TheList 7212

The List 7212

Good Thursday morning June 19 .  There is a lot to unpack here but between A great Father's Day story from Shadow and the battle of the Philippine Sea and a couple of MOH reads I hope it keeps you entertained. The day is dawning cloudy and cool today but is supposed to start clearing up by 10 and the temps will hit 83.

Lots to do today so up early to get a handle on things.

Warm regards,

skip

HAGD

 

Make it a GREAT Day

 

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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)

Go here to see the director's corner for all 91  H-Grams . .

Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/.

June 19

1864 During the Civil War, USS Kearsarge, commanded by Capt. J.A. Winslow, sinks CSS Alabama, commanded by Capt. R. Semmes, off Cherbourg, France, ending the career of the Souths most famous commerce raider, which included burning 55 vessels valued at $4.5 million.

1942 USS Ballard (AVD 10) is directed by a PBY (VP 11) to rescue 35 survivors (one dies shortly after rescue) from Japanese carrier, Hiryu, which is scuttled by destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo on June 5 during the Battle of Midway. The men are members of the engineering department and were presumed dead by the Japanese.

1943 USS Gunnel (SS 253) damages Japanese gunboat Hong Kong Maru (ex-Philippine Argus) and sinks freighter Tokiwa Maru off Shirase, Japan, and costal minesweeper Tsubame. Also on this date, USS Sculpin (SS 191) sinks Japanese guardboat No.1 Miyasho Maru and army cargo ship Sagami Maru off Inubo Saki, Japan.

1944 Mulberry A off the coast of Normandy, Omaha Beach, is destroyed in severe storm that lasts until the following day. Deemed irreparable, the use of the mulberry ceases. The British and Canadian Mulberry B, off Gold Beach, survives the storm.

 

1944 The largest aircraft carrier action in World War II, the Battle of the Philippine Sea begins as Task Force 58 shoots down hundreds of enemy aircraft in what becomes known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot.

 

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Today in World History June 19

 

240 BC   Eratosthenes estimates the circumference of Earth using two sticks.

1778    General George Washington's troops finally leave Valley Forge after a winter of training.

1821    The Ottomans defeat the Greeks at the Battle of Dragasani.

1846    The New York Knickerbocker Club plays the New York Club in the first baseball game at Elysian Field, Hoboken, New Jersey.

1861    Virginians, in what will soon be West Virginia, elect Francis Pierpont as their provisional governor.

1862    President Abraham Lincoln outlines his Emancipation Proclamation. News of the document reaches the South.

1864    The USS Kearsarge sinks the CSS Alabama off of Cherbourg, France.

1867    Mexican Emperor Maximilian is executed.

1885    The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York City from France.

1903    The young school teacher, Benito Mussolini, is placed under investigation by police in Bern, Switzerland.

1919    Mustafa Kemal founds the Turkish National Congress at Ankara and denounces the Treaty of Versailles.

1933    France grants Leon Trotsky political asylum.

1934    The National Archives and Records Administration is established.

1937    The town of Bilbao, Spain, falls to the Nationalist forces.

1942    Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrives in Washington D.C. to discuss the invasion of North Africa with President Franklin Roosevelt.

1944    U.S. Navy carrier-based planes shatter the remaining Japanese carrier forces in the Battle of the Marianas.

1951    President Harry S. Truman signs the Universal Military Training and Service Act, which extends Selective Service until July 1, 1955 and lowers the draft age to 18.

1958    Nine entertainers refuse to answer a congressional committee's questions on communism.

1961    Kuwait regains complete independence from Britain.

1963    Soviet cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, becomes the first woman in space.

1965    Air Marshall Nguyen Cao Ky becomes South Vietnam's youngest premier at age 34.

1968    Over 50,000 people march on Washington, D.C. to support the Poor People's Campaign.

1973    The Case-Church Amendment prevents further U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia.

1987    The U.S. Supreme Court voids the Louisiana law requiring schools to teach creationism.

1995    The Richmond Virginia Planning Commission approves plans to place a memorial statue of tennis professional Arthur Ashe.

1953    Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed for espionage

 

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Thanks to Brett

Geopolitical Futures

Keeping the future in focus

https://geopoliticalfutures.com

Daily Memo: Resupplies for Israel and Iran, G7's Critical Minerals De-risking Plan

Chinese cargo planes have been flying to Iran since Israel's airstrikes began.

By GPF Staff

 

Jun 18, 2025

Dwindling interceptors. Israel is running low on Arrow missile interceptors, raising concerns about its ability to counter Iranian ballistic missile attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a U.S. official. The source said U.S. officials have been aware of the stockpile issue for months. In response, Washington has augmented Israel's defenses with additional land, sea and air defense systems.

Suspicious flights. Following Israel's airstrikes on Iran, Chinese cargo planes made three flights to Iran over as many days. The Boeing 747 cargo planes, which vanished from radar as they approached Iranian airspace, are typically chartered for military equipment and government contracts. China and Iran are strategic partners, and Iran supplies China with up to 2 million barrels of oil per day.

De-risking. At the G7 summit in Canada, leaders agreed on a new action plan to reduce risks in critical mineral supply chains. Key areas of cooperation include monitoring potential shortages, coordinating against "deliberate market disruption," and diversifying and onshoring mining, processing, manufacturing and recycling. The group aims to develop a roadmap by year's end to establish "standards-based" markets that account for the true costs of extraction, processing and trade. Leaders also pledged to boost investment in "responsible" critical mineral projects.

