The List 6055 TGB
Good Monday Morning April 4 2022
I hope that you all had a great weekend.
Regards,
Skip
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
April 4
1776
Continental Navy Frigate Columbus captures the British schooner HMS Hawk, making the first American capture of a British armed vessel. Columbus later captures the British brig Bolton.
1854
American and British naval brigades of 90 and 150 men engage Chinese Imperial troops at Shanghai after acts of aggression against American and British citizens. The American party fell under the command of Cmdr. J. Kelly, the commanding officer of USS Plymouth.
1933
USS Akron (ZRS-4)crashes tail-first into the sea due to a violent storm coming off the New Jersey coast, killing Rear Adm. William A. Moffett, Medal of Honor recipient and the first Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, along with 75 others. Only three survive.
1943
USS Porpoise (SS 172) sinks the Japanese whaling ship Koa Maru near Eniwetok.
1949
The North Atlantic Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The treaty promotes peace, stability, and well-being in the North Atlantic area with a collective defense effort.
1981
USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG 29) is launched and commissioned the following year. She is named in honor of Ensign Groves for "fearlessly plunging into aerial combat against large formations of enemy aircraft threatening the American carriers in the Battle of Midway."
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in World History
April 4
527 In Constantinople, Justin, seriously ill, crowns his nephew Justinian as his co-emperor.
1581 Francis Drake completes circumnavigation of the world.
1812 The territory of Orleans becomes the 18th state and will become known as Louisiana.
1818 The United States flag is declared to have 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars.
1841 President William Henry Harrison, aged 68, becomes the first president to die in office, just a month after being sworn in.
1862 The Battle of Yorktown begins as Union gen. George B. McClellan closes in on Richmond, Va.
1917 The U.S. Senate votes 90-6 to enter World War I on Allied side.
1918 The Battle of the Somme ends.
1941 Field Marshal Erwin Rommel captures the British held town of Benghazi in North Africa.
1949 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaty is signed.
1968 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
1974 Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth's home-run record.
1979 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the president of Pakistan is executed.
1985 A coup in Sudan ousts President Nimeiry and replaces him with General Dahab.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Mike
A good piece of writing from a witty Aussie, with tongue in cheek
Maybe tongue in cheek, but pretty accurate.
This is a fast, must read. Best I've seen.
Well written piece on the shape the World finds it in today
Painfully accurate, an article from "The Specie."
Will the West's obsession with Woke survive war in Europe? Or will Putin's missiles finally explode the Never-Never Land of unreality in which we have been living?
It's early days, of course, but so far, the West's mythical land of prancing unicorns looks bulletproof.
Even as rockets rained down on Ukraine, Western elites worried about how the war would affect lgbtq, as if Putin might have developed queer-seeking missiles.
Others voiced concern that grandparents huddled in bomb shelters beneath the pockmarked streets of Kiev might not be social distancing.
The New York Times lamented that few of the Ukrainians fleeing for their lives were wearing masks. They probably weren't triple-boosted either. And God forbid any of them were shot dead without first using a QR-code to check out.
Meanwhile, former US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed dismay at what he called the 'emissions consequences' of war in Europe. He would presumably be far more comfortable with the Russian invasion had their tanks first met strict European emission standards.
Kerry said he hoped Vladimir Putin would 'stay on track' with fighting climate change while fighting the Ukrainians. We can only hope the Russian army will sort the plastics from the metal bomb casings when they get around to removing corpses from the battlefield.
And here in Australia, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews lit up Melbourne in the Ukrainian colors as 'a show of support.' If that doesn't work, he will likely deploy a hashtag.
And if China invades Taiwan, he will (of course) paint the town red.
Those who say cockroaches are the only things that will survive a nuclear holocaust are wrong. On the evidence available so far, Woke – that virus of the mind which has turned Westerners into mindless, unicorn-chasing simpletons – will probably survive as well.
The Russians may well destroy Europe, and China may well dominate the Pacific, but they will never kill our stupid!
Nothing better illustrates the disconnect between the imaginary world of the West and the cold, hard reality that is right now marching toward Kiev than the fact that, just three weeks before the invasion, British troops were spending a day 'reflecting on inclusivity'.
At the very moment Putin was surrounding Ukraine with rocket launchers, British soldiers were taking a break from tiresome military exercises to discuss 'unacceptable behaviors' such as bullying, sexual harassment, and racism.
Doesn't Putin know we have the most diverse, equitable, tolerant and trans-inclusive militaries in the history of the world?
And he's still messing with us?
If all of Europe descends into war, the Brits might not win, but by God they will be the best-behaved losers in military history. If only Putin would challenge us to a 'Celebrate Diversity Day', we'd kick his ass.
Western armies may well comprise the nicest soldiers you could ever meet on a battlefield. Just ask the Taliban.
'Oh, you'd like a Black Hawk helicopter, would you? Here, have 33! And would you like Humvees with that? Have 27.'
Little wonder that, after watching American soldiers run away from a bunch of Afghani goat herders, Vladimir Putin decided to try his luck.
It's not by accident that the acronym for the West's favorite things – diversity, inclusion, and equity – is DIE.
Putin wants to fight. So much toxic masculinity.
If our military leaders want to discuss 'unacceptable behaviors', they might like to talk about their total unpreparedness for conflict.
For decades now, we in the West have imagined we lived in a post-war world. Conflict was, like, so last century.
With the loss of Christianity, we lost the doctrine of original sin; the idea that human beings – while made in the image of God – are fallen and so have a propensity toward evil. Instead of preparing for the inevitability of conflict, we embraced the illusion of the brotherhood of man and the perfectibility of mankind.
Singing John Lennon's Imagine – as only a decadent culture would – we slashed defense spending so that we could focus instead on welfare and aged pensions and pet projects like wind turbines that, incidentally, would be a great defence if only Putin would invade using pigeons.
What soldiers we did bother funding, we trained as peacekeepers to win hearts and minds rather than as warriors to kill the enemy. Violence is nasty, you see. And so unnecessary.
We are the 'Defund the Police' generation, remember. We cannot imagine a problem that can't be solved by people holding hands in a circle and singing Kumbaya. Or by sitting down with a social worker who has a PhD in gender studies.
And so the German army has, in recent times, taken to conducting military exercises using broomsticks as guns. Why not? It's not like we'd ever need guns in our mythical world of love and rainbows.
Germany's chief of land forces, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais wrote this week on his Linkedin page, 'I would not have thought I would have had to experience war.'
But while we have been busy beating our swords into broomsticks, Putin and Xi Jinping and the Mullahs and Kim Jong-un have rationed their population's pruning hooks in order to afford more spears.
Western elites have allowed a situation in which wealthy countries rummage around in the broom cupboard for something with which to defend themselves while basket case nations have nuclear weapons. What did they think was going to happen?
The Ukraine today. Taiwan tomorrow. And God only knows what comes after that.
The West will impose sanctions (provided they don't cost us too much), but Putin has a war chest of billions.
The West will light up monuments, but thanks to a scowling Swedish schoolgirl, Putin controls the West's energy supplies.
The West will appeal to 'international law', but it can only be upheld by force. And we stopped believing in force years ago.
The West will try to galvanise the much talked about 'international community', but no such community exists. Pakistan president Imran Khan, a supposed Western ally, visited Putin last week declaring it 'an exciting time'. And just watch the so-called international community rush to cut sweet deals with Xi Jinping if China succeeds in snatching Taiwan.
The West will look to the European Union, but the bureaucrats in Brussels are committed to the elimination of nation-states. Meanwhile, Europe is an idea of elites that the man on the street is not prepared to die for.
The West will appeal to the United Nations, but the UN Security Council was chaired by Russia at the very time Russia was invading Ukraine. The UN General Assembly's most likely response to Russia invading Ukraine is to agree on harsh sanctions against Israel.
On and on it goes.
We have lived in a world of illusion. And now reality is hitting us like a rocket. But will it be enough to make us finally realize that the real world is where the monsters are?
You can follow James on Twitter. You can order his new book Notes from Woketopia here.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
… For The List for Monday, 4 April 2022 Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 4 April 1967… Making page 1 of the NYT the hard way… Also, 500th aircraft lost in 25th month of Rolling Thunder ops… 390 aviators killed, captured or MIA…
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Inflation
Feeling depressed as it seems at this time we have brought back the 1918 pandemic, 1973 gas lines, and 1980 inflation……all at the same time.
Inflation is really getting out of hand. That's just my 3 cents.
Submitted by Susie DeHardt:
These examples do not imply that gasoline is cheap; it just illustrates how outrageous some prices are.
• Diet Snapple, 16 oz , $1.29... $10.32 per gallon!
• Starbuck's Reg. Coffee 16 oz, $2.10... $16.80 per gallon!
• Lipton Ice Tea, 16 oz , $1.19... $9.52 per gallon!
• Gatorade, 20 oz , $1.59... $10.17 per gallon!
• Ocean Spray, 16 oz , $1.25... $10.00 per gallon!
• Brake Fluid, 12 oz , $3.15... $33.60 per gallon!
• Vick's Nyquil, 6 oz , $8.35... $178.13 per gallon!
• Pepto Bismol, 4 oz, $3.85.. $123.20 per gallon!
