informally as a genericized term to refer to any shoulder-launched missile weapon.
The development of the bazooka involved the development of two specific lines of technology: the rocket-powered (recoilless) weapon, and the shaped-charge warhead. It was also designed for easy maneuverability and access.
World War II
The Rocket-Powered Recoilless Weapon was the brainchild of Dr. Robert H. Goddard as a side project (under Army contract) of his work on rocket propulsion. Goddard, during his tenure at Clark University, and while working at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's magnetics lab and Mount Wilson Observatory (for security reasons), designed a tube-fired rocket for military use during World War I. He and his co-worker, Dr. Clarence Hickman, successfully demonstrated his rocket to the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on November 6, 1918, but as the Compiègne Armistice was signed only five days later, further development was discontinued. The delay in the development of the bazooka was as a result of Goddard's serious bout with tuberculosis. Goddard continued to be a part-time consultant to the U.S. Government at Indian Head, Maryland, until 1923, but soon turned his focus to other projects involving rocket propulsion.
The shaped charge
The development of the explosive shaped charge dates back to the work of American physicist Charles Edward Munroe, who did the first practical work on the subject in 1880. This work was augmented in the 1930s by Henry Mohaupt, a Swiss immigrant who worked on shaped-charge explosives design for the US War Department (the predecessor of the Department of Defense).
Mohaupt developed a shaped charge hand grenade for anti-tank use, effective at defeating up to 60 mm (2.4 in) of vehicle armor, thus by far the best such weapon in the world at the time. The grenade was standardized as the M10. However, the M10 grenade weighed 3.5 lb (1.6 kg), was difficult to throw by hand, and too heavy to be launched as a rifle grenade. The only practical way to use the weapon was for an infantryman to place it directly on the tank, an unlikely means of delivery in most combat situations. A smaller, less powerful version of the M10, the M9, was then developed, which could be fired from a rifle. This resulted in the creation of a series of rifle grenade launchers, the M1 (Springfield M1903), M2 (Enfield M1917), and the M7 and M8 (M1 Garand). However, a truly capable anti-tank weapon had yet to be found, and following the lead of other countries at the time, the U.S. Army prepared to evaluate competing designs for a large and powerful anti-tank rifle.
The combination of rocket motor and shaped charge warhead would put paid to Army development of light antitank guns.
Rocket-borne Shaped Charge Weapons Development
In 1942, U.S. Army Colonel Leslie Skinner received the M10 shaped-charge grenade which was capable of stopping German tanks. He tasked Lieutenant Edward Uhl with creating a delivery system for the grenade. Uhl created a small rocket, but needed to protect the firer from the rocket exhaust and aim the weapon. According to Uhl,
"I was walking by this scrap pile, and there was a tube that ... happened to be the same size as the grenade that we were turning into a rocket. I said, That's the answer! Put the tube on a soldier's shoulder with the rocket inside, and away it goes."
Uhl developed the rocket launcher and is known as father of the Bazooka.
Development of the M1 prototype took place in Corcoran Hall at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. with the help of Clarence Hickman who had worked for Goddard. The M1 consisted of a sheet metal tube with a simple wooden stock, hand grips, and sights (replaced by metal in production models), into which the 60.07 mm-diameter (officially designated "M6, 2.36-inch" to avoid confusion with rounds for the 60 mm mortar) rocket grenades were inserted at the rear with trailing electrical leads. The cast steel warhead contained 1.6 lb of Pentolite high explosive. A two-cell dry battery in the wood shoulder rest provided a charge to ignite the rocket when the trigger was pulled; the wires sticking out the back of the round having been connected to two contacts by the assisting loader.
Although the weapon had some reliability and accuracy problems, Ordnance officials were greatly pleased with the penetrative effect of the new M1, which blew the turret off a tank during field trials.The weapon's M6 rocket warhead was capable of penetrating roughly 4.5 inches (112 mm) of armor plate.As a result, the War Department cancelled all plans for anti-tank rifles and in 1942 adopted the M1 rocket launcher and its M6 rocket as standard. The M1 rocket launcher was the first type to see combat use.
By late 1942, the improved Rocket Launcher, M1A1 was introduced. The forward hand grip was deleted, and the design simplified. The production M1A1 was 54 inches (1.37 m) long and weighed only 12.75 pounds (5.8 kg).