Belarus trip. The U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is expected to travel to Belarus in the coming days for talks with President Alexander Lukashenko, Reuters reports. The meeting's agenda remains unclear, but Kellogg described the trip as a potential step toward peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump administration officials have discussed strategies to pull Belarus away from Russia's orbit and into closer alignment with the U.S., even if only marginally.

Unusual lunch meeting. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, for a private lunch at the White House – a rare instance of high-level U.S.-Pakistan engagement. The meeting comes after Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" and boasted of U.S. dominance of Iranian airspace, a sharp contrast to Munir's public support for Tehran. Munir will also meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss counterterrorism and regional stability. Meanwhile, supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan protested outside Munir's hotel, criticizing alleged authoritarian practices in Pakistan.

Getting acquainted. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held their first face-to-face meeting Tuesday on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The two leaders pledged closer coordination on regional issues, including North Korea's missile and nuclear programs and the unresolved abductions of Japanese nationals by Pyongyang. They also agreed to expand cooperation and promote high-level dialogue, and reaffirmed their commitment to "shuttle diplomacy."

Back and forth. In his first weeks in office, the South Korean president began pursuing a thaw with North Korea, echoing previous liberal administrations. The Ministry of Unification called on civic groups to halt balloon launches carrying propaganda leaflets. Police are now investigating a recent launch and have deployed officers near potential launch sites. South Korean forces also stopped loudspeaker broadcasts at the Demilitarized Zone, prompting a reciprocal halt from the North. Lee emphasized his desire to restore trust and reopen stalled communication channels.

Redirected trade. Facing a steep drop in trade with the U.S., China shifted exports to other key markets in May 2025. Total exports grew 4.6 percent despite a 34.5 percent drop in sales to the United States. Exports to India rose 12.4 percent, with notable gains as well in shipments to the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative. India's data supports the trend, showing a 22.4 percent rise in imports from China and Hong Kong, driven by electronics and machinery. GTRI warned the shift could pose dumping risks.

 

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Rollingthunderremembered.com .

June 18

Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear

 Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.

     An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via  https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).

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Thanks to Micro

To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip

For Thursday June 19    From skip…You need to read this one and the attachments. It is an exciting and daring rescue of a pair of Phantom crewmen at night in enemy territory that resulted in a Medal of Honor for the helicopter pilot

June 19:  https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1814

 

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Thanks to Shadow

Probably one of the best Father's Day stories I have ever read….skip

My Mother had six sisters and Five brothers. All the men went into the service in WWiII. They were in every service. And all over the world. All of them made it back. I remember seeing a picture of them in a newspaper that one of my Aunts had that had pictures of all of them on one page.. Only saw it once and never remembered who had it. Skip

 This is a true story, written by a friend that was a Marine in the infantry on the ground in Vietnam, then went to flight training and flew F-4's, among other things.  He's now retired to Florida where he still restores vintage aircraft for museums, among many other pursuits.

Thanks to Shadow -

This one brings back some memories… Will never forget Father's Day 1966… or the men who made it so memorable for my Father and me.

 

As summer approached, I was "in country", and, in late May, we came in from one of the longest periods of being in the field for anyone… almost 90 days. It had been a ball buster. I think I had lost almost 30 of my 160 pounds. As we left our operating area near Co Bi Than-tan, just north of Hue, we moved back to Phu Bai. I was with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, Fourth Marines. When we got to Phu Bai, we separated from the rest of the Battalion and became the stand-by company for quick reaction, besides guarding the SeaBee Battalion next door. The rest of the battalion got to eat hot meals on the other side of the highway… we were sill eating C-Rations. We were constantly being called out on "Sparrow Hawk" missions (reinforced platoon quick reaction team) and even Company sized reaction missions. Someone stepped in chit… we were the go-to guys to bail them out. We settled in, knowing our stay in Phu Bai would be short, before we moved further north in I-Corps to Dong Ha.

 

Unknown to me at the time was that three men were conspiring to make the upcoming Father's Day my most memorable. You see, my father was in VA-55 on the USS Ranger, on Yankee Station. His immediate superior was LCDR Theodore Kopfman (think he was the Maintenance Officer)… He worked for the Skipper, CDR M.J. Chewning, the C.O. of VA-55. Kopfman and Chewning became aware that I was "in country" while they and my dad were off shore. One of them, don't know which one, came up with the idea it would be neat if we could be together in the war zone for Father's Day. Kopfman, with Chewning's blessing, set about to make it happen. This was in late May.

 

Then on the 3rd of June, Chewning took a hit in his A-4 cockpit, was severely wounded, but managed to make a single handed landing back on Ranger, despite his injury and loss of blood. I'm sure that you and others know of his heroic efforts. Unfortunately, his command was over as he could no longer fly. Kopfman went to my dad and finally told him what they were planning and hoped Chewning's loss would not stop their intended surprise to get me out to Ranger, but he was worried it might not come off. Meanwhile, I and the Marine Corps were oblivious to what was in the works.

 

On 15 June, Delta Company was called out on a company quick reaction operation. One of our Combined Action Companies just north of Phu Bai had been attacked the night before, and we mounted up to try to find the retreating enemy force. We were inserted by helo's and got hot on their trail. It was hot as hell and the terrain was tough, everything from dense bush to flooded rice paddies and irrigation ditches, along with bamboo rushes. We tracked them most of the day but made no direct contact. The irrigation ditches (small canals) and the rice paddies were full of water and had a distinct gray color due to the high clay content in the soil. During a rest period, Dan McMahon, my Company Commander, pointed out I had a "High Water" mark across my chest from fording one of the canals. From mid-chest down my jungle utilities were no longer green, but gray. And my jungle boots were caked with the same gray mud and muck. Add to that, we had a potable water shortage, and none of us had shaved for a couple of days. Dan opined I was a sorry sight. It was a ball busting day, but it was decided to extract us by helo at day's end, as we'd made no contact. They picked us up and flew us back to Phu Bai, and we arrived just at dusk. And we were trucked back to our Company area. We were all exhausted, and I just threw myself on my canvass cot in our tent and passed out just after mail call.