• Whiteout, 7 oz , $1.39... $25.42 per gallon!
• Scope, 1.5 oz , $0.99.. $84.48 per gallon!
• Evian water, 9 oz , $1.49... $21.19 per gallon! (Evian spelled backwards is Naive.)
Ever wonder why computer printers are so cheap? So they can hook you for the ink. Someone calculated the cost of the ink at $5,200 a gallon.
So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on water, Scope, Whiteout, Pepto Bismol, Nyquil, or printer ink!!!!
There's the story of an old lady selling pretzels for 25 cents on a corner in New York. Every day a young man passes her at lunchtime and drops a quarter in the cup but doesn't take a pretzel. She never says a word.
He does this for three years, until one day he drops the quarter in her cup and she finally speaks. "They're 35 cents now."
Submitted by Skip Leonard:
Here is how bad the economy is:
• My neighbor got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
• CEOs are now playing miniature golf.
• Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
• I saw a Mormon with only one wife.
• McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
• Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America.
• Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
• A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico.
• A picture is now only worth 200 words.
• When Bill and Hillary travel together, they now have to share a room.
• The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates.
• And, finally...I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Hotline. I got a call center in Afghanistan, and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.
I found a used football in a second hand store. I picked it up and took it to the counter. "How much is this?" I asked
"That'll be $5" said the owner. "Would you like me to pump it up for you?"
"Of course, thanks a lot!" I replied.
So, he got a small pump from under the counter and in a few seconds the ball was as good as new.
"Ok, all done" he said. "That'll be $10 please".
"$10!!!??!!" I replied. "But you said $5 just now".
He looked up and said "Sorry. Inflation".
"What is inflation?" asked the wife
"Initially you were 36-24-36, and now you're 48-40-48. So technically, you have more than you had earlier, but your value is less than earlier. This is inflation"
Fiddy Cent just had a kid. They named him after his father but adjusted for inflation. They call him Buck Fiddy.
Due to inflation a man had to carry a wheelbarrow filled with $1 billion dollars, all in $1 bills. All the banks had failed so he has to store his money in a wheelbarrow.
He rolls the wheelbarrow around town looking for things to buy with his enormous amount of money. He can't buy anything since even the simplest thing like an apple or a banana cost $2 billion dollars
One day he meets a fellow who ask where he is going with this wheelbarrow filled with cash. The man says he is going to sleep in a barn that way away from the town.
When it is dusk, the man falls asleep with all the money intact in his wheelbarrow. However when it is dawn, the man awakes and finds his money all there, not a single bill untouched. But his wheelbarrow was gone
Apple really is the most futuristic company out there. They have already adjusted their prices for the next 50 years of inflation!
If inflation continues, we may experience the following:
• Food prices are so high it's cheaper to eat money.
• Prices have gone up so much there's a supermarket near us that rents meat
• Families that used to feed the dog the leftovers are now fighting him for Alpo.
• Restaurants are substituting cheaper cuts of meat. The other night I ordered a steak and I got the part of the bull the Matador never sees.
Keep smiling and have a great week,
Al
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History April 4
1776 – The first Columbus, a 24-gun armed ship, was built at Philadelphia in
1774 as Sally; purchased for the Continental Navy in November 1775, Captain Abraham Whipple in command. Between 17 February and 8 April 1776, in company with the other ships of Commodore Esek Hopkins' squadron, Columbus took part in the expedition to New Providence, Bahamas, where the first Navy-Marine amphibious operation seized essential military supplies. On the return passage, the squadron captured the British schooner, Hawk.
1918 – During World War I, the Second Battle of the Somme, the first major German offensive in more than a year, ends on the western front. On March 21, 1918, a major offensive against Allied positions in the Somme River region of France began with five hours of bombardment from more than 9,000 pieces of German artillery. The poorly prepared British Fifth Army was rapidly overwhelmed and forced into retreat. For a week, the Germans pushed toward Paris, shelling the city from a distance of 80 miles with their "Big Bertha" cannons. However, the poorly supplied German troops soon became exhausted, and the Allies halted the German advance as French artillery knocked out the German guns besieging Paris. On April 2, U.S. General John J. Pershing sent American troops down into the trenches to help defend Paris and repulse the German offensive. It was the first major deployment of U.S. troops in World War I. Several thousand American troops fought alongside the British and French in the Second Battle of Somme. By the time the Somme offensive ended on April 4, the Germans had advanced almost 40 miles, inflicted some 200,000 casualties, and captured 70,000 prisoners and more than 1,000 Allied guns. However, the Germans suffered nearly as many casualties as their enemies and lacked the fresh reserves and supply boost the Allies enjoyed following the American entrance into the fighting.
