To All
Good Thursday Morning June 22, 2023.
I hope that your week has been going well
Regards,
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On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History June 22
1807
Frigate USS Chesapeake, commanded by James Barron, is stopped by British frigate HMS Leopard after killing several of her crew and take Royal Navy deserters. Barron is court-martialed for not having his ship prepared to fight.
1884
USS Thetis, USS Alert, and USS Bear, under Cmdr. Winfield S. Schley, rescue Lt. Adolphus W. Greely and six of his exploring party from Cape Sabine, where they are marooned for three years.
1898
During the Spanish-American War, the Spanish destroyer Terror joins Isabel II in an attempt to torpedo USS Saint Paul, which fires at Terror, damaging the ship.
1943
USS Monaghan (DD 354) attacks the Japanese submarine (I 7) 10 miles south of Cape Hita. (I 7) runs aground, becoming irreparably damaged, 12 miles south-southeast of Kiska, Aleutian Islands.
1963
The nuclear-powered submarines USS Tecumseh (SSBN 628), USS Daniel Boone (SSBN 629), USS Flasher (SSN 613), and USS John Calhoun (SSBN 630) are all launched in one day, emphasizing the Navys accelerated nuclear-submarine construction program.
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THIS DAY IN WORLDHISTORY
1377 Richard II, who is still a child, begins his reign, following the death of his grandfather, Edward III. His coronation takes place July 16.
1558 The French take the French town of Thionville from the English.
1772 Slavery is outlawed in England.
1807 British seamen board the USS Chesapeake, a provocation leading to the War of 1812.
1864 Confederate General A. P. Hill turns back a Federal flanking movement at the Weldon Railroad near Petersburg, Virginia.
1876 General Alfred Terry sends Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer to the Rosebud and Little Bighorn rivers to search for Indian villages.
1910 German bacteriologist Paul Ehrlich announces a definitive cure for syphilis.
1911 King George V of England is crowned.
1915 Austro-German forces occupy Lemberg on the Eastern Front as the Russians retreat.
1925 France and Spain agree to join forces against Abd el Krim in Morocco.
1930 A son is born to Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
1933 Adolf Hitler bans political parties in Germany other than the Nazis.
1938 Joe Louis floors Max Schmeling in the first round of the heavyweight bout at Yankee Stadium.
1940 France and Germany sign an armistice at Compiegne, on terms dictated by the Nazis.
1941 Under the code-name Barbarossa, Germany invades the Soviet Union.
1942 A Japanese submarine shells Fort Stevens at the mouth of the Columbia River.
1944 President Franklin Roosevelt signs the "GI Bill of Rights" to provide broad benefits for veterans of the war.
1956 The battle for Algiers begins as three buildings in The Casbah are blown up.
1970 President Richard Nixon signs the 26th amendment, lowering the voting age to 18.
1973 Skylab astronauts splash down safely in the Pacific after a record 28 days in space.
1980 The Soviet Union announces a partial withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan.
1981 Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing John Lennon.
1995 Nigeria's former military ruler Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and his chief deputy are charged with conspiracy to overthrow Gen. Sani Abacha's military government.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
Skip… For The List for Thursday, 22 June 2023…Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 22 June 1968… Remembering a brave, bold, good old boy…
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.
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As withal of the NHHC articles you can go to the site below and click on the HOME button and get to the H-Grams through the Director's corner…..skip
Thanks to Admiral Cox and NHHC
H-Gram 049: The Naval Battle of Okinawa—Victory
18 June 2020
Contents
Victory at Okinawa -----Finally after 92 days of ferocious and horrible fighting----
Lieutenant Commander George L. Street's Medal of Honor 75th Anniversary of World War II
This H-gram covers the Naval Battle of Okinawa from early June 1945, including the last two mass kamikaze attacks, Kikusui No. 9 and 10, through the end of the battle in late June. It also covers the Medal for Honor awards to Lieutenant Richard McCool, skipper of LCS(L)-122, and Lieutenant Commander George Street, skipper of submarine Tirante (SS-420).
Victory at Okinawa
The protracted and bloody Battle of Okinawa reached its final phase at the end of May 1945, as U.S. Marines captured the strategic point of Shuri Castle. However, the Japanese executed one more unexpected, well-ordered retreat to yet one more prepared line of defense at the southern end of Okinawa. The remainder of Japanese navy personnel on the island (from the naval base at Naha) retreated to the Oroku Peninsula, which the Marines cut off and then assaulted from the sea. U.S. Army units went head-to-head with the Japanese army, which now had no more room to retreat except into the sea. The Japanese navy units put up determined resistance, resulting in over 2,600 Marines dead and wounded, but in the end almost all the Japanese personnel were killed or committed suicide, including Rear Admiral Minoru Ota, commander of the Japanese naval forces on Okinawa. The weather turned foul, turning the battlefield into muck and mire for the last three weeks of some of the most vicious fighting in the entire campaign.
With the passage of Typhoon Viper (see H-gram 048), Japanese kamikaze attacks on U.S. and British naval forces resumed with mass kamikaze attack Kikusui No. 9, consisting of only 50 kamikaze aircraft, as suitable planes and pilots became increasingly hard to come by (although part of this was because the Japanese were husbanding and hiding large numbers of aircraft for the anticipated U.S. invasion of Japan). Kikusui No. 9 was strung out from 3–7 June 1945 and accomplished relatively little.
