A Few Fact's of WW2... part 2

[Theis]

Among the first "Germans" captured at Normandy were several Koreans. They had been forced to fight for the Japanese Army until they were captured by the Russians and forced to fight for the Russian Army until they were captured by the Germans and forced to fight for The German Army until the US Army captured them.

A malfunctioning toilet sank German submarine U-120.
The U-120 was scuttled by her own crew on 2 May 1945 at Bremerhaven, Germany during Operation REGENBOGEN. Info from Captain Robert A. Lynn, Robert Bogash and uboat.net: U-120.
(I don't yet know if any other U-boats were lost due to toilet problems)

One of Japan's methods of destroying tanks was to bury a very large artillery shell with only the nose exposed. When a tank came near enough a soldier would whack the shell with a hammer. "Lack of weapons is no excuse for defeat." - LtGen Mutaguchi

Following a massive naval bombardment 35,000 US and Canadian troops stormed ashore at Kiska. 32 troops (28 Americans and 4 Canadian) were killed in the fire fight and over 50 wounded. It would have been worse if there had been Japanese on the island.
From John Arterbury. Invasion of Kiska deaths were all due to friendly fire. The correct numbers are 28 Americans dead and four Canadian dead. Cite: Canadian Heroes - The Battle for Kiska. Note: this article is fascinating, and says "It was the Battle of Kiska that would lead Time magazine to create the acronym, JANFU (joint army-navy foul-up)."

According to Captain Robert A. Lynn, PAO, Florida Guard, in addition to the men KIA by friendly fire, 50 men were WIA from friendly fire while another 130 suffered trench foot.

The MISS ME was an unarmed Piper Cub. While spotting for the US artillery her pilot saw a similar German plane doing the same thing. He dove on the German plane and he and his co-pilot fired their pistols damaging the German plane enough that it had to make a forced landing. Whereupon they landed and took the Germans prisoner. I don't know where they put them since the MISS ME only had 2 seats.

Most members of the Waffen SS were not German.

The only nation that Germany declared war on was the USA.

During the Japanese attack on Hong Kong British officers objected to Canadian infantrymen taking up positions in the officer's mess. No enlisted men allowed you know.

Nuclear physicist Niels Bohr was rescued in the nick of time from German occupied Denmark. While Danish resistance fighters provided covering fire he ran out the back door of his home stopping momentarily to grab a beer bottle full of precious "Heavy Water." He finally reached England still clutching the bottle. Which contained beer. I suppose some German drank the Heavy Water.

Verification Notes:
#1: From John Arterbury. Lt. General Lesley McNair was killed by accidental Allied bombing in France. Cite: Crusade by Rick Atkinson
Further, from Captain Robert A. Lynn, PAO, Florida Guard, The highest ranking U.S. general killed by enemy fire was Lt. General Simon Bolivar, Jr. He was junior to Lt. General Lesley J. McNair, who was killed by U.S. bombers.
#2: This item was confirmed by a note from Richard Graham of Canton, TX who says: The story about Calvin Graham enlisted in the navy at the age of 12 is a true story. he was a cousin of mine. The last time I talked to Calvin was at a family reunion several years before his death.
#3: Dave Walker writes: Insignia of the 45th Infantry Division. The 45th Infantry Division gained its nickname, "Thunderbird" division, from the gold thunderbird. This Native American symbol became the division's insignia in 1939. It replaced another previously used Native American symbol, a swastika, that was withdrawn when it became closely associated with the Nazi party.
#10: According to Bill Douglas, The Me-264 was a prototype that never went into production. Although the design was theoretically possible of a mission to New York, there was never an operational aircraft to test the theory. One reason for canceling the project was that Hitler felt the isolated bombing of New York would do more to rile the US public against Germany than any damage that was achieved.
According to Captain Robert A. Lynn, PAO, Florida Guard, the Me-264 V-1 DID FLY on 23 December 1942 but the Me-264 V-2 was destroyed in an air raid. The Ju-290 was the designated mid-air refueler for the Me-264. There was no loss of effort on the Germans part but the project suffered from the following: shortage of design and construction capacity, personal rivalries between Goring, Milch, and Messerschmitt, and shortage of production capacity. An air raid on 18 July 144 on Memmingen destroyed the Me-254 V-1 as well as parts of the V-3 and V-4. (cite: Hitler's Miracle Weapons-Volume 1: The Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine by Friedrich George)
#17: The U-120 was scuttled by her own crew on 2 May 1945 at Bremerhaven, Germany during Operation REGENBOGEN. Info from Captain Robert A. Lynn, Robert Bogash and uboat.net: U-120. (I don't yet know if any other U-boats were lost due to toilet problems)
#18: The Graf Spee did sink when scuttled, but only in waters less than 25 ft deep. It was not bought as scrap by the British, and in fact lay in the silt in the River Plate estuary in Uruguay. An effort is being made to raise her to turn her into a ship museum. See "Salvage Team Prepares to Raise WWII Ship" for more details of her sinking and the recovery effort. (Thanks to Lewis Perelman for the info)

[Ivan]

Miss Me's adversary would have been a Fieseler Storch, only spotter aircraft that the Cub could keep up with.