1945 – On Okinawa, the forces of US 10th Army begin to meet the first real Japanese resistance on the ground. Troops of US 24th Corps are brought to a halt on a line just south of Kuba while the forces of 3rd Amphibious Corps have reached the Ishikawa Isthmus. A storm damages many landing craft and hampers further reinforcement.
1973 – A Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, dubbed the Hanoi Taxi, makes the last flight of Operation Homecoming. Operation Homecoming was a series of diplomatic negotiations that in January 1973 made possible the return of 591 American prisoners of war held by North Vietnam. On Feb. 12, 1973, three C-141 transports flew to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and one C-9A aircraft was sent to Saigon, South Vietnam to pick up released prisoners of war. The first flight of 40 U.S. prisoners of war left Hanoi in a C-141A, later known as the "Hanoi Taxi" and now in a museum. From February 12 to April 4, there were 54 C-141 missions flying out of Hanoi, bringing the former POWs home. Each plane brought back 40 POWs. During the early part of Operation Homecoming, groups of POWs released were selected on the basis of longest length of time in prison. The first group had spent 6-8 years as prisoners of war. After Operation Homecoming, the U.S. still listed about 1,350 Americans as prisoners of war or missing in action and sought the return of roughly 1,200 Americans reported killed in action and body not recovered. These missing personnel would become the subject of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines each had liaison officers dedicated to prepare for the return of American POWs well in advance of their actual return. These liaison officers worked behind the scenes traveling around the United States assuring the returnees well being. They also were responsible for debriefing POWs to discern relevant intelligence about MIAs and to discern the existence of war crimes committed against them.
1975 – The first group of boat people from Vietnam began arriving in Malaysia. More than 1 million people fled from the close of the war to the early 1980s.
1975 – A major U.S. airlift of South Vietnamese orphans begins with disaster when an Air Force cargo jet crashes shortly after departing from Tan Son Nhut airbase in Saigon. More than 138 passengers, mostly children, were killed. Operation Baby Lift was designed to bring 2,000 South Vietnamese orphans to the United States for adoption by American parents. Baby Lift lasted for 10 days and was carried out during the final, desperate phase of the war, as North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon. Although this first flight ended in tragedy, all subsequent flights were completed safely, and Baby Lift aircraft brought orphans across the Pacific until the mission's conclusion on April 14, only 16 days before the fall of Saigon and the end of the war.
1983 – The space shuttle Challenger roared into orbit on its maiden voyage and the first US female into space was Sally Ride. Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was the second orbiter of NASA's space shuttle program to be put into service following Columbia. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California. It launched and landed nine times before breaking apart 73 seconds into its tenth mission, STS-51-L, on January 28, 1986, resulting in the death of all seven crew members. It was the first of two shuttles to be destroyed. The accident led to a two-and-a-half year grounding of the shuttle fleet; flights resumed in 1988 with STS-26 flown by Discovery. Challenger itself was replaced by Endeavour which was built using structural spares ordered by NASA as part of the construction contracts for Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour launched for the first time in May 1992.
2001 – Chinese President Jiang Zemin demanded the United States apologize for the collision between a U.S. Navy spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet; the Bush administration offered a chorus of regrets, but no apology.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BREWER, WILLIAM J.
Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 2d New York Cavalry. Place and date: At Appomattox campaign, Va., 4 April 1865. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Putnam County, N.Y. Date of issue: 3 May 1865. Citation: Capture of engineer flag, Army of Northern Virginia.
RILEY, THOMAS
Rank and organization: Private, Company D, 1st Louisiana Cavalry. Place and date: At Fort Blakely, Ala., 4 April 1865. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 8 June 1865. Citation: Captured the flag of the 6th Alabama Cavalry.
BUCKLEY, HOWARD MAJOR
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 23 January 1868, Croton Falls, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: For distinguished conduct in the presence of the Enemy in battle while with the Eighth Army Corps on 25, 27, 29 March, and 4 April 1899.
LEONARD, JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. (Enlisted as Joseph Melvin). Born: 28 August 1876, Cohoes, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in battles, while with the Eighth Army Corps on 25, 27, and 29 March, and on 4 April 1899.
CONDE-FALCON, FELIX M.
