Posted onJune 6, 2017|Comments Off on D-day Photo Montage
Just a few quick photos of the preparations for, execution of, and aftermath of the D-Day invasion (Operation Overlord) June 6, 1944. Thank you for your sacrifice.
August 19th marks the anniversary of the 1940 first flight of the storied B-25 Mitchell bomber. Named for pioneering military aviator General Billy Mitchell, nearly 10,000 of these Warbirds were built. Variations included medium bomber, weather reconnaissance, ground attack, anti-submarine warfare, and VIP transport.
During WWII, Mitchells would see service all over the globe. The skies over Europe, the Middle East, Italy, and the Far East would be darkened by the B-25 thousands and thousands of times. Air Forces that would fly this aircraft would include the U.S Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, British, Canadian, Australian, Dutch, Soviet, Chinese, Brazilian, and Free French.
In the war in Europe, Mitchells supported ground troops from the Battle of El Alamein to D-Day. After the successful landings in Normandy, squadrons of B-25s would be relocated to airfields in France and Belgium to support forces as they fought towards Berlin.
But, this Warbird earned her greatest fame with the daring Doolittle Raid of Tokyo on April 18, 1942. 16 aircraft took off from the pitching and rolling deck of the USS Hornet (CV-8) over 700 miles from the Japanese mainland. They delivered their payloads without loss and then proceeded towards China with hopes of reaching safe territory. Running low on fuel, most of the craft ditched. Some of the crew were killed while others were taken prisoner by the Japanese. All were considered heroes for having taken the war to the Japanese – shattering their invincible self-image. The story of the Doolittle raid was made into the film Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo starring Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson and Robert Mitchum.
Original footage of the 1942 Doolittle Tokyo Air Raid.
Another notable incident in the Mitchell’s history is the 1945 Empire State Building crash. On July 28, 1945, a B-25D on a personnel run from Boston flew into the building in heavy fog. The three crew and 11 others died in the crash. This incident led to the decision to engineer the World Trade Center to withstand the impact of a Boeing 707. Unfortunately, the aircraft that hit the towers on September 11, 2001 had significantly higher masses and were travelling much faster than the 1960’s simulations took into account.
Specifications, history, and details of the Doolittle Raid in this video.
In recognition of all those who have served, supported, or are still a part of the United States Army, the Clockwork Conservative offers a hearty “thank you”, our best wishes, and heartfelt prayers. Happy birthday!
For more on the history of the United States Army, you can visit their official history pages here.
Posted onJune 6, 2016|Comments Off on D-day Photo Montage
Just a few quick photos of the preparations for, execution of, and aftermath of the D-Day invasion (Operation Overlord) June 6, 1944. Thank you for your sacrifice.
1789 Captain William Bligh and 18 loyal crew of HMS Bounty set adrift in small, open boat in middle of the Pacific; Fletcher Christian leads mutiny
1945 Fascist dictator of Italy Benito “Il Duce” Mussolini and his mistress are caught and killed by partisans while they flee for Switzerland
1952 United States ends its post-WWII occupation of Japan in accordance with 1951 Treaty of San Francisco
1965 President Lyndon Johnson orders 22,000 troops to join forces from Organization of American States in installing stable government in chaotic Dominican Republic amid fears nation could go the way of Cuba
1967 Muhammad Ali refuses to be drafted into the U.S. Army and is stripped of heavyweight title; cites Muslim faith in objection to service
2001 American engineer Dennis Tito becomes 1st “space tourist” when he goes into orbit with Soyuz TM-32; spends 8 days aboard International Space Station for bargain price of $20 million
2011 Phillip and Nancy Garrido plead guilty in kidnapping of 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard; she was held captive in their back yard for 18 years
The Clockwork Conservative 