Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

On this date in 1944

Posted on 11/12/2017 12:20:39 PM PST by Bull Snipe

Two RAF Squadrons drop 29 "tallboy" bombs on the German battleship Tirpitz in Tromso Fiord, Norway. The ship is hit at least twice by the 10,000 pound bombs. The damage is fatal and Tirpitz capsizes. At least 950 German sailors were lost with the ship.


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: leyte; wwii

1 posted on 11/12/2017 12:20:39 PM PST by Bull Snipe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Bull Snipe
Pardon the off topic, but also on this date my Uncle was killed on Leyte. He survived the landing on Oct. 19, the "D-Day of the Pacific," but was killed by a sniper on Nov 12. He was a squad leader and was point in a flanking maneuver.

Luchtel, SSgt. Gilbert R., U. S. Army, Co. K, 382nd Inf., 96th Div., K.I.A. Nov. 12, 1944, Leyte Island. RIP Gib. I have a pic of him in uniform holding me as a baby. I was born in July, 44.

2 posted on 11/12/2017 12:51:25 PM PST by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only Hope for Western Civilization.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Art in Idaho

Prayer for SSG Luchtel.


3 posted on 11/12/2017 1:02:32 PM PST by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: onedoug

Thank you onedoug. Everyone in the family says I am a clone of him, personality, etc.


4 posted on 11/12/2017 1:07:43 PM PST by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only Hope for Western Civilization.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Art in Idaho

A quote by General George Patton. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men that died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived. America should always thank God that men such as your Uncle lived.


5 posted on 11/12/2017 1:28:46 PM PST by Bull Snipe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Bull Snipe

Thanks for the quote and comment Bull Snipe.


6 posted on 11/12/2017 1:37:48 PM PST by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only Hope for Western Civilization.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Bull Snipe

For the entire month of November 1944 a number of US Army divisions were getting slaughtered in The Hurtgen Forest. It’s a sad story of how pig headed American generals threw men’s lives away recklessly for no good reason.


7 posted on 11/12/2017 2:56:37 PM PST by jmacusa ("Made it Ma, top of the world!'')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bull Snipe

Watched a documentary last night on AHC about a British commando raid on the dock for the Tirpitz. This dock was the only one that was big enough for the massive ship and the commandos rammed an old destroyer into it, and about 70 commandos disembarked and blew up the pump house and the gate machinery. After I think 9 hours the destroyer which was loaded with a few thousand pounds of explosives blew the dock up and killed about 100 Germans onboard. This raid prevented the Tirpitz from being completely readied for Atlantic cruising and she spent the next 2 years wondering around the fiords till the RAF blew her to bits.


8 posted on 11/12/2017 2:59:04 PM PST by 1FreeAmerican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Art in Idaho

Respect for your uncle....from Dave in Idaho (moyie Springs)


9 posted on 11/12/2017 3:47:03 PM PST by davidb56
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Art in Idaho

God bless you and him.


10 posted on 11/12/2017 5:25:01 PM PST by american_ranger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Art in Idaho

Bttt.

5.56mm


11 posted on 11/12/2017 5:31:09 PM PST by M Kehoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: davidb56

Thanks Dave. Am in Priest Lake area.


12 posted on 11/12/2017 9:12:53 PM PST by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only Hope for Western Civilization.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

I’m not convinced that Omar Bradley’s photo shouldn’t accompany the dictionary definition for The Peter Principle; but US forces had up to 5 to 1 advantage in the Hurtgen. The Germans were remarkably skilled and experienced, and they also had the terrain going for them, as they had had in Italy. At least Marshall and FDR finally said enough in Italy, after the important objectives (the airfields in southern Italy, which were in range of the bombers used to attack German assets in Romania and elsewhere) were met. The UK wanted to keep going, pretty much anything to avoid D-Day.

http://taskandpurpose.com/hurtgen-forest-americas-longest-costly-battle-world-war-ii/

http://www.historynet.com/the-hurtgen-forest-1944-the-worst-place-of-any.htm


13 posted on 11/13/2017 8:05:16 AM PST by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
There was no damn good reason to be stumbling around in The Hurtgen. 6th. Army Corps finally ceased operations there on Dec.14th., 1944. Two days later the Germans came barreling through The Ardennes.
14 posted on 11/13/2017 11:01:45 AM PST by jmacusa ("Made it Ma, top of the world!'')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa
There was one objective worth driving on, but the commanders didn't do it.

15 posted on 11/13/2017 9:46:21 PM PST by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
The objective, ostensibly was to capture three dams over the Ruhr River that were supplying hydro electric power to armament plants in the Ruhr Valley but 6th. Corps never reached those objectives. The Hurtgen Campaign was a disaster.
16 posted on 11/13/2017 10:45:51 PM PST by jmacusa ("Made it Ma, top of the world!'')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

I think were in agreement, that the commanders bungled their assignment. Later, Bradley didnt think the German Antwerp Offensive amounted to much (and was honest about that in his A Soldiers Story memoir), but was given his fourth star just to make it possible to give Patton his fourth.


17 posted on 11/13/2017 11:44:36 PM PST by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson