The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - The Origin Of The Modern Tank

Water Carriers for Mesopotamia

LINCOLN, THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE TANK.

In the history of combat, few things can have had more dramatic effect than the invention of the Tank. Lincoln was at the forefront of that invention and this leaflet recalls the part the City played in the development of the fighting machine which changed the face of warfare.

THE PROBLEM.

This photograph shows a British Mark IV tank. This particular model is a "Female" tank -- the British used this designation to denote that the tank was armed with machine guns. A "Male" version was armed with small naval guns instead. Note that this tank is moving through a barbed wire obstacle, one of the tasks for which tanks had been invented.

In the "Great War" of 1914-1918, the opposing forces quickly became bogged down on the battlefields of France. Infantry and cavalry were useless against the mud and the enemy machine guns and casualties were running at horrific levels. There was no sign of a break through. This was the problem put before the Admiralty Landships Committee - the group charged with developing an armoured fighting vehicle which could cross the trenches and barbed wire and deliver an attack capable of breaking the stalemate and seeing the allies through to victory. To help them solve this considerable problem the committee turned to a Lincoln company—William Foster & Co. Ltd.

FOSTER’S PEDIGREE

William Foster were a Lincoln engineering company specialising in agricultural machinery, and before the war they built tractors, threshing machines and other steam engines. They had even experimented with a caterpillar tracked vehicle for difficult terrain. With the outbreak of war, Foster’s heavy Daimler tractors were used to haul massive howitzer guns and heavy equipment, so their engineering pedigree was well known to the Landships Committee.

THE NEED FOR SECRECY

Foster’s factory was already heavily involved in the war effort but the development of this new fighting vehicle was likely to have such a devastating effect on the conflict that an element of secrecy was required. The workforce were told that they were working on "Watercarriers for Mesopotamia" (modern day Iraq). From this somewhat awkward title the workers came up with their own, more simple name.—"THE TANK".

THE PEOPLE

Foster’s managing director was a man named William Tritton, a dynamic man who had re-vitalised Foster’s trading position in the pre-war years and who quickly adapted to the new opportunities that wartime threw up. He was assisted by his chief draughtsman William Rigby who had joined Fosters as an apprentice in 1903 and went on to live in Lincoln until his death in 1982 at the age of 93.

The other vital member of the team was Walter Wilson a Naval Lieutenant whose skill and engineering flair had been born out of flirtations with the early motor cars and flying machines.

The innovation and design skills of these men was coupled to the expertise and loyalty of the Foster’s workforce. Some 350 in number in 1914, this rose to 2000 at the height of wartime production. The vast majority women, trained in all the engineering skills and regularly working 12 hour shifts at the company’s Wellington Foundry in Waterloo Street, Lincoln.

LINCOLN’S TANK HERITAGE

Having been instrumental in bringing the war to a speedier and satisfying conclusion Fosters returned to being a successful engineering company after the war. Regrettably they have since ceased to exist and their Waterloo Street Foundry has now been demolished.

The achievements of Tritton and his workforce in bringing the war to an early conclusion are greatly regarded in Lincoln and the road which now passes through the old testing site is named "Tritton Road" in his honour. There is still a Tank Room at the White Hart Hotel where Tritton used to meet representatives of the Landships Committee. Enthusiasts have also formed the Lincoln Tank Group to preserve and promote Lincoln’s heritage. They have the excellent "Tank Papers" which relate Lincoln’s story as the as the birthplace of the tank in detail. What is undoubtedly Lincoln’s most tangible memorial of the Great War is its restored Tank. FLIRT II.

Little Willie

The idea of an armoured tracked vehicle that would provide protection from machines gun fire was first discussed by army officers in 1914. Two of the officers, Colonel Ernest Swinton and Colonel Maurice Hankey, both became convinced that it was possible to develop a fighting vehicle that could play an important role in the war.

On the outbreak of the First World War, Colonel Swinton was sent to the Western Front to write reports on the war. After observing early battles where machine-gunners were able to kill thousands of infantryman advancing towards enemy trenches, Swinton wrote that a "petrol tractors on the caterpillar principle and armoured with hardened steel plates" would be able to counteract the machine-gunner.

Swinton's proposals were rejected by General Sir John french and his scientific advisers. Unwilling to accept defeat, Colonel Ernest Swinton contacted Colonel Maurice Hankey who took the idea to Winston Churchill, the navy minister. Churchill was impressed by Swinton's views and in February 1915, he set up a Landships Committee to look in more detail at the proposal to develop a new war machine.