Rank and Organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 1st Battalion, 82d Division. Place and Date: April 4, 1969, Ap Tan Hoa, Vietnam. Born: February 24, 1938, Juncos, Puerto Rico. Departed: Yes (04/04/1969). Entered Service At: Chicago, IL. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Conde-Falcon distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions, April 4, 1969, while serving as platoon leader during a sweep operation in the vicinity of Ap Tan Hoa, Vietnam. Entering a heavily wooded section on the route of advance, the company encountered an extensive enemy bunker complex, later identified as a battalion command post. Following tactical artillery and air strikes on the heavily secured communist position, the platoon of Conde-Falcon was selected to assault and clear the bunker fortifications. Moving out ahead of his platoon, he charged the first bunker, heaving grenades as he went. As the hostile fire increased, he crawled to the blind side of an entrenchment position, jumped to the roof, and tossed a lethal grenade into the bunker aperture. Without hesitating, he proceeded to two additional bunkers, both of which he destroyed in the same manner as the first. Rejoined with his platoon, he advanced about one hundred meters through the trees, only to come under intense hostile fire. Selecting three men to accompany him, he maneuvered toward the enemy's flank position. Carrying a machine-gun, he single-handedly assaulted the nearest fortification, killing the enemy inside before running out of ammunition. After returning to the three men with his empty weapon and taking up an M-16 rifle, he concentrated on the next bunker. Within ten meters of his goal, he was shot by an unseen assailant and soon died of his wounds. His great courage, his ability to act appropriately and decisively in accomplishing his mission, his dedication to the welfare of his men mark him as an outstanding leader Conde-Falcon's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
SMITH, PAUL RAY
Rank and Organization: Sergeant First Class, 2nd Platoon, B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Place and Date: At Baghdad, Iraq, 4 April 2003. Citation: Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith's extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division "Rock of the Marne," and the United States Army.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 4, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
4 April
1933: The Navy dirigible Akron crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the New Jersey coast, killing 73 people. Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, Chief of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, was one of the casualties. (21)
1944: Fifteenth Air Force conducted the first American bombing raid on Bucharest, Rumania. (24)
1957: The USAF announced that Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation would study the use of ions as a power source for spaceships and missiles. (16) (24)
1963: In a fourth successful system trial, a Kwajalein-based Nike-Zeus anti-ICBM missile intercepted a Titan I ICBM launched from Vandenberg AFB. AMERICAN
1964: After an earthquake hit Anchorage and Seward, Alaska, C-124s airlifted 235,000 pounds of supplies from McChord AFB to the area. The Air Rescue Service flew medical supplies, reconnaissance, and evacuated injured or homeless people. (2)
1966: NASA selected eight new astronauts: Capt Joe H. Engle, Maj William R. Pogue, Capt Charles M. Duke, Jr., Capt Alfred M. Worden, Capt Stuart A. Roosa, Navy Lt Cmdr Edgar D Mitchell and Lt Thomas K. Mattingly, and Mr. Fred W. Haise, Jr.
1969: The X-24 Lifting Body completed its first captive flight with test pilot Maj Jerauld R. Gentry at the controls. (3) MACKAY TROPHY. Through 10 April, from Spangdahlem AB the 49 TFW redeployed its 72 F-4Ds to Holloman AFB, using 504 refuelings. The unit earned the Mackay Trophy for this event. (21)
1972: The USAF renamed the Advanced ICBM as Missile-X. (6)
1974: Northrop's YF-17 prototype lightweight fighter rolled out at Hawthorne, Calif. (3)
1975: Operation NEW LIFE. To evacuate Cambodia and Vietnam, SAC flew tanker and reconnaissance sorties to support the US withdrawal. Through 30 April, MAC C-141s and C-130s, under PACAF's operational control, flew 375 missions to carry 50,493 Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees from Indochina to Pacific staging areas. From 12 April to 16 August, Andersen AFB became a temporary haven for some 110,000 refugees who traveled to the US. (1) (18) Operation BABYLIFT/AIR FORCE CROSS: A MAC C-5 crashed in an emergency landing near Saigon, while flying the first mission in this operation. It carried South Vietnamese children and their escorts from Tan Son Nhut AB in Saigon to Clark AB. Of the 314 passengers, 176 survived the crash. 1Lt Regina C. Aune, a flight nurse aboard the C-5, ignored broken leg and other injuries to help evacuate nearly 80 children from the plane's wreckage. She received the 1975 Cheney Award for her efforts. The pilot and copilot, Captains Dennis W. Traynor III and Tilford W. Harp, also received the Air Force Cross for extraordinary heroism. Despite this tragedy, the operation succeeded as C-141s and commercial planes moved 1,794 orphans from South Vietnam and Thailand to the US West Coast through 9 May. (2) (18)
1983: From 4-9 April, in the Space Shuttle Challenger's first mission the crew completed the first American spacewalk in nine years and launched NASA's first tracking and data relay satellite, which failed to reach its proper orbit due to a rocket malfunction. The shuttle landed on 9 April at Edwards AFB. This landing, however, represented the first time a shuttle had to be diverted into Edwards. (3)
1990: McDonnell Douglas provided the last of 60 KC-10A Extenders to the USAF. (16) (26)
1991: SAC assigned KC-10s to TAC's 4th Wing, the first composite wing. SAC remained the single air refueling manager. (18)
