Saturday, February 29, 2020

Party's Over

Stand-by back-up laptop dead after Microsoft tried to update Windows 10. New devil-box still unrepaired, I'm sure as hell not going to do this crap on this stupid 'phone.

Enough already. See you fucking jerk morons later. Maybe much later. Maybe never.

No War News Today ...

... As there was no 29 FEB 1945.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Viral Up-Date

Sortied from bunker, was in several enclosed spaces (public transit, temples of commodity fetishism) w/ humanoids (no coughers/sneezers/spitters, however). Returned to bunker, no observable symptoms.

John H. Willis Earns Medal Of Honor (Posthumous)

WED 28 FEB 1945
Pacific
TG 78.2 (Rear Admiral William M. Fechteler) lands Army troops (186th Regimental Combat Team, Reinforced, of the 41st Division) on Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island P.I.; TG 74.2 (Rear Admiral Ralph S. Riggs), consisting of three light cruisers and four destroyers, provides support. The operation is unopposed.

Off Iwo Jima, destroyer Bennett (DD-473) is damaged by aircraft bomb, 24°46'N, 141°19'E; destroyer Terry (DD-513) by shore battery, 24°48'N, 141°33'E and medium landing ship LSM-42, by mortar fire; collisions account for damage to submarine chaser PCS-1461 (with small craft), 24°46'N, 141°19'E, and tank landing ships LST-641 and LST-787, 24°46'N, 141°19'E.

On Iwo Jima, as the 3d Battalion, 27th Marines, battles a Japanese counterattack, Pharmacist's Mate First Class John H. Willis is wounded while administering first aid to casualties. Although evacuated to an aid station, he sneaks away, returning to the front lines and resuming his duties with his assigned platoon. Going to the aid of a wounded man in a shell hole, Willis is treating the casualty when enemy troops lob hand grenades into the position. Willis throws out eight in succession, but a ninth explodes in his hand killing him. His courageous actions, witnessed by his platoon, prompt them to repulse the Japanese thrust. For his conspicuous gallantry, Willis is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Elsewhere on Iwo, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class George E. Wahlen, USNR, voluntarily rushes to the aid of an adjacent platoon that has suffered heavy casualties, treating 14 men before returning to his own unit. He braves heavy mortar and rifle fire to do so, actions that, together with that performed on 26 February, establish him as a hero in the eyes of the Marines he serves (see 2 March).

USAAF B-24s attack Japanese convoy in Okinawa area, sinking motor sailship No.7 Kokoku Maru.

Atlantic
Destroyer escort Fowler (DE-222) and French L'Indiscret sink German submarine U-869 off Morocco, 34°30'N, 08°13'W.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Collisions Continue

TUE 27 FEB 1945
Pacific
Off Iwo Jima, collisions account for damage to small carrier San Jacinto (CVL-30) and oiler Merrimack (AO-37), 23°00'N, 139°00'E; destroyer Colhoun (DD-801) and attack transport Knox (APA-46), 24°49'N, 141°20'E [Colhoun collides with attack cargo ship Libra (AKA-12) soon thereafter]; tank landing ship LST-121 and attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67), 24°46'N, 141°19'E; tank landing ship LST-809 and tank landing ship LST-224, 24°46'N, 141°19'E; Japanese shore battery fire damages attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60) and tank landing ship LST-884; mortar fire accounts for damage to medium landing ship LSM-92

Submarine Blenny (SS-324), attacking Japanese convoy off French Indochina, sinks merchant tanker Amato Maru off Cape Padaran, 11°58'N, 109°18'E.

Submarine Scabbardfish (SS-397) sinks Japanese guardboat No.6 Kikaku Maru, 100 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa, 25°45'N, 123°20'W.

Japanese merchant vessel No.2 Suma Maru is sunk by aircraft 80 miles off Amoy, China.

Indian Ocean
British escort carrier HMS Activity rescues one boatload of survivors (20 men) from sunken freighter Peter Silvester, sunk on 6 February by German submarine U-862 in the Indian Ocean (see 10 March).

Europe
German submarine U-327 is sunk by PB4Y-1 (VPB 112), and British escort vessels HMS Labuan, HMS Loch Fada and HMS Wild Goose, English Channel, 49°46'N, 05°47'W.

Atlantic
Destroyer Bainbridge (DD-246) is damaged by paint locker explosion, 350 miles north of Puerto Rico.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Harmon Disappears

MON 26 FEB 1945
Pacific
Lieutenant General Millard F. Harmon, Commanding General, USAAF Air Forces, Pacific Area, departs Guam for Oahu, via Kwajalein, in his C-87 transport. The aircraft (its last reported position 11°15'N, 174°15'E) never reaches its destination. An extensive coordinated search by all services ensues for the next 20 days but fails to locate any trace of the missing plane or its passengers.

Off Iwo Jima, storm damages heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38), destroyers Colahan (DD-658), Halsey Powell (DD-686), Benham (DD-796), John W. Weeks (DD-701), Stephen Potter (DD-538), and Preston (DD-795); attack cargo ship Muliphen (AKA-61) is damaged in collision with heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25), 24°46'N, 141°19'E. Tank landing ships LST-760 and LST-884 are damaged by shore battery fire, 24°46'N, 141°19'E.