 

15 June 1966 was a ball buster for me but nothing compared to what LCDR Kopfman was going through, for that same day LCDR Theodore Kopfman was shot down and forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken prisoner. And he remained so until 1973. That very night about 2330, I was awaken by the Company Runner and told to get to McMahon's tent ASAP! I crawled out of my rack and walked to the CP Tent and found McMahon sitting on the edge of his rack ,and he looked up and smiled and said, "You're to report to the Heli-Pad at 0500. They're flying you out to see your dad for Father's Day." I think I said, "You gotta be shitting me… Sir". Dan smiled and said, "Nope, just got this flash message from Division that Battalion sent over." I started to leave and realized I had no change of clothing… all our stuff was put in storage when we were sent out since they didn't know how long we'd be in the field. I turned to McMahon and said, "I don't have a change of clothes." Dan looked at me and said, "Fuck it, you look hard"… with that, he slumped back on his cot. He was as tired as I was. On the way out of the CP I put in a piss call with the Company Runner for 0430, so he could use the Skipper's "Mighty Mite" to get me over to the Heli-Pad. We got there just at 0500. I looked a mess… Filthy jungle utilities, muddy boots, my .45… and nothing else. My eyes were blood shot, and I had about three days growth of beard. They put me in a CH-46, and we flew down the coast line to Da Nang and landed on the Marine side of the airfield. Now I had no orders and no idea how things would go from there. As I walked out of the helicopter, I see this Marine Major.  He came over to me and says, "Are you Stafford?" I said, "Yes, Sir." His next words were, "Son, you look like shit!" I quickly explained we'd been out in the bush, fording rice paddies and dykes, and our stuff was in storage. He stepped back and said, "Come to think of it, you look hard (just like McMahon). Be good PR if they take picture." The Major's name was Chervin. He drove me over to the other side of the field and pulled up next to a Navy COD and said, "There's your ride." I thanked him and asked if he had any orders for me. He said no, just use your judgment, stay a couple of days, and get back as soon as you can. He also told me I could catch a flight back to Phu Bai from the transient line where we now were when I came back. I was then herded onto the C-1, and we flew out to Ranger.

 

After we trapped, they taxied us up in front of the island on the starboard elevator and chocked and chained us and shut us down. As I got out of the airplane… I must have been a sight… all these sailors were looking at me and trying to figure out who and what I was. We wore no rank in the field per our C.O.'s orders… I was filthy, unshaven,and caked in mud… and I had a .45 on my shoulder. I was told they speculated I was someone who'd been rescued after evading for days. Later they got a kick out of finding out I was there to see my dad for Father's Day. Spent three glorious days on the boat. The Marine Detachment spirited away my Jungle Utilities and boots, gave me a clean set of Stateside utilities and finally gave me mine back the next day. The C.O. said they had to wash them three times to get all the mud out, and some poor bastard had to clean and polish my boots. That night they gave me a big steak for dinner. I couldn't eat most of it as my stomach had shrunk. That night my dad sadly told me that the men who'd put together the whole thing had been wounded, CDR Chewning.. and LCDR Kopfman had been shot down the day before, and they didn't know his fate. Kinda put a damper on things.

 

Regardless, it was a nice visit. When I left to go back, it took a working party to load all the goodies the Navy and Marines gave me to share with my fellow Marines back in country. When I finally came back to the States, my mom showed me a letter my dad had written her the night I arrived. It started with, "Your Son came aboard today, as usual with his dirty laundry."

 

BTW… Had an exciting end to the trip as the C-1 I was on, along with some ARVN wounded and a Corpsman, almost smacked the water after deck launching off the angle. I was looking up at the flight deck and could see all these sailors running to the deck edge to see if we were gonna make it. Things were never easy it seemed, where Vietnam was concerned. That's life, I guess.

 

My dad and I talked about it for years, and I made it a point to fly an F-4 up to NAS Lemoore to try to meet both men, after Kopfman was released, and express my gratitude in person. Unfortunately, my timing was bad and both men were unavailable. I left them a letter but never heard from them. But I remain forever grateful.

 

Shadow

 

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Thanks to Barrett

The 163 gets my nomination for Worst Return on Investment of WW II Aviation.  The commitment of engineering and production coulda/shoulda been directed elsewhere.  My closest AvHistory colleague, the late-great Jeff Ethell, wrote the most thorough study I know of.  He found that the 360 Komets claimed between 9 and 16 Allied aircraft, losing 10 in combat.  I do not find a number for 163 pilots killed in action or accidents, or partly eaten up by the fuel.

Eric Brown was the only Allied aviator to make a powered flight in the 163.  He detailed his impressions in his memoir, Wings On My Sleeve.  I was fortunate to know Eric and Lynn tolerably well—we exchanged visits Over There and Over Here.  He found the Komet a delightful glider, stall-proof as I recall, and the two minutes of powered flight were sensational.  But the utility of a rocket fighter never matched the concept.

Barrett

 

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From the Little Big Horn to the '03 Springfield by  W. Thomas Smith Jr.

 

This Week in American Military History:

 

June 20, 1941: The U.S. Army Air Corps is reorganized as the U.S. Army Air Forces (the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force).