1999: Operation SUSTAIN HOPE or SHINING HOPE. A C-17 Globemaster III started this operation by airlifting relief supplies from Dover AFB to Tirana, Albania. By the 8 July end of the humanitarian airlift component of Operation ALLIED FORCE, Air Mobility Command had used C-5s, C-17s, and C-130s to airlift 913 passengers and 5,939 short tons of food and supplies to refugee camps in Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. (21) (22)
2003: At Edwards AFB, the CV-22 Osprey completed a milestone by successfully flying a terrain following radar sortie. (3)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
World News for 4 April thanks to Military Periscope
USA—More Sanctions Planned As Evidence Of War Crimes Emerges CNBC | 04/04/2022 The U.S. and its European allies are preparing additional sanctions in response to evidence of widespread war crimes by Russian forces in Ukraine, reports CNBC. "The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms the reported atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in a number of occupied Ukrainian towns, that have now been liberated," the European Council said in a statement on Monday. Ukrainian officials say that at least 300 residents of the town of Bucha were killed, with at least 20 bodies found lying on one street, some with their hands tied behind their backs, apparently executed by the Russians, reported CNN. Further sanctions would be decided "in the coming days," said a German government spokesperson. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that the E.U. must discuss banning imports of Russian gas. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says that Germany has been the biggest obstacle to such measures. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. and its allies were examining new sanctions on Russia.
USA—Jolly Green II CSAR Helicopter Starts Operational Testing Air Combat Command | 04/04/2022 The Air Force's new combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) helicopter has begun its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), reports Air Combat Command. The final HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter left Duke Field, Fla., marking the completion of initial developmental testing with the 413th Flight Test Squadron, the command said in a release on March 30. The HH-60Ws are now with the 88th Test Evaluation Squadron (88 TES) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for the beginning of sustainment operational testing. The 88th TES will begin by building proficiency on the HH-60W to understand the aircraft and its capabilities in order to develop tactics that take advantage of its capabilities. One focus will be developing new tactics, techniques and procedures taking advantage of the Jolly Green IIs ability to integrate on a digital level. This will permit operators to make effective use of other Air Force capabilities to collect information on isolated personnel and penetrate heavily defended areas. The first planned operational test event is the Black Flag exercise, where its ability to integrate with the combat air force will be evaluated.
USA—Navy Cancels DART Sonar For LCS, Constellation-Class Frigates Due To Technical Issues Defense News | 04/04/2022 The Navy is halting work on a variable depth sonar intended for its littoral ships and new frigates, reports Defense News. Testing of the AN/SQS-62 Dual-mode Array Transmitter (DART) variable depth sonar, a key component for the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission module for the Littoral Combat Ship, was paused in September after hydrodynamic issues were discovered that would require the addition of an active control system. The Navy became concerned that the need to add an active control system posed a risk to the sonar's development and viability for future ASW options, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned and Small Combatants Rear Adm. Casey Moton said on Friday. The service worked with Raytheon to try and engineer, model and test improvements to fix the technical issues with DART but did not see improved performance. These issues took place as the Navy was approaching a decision point on the final design of the new Constellation-class frigate. The AN/SQS-62 was planned for the Constellation class to support commonality among the fleet. The Navy was also looking at reducing its LCS fleet as part of cost-saving measures, including cutting the ASW mission module. The service has decided to equip the Constellation class with the Combined Active Passive Towed Array Sonar 4 (CAPTAS-4) that is already in service with several navies. The CAPTAS-4 was chosen due to its proven performance and high technical readiness, Moton said.
USA—Air Force Eyes New Raptor Training Unit Air Force Magazine | 04/04/2022 The Air Force is looking to create a new F-22 Raptor training unit equipped with later models of the jet, reports Air Force magazine. The new unit would use newer Block 30/35 jets because the older Block 20 aircraft currently used for training do not sufficiently prepare new pilots for operations once they reach their squadrons, said Lt. Gen. David Nahom, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs. The problem is expected to worsen as the Block 30/35 jets continue to be modernized. Creating a training unit with Block 30/35 F-22s would also reduce the number of Raptors available for operations. The Air Force has proposed retiring the older Block 20 jets to free up funds for the Next-Generation Air Dominance System (NGADS). The fielding of the in-development AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) would help the service keep its advantage in a future air-to-air fight despite the reduction in the Raptor fleet, Nahom said. The AIM-260 is a very-long-range air-to-air weapon under development by Lockheed Martin. Initial operational capability is anticipated in fiscal 2022.