The Landships Committee and the newly-formed Inventions Committee agreed with Swinton's proposal and drew up specifications for this new machine. This included: (1) a top speed of 4 mph on flat ground; (2) the capability of a sharp turn at top speed; (3) a reversing capability; (4) the ability to climb a 5-foot earth parapet; (6) the ability to cross a 8-foot gap; (7) a vehicle that could house ten crew, two machine guns and a 2-pound gun.

Eventually Lieutenant W. G. Wilson of the Naval Air Service and William Tritton of William Foster & Co. Ltd. of Lincoln, were given the task of producing a small landship. Constructed in great secrecy, the machine was given the code-name tank by Swinton. The first prototype landship, nicknamed Little Willie, was demonstrated to Ernest Swinton and the Landship Committee on 11th September, 1915.

Tritton and Wilson took just 37 days to produce the first prototype tank and it was tested on waste ground near the factory on 19th September 1915. Known as "Little Willie" it was a simple 15 ton armoured box on top of American caterpillar tracks which had the unfortunate habit of coming off whenever a manoeuvre was carried out.

The men persevered with different designs and finally came up with a track which went all the way around the tank body. This 28 - ton version was known initially as "Big Willie" but later as "Mother". Little Willie, with its Daimler engine, had track frames 12 feet long, weighed 14 tons and could carry a crew of three, at speeds of just over three miles. The speed dropped to less than 2 mph over rough ground and most importantly of all, was unable to cross broad trenches. Although the performance was disappointing, Ernest Swinton remained convinced that when modified, the tank would enable the Allies to defeat the Central Powers.

Mark I (Mother)

The production of Little Willie by Lieutenant W. G. Wilson and William Tritton in the late summer of 1915 revealled several technical problems. The two men immediately began work on an improved tank. Mark I, nicknamed Mother, was much longer than the first tank they made. This kept the centre of gravity low and the extra length helped the tank grip the ground. Sponsons were also fitted to the sides to accommodate two naval 6-pound guns.

The "Mother" tank took just 141 days from the inception to testing and proved much more reliable than its predecessor. Fosters went into full-scale production and the tank saw its first action at Flers in France seven months after the first order had been placed. It immediately changed the pattern of the war causing panic in the enemy ranks and greatly uplifting the spirits of the allied troops. Tritton did not rest there though. He made further improvements through to the end of the war, including "Whippet" which had a top speed of 9 miles per Hour and "Hornet" which had an all round field of fire.

After successful trials at Hatfield Park in January 1916, where the tank crossed a 9ft. wide trench with a 6ft. 6in. parapet, it was decided to demonstrate the new tank to Britain's political and military leaders. Under conditions of great secrecy, Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State of War, David Lloyd George, Minister of Munitions, and Reginald McKenna, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, were invited to Hatfield Park on 2nd February, 1916 to see Mark I in action.

Lord Kitchener was unimpressed describing tanks as "mechanical toys" and asserting that "the war would never be won by such machines". Although without military experience, David Lloyd George and Reginald McKenna saw their potential and placed an order for a 100 tanks.

Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in Chief of the British Army, also had doubts about the value of tanks. However, after failing to break through German lines at the Battle of the Somme, Haig gave orders that tanks that had reached the Western Front, should be used at Flers-Coucelette on 15th July, 1916.

Of the 59 tanks in France, only 49 were considered to be in good working order. Of these, 17 broke down on the way to their starting point at Flers. The sight of the tanks created panic and had a profound effect on the morale of the German Army. Colonel John Fuller, chief of staff of the Tank Corps, was convinced that these machines could win the war and persuaded Sir Douglas Haig to ask the government to supply him with another 1,000 tanks

Mark II and Mark III

The MarkII and III were training tanks ,however they were used sparingly in combat.They were only plated and not bullet proof.

The Mark II was nearly identical to the Mark I. This tank simply incorporated improvements based on learned experiance from combat. Improvements included a wider track link in every 6 to increase movement performance on soft ground. The Mark II was made by William Foster and Company LTD starting in January 1917. Only 50 were produced.

The Mark III was nearly identical to the Mark I. Improvements included a raised manhole hatch on the top. Late production vehicles has a smaller sponson and a "short" 6pdr as was fitted in the Mark IV. First produced in January 1917 at the same time the Mark II was being manufactured. Only 50 were ever made. Manufacturer for this vehicle was Metropolitan Carriage and Waggon Company LTD.

