World War II history


 
Lynn Dollar

Lynn Dollar

TVWBB Emerald Member
There was some conversation on the gas grill board about WW II history.

Those who enjoy WW II history would also enjoy this podcast's episode on the Battle of Midway.

This is a British podcast " We Have Ways " , with BBC Historian James Holland and Brit comedian Al Murray, who holds his own. But in the Midway episode its Holland with American historian Craig Symonds, professor Emeritus at the Naval Academy.

There's a movie out soon on Midway, which will be a lot of CGI and may not be realistic, but should be entertaining. But Prof Symonds tells the story much better.

https://play.acast.com/s/wehaveways
 
As some of you may know in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry there is a WWII sub that was captured before they could scuttle it. One of my Uncles was a submariner in WWII on the smallest US class sub called the "Guppy Class". He served on a sub named USS Spot. The one in the center is his boat. He took a look at that German sub and said he truly felt sorry for the Germans (even though he endured harrowing times at their hands)

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Have to help me out, I was not aware of a Das Boot TV series ? I enjoyed the movie.

Over the past year, I've been focusing on the US Navy submarine war in the Pacific. I think sub warfare is fascinating. I enjoy reading WW II books. There are thousands of them , they're cheap, and I thoroughly enjoy them. In the past year I've read several sub books ..

I've read two books about the USS Wahoo and her Captain, Dudley " Mush " Morton. One was written by the Exec Officer, Richard Okane , " The War Patrols of the USS Wahoo " and then a book written in 2012 " Undersea Warrior " . Morton was extremely aggressive and brave, which may have been his downfall, he took too many chances as Wahoo did not survive the war.

Okane got his own ship, the USS Tang, before the USS Wahoo went on her final patrol and he wrote of the Tang's patrols in " Clear the Bridge " , amazingly he survived the sinking of the Tang, which was sunk by its own torpedo circling back around.

" Sink Em All " by Read Admiral Charles Lockwood, who was over US subs in the south Pacific. This was a broad over view of the logistics and organizing sub warfare.

" USS Seawolf " an odd book written during the war but due to containing sensitive info, was not released till 1946. Seawolf was operational when the war broke out and very active in early 1942 when the US Navy was in disarray. Helped evacuate Corregidor.

I'd be interested in Das Boot.
 
It's on Hulu. I enjoyed it. They kind of break up the U-boat stuff with some espionage stuff on land with the French resistance and what not. Some of that is kind of silly. The other problem is that all these German actors look alike. There's 3 women in it that look almost the same. It makes it a little confusing. I don't know if I'm getting face blindness somehow or what. I watched it with my cousin who is about 10 years older than me. I used to make fun of him for confusing everyone in these shows and now I'm doing it too. "Are you sure that's not the same guy?" was said pretty often.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:


This is my grandfather in WWII. He was a mechanic.
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He's sittin on the nose of a B-24 Liberator, probably stationed in the Mediterranean or maybe the UK ?

My Dad went to mechanics school where he was certified as a B-25 mechanic ............and then somehow ended up as a Ball Turret Gunner in a B-17. He never said how that happened.

This is the gunners from Dad's crew, he's front row , far left

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LMichaels said:
As some of you may know in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry there is a WWII sub that was captured before they could scuttle it. One of my Uncles was a submariner in WWII on the smallest US class sub called the "Guppy Class". He served on a sub named USS Spot. The one in the center is his boat. He took a look at that German sub and said he truly felt sorry for the Germans (even though he endured harrowing times at their hands)

QR6P2lG.jpg
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Larry, I'd love to visit Chicago to see that U-Boat, its U-505. I've read the book written by the Capt of the US " jeep carrier " that captured the U-505. Its titled " Twenty Million Tons Under the Sea " by Daniel V Gallery. Its a good read. Gallery has researched the U-505 from the time the keel was laid until he captured it on the surface in June , 1944. When I finished the book, I came close to a Chicago trip just to see that boat.

Book also covers the Battle of the Atlantic. Hitler had a new and improved U-Boat in the construction phase that never went to battle, but it could've caused Allied shipping a lot of trouble. It came along too late and Hitler mismanaged his resources, he should've started earlier on a better U-Boat and and instead of putting resources into the V1 and V2 buzz bombs, built more U-Boats. He could've isolated the UK.
 
