The List 6159 TGB
Good Wednesday Morning July 13.
A lot of history and some tidbits.
I hope that your week has been going well.
Regards,
skip
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
July 14
1813
During the War of 1812, Lt. John M. Gamble becomes the first Marine to command a ship in battle, USS Greenwich, when she captures British whaling ship Seringapatam.
1853
Commodore Matthew C. Perry lands and holds the first meeting with the Japanese at Uraga, in which he delivers President Millard Fillmores request for a treaty to representatives to the Emperor. Allowing time for reflection and discussion, Commodore Perry returns in March 1854 and finalizes the Treaty of Kanagawa.
1945
In the first naval gunfire bombardment of the Japanese home islands, Task Unit 34.8.1 warships bombard ironworks plant at Kamaishi, Japan.
1952
The keel to the Navy's first supercarrier, USS Forrestal (CVA 59), is laid down.
1955
The first flight of jet-propelled Martin P6M seaplane is completed at Baltimore, Md.
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Today in History July 14
This Day in World History
1223 In France, Louis VIII succeeds his father, Philip Augustus.
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1430 Joan of Arc, taken prisoner by the Burgundians in May, is handed over to Pierre Cauchon, the bishop of Beauvais.
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1456 Hungarians defeat the Ottomans at the Battle of Belgrade, in present-day Yugoslavia.
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1536 France and Portugal sign the Treaty of Lyons, aligning themselves against Spain.
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1789 The Bastille, a fortress in Paris used to hold political prisoners, is stormed by a mob.
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1798 The Sedition Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
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1864 At Harrisburg, Mississippi, Federal troops under General Andrew Jackson Smith repulse an attack by General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
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1900 European Allies retake Tientsin, China, from the rebelling Boxers.
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1933 Nazi Germany promulgates the Law for the Protection of Hereditary Health--the beginning of the Euthanasia program.
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1938 Howard Hughes and crew set a new world record for an around-the-world flight.
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1940 A force of German bombers attacks Suez, Egypt, from bases in Crete.
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1941 Vichy French Foreign Legionaries sign an armistice in Damascus, allowing them to join the Free French Foreign Legion.
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1945 American battleships and cruisers bombard the Japanese home islands for the first time.
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1951 The George Washington Carver National Monument in Joplin, Missouri becomes the first national park honoring an African American.
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1964 The United States sends 600 more troops to Vietnam
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Thanks to THE BEAR
For The List for Thursday, 14 July 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 14 July 1967… A Fearless Warrior Leader… (and Jim Ripple's version of Duke's F-8 visit to Yugoslavia)
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.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War
. Listed by last name and has other info
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Thanks to Micro
Skip:
Regarding the F-14 flat spin story: not only were they not in a spin when they put in the controls to put them in a spin (as the mishap board concluded), they were never in a flat spin. I don't know why they couldn't get it out of the spin, but it's certainly possible that they had the wrong controls in or they didn't hold the correct controls long enough (tests showed that you cannot have the stick NEAR the physical limit; you had to be absolutely against that stop). I say they were not in a flat spin because the main characteristic of a flat spin in the F-14 is that the rotation rate is so high that the pilot CANNOT maintain his hands on the controls, and he CANNOT reach the ejection handles. He's fighting more than 7 g's eyeballs out, and his head will be under the glare shield, unless his shoulder harness was locked at full upright. He will not be able to see the instruments because his head will be forcibly bowed, and his arms and legs will be fully extended. That's what has been reported by every pilot that was in a confirmed flat spin (and lived to tell about it). The RIO, being closer to the spin axis has far less g (around 4 to 4-1/2 eyeballs out, which is about what a cat shot is but in the opposite direction) and must do the ejecting for both of them. Even he, let alone the pilot, would have great difficulty getting his head upright, and he likely cannot use the face curtain.
In the video, the narrator even says that the indication of the airplane recovering from a spin is for the nose to drop. That is the indication of coming out of a conventional spin, NOT a flat spin. There is NO indication of coming out of a flat spin. It has NEVER happened.
The F-14 was a very forgiving airplane. Long before there were restrictions on the airplane, we used to do all kinds of things that were later forbidden (I started flying it in June of '72 as one of the first Navy test pilots on it). I've been to zero airspeed many times, and I've managed to slide exactly backwards for quite a while (that was the bucket list item) many times. The trick was never to touch the throttles (and not be in burner). Once I did move the throttles, but the engines didn't respond at all, so I put the throttles back where they were and let it do its thing. When I came out of the gyrations, the engines were running just fine, and the tailpipe temp limit had not been exceeded.
Grumman had one test aircraft configured for spin testing. It had "canards" on each side of the nose that could be blown out to affect airflow in a flat spin, and it had a spin chute (a massive chute similar to the drag chute in an F-4). Chuck Sewell was Grumman's Chief Test Pilot, and he did all of the spin testing. He reported to us that he tried everything and could not get it in a spin unless he ignored all the signals the airplane was sending him long before it would spin. Of course, we figured, as a great test pilot, his sense of the airplane and his concentration on the task at hand were completely different than a Fleet pilot concentrating on saving his ass in a dogfight. They had configured the test airplane as they did because NASA's wind tunnel at Langley had shown very early on that the airplane did have a flat spin mode. The only way to get there was to establish a fast rotation rate in yaw. They did that by throwing an F-14 model into the tunnel with the right attitude (flat) and already spinning at a good rate.
