TheList 5710

The List 5710     TGB

 

Good Wednesday Morning     May 12

A bit of history and some tidbits.

Regards,

Skip.

 

 

This day in Naval History May 12

 

1780

The city of Charleston, S.C., falls to the British when Continental Gen. Benjamin Lincoln surrenders during the American Revolution. Three Continental Navy frigates (Boston, Providence, and Ranger) are captured; and one American frigate (Queen of France) is sunk to prevent capture.

 

1938

USS Enterprise (CV 6) is commissioned. Notable service during WWII include the Doolittle Raid, the Battle of Midway, the Guadalcanal Campaign, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the Okinawa Campaign, where she was badly damaged by a kamikaze strike.

 

1942

USS Massachusetts (BB 59) is commissioned. She serves in both the Atlantic and Pacific during World War II, notably participating in Operation Torch, Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the bombing of the Japanese homeland.

 

1975

SS Mayaguez, a tanker ship, is seized by Khmer Rouge, the Communist party of Kampuchea, and is escorted to Koh Tang Island with her 39 crew. President Gerald Ford sends in Marines who meet heavy resistance, but after crew is found safe, they retreat, although three Marines are inadvertently left behind and killed.

 

1986

USS David R. Ray (DD 971) deters an Iranian Navy frigates attempt to board SS President McKinley in the Gulf of Oman.

 

 

Thanks to CHINFO

Executive Summary:

•           Trade press reported on SASC Chairman Jack Reed's budget priorities for the Navy.

•           The Associated Press, trade and regional press reported on the start of the ARC21 exercise.

•           Navy Surgeon General Rear Arm. Bruce Gillingham appeared on the TODAY Show to discuss the military's vaccination efforts.

 

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Today in History: May 12

0254 St. Stephen I begins his reign as Catholic Pope.

1588 King Henry III flees Paris after Henry of Guise triumphantly enters the city.

1641 The chief advisor to Charles I, Thomas Wentworth, is beheaded in the Tower of London

1780 Charleston, South Carolina falls to British forces.

1851 The Tule River War ends.

1863 With a victory at the Battle of Raymond, Mississippi, Union General Ulysses S. Grant closes in on Vicksburg.

1864 Union General Benjamin Butler attacks Drewry's Bluff on the James River.

1865 The last land battle of the Civil war occurs at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory.

1881 Tunisia, in North Africa becomes a French protectorate.

1885 In the Battle of Batoche, French Canadians rebel against the Canadian government.

1926 The Airship Norge becomes the first vessel to fly over the North Pole.

1932 The body of Charles Lindbergh's baby is found.

1935 Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Akron, Ohio by "Bill W.," a stockbroker, and "Dr. Bob S.," a heart surgeon.

1940 The Nazi conquest of France begins with the crossing Musee River.

1942 The Soviet Army launches its first major offensive of the war, taking Kharkov in the eastern Ukraine.

1943 Axis forces in North Africa surrender.

1949 The Berlin Blockade ends.

1969 Viet Cong sappers try unsuccessfully to overrun Landing Zone Snoopy in Vietnam.

1975 The U.S. merchant ship Mayaguez is seized by Cambodian forces.

 

 

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Thanks to Mugs

 

Flying the F-22

 

Who among us wouldn't kill to fly this airplane??
Mugs

 I believe you will find it interesting and who wrote that software????  Fantastic!

 

I thought this video was interesting. 

 

TIL: The flight control computer on the F-22 Raptor is so advanced that the manual stated "you can maneuver the airplane with reckless abandon, without departing from controlled flight"


https://youtu.be/22u4qxm1YjY?t=2456

 

 

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Subject: 1945 Air Show

Neat stuff if you are interested.................A lot of History !! 

 

 

Incredible!

Never saw this particular footage ever before!

Nazi Jets. Nazi Helicopters. Italian fighters. Flying JU-88's.

Fascinating footage of captured weapons and Axis aircraft at a

1945 air show at Freeman Field in Seymour , Indiana ..

This footage is ONLY four months after the German surrender,

And just one month after the Japanese surrender!

Great Glenn Miller music will definitely get you in that

WW II (patriotic) "Mood" to remember!

Nearly a 70 year look back at a Victory celebration, the end of the war.

 

 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1723870789084

 

 

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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear

LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— ... For The List for Wednesday, 12 May 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-68)...

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 12 May 1966...

"Walter Lippman: 'We have no foreign policy or conception of what our role is in the world today.'"... (Then and now!... Bear)

 

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-12-may-1966-world-opinion/

 

 

 

Vietnam Air Losses

Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at:  https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.