USA—Navy To Recover Crashed Hawkeye AWACS Aircaft Naval Air Force Atlantic | 04/04/2022 An airborne early warning aircraft that crashed last week off the coast of Virginia will be salvaged, reports the Naval Air Force Atlantic. Salvage planning efforts are underway to recover the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye from Airborne Command and Control Squadron 120 that went down on March 30 near Wallops Island, Va., the command said. One crewmember was killed in the crash and two were injured, noted the Navy Times. The investigation into the crash continued, said the Navy.
Ukraine—Russian-Backed Forces In Donbas Send Poorly Trained Conscripts To Fight Reuters | 04/04/2022 Russian-backed forces in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine have been sending conscripts into combat with Ukrainian troops with no training and few supplies, according to locals cited by Reuters. According to six sources in the Russian-held area, separatist forces in the Donbas have been conscripting locals and pushing them into the fighting with no training, minimal food and water and inadequate weapons. The Donbas forces are fighting alongside Russian troops but are not part of the Russian military. Some draftees have been issued with a Mosin rifle, which was developed in the late 1800s and has not been produced for decades. One source said he was forced to drink water from a pond due to a lack of supplies. Some conscripts have been forced to draw Ukrainian fire so that other units could identify the location of Ukrainian units for strikes, said one source. A group of 135 conscripts from the Donbas refused to fight after being forced to the front line in Mariupol, site of some of the heaviest fighting of the war.
Italy—Defense Spending Won't Hit NATO Target Until 2028 Bloomberg News | 04/04/2022 Italy's ruling coalition has agreed to reach the NATO objective of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense in 2028, reports Bloomberg News. Italy currently spends 1.4 percent of its GDP on defense, well below the NATO target, noted Reuters. Rome previously set a goal of increasing spending to 2 percent by 2024. However, this would have required increasing defense spending by 12 billion euros (US$13.4 billion) over the next two years. Such a drastic increase was opposed by elements of the ruling 5-Star Movement coalition. Under the new plan announced on March 31 by Prime Minster Mario Draghi, Rome would reach the defense spending target by 2028.
India—Paramilitary Killed In Srinagar Attack Tribune India | 04/04/2022 A member of the Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been killed in a militant attack in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, reports the Tribune (Chandigarh). On Monday, unknown terrorist opened fire on CRPF personnel in the Srinagar suburb of Maisuma, injuring two. One was declared dead on arriving at the hospital. A search operation has been launched to find the assailants, officials said. Separately, two laborers from Bijar were injured in attack by militants in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. Finally, two residents of Pathankot in Punjab state were injured in an attack in the Litter area of Pulwama on Sunday evening.
Afghanistan—Taliban Prohibits Poppy Cultivation The Hill | 04/04/2022 The Taliban in Afghanistan has banned the cultivation of poppy flowers, which are used to make heroine, reports the Hill (Washington, D.C.). The order announced on Sunday also prohibits the production, use and transportation of other narcotics in a move seen as courting global approval. Those that violate the order will have their crop destroyed and will be treated according to sharia law, says the order from Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. International leaders have pushed the Taliban to control narcotics in Afghanistan, which is the world's biggest producer of opium. However, the ban could push impoverished farmers into worse conditions. A 2021 U.N. report said that income from opiates in Afghanistan was estimated at US$1.8 billion to US$2.7 billion, with larger sums made along illegal drug supply chains outside of Afghanistan. Taliban sources told Reuters that they anticipated resistance from some elements within the group against the decree. There has also been an increase in poppy cultivation in recent months.
Sri Lanka—Cabinet Resigns As Economic Crisis Expands New York Times | 04/04/2022 The Cabinet in Sri Lanka has resigned in response to protests and a growing economic crisis, reports the New York Times. On Sunday, every member of the Cabinet except for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, the prime minister and a former president, stepped down. The resignations came amid large-scale demonstrations in Colombo, the capital, and its suburbs and at a university in Kandy in central Sri Lanka, in defiance of a state of emergency. The protests are driven by a massive economic crisis that has led to food and energy shortages. Early Monday morning, President Rajapaksa was holding a high-level meeting to discuss a new Cabinet. The president has the power to appoint their Cabinet.