Most members of the Waffen SS were not German.

Officiers usually were german, non-german volunteers and conscripts (most from the baltic states) weren't usually allowed in command positions.

Interesting thing is that while most of these guys were volunteers, attracted by the bonuses given to them (the dutch were notorious for this), the baltic states provided drafted units. These were massacred by the soviet army, and survivors were sent to the gulag. In contrary to the other SS units they were not put to trial after the war being a 'volunteer' unit

[TacitBlue]

I have one to add. 1942 (I think) the Japanese invaded the Aleution islands. Alaska was not yet a state, but a US Territory, so I don't think it counts as invading America. The islands were also uninhabited at the time. This may be common knowledge for all I know, but I just learned about it the other day.



==================================
EDIT by FJR:  Year 1944
THe Aleutian invasion was supposed to be a diversion to draw off the US Carriers while the Japanese invaded Midway.

[H]

Although seperated by a portion of Canada, Alaska accounts for the only successful, although temporary, continental invasion of the United States. Along with some covert agents, Germany made a few naval incursions, most all via u-boats, but Japan was the only one to occupy U.S. territory (Pacific island territories: Philippians, Guam, etc.). The majority of the U.S. Pacific territories were acquired via the Spanish-American War in 1898; no ground battles were fought within the U.S. nor the Spanish homelands. In World War Two, no ground battles were fought within the U.S. nor the Japanese homelands.

[denishc]

Although seperated by a portion of Canada, Alaska accounts for the only successful, although temporary, continental invasion of the United States.

 Don't know if this one counts, but Ponco Villa and his band invaded the New Mexico territory in the early 1900s and were finally push back across the border by the U.S. Army led by General "Blackjack" Purshing.

[H]

Pancho did so as a rebel to his own country (Mexico), so there could be no "official" state-of-war. Nevertheless, I was only comparing the Spanish-American War with WW2 and the actual "invasion" was meant only for WW2. The continental U.S. was definately invaded with some success during the War of 1812 (which ended in 1814  ???).

[C]

The only nation that Germany declared war on was the USA.

Well that's not surprising as everyone else (except the USA) declared war on them first!

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]The continental U.S. was definately invaded with some success during the War of 1812 (which ended in 1814

[Ijineda]

Well that's not surprising as everyone else (except the USA) declared war on them first!

Nope. No war declaration for Poland, Denmark, Norway, Greece, CCCP, Belgium, Luxemburg, Yugoslavia, Netherlands.
Only France and the UK declared war on 3.9.1939, three days after the invasion of poland; but that was just official, no bullet was fired until spring of 1940. in fact, poland felt quite left alone by them.

[Felix/FFDS]

Only France and the UK declared war on 3.9.1939, three days after the invasion of poland; but that was just official, no bullet was fired until spring of 1940. in fact, poland felt quite left alone by them.

I will not dispute that Poland would have felt quite alone (remember, the Soviet Union invaded from the East, so they were caught in a two front war from the start), and although the major German offensives didn't start until 1940, there were "bullets" fired from Sept.1939 on.  

WW2 timeline - 1939.  Albeit ineffective thrusts, the French actually marched into Germany, probably in a half-hearted attempt to "discourage" the Germans.

I agree, though, that essentially, the period through May 1940 was the "phoney war" with shots fired, but neither side actually pushing much in the Western front.

[Hagar]

Only France and the UK declared war on 3.9.1939, three days after the invasion of poland; but that was just official, no bullet was fired until spring of 1940. in fact, poland felt quite left alone by them.

I've come to see this as honouring treaty agreements, however reluctantly. Britain & France were hardly in a position to do anything about it & it was too late to save poor Poland. Some of the Polish population actually welcomed the German troops with open arms to protect them from the threat from Soviet Russia. They would be let down again when Hitler stood back & let the Russians take what they wanted.

I read a book recently by a German fighter pilot. He claimed that the Luftwaffe presence in Poland after the invasion was mainly for show & consisted of mainly training types. If the Allies had known this they could possibly have intervened. I'm sorry to say that the result probably suited them better & they had themselves to worry about.

[dcunning30]

Here's a case where a fleet oiler sunk a destroyer.

In 1944, near the Surigao Strait, a nervous lookout in the Japanese fleet called out a warning of a non-existant torpedo.  The IJN Shiratsuyu swung aroung to avoid the phantom torpedo and swung right into the path of the Seiyo Maru.  The oiler sliced the destroyer in two.  In preperation for combatting the would-be attacker, the Shiratsuyu's captain ordered it's depth charges armed.  To add insult upon injury, once the sinking destroyer's charges reached their set depth, they expolded, killing the survivors in the water.

[dcunning30]

[quote]

And its most famous battle (Battle of New Orleans) was fought in 1815....., technically AFTER the treaty concluding the war was signed.

[TacitBlue]

Thanks for the edit Felix, I don't know where I got 1942.