Good Friday Morning November 5. A great Bubba Breakfast this morning.
I hope that you are looking forward to a great weekend.
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Today in Naval and Marine Corps History
1775 Commodore Esek Hopkins is appointed Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy. Early in 1778, he is dismissed from his position due to dissatisfaction with his service but remains popular in his local community, serving in the Rhode Island legislature.
1915 Lt. Cmdr. Henry C. Mustin, in an AB-2 flying boat, makes the first underway catapult launch from a ship, USS North Carolina (ACR 12) at Pensacola Bay, Fla. This experimental work leads to the use of catapults on battleships and cruisers through World War II and to the steam catapults on present-day aircraft carriers.
1917 While escorting a convoy en route to Brest, France, USS Alcedo (SP 166) is torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC-71. Twenty-one crewmembers are lost with the ship.
1943 PB4Ys from Patrol Bombing Squadron VB-107 and U.S. Army Air Forces B-25s sink the German submarine U-848 480 miles southwest of Ascension Island.
1944 Aircraft from USS Essex (CV 9), as part of Vice Adm. John S. McCain's Task Force 38's two day carrier strikes in the Philippines, sink the Japanese cruiser Nachi in Manila Bay.
1945 Ensign Jake C. West, embarked with VF-51 on board USS Wake Island (CVE 65) for carrier qualifications with the FR-1 aircraft, loses power on the forward radial engine shortly after taking off, forcing him to start his rear engine. Returning to his ship, he makes a successful landing, thus becoming the first jet landing on board an aircraft carrier.
1986 Three navy ships, USS Reeves (CG 24), USS Oldendorf (DD 972), and USS Rentz (FFG 46) visit China for the first time in 37 years. Embarked on the Reeves is the Commander and Chief of the U.S. Pacific fleet.
2007 Amphibious assault ship Tarawa (LHA 1), with Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked, sails on her 14th and final deployment from San Diego, CA. The ship supports Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, visits four continents, and provides humanitarian relief to people in Bangladesh and Djibouti. Tarawa returns June 2008, and is decommissioned after 32 years of service on March 31, 2009.
2010 Fleet Weather Center San Diego is established at NAS North Island, CA. This completed the relocation of Naval Aviation Forecasting Detachment San Diego, Strike Group Oceanography Team San Diego, and Naval Maritime Forecast Center to the command.
Today in History November 5
1219 | The port of Damietta falls to the Crusaders after a siege. | |
1556 | The Emperor Akbar defeats the Hindus at Panipat and secures control of the Mogul Empire. | |
1605 | Guy Fawkes is betrayed and arrested in an attempt to blow up the British Parliament in the "Gunpowder Plot." Ever since, England has celebrated Guy Fawkes Day. | |
1653 | The Iroquois League signs a peace treaty with the French, vowing not to wage war with other tribes under French protection. | |
1757 | Frederick II of Prussia defeats the French at Rosbach in the Seven Years War. | |
1768 | William Johnson, the northern Indian Commissioner, signs a treaty with the Iroquois Indians to acquire much of the land between the Tennessee and Ohio rivers for future settlement. | |
1814 | Having decided to abandon the Niagara frontier, the American army blows up Fort Erie. | |
1840 | Afghanistan surrenders to the British army. | |
1854 | British and French defeat the Russians at Inkerman, Crimea. | |
1862 | President Abraham Lincoln relieves General George McClellan of command of the Union armies and names Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside commander of the Army of the Potomac. | |
1872 | Susan B. Anthony is arrested for trying to vote. | |
1911 | Calbraith P. Rodgers ends first transcontinental flight--49 days from New York to Pasadena, Calif. | |
1912 | Woodrow Wilson is elected 28th president of the United States. | |
1914 | France and Great Britain declare war on Turkey. | |
1917 | General John Pershing leads U.S. troops into the first American action against German forces. | |
1930 | Sinclair Lewis becomes the first American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature for his novel Babbit. | |
1935 | Parker Brothers company launches "Monopoly," a game of real estate and capitalism. | |
1940 | President Franklin D. Roosevelt is re-elected for third term. | |
1968 | Richard Nixon is elected 37th president of the United States. | |
1968 | Shirley Chisholm of Brooklyn, New York, becomes the first elected African American woman to serve in the House of Representatives. | |
1995 | Andre Dallaire's attempt to assassinate Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien is foiled when the minister's wife locks the door. | |
2003 | Gary Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, pleads guilty to 48 counts of murder. | |
2006 | Former president of Iraq Saddam Hussein, along with Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, is sentenced to death for the massacre of 148 Shi'a Muslims in 1982. | |
2007 | Chang'e 1, China's first lunar satellite, begins its orbit of the moon. | |
2009 | The deadliest mass shooting at a US military installation occurs at Fort Hood, Texas, when US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan kills 13 and wounds 29. |
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A couple from the archives
Thanks to Clyde
About 28 mins of USN Aviation Carrier History.