 

June 22, 1944: Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 – commonly known as the "G.I. Bill of Rights" – into law.

The law will literally change the socio-economic landscape of the country:

putting teeth in the U.S. Veterans Administration, and providing education and work-training opportunities, home loans, farm and business startup capital, and other benefits for millions of soon-to-be-returning World War II veterans who otherwise would never receive such.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "Before the war, college and homeownership were, for the most part, unreachable dreams for the average American."

The G.I. Bill changed that.

"Millions who would have flooded the job market instead opted for education. In the peak year of 1947, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. By the time the original G.I. Bill ended on July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of 16 million World War II veterans had participated in an education or training program."

 

June 23, 1903: The U.S. Army adopts the now-famous Springfield rifle

(M1903) as the standard infantry weapon.

The bolt-action M1903 Springfield will be the primary American rifle carried by soldiers and Marines during America's year (1918) in World War I. And in 1942, U.S. Marines fighting Japanese diehards on Guadalcanal are still armed with the '03 Springfield as their primary weapon (though the semi-automatic M1 Garand had begun to replace the Springfield a few years earlier).

Coincidentally among the American combat units on "the Canal" is the fighting 5th Marine Regiment, which – 25 years earlier during the bloody battle of Belleau Wood – won for the entire Corps a reputation as some of the world's best marksmen. And they did so of course with the '03 Springfield.

U.S. Army Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, commanding general of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, will say, "The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle [meaning his '03 Springfield]."

In his book, Guadalcanal Marine, author Kerry L. Lane will write: "The enemy on Guadalcanal would soon learn that a Marine marksman armed with a Springfield '03 rifle is a dangerous man at a great distance."

 

June 25, 1876: The battle of the Little Big Horn opens between a few hundred U.S. Army cavalry troopers under the command of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and thousands of allied Lakota and Cheyenne Indian warriors under the command of Crazy Horse and Chief Gall.

Also known as "Custer's last stand," the battle will result in the encirclement and total annihilation of Custer and his vastly outnumbered command.

Though a dark day for the American Army, the battle of the Little Big Horn represents multiple inescapable elements of American military tradition:

The dashing, adventurous cavalry trooper riding off into the unknown, mistakes made, mistakes corrected, courage, sacrifice, our American Indian heritage, and the growing pains of America's westward expansion.

 

June 26, 1948: The Berlin Airlift – a series of some 300,000 air-transport flights into West Berlin delivering an average of 5,000 tons of life necessities every day for nearly a year – begins.

Led by the U.S. Air Force, the airlift – codenamed "Operation Vittles" and unofficially known as "LeMay's Feed and Coal Company" – is launched in response to a Soviet blockade of West Berlin; cutting off all highway and rail routes into the Western zones.

 

(Gen. Curtis LeMay – affectionately known as "Old Iron Ass" – was the Air Force's brash, cigar-chewing master of strategic bombing.) U.S. Army Gen. Lucius Clay, the military governor of the American zone of occupied Germany, writes: "When the order of the Soviet Military Administration to close all rail traffic from the western zones went into effect …, the three western sectors of Berlin, with a civilian population of about 2,500,000 people, became dependent on reserve stocks and airlift replacements. It was one of the most ruthless efforts in modern times to use mass starvation for political coercion... ."

The blockade and subsequent airlift was the first serious confrontational crisis between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union following World War II. But the airlift, which gained wide public support around the world, was an enormous success. In May 1949, the Soviets conceded and reopened the land routes, though strict – in fact, harsh – control continued for the remainder of the Cold War.

 

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If you want a great book on the Marianas Turkey Shoot read Barrett Tillman's "Clash of the Carriers". Skip

 

Thanks to Barrett

Turkey Day

 

And not gobble-gobble!

 

19 June '44 was The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, largest carrier battle there will ever be: 15 US and 9 IJN.  (Leyte Gulf doesn't count because the strikes were all one-way.)

 

TF-58 repelled four attacks that morning, a wake-up for the Japanese Navy because previously it did not fully appreciate the sophistication of USN fleet defense: 60-80 mile skin paints on inbound hostiles, or more.  With 15 VF squadrons to rotate on ForceCAP, the Hellcats began working over the visitors, who operated beyond range of US strikers.  Attrition among Japanese formations was horrific, totaling over 200 among 328 claimed.  (Additional IJN planes were splashed on search missions).

 

Six Hellcat pilots became aces in a day.  LtJG Alex Vraciu of VF-16/CV-16 splashed 6 to become the leading Navy ace--added one more next day in "the mission beyond darkness."

A Hornet pilot, Ens. Wilbur Webb, was orbiting a downed flier off Guam when he saw what he saw.  He opened up: "This Spider Webb.  I have about 40 of 'em cornered over Orote Point and I could use a little help."  Joined the traffic pattern and hosed six.  His F6F was junked when he trapped aboard CV-12.

 

(Alex died January, Spider in 2002.)

 

During the day no US CV aviators saw enemy flight decks but submarines sank Shokaku (a Pearl Harbor attacker) and the flagship Taiho. 

 

The Turkey Shoot name was applied by a VF-16 pilot, Ens. Ziggy Neff, who splashed 4 in his only combat of the war.  During debrief he said, "It was just like an old-time turkey shoot back home in Missouri."  (I suspect he said Missourah...)

 

USS Belleau Wood torpedo planes sank a third IJN CV the next evening, IJNS Hiyo.

 

The next time Japanese carriers deployed, the 4 available at Leyte in October were mainly used as bait.  Many/most of their aviators had not CQ'd.

