Good Thursday Morning August 13, 2020
See attachment for the World news from Military Periscope
Regards.
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Today in Naval History
August 13
1777 A spar torpedo made by David Bushnell is used unsuccessfully against HMS Cerberus, off New London, Conn. Bushnell and his brother, Ezra, also designed the first submersible vessel: Turtle. Two ships have been named after David Bushnell, USS Bushnell (AS 2), 1915-1940 (renamed Sumner), and USS Bushnell (AS 15), 1943-1980.
1812 During the War of 1812 and while returning to New York from Bermuda waters, the frigate, USS Essex, commanded by Capt. David Porter, engages the British brig HMS Alert in intense gunfire, broadsides the British brig and forcing her surrender.
1870 The armed tug, USS Palos, becomes the first Navy ship to transit the Suez Canal.
1945 USS Atule (SS 403) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.6 and damages Coast Defense Vessel No.16 off Hokkaido. Also on this date, USS Torsk (SS 423) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship, Kaiho Maru.
1952 While serving in combat with a 1st Marine Division Rifle Company during the Korean War, Hospitalman John E. Kilmer exhibits great heroism moving from one injured man to the next administering aid under intense enemy fire. While administering aid to a fallen Marine and using his own body as a shield, Kilmer is mortally wounded. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" at that time, he is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
1994 USS Stout (DDG 55) is commissioned at Houston, Texas. The sixth Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is named for Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout for his actions as a commander of USS Claxton during World War II.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
•Trade press reported on ASN (RD&A) James Geurts' comments about COVID-19 impacts on shipyards and progress of Columbia program.
•Media report the Iranian navy briefly seized a Liberian-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz.
•Reuters reported on comments from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his trip to the Czech Republic.
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Today in History August 13
1521 | Hernan Cortes captures the city of Tenochtitlan, Mexico, and sets it on fire. | |
1630 | Emperor Ferdinand II dismisses Albert Eusebius von Wallenstein, his most capable general. | |
1680 | War starts when the Spanish are expelled from Santa Fe, New Mexico, by Indians under Chief Pope. | |
1704 | The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Austria defeat the French Army at the Battle of Blenheim. | |
1787 | The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia. | |
1862 | Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest defeats a Union army under Thomas Crittenden at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. | |
1881 | The first African-American nursing school opens at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. | |
1889 | The first coin-operated telephone is patented by William Gray. | |
1892 | The first issue of the Afro American newspaper is published in Baltimore, Maryland. | |
1898 | Manila, the capital of the Philippines, falls to the U.S. Army. | |
1910 | British nurse Florence Nightingale, famous for her care of British soldiers during the Crimean War, dies. | |
1932 | Adolf Hitler refuses to serve as Franz Von Papen's vice chancellor. | |
1948 | During the Berlin Airlift, the weather over Berlin becomes so stormy that American planes have their most difficult day landing supplies. They deem it 'Black Friday.' | |
1961 | Construction begins on Berlin Wall during the night. | |
1963 | A 17 year-old Buddhist monk burns himself to death in Saigon, South Vietnam. | |
1978 | Bomb attack in Beirut during Second Lebanese Civil War kills more than 150 people. | |
1989 | The wreckage of a plane that carried U.S. congressman Mickey Leland and others on a humanitarian mission is found on a mountain side in Ethiopia; there are no survivors. | |
1993 | US Court of Appeals rules Congress must save all emails. |
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A year ago we offered this special edition and do so again to commemorate the 1 year anniversary. If you did not know about it then try it out. There have been many updates and changes from friends and families and even the aircrew themselves.
The List 5071 Special Edition
To All,
This is a special edition of The List to introduce a monumental achievement of two Men. Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady. In 2001 Chris published a book called Vietnam Air Losses. A definitive account of all the fixed wing losses in the Vietnam War. After talking to the Bear who has used this as a reference in his work On Rolling Thunder and Commando Hunt Dave got a copy of the book as did I and realized what a treasure it was for those who were involved in the war or associated with those who were lost. In collaboration with Chris who has recently spent hours updating portions to go into this site Dave put it all into the searchable site that he is introducing below.
Well Done gentlemen
Regards,
Skip
From Dave
Skip:
The project I've been working on is now finished, and the website is on line for all to use.