On Iwo Jima, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class George E. Wahlen, USNR, attached to a rifle company in the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines, retrieves a wounded leatherneck from in front of his company's lines and carries him to safety. Wahlen, wounded in the left eye before he accomplishes this heroic act, will continue to discharge his duties with similar courage over succeeding days (see 28 February and 2 March).

Light cruiser Pasadena (CL-65), 31°20'N, 141°15'E, and destroyer Porterfield (DD-682), 33°10'N, 143°30'E, are damaged by gunfire from Japanese guardboat that penetrates task group formation south of Honshu.

Minesweeper Saunter (AM-295) is damaged by mine off El Fraile island Luzon, 14°17'N, 120°38'E.

Planes (VC 82) from escort carrier Anzio (CVE-57) sink Japanese submarines I 368, 35 miles west of Iwo Jima, 24°43'N, 140°37'E, and RO 43, 50 miles west-northwest of Iwo, 25°07'N, 140°19'E.

Destroyer escort Finnegan (DE-307) sinks Japanese submarine I 370 120 miles south of Iwo Jima, 22°45'N, 141°27'E.

USAAF planes sink Japanese tanker No.9 Takasago Maru at 20°01'N, 111°44'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Zuisho Maru is damaged by gunfire, near Hong Kong.

Europe
U.S. freighter Nashaba, bound for Ghent, Belgium, in convoy TAM 91, sinks after striking a mine in the Schelde estuary, 51°22'18"N, 02°55'25"E. There are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

Today In Wage-Slavery:
Murder In Milwaukee

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
At least seven dead including shooter in rampage at Molson Coors  —  In one of the worst shootings in Wisconsin history, at least seven people were killed — including a gunman — during a shooting rampage Wednesday afternoon on the Milwaukee campus of Molson Coors, according to multiple sources.
CBS Chicago:   At Least 5 Dead In Shooting At MillerCoors Brewery In Milwaukee, Sources Say
AWR Hawkins / Breitbart:   Report: Gunman, Six Innocents Dead After Shooting near MillerCoors HQ
Cristina Laila / The Gateway Pundit:   BREAKING: At Least 7 Dead, Including Shooter in Rampage at MillerCoors Brewery in Milwaukee
Katie DeLong / FOX6Now.com:   LIVE: Fired MillerCoors employee opened fire in business; 6-7 ‘down,’ sources say
Rhea Mahbubani / INSIDER:   Multiple people shot dead at Molson Coors Beverage Co. complex in Milwaukee: Mayor
Daniel Cassady / New York Post:   Shooting at Milwaukee MillerCoors facility leaves at least 7 dead
JSOnline:   At least seven dead including shooter in rampage at Molson Coors
Rebecca Klar / The Hill:   Seven killed in Molson Coors shooting in Milwaukee: reportOliver O'Connell / The Independent:   Milwaukee shooting: Seven dead after gunman opens fire at MillerCoors offices, reports say
Pilar Melendez / The Daily Beast:   Multiple Dead in Shooting Near Molson Coors Headquarters in Milwaukee: Reports
Daniel Uria / UPI:   Molson Coors reports active shooter at its Milwaukee campus
It is this reporter's sincere hope that the crazed maniac shooter got the asshole who fired him or her. Fucking management pigs.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

HMS Trenchant Attacks

SUN 25 FEB 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) bomb aircraft factories and airfields near Tokyo, Japan.

Destroyer Harrison (DD-573) is damaged by storm south of Honshu, 33°00'N, 141°00'E.

Off Iwo Jima, collisions account for damage to tank landing ship LST-121 (accidentally rammed by medium landing ship LSM-140), 24°46'N, 141°19'E; tank landing ship LST-928 (successive collisions with tank landing ships LST-764 and LST-713 and attack transport Fayette (APA-43)), 24°46'N, 141°19'E; submarine chaser PC-578 (with medium landing ship LSM-207), 24°46'N, 141°19'E; and attack transport President Adams (APA-19) (with tank landing ship LST-370), 24'46'N, 141°19'E. Friendly fire damages seaplane tender Hamlin (AV-15), 24°46'N, 141°19'E; Japanese shore battery damages infantry landing craft LCI-760.

Motor minesweeper YMS-275 is damaged by mine off the Carolines, 07°20'N, 134°35'E.

Destroyers Hazelwood (DD-531) and Murray (DD-576) sink Japanese guardboats No.1 Fuji Maru and Koki Maru, 31°06'N, 141°00'E, and guardboat No.5 Seiun Maru off Tori Jima, 31°00'N, 141°00'E.

Submarine Flasher (SS-531) sinks Japanese cargo vessel Koho Maru near Hainan, 20°01'N, 111°19'E; USAAF B-24 attacks escorting submarine chaser Ch 21 while she is rescuing Koho Maru's survivors, but does not damage her.

Submarine Hoe (SS-258) attacks Japanese convoy and sinks escort vessel Shonan south of Hainan Island 17°05'N, 110°05'E.