Mark A (Whippet)

In service with the British Army early in 1918, first saw action in March 1918 and then in continuous use until the end of the war. Approximately 200 were produced. Also used by Japan and in Russia.

Noting the Mark I’s abilities and inability’s, the British War Office called for a lighter, faster tank capable of carrying the traditional cavalry task of exploiting a breakthrough and follow retreating enemy. The idea was for an armored substitute for the hose and Sir William Tritton, the designer of the Mark I and the manager of William Foster & Company of Lincoln, set about designing what he called the "Tritton Chaser", a self explanatory name and one that shows marked humility. Trench crossing was considered less important than with the battle tanks, since the latter would have done the job of placing fascines into the wider trenches. The "Chaser" was thereby reduced in size that ensured a lighter weight as a result. The medium tank was born.

The layout was like an armored car with engine compartment up front and the driver looking out over the engine hood. Behind him was to be a rotating turret containing the commander and gunner. In the production models the rotating turret was dropped to simplify manufacture. This change brought crew difficulties since the commander and his gunner now had to handle no less than four machine-guns in a fighting compartment never intended for such a task.

Sir William Tritton, aware of the power losses caused through steering by brakes, attempted to overcome the problem and designed a system that used a separate engine for each track. Theoretically this is straightforward, in practice anything but! In the Whippet, the driver had a steering wheel connected to the two throttles, and movement of the wheel translated into differential movement of the throttles. In straight-ahead driving he could lock both output shafts. The whole process fiendish to manage and it was common practice for driver to stall one engine and spin the tank on one track. A good idea but on soft ground there was a real possibility that a track would come off. Naturally, this was not desirable under combat conditions. The new layout of the tracks was the first indication of a break away the ideas of running them all round the hull and a return to an older concept. Actually the idea was not new as Tritton himself was involved with the earliest designs including "Little Willie" to which these tracks appear more like. The new mud chutes were a substantial step in helping to clear the tracks and bogies of dirt and thereby reducing maintenance. Unfortunately the bogies were not sprung and true high speed was out of the question. In truth, the quoted top speed could only be achieved on smooth ground. On the battlefields of Flanders the Whippet was nowhere near as fast as a horse.

The 40-mile range was too short for a vehicle intended to follow breakthrough. Whippet crews were noted for carrying gasoline in cans strapped on the outside of the hull - a suicidal habit in action. The normal gas tank was armored but placed in the front of the tank. These early fuel tanks were not self-sealing and fire suppression was not yet a reality. As a result, any shot that pierced the fuel tank resulted in a nasty surprise for the crew.

Despite it’s shortcomings, the Whippet was considered a great success and the Germans set about copying it almost exactly, though they wisely tried to mount a 57mm gun a rotating turret. The Armistice overtook the German design and Sweden purchased the German stock and developed the tank as the M-21. That tank served Sweden for many years showing that it was a successful design. The British abandoned the Whippet design in 1919 and scrapped the 200 that had been made. The Tank Corps' Central Workshops in France installed sprung bogies on a Whippet for a experiment. This improved the ride considerably and when a 360hp Rolls-Royce Eagle airplane engine was installed 30mph was easily obtained. This experiment was ignored by the powers in charge and British tank design went forward with the Medium C. Other users included Japan and captured units by Germany.

Mark IV

The British Mark IV looked superficially like its fore-bearer, the Mk:s I-III, but it incorporated many improvements, all results of bitter experiences made during the autumn of 1916. The front and side armour was increased to 16 mm respective 12mm, and the petrol tanks were relocated to the back of the vehicle, and was thus separated from the crew. The quick firing 57mm guns were shortened, to make them less liable to get stuck in the ground or on the wire. Special rails were also put on top of the tank, carrying a unditching beam. Both a silencer for the engine, electric lights and better ventilation meant improved conditions for the crew. Like the earlier Mk:s, it came both in Male (cannon-equipped) and Female (MG-equipped) variants. Mk I the tank had a crew of 8. The crew hade their allotted roles, but they were trained to take up the position of any other member, if these were injured or killed - which they often were. The tank was still slow and cumbersome to drive. In order to change direction, the tank still had to come to a complete stop, in order for the crew to change the gears, the process taking some 15 seconds to complete.

