PanzerKampfwagen II
For different reasons the production of the major battle tanks PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV proceeded more slowly than forecast. To cover the delay in getting these tanks into the hands of troops it was decided to build a tank in the 10 ton class as a successor to PzKpfw I. The new tank was intended to be a training machine stop-gap; paradoxically it fought in two wars, the Spanish Civil War and in the opening stages of WW II, and without it the early German successes could not have been achieved.
PzKpfw II Ausf. C in November 1939
Specifications for the new design were issued in July 1934, and prototypes were submitted by Krupp, Henschell and MAN, all resembling the Krupp PzKpfw I design except for radical differences in suspension. The MAN vehicle was selected for production and 25 tanks were taken into service as the PzKpfw II aI. It weighed 7.2 tons and had a crew of three man. The vehicle was armed with a 20mm KwK 30 gun and a 7.92mm co-axially machine gun in a turret with all-round traverse. The suspension consisted of six small road wheels grouped in pairs in bogies which were sprung by leaf springs. The Ausf. aI was followed by the Ausf. a2, a3 and Ausf. b, with improvements in cooling system and driving sprockets. In 1937 the third version, PzKpfw II Ausf. c, appeared with a radical change in suspension. The outside girder and the small bogies were replaced by five medium-sized suspension wheels each individually controlled by quarter elliptic springs. Four return rollers were used on the hull.
PzKpfw II Ausf. A cross-country
The early versions of the PzKpfw II were tried out under operational conditions in the Spanish Civil War. The performance of the vehicles showed that although they were intended as training machines they were capable of playing their part in an armored role, provided that the opposition was not too strong. However, the vulnerability of the PzKpfw II to anti-tank guns was already made clear under the conditions of war in Spain, but seemed to be misinterpreted by the German General Staff who approved the continued large-scale production of the PzKpfw II.
A PzKpfw II of the 7 Pz.Div.
Even though its armor was increased the PzKpfw II was barely proof against the anti-tank guns in use at that time in Europe. While the armament was adequate for taking on its own kind, the PzKpfw II was too undergunned to deal with heavier hostile tanks and had no HE (high explosive) capacity at all. Despite these disadvantages which were well known to panzer officers, production continued till 1942. The PzKpfw II Ausf. A, B and C appeared between 1937 and 1940, with little difference between these models. To improve protection the nose plate became angular and of welded construction instead of being round in shape. provision was made for a commander's periscope in the Ausf. A and a cupola in the Ausf. B and subsequent models. The German army had 955 PzKpfw IIs for the attack on France in May 1940, and 1067 when the Russian campaign began in 1941. By the following April this figure had been reduced to 866 despite continued production, an indication of the casualties inflicted by the Soviet forces, and a further example of the folly of using undergunned and under-armored tanks against an opponent with material superiority in armor. It was, nevertheless, highly effective against lighter armored vehicles such as half-tracks and 'soft-skinned' vehicles, i.e. trucks.
Fighting by night in France
During the planning stage of Operation Seelöwe, the invasion of England, the Schwimmpanzer II, based on the PzKpfw II, was evaluated, and a regiment of PzKpfw IIs were converted to amphibious tanks. This vehicle would swim ashore from its parent vessel using a kit of flotation tanks attached to the return rollers, powered by a propeller driven by an extension shaft from the engine. As a further precaution the inside of the tank was divided into three watertight compartments. One advantage possesed by the Schwimmpanzer II over Tauchpanzer, 'diving' versions of the medium tanks, was that it could use its guns during the landing.
PzKpfw II Ausf. B crosses the River Meuse
The PzKpfw II Ausf. D and E were built by Daimler-Benz and were intended to be faster versions of the standard tanks. The suspension was completely changed and used four large suspension wheels controlled by torsion bars. The turret, superstructure and engine were not changed. The performance of these models did not come up to expectation and they were taken out of service. Ninety-five were converted to a flame-throwing role with the designation Flammpanzer II. These vehicles were fitted with two pump-fed gun projectors covering an arc of 180o each side, with sufficient fuel stowed in internal tanks for about 80 shots, each 2-3 seconds duration.
