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Good Monday Morning June 22, 2020
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Today in Naval History
June 22
On This Day
1807
Frigate USS Chesapeake, commanded by James Barron, is stopped by British frigate HMS Leopard after killing several of her crew and take Royal Navy deserters. Barron is court-martialed for not having his ship prepared to fight.
1884
USS Thetis, USS Alert, and USS Bear, under Cmdr. Winfield S. Schley, rescue Lt. Adolphus W. Greely and six of his exploring party from Cape Sabine, where they are marooned for three years.
1898
During the Spanish-American War, the Spanish destroyer Terror joins Isabel II in an attempt to torpedo USS Saint Paul, which fires at Terror, damaging the ship.
1943
USS Monaghan (DD 354) attacks the Japanese submarine (I 7) 10 miles south of Cape Hita. (I 7) runs aground, becoming irreparably damaged, 12 miles south-southeast of Kiska, Aleutian Islands.
1963
The nuclear-powered submarines USS Tecumseh (SSBN 628), USS Daniel Boone (SSBN 629), USS Flasher (SSN 613), and USS John Calhoun (SSBN 630) are all launched in one day, emphasizing the Navys accelerated nuclear-submarine construction program.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• Multiple outlets covered Navy decision to uphold relief of former USS Theodore Roosevelt CO, CAPT Brett Crozier.
• Multiple outlets report that Bath Iron Works' largest union voted to go on strike at midnight Sunday.
• The New York Times reported on failures in the vetting procedures that led to the shooting at NAS Pensacola.
• Multiple outlets report that USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz conducted dual-carrier operations in the Philippine Sea.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1377 Richard II, who is still a child, begins his reign, following the death of his grandfather, Edward III. His coronation takes place July 16.
1558 The French take the French town of Thionville from the English.
1772 Slavery is outlawed in England.
1807 British seamen board the USS Chesapeake, a provocation leading to the War of 1812.
1864 Confederate General A. P. Hill turns back a Federal flanking movement at the Weldon Railroad near Petersburg, Virginia.
1876 General Alfred Terry sends Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer to the Rosebud and Little Bighorn rivers to search for Indian villages.
1910 German bacteriologist Paul Ehrlich announces a definitive cure for syphilis.
1911 King George V of England is crowned.
1915 Austro-German forces occupy Lemberg on the Eastern Front as the Russians retreat.
1925 France and Spain agree to join forces against Abd el Krim in Morocco.
1930 A son is born to Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
1933 Adolf Hitler bans political parties in Germany other than the Nazis.
1938 Joe Louis floors Max Schmeling in the first round of the heavyweight bout at Yankee Stadium.
1940 France and Germany sign an armistice at Compiegne, on terms dictated by the Nazis.
1941 Under the code-name Barbarossa, Germany invades the Soviet Union.
1942 A Japanese submarine shells Fort Stevens at the mouth of the Columbia River.
1944 President Franklin Roosevelt signs the "GI Bill of Rights" to provide broad benefits for veterans of the war.
1956 The battle for Algiers begins as three buildings in The Casbah are blown up.
1970 President Richard Nixon signs the 26th amendment, lowering the voting age to 18.
1973 Skylab astronauts splash down safely in the Pacific after a record 28 days in space.
1980 The Soviet Union announces a partial withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan.
1981 Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing John Lennon.
1995 Nigeria's former military ruler Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and his chief deputy are charged with conspiracy to overthrow Gen. Sani Abacha's military government.
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Thanks to Admiral Cox and NHHC
H-Gram 049: The Naval Battle of Okinawa—Victory
18 June 2020
Contents
Lieutenant Commander George L. Street's Medal of Honor
75th Anniversary of World War II
This H-gram covers the Naval Battle of Okinawa from early June 1945, including the last two mass kamikaze attacks, Kikusui No. 9 and 10, through the end of the battle in late June. It also covers the Medal for Honor awards to Lieutenant Richard McCool, skipper of LCS(L)-122, and Lieutenant Commander George Street, skipper of submarine Tirante (SS-420).