On 6 June 1945, the destroyer minelayers J. William Ditter (DM-31) and Harry F. Bauer (DM-26) came under concerted kamikaze attack but shot down several kamikazes before J. William Ditter was badly damaged and Harry F. Bauer took a near miss, or so they thought. Harry F. Bauer was one of the lucky ships of the Okinawa campaign, having shot down 13 Japanese aircraft and being hit by a torpedo that didn't explode. As the damage on Harry F. Bauer was subsequently surveyed, it was discovered that she had been steaming for 17 days with an unexploded (but live, "three threads" from detonating) 550-pound bomb in one of her fuel tanks that had been released at the last second by the plane that almost hit her. The bomb was successfully de-armed. Harry F. Bauer was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for her numerous actions during the Okinawa campaign.
The destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) was not so lucky. She had already acquired notoriety for having accidentally fired a live torpedo at the battleship Iowa (BB-61), aboard which was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, CNO Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, and most of the Joint Chiefs on their way to Allied conferences in Cairo and Tehran in 1943. Fortunately, Iowa had sufficient warning to avoid the torpedo. Subsequently, the story was told that when William D. Porter went into port or met other ships, she would be greeted with the signal "Don't shoot. We're Republicans." She also became the subject of other stories of dubious veracity. However, on 10 June 1945, she shot down a kamikaze that crashed close aboard. Unfortunately, the plane's bomb detonated directly under the ship, which killed no one but inflicted mortal damage.
One of the vessels that assisted the stricken destroyer was LCS(L)-122, which was hit and badly damaged on the following day by a kamikaze. Her skipper, Lieutenant Richard McCool, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in saving his ship and is the namesake for the latest San Antonio–class amphibious transport, dock (LPD-29).
Even less lucky than William D. Porter was the destroyer Twiggs (DD-591) on 16 June, hit first by a torpedo and then by the plane that dropped it. Her forward magazine blew first and then her after magazine, and she went down with heavy loss of life (152 crewmen, including the commanding officer, Commander George Philip, who was awarded a posthumous Navy Cross). She was the last destroyer to be sunk before Japanese resistance on Okinawa ended.
On 18 June, the commander of U.S. forces ashore on Okinawa, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, was killed by Japanese artillery—only three days before the end of organized Japanese resistance. Although it was obvious that Okinawa was lost, the Japanese launched one last massed kamikaze attack, Kikusui No. 10, consisting of only 45 kamikaze aircraft, on 21–22 June 1945. These attacks sank LSM-59 and Barry (APD-29), a fast transport previously badly damaged by kamikazes, stripped of anything valuable, decommissioned, and intended for use as a kamikaze decoy. A kamikaze also seriously damaged the Pearl Harbor–veteran seaplane tender Curtiss (AV-4) in the Kerama Retto anchorage. (Of note, famous actor Henry Fonda served aboard Curtiss as a combat intelligence officer, giving up the equivalent of a multimillion-dollar Hollywood income.)
On 22 June, LST-534 was hit by a kamikaze while she was beached. Technically, she sank, but she didn't go very far and would be raised, making LSM-59 the last commissioned ship sunk before the end of Japanese resistance on Okinawa.
In the meantime, Japanese frustrations with that country's Kaiten submarines continued in late June. I-36 survived multiple close calls, and a sacrificial launch of two Kaiten-manned suicide torpedoes probably saved her, but she achieved no hits on her mission. I-165 was even less lucky and was sunk with all hands on 27 June 1945 by a U.S. Navy PV-2 Harpoon aircraft.
By 22 June 1945, the commander of Japanese forces on Okinawa, Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, had committed suicide, and the enormously costly battle of Okinawa was officially over. Kamikaze attacks went into a lull until late July as both sides prepared for the invasion of Japan.
For more detail on the last three weeks of the Naval Battle of Okinawa, please see attachment H-049-1.
Lieutenant Commander George L. Street's Medal of Honor
On 14 April 1945, Lieutenant Commander George Street, on the first war patrol of Tirante (and his first war patrol in command of a submarine) boldly took Tirante into a harbor on the Korean Island of Jeju-do for a night surface attack on a small convoy (one transport and three escorts) at anchor. Street achieved surprise and sank the transport Juzan Maru. Illuminated by the explosions and fire of the transport, Tirante was pursued by the three Japanese escorts as she attempted to escape. Tirante then torpedoed and sank the escort ship Nomi, which blew up in a catastrophic explosion with heavy loss of life, and then torpedoed and sank escort ship CD-31. After reaching deep water, Tirante then survived a depth charge attack from the remaining escort. Street was awarded a Medal of Honor, and his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Edward L. "Ned" Beach, received a Navy Cross. Tirante was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation.
On 12 June 1945, during Tirante's second war patrol, Lieutenant Commander Street took Tirante into the harbor of Hashima, only seven miles from Nagasaki, and sank the large merchant ship Hakuju Maru. He was awarded a Navy Cross for this exploit. For more on Lieutenant Commander Street and the Tirante, please see attachment H-049-1.
For more on the background for the invasion of Okinawa, please see H-Gram 044 and attachment H-044-1. See also H-grams 045, 046, and 048 for the Naval Battle of Okinawa in March through June 1945.