The ammunition for the original M1 launcher was the M6, which was notoriously unreliable. The M6 was improved and designated M6A1, and the new ammunition was issued with the improved M1A1 launcher. After the M6, several alternative warheads were introduced. The 2.36-Inch Smoke Rocket M10 and its improved subvariants (M10A1, M10A2, M10A4) used the rocket motor and fin assembly of the M6A1, but replaced the anti-tank warhead with a white phosphorus (WP) smoke head. WP smoke not only acts as a visible screen, but its burning particles can cause burns on human skin. The M10 was therefore used to mark targets, to blind enemy gunners or vehicle drivers, or to drive troops out of bunkers and dugouts.
The 2.36-Inch Incendiary Rocket T31 was an M10 variant with an incendiary warhead designed to ignite fires in enemy-held structures and unarmored vehicles, or to destroy combustible supplies, ammunition, and materiel.
The original M1A1 rocket launcher was equipped with a simple hinged rear sight and fixed front sights, and used a launch tube without reinforcements. During the war, the M1A1 received a number of running modifications. The battery specification was changed to a larger, standard battery cell size, resulting in complaints of batteries getting stuck in the wood shoulder rest (the compartment was later reamed out to accommodate the larger cells).
This was followed by a new aperture rear sight and a front rectangular "frame" sight positioned at the muzzle. The vertical sides of the frame sight were inscribed with graduations of 100, 200, and 300 yards. On later models, the iron sights were at first replaced by a plastic optical ring sight, which proved unsatisfactory in service, frequently turning opaque after a few days' exposure to sunlight. Later iron sights were hinged to fold against the tube when not in use, and were protected by a cover. The launcher also had an adjustable range scale that provided graduations from 50 to 700 yards (46 to 640 meters) in 50-yard (46 m) increments. An additional strap iron shoulder brace was fitted to the launcher, along with various types of blast deflectors.
The bazooka required special care when used in tropical or arctic climates or in severe dust or sand conditions. Rockets were not to be fired at temperatures below zero F or above 120 F.
Field experience induced changes
In 1943, field reports of rockets sticking and prematurely detonating in M1A1 launch tubes were received by Army Ordnance at Ogden Arsenal and other production facilities. At the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Testing Grounds, various metal collars and wire wrapping were used on the sheet metal launch tube in an effort to reinforce it. However, reports of premature detonation continued until the development of bore slug test gauges to ensure that the rocket did not catch inside the launch tube.
The original M6 and M6A1 rockets used in the M1 and M1A1 launchers had a pointed nose, which was found to cause deflection from the target at low impact angles. In late 1943, another 2.36-in rocket type was adopted, the M6A3, for use with the newly standardized M9 rocket launcher.[6] The M6A3 was 19.4 inches (493 mm) long, and weighed 3.38 lb (1.53 kg). It had a blunted nose to improve target effect at low angles, and a new circular fin assembly to improve flight stability. The M6A3 was capable of penetrating five inches (125 mm) of armor plate.
Battery problems in the early bazookas eventually resulted in replacement of the battery-powered ignition system with a magneto sparker system operated through the trigger. A trigger safety was incorporated into the design that isolated the magneto, preventing misfires that could occur when the trigger was released and the stored charge prematurely fired the rocket.
The final major change was the division of the launch tube into two discrete sections, with bayonet-joint attachments. This was done to make the weapon more convenient to carry, particularly for use by airborne forces. The final two-piece launcher was standardized as the M9A1. However, the long list of incorporated modifications increased the launcher's tube length to 61 inches (1.55 m), with an overall empty weight of 14.3 lb (6.5 kg). From its original conception as a relatively light, handy, and disposable weapon, the final M9A1 launcher had become a heavy, clumsy, and relatively complex piece of equipment.
In October 1944, after receiving reports of inadequate combat effect of the M1A1 and M9 launchers and their M6A1 rockets, and after examining captured examples of the German 8.8 cm RPzB 43 and RPzB 54 Panzerschreck, the U.S. Ordnance Corps began development on a new, more powerful anti-tank rocket launcher, the 3.5-inch M20. However, the weapon's design was not completed until after the war.
In 1945, the U.S. Army's Chemical Warfare Service standardized improved chemical warfare rockets intended for the new M9 and M9A1 launchers, adopting the M26 Gas Rocket, a cyanogen chloride (CK)-filled warhead for the 2.36-in rocket launcher. CK, a deadly blood agent, was capable of breaking down the protective chemical barriers in some gas masks, and was seen as an effective agent against Japanese forces (particularly those hiding in caves or bunkers), whose gas masks lacked the impregnants that would provide protection against the chemical reaction of CK. While stockpiled in U.S. inventory, the CK rocket was never deployed or issued to combat personnel.
