500 ‘SUPERFORTS’ BLAST NAGOYA; CHURCHILL BARS NEW TYRANNIES (5/14/45)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 5/14/45 | George E. Jones, Warren Moscow, W.H. Lawrence, Lindesay Parrott, Clifton Daniel, Drew Middleton

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[alfa6]

Did a little digging regards the “Mutiny” by the Australian First Tactical Airforce...

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

Which led me to this on the Morotai Mutiny...

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

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[colorado tanker]

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Hanson Baldwin for multiple violations of Henkster’s Law!

[colorado tanker]

Interesting that later investigations found the "mutineers" complaints justified and three senior officers were relieved.

One of the complaints was that the RAAF had been relegated to mopping up backwaters while MacArthur and the USAAF were getting all the glory. As I recall some U.S. Marine aviators thought the same thing.

[henkster]

Henkster's Law was not promulgated until 2002; can Hanson claim an ex post facto defense?

[EternalVigilance]

LOL...

I was thinking the same thing when I read it.

[M Kehoe]

Boy, did I read that headline wrong...

Must be the phone...

5.56mm

[alfa6]

I am not sure Baldwin is violating Henkster’s Law as engaging in the game of what if.

Regards to North Africa the Axis failure to neutralize Malta was a very major factor in the demise of the Afrika Korps. Had Rommel been supplied properly the British would have been hard pressed to hold onto Egypt.

Of course now we are flirting with Henkster’s Law, eh?

Regards

alfa6 :>}

[henkster]

Long-time readers of Homer’s posts know that in 1939, there were a number of articles on recent breakthroughs in nuclear physics, and the possible military uses of atomic energy were openly discussed. The average well-read and intelligent American (of the type who would be a FReeper today) has read these articles and filed them in the back of his mind. In fact, when Tibbets is on his way to Hiroshima in the Enola Gay, he has a conversation with some of the crew, and tells them the one bomb they are carrying is a weapon of tremendous power. One of the crew comments it was “a chemist’s nightmare.” Tibbets replied “more like a physicist’s nightmare.” A crew member thought for a moment and as Tibbets was leaving, asked “Sir, are we spliting atoms today?” So the concept was more generally known, it just wasn’t talked about.

The Times articles about nuclear physics continued up until sometime in late 1940 if memory serves, and then the Times and all other worldwide scientific publications suddenly “went dark” on the topic of nuclear physics. That did not pass unnoticed around the world. It was widely assumed by all governments that all other governments were continuing research, in secret, on atomic weapons. In fact, Japanese physicists will tell their government exactly what was used on Hiroshima within 24 hours. And their reaction will be “my God, they actually built one, but the immense cost and effort that must have been involved means they only built one of them. Nobody could build more than that.” That’s why the second bomb, of a completely different type, was an even bigger shock and was the compelling reason to end the war. Nobody knew how many bombs it would take to destroy Japan, but everybody knew how many we were gonna use; as many as we wanted to.

Neils Bohr, one of the world’s leading nuclear physicists, managed to escape Nazi occupied Denmark and come assist with the Manhattan Project. Knowing the engineering tasks necessary to build atomic weapons, he doubted that it could be done for the reason he believed an entire country would have to be converted into a gigantic factory to build one. After he had toured Oak Ridge, particularly the K 25 gaseous diffusion plant, he was asked if he now realized he was wrong about what it would take to build a bomb. His reply was “No, I was right.”

[henkster]

The Court notes that YOU do not have an ex post facto defense and cautions you accordingly before proceeding with this line of argument.

[colorado tanker]

Ex post facto?

Well, our current Dear Leader does have a pen and a phone . . .

[alfa6]

The complaints about MacArthur wanting it to be an all US Army show have some validity. Personal revenge for being run out of the Philippines had a lot to do with it, I imagine

As a kid way back when I ran across a Marine unit history regards a dive bomber unit in the Philippines in 1944-45.

Through the wonders of the internet I fond this link regards the role that Marine air played in the recapturing of the Philippines

http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-Philippines/index.html

And a PDF of Marine units in the Philippines July 1944 to August 1945

http://carl.army.mil/nafziger/944PFAD.pdf

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Tax-chick]

Just fingerprints on the screen. Touch-screens are just about the stupidest invention in history, imo.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thanks for your research efforts and links. That was fascinating! I can’t help but be reminded of the sergeants’ mutiny against Capt. Sobel in the 101/Easy, and Col. Sink’s response, if you’re familiar with that incident.

[colorado tanker]

First use of the phrase "Atomic Bomb" - in 1914.

[colorado tanker]

There was a post not so long ago that described the Marine aviators getting over to Leyte. The impression I got was that they sort of snuck in under the radar. But once there, they participated in the whole campaign.

Krueger's Army was slated for Operation Olympic, reinforced by a Corps of Marines, so I'm sure they would have been in that show too. Thankfully, that wasn't necessary.

[Steven Scharf]

“I suspect that the “idea” of atomic energy was not that far fetched in the spring of 45”

The song “As Time Goes By” written in 1931 refers to Mr. Einstein’s Theory in the prologue of the song which is almost never sung. I was thinking that it was directly mentioned, but it could be another 30s song that directly mentions it.

[Publius]

You're right. The verse starts at 1:30.

Binnie Hale: "As Time Goes By"

[Hebrews 11:6]

This day and age we're living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like fourth dimension.
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's theory.
So we must get down to earth at times
Relax relieve the tension

And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed.

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you."
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by.

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date.
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate.
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny.

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

[21twelve]

A more modern song that I think is great about the bomb. I do consulting out at the Hanford project in eastern Washington where they did the processing for the first bombs. My mom (RIP) said “Oh - our friend John Anderson worked out there during the war. He was building airplane wings!” That’s cool mom - but he wasn’t making wings!

Rush – Manhattan Project

Imagine a time
When it all began.
In the dying days of a war
A weapon, that would settle the score
Whoever found it first
Would be sure to do their worst
They always had before...

Imagine a man
Where it all began
A scientist pacing the floor
In each nation, always eager to explore
To build the best big stick
To turn the winning trick
But this was something more...

The big bang,took and shook the world
Shot down the rising sun
The end was begun, it would hit everyone
When the chain reaction was done
The big shots, try to hold it back
Fools try to wish it away
The hopeful depend on a world without end
Whatever the hopeless may say

Imagine a place
Where it all began
They gathered from across the land
To work in the secrecy of the desert sand
All of the brightest boys
To play with the biggest toys
More than they bargained for...

Imagine a man
When it all began
The pilot of “Enola Gay”
Flying out of the shock wave
On that August day
All the powers that be
And the course of history
Would be changed for evermore...

[Steven Scharf]

“You’re right. The verse starts at 1:30.
Binnie Hale: “As Time Goes By””

Not to brag, but I know all things about the song, “As Time Goes By” and its author Herman Hupfeld. Did some major research on him in the 1990s.

I have to admit I have never heard of Binnie Hale or this 1931 version of “As Time Goes By”. Rudy Valle was the first to record ATGB in 1931 and it was in a play, Everybody’s Welcome at the same time. Don’t know if Frances Williams who sang it in the play ever recorded it, but the 1931 versions of the sheet music show alternate Rudy Vallee and Frances William covers.

Murray Abramson who wrote the play that became Casablanca included the song that he had known and liked. They were going to replace the song, but Ingrid Bergman said, play it Sam, play “As Time Goes By” and they were not able to reshoot the scene later so went with it.

I could tell you many more stories about the song and the author, but it is not WW II related.