Lynne T Attardi

February 17-18, 1944 Operation Catchpole and Operation Hailstone As part of a Pacific campaign in WWII, the U.S. Navy launched a mission labeled Operation Hailstone. The U.S. Marines invaded Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands during February 17-22, 1944. Its codename was Operation Catchpole. This operation beginning on the 17th was commanded by Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill, USN. The U.S. Marines who landed was commanded by Colonel John T. Walker, USMC. The main objective of Operation Catchpole was the Engebi airfield. Eniwetok was a circular atoll. The four-staged mission was to be accomplished between the 17th and the 18th of February, working along with the Truk Aircraft Carrier raids. On Eniwetok, from the south, they would invade the two islets adjoining Engebi; Eniwetok and Parry islands to the south; Engebi to the north; and then the remaining small islets. They met their heaviest Japanese resistance on Eniwetok and Parry Islands. Eniwetok was not secured until February 22. Because of the aircraft carrier raids (Operation Hailstone), working in tandem with the invasion of Eniwetok Atoll, Commander Fifth Fleet Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, USN, the Fast Carrier Force (Task Force 58) and Commander Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, who both performed raids on February 17-18, 1944, at Truk Island, the morale of the Japanese hit rock bottom – pun intended. Their Navy lost merchant ships, light cruisers Katori and Naka; destroyers Maikaze, Fumizuki, Oite, and Tachikaze; submarine chasers Ch-24, and Ch-29, all sinking along with submarine chaser Shonan Maru #15 and Motor Torpedo Boat #10. Image #1: Operation Catchpole, February 1944. U.S. Marines and Coast Guardsmen proudly display a Japanese flag on Engebi Island, February 19, 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. 80-G-216033 Image #2: Operation Hailstone, February 1944 Naval Aviators of Fighting Squadron 10 (VF-10) operating from USS Enterprise (CV-6). National Archives 80-G-59272 Image #3: Operation Hailstone, February 17-18, 1944 National Archives 80-G-218544 (For more photos and to read more, see: https://lnkd.in/g6RRMKmR)

Alice H. Parker was a Black inventor in the early 20th-century, best known for patenting a central heating system that uses natural gas. Her invention played a key role in the development of the heating systems we have in our homes today. Little is known about Parker’s life or upbringing, most likely because women, especially women of color at the time, were not documented sufficiently. She was born in 1895 in Morristown, New Jersey, and later attended classes at Howard University in Washington, D.C. To receive a higher education as a Black woman at the time was an achievement in itself. US Patent No. 1,325,905 Parker’s idea for a heating system came from being cold during New Jersey winters when fireplaces did not effectively heat an entire home. Most homeowners a hundred years ago were stocking up on wood or coal to heat their homes. Parker’s design was unique in that it used natural gas, which saved time from chopping wood, and increased safety measures without a fire burning all night. Granted on December 23, 1919, Parker’s patent was not the first for a gas furnace design, but it uniquely involved a multiple yet individually controlled burner system. Although her exact design was never implemented due to concerns with the regulation of heat flow, her system was an important precursor to the modern heating zone system and thermostats as well. Parker’s legacy endures with the annual Alice H. Parker Women Leaders in Innovation Awards via the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes the contributions of women to innovation in New Jersey, Parker’s home state.

You mean the U.S. Gov't doesn't have a city there now?

From the 20th to the 22nd of January in 1944, units of the 36th Infantry Division of the U.S. crossed the Gari River, not the Rapido River, as this battle has been called. It was commanded by Major Gen. Fred Walker. Unfortunately, the troops were subjected to counterattacks by the German 15th Panzergrenadier Division and lost major reinforcements. The Division suffered high losses after just two days of fighting, and the survivors had to retreat across the river. This occurred during what was called the Italian Campaign after many attempts by the Allies to breach the Winter Line. Image: American soldiers bring back wounded during the attempt to cross the Gari River near Cassino, Italy, January 1944. (Public Domain)

