Best posts made by captainwalker

iger II “234” of the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion during Operation Panzerfaust, Budapest, Hungary, October 15th or 16th, 1944

Mushroom cloud from the Japanese Battleship Yamato after she exploded - April 7, 1945

An escorting destroyer is on the left.

Photographed from an aircraft from USS Yorktown CV-10

US Navy photo NH 62582

Picture taken 84 years ago today. B-17 in bound to Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. Planes in the distance are Japanese Val Dive Bombers.

@panther thanks for cleaning those up. I’ve noticed that there’s been a lot lately so I appreciate that you’re taking the time to do that.

@witt I started playing the original Axis and Allies in 1986.

4 December 1941

HMS Prince of Wales arriving at Sembawang Naval Base, Singapore.

The King George V-class 14in gun Battleship was sunk by Japanese aircraft torpedoes six days later on 10 December 1941 with great loss of life .

December 8th, at 1735 hours Force Z comprising the PRINCE OF WALES (Flag CinC Eastern Fleet), REPULSE and the destroyers ELECTRA, EXPRESS, TENDOS and HMAS VAMPIRE sailed from the Sembawang naval dockyard, out into the South China Sea and set course to pass east of the Anamba Islands and thence northward.

December 10th at 1114 hours the PRINCE OF WALES opened fire on nine Japanese ‘Nell’ torpedo bombers, from the Genzan group, coming in to attack from port side. One attacker turned away to attack the REPULSE and the remaining eight dropped their torpedoes from ranges between 1650 and 650 yards and at a height of approximately 100 feet. Seven of the torpedoes were avoided but the eighth torpedo, which was a 45cm diameter Type 91 with a 150kg Type 97 warhead, struck her port quarter.
At 1144 hours the PRINCE OF WALES received, one torpedo hit on the port quarter. Following which she listed 11½ degrees to port and speed was reduced to 15 knots. The PRINCE OF WALES was never properly under control again. Five 5.25in turrets were put out of action. A second hit was reported at the time between turrets P3 and P4, but subsequent examinations of the wreck have disproved this. One aircraft was claimed shot down crashing into the sea on starboard side.

At 1320 hours the PRINCE OF WALES sank capsizing to port, in position 3-33-36N, 104-28-42E. Out of her crew of 1612 men; 20 officers, 280 sailors and 27 marines were lost. Among the dead were Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, CinC of the Eastern Fleet, and the CO of the PRINCE OF WALES Captain John C. Leach.
The destroyers EXPRESS, ELECTRA and VAMPIRE picked up 90 officers and 1195 crew and marines, the majority being picked up by the EXPRESS. (www.naval-history.net)

(Photo Source - IWM - A 6784)

@Private-Panic I think Russia is ready for your “cunning trap” BRING IT ON!

On this day in 1944, Patton’s Third Army links up with the 101st Airborne at Bastogne.

Merry Christmas everybody!bolded text

On this day in 1941, Vågsøy, Norway. Operation Archery

Operation Archery, also known as the Måløy Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on the island of Vågsøy, Norway, on 27 December 1941.

The raid was conducted by British Commandos of No. 3 Commando, two troops of No.2 Commando, a medical detachment of No.4 Commando, a demolition party from 101 Troop (canoe) of No. 6 Commando and a dozen Norwegians from Norwegian Independent Company 1. The action was supported by Royal Navy gunfire, led by the light cruiser HMS Kenya, with the destroyers HMS Onslow, Oribi, Offa and Chiddingfold. The submarine HMS Tuna was in support as the force navigational check. For troop transport the Prince Charles and Prince Leopold were used. Also in support were Royal Air Force bombers and fighter-bombers.

The commando force of 570 troops was divided into five parties to;

1. Secure the area north of the town of Måløy in South Vågsøy and engage any enemy reinforcements
2. Subdue and secure Måløy town
3. Eliminate the enemy on Måløy Island which dominated the town
4. Eliminate the enemy strongpoint at Holvik west of Måløy
5. Provide a floating reserve offshore

Central to the operation was the destruction of fish-oil production and stores which the Germans used in the manufacture of high explosives. Another intention was to cause the Germans to maintain and increase forces in Norway which might be employed on the Eastern Front.

The dawn landing was preceded by a very effective naval bombardment and objectives were achieved, except in Måløy. German opposition in the town was much stiffer than expected as, unknown to the British, a Gebirgsjäger (mountain rangers) unit of experienced troops from the Eastern Front was there on leave. The defenders’ experience in sniping and street fighting caused the operation to develop into a bitter house-to-house battle. The British commander, John Durnford-Slater, called on the floating reserve and troops from Vågsøy Island. A number of local citizens assisted the commandos by acting as porters for ammunition, grenades and other explosives and in carrying away the wounded.