As you know, Bear refers frequently to Chris Hobson's book Vietnam Air Losses, and he gave us some ideas on where we could purchase a used copy, since it has been out of print since 2001. I found a copy and was fascinated by the information in it. I was able to contact Chris, who has now retired, and he agreed to update the manuscript with new information and allowed me to put all of it on a website so others won't have to chase down a used copy and pay as much as $896 (actual price for one copy on Amazon) to see what happened to their grandfathers.
I thought the greatest value would be in having a searchable database, so I did that. You can search for a name, day, month, year, military unit, home base (or ship), aircraft type (designation/model or nickname), service, or the disposition of persons (KIA, POW, etc.). On a separate form, you can search the Narratives of the losses by keywords using Boolean search operators (explanation is on the site). So, if you wanted to look up the siege on Khe Sanh or Thanh Hoa, you can use that form. The only things you can't search for that are in the database are the serial number of aircraft or the rank of the persons.
As I write this, there are 3,118 records in the database. A "record" includes all the data on a loss event, which can often mean more than one aircraft. In fact, there were as many as six aircraft involved in a single event, but most often there were only a couple. Individuals in aircraft ranged from one to 30, with a great many with four, six, eight, 16, etc. One record contains a minimum of 13 pieces of data; the maximum contained in a single record was 129 pieces of data. I say this to indicate that I inputted over 100,000 pieces of data into the database, so I suspect we haven't yet found all the errors I made.
Going through that amount of data as quickly as I could over about a month or so gave me some impressions that I'd like to record. These are not statistical analyses; they are simply my impressions as the data passed over my eyes in great volume and quickly:
I was amazed at how many pure accidents there were and how many people died in accidents that had nothing to do with enemy action (in the database, those are defined as KWF, or Killed While Flying, as opposed to KIA).
I was astounded at the number of aircraft that hit mountain tops in bad weather, killing everyone on board. Such a waste.
I was surprised at how slow some units were to heed Lessons Learned, resulting in aircraft being shot down on their 12th pass on the same target at low level, or their tenth or eighth or sixth, etc. In addition, it was clear that small arms fire was nothing to ignore, yet far too many did just that.
I was surprised to see how many pilots were hit by bullets or shrapnel, as opposed to aircraft being damaged alone. There are a lot of instances where the pilot had time to eject but was apparently incapacitated. There was a far higher percentage of that than I would have thought.
It was interesting that some units (and some ships) had considerably more losses than others at the same time, in the same place, in the same type aircraft, flying the same type missions. Again, my impressions are that comparing sister squadrons might indicate that one lost a great deal more than the other, and the same was true of USAF and USMC squadrons flying from the same base. Some ships had incredible runs of "bad luck" compared to others. In some instances, the types of targets might make some of the difference, but it appears to me that leadership might have played an important role.
Both my deployments were during much easier times, so I'm no expert; however, my air wing policy was no multiple runs on the same target and no pullouts below 3,500 feet AGL. We lost only one aircraft (for the entire air wing on two deployments) due to enemy action. Even late in the war, there were still some units that were strafing or dropping napalm at low altitude on multiple runs and getting shot down.
The narratives often relate what happened to a survivor (or POW returnee) later in life/career. Many of them became very senior. At one point, Chris comments that getting shot down seemed to be a prerequisite for making high rank. Certainly, we all know that combat experience improves chances for promotion. What I noted was that, early in the war, the losses were very junior aircrew, mostly 1Lt's and Lt(jg)'s. It struck me that so many very young people died. As the war continued, the ranks of those lost (which presumably reflects those that were flying the missions and were not shot down) increases dramatically. I don't recall off-hand any Navy or Marine O-6's being lost, but there are many Air Force O-6's and above, up to and including 2-stars and I believe a three-star. Perhaps some of those were just trying to get their tickets punched for career purposes, and they got bit.
Along that same line, there were a great many killed that didn't have to be there. They were flight surgeons or intel officers or even maintenance personnel going along for the ride and getting shot down. Sometimes it happened with experienced aircrew on an orientation flight. I suspect the outgoing FAC was showing the new guy some of the dangerous territory and got hit. A great many disappeared on training flights.
I was dismayed to see several aircraft and a number of deaths due to low passes or other "impromptu" air shows. In one instance, on his last flight in theater before shipping home, a pilot was killed, along with his crew, doing that. In another, a C-123 tried to snag a "flag" (reported as lady's underwear) from a flag pole; on the second attempt, they crashed killing all four on board and two Thai civilians on the ground. Wasn't getting shot at enough excitement?