 

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Thanks to Tweety,

 

There has been some traffic on the benefits of AVGAS to our airplanes in WWII. Thought you might like this little story. .

 

 

My thoughts on AVGAS!

 

Sitting in Beeville after earning my wings and waiting for orders, Jim "Wick" Barwick and I I went down and took the civilian license test to get our private pilot's license. After a couple of local hops we needed some night time so we decided to go visit friends in Kingsville in the rental Cessna 172 .  Down one night and back the next.

 

But we would need ground transportation while in Kingsville. No problem because the Cessna 172 was a four seat airplane with a cargo type door and it was easy to remove the two back seats for cargo.  What better cargo than Wick's dirt motorcycle! So I rented the Cessna and we stuffed Wick's bike in the back. This was quite a feat in itself as the bike was heavier than you would like to lift into the airplane and tough to maneuver into the back. We ended up having to remove the passenger seat also. But after some great persistence, we were able to get it in and secured it and headed to Kingsville.  And yes we did do a rough weight and balance and were very close but acceptable for us. The nose did come up faster than normal on takeoff…

 

About half way there Wick looks at me sheepishly and says, oops I forgot to put gas in the bike and it is just aabout empty…don't know if we have enough to get to town. There were no gas stations around the airport and it was going to be night when  we got there anyway. 

 

Rather than  turn around, I told Wick no problem! We can just put some AVGAS in the bike from the airplane. Won't take much and we will still have plenty to return home.

 

So we drained a couple of gallons of 100 Octane gas out of the Cessna and put it in the bike.  Wick started the bike, and wow! That motor hummed better and louder than either of us had heard before! And of course Wick was testing it on the ride into town… it had a ton more acceleration with both of on  it (420 pounds) than it had with only him in the past.

 

Still wish he hadn't tried to do that wheelie with me on the back….

 

Craig "Tweety" Honour

 

 

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This Week in American Military History:

By Thomas Smith

 

May 15, 1862:  U.S. Marine Corporal John F. Mackie participates in an action against Confederate forces at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia, for which he will become the first Marine in history to receive the Medal of Honor.

 

According to his citation, "As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Corporal Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits on shore, and when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapon with skill and courage."

 

May 15, 1963:  Astronaut, fighter pilot, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr., piloting "Faith 7," becomes the first American to spend an entire day in space, and the first man to sleep in space. A former U.S. Marine private who ultimately was commissioned an Army second lieutenant, Cooper will retire an Air Force colonel.

 

May 18, 1775:  Future turncoat Col. Benedict Arnold leads a successful surprise attack against a British fort and the adjacent shipyards at St.Johns, Canada. Among Arnold's prizes is the British sloop HMS George which he renames "Enterprise," the first of eight so-named American Navy ships.

 

May 18, 1863: Union Army forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S.

Grant move against the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Vastly outnumbered Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton fall back on prepared defenses. Pemberton's army is quickly surrounded. Grant strikes Pemberton's positions the following day hoping to destroy his army before it is properly positioned. Losses are heavy among the ranks of the assault forces. The siege of Vicksburg has begun.

 

May 21, 1881:  Clara Barton, the Civil War's famous "angel of the battlefield," founds the American Red Cross.

 

 

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This Day in U S Military History…….May 12

 

1865 – The last land action of the Civil War was fought at Palmito Ranch in Texas. The Battle of Palmito Ranch is generally reckoned as the final battle of the American Civil War, being the last engagement of any significance, involving casualties. The battle was fought on the banks of the Rio Grande, east of Brownsville, Texas, and a few miles from the seaport of Los Brazos de Santiago (now known as Matamoros). Union and Confederate forces in Southern Texas had been observing an unofficial truce, when Union Colonel Theodore H. Barrett ordered an attack on an enemy camp near Fort Brown, for reasons unknown. (Some claimed that Barrett was eager for his first chance of action before the war ended.) Although they took some prisoners, the attack was repulsed the next day by Confederate Col. John Salmon Ford near Palmito Ranch, and the battle is claimed as a Confederate victory. Estimates of casualties are not dependable, but Union Private John J. Williams of the 34th Indiana is believed to have been the last combat death of the war. The engagement is also known as the Battle of Palmito Hill or the Battle of Palmetto Ranch.

 

1917 – General John Pershing is appointed commander of the American Expeditionary Force, which is being formed to fight on the Western Front. It will take time to increase the strength of the US Army, but Pershing expects the number to reach one million by May 1918 and is planning a force of three million if the war continues. Pershing also intends to make sure his units will fight as a separate force and not be split into small units and placed under French or British command.