Japan—F-35 Conversions Begin For Kaga Helicopter Carrier Jane's | 04/04/2022 Japan has launched work to modify its second Izumo-class helicopter carrier to operate F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) fighters, reports Jane's. On March 31, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force spokesperson said that Japan Marine United (JMU) had started refit work on the Kaga at its Kure shipyard in Hiroshima prefecture. The work will take place in two stages coinciding with the Kaga's periodic refit and overhaul programs. The initial modifications will include reinforcing the flight deck to handle additional weight; fitting additional guidance lines; adding yellow lines on the flight deck needed to launch the F-35B; and installing heat-resistant deck spots for vertical landings. The initial modifications will primarily take place during fiscal 2022, which began on April 1. The second phase will include changes to interior compartments and is expected to begin in late fiscal 2026. The Izumo completed her first phase modifications in June 2021.
Australia—Scrapped French Sub Program To Cost Up To US$4 Billion Australian Broadcasting Corporation | 04/04/2022 Defense officials told Australian lawmakers last week that the government could pay billions of dollars as part of the cancellation costs for the submarine program with France, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corp. During a Senate hearing on April 1, Defense Dept. Deputy Secretary Tony Dalton confirmed that the cancelled Attack-class submarine program could end up costing Aus$5.5 billion (US$4.1 billion). The costs had not yet been finalized because negotiations were still underway for compensation related to the cancellation, Dalton said. Negotiations with companies that lost work under the program were expected to continue into 2023, Defense Dept. Chief Financial Officer Steven Groves said. During the same hearing, defense officials also told senators that the Defense Dept. was canceling a planned Aus$1.3 billion (US$973.7 million) purchase of 12 MQ-9B SkyGuardian uncrewed aerial vehicles from the U.S. The funding for that procurement would instead go to the REDSPICE cyber program.
Yemen—2-Month Cease-Fire Begins Guardian | 04/04/2022 A two-month truce in Yemen has begun with hopes that it will provide space for the negotiation of a permanent peace, reports the Guardian (U.K.). On Sunday, oil shipments began to arrive at the port of Hodeida, including some vessels that had been barred from entering for nearly three months. U.N. special envoy Hans Grundberg expressed hope that a relatively long cease-fire would provide an opportunity to build toward full peace talks and start to address some of the economic issues prolonging the conflict. The truce included facilitating the entry of 18 fuel ships into Hodeida and permitting two commercial flights a week to and from Sanaa airport to predetermined destinations. A meeting between the sides is also planned to agree on opening roads in the city of Taiz and elsewhere to improve freedom of movement in Yemen. The cease-fire coincided with separate Gulf Cooperation Council-sponsored talks in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, involving many of the warring sides in Yemen. The Houthi rebel group did not send a representative to the meetings.
Israel—Free Trade Agreement Signed With U.A.E. Times of Israel | 04/04/2022 Israel has signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates in a major expansion of relations following the normalization of ties under the Abraham Accords, reports the Times of Israel. Israeli Economy Minister Orna Barbivai and U.A.E. Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi met on Tuesday in Jerusalem for a fourth and final round of talks on the trade deal. The agreement was signed on Friday at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. The milestone comes five months after talks on the deal began in November 2021. The agreement covers regulation, customs, services, government procurement, e-commerce and protection of intellectual property rights, the Israeli Economy Ministry said. As a result, around 95 percent of products traded between the two countries will be exempt from customs duty, including food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment and medication. The deal will go into effect following the ratification processes in Israel and the U.A.E.
South Sudan—Kiir, Machar Re-Commit To Peace Deal Amid Rising Violence Reuters | 04/04/2022 Rival leaders in South Sudan have signed an agreement to re-commit to a 2018 peace deal in response to rising violence, reports Reuters. On Sunday evening, President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar signed the deal to abide by the provisions of the 2018 peace agreement and accelerate the integration of their forces. The implementation of the 2018 agreement that ended five years of civil war has been slow, with frequent clashes between the sides over disagreements over how to share power. On March 23, Machar's Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) suspended its participation in the oversight mechanisms of the peace deal, citing attacks by government forces. Under the new deal, opposition generals will be appointed to a unified command structure in the next week. SPLM/A-IO fighters will then move through training centers as part of integration with the army. There are still details to be determined, including the ratio of pro-Kiir to pro-Machar troops in the unified military. A spokesperson for the SPLM/A-IO said the ratio would be somewhere between 55:45 and 60:40.
Nigeria—Bandits Make Deadly Attack In Zamfara State Channels Television | 04/04/2022 At least two people have been killed in a bandit attack in the town of Tsafe in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara state, reports Channels TV (Abuja). On Sunday night, gunmen attacked Tsafe, targeting the son of Mamman Tsafe, the commissioner for security and home affairs in Zamfara. Witnesses said the bandits entered the town and opened fire before going to the commissioner's residence and reportedly killing his son. An unidentified boy was also reportedly killed in the attack. The assault was said to be reprisal for the killing of a man by a local vigilante group on Saturday.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.