 

Barrett sends

 

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Jun 19, 1944:

United States scores major victory against Japanese in Battle of the Philippine Sea

June 19

                                                                           

On this day in 1944, in what would become known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot," U.S. carrier-based fighters decimate the Japanese Fleet with only a minimum of losses in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

The security of the Marianas Islands, in the western Pacific, were vital to Japan, which had air bases on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. U.S. troops were already battling the Japanese on Saipan, having landed there on the 15th. Any further intrusion would leave the Philippine Islands, and Japan itself, vulnerable to U.S. attack. The U.S. Fifth Fleet, commanded by Admiral Raymond Spruance, was on its way west from the Marshall Islands as backup for the invasion of Saipan and the rest of the Marianas. But Japanese Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo decided to challenge the American fleet, ordering 430 of his planes, launched from aircraft carriers, to attack. In what became the greatest carrier battle of the war, the United States, having already picked up the Japanese craft on radar, proceeded to shoot down more than 300 aircraft and sink two Japanese aircraft carriers, losing only 29 of their own planes in the process. It was described in the aftermath as a "turkey shoot."

Admiral Ozawa, believing his missing planes had landed at their Guam air base, maintained his position in the Philippine Sea, allowing for a second attack of U.S. carrier-based fighter planes, this time commanded by Admiral Mitscher, to shoot down an additional 65 Japanese planes and sink another carrier. In total, the Japanese lost 480 aircraft, three-quarters of its total, not to mention most of its crews. American domination of the Marianas was now a foregone conclusion.

Not long after this battle at sea, U.S. Marine divisions penetrated farther into the island of Saipan. Two Japanese commanders on the island, Admiral Nagumo and General Saito, both committed suicide in an attempt to rally the remaining Japanese forces. It succeeded: Those forces also committed a virtual suicide as they attacked the Americans' lines, losing 26,000 men compared with 3,500 lost by the United States. Within another month, the islands of Tinian and Guam were also captured by the United States.

The Japanese government of Premier Hideki Tojo resigned in disgrace at this stunning defeat, in what many have described as the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

 

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Thanks to  NHHC

 

WWII@75: Battle of the Philippine Sea

 On June 19, 1944, 80 years ago, the largest aircraft carrier action of World War II began as Allied forces continued their push across the Pacific. Following the buildup of the U.S. Navy's fast carrier forces in the central Pacific, the American drive into the strategic Marshall Islands chain, and the foreseeable U.S. victory on Saipan, Japanese naval leadership believed that the time had come for decisive large-scale fleet action. Previous attempts either had failed or had come up short of a victory that would change the war in favor of Japan. Task Force 58 clashed with the Imperial Japanese Navy's Carrier Division 3 in a series of engagements fought out in the air, several hundred miles west of Saipan. By the evening of June 20, Task Force 58's aircraft broke the back of Japanese naval aviation and the Japanese combined fleet's carrier forces by sending hundreds of enemy aircraft into the water. To learn more, visit the new Battle of the Philippine Sea page on NHHC's WWII 1944 page. Also, read "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" by NHHC historian Guy J. Nasuti.

 

This week's Webpage of the Week is new to NHHC's World War II 1944 page. Operation Forager: The Battle of Saipan—an in-depth essay written by COD's Adam Bisno—provides a depiction of the battle that began on June 15, 1944, and ended on July 9 with the United States securing the island that was only 1,200 nautical miles south of Tokyo. The essay explains all phases of the operation, including the background, planning, initial landings, concurrent action in the Philippine Sea, the aftermath, and the heavy price of the battle. Check out this page today and learn more about this significant battle in the Pacific.

 

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This Day in U S Military History…….June 19

 

