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Posted on 08/07/2003 12:00:16 AM PDT 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. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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The story of Mortain is a tribute to the courage and fighting qualities of the American Soldier.  Crests of 35th Division Infantry Regiments By 5 August, the Vire Campaign was over, and the 35th prepared to go onward in extension of the Allied plans. With the Cotentin Peninsula firmly in his grasp, the Supreme Commander intended to take the Croton Peninsula to the south and reduce it, before swinging a wide arm about the German armies in the west. The Third Army, under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., was preparing to make this wide sweep. In addition to his famed armored columns, General Patton required strong, aggressive infantry to mop up and consolidate the positions the tanks overran. Accordingly, the 35th was transferred back to Third Army, and assigned to the XX Corps, which also contained the veteran 5th United States Division and the 2nd french Armored Division. The division began boarding trucks on 5 August to move to an assembly area. Ultimately it was expected to arrive in the vicinity of Rennes which was about midway on the base of the Croton Peninsula. Proceeding to Pontfaroy, the motor convoy turned southwest, swung around Villedieu, continued southwest to Ponts, within sight of Avranches on the Mont St. Michel Bay. Turning east at Ponts to Brecey, the convoy reached the town of St. Hilaire du Harcouet on the night of 5 - 6 August. .jpg) The breakthrough of the American forces at St. Lo had carried Armor penetration deep into france. The 30th Infantry Division driving down from the north had captured Mortain, and the high ground southeast of the city. Avranches, the focal point of communications between the Allied source of supplies at Cherbourg and the beachheads, was seated at the juncture of the bases of the Cotentin and the Brittany peninsulas. The German Commander in the West, General Von Rundstedt, realized that unless he could attack, divide, and smash the Allied forces with one complete and decisive blow, the battle of Normandy would be lost. Mustering all available resources he counter-attacked on the morning of 7 August with strong forces of tank and infantry, the brunt of the blow striking along the Mortain - Avranches axis in the Mortain area. Sweeping aside all opposition the Germans recaptured Mortain, driving the defenders back, isolating the 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division, on a hill just east of the city.  The encounter of two different worlds In attempting to enlarge this penetration, the enemy next turned his attention to the west and to the recapture of St. Hilaire du Harcouet. Anticipating the enemy threat, the 35th was ordered to assemble in the vicinity of St. Hilaire. For operational control in meeting the impending threat, the division was attached to VII Corps, 1st U. S. Army, for commitment in the Mortain area. Preparatory to the enemy attack on St. Hilaire on the night of 5 - 6 August, the town and the roads leading into it were subjected to a severe night bombing by a large fleet of German planes. During this raid, convoys of the `134th and 137th Infantry Regiments, assembling in their assigned areas, were bombed. Due to the fluid situation and the enemy's ability to press the attack, Major General Baade ordered Combat Teams 134 and 137 to be prepared to move to the east without delay.  The first problem confronting the Santa Fe was to establish a definite line. This was decided on as the Mortain - Barenton - St. Cyr du Baileu Highway. Since Combat Teams 134 and 137 were on a thirty-minute alert notice, they were able to move quickly. At 2030 on 7 August they moved eastward to secure the highway. This was accomplished in part the first day. But it developed that not only were the Germans strongly entrenched on the high ground north and east of Barenton, firmly dug-in within Mortain and the Mortain Forest, but they were also attempting to drive south and west with a force of approximately 700 men accompanied by tanks through the Mortain Forest in order to cut the St. Hilaire - Louvigne du Desert Highway. The line having been established except on the Santa Fe's left flank, the next thing to do was to split the enemy into pockets and reduce them. This would have the double effect of driving the enemy from the territory and relieving the besieged battalion of the 30th Division. The 137th Infantry drove the enemy from Barenton in some sharp fighting and moved into the area between there and le Teilleul.  American field communication post during the Mortain counter-attack The regiment's 1st and 2nd Battalions then established posts at St. Georges de Rouelle and St. Mar - de Egrende respectively, with a motorized patrol covering the roads from le Teilleul to St. Cyr thence to the regimental boundary between Mortain and Barenton. These patrols were continued throughout the following day. The 3rd Battalion was attached to the 134th Infantry. On 11 August, elements of the 4th Infantry Division took over part of the 137th's zone and the 2nd Battalion reverted to Division reserve. The 1st Battalion advanced northeast from Barenton to Bousentier, then westward toward the Mortain Forest in an encircling movement. This advance was continued on the 12th, and early in the morning the ridge of the high ground north of le Gil Bouillion was gained. Pushed from the north slope of the high ground and faced with possible encirclement, the enemy made a general withdrawal from that sector. Long columns of enemy vehicles were reported leaving Ger and St. Barthelemy. American P-47's pounced upon the fleeing Germans and bombed and strafed them continuously during the afternoon.  M8 American vehicle captured by the Germans during the Mortain counter-attack Enemy artillery was used to cover this withdrawal. The 137th was due to be relieved by elements of the 2nd Armored Division at 2200 in the vicinity of Rancoudray. However, the 1st Battalion of the 137th and the 3rd Battalion of the 134th, which had been attached, were still engaged in heavy fighting at that hour, and relief was not effected until the morning of 13 August. Meanwhile the 320th was operating in the immediate area of Mortain. The Combat Team formation ceased at 1800 on 9 August and they continued to operate as a regiment, with attached elements, attacking to the east and pushing back the enemy. Information was then received that told of the perilous condition of the "Lost Battalion" of the 30th Division. Regardless of the Battalion Commander's courageous retort that the Germans could "Go to Hell with their demand for surrender," the situation was desperate. They had no medical supplies to care for the wounded; their food stocks were depleted; their water was low; their ammunition was fast becoming exhausted. Unless immediate relief reached them, their brave resistance would have to stop. Efforts to drop supplies to them from the air failed. Division artillery tried firing shells filled with medical supplies to them, but the quantities were too small to fill the need.  