PzKpfw II Ausf. F of a regimental HQ
Due to the introduction of the hollow-charge antitank missile it was decided to up-armor all future tanks by the addition of spaced plates to reduce the effect of the new missile. The last of the PzKpfw II series, the Ausf. F, appeared in late 1940 and carried this spaced armor feature. The vehicle weighed 9.5 tons with 35mm frontal armor and 20mm on the sides, and was otherwise similar to the Ausf. C. The top speed was reduced due to the additional armor, but crew losses had been heavy enough to justify the reduction in performance. A new specification for a 10 ton vehicle with more armor was issued in 1941, but by the time of production the PzKpfw II had become so obviously obsolete in its tank role that the order was cancelled.
The Ausf. L. Luchs (Lynx)
Intended primarily for reconnaissance the PzKpfw II L "Luchs" (Lynx) appeared in 1942. Its development story goes back to 1938 when Daimler-Benz were given the instructions to produce a new version of the PzKpfw II with 'principal emphasis on increased speed'. Also given the designation Panzerspahwagen II, it weighed 11.8 tons and had a crew of four man. Frontal armor was 30mm and the side plates 20mm. The maximum speed was 38 mph. One hundred of these tanks were fitted with 20mm guns, and another 31 turrets were fitted with a 50mm KwK 39 L/60 gun installed in a stabilised mounting. A new type of suspension was used with five large overlapping suspension wheels with no return rollers. Torsion bar springing was used, and this kind of suspension led ultimately to the Panther and Tiger suspension where overlapping became interleaving, a necessary step to reduce ground pressure.
PzKpfw II Luchs showing interleaved suspension wheels
In contrast to general reconnaissance by the Luchs, another version of the PzKpfw II was intended for battle reconnaissance with 'the thickest possible armor'. This vehicle, Leopard, was to have 80mm armor on the front and turret, 60mm on the sides, and armed with a 50mm 39 L/60 gun. The planned manufacture of the Leopard reconnaissance vehicle was dropped in favour of the Panther, although the turret was used for the eight-wheeled armored car Puma. The Luchs and the Leopard represented the final German efforts at light tank production, as their function as reconnaissance vehicle could be fulfilled by armored cars. The PzKpfw II chassis was therefore converted either to the anti-tank role, using a 75mm PAK 40/2, or to an artillery weapon designated as "Wespe" (Wasp), mounting a 105mm howitzer.
A Marder II with the face of the Kohlenklau (Coal Thief), a German music hall character
Wespe howitzer of the 2nd PzDiv in 1943
German Panzer Units in Norway April - June of 1940
by George Parada.
Introduction
On April 9th of 1940, Germany invaded Denmark as part of the Operation "Weseruebung" directed towards the invasion of Norway. The invasion of Norway was supposed to secure the supply of raw materials from Scandinavia as well as to provide strategic air and naval bases. The invasion force was composed of air, sea, ground and naval forces. Following heavy fighting (e.g. Narvik) along with the German invasion of the Low Countries and France on May 10th, Allied forces were evacuated in early June. On June 7th, Norwegian King Haakon VII and his government left for England, where a government in exile was established.
Pz I and II lined up somewhere in Norway. In front of the PzKpfw's there are several lorries carrying small 37 mm antitank guns, Pak 37. According to the photo album this picture was found in, the Pz unit was supported by an army unit on its way to Haugesund.
Panzer Abteilung zur besonderer Vervendung 40
PzKpfw I Ausf. A in Norway, April 1940
German use of armored fighting vehicles in the Norwegian Campaign is often ignored, since only a very limited panzer force was present. In addition, Norway had no tanks or anti-tank guns as of April of 1940 and the only tanks to oppose the German invasion were those of the Allied Force (composed of British, French and Polish units). In preparation for the invasion, Panzer Unit for Special Purpose Deployment - Panzer Abteilung zur besonderer Vervendung 40 (Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40) was formed in order to support infantry operations in southern Norway. The unit was formed on March 8th of 1940, at the army base at Putloss in Schleswig-Holstein.
This battalion sized unit was composed of three light companies assigned from 3rd (probably 5th Panzer Regiment), 4th (36th Panzer Regiment) and 5th Panzer Divisions (15th Panzer Regiment). The first company was commanded by Captain von Burstin, the second by Captain Toelke and the third by Captain Niedreck. Battalion HQ had three PzKpfw I tanks and three Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I command tanks. Each company had its own company HQ and four platoons.
Company HQ had single PzKpfw I, two PzKpfw II tanks and a single Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I command tank. The first, second and third platoon had four PzKpfw I tanks each, while fourth platoon had five PzKpfw II tanks. The majority of PzKpfw I were the model A (Ausf A), while the PzKpfw II were mainly the model c (Ausf c not to be confused with Ausf C). The unit saw action in central Norway, in the area of Lake Mjoesa and Randsfjord, supporting infantry. Following the fall of Norway, Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 was stationed at Akershus Fortress in Oslo until it was transferred to Finland in the winter of 1941/42.