The ONLY way I know of to get an F-14 into a flat spin is to have both burners in Zone 5 and have one of them compressor stall at near stall speed. If that happens, you have less than 6 seconds to bring the other engine to idle or the rotation rate will be too high, it will develop into a flat spin, and you will never recover from it.
Micro
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Thanks to Carl
Why Are We Seeing Fewer Birds Each Year?
(NO mention of the huge electric windmill blades or EMF or 5G? I know the bird population has gone done in my area. I feed year round and the same amount of bird seeds lasts much longer now than a year or so ago. BTW, I found out why bird seed has gone up in price so much. The local farm store said that drought and the extensive fire in CO last year happened in an area that produces a large amount of the bird seed each year.)
Why Are We Seeing Fewer Birds Each Year?
by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker July 14, 2022
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
• About 48% of the approximately 11,000 bird species worldwide are known or suspected to be undergoing population declines
• Since 1970, a devastating loss of nearly 3 billion individual birds has been reported in North America alone
• According to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, 13.5% of bird species are threatened with global extinction, 4% of which are endangered and 2% that are critically endangered
• Ongoing loss of habitat poses a major threat to bird species, including habitat fragmentation and degradation
• Other threats include hunting for food, sport or trade, invasive alien species, disease and environmental pollution
Birds play a vital role in the global ecosystem, acting as pollinators, seed dispersers, scavengers and predators, but many of their populations are threatened and facing steep declines.
The somber findings, published in the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources,1 suggests that loss and degradation of natural habitats, along with overexploitation of key species, driving changes in both the richness and abundance of bird species.2
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From the archives
Another Great H-Gram from Admiral Cox and the folks at NHHC
"Battles That You've Never Heard Of," Part 2
Overview
This H-gram covers the Battle of the Pearl River Forts, China (1856); the Battle of Somatti, Fiji (1859; the Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, Japan (1863); the Formosa Expedition (1867); and the Battle of Ganghwa, Korea (1871). This H-gram includes cannibals!
Battle of the Pearl River Forts, China, 1856
In late 1856, as a detachment of U.S. Marines and sailors was withdrawing from the American compound in Canton, China, under a guarantee from the Chinese that U.S. interests would be protected during the outbreak of the second Opium War, a Chinese fort fired on a boat that was carrying Commander Andrew Hull Foote down the Pearl River to his ship, the sloop-of-war USS Portsmouth. The next day, the fort fired on a U.S. survey boat, killing the coxswain. Viewing the Chinese action as an egregious breach of good faith and an affront to the U.S. flag, the commander of the U.S. East Indies Squadron, Commodore James Armstrong, authorized Foote to take punitive action against the four Chinese forts that guarded the Pearl River approach to Canton. Armstrong was ill, and his flagship, the steam screw frigate San Jacinto, drew too much water to go up the river.
On 16 November 1856, two small steamships towed Portsmouth and sloop-of-war Levant upstream toward the forts. Levant ran aground, but Portsmouth engaged in an hours-long gunnery duel with the forts. Although she was damaged, Portsmouth's fire was much more accurate. On 20 November, with Levant refloated, the two sail sloops (augmented by much of San Jacinto's crew) were again towed within range of the Chinese forts. Once fire from the forts was suppressed, a 287-man detachment of Marines and armed sailors went ashore and captured the first fort from the landward side, turning its guns on the other three forts. The Marines beat off a 1,000-man Chinese counterattack with the considerable help of sailors with a wheeled boat howitzer. Over the next two days, the Marine and Navy force sequentially captured all four forts, and then set about demolishing them with explosives. During the course of the engagement, Portsmouth was hit 27 and Levant 22 times, but neither suffered critical damage, mostly attributable to bad Chinese gunnery. U.S. casualties included 7 killed in action, 3 killed in a demolition accident, and 32 wounded. Chinese casualties were estimated at 250–500 dead. For more on the Battle of the Pearl River Forts please see attachment H-063-1.
The Battle of Somatti, Fiji, 1859
The Fiji Islands were always regarded as a dangerous place to outsiders, and there had been previous skirmishes between the U.S. Navy and Fijian warriors (see H-Gram 062). In the summer of 1859, Fijian tribesmen on the island of Waya killed and cannibalized two American merchant seamen. The American consul in Fiji requested that the just-arrived sloop-of-war USS Vandalia take punitive action. As the water around Waya was too shallow for Vandalia, her skipper, Commander Arthur Sinclair, chartered the schooner Mechanic. Under the command of Lieutenant Charles Caldwell, Mechanic headed toward Waya with a party of 10 Marines, 40 sailors (with a 12-pounder lightweight wheeled boat howitzer), and three Fijian guides. After a harrowing nighttime climb up the steep mountainside, during which the howitzer got loose and fell down a 2,300-foot cliff, the landing party reached the summit at daybreak to find the Fijian warriors in full "battle dress" ready and waiting outside the village of Somatti. Despite their fearsome reputation, the warriors were no match for Marine rifles, nor did they appear ready to comprehend and counter a "flanking maneuver." At least 14 Somatti warriors were killed, including two chiefs, before they retreated into the jungle. Six Americans were wounded. The gun crew then proceeded to burn down the 115-hut village. A number of other Fijian tribes were appreciative of the U.S. action in that they had also been victimized by the Somatti. In the end, Fiji became a British colony, and a British problem. For more on the Battle of Somatti, please see attachment H-063-2.
The Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, Japan, 1863
The "opening of Japan" by Commodore Mathew Perry in 1854, with steam warships and shell guns, did not meet with universal acclaim among the daimyo (feudal lords) of Japan. For the first time in centuries, the emperor became actively involved in the affairs of state as the Tokugawa Shogunate lost face and power as a result of acceding to Perry's demands. In the spring of 1863, with the U.S. pre-occupied by the Civil War, Emperor Komei issued an "expel the barbarians" order. On the night of 25–26 June 1863, in defiance of the Shogunate, but in accord with the Emperor's edict, ships of the Choshu daimyo fired on the American merchant ship Pembroke at the entrance to the Shimonoseki Strait (which connects the Inland Sea with the East China Sea). Choshu guns from six forts overlooking the strait subsequently fired on and hit French and Dutch ships in the next days. (Five of the guns were new 8-inch Dahlgren guns, courtesy of the United States.) Although the emperor's order applied to all Western nations, the United States was the first to react.
On 16 July 1863, the steam screw sloop USS Wyoming (the only U.S. ship in the Far East at the time), under the command of Commander David McDougal, entered the Shimonoseki Strait ready for battle, expecting to be fired on. The Choshu did not disappoint. As soon as Wyoming was in range, all six forts opened up with a tremendous cannonade. However, McDougal had noted the range stakes in the strait, deducing that the Japanese had calibrated their guns to hit ships in the channel. Instead, McDougal steered so close to the shore that Japanese cannon balls missed 10–15 feet above the deck, tearing up the rigging and perforating the smokestack, but doing no serious damage. McDougal then headed toward the three armed Choshu ships at the far end of the channel, a sail bark, sail brig, and a steamer (all previously purchased from the United States). Wyoming passed the bark starboard-to-starboard at pistol-shot range as both ships emptied broadsides into the other. The heavier U.S. weapons were far more effective, although the Japanese got off three broadsides. Wyoming then did the same to the brig, leaving her in sinking condition.
Wyoming then passed the steamer port to port and engaged her with portside guns. She turned to port behind the steamer in order to open the range and use her two 11-inch Dahlgren pivot guns. In doing so, Wyoming ran aground. The steamer slipped her anchor and made a run at the screw sloop, either to ram or board, but Wyoming backed off in time. A well-aimed 11-inch shell passed clean through the steamer, but blew her boiler, causing her to sink in less than two minutes. Wyoming then re-engaged the brig with 11-inch guns and accelerated her trip to the bottom. The screw sloop put more rounds into the bark, leaving her severely damaged, and then worked over the forts until they were silent. Wyoming actually conserved ammunition because her primary mission was to engage the Confederate raider CSS Alabama, which was not in the Far East yet. Wyoming was hit in the hull 11 times and suffered five dead and six wounded. Japanese casualties are unknown, but were probably considerable as the ships were described as "heavily manned."
McDougal believed that the Choshu had gotten the intended message. However, they raised the sunken ships, re-armed the forts, and continued to block the strait for another 15 months. Finally, in early September 1864, a combined 18-ship British, French, Dutch, and U.S. force attacked the Choshu again. The U.S. contribution was token. By that time, the only U.S. ship in the region was the sail sloop USS Jamestown, and all the other ships of the other navies were steam-powered, making her more of a liability. As a result, Jamestown's skipper, Captain Cicero Price, chartered the steam ship Ta-Kiang, put a 30-pounder Parrott gun on board along with 18 American crewmen, including a lieutenant and the surgeon, and then placed the ship under the command of the British admiral (which may have been a first). In the Second Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, Ta-Kiang performed useful service towing boats with British troops ashore and serving as a hospital ship for the "allied" force.
The end-result of these actions was a civil war in Japan (the "Boshin War" in 1868–69), in which forces siding with the emperor (Komei's son, Meiji) gained the upper hand. However, the Tokugawa navy, led by Vice Admiral Enomoto Takeaki, refused to surrender and attempted to establish an independent republic on Hokkaido. The imperial forces cobbled together a fleet of ships from several daimyo (including the Choshu). The Tokugawa had purchased an ironclad ram from the United States in 1867. She was originally built in France for the Confederate Navy and commissioned as CSS Stonewall, although she didn't reach the United States until after the Civil War ended. The United States held up delivery during the Boshin War, until it was obvious the Meiji forces were going to win (and Meiji wasn't nearly as anti-foreign as his father). In the hands of the imperial navy, Stonewall (re-named Kotetsu—literally "Ironclad") played a decisive role in the naval battle of Hakodate in 1869, in which the renegade Tokugawa navy was defeated (the action is considered the birth of the Imperial Japanese Navy).
