Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 103

Today in World War II History—February 16, 1943

Insignia of the US Sixth Army, WWII

80 Years Ago—Feb. 16, 1943: US Sixth Army is established in the Southwest Pacific Area under Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger.

France establishes Service du Travail Obligatoire to conscript 250,000 young men to work in Germany; this causes many to flee and join the resistance.

Mildred Fish Harnack is executed in Berlin for resistance activities, the only American woman to be executed by the Gestapo.

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Today in World War II History—February 15, 1943

US poster by J. Howard Miller, 1943

80 Years Ago—Feb. 15, 1943: British Eighth Army arrives at German Mareth Line in Tunisia.

Actress and pin-up girl Betty Grable leaves prints from hands & one leg at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

J. Howard Miller’s “We Can Do It” poster, now identified with Rosie the Riveter, is first posted at Westinghouse for a two-week in-house campaign. (Read more: A Tribute to Rosie the Riveter)

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The Sound of Light “Hygge” Giveaway – Winner!

Thank you to all 600 (!!) of you who entered The Sound of Light “Hygge” Release Day Giveaway. I randomly chose one entry, and the winner is…

Susan Boyd!

Susan, I’ll send you an email today. Please respond with your mailing address by Feb. 21, 2023. If you don’t respond by that date, I’ll pick a new winner.

The post The Sound of Light “Hygge” Giveaway – Winner! first appeared on Sarah Sundin.

Today in World War II History—February 14, 1943

US 37-mm antitank gun (M3A1) and crew wait for the German column through Faïd Pass, Tunisia, 14 February 1943 (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—Feb. 14, 1943: Germans launch an offensive in Tunisia through Faïd & Maïzila Passes, overpowering US troops.

British & Indian Chindits cross the Chindwin River into Burma to raid Japanese supply lines.

Combat debut of US Marine Corps Vought F4U Corsair fighter: 12 F4Us from Guadalcanal attack shipping in the Solomon Islands.

Marine F4U-1 Corsair, Torokina Airstrip, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, early 1943 (US Marine Corps photo)

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Today in World War II History—February 13, 1943

Army-Navy “E” Award for excellence in production, US, WWII

80 Years Ago—Feb. 13, 1943: Germans order Tunisian Jews to pay 10 million francs.

US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve is officially established.

Boston Navy Yard is awarded the Army-Navy “E” Award for excellence in production.

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Today in World War II History—February 12, 1943

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the US 1st Ranger Battalion (US Army Institute of Heraldry)

80 Years Ago—Feb. 12, 1943: Gen. Maximilian von Weichs resigns as commander of German Army Group B (eastern front) due to disagreements with Hitler.

In Tunisia, US 1st Ranger Battalion conducts a successful night raid on Sened Station and takes an Italian gun position.

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Today in World War II History—February 11, 1943

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 31 Dec 1943 (US National Archives: USA C-2182)

80 Years Ago—Feb. 11, 1943: Dwight Eisenhower, commander of US North African Theater of Operations, is promoted to four-star general.

Soviets take rail junction of Lozovaya, Ukraine.

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Today in World War II History—February 10, 1943

Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi at All-India Congress meeting, Bombay, India, 6 July 1946 (Library of Congress: LC-USZ62-111090)

80 Years Ago—Feb. 10, 1943: In India, Mohatma Gandhi begins a 21-day hunger strike, which leads to rioting, but Britain makes no concessions.

Final Australian troops are evacuated from Portuguese Timor where they have fought as guerrillas for a year.

Ordnance worker & Navy mother Vesta Stoudt writes a letter to President Roosevelt proposing using waterproof cloth tape on ammunition boxes so men can open them easily under fire; the War Production Board will approve her idea; Johnson & Johnson will develop duck tape (cotton duck fabric), later called duct tape.

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Today in World War II History—February 9, 1943

US Marine Corps recruiting poster, 1945

80 Years Ago—Feb. 9, 1943: US secures Guadalcanal; in the campaign, 1700 Americans and 40,000 Japanese have been killed.

President Roosevelt orders a 48-hour work week in war plants.

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Today in World War II History—February 8, 1943

Raising the flag at US Naval Training Center, Hunter College, Bronx, NY, 8 Feb 1943 (US National Archives: 80-G-23753)

80 Years Ago—Feb. 8, 1943: First Chindit Raid begins: Brig. Orde Wingate’s Chindits (British and Indian troops) leave Imphal, India, to raid Japanese supply lines in Burma.

Soviets launch an offensive in Ukraine and take Kursk.

USS Hunter, the US Navy Training School for WAVES at Hunter College, opens in the Bronx, NY.

Brigadier Orde Wingate, leader of the Chindits (US Army Center of Military History)

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