Posted on 01/15/2012 5:44:27 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Not as valueless as one might think. One: Strategic objective of closing Burma Road cut principal supply route to China [adding risk to crews and diversion of air resources to fly “The Hump”]. Second, Japan was able to exploit Burmese opposed to Brit rule for their “Greater Economic Co-Prosperity Sphere” propaganda. Third, the invasion did not overly tax Japanese resources, and fourth: It covered Yamashita’s flank and rear from potential British action to relieve Malaya.
My uncle spent summers in the early war years working on Cape Cod and tells stories of seeing ships burning offshore.
Good points all...the strategic value of guarding Malaya’s backdoor was about the only thing I could initially come up with. I have a nice thick book on the Burma campaign on my shelf...as with my book on the Nomonhan debacle, I suspect the thickness is discouraging me from reading it through!
On 8 February 1945, a 40 mm shell hit his aircraft. He was badly wounded in the right foot and crash landed inside German lines. His life was saved by his observer Ernst Gadermann who stemmed the bleeding, but Rudel's leg was amputated below the knee. He returned to operations on 25 March 1945, claiming 26 more tanks destroyed before the end of the war. Determined not to fall into Soviet hands, he led three Ju 87s and four FW 190s westward from Bohemia in a 2-hour flight and surrendered to U.S. forces on 8 May 1945, after landing at Kitzingen airfield, held by the US 405th Fighter Group. He had his men lock the brakes and collapse the landing gear to make the aircraft useless to the Americans and to render the airfield unusable by blocking the airstrip. Eleven months in prisoner of war camps followed. Released by the Americans, he moved to Argentina in 1948. Rudel flew some 2,530 combat missions (a world record). He was never shot down by another pilot, only by anti-aircraft artillery. He was shot down or forced to land 32 times, several times behind enemy lines.
Last Wartime Rank: Colonel
Unit(s): StG. 168, StG. 2
Theatre(s): Eastern Front
Combat Debut: 1939
Victories:
519 Tanks
70 Assault Craft/Landing Boats
150 self-propelled guns
4 armored trains.
800 other vehicles
9 aircraft (7 IL-2 Sturmovik, 7 fighters)
1 Battleship, 2 cruisers
Thanks to all for the encouraging words. I enjoy preparing these posts but it is good to know others enjoy them too.
1. How bravely the Finns fought against the mighty Soviets in 1939.
2. The role of the decision by Belgians to lay down their arms in the collapse of France.
3. That Pearl Harbor was not some bolt out of the blue, rather that war with Japan was widely expected then. PH was only a tactical surprise; war was not a strategic surprise.
4. No sooner did the Nazis invade the USSR then the Holocaust could be said to begin in earnest. They had those plans ready to go as soon as they entered.
There are many other examples I could give. It has been immensely informative.
Wow...that’s amazing about Rudel as a pilot.
and his input helped with the development of the A-10.
I googled & noticed he moved back to West Germany & died in 1982.
You may have to take that up with the folks at the Etherington site. From what I found Tirpitz left from Wilhelmshaven on 14 Jan. France is nowhere mentioned.
It was pretty bad in the early months of the war for two of many reasons:
1) The seaside resorts didn't want to black out their lights as it affected the tourist business. The U-Boat commanders said "Thank you very much" as the silhouetted ships made perfect targets.
2) Adm. King hated the British and refused to take their advice on using convoys, so a lot of ships were sunk one by one and a lot of guys were lost. Once the convoy system was implemented the number of sinkings declined dramatically.
It’s got be wrong. First, how would te TIRPITZ get to FRrance. Sail through the Channel? Second, why would she go to France? Lead SCHARNHORST, GNIESENAU and PRINZ EUGEN back through the channel? Obviously, an error.
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