This was prime time TV in 1958 , " The Silent Service " . It ran two seasons. But I remember it from reruns on Saturday afternoons, along with " Victory at Sea " and " World At War " , and they may have been others I don't recall.

This YT channel has the entire series, and this particular episode was on the USS Wahoo. It gives a good picture of the Wahoo and Capt Mush Morton, who after reading two books about him, I've developed a man crush.

 
Dang, that was a helluva job to put that boat in place. Thanks for the pics, makes me want to visit that museum even more.
 
On November 23, 1944 ... Winston Churchill gave a speech at The Royal Albert Hall. I guess Eric Clapton was not available :) I thought EC owned the RAH. But anyway, Churchill spoke about our American holiday, Thanksgiving .............. Churchill was a great orator and statesman. After this speech, there would only be 6 more months of war.

Arguably the most significant speech that Sir Winston Churchill made at the Hall was at an event celebrating the American Thanksgiving Day on 23 November 1944 entitled ‘To You, America’ – A Thanksgiving Day Celebration, which was held in aid of King George’s Fund For Sailors.

Taking to the stage in front of a packed auditorium, the Prime Minister spoke of America’s military might and involvement in the war, declaring:



“We have come here tonight to add our celebration to those which are going forward all over the world, wherever allied troops are fighting in bivouacs and dugouts, on battlefields, on the high seas, and the highest air. Always this annual festival has been dear to the hearts of the American people. Always there has been that desire for thanksgiving, and never, I think, has there been more justification, more compulsive need than now.

It is your Day of Thanksgiving, and when we feel the truth of the facts which are before us, that in three or four years the peaceful, peace-loving people of the United States, with all the variety and freedom of their life in such contrast to the iron discipline which has governed many other communities – when we see that in three or four years the United Sates has in sober fact become the greatest military, naval, and air power in the world – that, I say to you in this time of war, is itself a subject for profound thanksgiving.

We are moving forward in this struggle which spreads over all the lands and all the oceans; we are moving forward surely steadily, irresistibly, and perhaps with God’s aid, swiftly towards victorious peace.

There again is a fitting reason for thanksgiving, but I have spoken of American thanksgiving. Tonight here, representatives of vaster audiences and greater forces moving outside this hall, it is British and American thanksgiving that we may celebrate today. And why is that? It is because under the compulsion of mysterious and all-powerful destiny we are together.

We are joined together, shedding our blood side by side, struggling for the same ideals, and joined together until the triumph of the great causes which we serve has been made manifest.”
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https://www.royalalberthall.com/about-the-hall/news/2014/may/sir-winston-churchill-at-the-royal-albert-hall/
 
Wow, it's amazing how they can move such a large object nowadays.

I've been aboard the North Carolina at Wilmington. Going inside one of the big gun turrets was a thrilling experience.

Speaking of history, a former co-worker's father served in the Pacific theater as a Marine photographer, and I saw some amazing photos he took ranging from (non-published) combat scenes to the surrender aboard the Missouri. Just holding the 8x10 glossy of the surrender sent chills down my spine. The fine detail of the photograph was much better than what you see in textbooks, and it was taken at a different angle too. It was one of those, "Hey, this war really did happen", moments.
 
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Dustin Dorsey said:
It's on Hulu. I enjoyed it. They kind of break up the U-boat stuff with some espionage stuff on land with the French resistance and what not. Some of that is kind of silly. The other problem is that all these German actors look alike. There's 3 women in it that look almost the same. It makes it a little confusing. I don't know if I'm getting face blindness somehow or what. I watched it with my cousin who is about 10 years older than me. I used to make fun of him for confusing everyone in these shows and now I'm doing it too. "Are you sure that's not the same guy?" was said pretty often.
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I'm through Episode 4. This is a dark heavy drama with too many sub plots to keep up with, and yes, the resistance gals and Franks GF all look alike, especially after they've been beat up by Germans.

The U-Boat captains also look alike, unless they've got their caps on.

I would binge on this, but watching the sub-titles wears me out. Look away and I miss what was said. And I have to roll it back often as they go by too fast.

It is intriguing though and makes me wonder how its gonna end. And a WW II movie made by Germans of today, is interesting . Its just a bit heavy on the dramatic side.
 
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