At around 14:00, the commandos started their withdrawal having destroyed four factories, the fish-oil stores, ammunition and fuel stores, the telephone exchange and various military installations, leaving much of the town in flames. The naval assault force of one cruiser and four destroyers had sunk 10 vessels, some found in the act of being scuttled to prevent capture. Technical difficulties had prevented the German coastal artillery from being fully effective, with one of their three 130 mm guns scoring one hit on the cruiser.

No Royal Navy ships were lost but the navy suffered four men killed and four wounded. The Commandos sustained 17 killed and 53 wounded, the commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces in exile, Captain Martin Linge, was killed in an attack on the local German headquarters and eight Royal Air Force aircraft were shot down. (A Norwegian civilian was killed during the raid, probably by shrapnel.) The commandos accounted for at least 120 defenders killed and returned with 98 prisoners and a complete copy of the German Naval Code. Captain O’Flaherty was hit by sniper fire and lost an eye, later wearing an eye-patch as a brigadier. Several Quislings and over 70 loyal Norwegians were also brought back. In conjunction with this raid, Operation Anklet was mounted by No. 12 Commando on the Lofoten Islands as a diversion. The raid was enough to persuade Adolf Hitler to divert 30,000 troops to Norway and to build more coastal and inland defences. Hitler thought that the British might invade northern Norway to put pressure on Sweden and Finland.
Source: Wikipedia

@elrood Well… your plan worked. We are officially surrendering. Your team has played brilliantly and hopefully our team players will learn from your tactics.
Looking forward to the next game!

The “high-water mark” days of the II SS Panzer Corps are over. The 2nd and 9th SS Panzer Divisions couldn’t break through the lines of the 82nd Airborne and are withdrawn.

The SS Panzer Divisions are ordered to move south to meet General Patton’s forces at Bastogne.

Photo - A Sherman tank passes an German Panther tank from the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich at Grandmenil.

Source: WWII Pictures

@Witt Anzac wants to make a placement edit if it’s ok with team Europe? It’s moving the tt in 120 to 122.

On this day in 1944, Hitler’s generals carry out Germany’s last major offensive in the West. Operation Nordwind sees Wehrmacht and SS troops strike at U.S. and French forces in Alsace and Lorraine. The push fails to forestall the Third Reich’s inevitable collapse.

Photo: Apparently these are captured Shermans used by the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg during Operation Nordwind.

@Elrood it looks like the AI favors the axis…
“Your unit movements and battles in the World at War Game 21 have resulted in significant territorial gains for Hisaichi, with a series of victories leading to their control over multiple regions; your remaining resources are limited, and you must now focus on defending and reinforcing your forces.”

January 1, 1945. Western Front

Hitler launches Operation Bodenplatte, hundreds of planes of the Luftwaffe begin attacking Allied airfields in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

Operation Bodenplatte (Baseplate), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of Bodenplatte was to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge so that the German Army and Waffen-SS forces could resume their advance. The operation was planned for 16 December 1944, but was delayed repeatedly due to bad weather until New Year’s Day, the first day that happened to be suitable.

Secrecy for the operation was so tight that not all German ground and naval forces had been informed of the operation and some units suffered casualties from friendly fire. British signals intelligence (Ultra) recorded the movement and build-up of German air forces in the region, but did not realise that an operation was imminent.

The operation achieved some surprise and tactical success, but was ultimately a failure. A great many Allied aircraft were destroyed on the ground but replaced within a week. Allied aircrew casualties were quite small, since the majority of Allied losses were grounded aircraft. The Germans, however, lost many pilots who could not be readily replaced.

Post-battle analysis suggests only 11 of the Luftwaffe’s 34 air combat Gruppen (groups) made attacks on time and with surprise. The operation failed to achieve air superiority, even temporarily, while the German ground forces continued to be exposed to Allied air attack. Bodenplatte was the last large-scale strategic offensive operation mounted by the Luftwaffe during the war.

@Elrood not sure. Axis would be Germany, Italy and Japan.
Allies… maybe UK, Anzac and Dutch. Russia and China. US and France.

January 13, 1945

Sgt. Clearance Pfeifer and Pfc. Sherman Maness of the 11th Armored Division bringing back two captured German prisoners, Longchamps, Belgium.

Notice the .45-cal. M3 SMG ‘Grease Gun’ and .30 cal. Browning MG mounted on the Jeep.

14th Jan. 1941

Italian submarine Cappellini and British auxiliary cruiser Eumaeus engaged in a gun fight for three hours 100 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa. Cappellini suffered three casualties and was badly damaged, but was able to sink Eumaeus, killing 27.
Source: ww2dbase
Photo: Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini

January 16, 1941. Malta

80 Luftwaffe Stuka dive-bombers attack Valletta Harbour, Malta, trying to finish off British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious which was badly damaged by Stukas while escorting the Excess convoy on January 10. HMS Illustrious, destroyer HMS Decoy (on the day when repairs from bomb damage in November 1940 are completed) and Australian cruiser HMAS Perth are hit or damaged by splinters from near misses, but none sink. British steamer Essex is also damaged. 10 Stukas are shot down.