stevep
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Post by stevep on Oct 15, 2020 11:39:34 GMT
Very interesting the video with today's WWI post and amazed at the degree of moblisation by Bulgaria. Had considered that once Serbia was occupied all they really did was some garrison duty and keeping an eye on the allied forces at Salonika, which I thought were pretty passive for most of the time before 1918. Over a quarter of the entire population in the army!
In the WWII post if:
this was done publicly as it sounds like then Curtin was a bloody idiot! Its not only showing disunity among the allies but also giving warning to the Axis that the allies might be seeking to evacuate those forces and hence put them in danger. Already a lot of Australians have been withdrawn from the position and also the allies are planning an attack which should relieve the port so demanding that the forces being moved out now not only put them at risk but throws the entire allied operation into confusion.
One small question further down.
Should this be "was" attacked with a torpedo as it seems unlikely the escort would try and use a torpedo on a sub? If so did she survive please?
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 15, 2020 13:36:14 GMT
Very interesting the video with today's WWI post and amazed at the degree of moblisation by Bulgaria. Had considered that once Serbia was occupied all they really did was some garrison duty and keeping an eye on the allied forces at Salonika, which I thought were pretty passive for most of the time before 1918. Over a quarter of the entire population in the army! In the WWII post if:
this was done publicly as it sounds like then Curtin was a bloody idiot! Its not only showing disunity among the allies but also giving warning to the Axis that the allies might be seeking to evacuate those forces and hence put them in danger. Already a lot of Australians have been withdrawn from the position and also the allies are planning an attack which should relieve the port so demanding that the forces being moved out now not only put them at risk but throws the entire allied operation into confusion. One small question further down.
Should this be "was" attacked with a torpedo as it seems unlikely the escort would try and use a torpedo on a sub? If so did she survive please? Steve
HMCS Columbia survived the battle if that is what you mean. Regarding your observation, will edit the sentence. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Oct 16, 2020 10:42:51 GMT
lordroel , Well some interesting events in today's WWII post.
Although they had some losses its amazing that the Soviets managed to get a significant number of people, along with a lot of equipment out of a besieged port despite being so isolated.
One hell of an achievement, although it does show the size of the oceans and how badly overstretched the RN and other allied forces were in this period.
Ugh that's something that comes back to haunt him and many other people as well. 
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 16, 2020 10:46:42 GMT
One hell of an achievement, although it does show the size of the oceans and how badly overstretched the RN and other allied forces were in this period. Here is a image of the The Kulmerland in Hamburg.  |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Oct 21, 2020 15:20:45 GMT
On todays WWII post you have:
I think this needs some qualification. Haven't there been other raiders in the southern oceans and definitely the Admiral Graf Spee sank a number of merchant ships before she was herself defeated in the River Plate Battle. Possibly it means sunk by sub or something like that.
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 21, 2020 15:38:14 GMT
On todays WWII post you have:
I think this needs some qualification. Haven't there been other raiders in the southern oceans and definitely the Admiral Graf Spee sank a number of merchant ships before she was herself defeated in the River Plate Battle. Possibly it means sunk by sub or something like that. Steve
Well i have found this: UK team to survey wreck of RFA tanker sunk by WWII German U-boat in St HelenaRFA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) vessel Darkdale became the first British ship sunk south of the equator during the war when U-68 slammed four torpedoes into her side as she lay at anchor off Jamestown in the early hours of 22 October 1941.
And the RFA page of RFA Darkdalewhich is also interesting to look at. But the full story of RFA Darkdale gives us some answer about the first British ship to be sunk south of the Equator you asked: Cause of the disaster was, at first, attributed to a shipboard accident. No serious consideration was apparently given to anything else. The only recognised danger to Allied shipping in the area during that stage of the war was from attack by enemy surface raiders. The German pocket battleship ‘Graf Spee’ – the first maritime predator and destroyer of Allied shipping in the South Atlantic in World War II – had long been eliminated. Yet, months on, Allied merchant ships were still ‘disappearing’ whilst on passage through the area.
So, there was still ‘something’ operating there! It was because of this, yet unidentified, menace that ‘Darkdale’ was at St Helena. The British Admiralty, having mounted a search and destroy operation against suspected enemy surface raiders, were using the Island as a refuelling base for its warships and ‘Darkdale’ was one of a succession of supply vessels which had been stationed there for that purpose.