U.S. NAVY 1969 AIRCRAFT CARRIER HISTORY FILM USS LANGLEY TO USS ENTERPRISE 21504
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Thanks to Carl
https://mailchi.mp/beyondbandofbrothers.com/the-mighty-periwinkle?e=eeed4d037b
Eric "Winkle" Brown, the Royal Navy's most decorated pilot
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On this day in 1947, the "Spruce Goose" flies for the first and only time. With a wingspan of 320 feet, it remains the largest airplane to ever take to the sky. Did you know that the largest plane ever flown was designed by Howard Hughes? And that it flew decades ago, in 1947?
The idea for the seaplane was born during World War II.
When the United States first entered World War II, the Battle of the Atlantic was in full swing. It was not going well. German U-boats were a formidable force, and they were sinking hundreds of Allied vessels. The difficult situation prompted an idea: What if Americans had something even bigger than a cargo plane? What if troops and supplies could be transported by large flying boats?
Soon, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser seized on the idea. He was then known for constructing huge hydroelectric dams and American Liberty ships. Now he proposed to build a fleet of flying boats, too.
Kaiser had just one problem: He had no experience in the aviation sector. At first, it seemed that his idea might flounder, but then two things swung in his favor: First, public pressure was building to do something. The casualties at sea kept climbing. Second, the renowned Howard Hughes agreed to help.
By September 1942, Kaiser and Hughes were authorized to begin building prototypes for the military, but they were also instructed not to use certain materials that were considered critical to the war effort. Hughes would have to figure out how to build the world's largest airplane—out of wood.
Critics began calling it the "Flying Lumberyard" or the "Spruce Goose," which irritated Hughes. The official name of the plane at that juncture was HK-1.
If only the plane had been finished in time to help with the war! But it wasn't. Everything took time. The vast majority of the plane would be made of birch, created through a special process of layering wood and bonding it together with heat, glue, and a layer of varnish. Moreover, new processes for bonding glue had to be developed for the immense plane. The seaplane itself was huge, a "monumental undertaking," as Hughes would say. When completed, it would have a wingspan of 320 feet and a length of 218 feet.
While the plane was in process, the nature of the war changed. Soon, the War Production Board began to question the necessity of the plane. "If we are going to keep abreast of development in aviation," Hughes responded, "then we must reconcile ourselves to the necessity of building bigger and bigger airplanes. This being true, why throw away the $14,000,00 already expended on the HK-1 and later start from scratch on another?"
Hughes' contract was reinstated in March 1944, but this time Kaiser was out. He and Hughes had not worked together well. Now that Kaiser was gone, the aircraft was renamed the Hughes H-4 Hercules.
You won't be surprised to hear that the long timeline began to spark congressional concern. Hughes was called to defend his work before a Senate committee in 1947. "I put the sweat of my life into this thing," he stormed to the committee. "I have my reputation rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it's a failure, I'll probably leave this country and never come back. And I mean it."
On November 2, Hughes was performing a taxi test in Long Beach Harbor. He took the plane 70 feet up in the air for about one minute before landing again on the water. It was a short, low flight, but he'd proven his critics wrong.
The war might be over, but his behemoth plane could, indeed, fly.
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Thanks to Dick
Subject: The Royal Marines defeat the US Marines at the 'Battle of the Mojave Desert' - American Thinker
Date: November 4, 2021 at 3:55:55 PM PDT
November 4, 2021
The Royal Marines defeat the US Marines at the 'Battle of the Mojave Desert'
The Marines occupy an almost mythic place in many Americans' minds as an invincible force that runs to the guns and fights no matter what. That's why it was so shocking to learn that, during a joint training exercise in the Mojave Desert, Britain's Royal Marines inflicted such a shellacking on the Americans that the latter had to surrender halfway through the exercise. This is a direct result of the Pentagon having gone woke under Obama — something that Trump failed to undo — followed by Biden doubling down on Obama's policies.
Marines used to be synonymous with dogged determination. Tripoli (1805), the Halls of Montezuma (1847), Belleau Wood (1918), Guadalcanal (1943), Iwo Jima (1945), Inchon (1950), Chosin Reservoir (1950), Khe Sanh (1968), Hue (1968), Fallujah (2004) — each of these names brings to us visions of Marines running to the gun, marching through the woods, slogging through the snow, fighting over volcanic islands, and never retreating, never stopping.