President Theodore Roosevelt wrote, "Had that action [Shimonoseki Strait] taken place at any other time than the Civil War, its fame would have echoed all over the world." For more on the Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, please see attachment H-063-3.
The Formosa Expedition, 1867
In March of 1867, aboriginal Paiwan warriors massacred the crew (including the captain's wife) of the American merchant bark Rover, which had wrecked on the southern tip of Formosa. In June, the United States launched a punitive expedition. (Regular steamship service from the United States to the Far East had recently been instituted, enabling Washington to become involved and accelerate or delay overseas operations—compare with Wyoming's deployment at Shimonoseki Strait.)
On 13 June, the U.S. East Indies flagship, screw sloop USS Hartford (of Civil War, Admiral Farragut, and "damn the torpedoes" fame) and USS Wyoming arrived off the area where Rover had wrecked. A force of 181 Marines and sailors, under the overall command of Commander George E. Belknap, went ashore. In a poorly conceived operation, with no intelligence as to the objective and terrain, nor even much of a plan upon reaching the objective other than to "punish the Paiwan," the American forces thrashed around for hours in the steaming-hot jungle in two columns. The Paiwan were not taken by surprise and their defense consisted of a version of "rope-a-dope." The mostly unseen Paiwan would loose spears, stones, and occasional musket fire, causing the Marines and sailors to charge until they were exhausted. With much of the force delirious and suffering from sunstroke and heat exhaustion, including the prostrate Commander Belknap, a Paiwan musket ball found its mark and mortally wounded Lieutenant Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie, leader of one of the columns. At this point, Belknap had had enough and the U.S. force withdrew. Paiwan casualties, if any, were unknown. Although an apparent failure, the expedition actually did impress the Paiwan, who subsequently signed an agreement with the U.S. consul not to kill any more shipwrecked sailors, to which they mostly adhered. For more on the Formosa Expedition, please see attachment H-063-4.
The Battle of Ganghwa, Korea, 1871
In August 1866, the American-flagged armed merchant schooner General Sherman sailed up the Taedong River to Pyongyang despite repeated Korean warnings to leave. Depending on the account, the purpose of General Sherman's voyage was to open trade with isolationist Korea, loot Korean royal tombs, or spread the Gospel. Along the way, the schooner left Bibles on the riverbank, took a senior Korean official hostage and demanded ransom, fired on a crowd ashore (killing five), and ran aground. After several days of skirmishing, the governor of Pyongyang had had enough and ordered the ship destroyed by fire raft. The entire crew of General Sherman burned or drowned, except two who made it to shore and were beaten to death by an angry mob.
In May 1871, the U.S. Asiatic Squadron showed up to do something about it. Under the command of Rear Admiral John Rodgers (son of War of 1812 hero John Rodgers), the force included the flagship, screw frigate USS Colorado; two new screw sloops of war, USS Alaska and USS Benicia; and two sidewheel gunboats, USS Monocacy and the smaller USS Palos. Embarked on Colorado was the U.S. minister to China, Frederick Low, as the primary stated mission of the force was to open trade with Korea and also investigate what had really happened to General Sherman. Attempts at diplomacy were stymied, as the Koreans steadfastly refused to negotiate and demanded that the U.S. force leave.
On 1 June, four U.S. steam launches, supported by the two gunboats, commenced a survey of the Salee River, which separates the island of Ganghwa from the Korean mainland and leads to the Han River, which in turn leads to the Korean capital of Seoul. Without warning, Korean forts on both sides of the river opened fire, which fortunately was inaccurate. The steam launches immediately returned fire with their boat howitzers, quickly joined by the heavier guns of the gunboats. The U.S. vessels eventually withdrew in the treacherous currents after Monocacy was damaged when she hit an uncharted rock.
Although the U.S. vessels were clearly in what today would be considered internal territorial waters, violating Korean sovereignty, in the 1800s the U.S. and European powers assumed the right to steam anywhere in non-Western nations they pleased. Rodgers and Minister Low were outraged that the Koreans had had the temerity to fire on U.S. ships. The Koreans were given 10 days to apologize and commence serious trade negotiations. After 10 days with no satisfactory response from the Koreans, Rodgers commenced a punitive phase of the operation.
On 10 June, the steam launches and gunboats returned to the Salee River (the bigger ships couldn't enter due to draft), this time towing 22 boats with a landing party of 109 Marines, 542 sailors, and 7 wheeled boat howitzers. The gunboats engaged the southernmost forts on the left (west) bank, fortunately causing most of the defenders to retreat. This was a lucky break, as the landing "beach" turned out to be a wide stretch of knee-deep muck. The Marines were able to capture the first fort in short order, but dragging the guns through the mud turned into an all-day affair under a blazing sun.
