What have you learned about WW2 recently?

Discussion in 'General' started by dbf, Oct 22, 2010.

  1. Jba45ww2

    Jba45ww2 Well-Known Member

    I just finished reading "Countdown to D-Day The German Perspective" by Peter Margaritis. One new thing that I came across was that both sons of Grand Admiral Donitz were killed in WW2. I remember reading somewhere that his first son Peter was killed when his Uboat that he was serving on was sunk in the North Atlantic in 1943. I found out that his second son Klaus was not authorized to have any parts of any dangerous missions. On his 24th birthday, Klaus was invited by the crew of Schnellboot S-141 to be a part of a 10 boat night patrol. As they patrolled of Selsey Bill point they are sunk by the Free French Destroyer La Combattante and Klause's body eventually washes up on the French Coast. Donitz vows revenge on the British.

    One of those "twists of fate things" that made me wonder how many other high ranking officials on both sides had children serving in harms way?
     
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  2. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    It is also worth remembering that there is a failure rate for all fuses. So what does not go bang at altitude may well go bang on returning to mother earth. So not just shrapnel falling.
     
  3. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

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  4. Jba45ww2

    Jba45ww2 Well-Known Member

    Agree, not sure I would give him the keys to the castle
     
  5. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Well, as a "Hospital Corpsman" he doesn't seem to have had any great role. But he does come across as a rat.
     
  6. Flyinggeek76

    Flyinggeek76 Member

    Some very good information/articles here everyone! I just finished looking up early actions of the Mustang 1/1a (RAF prefix) Was aware of the US designation, P-51 etc. But interested to learn the first batch of aircraft of the line were designated NA/72's & NA/73's. But mainly I enjoyed researching the fighters early career/missions very much. I think we often overlook these early Allison powered aircraft......
     
  7. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Welcome to the forum.

    Also the A-36A-1-NA Apache, which I guess technically was not a Mustang, but looks pretty close to me.

    North American A-36 Apache - Wikipedia
     
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  8. Flyinggeek76

    Flyinggeek76 Member

    Of course, with respect I'm aware of the Apache name/suffix. But finding accurate details has been a little scarce. The only good bookstore near me is sadly closing. So I'm buying up everything I can at 50% discount before they close. Thank you kindly for the link Sir, but I'm afraid I've become rather dubious of just how accurate wiki really is. Especially when it comes to history ....
     
  9. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

    Yes wiki can be questionable at times, but their articles come complete with references to other sources, which is a good thing to know.

    And here's what I learned new about WW2 just now. Sort of WW2, but kind of stretches from WW1 to Korea. Seems that Harry Truman, El Presidente of the USA after FDR died in office retired as a full bird colonel in the Missouri National Guard in 1953. He served in the MNG from 1905 to 1911 as an enlisted man, rising to the rank of corporal before ending his service. During WW1 he re-enlisted and received a commision as a lieutenant in the 2nd Missouri Field Artillery. The 2nd Mo FA was federalized as the 129th Field Artillery, and Truman commanded Battery D as a captain. He made the transition to the Army Reserve in the interwar years, retiring in 1953.

    I wonder if he still made the one weekend a month drills and the two week summer camp while he was living in the White House as the Commander in Chief? Nah.
     
  10. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Looks like Truman saw action from August to November 1918.
     
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  11. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    In your researches did you encounter Joe Baugher's website? Here are some links that might help especially with the A-36:-

    North American P-51 Mustang
    North American A-36 Mustang
     
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  12. Flyinggeek76

    Flyinggeek76 Member

    Thank you very much Sir. Any information is a real help as early Mustangs are not my forte....
     
  13. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

  14. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    In 1943, Richard James, a naval mechanical engineer stationed at the W. Cramp & Sons shipyards in Philadelphia, was developing springs that could support and stabilize sensitive instruments aboard naval ships in rough seas. He experimented with different types of steel wire and found a spring that would walk. His wife Betty dubbed it the Slinky.
     
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  15. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

    I've learned a few minutes ago that the Sangamon Class of escort carriers (4 in all) were not only converted from pre-war civilian oilers into escort carriers, but they were also the largest carrier conversion of the war, served altogether as a carrier division, and were the only escort carriers to have dive bombers in their organic air group. Imagine that!

    Read all about it!

    Sangamon-class escort carrier - Wikipedia
     
  16. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    Harry S. Truman was an excellent soldier, truly outstanding to use an overused US Army word. When he was young he read everything he could about war and wanted to go to West Point, but the best he could do was the Missouri National Guard. (His family were all old Confederates and the story is that when his mother first saw him in Federal uniform she wouldn't let him in the house.) He took command of a 75mm battery made up of tough guys from the Kansas City slums, and when they saw this little shrimp in the glasses they laughed at him. He made them take him seriously though; he cussed them out and stood up to their guff, threw them in the guardhouse when necessary, trained them constantly, and turned them into a crack outfit. I have read a recent book about Truman the soldier and it made me admire him even more than I had before. It's a pity he didn't or couldn't stay in the army after 1918, I feel certain that he would have become a general and an excellent one. People need to remember one thing about Truman when he became president and had to make tough decisions like dropping the bomb and relieving MacArthur: Truman had seen combat, knew what it was like, and also knew what a good officer was and was not supposed to be.
     
  17. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    I remember those, hours of fun. Right up there with Etch-a-Sketch and Silly Putty.
     
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  18. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

    Dr. Egon Spengler had a part of a slinky once. He straightened it.

    [​IMG]

    No, this is nothing related to WW2, but sort of slightly indirectly it can be attributed to some of the WW2 trivia provided by our good friend Canuck eh!
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2019
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  19. canuck

    canuck Closed Account


    Good choice! Conceived and written by a Canuck (Ackroyd), directed by a Canuck (Reitman) and starring two Canucks (Ackroyd and Moranis).
     
  20. Flyinggeek76

    Flyinggeek76 Member

    Very interesting. So many things that were invented/developed/thought up by pilots/veterans, have made the jump from aircraft to cars. Especially post war....

    Anyone know the real story behind the term "foo fighter"/modern day UFO. I heard it was coined by a US bomber crewman who used to read comic books. Particularly, one about a character named Smokey Stover. Who's catchphrase was, " where there is foo, there is fire". But I've heard a few different accounts about where the term came from....
    Sorry for the duplicate reply, my edit got timed out.
     

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