1864 – USS Kearsarge sinks CSS Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France. "The day being Sunday and the weather fine, a large concourse of people-many having come all the way from Paris collected on the heights above the town [Cherbourg], in the upper stories of such of the houses as commanded a view of the sea, and on the walls and fortifications of the harbor. Several French luggers employed as pilot-boats went out, and also an English steam-yacht, called the Deerhound. Everything being in readiness between nine and ten o'clock, we got underway, and proceeded to sea, through the western entrance of the harbor; the Couronne [French ironclad] following us. As we emerged from behind the mole, we discovered the Kearsarge at a distance of between six and seven miles from the land. She had been apprised or our intention of coming out that morning, and was awaiting us." Thus Captain Raphael Semmes drew the scene as the historic Kearsarge-Alabama battle unfolded. Alabama mounted 8 guns to Kearsarge's 7. Yet, Captain Winslow of Kearsarge enjoyed a superiority in eight of broadside including two heavy XI-inch Dahlgren guns while Semmes had but one heavy gun, an VIlI-inch. Perhaps his greatest advantage was superior ammuni-tion, since Alabama's had deteriorated during her long cruise. Furthermore, Winslow had pro-tected the sides of his ship and the vulnerable machinery by hanging heavy chains over the sides from topside to below the waterline. Kearsarge's complement numbered 163; Alabama's, 149. The antagonists closed to about one and a half miles, when Semmes opened the action with a starboard broadside. Within minutes the firing became fierce from both ships as they fought starboard to starboard on a circular course. Lieutenant Sinclair, CSN, wrote: "Semmes would have chosen to bring about yard-arm quarters, fouling, and boarding, relying upon the superior physique of his crew to overbalance the superiority of numbers; but this was frustrated." Shot and shell from the heavier guns of Kearsarge crashed into Alabama's hull, while the Union sloop of war, her sides protected by the chain armor, suffered only minor damage. One shell from Alabama lodged in the Kearsarge's sternpost but failed to explode. "If it had exploded," wrote John M. McKenzie, who was only 16 years old at the time of the battle, "the Kearsarge would have gone to the bottom instead of the Alabama. But our ammunition was old and had lost its strength." Southern casualties were heavy as both sides fought valiantly. "After the lapse of about one hour and ten minutes," Semmes reported, "our ship was ascertained to be in a sinking condition, the enemy's shells having exploded in our side, and between decks, opening large apertures through which the water rushed with great rapidity. For some few minutes I had hopes of being able to reach the French coast, for which purpose I gave the ship all steam, and set such of the fore and aft sails as were available. The ship filled so rapidly, however, that before we had made much progress, the fires were extinguished in the furnaces, and we were evi-dently on the point of sinking. I now hauled down my colors to prevent the further destruction of life, and dispatched a boat to inform the enemy of our condition." Alabama settled stern first and her bow raised high in the air as the waters of the English Channel closed over her. Boats from Kearsarge and French boats rescued the survivors. The English yacht Deerhound, owned by Mr. John Lancaster, picked up Captain Semmes with 13 of his officers and 27 crew members and carried them to Southampton. The spectacular career of the Confederacy's most famous raider was closed. Before her last battle Semmes reminded his men: "You have destroyed, and driven for protection under neutral flags, one-half of the enemy's commerce, which, at the beginning of the war, covered every sea. Alabama had captured and burned at sea 55 Union merchantmen valued at over four and one-half million dollars, and had bonded 10 others to the value of 562 thousand dollars. Another prize, Conrad, was commissioned C.S.S. Tuscaloosa, and herself struck at Northern shipping. Flag Officer Barron lamented: "It is true that we have lost our ship; the ubiquitous gallant Alabama is no more, but we have lost no honor." For Winslow and Kearsarge the victory was well deserved and rewarding. Throughout the North news of Alabama's end was greeted with jubilation and relief. Secretary Welles wrote the Captain: "I congratulate you for your good fortune in meeting the Alabama, which had so long avoided the fastest ships of the service . . . for the ability displayed in the contest you have the thanks of the Department. . . . The battle was so brief, the victory so decisive, and the comparative results so striking that the country will be reminded of the brilliant actions of our infant Navy, which have been repeated and illustrated in this engagement . . . Our countrymen have reason to be satisfied that in this, as in every naval action of this unhappy war, neither the ships, the guns, nor the crews have deteriorated, but that they maintain the ability and continue the renown which have ever adorned our naval annals." Winslow received a vote of thanks from Congress, and was promoted to Commodore with his commission dated 19 June 1864, his victory day.

 

1944 – In the early morning hours Japanese reconnaissance finds US Task Force 58 while remaining undetected. The Japanese immediately launch 372 aircraft, in four waves, to strike the American fleet. Overall, the Japanese have about 550 planes (including those on Guam) while the Americans have roughly 950. Furthermore, US radar provides significant advance warning of the attack. There is enough time to launch an air raid on Guam before the Japanese can arrive over their target. American fighters begin intercepting the incoming Japanese planes while 50 miles away. Many of the attackers are shot down before reaching the American fleet; US anti-aircraft defenses accounts for many more. The only hit achieved by the Japanese is on the USS South Dakota which is damaged by one bomb. The Japanese lose 240 aircraft and the Americans lose 29. The attackers fly on to Guam where American aircraft strike and destroy another 50 Japanese planes. Meanwhile, the Japanese aircraft carriers Taiho and Shokaku are sunk by the US submarines Cavalla and Albacore. American participants refer to the day as "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" because of the ease with which the Japanese forces have been suppressed.

 

1944 – "Ace of Aces" David McCampbell (1910-1996) and the Fabled 15 challenged 80 Japanese carrier based aircraft bearing down on an American fleet. He shot down 7 Zeroes and the group routed the enemy fliers at the Battle of the Marianas.

 

1944 – On Biak, the reinforced US 41st Division launches attacks against Japanese strongpoints in the west of the island.

 

1945 – Spain is barred from membership in the United Nations organization as long as the Franco regime continue to hold power.

 

1945 – On Luzon, in the Cagayan Valley, Ilagan is captured by advancing troops of the US 1st Corps.

 

 Can you believe that this started on1 April

1945 – On Okinawa, the insistent use of propaganda by means of leaflets and loudspeakers, by the American forces, induces some 343 Japanese troops to surrender. Japanese forces fall back in some disorder along the frontage of the US 3rd Amphibious Corps but continue to resist along the line held by the US 24th Corps.

 

1947 – The first plane (F-80) to exceed 600 mph (1004 kph) was flown by Albert Boyd in Muroc, California

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 I have highlighted three of these as must reads…..skip

READ, GEORGE E.

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1838, Rhode Island. Accredited to: Rhode Island. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864 Citation: Served as seaman on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as the first loader of the No. 2 gun during this bitter engagement, Read exhibited marked coolness and good conduct and was highly recommended for his gallantry under fire by his divisional officer.

 

SAUNDERS, JAMES

Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1809, Massachusetts. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served as quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Carrying out his duties courageously throughout the bitter engagement, Saunders was prompt in reporting damages done to both ships, and it is testified to by Commodore Winslow that he is deserving of all commendation, both for gallantry and for encouragement of others in his division.

 

SMITH, WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1838, Ireland. Accredited to: New Hampshire. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served as second quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as captain of the 11-inch pivot gun of the second division, Smith carried out his duties courageously and deserved special notice for the deliberate and cool manner in which he acted throughout the bitter engagement. It is stated by rebel officers that this gun was more destructive and did more damage than any other gun of Kearsarge.