On 11 June, the Navy-Marine advance continued up the west bank of the river through very difficult terrain, capturing a second fort with the aid of naval gunfire (although Palos hit a rock and was forced out of the battle), and fighting through ambushes and small-scale counterattacks by Koreans with antiquated weapons that were no match for U.S. Remington rifles and howitzers. By noon, the U.S. force was within 150 yards of the most formidable of the forts on the west bank, defended by about 300 Koreans (considered an elite force) commanded by General Eo Jae-yeon. Realizing the Koreans only had single-shot weapons, mostly old matchlocks, about 350 Marines and sailors rushed the fort and scaled the ramparts. The Koreans resorted to throwing stones and spears, and the battle quickly turned into a 15-minute close-quarters melee, in which superior U.S. weapons overcame considerable Korean bravery. General Eo was killed by a Marine sharpshooter and the Koreans finally broke and fled toward the river, where many were trapped by Americans still outside the fort and were cut down by howitzers. Many drowned in the river and many committed suicide rather than surrender.
As the American assault on the fort culminated, a force of about 4,000–5,000 Koreans was forming up for a counterattack from the landward side. At the same time, the one fort on the opposite side of the river opened fire, but was suppressed by fire from Monocacy. The howitzers ashore kept the large Korean force at bay thanks to a timely resupply of ammunition from Monocacy. When the Koreans realized the fort had fallen, they opted not to press the counterattack.
American casualties in the operation were three dead and ten wounded (and others temporarily felled by sunstroke). The two gunboats were damaged by rocks in the river and were in need of repair. Fifteen Medals of Honor were subsequently awarded (nine to sailors and five to Marines), almost all for the hand-to-hand battle inside the last fort. This was the first time the award had been presented for operations against an overseas foreign adversary. Korean casualties included 243 corpses counted of an estimated total of 350 dead. The forts on the west bank were all demolished and over 40 guns captured or destroyed.
Minister Low seemed chagrined that the carnage in the forts did not make the Koreans any more inclined to negotiate a trade treaty. The force ashore was withdrawn to the ships on 12 June. After waiting in placve for another two weeks with no formal response from the Koreans (local officials refused to even forward letters to the regent of Korea, the Daewongun, for fear of his wrath). On 3 July, Rodgers's force steamed away with no trade treaty and little to show except for a daring, well-executed operation and a lot of dead Koreans, who were merely defending their country. The devastation of the Ganghwa forts did give impetus to factions in the Korean government who favored opening trade, at least enough to acquire decent weaponry. However, it was the Japanese who gained the advantage following a short battle at Ganghwa Island in 1875, which resulted in a Japanese-Korean trade treaty in 1876. The United States finally got a trade treaty with Korea in 1882. For more on the Battle of Ganghwa, please see attachment H-063-5.
As always, you are welcome to disseminate H-grams widely. One reason these battles are largely forgotten is that they are examples of what became derisively known as "gunboat diplomacy." Although at the time the United States was not considered an imperial power (as we had no aspirations for colonies or more territory—although Mexico might dispute that), we exhibited the same attitude of superiority toward Asians, Africans, and South Americans that the European powers did. Although national policy and the decisions of senior U.S. Navy commanders are open to debate, what is not debatable is that the ordinary U.S. sailors did their duty as their country asked, with extraordinary courage, innovation, and skill, in a harsh and unforgiving environment.
"Back issues" of H-grams, enhanced with photographs, may be found here.
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This Day in U S Military History…….July 14
1825 – The visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1824-
1825 was in every sense a triumphal procession. The 2nd Battalion, 11th New York Artillery, was one of many militia turned out to welcome him. This unit decided to adopt the title "National Guard" in honor of Lafayette's command of the Garde Nationale de Paris during the French Revolution. The 11th Battalion, later designated as the 7th Regiment, was prominent in the line of march on the occasion of Lafayette's final passage through New York en route home to France. Taking note of the troops named for his old command he alighted from his carriage walked down the line clasping each officer by the hand as he proceeded. The 7th New York, with its designation "National Guard" went on to become one of the most famous of all Guard units well into the 20th century. Its nickname has come to represent all American militia for more than century.
1862 – Congress passed an act stating that: " . . . the spirit ration in the Navy of the United States shall forever cease, and . . . no distilled spiritous liquors shall be admitted on board vessels of war, except as medical stores . . . there shall be allowed and paid to each person in the Navy now entitled to the ration, five cents per day in commutation and lieu thereof, which shall be in addition to their present pay." Assistant Secretary of the Navy Fox and officers generally held that it was in the Navy's best interest to abolish the spirit ration.
1945 – Over 1000 US naval aircraft raid Hokkaido and the port of Kamaishi. Also, the American battleships South Dakota, Indiana and Massachusetts, as well as 2 heavy cruisers and 4 destroyers, bombard the Kamaishi steel works in the first naval gunfire directed against the Japanese home islands.