Victory at Okinawa
The protracted and bloody Battle of Okinawa reached its final phase at the end of May 1945, as U.S. Marines captured the strategic point of Shuri Castle. However, the Japanese executed one more unexpected, well-ordered retreat to yet one more prepared line of defense at the southern end of Okinawa. The remainder of Japanese navy personnel on the island (from the naval base at Naha) retreated to the Oroku Peninsula, which the Marines cut off and then assaulted from the sea. U.S. Army units went head-to-head with the Japanese army, which now had no more room to retreat except into the sea. The Japanese navy units put up determined resistance, resulting in over 2,600 Marines dead and wounded, but in the end almost all the Japanese personnel were killed or committed suicide, including Rear Admiral Minoru Ota, commander of the Japanese naval forces on Okinawa. The weather turned foul, turning the battlefield into muck and mire for the last three weeks of some of the most vicious fighting in the entire campaign.
With the passage of Typhoon Viper (see H-gram 048), Japanese kamikaze attacks on U.S. and British naval forces resumed with mass kamikaze attack Kikusui No. 9, consisting of only 50 kamikaze aircraft, as suitable planes and pilots became increasingly hard to come by (although part of this was because the Japanese were husbanding and hiding large numbers of aircraft for the anticipated U.S. invasion of Japan). Kikusui No. 9 was strung out from 3–7 June 1945 and accomplished relatively little.
On 6 June 1945, the destroyer minelayers J. William Ditter (DM-31) and Harry F. Bauer (DM-26) came under concerted kamikaze attack but shot down several kamikazes before J. William Ditter was badly damaged and Harry F. Bauer took a near miss, or so they thought. Harry F. Bauer was one of the lucky ships of the Okinawa campaign, having shot down 13 Japanese aircraft and being hit by a torpedo that didn't explode. As the damage on Harry F. Bauer was subsequently surveyed, it was discovered that she had been steaming for 17 days with an unexploded (but live, "three threads" from detonating) 550-pound bomb in one of her fuel tanks that had been released at the last second by the plane that almost hit her. The bomb was successfully de-armed. Harry F. Bauer was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for her numerous actions during the Okinawa campaign.
The destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) was not so lucky. She had already acquired notoriety for having accidentally fired a live torpedo at the battleship Iowa (BB-61), aboard which was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, CNO Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, and most of the Joint Chiefs on their way to Allied conferences in Cairo and Tehran in 1943. Fortunately, Iowa had sufficient warning to avoid the torpedo. Subsequently, the story was told that when William D. Porter went into port or met other ships, she would be greeted with the signal "Don't shoot. We're Republicans." She also became the subject of other stories of dubious veracity. However, on 10 June 1945, she shot down a kamikaze that crashed close aboard. Unfortunately, the plane's bomb detonated directly under the ship, which killed no one but inflicted mortal damage.
One of the vessels that assisted the stricken destroyer was LCS(L)-122, which was hit and badly damaged on the following day by a kamikaze. Her skipper, Lieutenant Richard McCool, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in saving his ship and is the namesake for the latest San Antonio–class amphibious transport, dock (LPD-29).
Even less lucky than William D. Porter was the destroyer Twiggs (DD-591) on 16 June, hit first by a torpedo and then by the plane that dropped it. Her forward magazine blew first and then her after magazine, and she went down with heavy loss of life (152 crewmen, including the commanding officer, Commander George Philip, who was awarded a posthumous Navy Cross). She was the last destroyer to be sunk before Japanese resistance on Okinawa ended.
On 18 June, the commander of U.S. forces ashore on Okinawa, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, was killed by Japanese artillery—only three days before the end of organized Japanese resistance. Although it was obvious that Okinawa was lost, the Japanese launched one last massed kamikaze attack, Kikusui No. 10, consisting of only 45 kamikaze aircraft, on 21–22 June 1945. These attacks sank LSM-59 and Barry (APD-29), a fast transport previously badly damaged by kamikazes, stripped of anything valuable, decommissioned, and intended for use as a kamikaze decoy. A kamikaze also seriously damaged the Pearl Harbor–veteran seaplane tender Curtiss (AV-4) in the Kerama Retto anchorage. (Of note, famous actor Henry Fonda served aboard Curtiss as a combat intelligence officer, giving up the equivalent of a multimillion-dollar Hollywood income.)
On 22 June, LST-534 was hit by a kamikaze while she was beached. Technically, she sank, but she didn't go very far and would be raised, making LSM-59 the last commissioned ship sunk before the end of Japanese resistance on Okinawa.
In the meantime, Japanese frustrations with that country's Kaiten submarines continued in late June. I-36 survived multiple close calls, and a sacrificial launch of two Kaiten-manned suicide torpedoes probably saved her, but she achieved no hits on her mission. I-165 was even less lucky and was sunk with all hands on 27 June 1945 by a U.S. Navy PV-2 Harpoon aircraft.