But the Marines have been in war nonstop since 2001, and that's a long time for a fighting force. At a certain point, rather than experience building them up and strengthening them, nonstop war wears men down. They lose their edge and their fire.
The American military has had another force bearing down on it that may be an even greater enemy than Islamists the world over. That force has been wokeism. Beginning with Obama, the American left has been using the military as a social justice experiment. According to James Hasson, author of Stand Down: How Social Justice Warriors Are Sabotaging America's Military, Obama purged the officer class of old-timers and brought in progressive ideologues.
Under their aegis, Navy ships went green (when they were just meant to be mean) and bore the names of well-known leftists (gay rights advocate and pederast Harvey Milk and socialist activist Cesar Chávez, who happened to hate illegal aliens).
Obama ended "don't ask, don't tell" in favor of openly homosexual military service and invited mentally ill so-called "transgender" people into the military to serve under their "identified" sexes. That policy, more than any, affected troop fitness and deployability.
At the military academies, the focus wasn't on military history, tactics, and strategy; it was Critical Race Theory, gender theory, and anti-Americanism. The elite Rangers were forced to lower their physical standards so that women could be admitted.
The Marines were especially hard hit. Janet Levy summarized Hasson's findings:
When Marine infantry units integrated women, the male-female units had higher injury rates, slower casualty-evacuation times, poorer marksmanship skills, poorer preparation of fortified fighting positions and overall lower battle-essential skill sets than all-male units. Although all-male units outperformed coed units in 70% of combat tasks and mixed units were not recommended, Obama still issued a directive to integrate the Marine Corps infantry companies. Hasson characterizes this policy as "fulfilling the dreams of progressive ideologues at the expense of a service member's life."
The Trump presidency provided a brief respite on transgenderism but did nothing else to undo the damage that Obama's eight years wove into the military warp and woof. And when Biden came on board, he doubled down on wokeism, including Critical Race Theory and reinstating those transgender troops.
I don't need to remind you of Lloyd Austin's 60-day stand-down or Milley's obsession with "white rage," both of which allowed the Pentagon to purge people who aren't on board with the left's agenda. They've further purged people through the vaccine mandate. Add to that the disgusting and demoralizing retreat from Afghanistan, and perhaps you won't be at all surprised with the story of the Marines' loss in the "Battle of the Mohave Desert":
Royal Marines commandos 'dominated' US troops and forced them into a humiliating surrender just days into a mass training exercise in the Mojave desert, it has been revealed today.
British forces took part in a five-day mock battle at the US Marine Corps' Twentynine Palms base in southern California, one of the largest military training areas in the world, and achieved a decisive victory against their American counterparts.
The Royal Marines, along with allied forces from Canada, the Netherlands and the UAE, destroyed or rendered inoperable nearly every US asset and finished the exercise holding more than 65 per cent of the training area, after beginning with less than 20 per cent.
Combatants used paintball-style training ammunition, which fires with reduced pressure and velocity, along with hi-tech simulators for heavier firepower like artillery, and live ammo on expansive ranges.
Seeing no opportunity for victory, American combatants asked for the exercise to be 'reset' halfway through the five-day exercise, having taken significant casualties from British commandos.
That training loss transcends mere embarrassment. The leftist obsession with wokeism to the exclusion of battle readiness is bearing fruit. With the Chinese massively increasing their military technology (including that hypersonic missile); increasing the pressure for manly, aggressive men; and rattling the saber against Taiwan and Australia, the fact that our Marines couldn't survive a paintball battle is just devastating news for America's national security and for the free world generally.
Image by Andrea Widburg.
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Thanks to Micro
Seems like a good time to re-circulate an oldie but goodie:
The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel.
Beer required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture.
Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
The wheel was invented to get man to the beer and vice versa. These two were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
1. Liberals.
2. Conservatives.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BBQ at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.
Other men who were less skilled at hunting (called 'vegetarians' which was an early human word meaning 'bad hunter') learned to live off the Conservatives by showing up for the nightly BBQ's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hairdressing. This was the beginning of the liberal movement.
Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that Conservatives provided.
Over the years Conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass for obvious reasons.
Most college professors, social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, film makers in Hollywood, group therapists and community organizers are liberals. Liberals meddled in our national pastime and invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.
Conservatives drink real beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are members of the military, big game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, engineers, corporate executives, athletes, airline pilots, and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other Conservatives who want to work for a living.
Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when Conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.
Here ends today's lesson in world history. It should be noted that a liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to this post.
A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be shared immediately to other true believers and also to just irritate a bunch of liberals.
And there you have it. Let your next action reveal your true self, I'm going to grab a few beers and grill some steaks! Right after I forward this message.