 

1944 – About 800 bombers of the US 8th Air Force, with a substantial fighter escort, attack synthetic oil plants at Leuna-Merseburg, Bohlen, Zeitz, Lutzkendorf and Brux (northwest of Prague). The Americans claim to shoot down 150 German fighters and report losses of 46 bombers and 10 fighters.

 

1945 – On Okinawa, Japanese forces repulse an attack by elements of US 3rd Amphibious Corps at Sugar Loaf Hill, southeast of Amike. The position is an important point in the Japanese held Shuri Line. The US 1st Marine Division suffers heavy losses but captures most of Dakeshi Ridge. The US 77th Division advances slowly toward Shuri. The Japanese held Conical Hill position is fought over by US 96th Division. At sea, a Kamikaze plane strikes the USS New Mexico, causing considerable damage.

1945 – On Luzon, elements of the US 43rd Division, part of US 11th Corps, converge on Ipo, capturing several hills occupied by the Japanese. On Mindanao, Del Monte airfield is reached by elements of the US 40th Division. Other elements advance southwest of Tankulan. The US 123th Infantry Regiment eliminates the Japanese strongpoint in the Colgan woods after a lengthy air and artillery bombardment. American aircraft and artillery strike at suspected Japanese gun emplacements on Samar Island.

 

 

1949 – An early crisis of the Cold War comes to an end when the Soviet Union lifts its 11-month blockade against West Berlin. The blockade had been broken by a massive U.S.-British airlift of vital supplies to West Berlin's two million citizens. At the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four sectors administered by the four major Allied powers: the USSR, the United States, Britain, and France. Berlin, the German capital, was likewise divided into four sectors, even though it was located deep within the Soviet sector of eastern Germany. The future of Germany and Berlin was a major sticking point in postwar treaty talks, especially after the United States, Britain, and France sought to unite their occupation zones into a single economic zone. In March 1948, the Soviet Union quit the Allied Control Council governing occupied Germany over this issue. In May, the three Western powers agreed to the imminent formation of West Germany, a nation that would exist entirely independent of Soviet-occupied eastern Germany. The three western sectors of Berlin were united as West Berlin, which was to be under the administration of West Germany. On June 20, as a major step toward the establishment of a West German government, the Western powers introduced a new Deutsche mark in West Germany and West Berlin. The Soviets condemned this move as an attack on the East German currency and on June 24 began a blockade of all rail, road, and water communications between Berlin and the West. The four-power administration of Berlin had ceased with the unification of West Berlin, the Soviets said, and the Western powers no longer had a right to be there. With West Berlin's food, fuel, and other necessities cut off, the Soviets reasoned, it would soon have to submit to Communist control. Britain and the United States responded by initiating the largest airlift in history, flying 278,288 relief missions to the city during the next 14 months, resulting in the delivery of 2,326,406 tons of supplies. As the Soviets had cut off power to West Berlin, coal accounted for over two-thirds of the material delivered. In the opposite direction, return flights transported West Berlin's industrial exports to the West. Flights were made around the clock, and at the height of the Berlin airlift, in April 1949, planes were landing in the city every minute. Tensions were high during the airlift, and three groups of U.S. strategic bombers were sent as reinforcements to Britain while the Soviet army presence in eastern Germany increased dramatically. The Soviets made no major effort to disrupt the airlift. As a countermeasure against the Soviet blockade, the Western powers also launched a trade embargo against eastern Germany and other Soviet bloc countries. On May 12, 1949, the Soviets abandoned the blockade, and the first British and American convoys drove though 110 miles of Soviet Germany to reach West Berlin. On May 23, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was formally established. On October 7, the German Democratic Republic, a Communist state, was proclaimed in East Germany. The Berlin airlift continued until September 30, in an effort to build up a year's supply of essential goods for West Berlin in the event of another Soviet blockade. Another blockade did not occur, but Cold War tensions over Berlin remained high, culminating in the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

 

 

