Posted on 12/11/2014 4:29:52 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Today, Grandpa is in Manderfeld, Belgium. This is a town in the small German speaking part of Belgium. It lies on the western side of the Losheim Gap, a pass through the Schnee Eifel, a line of hills on the German side of the border. It was given to Belgium in the Treaty of Versailles.
Grandpa was a judge in New Jersey, but resigned to join the Army. After first assigning him to the Quartermaster Corps the Army figured out with his background he would be a good fit to help run the occupation of Germany. He is now assigned to Detachment H5D2 of the European Civil Affairs Division (ECAD). The code means he is in the Second Civil Affairs Regiment and his Detachment is staffed to run a medium size German city. In the meantime they are following combat units headed in their general direction and helping with the administration of newly liberated areas. Today, they are helping with the administration of Manderfeld.
The Detachment co-located with the HQ of the 14th Cavalry Group. Today, the 106th Infantry Division, a green unit just arrived on the Continent, is relieving the veteran 2nd Infantry Division. The 14th Cavalry Group screens the northern flank of the Division. The terrain is rugged and two of the three Regiments in the Division do not have good road communication to the rear, or West.
It has been quiet here for months. The 14th was just taken over by a new commander. Grandpa's CO and XO are out of town, leaving Grandpa in charge. He is working with the locals to run the town.
In the next couple of days the 106th will report a lot of road noise on the German side of the line, but since they have never before been in the line they won't know what to make of it.
Most, if not all, of the ships in that photo have been in commission less than three years.
Fascinating.
And just think, Obama can’t even build a website in that time.
FWIW the USS Langley CVL-27 was commissioned in August of 1943.
Other than the USS Saratroga CV-3 and USS Enterprise CV-6 every fleet and light carrier in the Pacific was commissioned after 31 December 1942.
By 31 January 1944 the US Navy had brought 9 of the light carriers and 5 of the Essex class carriers on line. By the time that picture was taken there were 12 of the Essex class carriers in service!!!
One final comment, this pic is a far cry from late in 1942 when the USS Enterprise was the only fleet carrier available to the US Navy in the Pacific.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
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