Cuff titles of Luftwaffe flying units:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/unif...ft_cufftitles/

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Interesting info on Luftwaffe Pilot-Observer badge with diamonds

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_...r_diamonds.htm

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Proximity fuse

A proximity fuse is a fuse Quick Summary:
Any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellantfuse that is designed to detonate an explosive automatically when close enough to the target to destroy it. By sending out radio waves that are reflected by the target and comparing the frequency of the outgoing waves to the incoming waves, a radio proximity fuse uses the Doppler effect Quick Summary:
Change in the apparent frequency of a wave as observer and source move toward or away from each otherDoppler effect to determine its proximity to a target. When the incoming waves sharply decrease in frequency, the target is at its closest possible position.

The proximity fuse was developed through a US and British collaboration during World War II Quick Summary:
A war between the Allies (Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Luxembourg, Mexico, NetherlWorld War II. Vannevar Bush, head of the US Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) during this war, credits it with three significant effects. It was important in defense from Japanese Kamikaze Quick Summary:
A fighter plane used for suicide missions by Japanese pilots in World War IIKamikaze attacks in the Pacific. It was an important part of the radar-controlled anti-aircraft batteries that finally neutralized the German V1 Quick Summary:
Quick Summary not found for this subjectV1 bomb attacks on England. Third, it was released for use in land warfare just in time for use in the Battle of the Bulge Quick Summary:
A battle during World War II; in December 1944 von Rundstedt launched a powerful counteroffensive in the forest at Ardennes and caught the Allies by surpriseBattle of the Bulge, where it decimated German divisions caught in the open. The Germans felt safe from timed fire because the weather prevented accurate observation. Bush cites an estimated 7 times increase in the effect of artillery with this innovation.

The first combat use of the proximity fuse was by the Helena (CL-50) off Guadalcanal, 5Jan43. The proximity fuse was such a valuable secret that it was forbidden to be used over enemy territory until late in the war in case the enemy found a dud and become aware and possibly reproduce the technology or develop a countermeasure.

http://www.ww2pacific.com/ideas.html

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/enc...imity_fuse.htm

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Martin Bormann was called the "shadow man" because he was always shadowing the Nazi leader.



http://www.geocities.com/onemansmind...n/Bormann.html

Just saw a document on the man and it seems he was also called "the fixer". He was definitely not the nicest guy but quite effective...

http://www.geocities.com/onemansmind...n/Bormann.html

In 1941 Martin Bormann, by then Hitler's top aide, sought to ingratiate himself by giving his Führer a magnificent German shepherd bitch named Blondi, now considered Hitler's most famous pet and companion.

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However a skeleton identified by dental records as Bormann's was discovered in Berlin in 1972. In 1999 a DNA test confirmed the identification.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bormann

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Shortly after he was politically and personally humiliated by the Mosquito bombing raid on Berlin in January 1943 Reichmarschall Herman Goering had this to say about the aircraft...

"In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy.

The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that?

There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war's over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked."

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-...d/mosquito.htm

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"We regret to order you to leave this fine body of men and ships to the mercy of the enemy, but it is for the sake of the Allied cause. Godspeed. -- English Admiralty."

Part of the message to the military escort vessels of PQ 17 on 4th July 1942.

This order was given under the mistaken belief that the german battleship Tirpitz and battlecruiser Scheer had sortied from their bases in Norway and were about to attack the convoy.

http://users3.ev1.net/~de238/stewart/kroetz.html

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Convoys headed for Russia were known as PQ convoys and those heading back from Russia were designated as QP convoys (interestingly the officer in charge of planning these earliest Russia convoys was Commander P.Q. Edwards and they were soon nicknamed after his initials).

http://uboat.net/ops/convoys/pq-17.htm

The first convoy left Britain in August 1941 and by the spring of 1942 only one ship of the 103 that had been sent had been lost and 12 convoys had passed through those waters.

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The PQ17 convoy consisted of 35 ships and was heavily loaded with 297 aircraft, 594 tanks, 4246 lorries and gun carriers and additional 156,000 tons of cargo. This was enough to equip an army of 50,000 men and valued at 700 million dollars at the time.

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EMERGENCY LANDINGS

In 1943, when an increasing number of British and American planes were returning crippled and low on fuel, Britain built a special Emergency Landing Ground (abbreviated to E.L.G.) in the county of Suffolk. Named RAF Woodbridge E.L.G. it handled a total of 4,115 emergency landings by the end of the war.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/1943.html

1943 BRITISH CASUALTIES

Air raid victims for the first three months of 1943 were 973 killed and 1,191 injured. For April, May, June and July, 1,237 killed and 1,607 injured. The next five months, till the end of December, 1943, casualties were 247 killed and 561 injured. The month of September saw the lowest casualty list since the bombing began, only 5 killed and 11 injured.

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William J. Donovan (1883-1959)
Chief of the Office of Strategic Services

Donovan is deeply opposed to the Anglo-American unconditional surrender clause against Germany arguing that such a policy will reinforce the Nazi regime's claim that the only alternative to war would be post-war slavery. He believes this policy allows Hitler to maintain his grip on the German armed forces and people thereby dooming any attempt at an anti-nazi upheaval.