Pz. Abt. z. B. v. 40 and Neubaufahrzeuge
PZKpfw I, number 634 being transported north from Oslo.
On April 9th, the first and second companies were sent to Denmark, while the third company was sent to Norway aboard the ships "Urundi" and "Antaris H". On April 17th, only a single Panzerkampfwagen I and Panzerkampfwagen II arrived in Oslo aboard "Urundi". The rest of the company (single Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I command tank, twelve PzKpfw I and six PzKpfw II tanks) went down with "Antaris H" (and other transports), which was sunk in the North Sea by a British submarine.
In order to compensate for the loss, a platoon size unit equipped with three Neubaufahrzeug Panzerkampfwagen VI (Krupp turret) heavy tanks commanded by Lieutenant Hans Horstmann was sent to Norway. This unit was also known as Panzerzug Horstmann or Zug Putloss. It arrived in Oslo on April 19th, where its tanks were displayed for propaganda purposes. The focus was on three Neubaufahrzeug Panzerkampfwagen VI (Krupp turret) heavy tanks, which were to show the Allies that the German Panzertruppe was equipped with heavy tanks. The unit was then assigned to Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 and 196th Infantry Division and on April 20th moved to Hamar.
NbFz PzKpfw VI heavy tank
Official propaganda picture.
Two of the heavy tanks saw service with Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40, while the third saw action with Gruppe Pellangahr. The Gruppe Pellangahr was composed of elements of Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 and the 196th Infantry Division. On April 25th, the one assigned to the Gruppe Pellangahr was immobilized by the British 25mm (French Hotchkiss) anti-tank gun position in the village of Kvam. One of two tanks from Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40, drove into and was stuck in the swampy area at Andalsnes and was eventually blown up by the German engineers. It was then replaced on May 16th of 1940, with a mild steel prototype giving the Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 once again the strength of three heavy tanks. Overall, Neubaufahrzeug Panzerkampfwagen VI (Krupp turret) heavy tanks proved to be unsuited for combat but in many cases provided infantry with the only available support.
Armored Fighting Vehicles of Pz. Abt. z. B. v. 40
PzKpfw II Ausf. C with white number and cross in Norway, 1940
On April 20th, the first and second company arrived in Oslo. Both companies had thirteen PzKpfw I, seven PzKpfw II tanks and one Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I command tank each. The third company originally had 21 light tanks but was reduced to one PzKpfw I and II light tank and three NbFz PzKpfw VI heavy tanks. It was then probably refitted with a limited (7 to 10) number of Panzerkampfwagen III (mainly Ausf D and few Ausf F) medium tanks.
Ausf. B in Norway
As of April 9th, Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 was to have some 69, including:
- 42 PzKpfw I light tanks (12 lost at sea),
- 21 PzKpfw II light tanks (6 lost at sea),
- 6 Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I command tanks (1 lost at sea).
PzKpfw I Ausf. B
Out of original 69 tanks only 54 reached Norway, this included (as of April 25th):
- 29 PzKpfw I light tanks,
- 18 PzKpfw II light tanks,
- 4 Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I command tanks,
- 3 NbFz PzKpfw VI heavy tanks.
After the arrival of three NbFz PzKpfw VI heavy tanks on April 19th, the strength grew to 53 tanks along with additional 7 to 10 PzKpfw III medium tanks, which probably were assigned to the first company. At its peak, Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 had some 60 to 63 tanks. In addition, there were probably also Sd.Kfz.251 armored personnel carriers as part of Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 or the 196th Infantry Division. The combat losses were 1 NbFz, 2 PzKpfw II and 8 PzKpfw I tanks.
Conclusion
Panzer in action in Norway
As stated before, Norway was not seen as the "tank country" and only a limited tank force, equipped with either obsolete or pre-production tanks was formed. The opposing tank force was French and consisted of 342nd and 351st Compagnie Autonome de Chars (Independent Tank Company), each equipped with 15 Hotchkiss H-39 light tanks. There is no evidence of combat between German and French tanks. Use of German tanks was limited to supporting the infantry operations, while being supported by the airforce itself. In many cases tanks proved to be very effective in providing infantry with support and cover. The experience of using tanks in mountainous and deeply wooded areas proved valuable in Russia and the Balkans, where similar conditions were encountered. After its combat experience in Norway, Pz. Abt. z. b. V. 40 was transferred to Finland in the winter of 1941/42 and was incorporated into 25th Panzer Division in 1943.