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This Day in U S Military History
1782 – The Continental Congress elected John Hanson of Maryland its chairman, giving him the title of "President of the United States in Congress Assembled." Hanson was born in Charles county, Maryland, in 1715; died in Oxen Hills, Prince George County, Maryland, 22 November,
1783. He received an English education, and was a member of the Maryland house of delegates nearly every year from 1757 till 1781. He removed to Frederick county in 1773, was an active patriot, and in 1775 was treasurer of the county. About that time he was commissioned by the Maryland convention to establish a gun-lock factory at Frederick. On 9 October, 1776. he was one of a committee to go to the camp of the Maryland troops in New Jersey, "with power to appoint officers and to encourage the re-enlistment of the Maryland militia.", he was a delegate to the United States in Congress Assembled from 1781 till his death. President Hanson served one year as the US President and in that capacity gave Washington the thanks of congress for the victory at Yorktown. President Hanson was the first to utilize the title President of the United States in Congress Assembled. As the President of United States in Congress Assembled, Hanson was responsible for initiating a number of programs that helped American gain a world position. During his tenure the first consular service was established, a post office department was initiated, a national bank was chartered, progress was made towards taking the first census, and a uniform system of coinage was adopted. As "President," Hanson also signed a treaty with Holland affirming the indebtedness of the United States for a loan from that country. In addition, he signed all laws, regulations, official papers, and letters.
1895 – George B. Selden received a patent for his gasoline-powered automobile, first conceived of when he was an infantryman in the American Civil War. After 16 years of delay, United States Patent No. 549,160 was finally issued to Selden for a machine he originally termed a "road-locomotive" and later would call a "road engine." His design resembled a horse-drawn carriage, with high wheels and a buckboard, and was described by Selden as "light in weight, easy to control and possessed of sufficient power to overcome any ordinary incline." With the granting of the patent, Selden, whose unpractical automotive designs were generally far behind other innovators in the field, nevertheless won a monopoly on the concept of combining an internal combustion engine with a carriage. Although Selden never became an auto manufacturer himself, every other automaker would have to pay Selden and his licensing company a significant percentage of their profits for the right to construct a motor car, even though their automobiles rarely resembled Selden's designs in anything but abstract concept. In 1903, the newly created Ford Motor Company, which refused to pay royalties to Selden's licensing company, was sued for infringement on the patent. Thus began one of the most celebrated litigation cases in the history of the automotive industry, ending in 1909 when a New York court upheld the validity of Selden's patent. Henry Ford and his increasingly powerful company appealed the decision, and in 1911, the New York Court of Appeals again ruled in favor of Selden's patent, but with a twist: the patent was held to be restricted to the particular outdated construction it described. In 1911, every important automaker used a motor significantly different from that described in Selden's patent, and major manufacturers like the Ford Motor Company never paid Selden another dime
1945 – Ensign Jake C. West (VF-41) makes first jet landing on board a carrier, USS Wake Island (CVE-65).
2005 – Operation Steel Curtain was a military endeavor executed by coalition forces in early November 2005 to reduce the flow of foreign insurgents crossing the border and joining the Iraqi insurgency. The operation was important in that it was the first large scale deployment of the New Iraqi Army. This offensive was part of the larger Operation Sayeed (Hunter), designed to prevent al Qaeda in Iraq from operating in the Euphrates River Valley and throughout Al Anbar and to establish a permanent Iraqi Army presence in the Al Qa'im region. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines and 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines began their assault on insurgent-held Karabilah, and had cleared the city four days later. Then on 6 November the coalition forces began to attack the city of Husaybah and pursue any insurgents who fled Karabilah. After four more days of fighting in Husaybah, the coalition troops launched another phase of the operation into the city of Ubaydi, an insurgent haven and site of the earlier Operation Matador. The fortified city fell to coalition forces after seven days of fighting, bringing a conclusion to Operation Steel Curtain. The assault on Sadah and a small portion of Karabilah was known as "Operation: Iron Fist". The assault of Husaybah and Karabilah was "Operation: Steel Curtain". So named because the resident leader of anti-coalition forces, al-Zarqawi, said they would hold onto Husaybah with an "iron fist". Named by Coalition Commanders, "Operation Steel Curtain", was a hardened sweep and clear mission hence "steel curtain" because American and New Iraqi Army flooded the two cities, and closed and secured the objective like a curtain made of steel.