1975 – The American freighter Mayaguez is captured by communist government forces in Cambodia, setting off an international incident. The U.S. response to the affair indicated that the wounds of the Vietnam War still ran deep. On May 12, 1975, the U.S. freighter Mayaguez and its 39-man crew was captured by gunboats of the Cambodian navy. Cambodia had fallen to communist insurgents, the Khmer Rouge, in April 1973. The Cambodian authorities imprisoned the American crew, pending an investigation of the ship and why it had sailed into waters claimed by Cambodia. The response of the United States government was quick. President Gerald Ford called the Cambodian seizure of the Mayaguez an "act of piracy" and promised swift action to rescue the captured Americans. In part, Ford's aggressive attitude to the incident was a by-product of the American failure in Vietnam. In January 1973, U.S. forces had withdrawn from South Vietnam, ending years of a bloody and inconclusive attempt to forestall communist rule of that nation. In the time since the U.S. withdrawal, a number of conservative politicians and intellectuals in the United States had begun to question America's "credibility" in the international field, suggesting that the country's loss of will in Vietnam now encouraged enemies around the world to challenge America with seeming impunity. The Cambodian seizure of the Mayaguez appeared to be just such a challenge. On May 14, President Ford ordered the bombing of the Cambodian port where the gunboats had come from and sent Marines to attack the island of Koh Tang, where the prisoners were being held. Unfortunately, the military action was probably unnecessary. The Cambodian government was already in the process of releasing the crew of the Mayaguez and the ship. Forty-one Americans died, most of them in an accidental explosion during the attack. Most Americans, however, cheered the action as evidence that the United States was once again willing to use

 

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

.TRACY, CHARLES H.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company A, 37th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Spotsylvania, Va., 12 May 1864; At Petersburg, Va., 2 April 1865. Entered service at: Springfield, Mass. Birth: Jewett City, Conn. Date of issue: 19 November 1897. Citation: At the risk of his own life, at Spotsylvania, 12 May 1864, assisted in carrying to a place of safety a wounded and helpless officer. On 2 April 1865, advanced with the pioneers, and, under heavy fire, assisted in removing 2 lines of chevaux_de_frise; was twice wounded but advanced to the third line, where he was again severely wounded, losing a leg.

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WISNER, LEWIS S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company K. 124th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Spotsylvania, Va., 12 May 1864. Entered service at: Wallkill, Orange County, N.Y. Birth: Wallkill, Orange County, N.Y. Date of issue: 2 January 1895. Citation: While serving as an engineer officer voluntarily exposed himself to the enemy's fire.

 

LOHNES, FRANCIS W.
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 1st Nebraska Veteran Cavalry. Place and date: At Gilmans Ranch, Nebr., 12 May 1865. Entered service at:——. Birth: Oneida County, N.Y. Date of issue: 24 July 1865. Citation: Gallantry in defending Government property against Indians.

 

SHEA, CHARLES W.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company F, 350th Infantry. 88th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Mount Damiano, Italy, 12 May 1944. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: New York, NY. G.O. No.: 4, 12 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, on 12 May 1944, near Mount Damiano, Italy. As 2d Lt. Shea and his company were advancing toward a hill occupied by the enemy, 3 enemy machineguns suddenly opened fire, inflicting heavy casualties upon the company and halting its advance. 2d Lt. Shea immediately moved forward to eliminate these machinegun nests in order to enable his company to continue its attack. The deadly hail of machinegun fire at first pinned him down, but, boldly continuing his advance, 2d Lt. Shea crept up to the first nest. Throwing several hand grenades, he forced the 4 enemy soldiers manning this position to surrender, and disarming them, he sent them to the rear. He then crawled to the second machinegun position, and after a short fire fight forced 2 more German soldiers to surrender. At this time, the third machinegun fired at him, and while deadly small arms fire pitted the earth around him, 2d Lt. Shea crawled toward the nest. Suddenly he stood up and rushed the emplacement and with well-directed fire from his rifle, he killed all 3 of the enemy machine gunners. 2d Lt. Shea's display of personal valor was an inspiration to the officers and men of his company.

 

JACKSON, JOE M.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, 311th Air Commando Squadron, Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam. Place and date: Kham Duc, Republic of Vietnam, 12 May 1968. Entered service at: Newman, Ga. Born: 14 March 1923, Newman, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Lt. Col. Jackson distinguished himself as pilot of a C-123 aircraft. Lt. Col. Jackson volunteered to attempt the rescue of a 3-man USAF Combat Control Team from the special forces camp at Kham Duc. Hostile forces had overrun the forward outpost and established gun positions on the airstrip. They were raking the camp with small arms, mortars, light and heavy automatic weapons, and recoilless rifle fire. The camp was engulfed in flames and ammunition dumps were continuously exploding and littering the runway with debris. In addition, 8 aircraft had been destroyed by the intense enemy fire and 1 aircraft remained on the runway reducing its usable length to only 2,200 feet. To further complicate the landing, the weather was deteriorating rapidly, thereby permitting only 1 air strike prior to his landing. Although fully aware of the extreme danger and likely failure of such an attempt, Lt. Col. Jackson elected to land his aircraft and attempt to rescue. Displaying superb airmanship and extraordinary heroism, he landed his aircraft near the point where the combat control team was reported to be hiding. While on the ground, his aircraft was the target of intense hostile fire. A rocket landed in front of the nose of the aircraft but failed to explode. Once the combat control team was aboard, Lt. Col. Jackson succeeded in getting airborne despite the hostile fire directed across the runway in front of his aircraft. Lt. Col. Jackson's profound concern for his fellowmen, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself, and the Armed Forces of his country.

