General Student left Hitler’s presence with his mind in a blur. Hitler’s proposal, the capture of Fort Eben Emael, was a bombshell. To say it was a fortress was to grossly understate just how well-defended it was. Massively thick concrete, steel-reinforced doors, and large artillery pieces made it the most impenetrable bunker on the planet. [...]
Archive for October, 2010
Student Gets Really Tough Assignment
Posted in Europe, World War II (1939-1945), tagged 1939, Adolf Hitler, Belgium, Fort Eben Emael, General Kurt Student, Hollow Charge, Meuse River on October 28 | Leave a Comment »
Hitler Reveals Daring Attack to a Student
Posted in Europe, World War II (1939-1945), tagged 1939, Adolf Hitler, Belgium, Fort Eben Emael, General Kurt Student, Meuse River on October 27 | Leave a Comment »
Kurt Student turned toward the door as it opened and glowered at the aide who entered through it. The General, now approaching 50 years old and having just been given command of the 7th Flieger (airborne) Division, had given strict orders that no one was to disturb this meeting. But when he read the note the [...]
USS Tang: A Victim of Itself
Posted in Pacific, World War II (1939-1945), tagged 1944, Formosa Strait, Lt. Cmdr. Richard O'Kane, Torpedo, USS Tang on October 25 | Leave a Comment »
The dark, early-morning hours of October 25, 1944 were punctuated by the bright light of the explosions. Rather than sleeping (as most people do at this hour), the men of the USS Tang were having a field day. But for this Balao-class submarine, “incredible success” would have been the catchphrase for entire patrol. Since departing [...]
The Brave Little Taylor
Posted in Twentieth century (1901-1960), United States, tagged 1901, Annie Edson Taylor, Juha, Longs Peak, Niagara Falls on October 24 | Leave a Comment »
Some people are thrill-seekers. Adrenaline junkies. Daredevils. Evel Knievels. For them, the quality of life is measured by the number of times “daily” is replaced with “danger”…”ordinary” with “extraordinary”…”routine” with “wild”. We now have TV shows are dedicated to these men and women who seemingly risk their lives on a regular basis. I have watched [...]
Bull Halsey Steps in, Prepares for Battle
Posted in Pacific, World War II (1939-1945), tagged 1942, Admiral Robert Ghormley, Admiral William Halsey, Guadalcanal, I-176, Solomon Islands, USS Chester on October 20 | Leave a Comment »
In all of our time together, we’ve spent plenty of time on and around the island of Guadalcanal. It’s no secret that the battle for this large chunk of rock and trees was absolutely pivotal in wresting the initiative from the Japanese in the Pacific War. But in all of our time spent concerning this [...]
Germans Add Mozhaysk to List of Victories
Posted in Russia, World War II (1939-1945), tagged 1941, General Franz Halder, Moscow, Mozhaysk, Mozhaysk Defense Line, Operation Typhoon on October 18 | Leave a Comment »
Colonel-General Franz Halder had a pretty stormy relationship with his boss. Of course, if the guy who signed your checks was Adolf Hitler, you’d expect a few bumps between your yearly job reviews. But Halder was a pretty capable battlefield tactician regardless of his boss’ assessments. As he sat high above the bloodied plains of [...]
Francisco Cabrera: One Swing, One Indelible Memory
Posted in Later twentieth century (1961-2000), United States, tagged 1992, Altanta Braves, Baseball, Francisco Cabrera, NL Championship Series, Pittsburgh Pirates, Sid Bream on October 14 | Leave a Comment »
“Tell us again, dad.” “Ohhh…not now, kids, it’s getting late.” “Awww, c’mon dad, just once more.” “No, I’ve told you guys that story a hundred times.” “Please dad…we won’t ask again.” “I’m pretty sure you will, but…oh…alright.” “It was the bottom of the 9th in the 7th game of the series. We were down by [...]
Joseph Stilwell: From Living Legend to Legend
Posted in Post-war history (1945-), tagged 1946, Burma, Cancer, Combat Infantryman Badge, General Joseph Stilwell, Okinawa on October 12 | 1 Comment »
When the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed in Tokyo Bay, General Joe Stilwell stood on the deck of the USS Missouri as the ranking army officer. We’ve talked about “Vinegar” Joe on several occasions, recounting some of his exploits throughout the Second World War. Having spent most of his time directing (and often leading) [...]
Mr. President, Prepare for Takeoff
Posted in Twentieth century (1901-1960), United States, tagged 1910, Arch Hoxsey, President Theodore Roosevelt, Wright Brothers on October 11 | Leave a Comment »
Theodore Roosevelt was many things besides the 26th President of the United States. Of course, he gained great notoriety as a soldier. We’ve touched on his passion for nature and the preservation of America’s wilderness. Along with that was his love of hunting and exploring, which took him to Africa (on safari), Europe, and eventually [...]
Babe Ruth: Sultan of Swing
Posted in Twentieth century (1901-1960), United States, tagged 1926, Babe Ruth, George Herman Ruth, New York Yankees, Reggie Jackson, Roy Halladay, World Series on October 6 | Leave a Comment »
As a Braves fan, it was more than a little discouraging to see Roy Halladay’s performance this afternoon. Honesty compels me to tell you that he pitched a masterpiece, no-hitting a pretty solid Cincinnati Reds lineup. If the Braves are to make it to a World Series this year, they’ve got a tough row to hoe. First [...]
The Fog of War at Germantown
Posted in United States, The Revolution (1775-1783), tagged General George Washington, 1777, General William Howe, Pennsylvania, Battle of Germantown, Germantown on October 4 | Leave a Comment »
Our drive back from Estes Park was good, and it’s good to be home, but it’s also a bit sad to see a vacation end. It was like that back in August when we returned from a couple days in Phoenix. I’m well aware of the need to come home…work awaits, and we’re not celebrities [...]
Nicholas Creede Finds the Silver Lode
Posted in Late nineteenth century (1865-1900), United States, tagged 1889, Amethyst Vein, Colorado, Holy Moses Mine, Nicholas Creede, William Harvey on October 2 | Leave a Comment »
It’s our last evening in Estes Park, and the cloudless sunshine has given way to clouds and scattered sprinkles. But who cares?!? The weather’s been gorgeous, with lovely temperatures, light breezes, and skies as blue as blue can be. And this morning, the warm temps and lack of snow meant that we were able to drive [...]