By 22 June 1945, the commander of Japanese forces on Okinawa, Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, had committed suicide, and the enormously costly battle of Okinawa was officially over. Kamikaze attacks went into a lull until late July as both sides prepared for the invasion of Japan.
For more detail on the last three weeks of the Naval Battle of Okinawa, please see attachment H-049-1.
Lieutenant Commander George L. Street's Medal of Honor
On 14 April 1945, Lieutenant Commander George Street, on the first war patrol of Tirante (and his first war patrol in command of a submarine) boldly took Tirante into a harbor on the Korean Island of Jeju-do for a night surface attack on a small convoy (one transport and three escorts) at anchor. Street achieved surprise and sank the transport Juzan Maru. Illuminated by the explosions and fire of the transport, Tirante was pursued by the three Japanese escorts as she attempted to escape. Tirante then torpedoed and sank the escort ship Nomi, which blew up in a catastrophic explosion with heavy loss of life, and then torpedoed and sank escort ship CD-31. After reaching deep water, Tirante then survived a depth charge attack from the remaining escort. Street was awarded a Medal of Honor, and his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Edward L. "Ned" Beach, received a Navy Cross. Tirante was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation.
On 12 June 1945, during Tirante's second war patrol, Lieutenant Commander Street took Tirante into the harbor of Hashima, only seven miles from Nagasaki, and sank the large merchant ship Hakuju Maru. He was awarded a Navy Cross for this exploit. For more on Lieutenant Commander Street and the Tirante, please see attachment H-049-1.
For more on the background for the invasion of Okinawa, please see H-Gram 044 and attachment H-044-1. See also H-grams 045, 046, and 048 for the Naval Battle of Okinawa in March through June 1945.
Sources for this H-gram include Naval History and Heritage Command Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) for U.S. ships and "Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy" (http://combinedfleet.com) for Japanese ships. Additional sources are: History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, vol. 14, Victory in the Pacific, by Samuel Eliot Morison (Little, Brown and Co., 1960); Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor, by Peter C. Smith (Pen and Sword Aviation, 2014); The Twilight Warriors, by Robert Gandt (Broadway Books, 2010); Kamikaze Attacks of World War II: A Complete History of Japanese Suicide Strikes on American Ships by Aircraft and Other Means, by Robin L. Reilly (McFarland & Company, 2010); Desperate Sunset: Japan's Kamikazes Against Allied Ships, 1944–45, by Mike Yeo (Osprey, 2019); Anti-Suicide Action Summary, August 1945," COMINCH Document P-0011, 31 August 1945; The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific 1944–1945, by James D. Hornfisher (Bantam, 2016); Combined Fleet Decoded: The Secret History of American Intelligence and the Japanese Navy in World War II, by John Prados (Random House, 1995); U.S. Navy Codebreakers, Linguists, and Intelligence Officers Against Japan, 1910–1941, by Steve E. Maffeo (Roman and Littlefield, 2016); Information at Sea: Shipboard Command and Control in the U.S. Navy from Mobile Bay to Okinawa, by Timothy S. Wolters (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013); Hell to Pay: Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945–1947, by D. M. Giangreco (Naval Institute Press, 2009); "Who Sank Destroyer DREXLER?" by Bill Gordon (kamikazeimages.net, May 2006).
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 22
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 22
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1909: Wykoff, Church, and Partridge, a New York automobile sales concern, established America's airplane sales agency. (24)
1915: FIRST AERIAL FOREST PATROL. Jack Vilas flew Wisconsin State Forester E. M. Griffith over a forest fire. (24)
1924: At Anacostia, Lts F.W. Wead and J.D. Price flew a Curtiss CS-2 with a Wright T-3 Tornado engine to five world seaplane records: distance, 963 miles; duration, 13 hours 23 minutes 15 seconds; and speed, 73.41 MPH for 500 kilometers, 74.27 MPH for 1,000, and 74.17 MPH for 1,500 kilometers.
