Resource Sites for Members

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Be hard not to be in the top 10 you would think, thanks for the link Manray9.

[Manray9]

Here is a link to an article on the website of the CIA Library about eavesdropping on the U.S. and British delegations by the Soviets at Yalta. As a former SIGINT officer, I found it of interest. The author's skepticism of the claims of Valentin Berezhkov ring true. I have read much about Berezhkov, but have not read his book -- although I've had a copy for years.

The link:

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-fo...

"At Stalin's Side" by Valentin M. Berezhkov

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Just finished The Battle of Konigsberg: The Struggle for the East Prussian Capital, October 1944 to April 1945 Good but not great. Found this in the back, a site that offers links to many other interesting sites.

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/

[Manray9]

Mike wrote: "Just finished [book:The Battle of Konigsberg: The Struggle for the East Prussia..."

Interesting link. Thanks.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

A few good book reviews there at that link as well Mike, thanks for posting. Sorry to hear that The Battle of Konigsberg wasn't as good as expected.

[Elinor]

For anyone who wants a quick weekly look at a wartime event, check out my blog called Wartime Wednesdays. You can subscribe by email, or just drop in now and then. This week my topic is "My Father's Best Christmas: 1945."
www.elinorflorence.com/blog

[Manray9]

I saw this today on RealClearHistory.com. I believe this is by our friend Colin. Am I correct?

http://www.historynet.com/pappy-boyin...

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Yes I think it is Manray9 :)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good find Manray9!

[Colin]

Manray9 wrote: "I saw this today on RealClearHistory.com. I believe this is by our friend Colin. Am I correct?

http://www.historynet.com/pappy-boyin..."

Boyington's full interview, along with Robin Olds, Francis Gabreski, Robert Johnson, Joe Foss and Edward Haydon will be in a new book I am writing now with Anne. The American Aces Speak (working title) in the same format as The German Aces Speak, but no Q&A, just their narrative. The second volume of my Germans will be out in March from Zenith Press.

[Manray9]

Group members may be interested in this book review from The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinion...

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Sounds interesting Manray9, thanks for posting.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks for the link Manray9, sounds like it will be an interesting account.


by Wil S. Hylton

[Lee]

Not a book, but how about this NPR broadcast: http://www.npr.org/2014/01/05/2596805...

An NPR station in Maryland found a recording of a Christmas broadcast from UK in 1943. A local woman got to hear her father's voice. He was killed only a few weeks after the broadcast, she was only 17 months old.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That's an amazing but sad story, thanks for posting the link Lee.

[Manray9]

The media today reported the death of Jerry Coleman at the age of 89. Jerry played several infield positions on the legendary NY Yankees teams of the 1950s and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1950 World Series. He went on to work as the baseball voice of the San Diego Padres for about 35 years. Of interest to our group, Jerry's baseball career was twice interrupted by service as a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps. Jerry flew a Douglas Dauntless in combat over the Solomons and Philippines during WW II and returned to service in 1952 at the stick of a Vought Corsair over Korea. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, USMCR.

Here is a link to an article on the Command Posts website about Jerry's flying career.

http://www.commandposts.com/2011/07/j...

The article is based on this book:

Why Marines Fight by James Brady

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Great story, thanks for the link.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Lee wrote: "Not a book, but how about this NPR broadcast: http://www.npr.org/2014/01/05/2596805......"

What a great story Lee thanks for sharing.

[carl]

Manray9 wrote: "The media today reported the death of Jerry Coleman at the age of 89. Jerry played several infield positions on the legendary NY Yankees teams of the 1950s and was named Most Valuable Player of th..."

Good link MR. I belong to 2 groups on GR,
this one a baseball one, sometimes the two
meet.

[Manray9]

carl wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "The media today reported the death of Jerry Coleman at the age of 89. Jerry played several infield positions on the legendary NY Yankees teams of the 1950s and was named Most Valua..."

I didn't know there was a baseball group. Never looked. I'm a huge fan for over fifty years.

[carl]

more baseball talk in general than baseball books,
but a fair amount of both. i posted the coleman
link over there.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Manray9]

carl wrote: "more baseball talk in general than baseball books,
but a fair amount of both. i posted the coleman
link over there.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/..."

Thanks.

[Chin Joo]

Hi All, I've been listening to these interviews for the past week. It might be of interests to you.

http://newbooksinmilitaryhistory.com/

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Nice link Chin Joo.

[Manray9]

Chin Joo wrote: "Hi All, I've been listening to these interviews for the past week. It might be of interests to you.

http://newbooksinmilitaryhistory.com/"

Thanks.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks for the link Chin Joo.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Chin Joo wrote: "Hi All, I've been listening to these interviews for the past week. It might be of interests to you.

http://newbooksinmilitaryhistory.com/"

Thanks Chin Joo this is a great link...and bad for my wallet too.

[Jesper]

Interesting photos - Italy WWII


http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

Found them here:

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange...

[carl]

Good Italy pics, great detail Jesper.

[Jesper]

You are so right Carl. I especially like picture #2 in album 1.