Submarine Piper (SS-409) sinks Japanese guardboat No.3 Hosen Maru and sinks merchant cargo ship Koho Maru, 20°04'N, 111°22'E.

British submarine HMS Trenchant attacks Japanese convoy in South Malacca Strait, sinking cargo vessel No.9 Akiyama Maru, 03°07'N, 99°56'E; Japanese army aircraft bomb Trenchant but she escapes unharmed.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kazusa Maru is sunk by aircraft off Miyake Jima; Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa 14 is damaged.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 208 is damaged by aircraft, location unspecified.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.5 Miyatake Maru is damaged by aircraft, off Shirahama.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Resistance Over In Manila

SAT 24 FEB 1945
Pacific
Japanese resistance in Manila ceases.

Off Iwo Jima, destroyers Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) and Bryant (DD-665) are damaged by collision, 24°47'N, 141°25'E; heavy weather damages destroyer Moale (DD-693), 25°00'N, 141°00'E, and medium landing ships LSM-202 and LSM-241. Tank landing ship LST-792 is damaged by shore battery fire, 24°46'N, 141°19'E. Operational casualties account for damage to high speed minesweeper Howard (DMS-7) and submarine chaser SC-1027.

Submarine Lagarto (SS-371) sinks Japanese submarine I 371 and merchant cargo ship Tatsumomo Maru off Bungo Suido, Kyushu, 32°40'N, 132°33'E.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Uzuki Maru north-northeast of Mikizaki, 32°40'N, 132°33'E.

Japanese cargo vessel Kyuryu Maru is damaged by mine (laid by RAF planes) off Bangkok, Thailand 13°45'N, 100°35'E; she is later abandoned as a total loss and scuttled.

Japanese escort destroyer Nomi is damaged by aircraft, four miles south of Wanshan Island.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Yulin Maru sinks after running aground near Qui Nohn, French Indochina, 13°48'N, 109°14'E.

Europe
German submarine U-3007 is sunk by USAAF aircraft, Bremen, Germany.

Republican Shatters Norms

Your country has come a looooong way if shootin' up on the wknd. is typical Congressional candidate behavior.
Ronald J. Hansen / Arizona Republic:
Arizona congressional candidate suspends campaign after heroin overdose  —  (Photo: via Chris Taylor Republican For Arizona CD1 website)  —  Chris Taylor, a Safford city councilman who is running for Congress, overdosed on heroin last week and since has suspended his campaign.
Jason Easley / POLITICUSUSA:   Trump Supporting House Candidate Suspends Campaign After Heroin Overdose
Brad Reed / Raw Story:   Trump-supporting Arizona congressional candidate suspends campaign after overdosing on heroin

Chronic Brain Syndrome

THE PREVALENCE of psychiatric illness in old age is probably higher than indicated by the number of cases coming to professional attention. This is certainly true of those illnesses related to brain damage in old age which are diagnostically grouped under the term "chronic brain syndrome (CBS)."

A survey of persons aged 60 and over in New York City showed that 10% were "verbose, repetitious, and wandering," and 13% had memory defects suggestive of brain syndrome (M. Blenkner, written communication, 1962). A more structured survey in Syracuse, NY, of a sample of persons aged 65 and over living in the community found that 6.3% were so impaired mentally that they could be certified to a psychiatric hospital.
The current White House occupant is 73.5 & counting. The verbosity, repetition, wandering and memory defects are obvious.
[J.A.M.A.]

Trump is Slurring Terribly During Las Vegas Rally and Then Mocks Joe Biden for His Stutter

Trump Sparks New Health Concerns After He’s Seen Struggling to Speak Clearly at Vegas Rally

[Political Flare]
Just two words: Nuclear codes.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Consumer Compare & Contrast

How To Do It:

Priority Mail®, US$9.99; no weight given, but it must weigh more than the one FedEx has crawling across the Bible Belt.
Estimated Arrival: Tomorrow by 2000 hrs.

How Not To Do It:

FedEx SmartPost, US$12.95, weighs 1.1 lb./0.5kg.
Scheduled delivery:
Pending
Really? That's the best you can do? Sad.

FedEx may deserve points for providing a map.
Ha ha. Like hell. What a fucking rip-off. Especially as "FedEx SmartPost" means the FedEx parasites hand the goods over to the U.S.P.S. for final delivery. Just fuck everybody & all their things, w/ a hot poker. Twice.

The Mystery Of Open Lighter YC-693

FRI 23 FEB 1945
Pacific
Motor torpedo boats sweep Coron Bay, P.I., destroying launches, lighters, a lugger, and setting fire to a large fuel dump.

Off Iwo Jima, shore batteries damage tank landing ships LST-684 and LST-792, 24°46'N, 141°19'E, and medium landing ships LSM-46 and LSM-47; operational casualties damage hospital ship Solace (AH-5), motor minesweeper YMS-361, and medium landing ship LSM-92; as well as submarine chaser PC-877 and tank landing ship LST-716, 24°46'N, 141°19'E; friendly fire damages submarine chaser PCS-1461, 24°46'N, 141°19'E.

