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Posted on 11/02/2004 10:54:39 PM PST by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.
Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different veteran each Wednesday. The "ordinary" Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who participated in the events in our Country's history. We hope to present events as seen through their eyes. To give you a glimpse into the life of those who sacrificed for all of us - Our Veterans.
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and the SS Ohio Save Malta In mid-1942, the war was going badly for the Allies. During the first six months U-Boats sank 3,250,000 tons of shipping in the Atlantic (an average freighter was 7,000 tons). Rommel rolled through Northern Africa, threatening the Suez Canal, but stopped 35 miles short of Alexandria, Egypt, because of a shortage of supplies. The Nazi war machine reached Stalingrad, with plans to head through the Caucasus for the Middle East oil fields. The Allies had Gibraltar, Malta, and Egypt. The Axis controlled France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, and most of northern Africa. A few countries were neutral (Turkey), or pro-Axis (Spain).  Malta's strategic airfield was key to holding the Mediterranean, but food and oil had to get through past German and Italian bombers. The 250,000 Maltese and 20,000 British defenders were dependent on imported food and oil. In September of 1941, 8 of 9 merchant ships arrived in Malta bringing 85,000 tons of supplies. A February 1942 convoy of 3 ships from Alexandria was unsuccessful -- no supplies reached Malta.  A March 1942 convoy of 3 merchant ships plus a Navy oiler, was accompanied by 4 cruisers and 16 destroyers, while another cruiser and its covering force sailed from Malta to meet them. This escort succeeded in keeping an Italian battleship carrying nine 15-inch guns, 3 cruisers and 10 destroyers away from the convoy, but the freighters faced Germans bombers near Malta. One ship was sunk just 20 miles from Malta. The oiler sank within 8 miles of Malta. The remaining two ships arrived to cheers by the Maltese, but were sunk in the harbor with only a fraction of their cargo unloaded. Great Britain had no tankers capable of 16 knots, so President Franklin Delano Roosevelt turned over the SS Kentucky and SS Ohio to Britain for use in supplying Malta.  SS Ohio in peacetime colors The tanker SS Ohio was launched on April 20, 1940 at Sun Shipbuilding Yard in Chester, Pennsylvania for Texas Oil Company (now Texaco). In anticipation of war and due to unofficial conversations between the American military and the oil company, the Ohio was the largest tanker built at that time. At 9,263 tons, 485 feet long, she and her sister ships, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado, Montana, Georgia, Delaware, Indiana held 170,000 barrels of oil. With 9,000 shaft horsepower Westinghouse turbine engines, they were rated at 16 knots, but in sea trials Ohio made 19 knots.  HMS Indominatable and HMS Eagle in a photo taken from HMS Victorious during Operation Pedestal 10-15 Augaust 1942. A June 1942 convoy sent 6 ships including SS Kentucky, escorted part way by a battleship, 2 aircraft carriers and 4 cruisers east from Gibraltar, Simultaneously, 11 merchant ships escorted by 8 cruisers and 40 others headed west from Alexandria. The capital ships withdrew before the narrow channel between Sicily and Africa, leaving the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Cairo and 13 escorts. The results: 6 merchant ships sunk, 3 damaged, 7 turned back to Alexandria, 2 supply ships arrived in Malta; British Navy - 5 cruisers damaged, 4 destroyers sunk and 1 damaged. No fuel oil got through.  Operation Pedestal in August 1942 was the final effort to supply Malta before she was forced to surrender.
August 10-11 night  OPERATION PEDESTAL - EMPIRE HOPE AND WAIMARAMA IN THE CENTRE OF THE PICTURE
 HMS Eagle sinks
 OPERATION PEDESTAL. UNDER ATTACK. 1942. August 12 
 A torpedo hits the Ohio August 13 
 August 14  The heavily damaged Brisbane Star arrives in La Valetta
 Two destroyers "sandwich" Ohio as she is towed in the Grand Harbour August 15  Ohio towed in the Grand Harbour.
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Afternoon Mayor.
No more "second chances" for the Libs. ;-)
In September, Khomeini's government decided it was time to end the matter. There was little more advantage to be gained from further anti-American, anti-Shah propaganda, and the ongoing sanctions were making it harder to straighten out an already chaotic economy.
