Replies

Bombs Clear Way (Middleton) – 2-4
Taking Off for Liberation of The Netherlands (photo) – 3
Sky Troops Fight as They Hit Earth (Cronkite, Judson O’Quinn, first-time contributor) – 4
Appeal to Dutch Timed to Landing (Daniel) – 4-5
Bombers Flatten Germans’ Defenses – 5-6
20,000 Nazis Give Up as Plea for Token Battle is Denied (Anderson) – 6-7
Germans Who Are Prisoners in the Fatherland (photo) – 7
Montgomery Says Reich is Helpless – 8
A German Bomb Site Falls to the Canadians (photo) – 8
Big Warsaw Drive Reported by Nazis – 9
War News Summarized – 9
Angaur is Invaded (Trumbull) – 10-11
Peleliu Landing was Scene of Fury (by George Horne) – 11
Perfect Air Cover Given to Morotai (by Lindesay Parrott) – 11
Warn on Optimism for WLB Pay Rise – 11
General M’Arthur Moves Closer to the Philippines (photo) – 12
Destroyer and Two Patrol Craft Sunk in Hurricane of Last Week – 12
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the Fighting in Various War Zones – 13-15
Jump to Mindanao in Prospect (by Hanson W. Baldwin) – 15

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/sep44/18sep44.htm#

Warsaw uprising supplied by air
Monday, September 18, 1944 www.onwar.com

American B-17 bombers dropping supplies over Warsaw [photo at link]

In Occupied Poland... American B-17 bombers drop 1284 containers of supplies to the embattled Polish Home Army (AK) in Warsaw. Only 228 fall on territory still controlled by the Poles. This is the only major supply drop, by the western Allies, allowed by the Soviets. The US planes land on Soviet territory after completing their mission.

On the Western Front... Operation Market Garden continues. The British 30th Corps reaches the troops of the US 101st Airborne Division at Eindhoven and Veghel. There is increasing resistance from German forces. To the north, the US 82nd and British 1st Airborne Divisions continue to resist.

In Occupied Denmark... A general strike continues in protest of recent deportations by German authorities.

In the Palau Islands... On Peleliu, American marines attempt to expand their attacks on Mount Umurgrobol. Japanese forces repulse the marines with heavy losses. On Angaur, US forces advance toward the center of the island. Japanese forces harass the movement.

headline: "Jump to Mindanao in Prospect (by Hanson W. Baldwin) – 15"

"Both amphibious operations had long been clearly 'telegraphed' by our prepatory bombings and shellings; that the Japanese were not able to forestall them is a sufficient index of their air and sea weakness.

"Yet the Battale of Palau, which may be raging for weeks, is a clear enough indication that sea power and air power are never enough in war..."

Fortunately, in today's world (2014), all that is no longer necessary... today, all it takes is Americans "leading from behind" in "overseas contingency operations" with "no boots on the ground" among "a broad coalition" in order to "degrade" and maybe someday, inshallah, "eventually destroy" "violent extremists" with whom we are not "at war" or even necessarily "enemies".

And another thing that's no longer necessary, indeed is really just too, too politically incorrect to consider worthwhile: "victory."

< /sarc >

One of the problems for defending forces in paratroop assaults is the way they disrupt command and control in what were considered "secure" rear areas. It's very disruptive because you don't really know who they are and exactly where they are. We see this today in the German situation map. The Germans have identified 101st Airborne and their drop zones fairly well (although they don't show the drop zone at Veghel to seize the crossing of the Suid-Willems Canal). They have identified 82nd Airborne and their dispositions to about the same extent. They have not identified British 1st Airborne, and don't know exactly where the drop zones are located.

(A little late in joining you. Things are starting to get busier at my end, as the Allies are getting busier beating the Germans.)

(Post #4): What is it about the British? Their tanks are moving but no matter what, apparently, they stop and set up a little campground for tea (and cognac). Dang man, no way to run a war IMO.