Even though in late 1942 the general American public became aware of the bazooka in small articles in the monthly magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science it was not until early 1945 that they learned in a very large and detailed article in Popular Science the true secret of the bazooka's warhead. The US War Department had decided that it was only a matter of time before both Germany and Japan were defeated and the secrets of shape charges were already well known by its enemies.
Operational use
World War IISecretly introduced via the Russian front and in November 1942 during Operation Torch, early production versions of the M1 launcher and M6 rocket were hastily supplied to some of the U.S. invasion forces during the landings in North Africa. On the night before the landings, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was shocked to discover from a subordinate that none of his troops had received any instruction in the use of the bazooka.
Initially supplied with the highly unreliable M6 rocket and without training, the M1 did not play a significant armed role in combat in the North African fighting,but did provide a German intelligence coup when some were captured by the Germans in early encounters with inexperienced U.S. troops. A U.S. general visiting the Tunisian front in 1943 after the close of combat operations could not find any soldiers who could report that the weapon had actually stopped an enemy tank. Further issue of the bazooka was suspended in May 1943.
During the Allied invasion of Sicily, small numbers of the M1A1 bazooka (using an improved rocket, the M6A1) were used in combat by U.S. forces. The M1A1 accounted for four medium German tanks and a heavy Tiger I, with the latter being knocked out by a lucky hit through the driver's vision slot.A major disadvantage to the bazooka was the large backblast and smoke trail, which gave away the position of the shooter. Moreover, the bazooka fire team often had to expose their bodies in order to obtain a clear field of fire against an armored target. Casualties among bazooka team members were extremely high during the war, and assignment to such duty in the face of German counterfire was typically regarded by other platoon members as not only highly dangerous, but nearly suicidal.
When the existence of the bazooka was revealed to the American public official press releases for the first two years stated that it "packed the wallop of a 155mm cannon". Something that was obviously war time disinformation, but it was widely accepted by the American public
In late 1942, numbers of early-production American M1 bazookas were captured by German troops from Russian forces who had been given quantities of the bazooka under Lend-Lease as well as during the Operation Torch invasions in the North African Campaign.
The Germans promptly developed their own version of the weapon, increasing the diameter of the warhead from 60 mm to 88 mm (2.4 to 3.5 in). In German service, the bazooka was popularly known as the Panzerschreck. The German weapon, with its larger, more powerful warhead, had significantly greater armor penetration; ironically, calls for a larger-diameter warhead had also been raised by some ordnance officers during U.S. trials of the M1, but were rejected. After participating in an armor penetration test involving a German Panther tank using both the RPzB 54 Panzerschreck and the U.S. M9 bazooka, Corporal Donald E. Lewis of the U.S. Army informed his superiors that the Panzerschreck was "far superior to the American bazooka" ...
“ I was so favorably impressed [by the Panzerschreck] I was ready to take after the Krauts with their own weapon.”
In France, a Major Charlie Carpenter mounted a battery of three bazookas under each wing of his L-5 Sentinel aircraft to attack German tanks and claimed to have destroyed fourteen.
Despite the introduction of the M9 bazooka with its more powerful rocket—the M6A3—in late 1943, reports of the weapon's effectiveness against enemy armor decreased alarmingly in the latter stages of World War II, as new German tanks with thicker and better-designed cast armor plate and armor skirts/spaced armor were introduced. This development forced bazooka operators to target less well-protected areas of the vehicle, such as the tracks, drive sprockets, bogey wheels, or rear engine compartment. In a letter dated May 20, 1944, Gen. George S. Patton stated to a colleague that "the purpose of the bazooka is not to hunt tanks offensively, but to be used as a last resort in keeping tanks from overrunning infantry. To insure this, the range should be held to around 30 yards."
In the Pacific campaign, as in North Africa, the original bazookas sent to combat often had reliability issues. The battery-operated firing circuit was easily damaged during rough handling, and the rocket motors often failed because of high temperatures and exposure to moisture, salt air, or humidity. With the introduction of the M1A1 and its more reliable rocket ammunition, the bazooka was effective against some fixed Japanese infantry emplacements such as small concrete bunkers and pill boxes. Against coconut and sand emplacements, the weapon was not always effective, as these softer structures proved too resilient, often absorbing the warhead's impact sufficiently to prevent detonation of the explosive charge. Later in the Pacific war, most infantry and marine units often used the M2 flamethrower to overcome such obstacles.