Additional Sources: klub.chip.pl/krzemek
www.onwar.com
www.achtungpanzer.com
www.nuav.net
www.angelfire.com/scifi/weirdozone/wargames/angriff/germany
www.rtvmodeler.com
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on May 25:
1494 Jacopo Pontormo II Italy, painter (Sepulture of Christ)
1550 Camillus de Lellis Italian soldier/monastery founder/saint
1729 Jean de Neufville Dutch/US merchant (started 4th English war)
1803 Ralph Waldo Emerson US, essayist/philosopher (Concord Hymn)
1847 John Alexander Dowie [Elijah the Restorer], US, evangelist
1852 Louis Franchet d'Espèrey [Desperate Frankey], Fren marshal (WWI)
1865 John Raleigh Mott organizer (YMCA, Nobel 1946)
1865 Pieter Zeeman Dutch physicist (Zeeman effect, Nobel 1902)
1878 Bill "Bojangles" Robinson actor (Stormy Weather, Little Colonel)
1879 W Maxwell Aitken lord Beaverbrook Canada/English banker
1886 Philip Murray founded Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)
1889 Igor Sikorsky developed a working helicopter
1892 Josip Broz Tito Kumrovec, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia), leader of Yugoslavia (1945-80)
1898 Bennett Cerf publisher (Random House) panelist (What's My Line)
1898 Gene Tunney world heavyweight boxing champion (1926-30)
1907 Rachel Carson conservationist/writer (silent springs)
1908 David Lean British director (Lawrence of Arabia)
1912 Eddie Maxwell singer (Yes We Have No Bananas)
1913 Joseph Peter Grace businessman (Grace Commission)
1917 Theodore Hesburgh ex-president of Notre Dame
1918 Claude Akins Nelson GA, actor (BJ & Bear, Movin' On, Lobo)
1926 Miles Davis Alton IL, jazz trumpeter (Miles Ahead)
1927 Robert Ludlum New York NY, spy novelist (Bourne Identity)
1929 Beverly Sills [Belle "Bubbles" Miriam Silverman], Brooklyn NY, soprano
1932 Georgi Mikhailovich Grechko USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 17, 26, T-14)
1934 Ron Nesson press secretary (Gerald Ford)
1935 Barbara Harris US, actress (Family Plot, Plaza Suite)
1936 Tom T Hall Olive Hill KY, country singer/writer (Harper Valley PTA, I like Beer)
1939 Dixie [Virginia] Carter McLemoresville TN, actress (Designing Women, Edge of Night)
1939 Ian McKellen England, actor (Lord of the Rings: Gandalf, Scarlet Pimpernel)
1943 Leslie Uggams New York NY, singer/actress (Leslie Uggams Show, Roots)
1947 Jessi Colter [Miriam Johnson] Phoenix, country singer (I'm Not Lisa)
1947 Karen Valentine Santa Rosa CA, actress (Love American Style, Room 222)
1955 Connie Selleca Bronx NY, actress (Hotel, Captain America II)
1969 Anne Heche Aurora OH, actress (Donnie Brasco, Juror, Volcano)
Deaths which occurred on May 25:
0615 Boniface IV Pope (608-15), dies
0709 Aldhelmus of Ealdhelm England, abbot/bishop/poet/saint, dies at about 69
0946 Edmund the Older king of Wessex/England (939-46), dies
1085 Gregory VII [Ildebrando] Pope (1073-85), dies
1125 Hendrik V last Salische German king, dies
1261 Alexander IV [Rinaldo dei conti di Segni] Pope (1254-61), dies
1555 Gemma Frisius Frisian geographer/astronomer, dies at 46
1895 Ahmed Djevdet Pasja Turkish minister of Justice, dies at 73
1926 Symon Petlyura leader of Ukraine (pogroms), assassinated at 47
1946 Patty Smith Hill songwriter (Happy Birthday To You), dies at 78
1965 Sonny Boy Williamson [Aleck Miller] blues player, dies at 65
1971 Jo Etha Collier young black woman killed by 3 whites in Drew MS
1981 Roy James Brown rocker (Good rockin' tonight), dies of a heart attack at 55
1982 Larry J Blake character actor (Earth vs the Flying Saucers), dies at 68
1990 Vic Tayback actor (Mel-Alice), dies of a heart attack at 60
1992 Nancy Walker actress (Ida Morgenstein-Rhoda), dies of cancer at 71
1992 Philip C Habib US diplomat (Middle-East/Asia), dies at 72
1992 Viktor Grishin hardline soviet communist, dies at 78, dies
1996 Buck dog (Married with Children), dies at 13
Reported: MISSING in ACTION
1965 HARNAWEE THA CHAN---THAILAND
[RELEASED 09/01/74 THAI SPECIAL FORCES 03,ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 GRAVES RICHARD C.---SUNDERLAND MA.
