Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 55

Today in World War II History—May 11, 1944

British 99th Light AA Regiment, Cassino, Italy, 12 May 1944 (Imperial War Museum: NA 14735)

80 Years Ago—May 11, 1944: Operation Diadem: Allied drive to Rome opens before midnight with artillery barrage from Cassino to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Countdown to D-day: Allies officially begin pre-invasion bombing of German airfields in France to drive the Luftwaffe away from the invasion beaches.

In Italy, Germans release Jews of Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, and Swiss citizenship under pressure from these neutral governments.

Movie premiere of The White Cliffs of Dover, starring Irene Dunne.

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Today in World War II History—May 10, 1944

James V. Forrestal, US Secretary of the Navy (US Navy photo)

80 Years Ago—May 10, 1944: President Roosevelt appoints James V. Forrestal as Secretary of the Navy.

At Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming, 63 Japanese-Americans are indicted for resisting the draft.

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Today in World War II History—May 9, 1944

Soviet soldiers crossing the Syvash into the Crimea, Dec 1943 (public domain via Russian State Archive via Wikipedia)

80 Years Ago—May 9, 1944: Soviets take Sevastopol and 36,000 German POWs, securing the Crimea.

Due to a revolt and general strike, President of El Salvador Gen. Maximiliano Hernández Martinez resigns and flees to Guatemala; succeeded by Andrés Menéndez.

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Today in World War II History—May 8, 1944

Maj. Gen. Edward Brooks (behind Eisenhower) demonstrating M1 Carbines to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Gen. Omar Bradley, England, 15 May 1944 (US Army photo)

80 Years Ago—May 8, 1944: Countdown to D-day: General Eisenhower sets D-day for Normandy invasion as June 5—this will be signaled to the commanders on May 23.

US Congress extends Lend-Lease to June 1945.

German Army Group G is established in southern France under Col. Gen. Johannes Blaskowitz.

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Today in World War II History—May 7, 1944

Poster for US Army Signal Corps, WWII

80 Years Ago—May 7, 1944: Countdown to D-day: US Signal Corps holds “Exercise Pigeon” D-day training exercise.

US Eighth Air Force launches over 1000 bombers in missions to Berlin, Münster, and Osnabrück, Germany.

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Today in World War II History—May 6, 1944

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

80 Years Ago—May 6, 1944: Off Cape Verdes, destroyer escort USS Buckley and TBMs & Wildcats from escort carrier USS Block Island sink German U-boat U-66; Buckley’s sailors use small arms, hand grenades, and coffee mugs in the battle.

In India, British release Gandhi from prison on medical grounds.

Kathleen Kennedy (daughter of former US ambassador to Britain Joseph Kennedy) marries the Marquis of Hartington.

Kathleen Kennedy in American Red Cross uniform, London, 1943 (public domain via John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum)

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Today in World War II History—May 5, 1944

The Benz Patent-Motorwagen of 1888, used by Bertha Benz for the first long-distance road trip, 106 km by automobile. (Public domain via Wikipedia)

80 Years Ago—May 5, 1944: Adm. Soemu Toyoda takes command of Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.

Bertha Benz, wife of Karl Benz and the first person to drive an automobile over 100 kilometers, dies in Ladenburg, Germany, age 95.

USS Comfort is commissioned, the first US hospital ship staffed by both Army and Navy personnel.

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Today in World War II History—May 4, 1944

In Exercise Fabius, US infantry descend into an LCVP during D-day invasion practice, Slapton Sands, England, May 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—May 4, 1944: Countdown to D-day: In Exercise Fabius, a full-scale rehearsal for D-day, Allied troops who will land on Sword, Juno, Gold, and Omaha Beaches make landings on English beaches in the largest amphibious training exercise ever.

Movie premiere of Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, Charles Boyer, and Angela Lansbury in her screen premiere.

St. Louis Browns baseball team drops segregation policy that restricted Black fans to the bleachers.

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Today in World War II History—May 3, 1944

Theatrical poster for 1944 movie Going My Way, Paramount Pictures (public domain via Wikipedia)

80 Years Ago—May 3, 1944: Movie premiere of Going My Way, starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald as Catholic priests.

US Office of Price Administration ends meat rationing, except for steak and choice beef (rationing will be tightened again later). Read more: “Make It Do—Meat Rationing in World War II.” 

US poster about meat rationing, WWII

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Today in World War II History—May 2, 1944

Ted Williams being sworn in to the military, 22 May 1942 (US Marine Corps photo)

80 Years Ago—May 2, 1944: Countdown to D-day: British teacher Leonard Dawe publishes crossword puzzle in Daily Telegraph using Operation Overlord code word “Utah”; over the next month his puzzles will also contain the words “Omaha,” “Mulberry,” “Overlord,” and “Neptune”—he’s placed under MI5 investigation but is cleared.

Baseball player Ted Williams (Boston Red Sox) earns wings & commission as Marine Corps pilot.

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