1943: Eighth Air Force bombed Germany's Ruhr industrial area for the first time, hitting the chemical works and synthetic rubber at Huls so severely that it could not resume full production for six months. (21)
1944: The 318 FG, Seventh Air Force, pioneered the use of napalm fire bombs during the 22-29 June fight for Saipan. (17) Operation FRANTIC. After the second FRANTIC raid, the Luftwaffe attacked the B-17s at Poltava, destroying 47 and damaging 19 more. (21)
1946: Two US AAF P-80s left Schenectady, N.Y., for Washington DC and Chicago to make the first airmail deliveries by jet. (24)
1951: The Martin P5M Marlin Flying Boat first flew.
1954: Company pilot Robert Rahn flew the Douglas A4D (A-4) Skyhawk for the first time at Edwards AFB. (20) 1956: Operation SIXTEEN TON. Through 15 September, the AFRES demonstrated its ability to carry out sustained operations for the first time. During the mission, Reserve aircrews flew 164 sorties to airlift 856,715 pounds of cargo to support long-range navigation stations for aircraft and vessels in the Caribbean. The mission fell under the operational control of Reserve airlift units from the CONAC's First, Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces. Ultimately, 12 of the 13 Reserve C-46 and C-119 airlift wings participated. Daily, one to four aircraft left New York NAS for Miami IAP, Fla., where the 2585th Air Reserve Flying Center operated the traffic control center. From Miami, the planes either went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, or San Salvador Air Force Base, Bahamas. (AFRES News Service, 22 Jun 96)
1959: First operational Thor unit transferred to the 77 RAF SMS. (6)
1960: The Navy Research Laboratory launched the Transit II-A navigational satellite on a Thor-Able-Star with a GREB (Galactic Radiation and Beta) "piggyback" satellite. This was the first twin satellite launch. (24) A Thor missile completed its first confidence firing at Vandenberg AFB. (6)
1965: The initial F-X briefing called for a small, low cost, high performance aircraft capable of visual air-to-ground and air-to-air missions with an initial operating capability in the early 1970s. (30)
1967: The last naval transport squadron mission under the operational control of MAC took place. The mission marked the end of 19 years participation in the MATS and MAC by the Navy.
1980: Through 8 July, after a Vietnamese incursion into Thailand, the U. S. accelerated a shipment of military items to Thailand. MAC C-141s flew six short-notice missions from several US locations to deliver 127.8 tons of weapons and munitions to Bangkok. (18)
1982: After passing its Operational Readiness Inspection, the 50 TFW's 313 TFS became the first F-16 operationally ready squadron in USAFE. (4) The first KC-135R (number 61-0293) reengined with CFM-56 engines rolled out of the Boeing plant in Wichita, Kans. (1)
1983: The Air Force extended the B-1B test program to include ALCM carriage capability testing. (3)
1990: Northrop unveiled its twin-tail, twin-engined YF-23 Advanced Tactical Fighter in ceremonies at the Advanced Tactical Fighter Combined Test Force Facility at Edwards AFB. (20)
1994: Through 30 June, AMC dispatched 2 C-5s and 2 C-141s to move 50 armored vehicles from Rhein-Main AB to Entebbe Airport in Kampala, Uganda, for UN forces deploying to Rwanda. Another 3 C-141s airlifted a Tanker Airlift Control Element, equipment, and cargo for the operation. (16) (18)
1995: Air Force and Navy officials announced the purchase of a new aircraft trainer, the Beech Mk II, for the Joint Aircraft Training System (JPATS). Each service planned to procure 300 aircraft. The Air Force planned to use the new aircraft to replace its aging T-37s. (16)
2002. A 116 BW aircrew, Georgia ANG, flew the wing's last scheduled B-1 training flight. On 1 October 2002, the unit became the 116 ACW to fly E-8C Joint STARS (Surveillance Target Attack Radar System) missions. (32)
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This Day in World News Thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Navy Will Not Reinstate Roosevelt Carrier Commander Business Insider | 06/22/2020 The U.S. Navy has decided that it will not to reinstate the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt who was relieved after a letter warning about an extensive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on the ship was leaked, reports Business Insider. On Friday, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said the service stood by the decision and would have made the same decision if Capt. Brett Crozier were still in command today. Crozier was relieved of command after an email he wrote to his superiors, in which he implored them to fully address the COVID-19 outbreak on the carrier, leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle. Gilday said that Crozier's email and its becoming public was the genesis of the scandal and not the reason Crozier was dismissed, reported the Navy Times. Crozier and Rear Adm. Stu Baker did not do enough, soon enough to fulfill their primary duties, said Gilday, without providing details. The carrier spent two months in port in Guam
USA—Air Force Investigating Use Of Reconnaissance Planes To Monitor Protests Air Force Times | 06/22/2020 The Air Force is investigating the use of Air National Guard reconnaissance aircraft to monitor protests in cities across the U.S., reports the Air Force Times. On Thursday, an Air Force spokeswoman said that Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett had launched an investigation into the use of RC-26 reconnaissance aircraft in support of local authorities during recent demonstrations. On June 2, National Guard officials said that an RC-26B from the West Virginia National Guard would observe the protests in Washington, D.C., with its full-motion video sensors, reported the New York Times. The deployment was supported by a Pennsylvania National Guard special operations unit on the ground. RC-26s were also reportedly used to monitor protests in Minneapolis. The Air National Guard is equipped with 11 RC-26s, which are usually used for drug enforcement and border patrol operations.