1950 – The week long Battle of Taejon begins. This was an early battle between American and North Korean forces during the Korean War. Forces of the United States Army attempted to defend the headquarters of the 24th Infantry Division. The 24th Infantry Division was overwhelmed by numerically superior forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) at the major city and transportation hub of Taejon. The 24th Infantry Division's regiments were already exhausted from the previous two weeks of delaying actions to stem the advance of the KPA. The entire 24th Division gathered to make a final stand around Taejon, holding a line along the Kum River to the east of the city. Hampered by lack of communication, equipment and shortage of heavy weapons to match KPA firepower, the American forces being outnumbered, ill-equipped and untrained were pushed back from the river bank after several days before fighting an intense urban battle to defend the city. After a fierce three-day struggle, the Americans withdrew. Although they could not hold the city, the 24th Infantry Division achieved a strategic advantage by delaying the North Koreans, providing time for other American divisions to establish a defensive perimeter around Pusan further south. The delay imposed at Taejon probably prevented an American rout during the subsequent Battle of the Pusan Perimeter. During the action the KPA captured Major General William F. Dean, the commander of the 24th Infantry Division, and highest ranking American prisoner during the Korean War.
1952 – Laying of keel of USS Forrestal, the first 59,900 ton aircraft carrier.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HIBSON, JOSEPH C.
Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 48th New York Infantry. Place and date: Near Fort Wagner, S.C., 13 July 1863, Near Fort Wagner, S.C., 14 July 1863; Near Fort Wagner, S.C., 18 July 1863. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: England. Date of issue: 23 October 1897. Citation: While voluntarily performing picket duty under fire on 13 July 1863, was attacked and his surrender demanded, but he killed his assailant. The day following responded to a call for a volunteer to reconnoiter the enemy's position, and went within the enemy's lines under fire and was exposed to great danger. On 18 July voluntarily exposed himself with great gallantry during an assault, and received 3 wounds that permanently disabled him for active service.
HOLTON, CHARLES M.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company A, 7th Michigan Cavalry. Place and date: At Falling Waters, Va., 14 July 1863. Entered service at: Battle Creek, Mich. Born: 25 May 1838, Potter, N.Y. Date of issue: 21 March 1889. Citation: Capture of flag of 55th Virginia Infantry (C.S.A.). In the midst of the battle with foot soldiers he dismounted to capture the flag.
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"This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
July 12, 1976
The Navy retired the last C-117 Skytrain.
July 13, 1977
A pilot in an F-4J Phantom II from NATC Patuxent River, Maryland, made the first landing using the microwave landing system at the FAA Test Facility, Atlantic City, N.J. The system was designed to reach out electronically, catch target aircraft, and fly them to safe landings without the pilots touching the controls.
July 14, 1922
Daedalian Life Member Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, a fighter pilot and triple ace with 16 official aerial victories in two wars, was born on this date as Robert Oldys Jr., at Luke Field Hospital, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii. He was the first son of Daedalian Founder Member #12856 Capt. Robert Oldys, Air Service, United States Army, and Eloise Wichman Nott Oldys. In 1931, the family name was legally changed from Oldys to Olds. As a child, Robert Jr., became known as "Robin," a dimunuitive of Robert. Learn more about this member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame HERE. .
July 15, 1939
The Army Air Corps acquired performance rights to the song "Wild Blue Yonder" by composer Robert Crawford. It subsequently became the official U.S. Air Force song.
July 16, 1969
Apollo 11, crewed by Neil A. Armstrong, Col. Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., USAF, and Lt. Col. Michael Collins, USAF, launched from John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin in lunar module Eagle separated from command and service module Columbia and descended to the moon. "Houston, Tranquility Base here — the Eagle has landed," Armstrong reported to mission control when the lunar module touched down on the moon at 1618 EDT. At 2256 EDT, a naval aviator became the first person to walk on the moon when Armstrong stepped onto the surface. Collins, who retired as a major general in the Air Force Reserve, is a Daedalian Life Member.
July 17, 1989
The first Northrop B-2A Spirit, 82-1066, took off from Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, on its first flight. The crew was Northrop Chief Test Pilot Bruce J. Hinds and Col. Richard Couch. The top secret "stealth bomber" prototype landed at Edwards AFB, California, 1 hour, 52 minutes later. After completing the flight test program, -1066 was placed in storage until 1993, awaiting upgrade to the Block 10 operational configuration. In 2000 it was again upgraded to the Block 30 standard. It is now named Spirit of America and assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.
