RED FORCES BREAK THROUGH GERMAN LINES IN THREE PLACES ON THE NEW FRONT AT RZHEV (11/29/42)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 11/29/42 | Ralph Parker, Raymond Daniell, James MacDonald, Foster Hailey, 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 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
Papua, New Guinea, 1942
The Solomons: Guadalcanal and Florida, 1942
Southwest Russia, 1942: Soviet Winter Offensive, Operations, 19 November-12 December 1942
North Africa, 1941: Pursuit to Tunisia, November 1942-February 1943
Tunisia 1942: The Race for Tunisia-Situation 1 January 1943, and Operations Since 17 November 1942
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941: Status of Forces and Allied Theater Boundaries, 2 July 1942
India-Burma, 1942: Allied Lines of Communication, 1942-1943

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The index by author on Homer’s profile is now updated through the end of 1942.

Russians Jubilant (Parker) – 2-4
Nazis Blast Roads (Daniell) – 5-6
Axis Commanders Reported in Clash – 6-7
1940 Order Behind Scuttling of Toulon Ships, Vichy Says (MacDonald) – 7-8
Bombers Smash Japanese Bases on New Georgia and Bougainville – 8-9
Japanese Troops Died in Holocaust (Hailey) – 9-10
War News Summarized – 9
Naval Balance Not Upset (Baldwin) – 11
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 12-13

The News of the Week in Review
Triple Blow – 14-17
Other Fronts – 17-18
Twenty News Questions – 18
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 19

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The index by author on Homer’s profile is now updated through the end of 1942.

Russians Jubilant (Parker) – 2-4
Nazis Blast Roads (Daniell) – 5-6
Axis Commanders Reported in Clash – 6-7
1940 Order Behind Scuttling of Toulon Ships, Vichy Says (MacDonald) – 7-8
Bombers Smash Japanese Bases on New Georgia and Bougainville – 8-9
Japanese Troops Died in Holocaust (Hailey) – 9-10
War News Summarized – 9
Naval Balance Not Upset (Baldwin) – 11
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 12-13

The News of the Week in Review
Triple Blow – 14-17
Other Fronts – 17-18
Twenty News Questions – 18
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 19

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/nov42/f29nov42.htm

British paratroopers in Tunisia
Sunday, November 29, 1942 www.onwar.com

British paratroopers waiting to jump [photo at link]

In Tunisia... A British paratroop battalion land at Depienne and moves toward Oudna. The British and French forces at Djedeida come under heavy pressure and fall back.

From London... British Prime Minister Churchill warns the Italian people that they must chose between a revolt against Mussolini and a full scale Allied attack.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm

November 29th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM:
Sloop HMS Peacock laid down.

Corvette HMS Nepeta launched.

Submarines HMS Tactician and Unsparing commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

ENGLISH CHANNEL: Following a raid on the Fiat works at Turin, Flt-Sgt. Rawdon Hume Middleton (b.1916), RAAF, flew his aircraft back to England then ordered his crew out of his badly-shot-up Stirling, and died when he crashed into the sea to avoid civilian casualties. (Victoria Cross)

ITALY: Churchill broadcasts to the Italian people. He says they must choose between a full-scale Allied attack and a revolt against Mussolini.

Lancaster bombers demonstrated their unique lethality tonight by dropping a new 8,000-pound bomb on Italian soil for the first time. The bomber came into service early this year; the bomb was dropped for the first time in April. There have been 11 raids on Turin, the last eight days ago. As well as the new blockbuster, the RAF hit the city with 100,000 incendiaries and other high explosive. Two Stirlings and a Wellington are missing.

BLACK SEA: U-24 was attacked by three rounds from Turkish shore-based guns. The boat dived. The commander stated that the boat was 7 or 8 nautical miles away from the Turkish coast. (Dave Shirlaw)

TUNISIA: Oudna is the target of a British parachute battalion which lands at Depienne and then moves overland. The German infantry puts up heavy resistance.