 

COPAS, ARDIE R.
Rank and Organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army. Place and Date: May 12, 1970, Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia. Born: August, 29, 1950, Fort Pierce, FL. Departed: Yes (05/12/1970). Entered Service At: Fort Pierce, FL. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Then-Spc. 4 Ardie R. Copas distinguished himself on May 12, 1970, while serving as a machine-gunner near Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia. When his convoy was ambushed, Copas repelled the enemy under heavy fire, holding his post while his wounded comrades were evacuated. Copas was killed in action.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 12

THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

May 12

 

1909: Dr. R. M. Randall in Greylock won the second contest for the Forbes Trophy in a point-to-point balloon race from North Adams to Leeds, Mass. (24)

 

1917: Capt W. A. Robertson set a new American altitude record of 17,230 feet over the North Island Flying School, San Diego. (24)

 

1926: Explorer Lincoln Ellsworth flew from Spitsbergen across the North Pole to Teller, Alaska, in the dirigible Norge, commanded by Roald Amundsen. (9)

 

1928: Lts R. W. Douglas and J. E. Parker made a record flight for single-seat planes from France Field, Canal Zone, to Bolling Field in two Boeing PW-9 planes. A Curtiss D-12 engine with 440 HP powered the two Boeing PW-9s. (24) After 65 hours in the air over a two-month period, Lt Julian S. Dexter, Air Corps Reserve, completed a 3,000-square-mile aerial survey of Florida's Everglades. (8)

 

1938: Three Army B-17s intercepted the Rex, an Italian vessel, 700 miles from American shores to prove the feasibility of using long-range bombers in coastal defense. The Navy subsequently demanded the restriction of bomber operations to within 100 miles of the coast. (21)

 

1949: BERLIN AIRLIFT ENDS. The Soviet Union ended the Berlin blockade; however, the airlift continued until September to build up stockpiles. From 12 June 1948 to 12 May 1949, USAFE primarily used C-54 cargo aircraft (C-47s also flew from June until 30 September 1948) to airlift some 1,783,000 tons of food, clothing, fuel, medical supplies, and coal to the beleaguered city. The Combined Airlift Task Force (both the British and U.S. efforts) flew 277,569 missions to deliver a total of 2,325,510 tons of cargo into Berlin with coal accounting for 60 percent of the total tonnage. (2) (4)

 

1950: Capt Chuck Yeager flew the number one Bell X-1 research aircraft on its last flight above Edwards AFB. Film clips of the flight were used in the movie "Jet Pilot." (8: May 90)

 

1954: Langley AFB received TAC's first F-84F Thunderstreak, a fighter equipped for boom refueling. (11) 1960: At El Centro, a C-130 Hercules dropped 35,000 pounds of heavy equipment in one bundle by parachute. The USAF claimed this feat as a world weight record for airdrops. (24)

 

1964: Miss Joan Merriam became the second woman pilot to fly around the world alone when she landed at Oakland. She flew her Piper Apache 27,750 miles in 56 days over Amelia Earhart's intended route from 1937. (9)

 

1968: SAC renamed Bunker Hill AFB, near Peru, Ind., Grissom AFB to honor Astronaut Virgil Grissom, who died in the 27 January 1967 Apollo capsule fire. (16) EVACUATION OF KHAM DUC. Under extremely hostile conditions, C-130s assisted in the evacuation of Kham Duc, a training site and special operations base for Allied reconnaissance teams near Laos. Air Force transports carried over 500 of the 1,800 military and civilians from Kham Duc before it fell into enemy hands. The enemy killed 259 people and destroyed several aircraft. (17) (18) MACKAY TROPHY

 

1968. Lt Col Daryl D. Cole, 374 TAW flew a C-130 into the besieged camp at Kham Duc. After an aborted takeoff and with fuel pouring out of his wings from hostile fire, Colonel Cole managed to takeoff and flew his C-130 and a three-member Air Force combat control team to safety. (18) MEDAL OF HONOR. Lt Col Joe M. Jackson volunteered to rescue a three-man Air Force combat control team at Kham Duc. Before the rescue, enemy forces set the camp afire, overran the forward outpost, and established gun positions on the airstrip. They had destroyed eight aircraft, and one aircraft remained on the littered runway. Despite the odds, Jackson and his crew (Maj Jesse Campbell, TSgt Edward M. Trejo, and SSgt Manson L. Grubbs) landed their C-123 under intense hostile fire, but were forced to take off. Making a second attempt, under hostile conditions again, Jackson landed his C-123, extracted the combat controllers, and returned to safety. For his valiant effort, he received the Medal of Honor, the only airlifter so honored in the Vietnam Conflict. Major Campbell received the Air Force Cross, while Sergeants Trejo and Grubbs earned Silver Stars. (18) \