Submarine Hammerhead (SS-364) intercepts Japanese convoy, sinks escort vessel Yaku 15 miles south of Cape Varella, French Indochina, 12°42'N, 109°30'E, and eludes counterattack by Coast Defense Ship No.31.

District patrol craft YP-94, aground and damaged off Tugidak and Sitkinak Islands, Aleutians, since 17 February, breaks in two and sinks.

USAAF B-25s (Fifth Air Force) on antishipping sweep off French Indochina, attack Japanese convoy HI-88-G and sink submarine chaser Ch 35, and damage submarine chaser Ch 20 and small tanker No.35 Nanshin Maru off Cape Padaran, 10°15'N, 107°31'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Bizan Maru is damaged by aircraft, 23°14'N, 116°49'E.

Open lighter YC-693 is struck from the Naval Vessel Register this date.*

Mediterranean
Conversion of tank landing ships into seatrain LSTs is completed at Palermo, Sicily. LST-32 is to ferry roling stock from Bizerte, Tunisia, to Reggio, Italy; LST-140 is to ferry rolling stock from Oran, Algeria, to Marseilles, France.

Europe
U.S. freighter Jane G. Swisshelm is damaged by explosion of V-2 rocket at Antwerp, Belgium. Only three men of the combined complement of 8 officers, 36 enlisted men, 27 Armed Guards and one passenger report any injuries.

U.S. freighter Henry Bacon, straggling from Scotland-bound convoy RA 64, is sunk by German planes after her Armed Guard puts up a stiff fight against a large number of attacking aircraft, 67°00'N, 07°00'E. Seven of the 26-man Armed Guard die in battle. British destroyers HMS Opportune, HMS Zest, and HMS Zambesi rescue the survivors.
*A thorough search of Dutch Harbor and all other sector activities fails to disclose any trace of this particular district craft, and it is stricken from the Register this date. Its exact fate is unknown.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Sat. Serious As A Heart Attack

And, oddly enough, it is a heart attack that this reporter is seriously wishing on all Presidential candidates aged 72 & above. What a collection of sad-assed shitheels: Trump, Bloomberg, Biden, Sanders, even wretched Republican William Weld. These pathetic relics from the "Silent Generation" w/ their Nineteenth-Century values & attitudes are the best this benighted nation can offer? Fuck 'em all. Die, pigs!!

Damage Occurs

THU 22 FEB 1945
Pacific
Off Iwo Jima, damage occurs when destroyer escort Melvin R. Nawman (DE-416) collides with tank landing ship LST-807, 24°46'N, 141°19'E, and tank landing ship LST-779 collides with pontoon barges at 24°46'N, 141°19'E.

Submarine Becuna (SS-319), despite presence of two escort vessels, sinks Japanese merchant tanker Nichiyoku Maru off Cape Padaran, French Indochina, 11°28'N, 109°06'E.

Japanese fleet tanker No.2 Tatekawa Maru is damaged by USAAF mine (laid by 20th Air Force B-29s) and runs aground in Padaran Bay; USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) complete the destruction of No.2 Tatekawa Maru later that day, 11°08'N, 108°44'E.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 41 is damaged by aircraft, 10°15'N, 107°15'E.

Japanese army ship Ikuta Maru is sunk by aircraft, Rabaul, New Britain.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) Sunk

WED 21 FEB 1945
Pacific
Navy and USAAF planes bomb and strafe Japanese installations at Truk.

Off Iwo Jima, kamikazes sink escort carrier Bismarck Sea (CVE-95), 24°36'N, 141°48'E, and damage carrier Saratoga (CV-3), 24°56'N, 142°01'E (Saratoga is also hit by a bomb); escort carrier Lunga Point (CVE-94), 24°40'N, 141°44'E; tank landing ships LST-477, 24°40'N, 141°44'E, and LST-809, 24°08'N, 142°06'E; and net cargo ship Keokuk (AKN-4), 24°36'N, 141°48'E. Small carrier Langley (CVL-27) is damaged by bomb. Japanese mortar fire damages tank landing ship LST-390, 24°46'N,141°19'E. Collisions account for damage to destroyer Williamson (DD-244) and oiler Suamico (AO-49), 24°39'N, 142°01'E; destroyer Bradford (DD-545) and tank landing ship LST-812; attack cargo ship Yancey (AKA-93) and heavy cruiser Pensacola (CA-24), 24°46'N, 141°19'E. Heavy weather damages medium landing ship LSM-43.

Tank landing craft LCT-175 founders and sinks in heavy weather, 04°27'N, 133°40'E.

Destroyer Renshaw (DD-499) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO 43 south of Siquijor Island P.I., 24°36'N, 141°48'E. RO 43 escapes a ten-hour search by destroyers Waller (DD-466) and Shaw (DD-373) around Siquijor Island.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.72 and Coast Defense Vessel No.150 are damaged in collision off Wenchow, China.

Submarine Gato (SS-212) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Tairiku Maru in Yellow Sea off west coast of Korea, 35°24'N, 125°23'E.

Japanese merchant tanker Eiyo Maru, damaged by submarine Guavina (SS-362) the previous day, sinks off Cape Padaran, French Indochina, 11°22'N, 109°22'E.