USA—Air Force Plan Seeks To Cut Training Time For Fighter Pilots Air Force Magazine | 06/22/2020 The Air Force is preparing to evaluate a new training plan that would take advantage of the latest technology to significantly cut the time needed to qualify new fighter pilots, reports Air Force magazine. The "Rebuilding the Forge" (Reforge) concept of operations (CONOPS) was approved on June 2 by Gen. Mike Holmes, the head of Air Combat Command. Reforge could reduce the time needed for new pilots to qualify as fighter flight leads from 40 to 18-22 months. The new concept takes advantage of the in-jet simulation capability of the new T-7A Red Hawk trainer being acquired by the Air Force in combination with ground-based virtual reality and artificial intelligence training. Cutting the time needed to certify pilots is expected to free up flight hours on front-line aircraft for operational missions. The service now plans to conduct a Reforge proof of concept. The Air Force has launched an effort to lease T-50 or M-346 jet trainers for the five-year evaluation program. If successful, the new concept is expected to help the service address its pilot shortfall.
United Kingdom—Opposition Accuses Government Of Continuing Arms Exports To Saudi Arabia Despite Court Ruling The Observer | 06/22/2020 The British opposition has accused the Conservative government of failing to implement a court decision barring further arms exports to Saudi Arabia, reports the Observer (U.K.). In June 2019, an appeals court ruled that the government could no longer approve arms export licenses to the Saudi government due to credible allegations of civilian casualties in the Saudi-led war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The decision also required the government to review existing export licenses, a process that was expected to take several months. In a letter, shadow trade minister Emily Thornberry accused Secretary of State for International Trade Liz Truss of failing to comply with the ruling. In its 2019 annual report, BAE Systems confirmed that it was fulfilling a 2018 support services contract for Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. The government has not indicated that it has conducted any reviews of the licenses for those or other weapon systems ordered by Saudi Arabia, said Thornberry. A government spokeswoman said that the government assesses all export licenses on a case-by-case basis.
Germany—Lawmakers Approve Procurement Of New Frigates, Fighter Radars Defense-Aerospace | 06/22/2020 The Budget Committee of the German Parliament has approved several new defense acquisition projects, reports defense-aerospace.com. Procurement of four new frigates, a new radar for Eurofighter jets and defense information technology capabilities worth 13 billion euros (US$14.6 billion) have been authorized, the defense ministry announced on June 18. The deal for four MKS 180 multirole frigates, including options for two additional ships and land-based training facilities, is valued at 5.6 billion euros (US$6.3 billion). Lawmakers also approved four contracts worth up to 2.8 billion euros (US$3.1 billion) for the acquisition of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and multichannel receivers for the Luftwaffe's Eurofighters. The new systems are expected to be available in the mid-2020s. Finally, a 4.1 billion euro (US$4.6 billion) deal with BWI for administrative and communications technology for the military was approved.
Turkey—Testing Begins For Domestic Cruise Missile Engine Daily Sabah | 06/22/2020 Turkey has begun trials of a prototype of its first domestically developed cruise missile engine, reports the Daily Sabah (Istanbul). On Friday, initial tests were conducted on the air-breathing TEI-TJ300 medium-range anti-ship missile engine at a Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facility in the central Turkish province of Eskisehir. TAI developed the engine in cooperation with Roketsan and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). The engine can produce 290 pounds of thrust (1,300 newtons), reach speeds of up to Mach 0.9 (685 mph, 1,100 kph) and operate at altitudes up to 5,000 feet (1,520 m). The engine is capable of rapid startup and works without the need for a self-starter system, officials said.