July 18, 1980
NASA astronaut Charles Conrad Jr. became the 12th naval aviator enshrined at the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. Conrad, who died in 1999, was a Daedalian Life Member.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 14, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
14 July
1914: Dr. Robert H. Goddard received a US patent for a liquid-fueled rocket. (21)
1922: Aeromarine Airways began a flying boat service from Detroit to Cleveland. (24)
1943: Comiso Airfield was the first airfield recaptured in Sicily. Afterwards, a German JU-88 landed amid US flak shots. The pilot climbed out, shook his fist at the flak battery, and much to his surprise, became a prisoner. Later, two German ME-109s also landed, believing the airfield to be in German hands. They were also taken prisoner. (4)
1944: Navy PB4Y Liberators flew from Saipan to make the first strike on Iwo Jima by shore-based planes. (24)
1945: From Hollandia, A-20s set fire to Japanese oil fields at Boela, Ceram. They used rocket bombs for the first time in the Southwest Pacific. (24)
1948: Through 20 July, in the first West-East transatlantic flight of jets, 16 F-80s flew from Selfridge Field to Scotland. The trip across the Atlantic took 9 hours 20 minutes. (16) (26)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The 35th Fighter-Interceptor Group (FIG) moved from Japan to a new airfield at Pohang, thus becoming the first USAF fighter group to be based in S. Korea during the war. The 6132d Tactical Air Control Squadron, the first tactical air control unit in the war, activated at Taegu AB to provide forward, ground-based air control for aircraft providing close air support of UN forces. (28)
1951: KOREAN WAR. In one of the more spectacular night strikes of the war, a single B-26 of the 452 BG attacked two enemy convoys north of Sinanju in the early morning hours, claiming sixty-eight destroyed or damaged vehicles. Additionally, the first KB-29P flying boom refueling took place over enemy territory when a RB-45C was refueled over North Korea. (18) (28) Boeing delivered the first KC-97E tanker (number 51-183) to SAC's 306 AREFS at MacDill AFB. (1)
1952: The Ground Observer Corps started its Skywatch program under a nationwide air defense effort. (16) (24)
1958: The USAF decided that the flying boom delivery system would be its standard for air refueling aircraft. (18)
1960: Operation SAFARI. The Congo Airlift started from Evreux, France. (24)
1965: Launched on 28 November 1964, Mariner IV, came within 5,500 miles of Mars. It relayed the first photos of Mars taken from a spacecraft over 134 million miles to earth. (21)
1970: The C-5A Galaxy completed its first transpacific flight of 21,500 miles, inaugurating service to Hickam AFB, Andersen AFB, Clark AB, and Kadena AB. (16) (26)
1974: Gen Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, the first CSAF, died at Walter Reed General Hospital at age 83.
1980: From Vandenberg AFB, the 394th ICBM Test Maintenance Squadron launched the last Block 5D-1 Defense Meteorological Satellite. A Thor booster failed to place it in orbit. (6)
2001: A prototype Minuteman ICBM interceptor targeted and destroyed an unarmed Minuteman II ICBM over the central Pacific. Ten minutes after launch, the interceptor destroyed the warhead, traveling some 15,000 mph at more than 140 miles in altitude above the Earth. The 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg AFB and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization conducted the Ground-based Midcourse Defense Segment, formerly called the National Missile Defense Program, test. (AFNEWS Article 0961, 17 Jul 2001)
2005: An FA/22 Raptor flown by an AFFTC pilot dropped its first 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAM at supersonic speed. The test significantly increased the Raptor's operational capabilities. (3)
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World News for 14 July thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Bell Invictus 360 Prototype Nears Completion Bell Industries | 07/14/2022 Bell says its prototype for the U.S. Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program is nearly complete, reports the War Zone website. The company recently released new images and a video of the Invictus 360 prototype, which it said was more than 90 percent complete. The helicopter, optimized for speed and a relatively low cost of production, is competing against the Sikorsky Raider X for the FARA program to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior for attack reconnaissance missions. The Army has been using AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for the role since retiring the OH-58D. The photos show that the Invictus 360 is, at least externally, largely complete. It also shows a potential armament configuration with a 20-mm XM915 three-barrel Gatling cannon under the nose and two four-rail weapon racks on either side of the fuselage. The racks can be retracted, and the weapons carried internally. The racks appeared to be equipped with mockups of either AGM-114 Hellfire or AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles and the Common Launch Tube, which can carry a variety of munitions and air-launched drones. The helicopter is still awaiting its General Electric T901 turboshaft engine and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D1 auxiliary power unit, reported Key.aero. Bell said that it expected to receive the T901 in November and conduct the first flight of the Invictus 360 in mid-2023 after significant ground testing. The Army hopes to conduct a flyoff between the Invictus 360 and Raider X in 2023 and begin fielding the winning design in 2028.
USA—Biden Says He Would Use Force To Prevent Iran From Getting Nuclear Weapons New York Times | 07/14/2022 In an interview taped ahead of his trip to Israel, U.S. President Joe Biden say he would use force as a last resort to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, reports the New York Times. In the interview taped on Tuesday night and aired on Israeli television on Wednesday, Biden promoted a return to the Iran nuclear deal, arguing that Israel was made more vulnerable after President Trump unilaterally pulled out of the agreement in 2018. Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon now than it was under the agreement, which restricted its nuclear activities, Biden said. The president also said he would not accede to an Iranian demand that Washington remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its foreign terrorist list.
USA—F-15Es Train With Partner Nation JTACs In SW Asia Air Force News Service | 07/14/2022 U.S. Air Force fighters conducted a joint exercise with partner nation joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia earlier this month, reports the Air Force News Service. F-15E Strike Eagles from the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing joined U.S. Air Force, Army and partner nation combat controllers for the training on July 6. The drills involved Close Air Support 9-Lines in support of live ordnance deliveries in a dynamic scenario at a bombing range, the Air Force said. The exercise provided the opportunity to practice techniques and procedures employed across coalition forces, said officials from the 332nd AEW.