2006 – Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, and his co-defendants Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar are sentenced to death in the al-Dujail trial for the role in the massacre of the 148 Shi'a Muslims in 1982. Reactions to the verdicts against Saddam and his compatriots vary with approval from some areas, particularly Iran and Shi'a regions of Iraq, but condemnation of the trial and process from some other quarters of the Muslim world. United States officials called it "a good day for the Iraqi people". The European Union, while welcoming the guilty verdicts, expresses its opposition to the imposition of the death penalty on humanitarian grounds.
2009 – US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan kills 13 and wounds 29 at Fort Hood, Texas in the deadliest mass shooting at a US military installation.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*RED CLOUD, MITCHELL, JR.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U S. Army, Company E, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Chonghyon, Korea, 5 November 1950. Entered service at: Merrilan Wis. Born: 2 July 1924, Hatfield, Wis. G.O. No.: 26, 25 April 1951. Citation: Cpl. Red Cloud, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. From his position on the point of a ridge immediately in front of the company command post he was the first to detect the approach of the Chinese Communist forces and give the alarm as the enemy charged from a brush-covered area less than 100 feet from him. Springing up he delivered devastating pointblank automatic rifle fire into the advancing enemy. His accurate and intense fire checked this assault and gained time for the company to consolidate its defense. With utter fearlessness he maintained his firing position until severely wounded by enemy fire. Refusing assistance he pulled himself to his feet and wrapping his arm around a tree continued his deadly fire again, until he was fatally wounded. This heroic act stopped the enemy from overrunning his company's position and gained time for reorganization and evacuation of the wounded. Cpl. Red Cloud's dauntless courage and gallant self-sacrifice reflects the highest credit upon himself and upholds the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army.
BAKER, JOHN F., JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 5 November 1966. Entered service at: Moline, Ill. Born: 30 October 1945, Davenport, Iowa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. En route to assist another unit that was engaged with the enemy, Company A came under intense enemy fire and the lead man was killed instantly. Sgt. Baker immediately moved to the head of the column and together with another soldier knocked out 2 enemy bunkers. When his comrade was mortally wounded, Sgt. Baker, spotting 4 Viet Cong snipers, killed all of them, evacuated the fallen soldier and returned to lead repeated assaults against the enemy positions, killing several more Viet Cong. Moving to attack 2 additional enemy bunkers, he and another soldier drew intense enemy fire and Sgt. Baker was blown from his feet by an enemy grenade. He quickly recovered and single-handedly destroyed 1 bunker before the other soldier was wounded. Seizing his fallen comrade's machine gun, Sgt. Baker charged through the deadly fusillade to silence the other bunker. He evacuated his comrade, replenished his ammunition and returned to the forefront to brave the enemy fire and continue the fight. When the forward element was ordered to withdraw, he carried 1 wounded man to the rear. As he returned to evacuate another soldier, he was taken under fire by snipers, but raced beyond the friendly troops to attack and kill the snipers. After evacuating the wounded man, he returned to cover the deployment of the unit. His ammunition now exhausted, he dragged 2 more of his fallen comrades to the rear. Sgt. Baker's selfless heroism, indomitable fighting spirit, and extraordinary gallantry were directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades, and inflicting serious damage on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
FOLEY, ROBERT F.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Quan Dau Tieng, Republic of Vietnam, 5 November 1966. Entered service at: Newton, Mass. Born: 30 May 1941, Newton, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Foley's company was ordered to extricate another company of the battalion. Moving through the dense jungle to aid the besieged unit, Company A encountered a strong enemy force occupying well concealed, defensive positions, and the company's leading element quickly sustained several casualties. Capt. Foley immediately ran forward to the scene of the most intense action to direct the company's efforts. Deploying 1 platoon on the flank, he led the other 2 platoons in an attack on the enemy in the face of intense fire. During this action both radio operators accompanying him were wounded. At grave risk to himself he defied the enemy's murderous fire, and helped the wounded operators to a position where they could receive medical care. As he moved forward again 1 of his machine gun crews was wounded. Seizing the weapon, he charged forward firing the machine gun, shouting orders and rallying his men, thus maintaining the momentum of the attack. Under increasingly heavy enemy fire he ordered his assistant to take cover and, alone, Capt. Foley continued to advance firing the machine gun until the wounded had been evacuated and the attack in this area could be resumed. When movement on the other flank was halted by the enemy's fanatical defense, Capt. Foley moved to personally direct this critical phase of the battle. Leading the renewed effort he was blown off his feet and wounded by an enemy grenade. Despite his painful wounds he refused medical aid and persevered in the forefront of the attack on the enemy redoubt. He led the assault on several enemy gun emplacements and, single-handedly, destroyed 3 such positions. His outstanding personal leadership under intense enemy fire during the fierce battle which lasted for several hours, inspired his men to heroic efforts and was instrumental in the ultimate success of the operation. Capt. Foley's magnificent courage, selfless concern for his men and professional skill reflect the utmost credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 5, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
5 November
1908: At a dinner in his honor in France, Wilbur Wright received the Grand Gold Medal of the Aero Club of France, a medal from the Academy of Sports, and 5,000 francs, which he had won on 30 September 1908 in an air show. (24)
1912: Through 13 November, the Army used aircraft to make artillery adjustments for the first time at Fort Riley, Kans. In this demonstration, Capt Frederick B. Hennessy, Lt Henry H. Arnold, and Lt Thomas DeWitt Milling signaled the ground with radiotelegraphy, drop cards, and smoke signals. (21)
1943: The 56 FG (P-47s) became the first Eighth Air Force fighter group credited with 100 enemy aircraft destroyed. (4)
1944: B-29s attacked Singapore in its first bombing since the Japanese captured it in February 1942.