 

STRAHAN, ROBERT

Rank and organization: Captain of the Top, U.S. Navy. Birth: New Jersey. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Accredited to: New Jersey. Citation: Served as captain of the top on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as captain of the No. 1 gun, Strahan carried out his duties in the face of heavy enemy fire and exhibited marked coolness and good conduct throughout the engagement. Strahan was highly recommended by his division officer for his gallantry and meritorious achievements.

 

*BAKER, THOMAS A.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 105th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division. Place and date: Saipan, Mariana Islands, 19 June to 7 July 1944. Entered service at: Troy, N.Y. Birth: Troy, N.Y. G.O. No.: 35, 9 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Saipan, Mariana Islands, 19 June to 7 July 1944. When his entire company was held up by fire from automatic weapons and small-arms fire from strongly fortified enemy positions that commanded the view of the company, Sgt. (then Pvt.) Baker voluntarily took a bazooka and dashed alone to within 100 yards of the enemy. Through heavy rifle and machinegun fire that was directed at him by the enemy, he knocked out the strong point, enabling his company to assault the ridge. Some days later while his company advanced across the open field flanked with obstructions and places of concealment for the enemy, Sgt. Baker again voluntarily took up a position in the rear to protect the company against surprise attack and came upon 2 heavily fortified enemy pockets manned by 2 officers and 10 enlisted men which had been bypassed. Without regard for such superior numbers, he unhesitatingly attacked and killed all of them. Five hundred yards farther, he discovered 6 men of the enemy who had concealed themselves behind our lines and destroyed all of them. On 7 July 1944, the perimeter of which Sgt. Baker was a part was attacked from 3 sides by from 3,000 to 5,000 Japanese. During the early stages of this attack, Sgt. Baker was seriously wounded but he insisted on remaining in the line and fired at the enemy at ranges sometimes as close as 5 yards until his ammunition ran out. Without ammunition and with his own weapon battered to uselessness from hand-to-hand combat, he was carried about 50 yards to the rear by a comrade, who was then himself wounded. At this point Sgt. Baker refused to be moved any farther stating that he preferred to be left to die rather than risk the lives of any more of his friends. A short time later, at his request, he was placed in a sitting position against a small tree . Another comrade, withdrawing, offered assistance. Sgt. Baker refused, insisting that he be left alone and be given a soldier's pistol with its remaining 8 rounds of ammunition. When last seen alive, Sgt. Baker was propped against a tree, pistol in hand, calmly facing the foe. Later Sgt. Baker's body was found in the same position, gun empty, with 8 Japanese lying dead before him. His deeds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

 

McCAMPBELL, DAVID

Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, Air Group 15. Place and date: First and second battles of the Philippine Sea, 19 June 1944. Entered service at: Florida. Born: 16 January 1 910, Bessemer, Ala. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Gold Stars, Air Medal. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commander, Air Group 15, during combat against enemy Japanese aerial forces in the first and second battles of the Philippine Sea. An inspiring leader, fighting boldly in the face of terrific odds, Comdr. McCampbell led his fighter planes against a force of 80 Japanese carrier-based aircraft bearing down on our fleet on 19 June 1944. Striking fiercely in valiant defense of our surface force, he personally destroyed 7 hostile planes during this single engagement in which the outnumbering attack force was utterly routed and virtually annihilated. During a major fleet engagement with the enemy on 24 October, Comdr. McCampbell, assisted by but l plane, intercepted and daringly attacked a formation of 60 hostile land-based craft approaching our forces. Fighting desperately but with superb skill against such overwhelming airpower, he shot down 9 Japanese planes and, completely disorganizing the enemy group, forced the remainder to abandon the attack before a single aircraft could reach the fleet. His great personal valor and indomitable spirit of aggression under extremely perilous combat conditions reflect the highest credit upon Comdr. McCampbell and the U.S. Naval Service.

 

MEAGHER, JOHN

Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company E, 305th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Ozato, Okinawa, 19 June 1945. Entered service at: Jersey City, N.J. Birth: Jersey City, N.J. G.O. No.: 60, 26 June 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. In the heat of the fight, he mounted an assault tank, and, with bullets splattering about him, designated targets to the gunner. Seeing an enemy soldier carrying an explosive charge dash for the tank treads, he shouted fire orders to the gunner, leaped from the tank, and bayoneted the charging soldier. Knocked unconscious and his rifle destroyed, he regained consciousness, secured a machinegun from the tank, and began a furious 1-man assault on the enemy. Firing from his hip, moving through vicious crossfire that ripped through his clothing, he charged the nearest pillbox, killing 6. Going on amid the hail of bullets and grenades, he dashed for a second enemy gun, running out of ammunition just as he reached the position. He grasped his empty gun by the barrel and in a violent onslaught killed the crew. By his fearless assaults T/Sgt. Meagher single-handedly broke the enemy resistance, enabling his platoon to take its objective and continue the advance.