Mark IV Hermaphrodite

The Mk IV was used in the futile and terrible fighting around Passchendaele in the latter part of 1917, but not to any noticable effect, as these heavy vehicles more often than not simply got stuck in the mud that was the battlefield. These tanks finest hour came in November 1917, when they were used in a attack towards Cambrai. The ground was firm, and well-suited for the tank, and for the first time they were used en masse: 476 tanks were employed, at a rate of approximately one tank for every 30 meters of front. The initial success was great, but the German counterattacked and retaking not only most of the lost ground, but also a large numer of abandoned Mk IV:s that were repaired, refurbished and pressed into German service. Eventually more Mk IV:s were used by the Germans than A7V tanks of their own production and design.

A project starting October 1916 and off the assembly line in March 1917. The Mark IV saw service in the battles of the Messines, Third Ypres, and the First Cambrai. After these battles the tank was gradually replaced by the Mark V.

Mark IV - Male...........................Mark I - Female

The Mark IV was the culmination of all knowledge earned from the previous vehicles and their applications. The sponsons were hinged to swing back into the interior for railroad transportation. The Male sponsons were reduced in size and the shape (both Male and Female) changed so that the leading corner would not "catch" when passing over rough ground. The Male gun was reduced 23 caliber in order to achieve a new smaller size needed for the reduced size of the Male sponson. The Lewis gun became the MG of choice for all vehicles, replacing the various Hotchkiss and Vickers MGs. In a later modification, the Lewis fell into disfavor and was replaced by an improved Hotchkiss on all vehicles. The armor was improved to reduce "splash" and to defeat the German "K" bullet which was armor piercing. Gas tanks were now armored and placed outside, to the rear of the tank. Bolted onto every 3rd, 5th, or 9th track plate was a steel stud that improved traction. A muffler was used for the first time to reduce noise from the engine. Improvements for the crew were better ventilation and means of escape.

In early 1917 three forms of gasoline electric drives were tested in this tank, a Westinghouse, a Daimler, and one copied from a French St. Chamond tank - none were accepted. Evolving in late 1917 was the Tadpole. The idea was to add 9' to the length and thereby improving the trench crossing capability. It also added an extra 28 track plates to each side. The tadpole extension was not fitted to all vehicles but was considered successful enough so as it was also incorporated into the later Mark V. With the appearance of German (captured) tanks, the Female tanks were upgraded in firepower by adding a Male sponson to one side. This version was called a Hermaphrodite.

New was the Fascine Tank. This tank carried a bundle 10' long and 4' 6" round. The bundle was tightly bound by chains. The tank would track up to a trench, the driver would release the bundle into the trench - thereby filling it, and then continue on with the attack as a normal tank. The fascine was carried on the unditching rail of the tank. Also new was the Recovery Tank of which several variants existed. One version was a normal tank with the guns removed and a front rigged block and tackle. The other version had fitted equipment with twin platforms at the rear for an operator to stand on and operate the winch. Further experiments included tanks with unditching gear that included spars, beams, chains. The spar, with is the most seen in pictures, weighed nearly a ton! Early models of this device caused the crew to be exposed to fire when attaching the unditching device and in 1917 a improved version allowed attachment without exposing the crew. The improved version was tested for many years but was never adopted.

This vehicle was called Male or Female depending on its weaponry (guns and MG for the male version, machine guns only for the female).

FLIRT II

Flirt was a Mark IV Tank made at Fosters in 1917. It saw valiant action in the Battle of Cambrai but then saw dereliction after the war. In the early 1980’s the Bovington Tank Museum released Flirt on permanent loan to Lincoln City Council on condition it be restored. This painstaking restoration was undertaken by enthusiastic apprentices and trainees from Lincoln’s largest present day employers Ruston Gas Turbines. (Now known as Alstom.) It was completed over a period of two years

Flirt II

Flirt is now a marvellous reminder of the part Lincoln played in the birth of the tank and its telling contribution to history. Following a period of display at the British Museum it returned to Lincoln to form a lasting reminder of the achievements of William Tritton, Fosters and the people of Lincoln.

Mark V

Although the performance of the first tanks, Little Willie and Mark I, had proved disappointing in battle, Colonel John Fuller, chief of staff of the Tank Corps, remained convinced that these machines could win the war. After the Battle of the Somme, Fuller persuaded Sir Douglas Haig, Commander in Chief of the British Army, to order another 1,000 tanks.