Sources for this H-gram include Naval History and Heritage Command Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) for U.S. ships and "Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy" (http://combinedfleet.com) for Japanese ships. Additional sources are: History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, vol. 14, Victory in the Pacific, by Samuel Eliot Morison (Little, Brown and Co., 1960); Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor, by Peter C. Smith (Pen and Sword Aviation, 2014); The Twilight Warriors, by Robert Gandt (Broadway Books, 2010); Kamikaze Attacks of World War II: A Complete History of Japanese Suicide Strikes on American Ships by Aircraft and Other Means, by Robin L. Reilly (McFarland & Company, 2010); Desperate Sunset: Japan's Kamikazes Against Allied Ships, 1944–45, by Mike Yeo (Osprey, 2019); Anti-Suicide Action Summary, August 1945," COMINCH Document P-0011, 31 August 1945; The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific 1944¬–1945, by James D. Hornfisher (Bantam, 2016); Combined Fleet Decoded: The Secret History of American Intelligence and the Japanese Navy in World War II, by John Prados (Random House, 1995); U.S. Navy Codebreakers, Linguists, and Intelligence Officers Against Japan, 1910–1941, by Steve E. Maffeo (Roman and Littlefield, 2016); Information at Sea: Shipboard Command and Control in the U.S. Navy from Mobile Bay to Okinawa, by Timothy S. Wolters (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013); Hell to Pay: Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945–1947, by D. M. Giangreco (Naval Institute Press, 2009); "Who Sank Destroyer DREXLER?" by Bill Gordon (kamikazeimages.net, May 2006).
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Ocean Gate broke rules …
The laws of physics still apply to fools …
Tam
'I've broken some rules to make this': How OceanGate boss revealed the 7 in. thick acrylic window on lost Titan sub would get 'squeezed in' under water pressure, and admitted he ignored guidance to create the deep sea vessel …
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From the Archives
Thanks to Tom
Jim Flatley . . the Navy jock who landed a four-engined C-130 Hercules to a full stop on an aircraft carrier deck . . said :
"After a dozen Mediterranean deployments on flattops and ' air to air ' exercises with most friendly nations over 30 years I came to respect all of our Allies who flew fighters in their respective TACAIR communities. I wasn't sure which I thought were the craziest.
Probably the Italians.
Then, along come's an F-86 Sabre fighter jock, re-trained in the Hercules
C-130 now inputs ' flesh ' to that conjecture.
Over the decades, we've learned to squeeze more " crazy " performance of the C-130 Hercules than just barrel rolls .
thanks to the professionals like Phil ' Hands ' Handley who finessed its flight envelope ' hard ' so others who followed would have confidence to do the same.
Here's ' Hands' unusual C-130 story :
" When in 1959 I graduated from F-86 upgrade training and was unceremoniously assigned to an airbase in France to fly the four-engined C-130A Hercules . .
I was ready to cut my heart out.
Years later and far wiser, I realize how misguided my perceptions were at that time. Memories of the C-130 mission, the people, and the aircraft itself are indelibly etched in my mind's eye. It was my distinct privilege and honor to fly this classic bird, which will surely go into the history books as the greatest prop-driven cargo aircraft of all time.
The following incident is but one example of many that changed my initial imprudent disappointment to a genuine and lasting admiration . .
for this truly magnificent airplane.
As I accumulated time in the Herc, my appreciation for its astonishing performance steadily increased. Not only was it brutally powerful. But surprisingly maneuverable as well. Although not authorized, rolls in the
C-130 were easily performed as long as the nose was well up before beginning the maneuver.
Part of its mission capability was the "tactical pattern," which replicated the 360-degree overhead pattern flown by fighters. I particularly enjoyed landing out of this pattern and could consistently "roll it onto the numbers" in well under one minute, after the fighter pilot break over the landing runway's touch-down numbers.
Other tactical maneuvers in its arsenal included the "assault takeoff and landing", both designed for operations from short, unprepared fields under combat conditions.
When these maneuvers were performed ' by the book ' they were impressive.
But when they were embellished through various techniques and light gross weights, they were outright spectacular. [ As a matter of fact, a certain VERTICAL TAKEOFF FOLLOWED BY A 200 FT. LANDING ROLL I demonstrated at a major air show, was enough to facilitate my immediate return to a fighter squadron. But that's another story.]
The aircraft's positive G limit was easily sustained in the dense air below about 16,000 feet. And when combined with an incredibly low ' corner velocity ' [ the speed at which the aircraft is capable of making its quickest, tightest turn'] its turn radius was minuscule as compared with that of a much faster, but more heavily wing-loaded fighter.
I was convinced that were I attacked by an enemy fighter, my best course of action would be to get as low as possible to deny the attacking fighter the bottom half of vertical maneuvering room. Then use the Herc's superior turning radius to cause the Sabre to " overshoot" the 4-engine Hercules during the fighter's attacking pursuit curve.
My chance to test the theory came while cruising with only light cargo down an airway over the Mediterranean Sea, when an Italian F-86 jock apparently decided it would be fun to make mock gun passes on a " sitting duck."
After watching a couple of his " curves of pursuit " from my left cockpit window, I asked and received clearance from Rome Control for a '
block ' of altitude from 15,000 to 22,000 feet.
As the Italian rolled-in off his gunnery ' perch ' high and above me to the left, I began a left, descending turn toward him at full throttle to gain airspeed for a pull-up.
By the time he reached mid-point down the slide and reversed into his curve of pursuit, I was still well below his altitude… But my nose was now above the horizon… his was still buried… and I was really beginning to " jam " him by an increasing tight left turn.
In a vain attempt to stay on the inside of my turn, the Italian extended his speed brakes and pulled his power to idle.
Instantly, I pulled hard into him and angled up about 30 degrees. The fighter pilot badly overshot to vulnerably flush to the outside of our turn.