German column destroyed by Allied fighter-bombers The attack to the east by the division continued on 10 August against stiff resistance. The 1st Battalion, 320th Infantry with the 737th Tank Battalion attached, drew the assignment to capture Hill 317 and to rescue the "Lost Battalion." This attack began at 1500. The tanks were in column and one company of infantry rode on them. Artillery fired a ten-minute preparation and exactly at the time of the attack, planes appeared and bombed the enemy to screen the tank movement. Smoke fired by the artillery marked the targets. In one hour the tanks had advanced a mile under heavy artillery and anti-tank fire. Before the day was over they had reached the foot of the hill. This drive, coupled with the fierce and determined advance of the 134th, cut in two the pocket of resistance west of the highway. The attack continued throughout 11 August as the 1st Battalion 320th edged up Hill 137. Riding on tanks of the 737th Tank Battalion, the doughboys pushed their way through a stubbornly resisting enemy. Within 500 yards of the "Lost Battalion," the last of the tanks, not crippled by the heavy German fire, halted to cover the advance of the dismounted doughs. The battalion went the rest of the way on foot driving over enemy positions in hand to hand fighting to rescue the courageous battalion of the 30th. Lieutenant Homer W. Kurtz, Troy, Illinois, and four men from the Intelligence Section of the 3rd Battalion were the first to reach the "Lost Battalion."  The relief was a dramatic one, for in their weakened condition it was doubtful if the survivors could have held out much longer. Anticipating this, the 35th Quartermaster Company was waiting to dash up the hill with supplies. A truck filled with supplies and water convoyed by three tanks (two in front and one behind) was the first to run the enemy gauntlet. Corporal Verlin D. Young of Lexington, Nebraska, and T/5 Hans Gehlsen of Gross, Nebraska, were selected. Driving at top speed over the rough terrain of fields in order to avoid enemy roadblocks, dodging through the screen of heavy artillery fire that threatened them all the way, the convoy reached the fast-failing troops with the supplies. Then, instead of remaining in the comparative safety of the battalion area, the convoy dashed back to the 35th Division lines carrying 20 men who were seriously wounded. Even more significant than the rescue of the battalion was the fact that the German attempt to break the lifeline was smashed. Hitler's last chance to balk the invasion was wrecked and the way was open for the complete rout of the German armies in france.  The 1st Battalion, 320th Infantry and the 737th Tank Battalion were honored with Distinguished Unit Citations for this daring venture. Once again the Santa Fe had beaten back the best that the veteran German Army could muster. The division was prouder than ever after V-E day when members of the German General Staff stated that the War was lost when their counter-attack at Mortain - Avranches failed.
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She was lucky, a lot of DD's and DE's didn't survive Kamikaze hits.
Hats off to PhilDragoo and Godly thanks to the courage and valor of these soldiers.
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Still Under Fire
 U.S. Army soldiers take cover after an American military vehicle was destroyed allegedly by a rocket attack in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  A U.S.Army soldier points his weapon towards a building after an American military vehicle was destroyed, allegedly by a rocket attack, in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  A U.S .Army soldier takes cover after an American military vehicle was destroyed, allegedly by a rocket attack, in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  People come out with their hands up from a building that came under American military forces after an American military vehicle was destroyed, allegedly by an rocket attack, in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  U.S. Army soldiers run towards a forward position after an American military vehicle was destroyed, allegedly by a rocket attack, in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  A U.S. Army Bradley fighting vehicle fires rounds into a building after an American military vehicle was destroyed, allegedly by a rocket attack, in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  People come out with their hands up from a building that came under American military forces after after an American military vehicle was destroyed, allegedly by rocket-propelled grenades, in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  U.S.Army soldiers take cover after an American military vehicle was destroyed allegedly by rocket-propelled grenades in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday July 7, 2003.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  A U.S. Army soldier helps a woman out of a building that came under American fire after an American military vehicle was destroyed allegedly by rocket-propelled grenades in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)  U.S. Army soldiers take cover after an American military vehicle was destroyed, allegedly by a rocket attack, in downtown Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday Aug. 7, 2003.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
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Not to worry, he wouldn't miss it, he reads every post, but he still likes pings. :)
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Air Power |
The Typhoons developmental life was so trouble that the entire project risked cancellations. The core of the problem were the untried powerplants that suffered from teething problems for wuite some time. Two prototypes were developed, the R-type Tornado equiped with the Vulture power plant and the N-type Typhoon equipped with the Napier Sabre. The Tornado prototype was eventually cancelled when the Vulture powerplant was abandoned. Production was delayed by the pressing need for Hurricanes and eventually the Typhoon's production was contracted to Gloster once development was complete.