The British had 60 tanks in service by the spring of 1917. Improvements were made and the new Mark IV tank was strong enough to withstand the recently developed German anti-tank rifles. The Mark IVs were used at the Battle of Messines in June 1917 but those used at Passchendaele later that year tended to get stuck in the mud before they reached the German lines. Other problems encountered during this period included poor visibility, noxious fumes and high temperatures inside the tank.

At the autumn of 1917 a lighter tank called the Mark A was ready to be used on the Western Front. Nicknamed the Whippet, it was faster than previous tanks but was still unreliable and vulnerable to artillery fire.

Mark V Tadpole

The Mark V tank became available in July 1918. It contained a new Ricardo engine that had been specially designed for the tank. With new transmission and better gears, the tank could travel at nearly 5 mph. To help the tank tackle the wide trenches of the Hindenburg Line, cribbs were carried. This was a braced cylindrical framework which when dropped in the trench acted as a kind of stepping stone.

At Amiens Colonel John Fuller managed to persuade General Henry Rawlinson to use 342 Mark V and 72 Whippet tanks, followed by soldiers and supported by over 1,000 aircraft. The strategy worked and the Allies managed to breakthrough the German frontline.

Mark VIII

The first tanks, Little Willie and Mark I, had proved disappointing but by 1917 saw the development of two successful tanks, the Whippet and Mark V. After the United States entered the war it was suggested that its engineers should join those in Britain to produce a new tank. The result was Mark VIII or Liberty as it was known in America.

The first Mark VIII was ready in the summer of 1918. One new innovation was the separation of the engine from the crew compartment. This reduced the fire risk and helped stop fumes and heat from the engine entering the area where the crew worked. The armour protection was improved and the length increased to combat Germany's decision to construct wider trenches on the Western Front. Weighing 37 tons, the 34 ft. Mark VIII tank could cross a gap of 15 ft. The seven built in Glasgow (the rest were made in France and the United States) were fitted with Rolls-Royce aero engines.

Perhaps the most beautiful of all the rhomboid tanks. Actually, these tanks were known by several monikers: Anglo-American Tank, The International Tank, The Mark VIII Heavy Tank, and the Liberty Tank.

In the summer of 1917, the United States decided to establish a "Tank Corps" to aid in the Allied efforts. Planners were immediately drawn to the qualities of the British Mark 4 tank. The problem was that the Mark 4 was, at that time, barely beyond the design phase. The Allies agreed that in order to standardize equipment that a new design was needed. So began the birth of the Mark VIII tank. England was to supply the guns, ammunition, and the armor. France was to supply the labor (Chinese) and factory space. The United States was to supply the engines, transmissions and other heavy parts. Both the United States and England would provide the engineering staff. It looks like France got off light to me and was probably an unwilling partner in this agreement.

1500 of these vehicles were to be constructed. By the time all the fine details were agreed on, the war ended. Immediately, France lost interest and the project was scrapped as an Allied partnership. The United States still needed tanks of her own and decided to produce the tank alone. Materials were obtained and 100 were produced, between September 1918 - 20, at the Rock Island Arsenal at a cost of $35,000 apiece.

The prototype had a Rolls Royce engine and was built out of mild steel as was the British prototype. These tanks were known by several monikers: Anglo-American Tank, The International Tank, The Mark VIII Heavy Tank, and the Liberty Tank. Features included a separate engine compartment. The Mark VIII remained in service in the U.S.A. until at least 1934 undergoing various upgrades during it's life to improve and extend it's service capabilities. The United States Army Infantry (Tank) Regiment were the primary users.

By 1939, all Mk. VIII units were in storage at Aberdeen Proving Ground until sent north to Canada. A designed variant, but never built, was the Mark VIII*. The VIII* would have been longer but other than supposed improved trench crossing capability, it is unknown what the extra length was exactly intended for. The "Female" line of tanks was finally dropped with this model.

Additional Sources:

www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
learningcurve.pro.gov.uk
www.landships.freeservers.com
homepage.ntlworld.com/peter.fairweather
mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/GreatBritain
www.ga.k12.pa.us
www.butte.cc.ca.us
www.michiganhistorymagazine.com
www.au.af.mil
www.jodyharmon.com

Tank Production 1916-18

Year	UK	france	Germany	Italy	USA
1916	150	-	-	-	-
1917	1,277	800	-	-	-
1918	1,391	4,000	20	6	84

'It was the coming of the tanks that helped us to victory in the First World War. Many men claimed the honour of it. General Swinton established his claim and Winston Churchill was one of those to whom honour is due as patron if not part author.