Ukraine—Progress Seen In 4-Way Talks Over Grain Exports By Sea Interfax-Ukraine | 07/14/2022 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says Russian and Ukrainian negotiators made "very substantive progress" on enabling Ukrainian grain to be exported by sea, reports Interfax-Ukraine. On Tuesday, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian and U.N. officials met in Istanbul to discuss mechanisms to allow Kyiv to export its grain by sea. Shipping routes in the Black Sea have been blocked by Russia as well as Ukrainian mines laid to hinder a Russian amphibious attack. The blockade has resulted in rising food costs and endangered food supplies for up to 181 million people, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Guterres said the negotiators agreed on mechanisms of control, coordination systems and demining of Ukrainian ports. The sides also agreed to set up a joint coordination center in Istanbul, said Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, as cited by the Daily Sabah (Istanbul). Representatives of Russia, Turkey and Ukraine will meet again next week to sign an agreement, Akar said.
Israel—Joint Exercise With Greek Air Force Strengthens Ties Times of Israel | 07/14/2022 The Israeli air force hosted a Greek contingent for a bilateral exercise this week, reports the Times of Israel. On Tuesday, the Israeli and Hellenic air forces conducted advanced air-to-air combat and aerial refueling drills. The latter involved Israeli tankers refueling Greek jets, the Israel Defense Forces said. The IDF published photos of Greek F-16 fighters flying over the Dead Sea in southern Israel following the training. The exercise was "a platform for shared learning and enhancing the relationship between the two air forces and symbolizes an important milestone in reinforcing strategic and international cooperation between" Israel and Greece, said the IDF in a release. It also supported the enhancement of aerial combat skills in different scenarios among pilots and technical staff. Greece and Israel have been strengthening ties of late, including the first visit to Israel by a military chief last month.
Italy—Populist Five Star Movement To Abstain From Key Vote The Local | 07/14/2022 Giuseppe Conte, the head of Italy's populist Five Star Movement (M5S) party, says the party will boycott a Thursday vote on a cost of living bill in a move that could bring down the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, reports the Local (Italy). The 26 billion euro (US$26.1 billion) bill is intended to help Italians deal with rising energy costs and inflation but includes a measure to construct a garbage incinerator in Rome, which the M5S has long opposed. On Tuesday, Draghi said he would resign if the M5S were to leave the ruling coalition. There have been calls for fresh elections later this year should M5S abandon the coalition. M5S has been largest party in Italian parliament since its sweeping electoral victory in 2018 but has lost significant support since. In June, Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio, a former M5S party leader, left to create his own "Together for the Future" party, taking a quarter of M5S lawmakers with him.
New Zealand—New COVID-19 Wave Hits Reuters | 07/14/2022 New Zealand and other Asian countries are reporting significant increases in COVID-19 cases, reports Reuters. The latest wave, driven by BA.4/5 Omicron variants, is testing healthcare systems across the region. On Thursday, the New Zealand government announced free masks and rapid antigen tests to relieve pressure on its overburdened healthcare system, which is seeing an influx of flu and COVID-19 patients during the Southern Hemisphere winter. Meanwhile, Australian authorities warned that it could be hit with its worst COVID-19 outbreak due to the spread of BA.4/5 variants potentially resulting in "millions" of new infections. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler ruled out new lockdowns to slow the outbreak, although he urged Australians to work from home. Indonesia has reported its highest COVID-19 rates since March and Japan reported nearly 95,000 new cases on Wednesday, a 214 percent increase from the week before. South Korea saw its cases triple in the week ending on July 13, reaching 39,000 daily cases. Daily cases could reach 200,000 by mid-August, authorities said. The government is increasing the distribution of vaccine booster shots to combat the outbreak. The Philippine government also says it expects case numbers to rise up to 20-fold by the end of the month.
Taiwan—Japanese Lawmakers Set To Visit In Show Of Support South China Morning Post | 07/14/2022 Seven Japanese lawmakers are scheduled to visit Taiwan later this month in apparent show of support for the island, reports the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong). On Tuesday, Frank Hsieh, the de facto Taiwanese ambassador to Japan, said in a social media post that the legislators were from a cross-party Parliament group focused on security affairs and indicated ongoing Diet support for Taiwan despite the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last week. He also claimed that more Japanese lawmakers had joined the "pro-Taiwan camp" in the Diet. The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry confirmed the planned visit but said it would not provide more information until the "appropriate time." The ministry emphasized that Japan and Taiwan had long maintained close exchanges and that it was normal for them to resume following the relaxation of COVID-19 border controls. Meanwhile, tensions between China and Japan increased after Taiwanese Vice President William Lai made an unannounced trip to Tokyo to attend Abe's funeral. The Taiwanese government said it was a "personal trip" by a close friend of the late prime minister. Chinese officials protested the visit, calling it a violation of the "one-China" policy agreed to by Japan in 1972. Beijing opposes official contact between Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory, and other countries.
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