I rotated the C-130 into a nose high 360 degree roll ' over the top.' Now inside the F-86 Sabre's turn, I pulled a hunter's ' lead '. . and fired the C-130's ' imaginary ' guns into his path.
And for a brief, shining moment, the 4-engine ' Herc ' sat squarely at the F-86's ' Six '. . before he accelerated quickly away.
As I climbed back up to 22M, the Italian repositioned a mile or so to our left, then slowly slid his Sabre into formation off our left wing.
After removing his oxygen mask, he flashed a big Italian smile, gave us a ' thumbs up ' signal, then quickly rotated into a vertical Split-S . . to zoom down and away."
' Hands' Handley
Source : Adapted from his book : " Nickel On The Grass "
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From the Archives
This will keep the military buffs occupied for months.
You might want to pass this treasure trove on to others.
Aviation Pioneers http://acepilots.com/pioneers.html
World War I Aces : http://acepilots.com/wwi/main.html
Hall of Fame of the Air : http://acepilots.com/wwi/hfa.html
WW2 European Theater (ETO) : http://acepilots.com/usaaf_eto_aces.html
WW2 Pacific Theater (PTO) : http://acepilots.com/usaaf_pto_aces.html
WW2 US Marine Corps : http://acepilots.com/usmc_aces.html
WW2 US Navy Aces : http://acepilots.com/usn_aces.html
WW2 Mediterranean (MTO) : http://acepilots.com/usaaf_mto_aces.html
WW2 German Aces : http://acepilots.com/german/ger_aces.html
Korean War Aces : http://acepilots.com/korea_aces.html
Russian Aces : http://acepilots.com/russian/rus_aces.html
Vietnam Era Aces : http://acepilots.com/vietnam/main.html
Airplanes : http://acepilots.com/
World War I Planes : http://acepilots.com/wwi/main.html
1930s Aircraft photos : http://acepilots.com/pioneer/air_photos.html
WW2 Fighters : http://acepilots.com/planes/main.html#fighters
WW2 Bombers : http://acepilots.com/planes/main.html#bombers
WW2 German Planes : http://acepilots.com/german/main.html
WW2 Airplane Pictures : http://acepilots.com/archives/main.html
History of Airplanes blog : http://acepilots.com/airplanes/ Nose Art : http://acepilots.com/planes/nose_art.html
Postwar Jets : http://acepilots.com/jets/main.html
World War Two : http://acepilots.com/>
WW2 Facts and Firsts : http://acepilots.com/misc_ww2.html
WW2 Medals : http://acepilots.com/medals/main.html
WW2 Museums : http://acepilots.com/ww2/museums.html
WW2 Pictures : http://acepilots.com/ww2/pictures.html
WW2 Ships : http://acepilots.com/ships/main.html
WW2 Weapons : http://acepilots.com/ww2/weapons.html
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 22
1940 – Port Security responsibilities are undertaken again for the first time since World War I when President Franklin Roosevelt invoked the Espionage Act of 1917. The Coast Guard was to govern anchorage and movement of all vessels in U.S. waters and to protect vessels, harbors, and inland or coastal waterways of the U.S. The Dangerous Cargo Act gave the Coast Guard jurisdiction over ships with high explosives and dangerous cargoes.
1941 – Operation Barbarossa, the German attack on the Soviet Union, begins. Despite the massive preparations spread over many months and the numerous indications Stalin receives from many sources, the Soviet forces are taken almost completely by surprise and lose very heavily in the first encounters. The Germans have assembled almost 140 of their own divisions, including 17 Panzer and 13 motorized divisions. These forces are organized in three army groups: Army Group North (Field Marshal Leeb), Army Group Center (Field Marshal Bock) and Army Group South (Field Marshal Rundstedt). Altogether, the Germans deploy over 3,000,000 men, 7100 guns, 3300 tanks, 625,000 horses and 2770 aircraft. The Red Army has 230 divisions (170 of which are in the west, 134 facing the Germans). The Soviet forces are organized into Northwest Front (Kuznetsov), West Front (Pavlov), Southwest Front (Kirpono) and South Front (Tyulenev). They include 24,000 tanks and 8000 aircraft. On the first day of the attack almost everything goes the German way. The attack begins at 0300 hours with advances on the ground and simultaneous air strikes. The Luftwaffe begins its operations very early in order to be over the Soviet bases exactly at zero hour. By noon the Soviet Air Force has lost around 1200 planes. The land battle is equally successful. The panzer spearhead Army Group North advances 40 miles during the day and Army Group Center captures most of the Bug River bridges intact. Army Group South forces based in Hungary and Romania do not attack during the day.
1942 – The first delivery of V-Mail was in 1942.
1942 – A Japanese submarine shelled Fort Stevens, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River.
1943 – Federal troops put down race-related rioting in Detroit that claimed more than 30 lives.
1944 – President Roosevelt signed the GI Bill of Rights, authorizing a broad package of benefits for World War II veterans.
1944 – After a preparatory air raid on Cherbourg, in which over 1000 tons of bombs are dropped, the divisions of the US 7th Corps (part of US 1st Army) begin assaulting the city of Cherbourg. There is heavy German resistance.
1944 – On Biak, American forces conduct a series of attacks which are believed to clear Japanese resistance in the west but experience renewed Japanese activity during the night. On the mainland, fighting continues near Aitape and Sarmi.
1944 – On Saipan, forces of the US 5th Amphibious Corps advance. The US 2nd Marine Division captures Mount Tipo Pole and fight for Mount Tapotchau. The US 4th Marine Division progresses east on the Kagman Peninsula.