In the few instances in the Pacific where the bazooka was used against tanks and armored vehicles, the rocket's warhead easily penetrated the thin armor plate used by the Japanese and destroyed the vehicle.[27] Overall, the M1A1, M9, and M9A1 rocket launchers were viewed as useful and effective weapons during World War II, though they had been primarily employed against enemy emplacements and fixed fortifications, not as anti-tank weapons.[20] General Dwight Eisenhower later described it as one of the four "Tools of Victory" which won World War II for the Allies (together with the atom bomb, Jeep and the C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft).
Japan Investigates Alleged Site of World War II Human Experiments
NTD Television: Japan Investigates Alleged Site of World War II Human Experiments
On Monday the Japanese government began excavating a site that was used as a military hospital in Tokyo during World War II.
[Kazuhiko Kawauchi, Welfare Ministry Group Official]:
"We're now excavating this site to confirm the existence of any human remains, which I believe would be only bones now."
Unit 731 has been accused of conducting biological and chemical warfare experiments on about three thousand Korean, Chinese and Russian prisoners between 1937 and 1945… done mostly in China.
The Unit, part of the Japanese military during World War II, was based near Harbin in northeast China but headquartered on the site of the former Tokyo Army Hospital.
If this latest excavation turns up anything, it would be the second batch of bones found since 1989 at the site of Unit 731's former headquarters.
This latest excavation was prompted by a former nurse recalling that there were bones at a different location.
Previously some Japanese historians have said that those bones were from cadavers used by the medical school located on the site, and a 1992 government enquiry cleared the bones of being those from biological experiments.
The Japanese government has neither denied nor acknowledged the activities of Unit 731, believed by many historians to have conducted tests on humans to develop biological weapons, including anthrax and bubonic plague
On Monday the Japanese government began excavating a site that was used as a military hospital in Tokyo during World War II.
[Kazuhiko Kawauchi, Welfare Ministry Group Official]:
"We're now excavating this site to confirm the existence of any human remains, which I believe would be only bones now."
Unit 731 has been accused of conducting biological and chemical warfare experiments on about three thousand Korean, Chinese and Russian prisoners between 1937 and 1945… done mostly in China.
The Unit, part of the Japanese military during World War II, was based near Harbin in northeast China but headquartered on the site of the former Tokyo Army Hospital.
If this latest excavation turns up anything, it would be the second batch of bones found since 1989 at the site of Unit 731's former headquarters.
This latest excavation was prompted by a former nurse recalling that there were bones at a different location.
Previously some Japanese historians have said that those bones were from cadavers used by the medical school located on the site, and a 1992 government enquiry cleared the bones of being those from biological experiments.
The Japanese government has neither denied nor acknowledged the activities of Unit 731, believed by many historians to have conducted tests on humans to develop biological weapons, including anthrax and bubonic plague
Monday, February 21, 2011
1940 Chronology: 21 February
Finland
General Timoshenko regroups his formations as a prelude to a new attack on the Finnish defensive lines.
Germany
Work begins on the transformation of Auschwitz, a little town of about 12,000 people, into a GErman concentration camp.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
General Timoshenko regroups his formations as a prelude to a new attack on the Finnish defensive lines.
Germany
Work begins on the transformation of Auschwitz, a little town of about 12,000 people, into a GErman concentration camp.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Sunday, February 20, 2011
1940 Chronology: 20 February
General Nikolaus von Falkenhorts, former commander of the XXI Army Corps, is given command of the German troops to occupy Norway and Denmark.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Saturday, February 19, 2011
1940 Chronology: 19 February
Hitler orders more rapid progress with Operation Weserrubung, the codename for the invasion of Norway and Denmark.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Thursday, February 17, 2011
1940 Chronology: 17 February
Finland
Finnish troops complete their withdrawal from the Mannerheom Line to intermediate positions.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Finnish troops complete their withdrawal from the Mannerheom Line to intermediate positions.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bombing range lawsuit settled for $1.2 million
Florida Wires: Bombing range lawsuit settled for $1.2 million
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Homeowners in a southeast Orlando subdivision have settled a class-action lawsuit against a homebuilder for $1.2 million.
An attorney for the residents in the Newport subdivision says the settlement was reached last week with The Ryland Group.
The lawsuit claimed the builder did not disclose that the homes were built on or near the Pinecastle Jeep Range, a World War II-era bombing range. Residents said their home values plummeted after live bombs and other munitions were found.
The settlement will be divided among 118 homeowners. Attorneys fees and expenses totaling $410,000 will be subtracted from the settlement amount. [In other words, a little less than half the money these folks "won" is going to the lawyers.]
