Japanese Fire Balloons deployed in the last months of WW2.

Roughly 9300 of the hydrogen-filled balloons were deployed into the jet stream, and some 300 were sighted over the American states. The Japanese officials in charge had expected roughly 900 to arrive over America.

Each bomb carried a small payload of incendiaries, a mixture of one anti-personnel bomb and four incendiary bombs.

Despite the number of balloons launched, and the small percentile which reached American shores, the devices only inflicted light damage, but along with this was six fatalities (I believe the History Channel mentioned it once as being of a teacher and her students on a field trip)

Media coverage of the balloon bombings was blacked out under government orders until the deaths happened. There is some conjecture that the deaths could have been prevented if the media had been allowed to warn the public.

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

 

Another minor, and yet twice key matter in WW2 history that is often overlooked is the Arden Forest:

The forest was assumed impassible, or nearly impassable to armored and mechanized forces during the war. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell that to the Germans not just once, but twice in the war.

The invasion of France in 1940 saw the Arden forest successfully transited by German armor and mechanized forces.

In 1944 we see history repeat itself when the Battle of the Bulge occurred: the Ardene's were assumed to be a 'quiet' area where Allied troops could be rotated through for rest and recovery. Despite the initial surprise factor in the German army passing through the woods, the German attack failed, and probably shortened the wars length by several months to a year.

 

They are still being found in rural and rugged areas of the west coast. The idea was that they would ignite wild fires.

 

Here another fact about the USS Sailfish/Squalus. When she sunk the Squaluse's sister ship the USS Sculpin was sent to find her. After finding the Squalus Sculpin stood by her sister until the last survivor was rescued. Now jump ahead four and a half years. The Sculpin has been sunk and 21 of her crew are being transported to Japan on the aircraft carrier Chuyo when the USS Sailfish sees and sinks the Chuyo. Of the 21 Sculpin survivors only one survived the sinking of the Chuyo.

 

I think I saw the same show. If I remember right it said they found the payload and it blew up killing them. The theory was if they knew about them they would of left it alone.

 

My old man (He's 91 now, but you would never know it) was in the 8th, and his B17 was (miraculously) never shot down. Some of his stories however make it a wonder I was even born, as he had a couple of close calls that could have easily gone the other way.

 

Most of the members posting here probably know this story but I feel it should be told to those that don't know it.
Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor a young man from Texas tried to enlist in the military. He was turned down by the Navy, Marines, and the Army paratroopers. He was finally accepted as an infantryman in the Army. He served through the invasions of Sicily, the Salerno, Anzio, and Southern France. He would rise through the ranks from The private to first lieutenant. He would also earn the following awards. The Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Stars, The Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Stars with the V Device, 3 Purple hearts, the Good Conduct Medal, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, the American campaign medal, the European- Africa- Middle Eastern campaign medal with the arrowhead device, the World war 2 victory metal, the Army of occupation medal with Germany clasp, the French Legion of Honor, 3 French Croix de Guerre, the Belgium Croix de Guerre, the Combat Infantryman badge, the Marksman badge with rifle component bar, the Expert badge with Bennett component bar, the Outstanding civilian Service Medal, the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, and finally around January 26,1945 he ordered his men to fall back into the woods near Holtzwihr France while he held off the advancing Germans while directing artillery fire. He then climbed onto a burning.M10 Tank Destroyer and use it's 50 caliber machine gun to hold off the Germans for another hour only stopping when he ran out of ammunition. Despite a leg wound he would rejoin his men and lead them back to repel the Germans. For his actions this day he was awarded the Medal of Honor. After the war he would go one to be a successful movie actor staring in many films. This would include the the movie about his own military exploits" To Hell and Back". This man's name was Audie Murphy. Not not bad for someone no one wanted.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy

 

What are some of your favorite World War 2 Movies?

The Best WW2 movie that I have seen in Downfall (Der Untergang). Letters from Iwo Jima is also a good one. There are also some good ones for the 60s and 70s.

 

The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin during World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

i didnt remember that one being posted yet

 

Favorite WW2 movies.

To Hell and Back - Audie Murphy


Operation Pacific - John Wayne


The Flying Leather Necks - John Wayne

Destination Tokyo - Cary Grant

Operation petticoat - Cary Grant

Father goose - Cary Grant

The enemy below - Robert Mitchum

Force 10 from Navarone - Harrison Ford

Where Eagles dare - Clint Eastwood

Kelly's heroes - Clint Eastwood

The Battle of the Bulge - Henry Fonda

The Great Escape - Steve McQueen

Memphis Belle - Matthew Modine

While not a WW2 movie but close enough The Final Countdown - Kirk Douglas.