1950: KOREAN WAR. FEAF dispatched 21 B-29s of the 19 BG to begin incendiary bomb attacks on North Korean cities and towns. They dropped 170 tons of fire bombs on Kanggye, near the Chinese border, and destroyed 65 percent of the town's center. (28)
1958: The Air Force and Army signed an interservice agreement that gave the Air Force responsibility for the employment of the Jupiter missile. (6)
1971: Through 3 December, Elgen Long set an international speed record over both poles, flying from and returning to San Francisco. He covered the 38,896 miles in 28 days 43 minutes.
1981: The 388 ECS at Mountain Home AFB received the first EF-111A defense suppression aircraft. It replaced the EB-66 and EB-57 in the suppression role. (16) (26)
1984: TAC received its first F-16C/D Fighting Falcon at Luke AFB. (16)
2002: An F/A-22 Raptor from the AFFTC at Edwards AFB conducted its first supersonic guided missile launch by firing an AIM-20 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile against a high altitude, high Mach target over the Pacific Missile Test Range. The An F-4 launched the target missile at 51,000 feet, and it was traveling above Mach 2. (3)
2005: The Air Force rolled out the TH-1H helicopter at Randolph AFB, home of AETC's pilot instructor training. The TH-1H, the latest version of the UH-1H Huey, received extensive refurbishment with upgraded components, a new avionics suite, and a glass cockpit. (AFNEWS Article, "Air Force Introduces a New Helicopter for Pilot Training," 31 October 2005)
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World News for 5 November thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Leadership Of Connecticut Sub Fired Over Undersea Collision U.S. Navy | 11/05/2021 The top officers and enlisted leaders on the attack submarine involved in a collision with an uncharted undersea mount last month have been relieved of command, reports the U.S. Navy. On Oct. 2, USS Connecticut (SSN-22) struck an uncharted underwater seamount in international waters in the South China Sea. On Thursday, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, the 7th Fleet commander, relieved the commanding officer, Cmdr. Cameron Aljilani, executive officer Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Cashin, and Master Chief Sonar Technician Cory Rodgers, the chief of the boat. Thomas said that "sound judgement, prudent decision-making and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch team execution and risk management could have prevented the incident." The USS Connecticut remains in Guam, where she is undergoing a damage assessment. The boat will head to Bremerton, Wash., for repairs, reported USNI News. The bow of the sub hit the seamount, damaging its ballast tanks.
USA—Artillery Command To Stand Up In Germany | 11/05/2021 U.S. Army Europe and Africa says it is reactivating the 56th Artillery Command. On Nov. 8, the Artillery Command, the fires command for the European theater, will be reactivated during a ceremony in Wiesbaden, Germany, U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced on Wednesday. The unit will be headquartered in Mainz-Kastel, Germany. Maj. Gen. Stephen Maranian will serve as its commanding officer. The 56th Artillery Command will plan and coordinate the employment of multidomain fires and effects to support U.S. Army Europe and Africa and a Combined Joint Force Land Component Command. It will also improve readiness and multinational interoperability by integrating joint and multinational fires during theater operations and exercises. The 56th Field Artillery Command was previously active in Europe from 1986 to 1991, when it served as the Theater Pershing Missile Headquarters. It was deactivated in June 1991 following the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
USA—97 Percent Of Active Duty Dept. Of Air Force Personnel Vaccinated Air Force Magazine | 11/05/2021 About 97 percent of Air and Space Force personnel have received at least one dose of the novel coronavirus vaccine, reports Air Force magazine. As of the Nov. 3 deadline, 95.9 percent of active-duty airmen and guardians were fully vaccinated, and 1 percent were partially vaccinated. A total of 10,352 personnel were unvaccinated, including 1,634 who had received a medical exemption; 232 with an administrative exemption; 4,933 seeking a religious exemption; 2,753 who had not started the process; and 800 who had refused to be vaccinated. None of the applications for religious exemptions had been granted as of the deadline. Personnel who refuse to be vaccinated may be separated from the military, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The Air Force has the earliest deadline for active-duty personnel to be vaccinated. The Navy and Marine Corps have a deadline at the end of November and the Army in mid-December, noted the New York Times. As of Nov. 1, the Navy was 99 percent vaccinated; 93 percent of active-duty Marines and 90 percent of active-duty soldiers had received the vaccine. Civilian Dept. of Defense employees are required to be vaccinated by Nov. 22.