 

1972: C-130s flew 5,000 pounds of civilian-donated medical equipment from Stuttgart, Germany, to a new hospital at Sile, Turkey. (16)

 

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World News for 12 May thanks to Military Periscope

USA—JEDI Cloud Computing Program Faces Axe

Wall Street Journal | 05/12/2021

The Dept. of Defense is considering canceling a major cloud-computing program in the face of ongoing legal challenges, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program contract, valued at up to $10 billion, was awarded to Microsoft in 2019.

Losing bidder Amazon Web Services (AWS) subsequently protested the award, arguing that former President Trump improperly influenced the decision, reported Business Insider. Work on the contract has been stopped since February 2020 as the legal process plays out.

Last month, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims decided not to dismiss a protest lawsuit from AWS.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks subsequently said that the Pentagon would need to assess the state of the program given the ongoing litigation and determine the best path forward.

The Pentagon is concerned about the ongoing delays in the critical program, which aims to consolidate most of the department's programs into a single cloud computing system.

Critics have argued that the Defense Dept. should consider an approach using several companies, in part to reduce the chance of lengthy legal battles.

 

USA—Skylord Drones To Assist SOF In Urban Environments

Defense News | 05/12/2021

The Dept. of Defense has ordered small uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an Israeli firm for special operations forces, reports Defense News.

The contract, the value of which was not disclosed, covers the delivery of dozens Skylord Xtender quadcopter UAVs. The drone has already been fielded with Israeli special operations units.

U.S. Army, Navy and Marine special operations units are expected to employ the drone.

The Skylord Xtender is designed for urban and indoor operations, providing situational awareness through 3D video and navigation as well as gesture control and artificial intelligence capabilities, according to the manufacturer, Xtend.

The system is designed to be easy to use with minimal training and has an endurance of around 10 minutes.

 

Ukraine—Lawmakers, Putin Allies, Charged With Treason

Unian News Agency | 05/12/2021

Ukraine's Prosecutor General has ordered the arrest of two lawmakers on charges of high treason, reports the Ukraine Independent Information Agency (UNIAN).

On Tuesday, Iryna Venediktova signed the suspicion notices against the lawmakers. The Ukrayinska Pravda reported that the suspects were Viktor Medvedchuk and his ally Taras Kozak, who are said to be working for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The charges include high treason and attempted theft of national resources in Crimea, reported Reuters.

Medvedchuk's home in Kyiv was searched by police following the announcement.

In February, Ukrainian authorities sanctioned three television channels owned by Kozak for disseminating Russian propaganda.

 

Georgia—Opposition Leader Released In E.U.-Brokered Deal

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 05/12/2021

Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia has been released from prison after three months, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

On Monday, Melia was released after the European Union posted his bail of around US$11,600.

Melia was arrested in February in a police raid on the headquarters of his United National Movement party after he refused to pay an increased bail ahead of hearings over charges that he organized "mass violence" during anti-government protests in 2019, reported Agence France-Presse.

His arrest escalated a political crisis in Georgia that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia in February and mass protests.

Tensions in Georgia are high after the opposition parties, led by Melia, refused to take up their seats in Parliament after the Georgian Dream party narrowly won October elections, which independent monitors said were marred by irregularities.

European Council President Charles Michel began hosting talks between the various political factions in Georgia in March, eventually forging a deal that would see the opposition parties enter Parliament and Georgia Dream commit to political, electoral and judicial reforms.

The United National Movement threatened to back out of the deal if Melia was not released.

 

Russia—Open Skies Withdrawal Bill Submitted

Moscow Times | 05/12/2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted a bill to formally withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, reports the Moscow Times.

On Tuesday, the bill was submitted to the Russian State Duma and Federation Council. The measure will require three votes of approval in the Duma and one in the council before being sent back to Putin for signature.

Moscow announced in January that it was pulling out of the pact after the U.S. officially withdrew in November 2020. Washington accused Moscow of violating the agreement.

Russia did everything it could to preserve the treaty, but leaving it was the only option given the lack of U.S. participation, deputy speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev said, as cited by Russia's Tass news agency.