An attorney for The Ryland Group says in agreeing to the settlement, the homebuilder did not admit to liability or wrongdoing.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Homeowners in a southeast Orlando subdivision have settled a class-action lawsuit against a homebuilder for $1.2 million.
An attorney for the residents in the Newport subdivision says the settlement was reached last week with The Ryland Group.
The lawsuit claimed the builder did not disclose that the homes were built on or near the Pinecastle Jeep Range, a World War II-era bombing range. Residents said their home values plummeted after live bombs and other munitions were found.
The settlement will be divided among 118 homeowners. Attorneys fees and expenses totaling $410,000 will be subtracted from the settlement amount. [In other words, a little less than half the money these folks "won" is going to the lawyers.]
An attorney for The Ryland Group says in agreeing to the settlement, the homebuilder did not admit to liability or wrongdoing.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
1940 Chronology: 16 February
Norway - Maritime
The British destroyer Cossack attacks the German ship Altmark in Jossing fjord, in Norwegian territorial waters. The Altmark had been acting as a supply ship for the Admiral Graf Spee, and has on board 299 British prisoners, whom the Cossak succeeds in releasing.
The Oslo government protests against British violation of Norwegian neutrality.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
The British destroyer Cossack attacks the German ship Altmark in Jossing fjord, in Norwegian territorial waters. The Altmark had been acting as a supply ship for the Admiral Graf Spee, and has on board 299 British prisoners, whom the Cossak succeeds in releasing.
The Oslo government protests against British violation of Norwegian neutrality.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
1940 Chronology: 15 February
The German government declares that all British merchant ships will be regarded as warships.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Monday, February 14, 2011
1940 Chronology: 14 February
Britain announces that all her merchant ships in the North Sea are to be armed.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Sunday, February 13, 2011
WoWorld War II sea mine destroyed off Weymouthrld War II sea mine destroyed off Weymouth
World War II sea mine destroyed off Weymouth
Bomb disposal experts have carried out a controlled explosion on a World War II mine off the Dorset coast.
The mine, which would have been dropped by air, was discovered about two miles outside Weymouth Harbour.
Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal divers from Portsmouth were called to deal with the mine which was destroyed at about 1100 GMT on Saturday.
Dorset Police Marine Section set up a cordon around the site and warned other vessels to keep clear.
Bomb disposal experts have carried out a controlled explosion on a World War II mine off the Dorset coast.
The mine, which would have been dropped by air, was discovered about two miles outside Weymouth Harbour.
Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal divers from Portsmouth were called to deal with the mine which was destroyed at about 1100 GMT on Saturday.
Dorset Police Marine Section set up a cordon around the site and warned other vessels to keep clear.
Anti-Nazi protesters form giant human chain in Dresden
Deutche Welle: Anti-Nazi protesters form giant human chain in Dresden
Thousands of people have formed a human chain around the city of Dresden to protest against a far-right march on the 66th anniversary of the Allied bombing of the city during World War II.
The Allied bombing of the eastern German city of Dresden during World War II has in recent years become an opportunity exploited by far-right groups holding demonstrations.
This year, however, some 17,000 people braved freezing temperatures on Sunday to protest against the neo-Nazis by forming a giant human chain around the city.
The thousands of people wore white roses pinned on their lapels and encircled the city center for 10 minutes while bells tolled from the churches. The White Rose was the name given to a group of students in Munich who opposed Adolf Hitler's regime.
"When we remember the victims of the Dresden bombings today, we remember all the victims of Nazi violence and World War II," said Detlef Sittel, Dresden's mayor. "There are so many people here who want to express their opinion clearly and make Dresden a tolerant, friendly and strong city, open to the world."
The Allied air raids over February 13 and 14, 1945 are believed to have killed 25,000 people.
"The people of Dresden are defending their remembrance," said German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, who participated in the event along with other politicians.
Several hundred people also attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the cemetery where many of the bombing victims are buried.
State Premier Stanislaw Tillich said the people had "once again made clear the city is theirs and that there is no space for rightist extremists."
There was a large police presence in the city, as in previous years there have been clashes between far-right groups and anti-Nazi protesters. Some 1,300 neo-Nazis gathered for their so-called "funeral march" at Dresden's main train station.
Thousands of people have formed a human chain around the city of Dresden to protest against a far-right march on the 66th anniversary of the Allied bombing of the city during World War II.
The Allied bombing of the eastern German city of Dresden during World War II has in recent years become an opportunity exploited by far-right groups holding demonstrations.