It is impossible to revive the extraordinary thrill and amazement, the hilarious exultation with which these things were first seen on the fields of the Somme. It had been a secret, marvellously hidden. We war correspondents, who came to hear of most things in one way or another, had not heard a whisper about it until a few days before these strange things went into action.'

Philip Gibbs
journalist who reported the war on the Western Front.

'The English attack at Cambrai for the first time revealed the possibilities of a great surprise attack with tanks. We had had previous experience of this weapon in the spring offensive, when it had not made any particular impression. However, the fact that the tanks had now been raised to such a pitch of technical perfection that they could cross our undamaged trenches and obstacles did not fail to have a marked effect on our troops. The physical effects of fire from machine-guns and light ordnance with which the steel Colossus was provided were far less destructive than the moral effect of its comparative invulnerability. The infantryman felt that he could do practically nothing against its armoured sides. As soon as the machine broke through our trench-lines, the defender felt himself threatened in the rear and left his post'.

General Paul von Hindenburg,
Out of My Life(1934)

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Welcome to Treadhead Tuesday ~ Good Morning Everyone

If you would like added to our ping list let us know.

Good morning Snippy.

WOW! I like that one. Good morning Aeronaut.

As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand. —Jeremiah 18:6

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still

A change in the heart brings a change in behavior.

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

For those using Windows, Microsoft will issues their January bulletein of critical updates a week from today. Be sure to download those updates so your computer can continue to work properly to access the internet and FR.

Good morning Sam.

Finally! I get to learn about tanks, a subject near and dear to you. This is going to be fun and educational.

Lord Kitchener was unimpressed describing tanks as "mechanical toys" and asserting that "the war would never be won by such machines".

He wasn't very open minded. lol.

Whippet crews were noted for carrying gasoline in cans strapped on the outside of the hull .

Yikes.

I like the old song, and this line in particular "Here comes the British Navy sailing on the land." lol.

The workforce were told that they were working on "Watercarriers for Mesopotamia" (modern day Iraq). From this somewhat awkward title the workers came up with their own, more simple name.—"THE TANK".

I immediately thought about the tanks rolling through Baghdad all these years later...how ironic.

I learned about the "male" and "female" concept for tanks and of course I see the male versions had the big guns, go figure. LOL.

Thanks Sam this was a great read and I learned a lot. I am looking forward to some more Treadhead Tuesdays. Before you know it I just might sound like an expert. ;-)

Good morning Mayor. Coffee sure looks good this morning. We are only 12 degrees this morning. Brrrr.

Good morning EGC. Thanks for the reminder.

we're at 24 and lake effect snow is falling at a rate of 2-4" per hour in the southtowns.

Glad it ain't here..

Glad it ain't here..

Yep. The sad part is we know it will eventually show up.

Good morning gridlock. Neat picture. He was one inventor who could see the future I think.