[carl]

action shot! what does the pilot have in
his hand, bottle of beer?

lots of good ones, like the foot
sloggers in album3, also the
German STGIII, it appears.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Great pictures, thanks for the link.

[Manray9]

Jesper wrote: "Interesting photos - Italy WWII


http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saaf..."

Great pics. Thanks.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Excellent links Jesper, thanks for posting the details.

[Jesper]

Dear all

Glad you liked them. I my self can't get enough of those old B/W pics.

@ Carl, Exactly. I think it is a picture that let your imagination wander. As it is a Hurricane I assume that the pilot is a 'mud mover' and has to go down low to get his targets. Which was a risky business. Does he look worried, or optimistic? Is it a suggestion of a smile we see on his face? Or a is it a wry and weary face? Can't really see it. Did he live to tell his stories? Or did he not?
I don't know if the SAAF troopers were as fond for beer as their fellow Australians *) but after 'blowing up' the pic I found that the item in his hand is not a bottle of beer but . . . his googles :-)

*) I don't know this as a fact but as a rumor, maybe Aussie Rick can confirm or disprove? :-)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Fact, not rumour - Australians love their beer :)

[Manray9]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Fact, not rumour - Australians love their beer :)"

AR: Judging by these numbers the Aussies didn't get a medal. The Czechs took the gold.

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

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Jesper wrote: "Interesting photos - Italy WWII


http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saaf..."

Thanks for posting Jesper they are quite superb and so atmospheric.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Beer consumption over the past decade has dropped in Australia but has seen a rise in wine consumption. In the 1940's-1970's we would have been up there in contention for the gold :)

[Manray9]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Beer consumption over the past decade has dropped in Australia but has seen a rise in wine consumption. In the 1940's-1970's we would have been up there in contention for the gold :)"

Same in the U.S. Surprisingly whiskey is making a comeback in the U.S. after years of decline.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Jesper wrote: "Interesting photos - Italy WWII


http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.co...

http://saaf..."

Jesper I was taken by the photo of Major Dawson-Squibb (number 38 album 1) and did some digging and thought you'd be interested in this:
http://www.cieldegloire.com/017_dawso...
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issue...
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issue... (The MC and MM citations for RAF personnel on D-Day on the same page are interesting too)

[Manray9]

Here is a link from RealClearHistory.com to a story on the top 10 blunders of WW II. Does everyone in the group agree with the list?

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-greates...

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Manray9 wrote: "Here is a link from RealClearHistory.com to a story on the top 10 blunders of WW II. Does everyone in the group agree with the list?..."

Can't see placing the retaking of the PI on the same level of blunder as Kursk but the others look pretty solid.

[Manray9]

I agree. The PI campaign may not have been necessary, but a blunder? The Bataan fiasco is a different story.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

It's an interesting take on bad decisions of WW2.

I suppose I can see the point of view that the retaking on the Philippines was not really necessary and left to the following needless casualties:

Total US forces:

Killed - 13,973, Wounded - 48,541, Total - 62,514

Japanese forces:

Killed - 336,352, Captured - 12,573, Total - 348,925

Also the massive destruction of Manila and untold numbers of civilian casualties.

Was it a blunder giving MacArthur what he wanted? What was the ultimate goal or military objective for this campaign that justified all those dead and wounded?

I suppose each historian has a different view on these events in history which is why books never stopped get publishing :)

[Dj]

An interesting list, but kind of odd. Retaking the Philippines a top ten, but Midway and Guadalcanal not even on the list?
Makes you wonder what the author of the list would have said about the proposed assault on Formosa if that had gone instead of the retaking of the Philippines. An operation by the way which I personally feel was Politically necessary.

[carl]

Yes the battles are on different scales, so hard
to rate. Invading the USSR, well kinda hard
to have Kursk & Stalingrad if you don't do that.

[happy]

Solid list - I agree with Dj that the liberating of the PI was politically neccessary. Also I'll quibble with the narrative on Anzio that it was Lukas' fault - they needed more people or the Germans whould have cut them apart.

[Manray9]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "It's an interesting take on bad decisions of WW2.

I suppose I can see the point of view that the retaking on the Philippines was not really necessary and left to the following needless casualties..."

I'm with you on this, AR. Politics trumped military necessity.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

The list is a good one and I agree fully that Midway is a omission.

I've added a few suggestions below for a wider list:

+ Britain's foray into Norway 1940,
+Operation Market Garden (had it succeeded it would be celebrated as the greatest use of all-arms co-op and would have seen US/British/Canadian and Polish troops in Germany before the Russian but...),
+Stopping operation Compass and not kicking Italy out of NA before the DAK arrived,
+The German loss of communications security and secrecy (i.e Ultra),

As an outsider sitting next to Operation Barbarossa as Hitler's biggest error for me is his largest political mistake in WWII: his declaration of war on the USA. Had he not done so I do not believe it would have been "Germany First" from the outset, although the USA would have probably become entwined in the "European" war but I think far more slowly.

I'd welcome people's thoughts on my suggestions especially the last one.