Japanese cargo ship Fukusei Maru sinks after running aground off Cape Shirazaki, Honshu, 41°00'N, 142°00'E.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Friendly Fire & Collisions

TUE 20 FEB 1945
Pacific
Army troops, covered by USMC aircraft, are landed on Biri Island P.I., to insure control of San Bernardino Strait.

Off Iwo Jima, light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80) is hit by friendly fire, 25°47'N, 141°15'E; destroyer Bradford (DD-545) collides with uncharted submerged wreckage, 24°45.8'N, 141°19.44'E; attack transports Napa (APA-157) and Logan (APA-196) are damaged in collision, 24°46'N, 141°19'E; tank landing ship LST-779 and medium landing ship LSM-216 are damaged by mortar fire.

Submarine Guavina (SS-362), attacking Japanese convoy rounding Cape Padaran, French Indochina, damages merchant tanker Eiyo Maru, 11°22'N, 109°22'E.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366), attacking Japanese convoy about 175 miles northwest of Singapore, sinks merchant cargo ship Daizen Maru, 00°42'S, 106°18'E. Although Hawkbill claims sinking one other cargo vessel, the two ships in company with the lost freighter, Kanto Maru and Nankai Maru, survive unscathed.

Submarine Pargo (SS-264) sinks Japanese destroyer Nokaze off Cape Varella, French Indochina, 12°48'N, 109°38'E; destroyer Kamikaze in company with Nokaze at the time of Pargo's attack, unsuccessfully counterattacks with depth charges.

Submarine Pintado (SS-387) is damaged by aerial bomb, Gulf of Siam, 07°25'N, 111°56'E, but remains on patrol.

Japanese army ship Rozan Maru is sunk by mine below Taku, China.

Japanese cargo vessel No.34 Kashiwa Maru is sunk by mine off Surabaya.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Heavy Traffic Off Iwo

MON 19 FEB 1945
Pacific
Preceded by intense naval and air bombardment, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions (Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith, USMC) land on Iwo Jima in Operation DETACHMENT. The operation is under the overall command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet; Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner is the Joint Expeditionary Force Commander. Naval gunfire and aircraft will support the troops ashore during this difficult campaign. Offshore, collisions account for damage of varying degrees to heavy cruiser Chester (CA-27) and amphibious force flagship Estes (AGC-12), 24°13'N, 141°25'E; heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) and ammunition ship Shasta (AE-6) (during replenishment operations); destroyer escort Finnegan (DE-307) and infantry landing craft LCI-627, 22°46'N, 141°19'E; and attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67) and heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25), 24°46'N, 141°19'E. Destroyer John W. Weeks (DD-701) is damaged by shore battery, 25°32'N, 141°01'E; hospital ship Samaritan (AH-10) by friendly fire, 24°46'N, 141°19'E. Japanese mortar fire damages medium landing ships LSM-74, LSM-145, LSM-245 and LSM-323.

Army troops covered by USMC aircraft are landed on the northwest coast of Samar and on Capul Island P.I., to insure control of San Bernardino Strait.

Japanese merchant ship Zuiho Maru is sunk by aircraft in Yangzte River near Kiukiang, China.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Seamanship Day

SUN 18 FEB 1945
Atlantic
District patrol craft YP-94 sinks after running aground off Trinity Islands, 56°32'N, 154°22'W.

Pacific
Battleship Washington (BB-56) and destroyer Hailey (DD-556) are damaged in collision off Iwo Jima.

Destroyer Waldron (DD-699) is damaged when she intentionally rams Japanese guardboat at 29°27'N, 141°34'E. Dortch (DD-670) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Ayukawa Maru northwest of Iwo Jima, 27°35'N, 121°16'E, but is damaged by gunfire in the encounter.

Light minelayer Gamble (DM-15) is damaged by kamikaze, 24°55'N, 141°08'E.

High speed transport Blessman (APD-48) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 25°05'N, 141°10'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese gunboat No.2 Hiyoshi Maru at Futami, Chichi Jima, 27°05'N, 142°11'E.

Destroyers Barton (DD-722), Ingraham (DD-694) and Moale (DD-693) sink Japanese guardboats No.35 Nanshin Maru west of Torishima, 30°00'N, 137°30'E; No.3 Kyowa Maru south of Honshu, 31°00'N, 137°30'E; and No.5 Fukuichi Maru off Torishima, 30°00'N, 141°00'E.

Monday, February 17, 2020

Two Medals Of Honor,
One Posthumous

SAT 17 FEB 1945
Pacific
Fire support ships, minesweeping units, and underwater demolition teams (UDT) arrive off Iwo Jima and encounter fire from shore batteries. UDT reconnaissance discloses that no underwater obstacles exist, and that the surf and beach conditions are suitable for landings. Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-474 is sunk by shore battery, while supporting UDT operations. Japanese guns also account for damage to battleship Tennessee (BB-43), 24°44'N, 141°19'E; heavy cruiser Pensacola (CA-24) and destroyer Leutze (DD-481), 24°46'N, 141°19'E; as well as to infantry landing craft (gunboats) LCI(G)-346, LCI(G)-348, LCI(G)-438, LCI(G)-441, LCI(G)-449, LCI(G)-450, LCI(G)-457, LCI(G)-466, LCI(G)-469, LCI(G)-471, and LCI(G)-473. On board the damaged LCI(G)-449, her commanding officer, Lieutenant Rufus G. Herring, although badly wounded, cons his crippled ship himself, maintaining her position in support of the unfolding UDT operations until she is able to move to safety. For his heroism, Herring is awarded the Medal of Honor.