 

LASSEN, CLYDE EVERETT

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, Helicopter Support Squadron 7, Detachment 104, embarked in U.S.S. Preble (DLG-15). place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 19 June 1968. Entered service at: Jacksonville, Fla. Born: 14 March 1942, Fort Myers, Fla. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as pilot and aircraft commander of a search and rescue helicopter, attached to Helicopter Support Squadron 7, during operations against enemy forces in North Vietnam. Launched shortly after midnight to attempt the rescue of 2 downed aviators, Lt. (then Lt. (J.G.)) Lassen skillfully piloted his aircraft over unknown and hostile terrain to a steep, tree-covered hill on which the survivors had been located. Although enemy fire was being directed at the helicopter, he initially landed in a clear area near the base of the hill, but, due to the dense undergrowth, the survivors could not reach the helicopter. With the aid of flare illumination, Lt. Lassen successfully accomplished a hover between 2 trees at the survivors' position Illumination was abruptly lost as the last of the flares were expended, and the helicopter collided with a tree, commencing a sharp descent. Expertly righting his aircraft and maneuvering clear, Lt. Lassen remained in the area, determined to make another rescue attempt, and encouraged the downed aviators while awaiting resumption of flare illumination. After another unsuccessful, illuminated rescue attempt, and with his fuel dangerously low and his aircraft significantly damaged, he launched again and commenced another approach in the face of the continuing enemy opposition. When flare illumination was again lost, Lt. Lassen, fully aware of the dangers in clearly revealing his position to the enemy, turned on his landing lights and completed the landing. On this attempt, the survivors were able to make their way to the helicopter. En route to the coast he encountered and successfully evaded additional hostile antiaircraft fire and, with fuel for only 5 minutes of flight remaining, landed safely aboard U.S.S. Jouett (DLG-29) .

 

RAY, RONALD ERIC

Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: la Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 19 June 1966. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 7 December 1941, Cordelle, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Ray distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader with Company A. When 1 of his ambush patrols was attacked by an estimated reinforced Viet Cong company, Capt. Ray organized a reaction force and quickly moved through 2 kilometers of mountainous jungle terrain to the contact area. After breaking through the hostile lines to reach the beleaguered patrol, Capt. Ray began directing the reinforcement of the site. When an enemy position pinned down 3 of his men with a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire, he silenced the emplacement with a grenade and killed 4 Viet Cong with his rifle fire. As medics were moving a casualty toward a sheltered position, they began receiving intense hostile fire. While directing suppressive fire on the enemy position, Capt. Ray moved close enough to silence the enemy with a grenade. A few moments later Capt. Ray saw an enemy grenade land, unnoticed, near 2 of his men. Without hesitation or regard for his safety he dove between the grenade and the men, thus shielding them from the explosion while receiving wounds in his exposed feet and legs. He immediately sustained additional wounds in his legs from an enemy machinegun, but nevertheless he silenced the emplacement with another grenade. Although suffering great pain from his wounds, Capt. Ray continued to direct his men, providing the outstanding courage and leadership they vitally needed, and prevented their annihilation by successfully leading them from their surrounded position. Only after assuring that his platoon was no longer in immediate danger did he allow himself to be evacuated for medical treatment. By his gallantry at the risk of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Ray has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army .

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 19

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

 

19 June 1944: BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA. Through 20 June, American pilots shot down 476 Japanese aircraft in a battle known as "The Marianas Turkey Shoot." The US lost 130 planes. Navy submarines and aircraft also sank three Japanese carriers. Afterwards, Japanese naval airpower was not a serious threat to US forces in the Pacific. (20) (21)

 

1947: Col Albert Boyd set a world speed record of 623.8 MPH, flying an XP-80R jet airplane over a 3-kilometer course at Muroc. (24)

 

1952: KOREAN WAR. Through 20 June, B-29s flew 35 sorties against N. Korean targets, nearly three times the nightly average for the month. Another 27 medium bombers hit the Huichon rail bridge. (28)

 

1961: The first Atlas F arrived at Vandenberg AFB. (6) I remember watching it when it flew..Skip

 

1962: A superpressure balloon launched at Kindley AFB, Bermuda, on 31 May 1962, landed near Iwo Jima after 19-days at a constant altitude of 68,000 feet. (16) (24) FIRST GENERAL WHITE SPACE TROPHY. SECAF Eugene M. Zuckert presented the first Gen Thomas D. White Space Trophy to Astronaut Capt Virgil I. Grissom. (16) (24)

 

1970: The first flight of Minuteman III missiles became operational with the 741 SMS at Minot AFB (See 19 August 1970). (6) (12)

 

1977: MACKAY TROPHY. Capt David M. Sprinkel flew his C-5, with a 40-ton superconducting magnet aboard, nonstop from Chicago's O'Hare Airport to Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. The 5,124 nautical-mile flight needed two aerial refuelings. This was the first time a MAC C-5 landed in the Soviet Union. This feat earned the Mackay Trophy for 1977. (16) (18)

 

1986: All USAF Rapier surface-to-air missiles in Europe became operational. The British provided this missile defense system by agreement to USAF bases in Europe. (16) (26)

 

1998: The first of four C-32As left Boeing's plant in Seattle and flew to the 89 AW at Andrews AFB. The military version of Boeing's 757-200 replaced the VC-137 aircraft in the presidential airlift fleet. (22)

 

1999: A Global Hawk flew to northern New Mexico and returned to Edwards AFB, logging some 13 hours of autonomous flight, to support the DoD's annual Roving Sands air defense exercise.

 

2002: Due to bad weather in Florida, the Space Shuttle Endeavour landed at Edwards AFB after 14- day mission (STS-111) to the International Space Station. The astronauts assembled and repaired space station robotics during the mission. The shuttle also brought back a Russian cosmonaut and two U.S. astronauts after 196 days in orbit. (3)

 

2006: The first Lockheed-Martin C-5M test aircraft made its first flight at Edwards AFB. The former C-5B received a complete avionics modernization, reliability enhancement, and re-engining in its conversion to an M-model. In the avionics modernization, Lockheed-Martin added a new cockpit with a digital all-weather flight control system and autopilot, a new communications suite, flat panel displays, and enhanced navigation and safety equipment. (USAF Aimpoints, "Second C-5M Takes Flight," 21 Nov 2006)

 

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