1945 – On Okinawa, the battle ends. American forces have lost 12,500 dead and 35,500 wounded. The US navy has had 36 ships sunk and 368 damaged. In the air, the American forces have lost 763 planes. The Japanese losses include 120,000 military and 42,000 civilian dead. For the first time in the war, there are a relatively large number of Japanese prisoners: 10,755. American reports claim the Japanese have lost 7,830 planes.
1945 – American B-29 Superfortress bombers drop about 3000 tons of bombs on Japanese munitions plants in Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya and Okayama.
1953 – U.S. Air Force Colonel Robert P. Baldwin, commander of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Group, became the 35th ace of the Korean War.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
None this Date.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 22
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 22 THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1909: Wykoff, Church, and Partridge, a New York automobile sales concern, established America's airplane sales agency. (24)
1915: FIRST AERIAL FOREST PATROL. Jack Vilas flew Wisconsin State Forester E. M. Griffith over a forest fire. (24)
1924: At Anacostia, Lts F.W. Wead and J.D. Price flew a Curtiss CS-2 with a Wright T-3 Tornado engine to five world seaplane records: distance, 963 miles; duration, 13 hours 23 minutes 15 seconds; and speed, 73.41 MPH for 500 kilometers, 74.27 MPH for 1,000, and 74.17 MPH for 1,500 kilometers.
1943: Eighth Air Force bombed Germany's Ruhr industrial area for the first time, hitting the chemical works and synthetic rubber at Huls so severely that it could not resume full production for six months. (21)
1944: The 318 FG, Seventh Air Force, pioneered the use of napalm fire bombs during the 22-29 June fight for Saipan. (17) Operation FRANTIC. After the second FRANTIC raid, the Luftwaffe attacked the B-17s at Poltava, destroying 47 and damaging 19 more. (21)
1946: Two US AAF P-80s left Schenectady, N.Y., for Washington DC and Chicago to make the first airmail deliveries by jet. (24)
1951: The Martin P5M Marlin Flying Boat first flew.
1954: Company pilot Robert Rahn flew the Douglas A4D (A-4) Skyhawk for the first time at Edwards AFB. (20) 1956: Operation SIXTEEN TON. Through 15 September, the AFRES demonstrated its ability to carry out sustained operations for the first time. During the mission, Reserve aircrews flew 164 sorties to airlift 856,715 pounds of cargo to support long-range navigation stations for aircraft and vessels in the Caribbean. The mission fell under the operational control of Reserve airlift units from the CONAC's First, Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces. Ultimately, 12 of the 13 Reserve C-46 and C-119 airlift wings participated. Daily, one to four aircraft left New York NAS for Miami IAP, Fla., where the 2585th Air Reserve Flying Center operated the traffic control center. From Miami, the planes either went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, or San Salvador Air Force Base, Bahamas. (AFRES News Service, 22 Jun 96)
1959: First operational Thor unit transferred to the 77 RAF SMS. (6)
1960: The Navy Research Laboratory launched the Transit II-A navigational satellite on a Thor-Able-Star with a GREB (Galactic Radiation and Beta) "piggyback" satellite. This was the first twin satellite launch. (24) A Thor missile completed its first confidence firing at Vandenberg AFB. (6)
1965: The initial F-X briefing called for a small, low cost, high performance aircraft capable of visual air-to-ground and air-to-air missions with an initial operating capability in the early 1970s. (30)
1967: The last naval transport squadron mission under the operational control of MAC took place. The mission marked the end of 19 years participation in the MATS and MAC by the Navy.
1980: Through 8 July, after a Vietnamese incursion into Thailand, the U. S. accelerated a shipment of military items to Thailand. MAC C-141s flew six short-notice missions from several US locations to deliver 127.8 tons of weapons and munitions to Bangkok. (18)
1982: After passing its Operational Readiness Inspection, the 50 TFW's 313 TFS became the first F-16 operationally ready squadron in USAFE. (4) The first KC-135R (number 61-0293) reengined with CFM-56 engines rolled out of the Boeing plant in Wichita, Kans. (1)
1983: The Air Force extended the B-1B test program to include ALCM carriage capability testing. (3)
1990: Northrop unveiled its twin-tail, twin-engined YF-23 Advanced Tactical Fighter in ceremonies at the Advanced Tactical Fighter Combined Test Force Facility at Edwards AFB. (20)
1994: Through 30 June, AMC dispatched 2 C-5s and 2 C-141s to move 50 armored vehicles from Rhein-Main AB to Entebbe Airport in Kampala, Uganda, for UN forces deploying to Rwanda. Another 3 C-141s airlifted a Tanker Airlift Control Element, equipment, and cargo for the operation. (16) (18)
1995: Air Force and Navy officials announced the purchase of a new aircraft trainer, the Beech Mk II, for the Joint Aircraft Training System (JPATS). Each service planned to procure 300 aircraft. The Air Force planned to use the new aircraft to replace its aging T-37s. (16)
2002. A 116 BW aircrew, Georgia ANG, flew the wing's last scheduled B-1 training flight. On 1 October
2002, the unit became the 116 ACW to fly E-8C Joint STARS (Surveillance Target Attack Radar System) missions. (32)
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Thanks to Brett…Notes from around the world
Stratfor snippets - Turkey, Iran/France, China/U.S., EU, Thailand, Moldova, Mali, Nigeria, Russia,
Israel, Turkey: Government Raises Minimum Wage by 34%
What Happened: Turkish Labor Minister Vedat Isikhan announced that the country would hike its minimum wage by 34% starting on July 1 and increase government support for employers to help offset the increased cost of living in the country, Hurriyet Daily News reported on June 20.