 

It was.

 

Event: It’s Raining Sheep – 1936

During Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) when Italian troops desperately needed supplies during their march across the Danakil desert, a unique solution saved them from death in a region considered the “cruelest place on earth”—a flying supply column that provided the men with everything they needed, including fresh meat.

The need for speed meant the troops carried minimal baggage, so water, ammunition, and other supplies were dropped by the Italian Air Force utilizing twenty-five planes. Army issue meat rations, however, would have spoiled in the deadly heat. Some genius at military headquarters came up with the idea of strapping sheep and a few bulls into modified harnesses and parachuting them to the soldiers, who could do their own butchering.

The plan worked like a charm.

Perhaps the Italians were inspired by Soviet Army experiments in 1935 with dogs strapped into “cylindrical coops”—basically metal tubes—sporting an automatic parachutes that deployed when the coops were dropped from planes..

 

The Price to Pay

The effects of war are both far-reaching and enduring. Britain was still paying off its WWII debts owed to America and Canada as recently as 2006. The final instalment of $83.25 was wired to America on the last day of business, 2006; it was actually 6 years late, due to intermittent financial difficulties, having negotiated a 50 year payment plan in 1950. Britain was reportedly three months shy of bankruptcy when the war finally drew to a close, mid-1945.

http://www.military-history.org/fact-file/wwii-interesting-facts.htm

 

My dad (also 91 and pretty spry) was on LST'S in WWII. He finally told the story of his first combat; a Japanese plane dropped two "bombs" at them, but missed by a good 300 yards, which made the crew of Dad's LST hoot at the poor aim of the Japanese; that is until they saw the torpedo wakes coming at them, and realized those "bombs" were well aimed torpedoes. They passed under my dad's battle station but didn't explode, traveled another 200 yards and hit the LST next to them, killing everyone on the stern of the boat, which is exactly where my dad was on his boat.

In other words, save for a few feet difference in draft, my dad would have been killed, his brother would have been recalled from the Pacific and survived, and neither I or my 4 brothers would have existed.

He told the story to us as we planned our first dive on his old ship. Calmly. Knowing how close we came to being...........not, that first dive was pretty special.

Later my Dad was asked if he'd recognize his old ship 60 years after he'd last seen it. My Dad, ever the smart ass, said;

"Aw, ships are like women, you can change their hair, and change their dress, but as soon as you see their ass you know."

Such is the greatest generation; heroes all, but political correctness wasn't in their vocabulary.

 

Almost all Tiger tanks portrayed in movies are modified T-34.

• The Russians destroyed over 500 German aircraft by ramming them in midair (they also sometimes cleared minefields by marching over them). "It takes a brave man not to be a hero in the Red Army". - Joseph Stalin
• The average German officer slot had to be refilled 9.2 times
• The US Army had more ships that the US Navy.
• The German Air Force had 22 infantry divisions, 2 armor divisions, and 11 paratroop divisions. None of them were capable of airborne operations. The German Army had paratroops who WERE capable of airborne operations.
• When the US Army landed in North Africa, among the equipment brought ashore were 3 complete Coca Cola bottling plants.
• 84 German Generals were executed by Hitler

 

Thought I'd throw in our USS North Carolina who was mentioned, this isn't a WWII fact, but in the Persian Gulf War, she loaned the Missouri some radar parts. Bet those 16 inchers really had a kick. Technologically, these ships were full of vacuum tubes & primitive electronics compared to what we have today, but there's something to be said for bobbing in the water & still being able to hit a target 20 miles off in the 1940's.
Hope this thread continues, this is great reading, folks. Let's also remember actor Eddie Albert, bronze star & other decorations for what he did.

 

The power needed to move a ship that displaces 35,000 tons and at speeds up to 27 knots, in incredible. The North Carolina had 4 steam turbines developing 115,000 SHP each, through 4 shafts and 15-18' diameter propellers

 

It's a fairly modern one "Valkyrie" based on the real-life move to assassinate Hitler.

 

I had heard on the Paul Harvey "The rest of the story..." radio show this one: the 'Bat Bomb'

Literally incendiary-bombs would be carried by bomber-dropped bats. In theory, they would fly to roost in structures among Japanese cities, the incendiary devices would trigger, and poof - fires all over the city.

While the testing conducted showed it was viable, the occasional errant-bat would set part of the test base on fire.

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

 

Project Pigeon:

This was an effort to have a bird pilot a glide-bomb. Something which can give new meaning to 'bird-brained ideas'

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