1969 WEITZ MONEK---ROXBURY MA.
1969 WILLIAMS LEROY C.---JACKSONVILLE FL.
1970 SPRINGMAN RICHARD HAROLD---LONG BEACH CA.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG]
1972 STRONG HENRY H.---NORTH WALES PA.
POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.
On this day...
0585 -BC- 1st known prediction of a solar eclipse
1085 King Alfonso VI of Castily/León occupy Toledo on Moren
1241 1st attack on Jewish community of Frankfort-on-the-Main Germany
1632 Albrecht von Wallenstein recaptures Prague on Saksen
1659 Richard Cromwell resigns as English Lord Protector
1660 English King Charles II lands in Dover
1720 "Le Grand St Antoine" reaches Marseille, plague kills 80,000
1721 John Copson becomes America's 1st insurance agent
1784 Jews are expelled from Warsaw by Marshall Mniszek
1787 Constitutional convention opens at Philadelphia, George Washington presiding
1793 Father Stephen Theodore Badin is 1st US Roman Catholic priest ordained
1810 Argentina declares independence from Napoleonic Spain (National Day)
1812 Earthquake destroys Caracas Venezuela
1825 American Unitarian Association founded
1844 1st telegraphed news dispatch is published in Baltimore Patriot
1861 John Merryman is arrested under suspension of writ of habeas corpus it later sparks a supreme court decision protecting the writ
1862 Battle of Winchester VA
1864 Battle of New Hope Church GA
1870 Irish Fenians raid Eccles Hill, Québec
1876 1st tie in National League history (Athletics & Louisville, 2-2 in 14)
1878 Gilbert & Sullivans opera "HMS Pinafore" premieres in London
1887 Gas lamp at Paris Opera catches fire; 200 die
1895 Oscar Wilde sentenced to 2 years hard labor for being a sodomite
1898 1st US troop transport to Manila leaves San Fransisco
1900 Eyre M Shaw, 78, becomes oldest gold medalist in the Olympics
1911 Revolution in México overthrows President José Porfirio Diaz
1914 British House of Commons passes Irish Home Rule
1915 2nd Battle of Ypres ends with 105,000 casualties
1919 Casey Stengel releases a sparrow from under his baseball cap
1922 Babe Ruth suspended 1 day & fined $200 for throwing dirt on an umpire
1923 Britain recognizes Transjordan with Abdullah as its leader
1927 Henry Ford stops producing Model T car (begins Model A)
1935 Jesse Owens equals or breaks 6 world records in one hour
1937 1st airmail letter to circle the globe returns to New York
1939 Carl Storck becomes the 2nd NFL president
1940 German troops conquer Boulogne
1941 5,000 drown in a storm at Ganges Delta region in India
1941 Ted Williams raises his batting average over .400 for 1st time in 1941
1943 Riot at Mobile AL shipyard over upgrading 12 black workers
1943 Trident conference in Washington DC (operation plan '43 against Japan)
1944 Partisan leader Tito escapes Germans surrounding Bosnia
1945 Arther C Clark proposes relay satellites in geosynchronous orbit
1946 Abdullah ibn Hussein becomes king of Jordan
1946 Jordan gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1947 Coal dust explosion rocks Centralia Coal Company's Mine #5 killing 111
1949 Chinese Red army occupies Shanghai
1951 New York Giant Willie Mays 1st major league game (goes 0 for 5)
1953 1st atomic cannon electronically fired, Frenchman Flat NV
1953 1st non-commercial educational television station-Houston TX
1955 Series of 19 twisters destroy Udall KS & most of Blackwell OK
1956 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Haurietis aquas
1959 Supreme Court rules that Louisiana prohibiting black-white boxing is unconstitutional
1961 JFK sets goal of putting a man on Moon before the end of decade
1961 NASA civilian pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 to 32,770 meters
1962 Isley Brothers release "Twist & Shout"
1962 US unions AFL-CIO starts campaign for 35-hour work week
1963 Organization for African Unity formed by Chad, Mauritania & Zambia
1964 Supreme Court rules closing schools to avoid desegregation unconstitut
1965 Muhammad Ali KOs Sonny Liston in 1st round for heavyweight boxing title
1967 John Lennon takes delivery of his psychedelic painted Rolls Royce
1968 "Unicorn" by The Irish Rovers hits #7
