On this day during W.W. 2

@wittmann:

How cool that he can still be venerated.

I don’t know if Il Duce is still venerated by Montreal’s Italian community (which is quite large: about a quarter-million people of Italian ancestry, roughly equal to the entire population of Venice, which is why we have so many good Italian restaurants in town).  I’ve heard that the fresco is somewhat controversial, but that it’s been retained as a historical artefact.  I first learned about it in a guidebook listing various oddities and little-known facts about the city, and I recall being surprised to read about this relic of the fascist era.  I should go check it out one of these days.  Another local oddity that may intrigue you is a plaque bolted to the side of a large downtown department store (a gift of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, as I recall) stating that Jefferson Davis once stayed at a house formerly located there.

I remember you telling me about the Jeff Davis plaque.

Thanks for reviving this thread, Wittman!

It’s unfortunate that Mussolini was shot without a proper trial. Petacci probably only died because she refused to leave Mussolini’s side until the very end. She had been infatuated with him from an early age, as testified by: http://historyandotherthoughts.blogspot.nl/2013/06/young-claretta-petacci-writes-to.html

Thanks Herr KaLeun. I was unaware of her history. That letter is a hell of a read!
Not much different, I suppose,  from a young Pop fan’s adoration of his/her idol.
Nice to hear from you. Hope you have been well.

Their bodies were burned by German troops, not by the Soviets.

Good to see activity in the WWII forum.

Evening Worsham. Hope you have been well.
Jackson was wounded today(2nd May) in 1863 of course. Keep well, have a good weekend  and best wishes.

Today in 1942, Japanese forces invaded tulagi in the first part of Operation Mo. This would eventually result in the battle of the coral sea.

On May 3rd 1945 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe G: Albert Kesselring receives the “Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes” - Knights cross of Iron cross.

On May 3rd 1941,Dave Robinson was born.
Known as an American Football player (Linebacker) who made it to the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996.
He played for the Greenbay Packers and later on for Washington Redskins.

On the 14th June 1944(the day after Wittmann’s amazing one tank rout of the 7th Armour at Villers Bocage), an English Sergeant by the name of Wilfred Harris made his mark.
Commanding a 17lb Sherman Firefly in the 7th Dragoon Guards, he was at the village of Lingevres, near Tilly Sur Seulles in Normandy, when 2 Panthers appeared in his sights at 800m. He quickly dispatched both. He next moved to another part of the village and seeing 3 more Panthers knocked them out too. All 5 had been disabled with a single shot.
He was promoted after this and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
He died in 1988.

@wittmann:

All 5 had been disabled with a single shot.

For a moment I thought you meant a single shot overall rather than a single shot per tank.  I was going to ask what kind of advanced ammunition the Sherman Firefly was using.  :lol:  I couldn’t help thinking of those old low-budget westerns in which one of the besieged homesteaders / cavalrymen / whatever fires his rifle once, and the editor then cuts to a scene in which three of the attacking Indians fall off their horses.

A question: was this the action in which Wittmann’s 007 tank was destroyed?  You mentioned in an earlier post that he was killed in an encounter with a Firefly.

Yes. He was leading his Company(5 tanks, not full strength 14) in an impossible  mission. He had to buy time for Meyer commanding 12SS to construct some sort of second line of defence. The II  Canadian XXX was about to break through and take Falaise, cutting off the failed German counterattack at Mortain. The Americans were almost at Le Mans in their deep rear.
He raced forward, fired upon by units to his front(no effect) and was knocked out along with the other 4 Tigers, by a concealed Firefly commanded by a Sgt Gordon, then when he was wounded, by his Troop commander, Lt Young.
It was during Operation Totalise.

Ah the Firefly, pretty much the sexiest thing on the battlefield.

@DarthShizNit:

Ah the Firefly, pretty much the sexiest thing on the battlefield.

With Betty Grable’s iconic pin-up photo running a close second.  :-D

I beg to differ boys.
Just received my Osprey Duel: Jagdpanther vs SU 100.
Jagdpanther is the prettiest thing on the battlefield. I have thought that since I was a little boy!

@wittmann:

I beg to differ boys.
Just received my Osprey Duel: Jagdpanther vs SU 100.
Jagdpanther is the prettiest thing on the battlefield. I have thought that since I was a little boy!

I have always found fighter planes sexier than tanks.

The Stuka was my first love. Still is my favourite plane, especially after I discovered the tank busting G model.
I have probably misspoken saying how much I loved the Jagdpanther as a little boy. Thinking on it, I was  older. Like you, planes were my thing.