Light cruisers Phoenix (CL-46) and Boise (CL-47), along with three destroyers, provide call-fire support for continuing operations on Corregidor. Light cruiser Cleveland (CL-55) and destroyers O'Bannon (DD-450) and Taylor (DD-468) bombard the Ternate area, south shore of Manila Bay. Fleet tug Hidatsa (ATF-102) is damaged by mine in Mariveles harbor, Luzon, 14°25'N, 120°30'E.

Destroyer Haynesworth (DD-700) sinks Japanese guardboat No.36 Nanshin Maru southwest of Mikimoto light and auxiliary submarine chaser Wafu Maru off Omaezaki Light.

Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.56 five miles east of Mikura Jima, central Honshu, 33°53'N, 139°43'E. Bowfin and aircraft sink guardboat No.26 Nanshin Maru southwest of Mikimoto light, 30°05'N, 135°15'E.

British submarine HMS Statesman attacks Japanese convoy off Ujong Tamiang, 04°26'N, 98°16E, sinking motor sailships No.3 Matsujima Maru and 19 Nippon Maru and 17 Nanyo Maru and No. 14 Nippon Maru.

Minesweeper Champion (AM-314) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26°00'N, 128°00'E.

Coast Guard cutter Atalanta (WPC-102), en route to assist lighthouse tender Bramble (WAGL-389) (damaged by grounding the previous day) collides with and damages mail boat Neptune near Steamer Point Light, Aleutians. District patrol craft YP-251 escorts the damaged Neptune to Naval Section Base, Ketchikan, while Atalanta, undamaged, continues on her mission.

District patrol craft YP-94, returning from landing supplies on Chirikof Island runs aground at the southern end of Tugidak and Sitkinak Islands; rescue tug ATR-68 is dispatched from Kodiak, Alaska, to render assistance, while air-sea rescue coordination succeeds in rescuing all hands (see 23 February).

USAAF B-24s (5th Air Force), on an antishipping sweep over the South China Sea, sink Japanese landing ship T.114 off southern coast of Formosa, 23°04'N, 120°30'E.

Japanese army cargo vessel Yamashio Maru is sunk by aircraft, Yokohama harbor.

Japanese merchant tanker No.28 Nanshin Maru is sunk by aircraft, 30°00'N, 138°30'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Daibi Maru is sunk, by aircraft, off Chichi Jima.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 47 is damaged by aircraft, 32°45'N, 111°56'E.

During diving operations in West Loch, Pearl Harbor, on the wreckage of tank landing ships sunk in the ammunition explosions in that area in 1944, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Owen F. P. Hammerberg risks his own life to save two fellow divers trapped while tunnelling under a wrecked LST. Although Hammerberg's efforts are successful, he suffers mortal injuries in a cave-in, to which he succumbs 18 hours later. For his heroism, Hammerberg is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Europe
Motor torpedo boat PT-605 is sunk by striking submerged object off Ostend, Belgium.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Michael J. Stone, in convoy UGS 72, is torpedoed by German submarine U-300 27 miles from Gibraltar, 35°55'N, 05°53'W. There are no casualties on board and the damaged freighter reaches her destination under her own power.

Southland Warning: Lock & Load!

Trump Set to Make Rare Visit to Los Angeles Area

[Grab a gun, grab a noose!]

Presidents Day Proclamation

If this wk. is anything like the last one, this reporter is getting hold of a car & driving it up & down well-populated sidewalks at a high rate of speed. You've been warned.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Patuxent (AO-44) Gets Vapors

FRI 16 FEB 1945
Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) planes bomb airfields, aircraft factories, and shipping in the Tokyo area, Japan; attack is repeated on 17 February.

Fire support vessels and carrier-based aircraft begin three-day pre-landing bombardment and bombing of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. Destroyers Ingraham (DD-694) and Barton (DD-722) are damaged in collision off Iwo, 31°45'N, 141°54'E.

TF 92 (Rear Admiral John L. McCrea) bombards Japanese installations at Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiro, Kurils.

Army forces, preceded by naval bombardment and attack by army aircraft, land on Corregidor, Luzon; 503d Parachute Infantry are air-dropped onto the main plateau while the 3d Battalion, 24th RCT is lifted to the island in navy medium landing craft (LCM). Support landing craft (large) [LCS(L)] and infantry landing craft (rocket) [LCI(R)] provide covering fire close-in. Motor torpedo boats also support the operation, at one point rescuing stranded army paratroopers. Submarine chaser PC-1119 is damaged by shore battery, off Luzon, 14°23'N, 120°35'E.