For more on the Open Skies Treaty, please see Military Periscope's recent report, "Darkening Skies."

 

Russia—MiG-31 Intercepts Norwegian Patrol Aircraft Over Barents Sea

Tass | 05/12/2021

A Russian fighter jet has intercepted a Norwegian maritime patrol aircraft over the Barents Sea as it neared the Russian border, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow).

On Tuesday, Russian radars detected the Norwegian P-3C Orion patrol aircraft as it approached the Russian border, according to a statement from the Russian Northern Fleet.

A Russian MiG-31 from the Northern Fleet's quick-reaction force was scrambled to shadow and intercept the target before it reached Russian territory.

The Norwegian aircraft did not enter Russian airspace, said the fleet.

The Russian pilot complied with international rules of airspace for the duration of the encounter, officials said.

 

Malaysia—Abu Sayyaf Group Leaders Captured In Sabah

Arab News | 05/12/2021

Malaysian authorities have arrested eight members of the Abu Sayyaf Group terrorist organization in the eastern Sabah state, reports the Arab News (Riyadh).

On May 8, Malaysian security forces arrested the insurgents, including the sub-leaders Sansibar Bensio and Mabar Blinda, during an operation in the Beaufort District of Sabah state, a military official said on Monday.

A special police operation was launched based on intelligence provided by the Philippine military's Joint Task Force Sulu. The Malaysian 4th Marine Brigade also provided intelligence in the lead up to the raid.

Bensio and Blinda were allegedly involved in numerous kidnapping operations and clashes with military forces.

Bensio is believed to have led a 2012 Abu Sayyaf operation to kidnap two European birdwatchers.

Both insurgent subleaders also reportedly took part in the kidnapping of three Indonesian fishermen in Sabah state in September 2019.

 

Indonesia—Militants Kill 4 Farmers In Central Sulawesi

Benar | 05/12/2021

ISIS-aligned militants have killed four farmers on the eastern Indonesian island of Sulawesi, reports the BenarNews (Washington, D.C.).

On Tuesday, members of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahedin (MIT) group attacked farmers in Kalemago village in the Poso regency, said a regional police spokesman.

A witness said he saw five armed men approaching and fled to inform police.

When police arrived on the scene, the farmers had been killed, with their bodies bearing slash wounds. A motorcycle belonging to one of the victims had been burned.

Police believe that the attack was an act of terrorism and a robbery, reported Agence France-Presse.

The victims were members of the minority Christian Toraja community, reported local media.

This is believed to be the first attack by the group against civilians in five months. Sources said that MIT has been reduced to nine fighters who have so far evaded capture due to their familiarity with the rugged terrain in Poso.

 

Vietnam—Maritime Militia Expands Over Last Decade

Voice Of America News | 05/12/2021

Vietnam's maritime militia has grown significantly since it was created more than a decade ago, according to researchers cited by the Voice of America News.

According to the China-based National Institute for South China Sea Studies, Vietnam's maritime militia has between 46,000 and 70,000 personnel.

At least 13 platoons with 3,000 personnel operate around the disputed Paracel Islands, which are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Another 10,000 personnel serve on armed fishing boats off south Vietnam.

Vietnam passed a law in 2009 authorizing the formation of a maritime militia, noted the South China Morning Post.

Details on the force since then have been scarce, in part due to a desire to not antagonize China or appear to be copying it, said analysts.

China uses its own maritime militia to assert control over areas of the South China Sea disputed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The Vietnamese militia is less professional than the Chinese, according to experts.

 

Iraq—F-16 Contractors Withdraw Over Militia Threats

Air Force Magazine | 05/12/2021

Lockheed Martin is pulling its contractors from Iraq due to militia threats, reports Air Force magazine.

On Monday, Lockheed Martin announced that it was withdrawing all its maintenance teams assigned to support Iraq's F-16 fighter fleet, reported the New York Times.

The decision effects around 70 personnel at the Balad airbase north of Baghdad, 50 of whom will return to the U.S., Iraqi security officials said.

The remaining 20 are expected to relocate to Erbil in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region.

The withdrawal was triggered by repeated rocket attacks on the air base by Iranian-backed militias.

The move is likely to limit Iraq's ability to employ its F-16s.

Contractors were unable to directly support the fighters at Balad last year due to regional threats and the coronavirus pandemic, noted a report from the Defense Dept. Inspector General. Following that departure, the contractors set up a remote system to help Iraqi maintainers. That system is expected to be used again, according to an unnamed source.

Lockheed told Iraqi officials that the contractors would return in a matter of months once additional protection was provided.