1968 Rolling Stones release "Jumping Jack Flash"
1969 "Midnight Cowboy" released with an X rating
1969 Sudanese government is overthrown in a military coup
1973 Argentine Peronist Hector Cámpora installed as president
1973 US launches 1st Skylab; crew Kerwin, Conrad, Weitz
1977 "Brady Bunch Hour" last airs on ABC-TV
1978 "Star Wars" released
1979 American Airlines DC-10 crashes in Chicago killing 275
1979 Israel begins to return Sinai to Egypt
1981 Daniel Goodwin, scales outside of Chicago's Sears Tower in 7 hours
1983 "Return of the Jedi" (Star Wars 3) released
1983 1st National Missing Children's Day is proclaimed
1983 Kirk Gibson (Tigers) & Jorge Orta (Blue Jays) hit inside park homeruns
1985 Cyclone ravages Bangladesh; 11,000 killed
1986 95-year-old woman scores a hole-in-one in Florida
1986 Hands Across America - 7 million people hold hands from California to New York
1986 Kansas City Royal George Brett gets his 2,000th hit
1989 Mikhail Gorbachev elected Executive President in the Soviet Union
1991 Israel evacuates 14,000 Ethiopian Jews
1992 Jay Leno becomes permanent host of "The Tonight Show"
1992 New York Yankees score 9 runs before 1st out in 8th inning, beat Milwaukee Brewers 13-7
1996 Jennifer Maria Holsten, 18, crowned Miss Filipino-American
1997 Minnesota Twins retire Kirby Puckett's uniform #
1997 Todd & Mel Stottlemyre become 1st father & son to win 100 games
Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
Argentina : Day of the May Revolution/National Day (1810)
Chad, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Zambia : African Freedom/Unity Day
Jordan : Independence Day/Arab Renaissance Day (1946)
Lybia, Sudan : Sudan National Day/May Revolution Day (1969)
Yugoslavia : Day of Youth
Poppy Week (Day 3)
National Tap Dance Day
National Tavern Month
Religious Observances
Anglican : Deposition of St Aldelmus, bishop/confessor
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Urban I, pope (222-230), martyr
-BC- Buddhist-Hong Kong : Buddha's Birthday
Anglican, Roman Catholic : Memorial of Bede the Venerable, priest, monk of Jarrow (optional)
Roman Catholic : Memorial of St Gregory VII, pope [1073-85], confessor (optional)
Roman Catholic : Feast of St Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi, virgin
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Madeleine Sophie Barat, virgin
Religious History
1085 Alfonso VI of Castile captured Toledo, Spain, and brought the Moorish center of science into Christian hands.
1521 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V pronounced Martin Luther an outlaw and heretic for refusing to recant his teachings while at the Diet of Worms (held the previous month).
1793 Stephen T. Badin, 25, was ordained in Baltimore, MD ÀÀ the first Catholic priest to be ordained in the newly independent United States of America. Badin afterward served as a frontier missionary, and played a key role in establishing Catholicism in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee during the early nineteenth century.
1824 The American Sunday School Union was established in Philadelphia. It pledged itself: (1) to circulate appropriate literature in every part of the land; (2) to secure a unity of evangelistic effort; and (3) to plant a Sunday School wherever there was a population.
1876 The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (org. 1743) united with the Free Church of Scotland (org. 1843) to form the new Free Church of Scotland. (In 1929 the Free Church merged with the Mother Church, afterward retaining the name Church of Scotland.)
Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.
Thought for the day :
"If your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."
Actual Newspaper Headlines...
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Why did the Chicken cross the Road...
Jack Nicholson:
'Cause it (censored) wanted to. That's the (censored) reason
Dumb Laws...
Nebraska:
It is not legal for a tavern owner to serve beer unless a nice kettle of soup is also brewing.
What an employee Really Means...
"I AM ON THE GO:"
I'm never at my desk.