Special gunfire support unit of six destroyers (Captain Robert W. Cavenaugh) is formed to provide naval gunfire support for the conquest of Corregidor. Between 16 and 28 February, this unit will deliver pin-point fire that proves a considerable help to the final elimination of Japanese troops on the island.

Support landing craft LCS(L)-7 is sunk by Japanese assault demolition boats off entrance to Mariveles harbor.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408) sinks Japanese minelayer Naryu southeast of Honshu, 32°10'N, 135°54'E, but is damaged by depth bombs from enemy aircraft.

Oiler Patuxent (AO-44) is damaged by internal explosion from gasoline vapors.

Coast Guard lighthouse tender Bramble (WAGL-392) is damaged by grounding on Lockwood Rock, Wrangell Narrows, Aleutians (see 17 February).

Japanese army cargo ship No.23 Ryoyu Maru is sunk by aircraft, 14°36'N, 109°06'E.

PB4Y-1 (VPB-117) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Iida Maru in Cape St. Jacques harbor, French Indochina, 10°20'N, 107°06'E.; Japanese merchant cargo ships sunk on this date: No.3 Seikai Maru, by aircraft, Central Pacific (exact location unspecified); Kaian No.10, by aircraft, Yangtze River, Wuhu, China; and No.2 Nagaoka Maru, by aircraft, off Hachijo Jima. Japanese naval vessels damaged on this date: Coast Defense Vessel No.47, by aircraft, Yokohama, Japan; escort destroyer Amakusa, by aircraft, east of Izu Oshima; auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 211, Cha 225, and Cha 236, by aircraft, Shimoda, Japan; and auxiliary minesweeper Hagoromo Maru, by aircraft, 10 miles south of Miyake Jima. USAAF B-24 damages small Japanese cargo vessel No.23 Yoshitomo Maru off Qui Nhon, French Indochina.

USAAF P-51s sink Japanese auxiliary powered sailing vessel Minsui Maru in Yangtze between Wuhu and Hankow.

Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boat PT-303 and two British motor torpedo boats, operating out of Leghorn, Italy, engage two southbound enemy barges off Vernazza with doubtful results.

Atlantic
Destroyer Edison (DD-439) is damaged when accidentally rammed by British merchant tanker Benedick in New York harbor.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Back To Bataan!

THU 15 FEB 1945
Pacific
TG 78.3 (Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble) lands army forces (151st Infantry RCT and 3d Battalion, 34th RCT) in the Mariveles Harbor area of Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; the troops encounter only light opposition and quickly secure the town and the nearby airfield. Medium landing ship LSM-169 is damaged by mine off Mariveles; motor minesweeper YMS-46 is damaged by shore battery, 14°23'N, 120°36'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese guardboats No.3 Choyo Maru and No.2 Santoku Maru off southern Japan, 30°00'N, 141°00'E, and 30°00'N, 143°00'E, respectively.

Aircraft damage Japanese fast transport T.16 off Iwo Jima.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.3 Taihei Maru is damaged by aircraft off Yonaguni Island.

Taking A Stand

We may be about to see exactly how tough Republican "tough guys" are. (NB: Web of Evil [& Ennui] neither condemns nor condones such behavior. We encourage it!)*
Dan Scanlan / USA Today:
Florida man charged with driving van into GOP voter tent said he dislikes Trump, felt he had to ‘take a stand,’ police say  —  A Jacksonville, Florida, man jailed after crashing a minivan through a tent of Republican volunteers in a Walmart parking lot told investigators he does …
Stephen Sorace / Fox News:   Florida man who drove van into GOP tent didn't like Trump, says ‘someone had to take a stand’: arrest report
Justin Wise / The Hill:   Florida man who drove van into GOP voter tent said it was because he ‘does not like’ Trump
Hannah Bleau / Breitbart:   Police Report: Man Who Drove into GOP Tent Motivated by Disdain for President Trump
Associated Press:   Report Says Man Who Drove Into GOP Tent Didn't Like Trump
Greg Pollowitz / Twitchy:   The Bulwark's Charlie Sykes scolds conservatives over the anti-Trump Florida van driver story
Ooops! Hey, sometimes (to mix a metaphor) one must draw some blood to make an omelet.
Tracy Kornet / WSMV-TV:
Woman punches man in Broadway bar over MAGA-style birthday hat  —  NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - A man's surprise birthday gift led to a surprise attack at a Broadway bar.  —  Daniel Sprague was at The Stage bar on Broadway sporting a gift his wife gave him for his 50th birthday bash—a hat that says “Make 50 Great Again.”
Tina Moore / New York Post:   Ex-NYPD cop punched at his Nashville birthday party after red cap mistaken for MAGA hat
Hannah Bleau / Breitbart:   Woman Allegedly Punches Former NYPD Officer over ‘Make Fifty Great Again’ Hat
Debra Heine / American Greatness:   Nashville Woman Punches Retired Cop for Wearing MAGA-Style Hat, Draws Blood
Logan Hall / The Daily Caller:   Woman Punches Ex-Cop At His 50th Birthday Party After She Mistook His Red Hat For A MAGA Hat
Full Feed:   Woman Punches Retired Cop in Bar Over ‘Make Fifty Great Again’ Hat
Sarah D. / Twitchy:   Former NYPD cop says woman yelled at him and punched him the face because his birthday cap resembled a MAGA hat [pics]
California, Florida, Tennessee & New Hampshire. Quiver in fear, Trumptards, it's nationwide!!
*Or not.