The Battle of Tebourba begins: the Allied armoured “Blade Force” is beaten off when it tries to storm German hilltop strongholds.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: US Admrial Wright adopts Kinkaid’s plans and reviewed it with the captains of his TF. At midnight tonight TF 67, 5 cruisers and 6 destroyers, will leave Espiritu Santo for Guadalcanal.

At half past midnight, Japanese Admiral Tanaka and his 8 destroyers sail from the Shortland Islands for Guadalcanal.

There are on this date six New Zealand squadrons of the RNZAF in the AirSoPac theatre (one P-40 squadron, three Hudson squadrons, and one squadron each of Singapores and Vincents.)

U.S.A.: Destroyer escort USS Jacob Jones launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-161 sank SS Tjileboet. (Dave Shirlaw)

[henkster]

The news of the Soviet “Rzhev-Sychevka Operation” that may or may not have been labeled “Operation Mars” has made its way to the front page of the New York Times.

When the war ended, and for many years afterward, the official Soviet focus on this time was on their success in Operation Uranus, the encirclement and destruction of German 6th Army in Stalingrad. And the Soviets had much to be proud of for having conducted a masterful stroke that forever shifted the strategic initiative in the East.

But after the war, the attacks on German Army Group Center by the forces of Western & Kalinin Fronts were merely labeled as “diversionary,” intended to keep the Germans tied down and unable to send troops to the aid of 6th Army. After the fall of the USSR, examination of the Soviet archives suggested that the Soviets did not intend the November attacks around Rzhev to be merely diversionary. In fact, Zhukov is personally coordinating the attacks of Western & Kalinin Fronts, and the numbers of troops, tanks and infantry exceed the numbers committed to Operation Uranus. David Glantz conducted extensive research on this Operation, which he published in “Zhukov’s Greatest Defeat.”

Reading the account of this operation in today’s Times gives some perspective. The normally reticent Soviets are obviously dancing with glee over what they think is a successful major offensive. And initially, they would have reason to think so as they have penetrated German 9th Army’s defenses in several sectors of a three-prong attack designed to destroy 9th Army and eliminate the Rzhev salient. Unfortunately for the Soviets, while the Germans have taken some serious casualties, none of their divisions have been destroyed, the penetrations are fairly narrow, the German flanks are holding, and there are enough panzer reserves immediately at hand to restore the situation.

While the Germans will hold...a great cost...this is essentially a redux of the Operation conducted against the same defenses back in August. Then, the Soviets were also held off...just barely. But this is no mere “diversionary attack.” Had it been intended as one, it would have been launched BEFORE Uranus, not after. This operation shows that top Soviet units and commanders are still not ready to steamroller the Germans when they are in well-prepared defenses. The Soviet casualty list will be long with little to show for it other than attrition of the German defenders.

Interesting to read in the Times how it was portrayed at the time, and not later when the Soviets tried to sweep it under the rug.

[CougarGA7]

• Churchill informs the Chiefs of Staff that they should makes plans to attack the French coast either on the Channel or the Bay of Biscay on 12 July 1943.

[CougarGA7]

BBC - Winston Churchill on Victory in North Africa

CBS - World News Today

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Thanks again for the link. CBS World News Today is especially good, with reports from North Africa, Pearl Harbor, and Moscow. Don’t miss it, people.

[colorado tanker]

The Cocoanut Grove fire was one of the worst in U.S. history. The main entrance was a revolving door that the crowd jammed. Other doors were locked to keep patrons from leaving without paying. Unlocked doors opened in rather than out.

The good that came out of this disaster was the reform of fire and building codes all over the country and a renewed emphasis on enforcement. That included doors opening out instead of in and multiple exits. Locked doors must open to the outside by crash bars. Some say the lover boy was a soldier.

The legend about how the fire started is that some lover untwisted a light bulb so he could smooch his girl in a dark corner. A busboy lit a match so he could see where to replace the bulb, after which fire was seen on a fake palm tree.

[CougarGA7]

This was a particularly good one. Right down to some technical difficulties getting it rolling. I wonder if the bus boy with the match was the grandfather of the lead singer for Great White.

[colorado tanker]

Agreed, this was a great post. Things are turning grim for the Nazis on the Russian Front.