SEVEN TOWNS CAPTURED IN RHINE BRIDGEHEAD; B-29’S BLAST NAGOYA IN 2D BIG BLOW IN 2 DAYS (3/12/45)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 3/12/45 | Drew Middleton, Warren Moscow, Lindesay Parrott, Bruce Rae, Robert Trumbull, Hanson W. Baldwin

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles and the occasional radio broadcast delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Luzon, P.I., 1941: Final Operations on Luzon, 3 February-20 July 1945
Southeast Asia, 1941: Final Allied Offensives in the Southwest Pacific Area 19 February-1 July 1945
West-Central Germany and Belgium, 1945: The Rhineland Campaign – Operations, 11-21 March 1945
Eastern France and the Low Countries, 1944: Summary – The Rhineland Campaign, 8 February-21 March 1945
Poland, 1945: Russian Offensive to the Oder – Operations 12 January-30 March 1945
The Western Pacific: Allied Invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa (Operation Iceberg), 1945
China, 1941: Operation Ichigo, 1945 and Final Operations in the War
China-Burma, 1941: Third Burma Campaign – Slim’s Offensive, June 1944-March 1945

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Nimitz Graybook

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from March 9.

John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Hodges Pushes On (Middleton) – 2-3
The Americans Keeping a Close Watch on the Rhine (page 1 photo) – 3
Back from the War in Europe (photo) – 4
Russians Close In on 2 Baltic Ports – 4-5
U-Boat Yards Hit in Vast Air Blows – 5
War News Summarized – 5
New Fire Attack (Moscow) – 6
U.S. Invasion at Zamboanga Stirs Japanese Flight to Hills (Parrott) – 7-8
Japan is Army Job, Nimitz Reiterates – 8
Rescued War Prisoners – 8
Marines Drive Foe to Iwo’s North Tip (Rae, Trumbull) – 9
They Survived the Bitter Fighting on Iwo (photo) – 9
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the Fighting in Various War Zones – 10-12
Our Tactics Revamped (Baldwin) – 12

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/2/12.htm

March 12th, 1945 (MONDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: The Mk 35 variant of the de Havilland Mosquito light bomber makes its maiden flight. With Merlin 113-144 engines, it has a top speed of 422 mph, and carries 2,000-lb of bombs for 2,050 miles. (22)

Frigate HMCS Montreal departed Londonderry escort for Convoy ON-290.

ENGLISH CHANNEL: U-683 (type VIIC) is listed as missing in the North Atlantic after 20 Feb, 1945 south-west of Ireland or in the English Channel. 49 dead (all hands lost). Probably sunk today near Land’s End, in position 49.52N, 05.52W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Loch Ruthwen and the sloop Wild Goose (Alex Gordon)

GERMANY: Hohenlychen: Himmler signs an agreement promising to surrender the death camps to the Allies intact, with the prisoners still alive, and to order a halt to camp executions, contrary to Hitler’s express orders.

In a record raid, 1,108 RAF bombers drop 4,851 tons of bombs on Dortmund.

Bergen-Belsen: Disease is sweeping through the camp, killing the starved and weakened inmates with an efficiency that the Nazis might envy. Anne-Frank, a 15-year-old German Jewish girl, died of typhus today. She spent two years hiding with her family in Amsterdam before being betrayed to the Gestapo and deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau last August. Later she was moved on to Belsen. She hid her diary, to which she confided her deepest thoughts, in Amsterdam; it is a document of human dignity and hope in the face of relentless persecution.

Zhukov enters Kustrin, the entire Russian front has now reached the Oder-Neisse line as far south as Görlitz, excepting a small pocket near Stettin.

Kustrin fell after a week of savage fighting which culminated in the street-by-street destruction of the citadel by dive-bombers, artillery and assault teams armed with mortars and flame-throwers. Kustrin was a vital roadblock in the German plan of defence for Berlin. Now Marshal Zhukov has a clear road and Berlin is only 40 miles away.

NORWAY: U-1063 sailed from Kristiansand on her first and final patrol.

BURMA: Byotha falls to the 20th Indian Division.

JAPAN: 274 US aircraft tonight bomb Osaka and wipe-out 8.1 square miles of the city.

U.S.A.:
A Japanese incendiary balloon is shot down near Coal Harbour, on Vancouver Island. Launched from Japan and carried across the Pacific by winter winds, the enemy expects them to land in Canada’s forests and begin huge fires. Unfortunately for the Japanese, most of the intended target areas are covered in snow and mist - hardly conducive to massive conflagrations.

Destroyer USS Glennon laid down.

Destroyer escort USS Henry W Tucker commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-260 (type VIIC) is scuttled at 2230hrs south of Ireland, in position 51.15N, 09.05W, after being mined at 80 meters depth. Whole crew interned in Ireland 48 survivors (No casualties).

U-296 (type VIIC/41) is listed as missing in the approaches to the Northern Channel on 12 March, 1945 in the approximate position 55.30N, 07W. There is a possibility that she was lost on or about 12 March to the minefields T1 or T21 which were laid in the path to her operational area. 42 dead (all hands lost).

(Alex Gordon)

[EternalVigilance]

The news continues to be very good.

The extremely high costs continue to mount, but the news is very good nonetheless.

[henkster]

Not much love today for the news of the war. Fewest comments I’ve seen in a while.

But it seems like today’s news is in something of a rut; there isn’t anything really exciting going on. The Americans are closing up to the Rhine where they didn’t already cross it.

The Soviets are finishing the drive on Danzig and reorganizing for the drive on Berlin.

Fighting on Iwo Jima and the Philippines is progressing as before.

Firebombing Japanese cities now seems to be SOP for LeMay.

It’s almost like the world is catching it’s breath before the final cataclysm.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

If we don’t make it to 11 comments I cry myself to sleep.

[henkster]

Oh Homer, please don’t cry.

[henkster]

There now, you have your 11. :)

[Hebrews 11:6]

What a whiner. Now, if you were a Cub fan I could understand it.

[henkster]

Hey...we Cub fans accept our lot in life with dignity. Who can we blame but ourselves for the likes of LaTroy Hawkins, Barry Foote and Larry Biitner?

[Hebrews 11:6]

I hope you’re now transitioning, FINALLY, to an era where you no longer must “accept [y]our lot in life” in any way. Start kicking butt!

[Tax-chick]

Afternoon, guys. I’ve been cleaning, when I wasn’t driving children all over the place.

[PapaNew]

Thanks for the update. After I catch my breath, I’ll continue with this amazing saga.

[EternalVigilance]

Friedrich Fromm was executed on this date.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Fromm

[EternalVigilance]

Anne Frank is believed to have died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen camp on this date.

"I live in a crazy time."

[henkster]

Another victim of the lovely Volksgerichthof. At least he didn’t have to go in front of Judge Freisler.

Too bad I didn’t notice Freisler’s passing back in February. As an attorney and part-time judge, I cannot think of a more loathsome individual.

[colorado tanker]

That pretty much summarizes where I am today. Waiting on the Americans and British to tidy up and cross the Rhine in numbers. Waiting on the Russians to finish Danzig and reorganize for the final assault on Berlin.

Himmler is trying to save his skin by bargaining, but it's way too little, way too late.