Why It Matters: The Turkish government is trying to keep companies competitive by ensuring that they can pay competitive wages in the face of widespread inflation. However, the minimum wage hike will likely contribute to rising inflation and strain the country's national budget, and if Turkey does end up facing a financial crisis, the government will face economic pressure to reduce or cut the minimum wage.
Background: Turkey's inflation slowed to 39.6% in May compared with 43.7% in April and a high of 85.51% in October of 2022. However, this change is due in part to the fact that the government's statistical authority stopped including household gas consumption as part of its index in May. Turkey's government has recently signaled that it will shift back to a more orthodox economic strategy, particularly at the Central Bank, where former Goldman Sachs executive Hafize Gaye Erkan has been appointed to widespread expectations that she will increase interest rates to combat inflation.
Iran, France: Paris Bans Iranian Opposition Rally Over Attack Threat
What Happened: France banned an annual rally in Paris planned by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) political group, which aims to overthrow Iran's Islamist government, Reuters reported on June 19. The Paris police chief cited a "tense context" and "very high security risks" as reasons for the cancellation in a letter, and the NCRI criticized the decision, saying it was caving to tyranny.
Why It Matters: The ban could indicate French hesitance to antagonize Iran in light of a potentially emerging nuclear agreement. There are also legitimate security concerns around the event, as the group's buildings have been attacked recently. However, the ban will anger activists, and if France continues suppressing NCRI activity, Iran will deem it a political and security victory.
Background: The NCRI, founded in 1981 shortly after the founding of Iran's modern state, is based in Paris and is part of the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran. The group holds regular rallies, including one in February that drew thousands of attendees. There have been attacks in recent weeks on NCRI buildings in France, including when two individuals speaking in Farsi threw "incendiary devices" at an NCRI building north of Paris and another attack on the building days earlier with gunshots.
China, U.S.: Blinken Wraps Visit to Beijing
What Happened: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China's top officials, including Foreign Minister Qin Gang, State Councilor Wang Yi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Reuters reported on June 19. The meetings did not produce any major agreements, but each side did acknowledge the precarious state of bilateral relations and vowed to stabilize them.
Why It Matters: This reengagement on a foreign ministry level bodes well for stabilizing and establishing a floor in bilateral relations, and it modestly reduces the possibility that competition and rivalry will devolve into conflict. If talks lead to another meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi as intended, that would be a major opportunity for both sides to constrain tensions. However, the likelihood of this meeting materializing in a substantive way is uncertain at best as long as neither side is willing to fundamentally compromise on core interests. Therefore, the next time U.S.-China tensions rise, the bilateral relationship may devolve once more, especially since military-to-military communications are still off the table.
Background: This is the first time a U.S. secretary of state has visited Beijing since 2018. The White House canceled Blinken's previously scheduled trip to Beijing in February over the presence of a Chinese surveillance balloon operating in U.S. airspace.
EU: Brussels Unveils European Economic Security Strategy
What Happened: The European Commission presented its European Economic Security Strategy, a plan setting out proposals to curb EU countries' exports of highly sensitive technology like artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced semiconductors, Reuters reported on June 20. The strategy will also scrutinize outbound investments that could enhance the military and intelligence capabilities of "countries of concern" that could threaten global peace and security.
Why It Matters: The publication of the strategy is Brussels' first step toward creating a coherent and coordinated European approach to China amid an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. Through the strategy, the bloc is looking to control outsourcing of key industries and technologies to systemic rivals, including China, through export controls and outbound investment screening. However, significant constraints remain, as member states retain the power to weigh security interests and grant export licenses to their companies, and they will be reluctant to cede such prerogatives to Brussels. The European Commission will attempt to convince member states to back these proposals ahead of the upcoming EU leaders' summit in Brussels on June 29-30.
Background: While the document avoids any specific mention of China, it refers to strategies Brussels has frequently presented over the past months for Europe to "de-risk" its relations with Beijing. The bloc has already taken steps to reduce its strategic and economic vulnerabilities and critical dependencies through measures such as its 5G security "toolbox," trade defense instruments, various industrial policy proposals, and strategies to phase out reliance on Russian energy included in the RePowerEU package.
Thailand: Election Commission Certifies All 500 Winners
What Happened: Thailand's Election Commission endorsed all 500 winners in the country's May 14 general election, the Bangkok Post reported on June 19. The endorsements come despite an ongoing investigation into the legality of presumed prime ministerial winner Pita Limjaroenrat taking office.
Why It Matters: The outlook for Pita and his Move Forward Party is now a bit stronger, but Pita could still be disqualified from assuming the premiership if prosecutors prove that he defied the constitution by holding shares in a media company. Additionally, several of the 250 military-appointed senators have said they will not vote for Pita, as military interests are broadly hostile to the Move Forward Party, and since Pita will need dozens of Senate votes to emerge as prime minister, this lack of support could prevent him from taking office.
Background: The bicameral legislature has 14 days to convene following the certification of the election's results and will vote on a house speaker and prime minister in the following days or weeks. The Election Commission had 60 days from the May 14 election to certify the results.
Moldova: Constitutional Court Dissolves Pro-Russian Shor Party
What Happened: Moldova's Constitutional Court declared the pro-Russian Shor Party "unconstitutional" and ordered its dissolution, Reuters reported on June 19. The party's six representatives in the 101-seat Parliament will retain their mandates as independents without the right to join other factions.