On This Day In Hostory

Birthdates which occurred on January 06:
1367 Richard II Bordeaux, France, king of England (1377-99)
1412 Joan of Arc Domremy, martyr
1602 Karl Rabenhaupt German/Dutch baron of Sucha/army leader
1683 François de La Croix composer
1745 Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier Annonay France, aeronaut (1st pioneer balloonist/brother of Joseph-Michel/co-inventor of calorimeter, hydraulic ram, and process for producing vellum)
1799 Jedediah Strong Smith US fur trader/explorer
1807 Joseph Holt Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1894
1811 Charles Sumner leading Reconstruction senator, died in 1874
1822 Heinrich Schliemann German polyglot/archeologist (Troy)
1827 John Calvin Brown Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1889
1832 Gustave Doré Strasbourg France, illustrator (Inferno, Ancient Mariner)
1864 Ban Johnson Norwalk CT, baseball founder (American League)
1878 Carl Sandburg US, poet/biographer of Lincoln (The People, Yes)
1880 Tom Mix Mix Run PA, silent screen cowboy actor (Dick Turpin)
1882 Samuel Rayburn Tennessee, (Representative-D-TX), speaker of the House (1940-57)
1883 Khalil Gibran Lebanon, mystic poet (The Prophet, Broken Wings)
1909 Johannes H Moesman Dutch surrealist painter (Rumor)
1912 Jacques Cesar Ellul writer
1913 Loretta Young Salt Lake City UT, actress (Farmer's Daughter, Stranger)
1913 Edward Gierek party leader (Polish CP)
1914 Danny Thomas Deerfield MI, comedian (Danny Thomas Show)
1920 Early Wynn Hartford AL, baseball Hall of famer (pitcher)
1920 Reverand Sun Myung Moon evangelist (Unification Church-Moonies)
1924 Earl Scruggs NC, bluegrass musician (Flatt & Scruggs-Ballad of Jed Clampett, Rocky Top)
1930 Vic Tayback Brooklyn NY, actor (Mel-Alice, Khan, Portrait of a Stripper)
1936 Julio María Sanguinetti Cairolo President of Uruguay (1985-90, 95- )
1937 Lou Holtz US, football coach
1948 Guy Spencer Gardner Alta Vista VA, Lieutenant-Colonel USAF/astronaut (STS-27, STS-35)
1949 Robert Englund Glendale CA, actor (V, Nightmare on Elm Street)
1951 Kim Wilson rocker (Fabulous Thunderbirds)
1957 Nancy Lopez Knight Torrance CA, pro golfer (1988 Mazda, 1981 Dinah Shore)
1989 Baby lion-tailed macaques at Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle)

Deaths which occurred on January 06:
1088 Berengarius of Tours French theologist, dies
1275 Raymundus of Peñafort Spanish church law scholar, dies
1448 Christopher III king of Denmark/Norway/Sweden, dies
1693 Mehmed IV sultan (Turkey), dies at 51
1742 Johann Georg Reinhardt composer, dies
1785 Haym Salomon dies in Philadelphia PA at 44, helped finance the revolution
1799 Maria G Agnesi Italian mathematician (x²y=a²(a-y)), dies at 80
1884 Gregor Mendel Augustine monk/heredity pioneer, dies at 61
1919 Theodore Roosevelt 26th President (1901-09), dies at his home in Oyster Bay NY at 60
1978 John D MacArthur US insurance billionaire, dies at 80
1985 Robert H W Welch Jr US founder/leader John Birch Society, dies at 85
1993 John B "Dizzy" Gillespe blues trumpeter, dies of cancer at 75
1993 Rudolph Nureyev Russian ballet dancer (Kirov), dies of AIDS at 54
1994 Morty the Moose (Northern Exposure), dies at 6
1994 Tip O'Neill speaker of the house, dies of cancer
1994 Virginia Kelley Clinton Mother of President Clinton, dies at 70
1995 Joe Slovo Latvian/South African attorney/Secretary-General (SACR), dies at 68