 

Syria—Government Releases Some Reservists Ahead Of Elections

The Syrian Observer | 05/12/2021

The Syrian government has released some reserve officers from their service requirements, report Syrian opposition media cited by the Syrian Observer.

President Bashar Assad has ordered reserve officers and doctors who will have served a total of two years by May 31 to be released from their duties.

The order also covers retained and reserve officers who have served a total of 7.5 years.

President Assad has been slowly reducing the number of active personnel in the military after years of relentless and costly operations, said analysts.

Separately, the government granted a deferral of one year to those who failed to meet their service requirements in Daraa, one of the early hotbeds of opposition to the Assad regime.

Opposition sources have dismissed these efforts as pandering meant to build support for Assad ahead of elections scheduled for May 26. The president is widely expected to win, with all credible opposition candidates disqualified.

 

Israel—At Least 40 Dead In Ongoing Violence

Cable News Network | 05/12/2021

At least 35 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed in escalating violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, reports CNN.

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continued on Tuesday, with one attack leveling a 13-story building that Israeli officials said contained Hamas military intelligence offices. A civilian in the area was injured.

Palestinian health authorities said that at least 220 people had been injured in Israeli strikes as of Tuesday evening.

Following those strikes, the Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said it fired 210 rockets towards Beer Sheva and Tel Aviv.

On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes destroyed a three-story residential building, killing three, and a 10-story office building.

Rocket launches from Gaza continued on Wednesday, with several landing near Ashkelon, Tel Aviv and the surrounding areas. At least five Israelis had been killed as of early Wednesday.

In one instance, a Kornet anti-tank missile struck the Israeli town of Netiv Ha'Asara in the western Negev, wounding three, one of whom later died, reported the Jerusalem Post.

Hamas said that Israeli operations have killed at least 35 people, including 12 children.

Violence continued in the mixed city of Lod, where an Israeli man shot and killed an Arab man who allegedly threw rocks at him. Two people were arrested in connection with the attack.

 

Burkina Faso—20 Militants Neutralized In Latest Counterterror Op In North

Agence France-Presse | 05/12/2021

The Burkinabe military has launched a new operation against militants in the northern Nord and Sahel regions, reports Agence France-Presse.

On May 5, Operation Houne involving conventional and special operations forces, the air force and gendarmerie kicked off, according to a military statement.

The operation is expected to last at least a month, a senior official told the new agency.

So far, at least 20 terrorists have been "neutralized" and four sites used by the militants have been destroyed, said the security source.

Weapons, vehicles, ammunition and communications equipment have also been recovered.

 

Cameroon—Anglophone Separatists Increasingly Turn To IEDs

Voice Of America News | 05/12/2021

Cameroonian authorities say Anglophone militants are increasingly using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to offset personnel losses, reports the Voice of America News.

On Monday, Cameroonian Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo said that the use of IEDs was resulting in almost daily casualties.

At least 24 people, both troops and civilians, have been killed in IED attacks in the past two weeks, he said.

In a bombing on Sunday in Sabga, three people were killed and four severely injured.

Assomo attributed the growing use of IEDs to the ongoing military operation that has destroyed numerous camps used by the separatists in the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions.

The rebels deny that their numbers are falling and say that they are using IEDs to try and drive the military from the Anglophone areas.

The defense minister said that special troops would be deployed to the region to identify and neutralize IEDs.

Anglophone separatists have been fighting since 2017 to create an independent region for Cameroon's English-speaking minority.

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo—Peacekeeper Killed In Militant Attack In N. Kivu Province

U.N. News Center | 05/12/2021

A Malawian peacekeeper has been killed in a militant attack near Beni in North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, reports the U.N. News.

On Monday, suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels attacked the U.N. base in the village of Kilia, about 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Beni, according to a Malawi Defense Force statement cited by Reuters.

A local civil rights group said that ADF militants killed five people in the attack on Kilia. It was unclear if this figure included the peacekeeper.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and called on Congolese authorities to investigate the incident and apprehend those involved.

The U.S. labeled the ADF as a foreign terrorist group in March due to its links to ISIS.

 

Argentina—Another OPV Launched At French Shipyard

Naval Group | 05/12/2021

Naval Group says it has launched a third offshore patrol vessel for Argentina.

On Monday, the Storni, the third ship in the Bouchard class, was launched at the Concarneau shipyard in Brittany, Naval Group said in a release.

The Storni was built in blocks in Lanester by Kership Lorient and assembled in Concarneau by Piriou Shipyards.

Argentina ordered four Bouchard-class OPVs in 2018. The second, the Piedrabuena, was delivered in April.

 

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