Shortly after July 20, 1944, Donovan forwards Dulles's suggested "Lines of Action" to the White House along with his own plea as OSS Chief to "lend encouragement to the internal revolt that might help to save thousands of Allied lives." Neither Dulles's proposed actions, nor Donovan's plea have the slightest effect on the White House. Not even U.S. State Secretary Cordell Hull's doubts about the wisdom of the total surrender clause are heeded.

http://www.joric.com/Conspiracy/Donovan.htm

Sir Stuart Menzies (1890-1968)
Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (1939-1952)

As head of British intelligence, Menzies lobbies hard to persuade his government that helping the German conspirators is in England's best interest. His appeals fall on deaf ears or are thwarted by the sabotaging efforts of Soviet mole and double-agent Kim Philby who has far greater influence at the policy-making level.

Like his American counter-part, William Donovan, Menzies opposes the strict Allied policy of unconditional surrender. Like Donovan, he tries but fails to persuade his own government to at least modify the unconditional surrender clause.

http://www.joric.com/Conspiracy/Menzies.htm

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November 28, 1943



In the evening the so-called “Calais Soldiers Broadcast” which evidently originates in England and uses the same wavelength as Radio Station Deutschland when the latter is cut out during air raids, gave us something to worry about. The station does a very clever job of propaganda and from what is put on the air one can gather that the English know exactly what they have destroyed and what not.

http://libraryautomation.com/nymas/radioproppaper.htm

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Keitel in his memoirs claims that it was Daladier´s point of view that made Chamberlain in the end ( forced him to choose? ) decide on his view on the Czech matter in Munich 1938:

"We won´t tolerate war over this, the Czechs will just have to give way.We will simply have to force them to accept the cession."

Daladier by Keitel

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2 September 1941 Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., was the first African American to officially complete a solo flight as an officer of the U.S. Army Air Corps.

http://www.africanamericans.com/MilitaryChronology4.htm

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The US 45th division symbol was swastika until 1939 (?)....

For the first 15 years of its existence, members of the 45th Infantry Division proudly wore on their left shoulders an ancient American Indian symbol of good luck, most commonly referred to as the swastika. The insignia served as recognition of the great number of Native Americans proudly serving in the 45th Infantry Division. The yellow swastika on a square background of red symbolized the Spanish Heritage of the 4 Southwestern states that made up the membership of the 45th—Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona.

http://www.45thdivisionmuseum.com/Hi...underbird.html

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php...uleId=10006163



http://www.5ad.org/swastika.html

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German aircraft carriers site:

http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/germany.htm

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Wednesday, November 22, 1939

In Britain... Towards evening, one of the first batches of German magnetic mines to be dropped by parachute, by a low-flying He111, lands on the mud flats at Shoeburyness, near the Thames Estuary and British authorities are immediately informed.

Thursday, November 23, 1939

In Britain... In the early morning hours, two Royal Engineers officers, mine experts, succeed in defusing a German magnetic mine stranded in the Shoeburyness mud flat and manage to recover it for study. It can therefore be examined to devise countermeasures. These mines have been in use since October 16th and already they have been responsible for the loss of 50,000 tons of shipping.

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1939/nov39/23nov39.htm

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Canada did not accept American Lend-Lease aid. Actually Canada ran its own lend-lease program for its allies called "Mutual Aid", supplying its allies with four billion dollars worth of war materiel. A further credit of a billion dollars was given to Britain.

http://www.around.ntl.sympatico.ca/~toby/ww2.html

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Overlord and naval diversions:

Operation GLIMMER was a feint in the direction of Pas de Calais designed to simulate an amphibious attack by one infantry division and a naval force equivalent to that of one assault force. The operation was carried out by a force of six M.D.M.L's (70 foot motor launches) which were placed under the orders of Vice Admiral Dover, who was responsible for the execution of the operation in accordance with the detailed plan and technical instructions of ANCXF.

Operation TAXABLE was a feint in the direction of Cap d'Antifer, designed to simulate a landing by one infantry division and one naval assault force. It was carried out by a force of eight H.D.M.L's operating under the direction of Vice Admiral Dover, in accordance with detailed ANCXF instructions. It was sailed with Force S and its radio deception was arranged to as to give the appearance that Force S and the 50th division were actually preparing to land near Cap d'Antifer.

Operation BIGDRUM was carried out by a force of four H.D.M.L's under the command of the Naval Commander, Force U. It was routed so as to pass in a westerly direction along a route to the shoreward of the approach route of Force U. It would thus screen the movement of Force U from enemy radar located in the vicinity of Barfleur, and would so occupy the attention of enemy radar during the passage of the assault forces as to confuse him as to the progress of the main force.

Operation ACCUMULATOR was a small diversion executed in the Channel Islands area by two destroyers, H.M.S. Haida and H.M.S. Hurron1 on the 12th and 13th of JUne, several days after the assault. This diversion was intended to give the Germans the impression that a landing was to be carried out in the vicinity of Granville on the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula. The object, which appears to have been achieved, was to hold enemy troops in the neck of the Peninsula while the U.S. Army was in the process of cutting across its base.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/...omNavEu-8.html

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Check the one above as well...

Ranville, captured at around 2.30 am, had the distinction of becoming France’s first liberated village.

http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60...sto3_p8_gb.htm

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Hooton: Phoenix triumphant

From 1935-39 Poland´s total defence expenditure was equivalent to $750 million (1994 )
compared to 24,000 million $ for Germany .

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