Why It Matters: The move will further limit the ability of pro-Russian forces to influence Moldova's politics, particularly since the formerly dominant pro-Russian Socialist Party's waning popularity means it cannot rapidly replace the Shor Party. However, the Shor Party's dissolution will likely further radicalize pro-Russian opponents of the Moldovan government and may cause a near-term increase in protest activity. Additionally, the move will prompt heated rhetoric from Russia and likely prompt Moscow to step up its efforts to destabilize the country, although these efforts are unlikely to derail Moldova's pro-European course prior to the fall 2024 presidential election.
Background: The United States sanctioned Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor and his Shor Party in October 2022, claiming the man worked "with Russian individuals to create a political alliance to control Moldova's parliament, which would then support several pieces of legislation in the interests of the Russian Federation." Ilan Shor, who resides in Israel, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in absentia for fraud and money laundering. The Shor Party had been the primary vehicle of Russian influence in Moldova in recent years, particularly since 2022.
Mali: Transitional Government Calls for Immediate U.N. Troop Withdrawal
What Happened: Mali's transitional government called for the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeeping mission immediately, citing alleged failures to respond to security threats, Al Jazeera reported on June 16.
Why It Matters: The government's demand means the U.N. Security Council is unlikely to renew the peacekeeping mission's mandate when it votes on the issue by June 30. A withdrawal of U.N. forces would very likely further worsen security in an already extremely poor environment by weakening resistance to jihadist encroachment in cities like Gao, Mopti and Timbuktu, potentially heightening the threat of attack in the capital Bamako.
Background: Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop made the demand during a U.N. Security Council meeting, after which the U.S. State Department called for an "orderly and responsible" drawdown of the peacekeeping mission.
Nigeria: Tinubu Replaces Security Leadership
What Happened: Nigerian President Bola Tinubu replaced the heads of the country's security services effective immediately, AP reported on June 19.
Why It Matters: The Tinubu administration claims that the shake-up will be the beginning of an improved security response across the country, but constraints like funding, resources, training and corruption will likely continue to limit Nigerian security forces' effectiveness.
Background: Tinubu replaced the heads of the army, air force, navy, police and defense intelligence.
Russia: Navalny Calls for Renewed Anti-War and Anti-Putin Campaign
What Happened: Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny urged his supporters to begin a new broad campaign against the Russia-Ukraine war and Russian President Vladimir Putin, AP reported on June 19. Navalny claimed that because most of the traditional "instruments of persuasion," including rallies and direct phone calls, were not possible inside Russia, the campaign would use "new methods and technologies," including messaging apps and even Kremlin-controlled social media.
Why It Matters: The call to action may lead to a minor uptick in anti-war political activities by Navalny's supporters ahead of Russia's Sept. 10 local and regional elections, but these activities will not significantly affect the outcome of the vote, in which only pro-war candidates will win office. Additionally, anti-war sentiment and action will come at extreme risk to participants and may backfire by leading to their arrest or departure from the country. This outcome would enable the Kremlin to feel more secure in advance of the more important 2024 presidential election.
Background: On Jan. 17, 2021, Navalny was arrested as he returned from Germany, where had been recovering from an attempted assassination with a military-grade nerve agent. Navalny's influence has waned following the government's move to designate his organizations as extremist in June 2021.
Israel: Far-Right Minister Calls for Crackdown Following Palestinian Attack on Settlement
What Happened: Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for a harsh response to a Palestinian militant attack on an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, The Times of Israel reported on June 20. In the settlement attack, two Palestinian assailants (one of whom was reportedly a member of Hamas, the largest Palestinian militant group and ruler of the Gaza Strip) opened fire on patrons at a gas station in the West Bank town of Eli, killing four Israeli settlers and wounding four others.
Why It Matters: Ben-Gvir's words will increase political pressure on the government to forcefully respond to the Eli attack. Since at least one militant from Hamas was reportedly involved in the attack, Israel will likely focus its retaliation on the group, at a minimum targeting its activities in the West Bank. Israeli raids in the West Bank alone would increase the risk of shooting, knife, vehicular and possibly bombings against Israeli settlers, soldiers and civilians in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israeli retaliation could also include strikes on the Gaza Strip and/or Hamas targets in Lebanon, which would increase the threat of Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli cities.
Background: The Eli attack and Ben-Gvir's comments come less than a day after a deadly raid by Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin. These events come amid a persistent West Bank militant threat, which has led to frequent Israeli counterterrorism raids over the past year.
China: Investigations Into Western Companies for Data Violations Likely to Increase
What Happened: Chinese regulators in Shanghai summoned Shake Shack, Starbucks and one Chinese company for excessive collection of personal data, Reuters reported on June 21. They also encouraged netizens to "provide clues" to local enforcement efforts.
Why It Matters: The local regulator may be legitimating seeking to remediate excessive data collection in line with China's new, more restrictive policy regime on data management. However, China's regulators (including local institutions) tend to target recognizable Western (particularly U.S.) firms to scare the rest of the industry into compliance. As local regulators are empowered to enforce new laws and are eager to please an increasingly fickle central government, they will likely begin more such investigations. Though Beijing will occasionally intervene to counterbalance local regulators' excesses, it will focus primarily on mitigating collateral damage to Chinese companies.
Background: Many of China's latest data laws have emphasized empowering local regulators to monitor data flows, as well as investigate and punish perceived violations, rather than rely on central government enforcement.