NATO—Romania, Ukraine Call For Greater Allied Presence In Black Sea Defense News | 11/05/2021 Romania and Ukraine say more forces are needed in the Black Sea region in response to Russia's military buildup there, reports Defense News. Ambassadors from each country sent separate letters to the U.S. Senate's Europe and Regional Security Cooperation subcommittee ahead of hearings last week. Ukrainian Amb. Oksana Markarova noted that Russia has established a large anti-access/area-denial (A2AD) zone on the Black Sea and warned that increased militarization of the region threatens countries beyond the coastal nations. Moscow uses the area as a springboard for its operations in Syria, she said. Romanian Amb. Andrei Muraru called on the U.S. to increase its ground, air and naval presence in the region, including a command-and-control structure. Both ambassadors called for a stronger NATO forward presence on the Black Sea similar to that implemented in the Baltic Sea region.
Canada—Military Sexual Misconduct Investigations To Transfer To Civilian Justice System Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | 11/05/2021 Defense Minister Anita Anand is shifting the authority to investigate and prosecute sexual misconduct in the military to civilians, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. On Thursday, Defense Minister Anita Anand announced that all such cases would be handled by the civilian justice system in line with a recommendation from retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, who is heading a review into the military's handling of sexual harassment and misconduct following a series of scandals. Arbour recommended that officers continue to investigate allegations in parallel with civilian justice efforts. Anand has not indicated when the change would enter effect. The government has also not decided if it will be permanent. Arbour initially recommended transferring cases to the civilian justice system on an interim basis.
Spain—Deal Inked With Philippines To Enhance Intel-Sharing Daily Tribune | 11/05/2021 The Spanish and Philippine governments have finalized an agreement to strengthen intelligence-sharing, reports the Daily Tribune (Manila). On Thursday, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles and her Philippine counterpart, Delfin Lorenzana, signed the accord on protecting classified defense information in Madrid. The ministers also discussed Indo-Pacific cooperation, climate change and multilateral cooperation and pledged to deepen defense cooperation and military personnel exchanges.
Poland—Belarusian Representative Summoned Over Armed Incursion Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs | 11/05/2021 The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a Belarusian diplomat to file a protest after an armed group crossed the border into Poland this week. Overnight into Nov. 2, an unidentified group of uniformed men with long guns crossed into Polish territory from Belarus, the ministry said. On Tuesday, the ministry summoned the Belarusian charge d'affairs in Warsaw to formally protest the incident and demand an explanation. Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk said that Belarusian authorities have in recent weeks taken actions that increasingly suggest a deliberate escalation. Poland deems these acts unacceptable and will not tolerate them, he said. Warsaw will defend its borders and the external borders of the European Union, said the minister.
Turkey—Government Denies Reports That Russian Air Defenses Deployed At Incirlik Daily Sabah | 11/05/2021 The Turkish government has denied a report that it moved a controversial Russian air defense system to an airbase where U.S. and NATO forces are stationed, reports the Daily Sabah (Istanbul). On Wednesday, Sky News Arabia reported that S-400 air defense batteries were deployed to Incirlik Airbase, citing U.S. Defense Dept. officials. Turkish defense officials quickly denied those reports. Incirlik is a regional hub for U.S. forces and supports personnel rotations with Turkish permission. The Turkish acquisition of the Russian S-400 system has been controversial, leading to its expulsion from the F-35 fighter program and U.S. sanctions.
Turkey—Katmerciler Wins Another African Order For Armored Vehicles Daily Sabah | 11/05/2021 Turkish armored vehicle manufacturer Katmerciler has finalized a deal with an unspecified African country, reports the Daily Sabah (Istanbul). The sale could be worth up to US$6.32 million, according to open sources. The number and type of vehicles involved was not disclosed. Deliveries are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022. Katmerciler has previously exported Hizir and Khan vehicles to African countries.