This year, however, some 17,000 people braved freezing temperatures on Sunday to protest against the neo-Nazis by forming a giant human chain around the city.
The thousands of people wore white roses pinned on their lapels and encircled the city center for 10 minutes while bells tolled from the churches. The White Rose was the name given to a group of students in Munich who opposed Adolf Hitler's regime.
"When we remember the victims of the Dresden bombings today, we remember all the victims of Nazi violence and World War II," said Detlef Sittel, Dresden's mayor. "There are so many people here who want to express their opinion clearly and make Dresden a tolerant, friendly and strong city, open to the world."
The Allied air raids over February 13 and 14, 1945 are believed to have killed 25,000 people.
"The people of Dresden are defending their remembrance," said German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, who participated in the event along with other politicians.
Several hundred people also attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the cemetery where many of the bombing victims are buried.
State Premier Stanislaw Tillich said the people had "once again made clear the city is theirs and that there is no space for rightist extremists."
There was a large police presence in the city, as in previous years there have been clashes between far-right groups and anti-Nazi protesters. Some 1,300 neo-Nazis gathered for their so-called "funeral march" at Dresden's main train station.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
1940 Chronology: 12 February
In Finland, GEneral Mannerheim expresses anxiety about the propsals for Allied intervention.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Friday, February 11, 2011
1940 Chronology: 11 February
The Soviet 7th Army breaches the Mannerhein line in Finland. The Finns retire in good order to a second defensive line.
An economic agreement is signed between the Soviet Union and Germany by which Moscow will export raw materials, especially oil, and agricultural produce in exchange for manufactured goods and arms.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
An economic agreement is signed between the Soviet Union and Germany by which Moscow will export raw materials, especially oil, and agricultural produce in exchange for manufactured goods and arms.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Thursday, February 10, 2011
1940 Chronology: 10 February
At a meeting of the Finnish Defense Council attended by Prime Minster Ryti, Foreign Minister Tanner and GEneral Mannerheim, three possible political approaches to the USSR are discussed:
1) to offer the Russians, as a peace concession, an island off Hanko, which they demanded when hostilities began
2) to continue the war with active support from Sweden (assuming that this is forthcoming)
3) as a last resource, to accept the offer of intervention by Great Britain and France.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
1) to offer the Russians, as a peace concession, an island off Hanko, which they demanded when hostilities began
2) to continue the war with active support from Sweden (assuming that this is forthcoming)
3) as a last resource, to accept the offer of intervention by Great Britain and France.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Seats Still Available For World War II "Honor Flight"
WDIO Radio: Seats Still Available For World War II "Honor Flight"
This spring, an Honor Flight will take 100 Northland World War II veterans to see their national memorial in Washington, D.C. There is still room on the flight, and organizers still need donations.
"It's a beautiful, beautiful thing to see," said Navy veteran John Kanzler of Superior, who travelled to Washington to see the National World War II Memorial the year after it opened. "They built it for people like me, and I just wanted to see it before I died."
"A lot of memories came back," Kanzler said. "You remembered people, you remembered where you were and different things."
Kanzler thinks its something every World War II vet should see. "I would say if you can go, go by all means because it's something worth seeing, it's something that you fought for, and something that we deserve," he said.
That's the point of Honor Flight Northland. On May 14, 100 Northland veterans will get a free, one-day trip to Washington to see their memorial.
"A lot of these guys, actually a vast majority of them, have never seen their own memorial," said Dan Hartman, secretary of Honor Flight Northland. He said time is running out for these veterans.
"There are several thousand, but honestly, not many of them can physically do it right now. I wish this happened a decade ago, because a lot of guys would have loved to have been there, but they can't go now."
65 veterans have already signed up. There's room for another 35. The flight is open to World War II veterans from northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin who are physically able to make the trip. Veterans can pick up an application at The Depot in Duluth, or print it from www.HonorFlightNorthland.org.
Organizers need help paying for the trip. "Please help us make this last mission possible for our World War II heroes. Let's show them that we have not forgotten them," said Judy Greske, chair of Honor Flight Northland.
Donations can be made online at www.HonorFlightNorthland.org, or mailed to Honor Flight Northland, Attn: Don Monaco, 4535 Airport Approach Road, Duluth, MN 55811.
This spring, an Honor Flight will take 100 Northland World War II veterans to see their national memorial in Washington, D.C. There is still room on the flight, and organizers still need donations.