I was heartened and encouraged by the incredible acts of bravery and self-sacrifice to save buddies or people they didn't know. MOH's, Navy and Air Force Crosses are always impressive.
I was disappointed to see how many aircrew landed safely on the ground after ejections only to be killed by civilians or troops. There were a ton of those, including getting shot while still coming down in a parachute. Personally, I'm not so sure there's any such thing as a non-combatant in a war zone.
It should have come as no surprise, but it was, to see how many were known to have been captured yet either died in captivity (known) or simply were never heard of again. Those that we know made it to a prison and subsequently died are listed as "POW – died," whereas those that we know were captured on the ground but never made it to a prison are listed as KIA.
Again, these are my impressions as I entered the data and couldn't help but read many of the stories and circumstances.
As I said on the site, the purpose is: To Preserve and Present What Really Happened for Our Children and Grandchildren.
In addition, the "site is dedicated to those that were lost in the skies over the Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and on routes to and from the war zone. May their stories never be forgotten. May their families and friends always be proud."
Everyone is invited to see for themselves at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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This Day in U S Military History
August 13
1779 – The Royal Navy defeats the Penobscot Expedition with the most significant loss of United States naval forces prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
1831 – Nat Turner sees a solar eclipse, which he believes is a sign from God. Eight days later he and 70 other slaves kill approximately 55 whites in Southampton County, Virginia, beginning the rebellion that bears his name.
1846 – The American flag was raised for the first time in Los Angeles as a joint expedition led by CDR Robert Stockton seizes the city.
1898 – When the U.S. declared war against Spain in April it was to help the Cubans gain their independence from Spanish colonial rule. Nothing was said about Spain's other colonies, including the Philippines. However, as part of America's war effort, it was quickly decided to take the islands as a colony of the United States. Commodore George Dewey's decisive naval victory destroying the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1st opened the way for land forces to be used to capture the colonial capital city of Manila on the island of Luzon. By June American troops, most of them in state volunteer units, began arriving to besiege the city. Among these units was the "Utah Battery" actually composed of two batteries each armed with 3-inch rifled guns. As the U.S. soldiers arrived they were confronted by two armies, one composed of Spanish soldiers and the other of Philippine rebels who wanted their freedom from Spanish rule. American political leaders want the islands too, so a three-way stand-off was in the making. When enough American troops were in position around Manila it was decided to attack the city; however, Spanish officials agreed to surrender to the Americans only after a brief, honor saving, attack. So on this date the Utah batteries found themselves firing in support of almost uncontested American advances into the city. This soon changed when the rebels also attacked, trying to seize the old part of Manila, containing most of the government buildings. American troops got into fire fights with Filipinos while attempting to save Spanish lives from marauding rebels out for revenge. By the end of the day, most of the city was in American hands and an uneasy peace settled over the area. While coming under enemy fire at least once and forced to change position several times during the engagement the Utah units lost no men in action.
1945 – About 1600 American aircraft fly over Tokyo and other Japanese cities dropping millions of leaflets explaining the position reached in the surrender negotiations and the state of affairs in Japan. Most Japanese "hawks" still refuse to admit defeat. Japanese Sub-Lieutenant Saburo Sakai, the one-eyed fighter ace (with 64 victories), shoots down a B-29 near Tokyo during the night (August 13-14).
1969 – The Apollo 11 astronauts are released from a three-week quarantine to enjoy a ticker tape parade in New York, New York. That evening, at a state dinner in Los Angeles, California, they are awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Richard Nixon.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*KILMER, JOHN E.