Ukraine—Lawmakers Approve New Defense Minister Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 11/05/2021 The Ukrainian Parliament has approved former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Reznikov as defense minister, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. On Thursday, 273 of 450 lawmakers voted in favor of Reznikov. Seventy-four abstained. Reznikov, 55, was appointed after Andriy Taran resigned, citing health reasons, reported Agence France-Presse. Taran was criticized for poor management of the armed forces. Reznikov previously led the working political subgroup at the Trilateral Contact Group, which has tried to resolve the conflict with Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Finland—Pohjanmaa-Class Corvette Program Pushed Back Naval News | 11/05/2021 The Finnish navy's corvette program has been delayed another six to 12 months, reports Naval News. Earlier this week, Maj. Gen. Lauri Puranen, the Squadron 2020 program director, announced that Rauma Marine Construction needed more time to complete design work. The six- to 12-month delay would push back the completion of the four corvettes, but efforts would be made to complete the squadron by the original 2028 deadline. The project schedule included significant margin, with two years planned to complete the design. Under the original schedule, construction was slated to begin in 2022, with all four corvettes to be completed in 2025. The Pohjanmaa class will replace seven ships now in Finnish service: the Pohjanmaa- and Hameenmaa-class minelayers and four Rauma-class missile boats.
Saudi Arabia—Air-To-Air Missiles Sought From U.S. To Replenish Stocks U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency | 11/05/2021 The U.S. State Dept. has approved a potential sale of air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia, reports the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The proposed US$650 million deal covers 280 AIM-120C7/C8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs); 596 LAU-128 missile rail launchers; containers; spare and repair parts; and associated technical and logistics support. The possible deal would improve Saudi Arabia's ability to meet current and future threats by increasing its stocks of medium-range air-to-air missiles, the agency said. The AMRAAMs will be fielded with Saudi air force Eurofighter Typhoons, F-15C/D, F-15S and F-15SA fighter jets.
Libya—Turkey Rotates Syrian Mercenaries In Libya Syrian Observatory for Human Rights | 11/05/2021 Turkey has sent a new batch of Syrian mercenaries to Libya to replace other fighters there, reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (London). On Tuesday, 150 Syrian mercenaries traveled to Libya from Turkey. They replaced 150 other fighters who returned to Syria and Turkey, the observatory said. The replacement comes shortly after such rotations in Libya had stopped. The presence of foreign mercenaries in Libya is a key aspect of negotiations to end the conflict. The 5 + 5 Joint Military Committee is trying to end the presence of foreign fighters in Libya under the support and supervision of the U.N. All foreign fighters are expected to leave before presidential elections scheduled for Dec. 24.
Niger—Dozens Killed In Militant Ambush In Southwest Agence France-Presse | 11/05/2021 Militants have attacked a self-defense force in southwestern Niger, killing dozens, reports Agence France-Presse. On Tuesday, gunmen attacked the local defense force in the village of Adab-Dab, which is about 32 miles (55 km) from Banibangou, the Nigerien Interior Ministry said Thursday. The mayor of the Banibangou district, who led the Vigilance Committees self-defense force, was among those killed in the attack. There were about 60 dead and nine missing after the attack, sources said. The militants carried their dead with them back to Mali. The defense force had been recently established following a string of assaults on farm workers in remote fields. Security forces launched an operation to pursue the attackers. Sources said that Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) was behind the attack.
Mozambique—European Training Mission Kicks Off Defence Web | 11/05/2021 A European Union mission in Mozambique has gotten underway, reports Defence Web (South Africa). The E.U. Military Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM Mozambique) began in earnest this week. Training has begun at the Katembe Independent Fusiliers Company in Maputo, the capital, according to Mozambican media. The mission is expected to ramp up to its full strength of 140 instructors across two training centers by the end of the year. One center will be dedicated to commandos and the other to marines. The European mission is expected to train more than 1,000 Mozambican soldiers, noncommissioned officers and officers over the next two years. The first two Mozambican companies trained by the EUTM are expected to deploy by February 2022. The E.U. Council approved the training mission in July.
Venezuela—ICC To Investigate Potential Crimes Against Humanity During 2017 Crackdown British Broadcasting Corp. | 11/05/2021 The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating possible crimes against humanity that may have been committed during a crackdown on anti-government protests in Venezuela, reports BBC News. On Wednesday, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced that he was opening the investigation, expanding on a preliminary probe begun in 2018, reported Reuters. The investigation will look at potential crimes committed during the crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2017 that killed more than 100 people. Demonstrations began after the Venezuelan Supreme Court decided to dissolve the National Assembly that was dominated by the opposition. According to the ICC, there is reason believe government officials committed crimes against humanity. The Venezuelan government said in a memorandum of understanding with the ICC that it did not believe that an investigation was justified.
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