China—Detained Canadians Charged With Espionage South China Morning Post | 06/22/2020 China has charged two Canadians with espionage in a move seen as a response to Ottawa's decision to approve the extradition of a Huawei executive to the U.S. to face charges of violating sanctions on Iran, reports the South China Morning Post. A Chinese prosecutor announced on June 19 that former diplomat Michael John Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor had been charged with espionage. If found guilty, the two could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison. Both men were detained in December 2018, although Beijing did not announce that they had been formally arrested until May 2019. Authorities last year said that Kovrig was accused of "stealing and spying on sensitive Chinese information and intelligence," while Spavor was said to have provided him with such intelligence. China has not provided any details on the case. Kovrig had been working as a senior expert on Northeast Asia for the International Crisis Group, a think tank based in Brussels, while Spavor is a director of the Paektu Cultural Exchange, which promotes investment and tourism in North Korea. The detention of the two Canadians is widely seen as retaliation for the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada following an extradition request from the U.S. In May, a Canadian court said that Meng's extradition case could go forward after a judge found that the charges would be crimes in both Canada and the U.S., noted BBC News.
North Korea—Propaganda Loudspeakers Reinstalled Along Border Yonhap | 06/22/2020 The North Korean government has reinstalled loudspeakers blasting propaganda across the demilitarized zone in the latest rollback of de-escalation measures agreed to in 2018, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). The loudspeakers were erected at multiple points along the DMZ on Monday, South Korean military officials said. Following an April 2018 agreement, Pyongyang removed dozens of loudspeakers placed at about 40 places along the DMZ. South Korea is monitoring the situation and reviewing the possibility of returning its own loudspeakers to the border, said a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. North Korea has ratcheted up tensions over the South's inability to prevent defectors and activists from sending propaganda leaflets over the border, including destroying a joint liaison office on its territory last week.
Taiwan—Indigenous Trainer Makes 1st Public Flight Central News Agency | 06/22/2020 Taiwan's indigenous jet trainer has taken to the skies for its first public flight, reports the semi-official Central News Agency (Taipei). On Monday, the T-5 Brave Eagle (Yung Yin) took off from the Ching Chuan Kang airbase in Taichung and flew for about 12 minutes. The jet flew for the first time on June 10 and has since completed four flight tests, said officials from the state-run Aviation Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC). The Brave Eagle completed various dynamic and static testing before beginning test flights, the officials said. At a ceremony marking the flight, President Tsai Ing-wen said that the trainer still needed to undergo structural fatigue testing to ensure that it would meet its planned lifespan of 8,000 flight hours or 30 years, reported the South China Morning Post. An initial production batch is expected to be completed by November 2021, with series production to follow in March 2023. The air force plans to acquire 66 trainers by 2026 to replace its aging AT-3 and F-5 trainers.
Philippines—NPA Finance Officer Killed In Shootout In Northern Samar Philippine Daily Inquirer | 06/22/2020 A top communist rebel has been killed in a gun battle with soldiers in the Eastern Visayas region in the central Philippines, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. On Saturday, troops sought to serve a warrant at a suspected New People's Army (NPA) hideout in Palapag, Northern Samar, said a spokeswoman for the 20th Infantry Battalion. Zalday Meraya, an alleged finance officer with the NPA, and his aid opened fire on the troops and was killed in the fighting. Security forces recovered two pistols, a laptop, mobile phones and propaganda. Meraya led a group that extorted local businesses to raise funds for the NPA, reported the state-run Philippines News Agency. Yemen—Separatists Seize Socotra Island In Arabian Sea Anadolu News Agency | 06/22/2020 Separatists in southern Yemen have taken control of the island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea, reports Turkey's Anadolu Agency. On Friday, the separatist Southern Transition Council (STC) seized several government buildings and the provincial capital, Hadibo, reported Reuters. During their assault, the STC detained Col. Abdel Rahman Al-Zafni, the commander of an air base in Socotra, said a local source. Government forces put up limited resistance during the assault, military sources told Agence France-Presse. Officials in Yemen's U.N.-backed government called the move a coup, reported the state-run Saba news agency. The STC declared autonomy in southern Yemen in April, though many areas remain out of its control. The move has strained ties between the U.N.-backed government supported by Saudi Arabia and the Emirati-backed STC.