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman, U.S. Navy, attached to duty as a medical corpsman with a Marine rifle company in the 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Korea, 13 August 1952. Entered service at: Houston, Tex. Born: 15 August 1930, Highland Park, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy aggressor forces. With his company engaged in defending a vitally important hill position well forward of the main line of resistance during an assault by large concentrations of hostile troops, HC Kilmer repeatedly braved intense enemy mortar, artillery, and sniper fire to move from 1 position to another, administering aid to the wounded and expediting their evacuation. Painfully wounded himself when struck by mortar fragments while moving to the aid of a casualty, he persisted in his efforts and inched his way to the side of the stricken marine through a hail of enemy shells falling around him. Undaunted by the devastating hostile fire, he skillfully administered first aid to his comrade and, as another mounting barrage of enemy fire shattered the immediate area, unhesitatingly shielded the wounded man with his body. Mortally wounded by flying shrapnel while carrying out this heroic action, HC Kilmer, by his great personal valor and gallant spirit of self-sacrifice in saving the life of a comrade, served to inspire all who observed him. His unyielding devotion to duty in the face of heavy odds reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for another.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for August 13, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
13 August
1917: The 1st Aero Squadron, which departed Columbus, N.Mex., on 5 August, sailed for Europe under command of Maj Ralph Royce. It was the first squadron to report for flying duty in the American Expeditionary Forces. (24)
1943: The Northwest African Strategic Air Force bombed Weiner Neustadt in the first mission from Mediterranean bases against targets in greater Germany. (24)
1944: Two GB-4 Glide Bombs, with television and radio controls, were launched against E-boat pens at Le Havre, France. Four additional GB-4s were sent against targets in France and Germany between 17 August and 13 September 1944. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. Advancing N. Korean Army forces caused two 35 FIG squadrons of F-51s to move from Yonil AB, S. Korea, to Tsuiki AB, Japan. (28) 1952: The USAF ordered the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, an eight jet heavy bomber, into full-scale production. (12) (24)
1953: The XC-99, the world's largest plane to date, made its first transatlantic flight from Kelly AFB to Frankfurt, Germany, with 60,000 pounds of cargo.
1959: Using a Thor-Agena rocket, the USAF launched Discoverer V, a satellite with nose cone reentry capsule, into a polar orbit from the Pacific Missile Range. A malfunction prevented the capsule's recovery, and the satellite fell from orbit on 16 September. (16) (24)
1960: Through 17 August, in the largest peacetime maneuver to date, AF Reserve troop carrier wings moved 10,400 men of the 101st Airborne Division from Camp Campbell, Ky., to Fort Bragg. (24)
1962: Ten USAF pilots completed a month-long stay in a simulated space cabin. (24)
1967: Through 16 August the Alaskan Air Command, assisted by the Alaska ANG and other Air Force units, conducted a three-day rescue and support operation after a flood hit the Fairbanks area. AFCS in Alaska provided emergency communications, while MAC provided airlift support. (16) (26)
1978: NEPTUNE III. Through 22 August, the largest joint airborne operations conducted to date occurred at Pope AFB, N.C. (16)
1987: The Marine Corps accepted five Kfir C-2 Lion Cub aircraft from Israel Aircraft Industries to use as aggressor aircraft in dissimilar air combat training at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, Ariz.
1995: A 60 AMW C-5 Galaxy airlifted 75 tons of food from Germany to Croatia to feed war victims. (16) (26)
1998: At Altus AFB, a 54 AREFS KC-135 received the first Pacer CRAG and Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) modifications. The TCAS modification gave pilots the ability to see other aircraft and get advance warning of possible mid-air collisions. (See 2 June 1998 for details on Pacer CRAG) (AFNEWS Article 981260, 25 Aug 98) After 12 Americans died in a terrorist bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi on 7 August, a 437 AW C-17 from Charleston AFB returned 10 victims to Andrews AFB. In a hangar at Andrews, President William J. Clinton presided over a national ceremony of remembrance. On 12 August, a 436 AW C-5 from Dover AFB returned the eleventh victim, SMSgt Sherry Lynn Olds, from Ramstein AB to Dover, where a 375 AW C-9 from Scott AFB flew her remains to Panama City, Florida, her hometown. The twelfth American victim, married to a Kenyan, was buried in Kenya. (22)
2001: NASA's experimental, solar-powered, remotely piloted Helios aircraft reached a record 96,500 feet in altitude for UAVs in a 17-hour flight. (21)
2004: A C-17 flying for the AFFTC at Edwards AFB airdropped a 52,500-pound Army Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle, equipped with a Mobile Gun System, from some 12 feet above the Rogers Dry Lake as part of a feasibility test. (3)
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Trump announces 'Historic Peace Agreement' between Israel, UAE
United Arab Emirates and Israel agree to 'full normalization' of diplomatic relations, Trump announces
President Trump on Thursday announced what he called a "Historic Peace Agreement" between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, saying they agreed to "full normalization of relations."
"HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!" Trump tweeted Thursday morning.