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1967 MULLEN RICHARD D.---CHICAGO IL.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1971 MILLER CARLTON P. JR.---MELROSE MA.
1973 LINDAHL JOHN C.---LINDSBOURG KS.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
1066 King Harald of England crowned
1099 Henry V crowned German king
1453 Emperor Frederik III becomes archduke of Austria
1493: The first mass in the “New World” is celebrated in the Roman Catholic church on Isabella Island in Haiti
1496 Moorish fortress Alhambra, near Grenada, surrenders to the Christians
1497 Jews are expelled from Graz (Syria)
1535 City of Lima Peru founded by Francisco Pizarro
1540 King Henry VIII of England married his 4th wife, Anne of Cleves
1639 Virginia is 1st colony to order surplus crops (tobacco) destroyed
1663 Great earthquake in New England
1681 1st recorded boxing match (Duke of Albemarle's butler vs his butcher)
1690 Emperor Leopold's son Jozef chosen Roman Catholic king
1745 Bonnie Prince Charlies army draws to Glasgow
1759 George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Curtis
1773 Massachusetts slaves petition legislature for freedom
1832 New England Anti-Slavery Society organizes (Boston)
1838 Samuel Morse made 1st public demonstration of telegraph
1842 4,500 British & Indian troops leave Kabul, massacred before India
1857 Patent for reducing zinc ore granted to Samuel Wetherill, Pennsylvania
1861 New York City NY mayor proposes New York become a free city, trading with N & S
1861 Florida troops seize Federal arsenal at Apalachicola
1873 US Congress begins investigating Crédit Mobilier scandal
1880 Record snow cover in Seattle-120cm
1893 Great Northern Railway connects Seattle with east coast
1896 1st US women's 6-day bicycle race starts, Madison Square Garden
1900 Boers attack at Ladysmith, about 1,000 killed or injured
1912 New Mexico becomes 47th state
1914 Stock brokerage firm of Merrill Lynch founded
1922 Conference of Cannes concerning German retribution payments
1927 US marines sent to Nicaragua
1928 Pope Pius XI publishes encyclical Mortalium animos (against oecumene)
1930 1st diesel engine automobile trip (in a Packard sedan) completed
1937 The United States bans the shipment of arms to war-torn Spain
1941 FDR's "4 Freedoms" speech (speech, worship, from want & from fear)
1942 1st around world flight (Pan Am "Pacific Clipper")
1942 Bob Feller, enlists in Navy & reports for duty to Norfolk Virginia
1945 Future President George Bush marries Barbara Pierce in Rye NY
1946 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Quemadmodum
1953 WKBN TV channel 27 in Youngstown, OH (CBS) begins broadcasting
1956 Federal court bars former Little League Commissioner Carl Stotz from forming a rival group
1957 Elvis Presley makes his 7th & final appearance on Ed Sullivan Show
1958 Gibson patents the Flying V Guitar
1963 "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins begins on NBC
1964 Rolling Stones' 1st tour as headline act (with Ronettes)
1967 Over 16,000 U.S. and 14,000 Vietnamese troops start their biggest attack on the Iron Triangle, northwest of Saigon
1968 Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 8 weeks
1968 Surveyor 7 (last of series) launched by US for soft-landing on Moon
1968 Dr N E Shumway performs 1st US adult cardiac transplant operation
1971 Berkeley chemists announces 1st synthetic growth hormones
1973 "Schoolhouse Rock" premieres on ABC-TV with Multiplication Rock
1975 "Wheel Of Fortune" debuts on NBC-TV
1976 Ted Turner purchases Atlanta Braves for reported $12 million
1978 1st postage stamp copyrighted by US (Carl Sandburg stamp)
1978 US hand over St Stephan crown to Hungary
1980 Philadelphia Flyers set NHL record of 35 straight games without a defeat
1987 100th US Congress convenes
1994 Ice skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by Tonya Harding's bodyguard
1998 Barry Switzer resigns as Dallas Cowboy coach
1998 Don Sutton selected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Iraq : Army Day
New Mexico : Admission Day (1912)
Uruguay : Children's Day
US : National Law Enforcement Training Week (Day 3)
US : Pun Week (Day 3)
Fungal Infection Awareness Month.

Religious Observances
Christian : Epiphany (12th Night of Christmas) (England) 3 Kings/Adoration of Magi
Greek Orthodox : Greek Cross Day (Tarpon Springs FL)
Roman Catholic : Feast of St Guarinus (St Guerin)
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St John de Ribera, archbishop of Valencia
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Charles of Sezze, Italian monk
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Rafaela Maria Porras y Ayllon
Roman Catholic : Memorial of Bl Andre Bessette, religious (opt)
Moslem : Night of Remembrance (feast); Sha'ban 14, 1416 AH

Religious History
548 This was the last year the Church in Jerusalem observed the birth of Jesus on this date. (Celebrating Christmas on December 25th began in the late 300s in the Western Church.)
1494 The first mass in America was celebrated in the Roman Catholic church on Isabella Island in Haiti. This was the first church established in the New World, founded by Christopher Columbus.
1538 German Reformer Martin Luther wrote in an Epiphany sermon: 'Though Mary had been conceived in sin, the Holy Spirit takes her flesh and blood and purifies them; and thence He creates the body of the Son of God...Thus He assumed a genuine body from His mother Mary, but this body was cleansed from sin by the Holy Spirit.'
1850 Future renowned English Baptist preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon was converted to a living faith at age 16, in a Methodist chapel.
1924 In England, the first worship service heard over over radio was aired by the BBC. The service was conducted by H. R. L. Sheppard at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church, in London.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"The average woman would rather be beautiful than smart because the average man can see better than he can think."

Question of the day...
Do files get embarrassed when they get unzipped?

Murphys Law of the day...(Kitman's Law)
On the TV screen, pure drivel tends to drive off ordinary drivel.

Astounding Fact #39,001...
The ball on top of a flagpole is called the truck.

I'm in.

Wind Chill is well below zero.

It was -26 in the Fargo/Moorhead area this morning (ND/MN border)