Israel—IDF Disrupts Hamas Smuggling Op Times of Israel | 06/22/2020 The Israeli military says it has thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapons to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, reports the Times of Israel. The operation, which occurred several weeks ago, was revealed on June 17 after the military lifted restrictions on making it public. The Israel Defense Forces said it was a joint operation involving the navy, Shin Bet internal security agency and military intelligence. Shin Bet identified those involved in the smuggling operation and informed the navy, which later discovered the suspected vessel and intercepted it as it sailed to the Gaza Strip from the Sinai peninsula. Two smugglers were apprehended, one of whom was a senior smuggler known to work with several terror groups operating in Gaza, said the IDF. According to the captured smugglers, the smuggled equipment was intended for Hamas naval commandos. The type of equipment involved was not disclosed.
Egypt—Sisi Threatens Intervention If GNA Continues Advance In Libya Egypt Today | 06/22/2020 President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi has indicated that Egypt may intervene directly in Libya if the U.N.-backed government in the west continues to push east, reports Egypt Today. "Any direct intervention by Egypt in Libya has become legitimate in line with" U.N. Security Council resolutions, Sisi told members of the air force in a visit to the Western Military Zone on Saturday. The base, located in Sidi Barani district in the Matrouh province, would likely be a staging location for operations in Libya. Sisi said that the cities of Sirte and Jufrah, where the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) is seeking to oust the Libyan National Army (LNA), represent a "red line" to Cairo's interests in Libya. The GNA, which Cairo opposes, said that Sisi's statement was "a hostile act and direct interference, and amounts to a declaration of war," reported Agence France-Presse. Egypt has been concerned by Turkey's intervention in Libya, which Cairo considers a regional rival due to Ankara's support for the Muslim Brotherhood that Sisi overthrew from power in 2013, noted the Financial Times (U.K.). It is also an effort to demonstrate its regional relevance in a conflict that has been dominated by Turkish and Russian intervention, analysts said. The move comes ahead of a meeting by the Arab League to discuss the situation Libya. The GNA has declined to participate in the session.
Somalia—7 Killed In Al-Shabaab Attacks Voice Of America News | 06/22/2020 At least seven people have been killed in a pair of Al-Shabaab attacks in central and southern Somalia, reports the Voice of America News. On Saturday, two coordinated explosions occurred near the home of a military officer in Wanlaweyn, 55 miles (90 km) west of Mogadishu. Five people, including the officer's wife, were killed, said the deputy governor for the Lower Shabelle region. The officer was not home at the time. In a second attack, a car bomb detonated at a checkpoint at a military base in Ba'adweyne, 105 miles (170 km) southeast of Galkayo. Witnesses told the Garowe Online (Somalia) that the explosion was followed by gunfire, leading to several fatalities. Officials told VOA Somalia that the bomb-laden vehicle was intercepted before penetrating the base and that no soldiers were hurt in the blast. Both attacks were claimed by Al-Shabaab. The attacks came less than 24 hours after three senior Al-Shabaab commanders surrendered to Somalia officials in the Mudug region.
Mozambique—Contractor Ultralight Goes Down In Cabo Delgado Daily Maverick | 06/22/2020 An ultralight aircraft operated by a South African private military contractor has crashed in northern Mozambique, reports the Daily Maverick (Johannesburg). On June 15, the Bat Hawk ultralight went down in the Muidumbe district of Cabo Delgado province during a routine patrol, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, as cited by Defence Web (South Africa). The pilot was severely injured but was rescued after activating the aircraft's tracker beacon. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but it was not due to hostile action, sources said. This was the second aircraft lost by South Africa's Dyck Advisory Group during operations against Islamist militants in northern Mozambique. A Gazelle helicopter was apparently shot down in April by the militants.
Colombia—Soldiers Rescue Tourists From FARC Dissidents British Broadcasting Corp. | 06/22/2020 Two foreign tourists have been freed by the Colombian army, months after being abducted by dissident members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerilla group, reports BBC News. The Swiss and Brazilian nationals were freed along with their dogs after the Colombian army located their position, the Colombian government said on June 18. One of their captors was also detained. Specific details of the rescue were not released. The tourists were captured on March 16 while walking their dogs. Dissident FARC militants, who were previously part of the group's sixth front, also known as the Dagoberto Ramos Mobile Column, were responsible for the kidnapping, reported Reuters. The guerillas had issued a US$1 million ransom demand for the release of the tourists.