"It's a beautiful, beautiful thing to see," said Navy veteran John Kanzler of Superior, who travelled to Washington to see the National World War II Memorial the year after it opened. "They built it for people like me, and I just wanted to see it before I died."
"A lot of memories came back," Kanzler said. "You remembered people, you remembered where you were and different things."
Kanzler thinks its something every World War II vet should see. "I would say if you can go, go by all means because it's something worth seeing, it's something that you fought for, and something that we deserve," he said.
That's the point of Honor Flight Northland. On May 14, 100 Northland veterans will get a free, one-day trip to Washington to see their memorial.
"A lot of these guys, actually a vast majority of them, have never seen their own memorial," said Dan Hartman, secretary of Honor Flight Northland. He said time is running out for these veterans.
"There are several thousand, but honestly, not many of them can physically do it right now. I wish this happened a decade ago, because a lot of guys would have loved to have been there, but they can't go now."
65 veterans have already signed up. There's room for another 35. The flight is open to World War II veterans from northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin who are physically able to make the trip. Veterans can pick up an application at The Depot in Duluth, or print it from www.HonorFlightNorthland.org.
Organizers need help paying for the trip. "Please help us make this last mission possible for our World War II heroes. Let's show them that we have not forgotten them," said Judy Greske, chair of Honor Flight Northland.
Donations can be made online at www.HonorFlightNorthland.org, or mailed to Honor Flight Northland, Attn: Don Monaco, 4535 Airport Approach Road, Duluth, MN 55811.
10 Feb, 2011: Berkley man killed in World War II identified
The Detroit News: Berkley man killed in World War II identified
Washington— The Defense Department said today the remains of 11 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II — including a Michiganian — have been identified.
The military said the men — including 1st Lt. Richard T. Heuss, 23, of Berkley — are being returned for burial with full military honors almost 70 years after they died after their plane crashed in the Pacific Theater.
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Heuss and nine of those will be buried in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on March 24.
Seven of the 11 are having individual burials as well, but there are only fragmented remains for four of the dead, including Heuss.
The cause of death was unknown, said Larry Greer, director of Public Affairs at the Defense Department's POW/MIA Office.
On Nov. 20, 1943, Heuss, along with 10 other B-24D Liberator crewmembers, took off from Jackson Airfield in New Guinea, on an overwater mission near the northern coast of the country.
During the mission, the only radio transmission from the crew indicated they were 20 miles northwest of Port Moresby, but they never returned to Jackson Airfield.
The men were killed in a crash but the cause was unknown. It could have been weather related, Greer said.
The Detroit News reported on Dec. 7, 1943, Heuss was reported missing and in August 1945 that Heuss had been listed as killed in action.
Searches failed to uncover any evidence of either the crew or the aircraft.
Following the war, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted investigations and searches for 43 missing airmen including Army Air Forces Technical Sgt. Charles A. Bode and the other 10 airmen, but concluded in June 1949 that all were unrecoverable.
In 1984, the government of Papua New Guinea notified U.S. officials of a World War II crash site in a ravine in Morobe Province.
A U.S. search and recovery team investigated the crash site in late 1984 and located B-24 aircraft wreckage. They also recovered human remains but didn't complete the mission, citing time constraints and the threat of landslides.
For the next 20 years, multiple teams from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command tried to access and excavate the location but the threat of landslides made recovery too dangerous to continue.
During a site visit in 2004, local villagers turned over human remains they had previously removed from the area.
Bode, 23, of Baltimore, Md., will be buried Feb. 11 in Arlington National CemeteryThe others killed and identified are to be buried March 24 — including Heuss.
Aside from Heuss, the others to be buried are: 2nd Lt. Robert A. Miller, 22, Memphis, Tenn.; 2nd Lt. Edward R. French, 23, Erie, Pa.; 2nd Lt. Robert R. Streckenbach Jr., 21, Green Bay, Wis.; Tech. Sgt. Lucian I. Oliver Jr., 23 Memphis, Tenn.; Staff Sgt. Ivan O. Kirkpatrick, 36, Whittier, Calif.; Staff Sgt. William K. Musgrave, 24, Hutsonville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. James T. Moran, 21, Sloatsburg, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. James B. Moore, 21, Woburn, Mass.; and Staff Sgt. Roy Surabian, 24, Medford, Mass., will be buried as a group March 24 at Arlington National Cemetery.
Six of those have had separate burials — some in their hometowns, Greer said.
At the end of World War II, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 74,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict.
Washington— The Defense Department said today the remains of 11 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II — including a Michiganian — have been identified.
