Sunday 10 February 2013

Nazis Massacred - Cherbourg Cut Off


San Francisco Examiner dated Monday June 19th 1944
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It was crucial to America’s war against Japan that they captured the Mariana Islands (including Saipan Island) to give them a base from which to bomb Japan itself using B29 Superfortresses and for a launching pad for the invasion of the Phillipines in October 1944.
The battle for Saipan Island lasted from June 15th 1944 until July 9th with almost 3500 Americans killed and about 29000 Japanese deaths. 

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This was just 2 weeks after the Normandy Landings (D-Day), when allied ground forces returned to France having been pushed out in June 1940 during the Dunkirk evacuation. It marked the turning point in the War in Europe, which culminated in the capture of Berlin and the German surrender of May 1945.
Despite this gung-ho report the German defences at Cherbourg weren’t overrun until June 25th/26th after a heavy bombardment from combined US and Royal Navy battleships. The ‘Battle of Cherbourg’ cost the Americans 2800 dead and 13.500 wounded.

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‘Hitler’s robot bombs’ referred to here were the V1 Flying Bombs. The first V1 of over 9000 was launched against the South of England on June 13th 1944 just a week after D-Day.  They continued until October 1944 when the final launch site was overrun by Allied troops. A further 2500 were launched within mainland Europe between then and March 1945.

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I am always amazed by the Internet. I Google’d “Malcolm D Brannen” on the off-chance that there was some information about him, and up popped this link to his detailed memories of D-Day and the story of his shooting of Wilhelm Falley in his own words. 

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If it was set in New York rather than San Francisco, this picture of James J McGovern kneeling over the body of Julio Arteaga looks like it could have been taken by the legendary crime photographer Arthur ‘WeeGee’ Fellig.

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This advert for War Bonds certainly gets its point across!

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The B29 Superfortress heavy bomber came into service in May 1944 and was used mainly in the Far Eastern war against Japan. It was the 468th Bombardment Group, one of 4 groups using the B29’s, that was so successful that they were honoured by being called the Billy Mitchell Group after General William Mitchell the early advocate of aerial warfare and Commander of the US Air Force in France during World War 1. He had died in 1936.

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The US Army took control of Rome on June 4th 1944 after the German Army had abandoned the city. It took until May 1945 to completely defeat the Germans and their Italian Fascist allies in Italy.

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At an inquest on June 27th 1944 it was found that Paula Proctor had indeed committed suicide. Ralph Proctor was cleared of all involvement after taking a lie detector test.



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39 year-old Austin Cox murdered 5 people including a Judge, Under Utah law he was executed by a 5-man firing squad whilst strapped into a chair. 

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American cartoonist Gladys Parker based her character ‘Mopsy’, as featured in this single frame, on herself and she appeared in various strips from 1939 until 1965. Gladys was also a fashion designer.











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“What Evil Forces Gave Them Their Orders?” I want to see Secret Command! Unfortunately all I can find anywhere is a 3 minute clip on Youtube.
Maybe I’ll settle for an all-nighter at the Warfield that includes ‘Roger Touhy, Gangster’, ‘The Glass Key’ and, on stage, Fun’s-Afire with Girls, Gaiety, Glamour and Gags!

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I love 30’s and 40’s American cars. Fancy getting a ’40 Ford DeLuxe for only $1035 as seen in ‘Radar Men From The Moon’? Or, if you’re feeling flush, a ’41 Chrysler New Yorker for a measly $1849?

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Baseball results. I assume some of these names mean something to someone, somewhere. George Bernard Shaw said that baseball was preferable to cricket - because it was over sooner.



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