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1941 – Operation Barbarossa, the German attack on the Soviet Union, begins. Despite the massive preparations spread over many months and the numerous indications Stalin receives from many sources, the Soviet forces are taken almost completely by surprise and lose very heavily in the first encounters. The Germans have assembled almost 140 of their own divisions, including 17 Panzer and 13 motorized divisions. These forces are organized in three army groups: Army Group North (Field Marshal Leeb), Army Group Center (Field Marshal Bock) and Army Group South (Field Marshal Rundstedt). Altogether, the Germans deploy over 3,000,000 men, 7100 guns, 3300 tanks, 625,000 horses and 2770 aircraft. The Red Army has 230 divisions (170 of which are in the west, 134 facing the Germans). The Soviet forces are organized into Northwest Front (Kuznetsov), West Front (Pavlov), Southwest Front (Kirpono) and South Front (Tyulenev). They include 24,000 tanks and 8000 aircraft. On the first day of the attack almost everything goes the German way. The attack begins at 0300 hours with advances on the ground and simultaneous air strikes. The Luftwaffe begins its operations very early in order to be over the Soviet bases exactly at zero hour. By noon the Soviet Air Force has lost around 1200 planes. The land battle is equally successful. The panzer spearhead Army Group North advances 40 miles during the day and Army Group Center captures most of the Bug River bridges intact. Army Group South forces based in Hungary and Romania do not attack during the day.
1944 – President Roosevelt signed the GI Bill of Rights, authorizing a broad package of benefits for World War II veterans.
1944 – On Biak, American forces conduct a series of attacks which are believed to clear Japanese resistance in the west but experience renewed Japanese activity during the night. On the mainland, fighting continues near Aitape and Sarmi.
1944 – On Saipan, forces of the US 5th Amphibious Corps advance. The US 2nd Marine Division captures Mount Tipo Pole and fight for Mount Tapotchau. The US 4th Marine Division progresses east on the Kagman Peninsula.
1945 – On Okinawa, the battle ends. American forces have lost 12,500 dead and 35,500 wounded. The US navy has had 36 ships sunk and 368 damaged. In the air, the American forces have lost 763 planes. The Japanese losses include 120,000 military and 42,000 civilian dead. For the first time in the war, there are a relatively large number of Japanese prisoners: 10,755. American reports claim the Japanese have lost 7,830 planes.
1971 – In a major engagement near the Demilitarized Zone, some 1,500 North Vietnamese attack the 500-man South Vietnamese garrison at Fire Base Fuller. Despite U.S. B-52 raids dropping 60 tons of bombs on June 21 and a 1,000-man reinforcement on June 24, the South Vietnamese had to abandon the base since a North Vietnamese bombardment had destroyed 80 percent of their bunkers. In an attempt to clear the surrounding area of enemy mortar and rocket sites, South Vietnamese forces swept the region on June 25. On June 28, a Saigon spokesman announced that 120 South Vietnamese had reoccupied Fire Base Fuller, but would not rebuild the fortifications. Casualty figures were reported at nearly 500 North Vietnamese dead, with 135 wounded. On July 1, fighting again flared up around the base, as 300 communists were pushed back with the help of U.S. and South Vietnamese air power and with 150 additional South Vietnamese troops.
1972 – South Vietnam's 21st Division, decimated by repeated attempts to relieve An Loc, is replaced by the 25th Division. At the same time, U.S. helicopters flew 18th Division troops to positions south of An Loc to replace badly battered 9th Division troops that had also been trying to get to the city. The 21st Division and attached units had been trying to reach the besieged city since April 9, when the group had been moved from its normal station in the Mekong Delta and ordered to attack up Highway 13 from Lai Khe to open the route to An Loc. The South Vietnamese forces had been locked in a desperate battle with a North Vietnamese division blocking the highway since the very beginning of the siege. As the 21st Division tried to open the road, the defenders inside An Loc fought off repeated attacks by two North Vietnamese divisions that had surrounded the city early in April. This was the southernmost thrust of the North Vietnamese invasion that had begun on March 30; the other main objectives were Quang Tri in the north and Kontum in the Central Highlands. The arrival of the fresh South Vietnamese soldiers would eventually result in the lifting of the siege at An Loc. The 18th Division troops successfully attacked the North Vietnamese forces surrounding the city and most of the communist troops within An Loc had been eliminated by the end of the month. The 25th Division was less successful and the North Vietnamese forces continued to block Route 13 south of the city.
Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
None this Date.
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