The military said the men — including 1st Lt. Richard T. Heuss, 23, of Berkley — are being returned for burial with full military honors almost 70 years after they died after their plane crashed in the Pacific Theater.
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Heuss and nine of those will be buried in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on March 24.
Seven of the 11 are having individual burials as well, but there are only fragmented remains for four of the dead, including Heuss.
The cause of death was unknown, said Larry Greer, director of Public Affairs at the Defense Department's POW/MIA Office.
On Nov. 20, 1943, Heuss, along with 10 other B-24D Liberator crewmembers, took off from Jackson Airfield in New Guinea, on an overwater mission near the northern coast of the country.
During the mission, the only radio transmission from the crew indicated they were 20 miles northwest of Port Moresby, but they never returned to Jackson Airfield.
The men were killed in a crash but the cause was unknown. It could have been weather related, Greer said.
The Detroit News reported on Dec. 7, 1943, Heuss was reported missing and in August 1945 that Heuss had been listed as killed in action.
Searches failed to uncover any evidence of either the crew or the aircraft.
Following the war, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted investigations and searches for 43 missing airmen including Army Air Forces Technical Sgt. Charles A. Bode and the other 10 airmen, but concluded in June 1949 that all were unrecoverable.
In 1984, the government of Papua New Guinea notified U.S. officials of a World War II crash site in a ravine in Morobe Province.
A U.S. search and recovery team investigated the crash site in late 1984 and located B-24 aircraft wreckage. They also recovered human remains but didn't complete the mission, citing time constraints and the threat of landslides.
For the next 20 years, multiple teams from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command tried to access and excavate the location but the threat of landslides made recovery too dangerous to continue.
During a site visit in 2004, local villagers turned over human remains they had previously removed from the area.
Bode, 23, of Baltimore, Md., will be buried Feb. 11 in Arlington National CemeteryThe others killed and identified are to be buried March 24 — including Heuss.
Aside from Heuss, the others to be buried are: 2nd Lt. Robert A. Miller, 22, Memphis, Tenn.; 2nd Lt. Edward R. French, 23, Erie, Pa.; 2nd Lt. Robert R. Streckenbach Jr., 21, Green Bay, Wis.; Tech. Sgt. Lucian I. Oliver Jr., 23 Memphis, Tenn.; Staff Sgt. Ivan O. Kirkpatrick, 36, Whittier, Calif.; Staff Sgt. William K. Musgrave, 24, Hutsonville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. James T. Moran, 21, Sloatsburg, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. James B. Moore, 21, Woburn, Mass.; and Staff Sgt. Roy Surabian, 24, Medford, Mass., will be buried as a group March 24 at Arlington National Cemetery.
Six of those have had separate burials — some in their hometowns, Greer said.
At the end of World War II, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 74,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
1940 Chronology: 9 February
General von Manstein is appointed Commander in Chief of the newly formed XXXVIII Army Corps.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Saturday, February 5, 2011
1940 Chronology: 5 February
The Allied Supreme War Council approves a plan for intervention in Finland; meanwhile, they send substantial help in aircraft, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns.
The expeditionary force is to comprise at least three divisions.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
The expeditionary force is to comprise at least three divisions.
Bibliography
World War II Magazine's WWII Day-By-Day Desk Diary
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Court denies heirs' claims over stolen WWII art
The Washington Post: Court denies heirs' claims over stolen WWII art
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A federal appeals court has dismissed claims against the German government by heirs of an art dealer whose collection was seized by the Nazis and sold at auction during World War II.
Fred Westfield, a retired Nashville professor, filed the federal lawsuit seeking payment for the art and tapestry collection belonging to his uncle Walter Westfeld, a German art dealer in the 1930s.
According to the lawsuit, Westfeld attempted to send his art collection to Tennessee, where his brother lived, but Nazi officials seized and sold off the collection. Westfeld later died in the Auschwitz death camp in Poland.
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday that the claims against the German government were beyond its jurisdiction.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A federal appeals court has dismissed claims against the German government by heirs of an art dealer whose collection was seized by the Nazis and sold at auction during World War II.
Fred Westfield, a retired Nashville professor, filed the federal lawsuit seeking payment for the art and tapestry collection belonging to his uncle Walter Westfeld, a German art dealer in the 1930s.
According to the lawsuit, Westfeld attempted to send his art collection to Tennessee, where his brother lived, but Nazi officials seized and sold off the collection. Westfeld later died in the Auschwitz death camp in Poland.
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday that the claims against the German government were beyond its jurisdiction.
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