Posted on 02/16/2013 4:40:21 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Winston S. Churchill, The Hinge of Fate
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/feb1943/f16feb43.htm
Germans abandon Kharkov, Soviets move in
Tuesday, February 16, 1943 www.onwar.com
German forces withdrawing from the Kharkov area [photo at link]
On the Eastern Front... Kharkov is captured by the Red Army after several days of intensive fighting on the approach to the city. General Hausser, commanding the 2nd SS Panzer Corps, chooses to withdraw from Kharkov rather than risk encirclement inside the city. This action is carried out in spite of an order, directly from Hitler, to defend the city.
In Tunisia... Forward elements of Montgomery’s forces capture Medenine on the approaches to the Mareth line.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm
February 16th, 1943 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Anti-Fascist Italian PoWs open Radio Risorgi [Resurge], broadcasting for resistance to Mussolini.
Frigate HMS Nith commissioned.
Minelayer HMS Apollo launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
VICHY FRANCE: The deeply unpopular Service Obligatoire du Travail[Compulsory Labour Service] is introduced; all people aged 20-23 must do it for two years.
GERMANY: Mildred Fish Harnack was beheaded in Plötzensee Prison, Berlin, the only American woman to be executed for treason in World War II.
Born in Milwaukee, USA on September 16, 1902, daughter of merchant W.C. Fish. In 1926, she married Arvid Harnack whom she met while studying literature at Wisconsin University. In 1929 she and her husband moved to Germany where she taught American literature history at the University of Berlin. In Berlin, she became friends with Martha Dodd and through this friendship, she and her husband were often invited to receptions at the American Embassy where she met many influential Germans.
When the war started, Arvid and Mildred supported the resistance movement against the Nazi regime through their friendship with Harro Schulze-Boysen and the spy ring the Nazis dubbed ‘The Red Orchestra’.
On September 7, 1942, she was arrested in Priel and taken to Gestapo headquarters at No.8, Prinz- Albrecht- Strasse.
At her trial on December 15-19, 1942, she was sentenced to six years in prison for ‘helping to prepare high treason and espionage’.
On December 21, Hitler reversed the sentence and at her second trial on January13/16,1943, she was given the ultimate penalty, death. By September, 1943, all fifty one members of the ‘Red Orchestra’ had died, two by suicide, eight by hanging and forty-one beheaded by guillotine. (Denis Peck)
U-1228 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.S.R.: Russia completes the capture of Kharkov.
German Baron Wolfram von Richthofen is promoted to Field Marshal. (Glenn A. Steinberg)
NORTH AFRICA: Medenine falls to the British 8th Army.
SOUTH PACIFIC: The US submarine Amberjack (SS-219), commanded by John A. Bole, Jr., is sunk by Japanese surface craft and aircraft bombs-off Rabaul All hands are lost. (Joe Sauder)
CANADA: Tug HMCS Glenmont laid down Owen Sound, Ontario. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: Destroyer escort USS Charles Lawrence launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
Haven’t commented for awhile. Just thought I’d let you know we are here everyday reading, and appreciating your work.
Thanks for the pings.
Thanks for the encouragement, rockinqsranch. You were #6 on the ping list, which means you have been reading these threads for about 5 years now. I feel fortunate to have been able to keep this project going all this time.
One of the lessons learned by the US from their military action in North Africa was that tank tracks wore out rapidly. Thus large quantities of spare tracks were manufactured, shipped to Britain and across the canal shortly after D-day. Many of these were still in storage in Western Europe well into the late 20th century and may yet be there. The tank drivers on the continent failed to operate their machines across vast areas of sand & apparently the tracks did not wear out as fast as predicted.
52 U.S. submarines were lost in WWII. Each state was asked to build a memorial for one sub, New York and California were asked to build two. Colorado's monument is for USS Grayling and is located in Sloan's Lake Park, Denver.
” 52 U.S. submarines were lost in WWII. Each state was asked to build a memorial for one sub, New York and California were asked to build two.”
Didn’t know that! While up near Williamsport (PA. ) I found a park memorializing USS WAHOO. Couldn’t figure the state/local angle. Now I understand!
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