British warships frequently putting into Jamestown harbour (or thought of being not too far away) and a battery of six inch guns facing seaward from the military barracks on the hill must have given assurance of safety to any vessel lying at anchor there.
Danger from enemy submarines might not have been seriously considered. Two years into the war German and Italian submarines were in action only in the Mediterranean and in the eastern half of the Atlantic from the far North Cape to an area just above the equator. However, a new type of German U-Boat had come into service and four of these were moving southwards into the South Atlantic, and by October 1941 on had reached St Helena. The unthinkable was about to happen.
U-Boat U 68, under the command of Karl Frederic Merton, on its first operational voyage, had arrived off Jamestown on 21st October and by periscope observation had discovered an oil tanker at anchor in the port. Remaining well out to sea until darkness, the U-boat moved in shore and soon after midnight fired three torpedoes at the tanker which, at such short range, did not fail to hit its target. Within seconds the stricken vessel, which was the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Darkdale, was in flames and sinking with 41 crew members on board. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Oct 23, 2020 10:52:36 GMT
On today's WWII post you have:
However both events are in the Med so should be in the following Battle of the Med section. After that you have another section titled battle of the Atlantic.
Also your probably aware there are two rasputitsa seasons in the USSR and the bigger one is in the spring. Now you get mud from rain and the melting of early snowfall. In spring deep lying snow put down over the winter can melt very quickly so its much worse. Even the Red Army struggles in the spring rasputitsa. 
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 23, 2020 11:21:18 GMT
On today's WWII post you have:
However both events are in the Med so should be in the following Battle of the Med section. After that you have another section titled battle of the Atlantic.
A thanks, will edit it. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Oct 27, 2020 11:30:38 GMT
lordroel ,
Out of curiosity what is your source for the fighting on the eastern front in the WWII thread please? [Assuming there's not more than one] Only that bit about:
It makes me wonder if that's based on fact or opinion? Similarly a couple of times in recent posts there have been bits where it mentions that the Germans had a clear path to Moscow but were only being stopped by the mud. That was the 'classical' view for quite a while in the decades following the war but it sounds rather simplistic and ignores the continued Russian resistance and the extreme stresses on German logistics even without the weather.
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Oct 27, 2020 15:10:47 GMT
lordroel , Out of curiosity what is your source for the fighting on the eastern front in the WWII thread please? [Assuming there's not more than one] Only that bit about:
It makes me wonder if that's based on fact or opinion? Similarly a couple of times in recent posts there have been bits where it mentions that the Germans had a clear path to Moscow but were only being stopped by the mud. That was the 'classical' view for quite a while in the decades following the war but it sounds rather simplistic and ignores the continued Russian resistance and the extreme stresses on German logistics even without the weather.
Steve
Cannot find a true source but do have this Day 788 October 27, 1941Feldmarschall von Kluge lies to his superior Feldmarschall Fedor von Bock, commander of Army Group Center, about the strength of Soviet defenses. Amazingly, von Bock allows 4th Army to dig trenches and go on the defensive, losing all momentum towards Moscow. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Nov 2, 2020 16:05:54 GMT
In today's WWI thread you have the main section headed.
Serbian Campaign: Austro-Hungarian 18th Division retakes another portion of the ground at Zagora
However the actual content is reporting fighting with the Italians not the Serbs.
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 2, 2020 16:08:43 GMT
In today's WWI thread you have the main section headed.
Serbian Campaign: Austro-Hungarian 18th Division retakes another portion of the ground at Zagora
However the actual content is reporting fighting with the Italians not the Serbs. Steve
A thanks, will edit it. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Nov 3, 2020 12:08:49 GMT
In the WWI thread today
Stupid f**king cretins!!
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 3, 2020 14:46:06 GMT
In the WWI thread today
Stupid f**king cretins!!
Steve
That was also the case for the German side as well i presume where the fly boys where of the higher class. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Nov 3, 2020 15:09:32 GMT
In the WWI thread today
Stupid f**king cretins!!
Steve
That was also the case for the German side as well i presume where the fly boys where of the higher class.
Probably for all of them in this time period, at least in the early days. Got some of the same attitude post-war with elements in the RAF. Doesn't make it any less stupid.
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