The Typhoon began to enter service with Nos 56 and 609 squadrons at Duxford in September of 1941. Unfortunately the type still suffered problems, the Sabre powerplant proved to be unreliable and the rear fuselage had an annoying habit of coming apart. Once again the Typhoon risked cancellation but held on long enough for the problems to be resolved and a niche to be found. In late 1941 the Typhoon gained favour by demonstrating it's ability to catch Luftwaffe Fighter-Bombers that were making hit and run nuissance raids.
In 1943 the Typhoon's reputation grew as it descended on France and the Low countries and shot-up anything that moved. The type, now thoroughly developed and reliable became the premier ground attack aircraft of the RAF and proved particulayly suitable for operations from forward strips. Of the 3,330 Typhoons built, most (3,000 odd) had a bubble type canopy instead of the heavy framed canopy of the earlier type. The car style door was also deleted on these latter types. Further development of this aircraft led to the design of the Tempest
Specifications:
Origin: Hawker Aircraft Ltd
Manufacturer: Gloster Aircraft Company
Type: Originally heavy interceptor, later fighter bomber/ground-attack aircraft
Accommodation: Single pilot in enclosed cockpit
History: First flight (prototype) January 1938
First flight: 24th February 1940
First production delivery: 27th May 1941
Final production delivery: November 1945
Operational Equipment: Standard communications and navigational equipment, reflector gunsight, later sights for rockets and bomb-aiming.
Powerplant: Typhoon Mk IA/IB Napier Sabre IIA 2,180hp
Weights: Empty - 8,800lbs 4000kg / Loaded: 13,250lbs 6023kg
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 41ft 7in 12.67m
Length: 31ft 11in 9.73m
Height: 15ft 3 ½in 4.66m
Performance :
Maximum speed: 412mph 664kph
Initial climb: 3000 ft 914m/min
Service ceiling: 35,200ft 10,730m
Range: (with bombs) 510 miles 821km
Range: (drop tanks) 980 miles 1577km
Armaments:
Typhoon Mk IA: 12x 0.303-inch Browning machine guns
Typhoon Mk IB:
4x 20mm Hispano cannon,
+8x 60lb (27kg) rocket projectile,
Or 2x 500lb (227kg) bombs,
Later, 2x 1000lb bombs
All photos Copyright of:
http://WWII Tech and War Birds Resource Group
During the first six months of the war in the Pacific, the Navy had blunted Japanese expansion into Australia and New Zealand at the Battle of the Coral Sea and had cut the mighty Japanese carrier navy down to size at Midway. Finally, U.S. forces were taking the first tenuous step in their bloody, island-hopping march toward Tokyo.
The Marines’ primary objective was a rudimentary landing strip constructed by the Japanese on Guadalcanal in the weeks preceding the invasion. Although poorly supplied and undermanned, the Leathernecks captured the airstrip in one day, dubbed it Henderson Field in memory of a Marine Corps pilot killed at Midway, then dug in. For the next four disease-ridden months they defended it against repeated naval, air and land assaults by a determined enemy.
The regional balance of air and naval forces strongly favored the Japanese. As a consequence, tons of supplies including food and other provisions that were to have come ashore did not. Intelligence about the island was lacking. Reinforcements were not immediately available. Hence, the unofficial name "Operation Shoestring."
Living and working conditions on Guadalcanal were miserable as well as dangerous. Mosquitoes, leeches, chiggers and flesh eating ants gnawed at the men in the field, while rats spread typhus. Malaria, dysentery and various other jungle diseases were so rampant that anyone with a temperature of 103 degrees or less was considered fit for duty. In his book Victory at Guadalcanal, author Robert Edward Lee records one Marine’s cynical observation: "If the world needed an enema, this would be the right place to put in the hose!"
Air support operations began 13 days after the invasion with the arrival of a Marine fighter squadron and a squadron of Navy dive-bombers. They were soon augmented by a detachment of Army Air Force fighter-bombers from New Caledonia. As Cactus was the Allied code name for Guadalcanal, this unconventional collection of planes and fliers came to be known as "The Cactus Air Force."
Among the AAF pilots who joined the Cactus Air Force early on was Captain John A. Thompson, a name often lost among the shadows of aviation legends like Marine Corps pilots John Smith and Marion Carl, the first American triple aces of the war, Joe Foss, the USMC’s all-time second leading ace and Black Sheep leader "Pappy" Boyington.
The struggle for Guadalcanal spawned acts of courage and heroism by members of all of the participating allied military forces.
All German accounts I've read about Normandy stress the impact that Allied Tac Air (especially the Typhoons) had on troop movements, re-supply and morale. It was the Germans worst nightmare.
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