Task Force 38 in the South Pacific Seas on January 12, 1945 On January 12, 1944, the group's aircraft sank 44 ships totaling over 130,000 tons off Indochina. The “group”? It was TF 38, the famed U.S. South Seas Task Force that sailed through the Luzon Strait and raided Japanese shipping in the South China Sea. The Task Force launched carrier strikes against Japanese shipping and coastal areas in the South China Sea. Its targets included Saigon, Cap St. Jacques, Camranh Bay, Qui Nhow, Tourane, and coastal convoys. This Task Force 38 was commanded by Vice Admiral John S. McCain Sr., when led by Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, Jr., as part of the Third Fleet. The raid by TF 38 (previously TF 58) was an enormous success for the Third Fleet (previously the Fifth Fleet). Losing few of its own, it destroyed many Japanese ships and aircraft. The ships sunk by TF 38 included 33 merchant ships, 13 warships, including the light cruiser Kashii, two destroyers, seven coast defense vessels, one patrol boat, one minesweeper, and a military transport. The destruction of oil tankers and cargo vessels was especially important, as it closed a vital supply route for the Japanese. During this attack, there were also shot down 15 aircraft and destroyed were 20 floatplanes at Cam Ranh Bay, and 77 aircraft at various airfields. Lastly, two Japanese aircraft carriers were damaged near Formosa during the day in a counter-attack. TASK FORCE 58 OR TASK FORCE 38? All the key characters were active Navy Commanders who were aboard the ships! Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz and his planners (in Pearl Harbor) devised the TF58 or TF38 strategy – changing the designation of the Task Force (roughly) every six months. This accomplished many things, including confusing the enemy as to the strength of their opponents. This was a very tangible result of the designation change. Most important was that the commanders were relieved from battle and brought back to headquarters to assist in planning the next six-months of Operations. See: Task Force 58 / Task Force 38 | Task Force 58 / 38 These ships sailed in a circle formation centered on the carriers with supporting ships sailing relatively close by. They carried the aircraft that could be called to battle at a moment’s notice by the carriers (with their anti-aircraft fire in addition to that of the carriers). This all helped to keep at bay attacking aircraft. The fleet’s composition and formation together was conceived of mainly by Admiral Marc Mitscher. It wasn’t until January 20th that the Third Fleet exited the South Seas China. For more information on the activities preceding this exit and reasoning therefor. See South China Sea raid - Wikipedia

Just how smart is my "so-called" smart computer? I asked it about WWII New Year's resolutions, and this is what it told me: During the early stages of World War II, the Allied powers, primarily represented by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, made a significant "New Year's resolution." So, I asked my computer: Oh, yeah? What did they do? My computer: They signed the "Declaration by United Nations," formally pledging to fight together against the Axis powers and not negotiate separate peace treaties, marking the first official use of the term "United Nations" and signifying a united front against the global conflict. So I decided to look up the important points about this resolution. Interested? Date: January 1, 1942 Signatories: Leaders like Churchill (UK), Roosevelt (US), Maxim Litvinov (USSR), and T. V. Soong (China) Main goal: To solidify the Allied alliance and prevent individual nations from making peace deals with the Axis powers Significance: This declaration marked a crucial moment in the war, demonstrating a collective commitment to defeating the Axis forces and laying the groundwork for the post-war United Nations organization. Image source: Wikipedia. On 1 January 1942, representatives of 26 Allied nations fighting against the Axis Powers met in Washington, D.C. to pledge their support for the Atlantic Charter by signing the "Declaration by United Nations". This document contained the first official use of the term "United Nations", which was suggested by United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (seated, second from left).

On Christmas Eve 1944, news broke that popular musician and band leader Glenn Miller had been reported missing in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). Miller and the Army Air Forces Band (Special) that he led were scheduled for a Christmas Day performance and broadcast from France, and Miller had been ordered to fly from England to France ahead of his unit to assist with final preparations for their move across the Channel. Frustrated with two consecutive days of weather delays, Miller finally boarded a plane with Lieutenant Colonel Norman Baessell and Flight Officer John Stuart Morgan on December 15th. Miller did not report his departure to his commanding officers or let his bandmates know of his plans, and the following morning, the Allied Forces in Europe were surprised by the German attack that began the Battle of the Bulge. Because of this, it was several days before anyone realized that the plane–along with Baessell, Morgan, and Miller–was missing. Since the public already knew that Glenn Miller and the Army Air Forces Band were supposed to perform on Christmas, the Allied commanders quickly informed Miller’s wife, Mrs. Helen D. Miller, that her husband was missing before issuing a press release on December 24th (see images 2 and 3). The plane and its occupants were never recovered, and the Army eventually concluded that they all must have perished on December 15 while attempting to fly across the English Channel from Abbotts Ripton to Bordeaux. Continued: National Archives article (too long to publish here) https://lnkd.in/gWM3VDYU Photo below caption: Major Glenn Miller (Right) Famous Band Leader, Talks With Two Officers During His Visit To Steeple Morden, Cambridgeshire, England. 12 August 1944. (U.S. Air Force Number 70887AC) (National Archives Identifier?204997792)

Honoring the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge December 16, 2024?by?ncurrie, posted in?Finding Aids,?Military Records,?World War II by Rachael Salyer, Subject Matter Expert for Modern Military Records at the National Archives in College Park, MD. This winter marks the 80th anniversary of the German attack that began the Ardennes Offensive, or the Battle of the Bulge, during World War II. In the early morning of December 16, 1944, Allied forces in the Ardennes Forest were surprised by the German assault. According to the?U.S. Army Center of Military History, several of the isolated American and other Allied units were able to defend their positions long enough for additional troops to mount a counterattack and secure the line, which prevented the German forces from accessing roads that would have been vital for further advancement. The Allied response was initially hindered by poor weather, but clearing skies eventually let the Allies defend their positions by air, and “the German attack resulted only in a large bulge in the Allied lines[.]” The battle lasted for over a month, but by January 25, 1945 the Allies were able to restore their line to its previous position. Ultimately, the Battle of the Bulge became the last major German offensive campaign in the West before the end of the war, since the estimated 80,000-100,000 German casualties had irreparably weakened their forces (see image 2).(cont'd here: https://lnkd.in/g-xmzUNP )

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