Colombia: Setbacks for Labor Reform Bode Well for Companies, Poorly for Credit Rating
What Happened: The seventh committee in Colombia's lower house failed to reach a quorum in the first debate over the introduction of a labor reform, El Tiempo reported on June 20.
Why It Matters: June 20 is the last day of the legislative session, so the government could either schedule extra sessions to debate the bill or present the legislation anew during the next legislative session on July 20. The bill's setback will likely alleviate company concerns over the prospect of additional overhead costs, but the weak governance that led to the setback could also harm Colombia's credit rating, which would increase the cost of taking on sovereign debt.
Background: The labor reform seeks to reduce the normal work week from 48 hours to 42 hours and to guarantee one day off every seven days, increasing the chance that workers will receive overtime pay. It also aims to reduce companies' ability to hire short-term contractors, opting instead to prioritize indefinite contracts in an effort to increase job security.
Ukraine: Recovery Conference Secures Financing, but Questions Remain
What Happened: On the opening day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union will provide $54.5 billion in financial aid to cover 45% of all Ukraine's funding needs for 2024-7, the Financial Times reported on June 21. She also said the European Union would soon outline how it intends to use proceeds from seized Russian assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction.
Why It Matters: Pledges made by Western leaders on the first day of the conference will significantly help secure Kyiv's mid-term public finances, particularly since strong EU pledges will make it significantly easier for the United States and Ukraine's other supporters to politically justify continued support. But key elements of securing Ukraine's economy in the long term remain unresolved, as states have not yet finalized legal mechanisms to use Russian assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction. Ukraine's supporters also have not established a plan to provide publicly-subsidized war risk insurance for private investors, without which it will be extremely difficult for Ukraine's economy to achieve stable growth.
Background: On June 14, reports indicated that the Kremlin secretly ordered work to begin on a decree that would enable Moscow to appropriate Western assets at a low cost. The Russian government is also discussing even more draconian measures to fully nationalize uncooperative Western business in order to punish Western countries that seize Russian assets to compensate Ukraine.
EU: Brussels Proposes New Funding Instrument for Green Tech
What Happened: The European Commission proposed the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, which would fund investment in key technologies (including for the green transition) in the European Union, Reuters reported on June 20. The scheme aims to leverage 160 billion euros ($175 billion) by mobilizing existing EU money available under existing programs and asking member states for an additional 10 billion euros ($11 billion) from 2024-7.
Why It Matters: The proposed financing platform is an attempt to accelerate the bloc's green energy transition despite a lack of consensus on more significant funding among member states. With this mechanism, the European Union will seek to support domestic green technologies manufacturing and critical minerals processing by raising only 10 billion euros of fresh financing and reshuffling money already available under existing funding programs, hoping this will be multiplied through crowding in of private capital. The lack of more substantial financial support from the European Union, however, means that larger EU member states with the capacity to finance their own industries will continue to benefit the most from a further loosening of state aid rules in the bloc.
Background: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previously announced that Brussels would create a new European sovereignty fund to finance green industrial subsidies in the European Union that could compete with those provided by the United States under the Inflation Reduction Act. But resistance from EU member states (particularly Germany) and rising debt financing costs for the bloc reduced the commission's ability to raise fresh common funds.
Iran, Oman: Iranian Foreign Minister Visits Oman on Gulf Tour
What Happened: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is in Oman for meetings with senior Omani officials, Naharnet reported on June 21. While in Oman, Amirabdollahian has already met with a senior official of Yemen's Houthi rebel group, which Iran backs.
Why It Matters: Amirabdollahian's visit to Oman is part of a broader diplomatic outreach by Iran to members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The public nature of these meetings indicates that GCC states are willing to maintain a more positive and pragmatic relationship with Iran. More specifically, Amirabdollahian's meeting with a Houthi leader may indicate that Iran will encourage the group to pursue cease-fire efforts as Iran's ties with GCC states improve, which would help de-escalate Yemen's civil war.
Background: On June 20, Amirabdollahian visited Qatar to discuss Iran's nuclear program with Qatari and European officials, including the coordinator of the European Union's Iran nuclear talks, Enrique Mora. Iran confirmed the week of June 12 that officials held indirect talks about their country's nuclear program with the United States in Oman, which has been the most common site for this kind of indirect diplomacy over the last decade.
EU: Bloc Reports on Eurasian Countries' Progress Toward EU Membership
What Happened: An internal update from the European Commission indicated that Ukraine and Moldova have made important progress in implementing key reforms to facilitate EU membership, while Georgia has made only limited progress, Euractiv reported on June 21. The update also indicated which reform areas the three countries must improve upon as the European Commission's enlargement review approaches in October.
Why It Matters: The update's encouraging report on Ukraine will bolster domestic support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but Kyiv is still very unlikely to achieve its goal of starting EU ascension negotiations within a year. However, the positive feedback on Moldova's progress will push the country's pro-Russian political bloc to more actively protest additional reforms toward EU integration, while Georgia's limited progress could lead pro-EU factions to demand more reforms and protest ties to Russia. Further reforms in Moldova and Georgia may lead Russia to retaliate economically and/or downgrade diplomatic relations, which may rally the pro-Russian sections of the countries' populations.
Background: The European Commission will give the report to EU affairs ministers at a meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 22. The bloc's recommendations are prerequisites for reaching the negotiations stage for ascension to the European Union. Georgia failed to receive EU candidate status alongside Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022.
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