The president, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed released a joint statement Thursday, after the three spoke "and agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates." The statement said that the "diplomatic breakthrough" was at "the request of President Trump," and that Israel will "suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President's Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world."
Israel and the UAE also said they will continue their efforts to "achieve a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
"This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region," the statement read. "All three countries face many common challenges and will mutually benefit from today's historic achievement."
Delegations from Israel and the UAE are expected to meet in the coming weeks to "sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other areas of mutual benefit." "Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East's most dynamic societies and advanced economies will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging closer people-to-people relations," the statement also read.
Trump on Thursday said he had a call with Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The president told reporters Israel and the UAE will exchange embassies and ambassadors, and "begin cooperation across the board." The president said he expected other countries to follow the UAE's lead on this effort to cooperate with Israel going forward.
"We are already discussing this with other nations," Trump said. "So, you will probably see others of these."
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Thanks to Carl
From Teenage Pilot to POW: Col. Joseph Peterburs, USAF (Ret), on his World War II Service - MOAA
From Teenage Pilot to POW: Col. Joseph Peterburs, USAF (Ret), on His World War II Service
By: Amanda Dolasinski
AUGUST 11, 2020
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(This article and others in MOAA's "Window Into War" series originally appeared in the May edition of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members. Learn more about the magazine here; learn more about joining MOAA here.)
Joseph Peterburs flew his P-51 Mustang close to the B-17 bombers he was escorting through the sky above Berlin, just as he had on 48 previous missions during WWII.
But on his 49th mission, the Germans flooded the sky with fighters. Peterburs, an adrenaline-filled 19-year-old, soared through the sky chasing a German fighter he saw blow up a B-17 bomber. He closed in as it hit a second bomber.
"Just as he blew up the second, I came in from the rear," Peterburs said. "I saw smoke and fire on his left wing. He immediately rolled over and started to the deck. I just broke off the chase."
If the attack on Pearl Harbor hadn't happened four months prior, Peterburs would have been back in Wisconsin studying to be a priest. But now he was in German airspace — and spotted an airfield full of the enemy's aircraft.
"I was by myself, 19 years old," said Peterburs. "I made too many passes, and I destroyed at least five on the ground and set a hangar on fire."
Trouble Afoot
On his last pass, Peterburs was hit and his engine started to overheat. He had 90 miles to reach the airbase, but his aircraft was losing altitude quickly.
He debated bailing out when the aircraft fell to 1,000 feet, but then he saw a German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter coming at him. The 190 fired off rockets but missed, and Peterburs kept flying.
At 500 feet, Peterburs was devising a belly landing, but he kept going. At 300 feet, the right side of the aircraft caught fire. Peterburs waited too long and had to bail from the left side, which guaranteed he would hit the aircraft's tail on his exit.
Peterburs landed in an open field with townspeople yelling and running toward him. Peterburs was sent to a POW camp for the night. He escaped with a small group.
"There was very little security," Peterburs said. "Basically, it was just going down to the fence at night."
After their midnight escape, the group walked for about five miles toward Berlin when they were stopped by a Russian tank unit. Through the Russian lieutenant's English, the men learned the tank unit was headed to Wittenburg.
Peterburs said he was given a rifle and told to hop on. The Americans fought with the Russians for the next three days.
Peterburs finally got his break when an American patrol noticed his flight suit among the Russian tank crew camped out near the Elbe River. Peterburs was reluctantly turned over to the Americans and began his journey home.
Once he was back in the U.S., Peterburs married his girlfriend, Josephine, for whom he had nicknamed the Mustang P-51 that helped him destroy so many enemy aircraft on his 49th combat mission.
Unlikely Reunion
Peterburs left the war behind as a memory — until the late 1990s. That's when he received a letter from a German man who was just a boy when he watched Peterburs fall into the German farmland. The man tracked down Peterburs from a piece of the downed aircraft that he saved.
In 2005, Peterburs was surprised when again he received a letter from the man — this time telling him he had found the German pilot whom he had been chasing through the sky that April day in 1945. And it wasn't just any pilot — it was Walter Schuck, a top German pilot with 206 confirmed aerial victories.
Schuck claimed four American B-17s just before Peterburs shot him down. The men met for the second time, this time on friendlier terms, when Schuck traveled to the U.S. in 2005.
"Both of us reconciled the relationship by recognizing that we were each doing our job," Peterburs said.
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