Despite rumors that Carter might pull out an "October Surprise" and get the hostages home before the election, negotiations dragged on for months, even after Republican Ronald Reagan's landslide victory in November. Carter's all-night effort to bring the 52 hostages home before the end of his term, documented by an ABC television crew in the Oval Office, fell short; the Iranians released them minutes after Reagan was inaugurated.
And we're supposed to listen to Carter on foreign policy matters???
If America was to be founded in Europe, it would have been the Poles who founded it. Poland - The America of Europe. ;-)
I was thinking of posting the same thing, but I knew someone would have covered it by now. :-)
Buh-Bye Daschole!
Afternoon PE. Great Flag-O-Gram and comment for today.
Afternoon Feather.
The old Europe doesn't know the difference between being an American Lackey and being an American Ally. Besides france is just upset because Poland refuses to be a french lackey like most of the rest of the EU.
Operation Hercules
The original plans for the invasion of Malta were hatched in 1941 and was part of Hitler's grand Mediterranean strategy which included operation Mercury and Felix.
The invasion was planned to take place in 1942, with a combined air and sea borne assault. The primary objectives being the airfields that the RAF were using as a base for bombers and attack aircraft to intercept German supply ships destined for North Africa and the resupply of the Afrika Korps.
The airborne assault was to be made by men of the 1st Parachute Division with reinforcements from the 4th & 5th Parachute Regiments under the command of Major von der Heydte. This force was also to include men of the Italian Folgore and Superba airborne division's.
The whole seaborne element of the operation was dependant on ships of the Italian Navy, which had suffered already during the war at the hands of the Royal Navy, at places like Cape Matapan and Cape Spartivento. Hitler believed that they would be reluctant to go into action against them again.
General Kurt Student and Field Marshall Albert Kesselring persuaded Hitler that Malta had to be seized due to the disruption to badly needed supplies destined for North Africa.
Then fate took a hand and Rommels Afrika Korps took Tobruk in June 1942, Hitler then decided to postpone Hercules, not wanting to lose any hard to replace forces.
Hitler was also leery of any more major airborne assaults after Crete.
It was a late night here too. I need a nap.
To say Malta's air defences were small at the beginning of WWII would be an under statement.
The total air power on Malta consisted of 4 Gloster Gladiator biplanes. These were packed in crates & left at Kalafrana flying boat base by HMS Glorious which left to join the Norwegian campaign. In fact, there were enough parts to make up 8 biplanes but the Navy wanted 4 back to join the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle.
The remaining 4 were assembled, 3 were to be used on operations with the reamaining 1 kept in reserve.
After assembling the biplanes the Royal Navy decided on having them back for work in Alexandria, so they were taken apart for re-packing.
Following talks between Air Commodore Maynard & the Royal Navy it was decided to leave the biplanes on Malta & they were re-assembled.
Their first use in combat came at 0649 on the 11th of June 1940 when 10 Italian Savoia Marchetti 79 bombers bombed Grand Harbour. No aircraft were shot down in this encounter.
On the 7th raid of the day the Gladiator's drew blood by shooting down a Macchi 200 fighter. Although the biplanes were slower than the Italian fighters they were more manouverable.
Flying Officer John Waters nicknamed the aircraft 'Faith, Hope & Charity'.
Three bladed propellers were fitted in place of the usual two to give the biplanes a faster rate of climb. Other parts were later used from a Swordfish.
Superchargers were left on maximum during the climb after take off (which was against orders) so they could gain height faster. This put extra strain on the engines & 2 of them blew pistons. Maintenance crews converted Blenheim bomber engines to fit the Gladiators.
Faith, Hope & Charity fought for 17 days without relief & played a fundamental role in fooling the Italian intelligence into thinking Malta had a substantial fighter defence.
Thank you Matt. A good day for our country.
LOL! Good!
Thanks Feather, got my mood just right. :-)
How do you pick these topics, SAM? :^)
Thanks Matt. It's a good day!
Forbes dead in Ohio. LOL!
Yeah. Good song, thanks feather.
We've been swamped. Phone man in today, drop ceiling dude continuing his work. Exterior sign should be put up tomorrow. Ordering inventory continues on my part, trips to Home Depot and building coordination by Sam continues. Whew. I'm glad the election isn't going to drag on!
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