Friday, February 14, 2020

Posthumous Valentine Medal of Honor

WED 14 FEB 1945
Pacific
Japanese shore batteries sink motor minesweeper YMS-48 north of Corregidor, 14°24'N, 120°33'E, and damage destroyers Fletcher (DD-445) and Hopewell (DD-681) as they support the sweeping of those waters, 14°25'N, 120°30'E and 14°24'N, 120°33'E, respectively. On board Fletcher, Watertender First Class Elmer C. Bigelow, time not permitting his donning a rescue-breathing apparatus, plunges into the acrid powder smoke to extinguish the blaze that had resulted from shell fragments penetrating the number one gun magazine and setting fire to powder cases. Bigelow succumbs to smoke inhalation the following day; for his heroism, he is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Japanese shore batteries also sink support landing craft LCS-26 and LCS-49 off Luzon.

Mines damage destroyers Radford (DD-446) and LaVallette (DD-448) as they support the sweeping of a channel into Mariveles harbor, 14°25'N, 120°30'E.

Destroyer Halford (DD-480) is damaged in collision with U.S. merchant vessel H.E. Stephenson.

Submarine Gato (SS-212) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.9 in Yellow Sea, 34°48'N, 125°28'E.

Submarines Haddock (SS-231), Lagarto (SS-371), and Sennet (SS-408) damage Japanese guardboat No.3 Kanno Maru south of Japan, 29°50'N, 135°31'E.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 4 and Cha 114 (ex-Dutch B-1 class patrol boat) in Java Sea, 08°28'S, 115°45'E.

Japanese army cargo ship No.1 Yamanami Maru is sunk by mine west of Kyushu; hospital ship Hikawa Maru is damaged by mine in Singapore Strait.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Tatsui Maru is damaged by aircraft, 27°35'N, 121°16'E.

Arctic Convoys
U.S. freighter Horace Gray is torpedoed by German submarine U-711 at the entrance to Kola Inlet, 69°21'N, 33°43'W. Beached the following day, Horace Gray will subsequently be determined a total loss. There are no casualties to either the merchant complement or the 28-man Armed Guard.

A Valentine From The Who

Performed & recorded (taped, even) 50 yrs. ago today ...

Law & Order & Trump

Description of a murderer by a witness: "Mean looking, fancy suit, like Donald Trump."
—"The Torrents of Greed, Part One" (Season 1, Episode 15) first aired 12 Feb 1991.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

UNHINGED NIGHTMARE!!

LETTER FROM TRUMP’S WASHINGTON
Welcome to the post-acquittal Trump Presidency.

Survivors Rescued

TUE 13 FEB 1945
Indian Ocean
Frigate Corpus Christi (PF-44) rescues 102 survivors of U.S. freighter Peter Silvester, sunk on 6 February 1945 in the Indian Ocean by German submarine U-862 (see 9 March).

Pacific
Although submarine Sennet (SS-408) is damaged by gunfire of Japanese guardboat [No.8 Kotoshiro Maru or No.3 Showa Maru], south of Japan, she administers the coup de grace to No.8 Kotoshiro Maru after the enemy patrol craft had already been damaged by Lagarto (SS-371) and Haddock (SS-231), 30°00'N, 136°30'E. Haddock then sinks No.3 Showa Maru, which had already been damaged by Lagarto and Sennet, 30°00'N, 136°30'E.

Submarine Batfish (SS-310) sinks Japanese submarine RO 113 off Babuyan Islands, P.I., 19°10'N, 121°23'E.

RAAF Liberator sinks Japanese motor sailship No.24 Sakura Maru in Lesser Sundas.

Lies, All Lies

Two or so hrs. after the estimated delivery time (2000) we were advised:
Bloody hell it's "in transit". It's not transiting anywhere, it's sitting in the Nat King Cole Station overnight. How dare they lie like that?

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Hoping For An Earthquake ...

... that opens Rancho Mirage so wide that Trump, that other shitheel Ellison & his entire fucking estate are swallowed by the earth, never to be seen again. Meteor strikes would be fine too.
Sam Metz / Desert Sun:
Trump to visit Palm Springs area next week for fundraising event at Oracle chairman Larry Ellison's estate  —  President Donald Trump will attend a campaign fundraising event at Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison's Rancho Mirage, Calif., estate on Feb. 19, less than two weeks before California's Super Tuesday primary election.
Theodore Schleifer / Vox:   Larry Ellison is doing an unthinkable thing for a tech titan: Hosting a fundraiser for Donald Trump
Just wish I could be there w/, to coin a phrase, some stuff that blows up real good.
💣TARGET ACQUIRED!💣
A shame these never caught on.Do double check your windage.

War Not Going Well For Japan

MON 12 FEB 1945
Pacific
Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) sinks small Japanese cargo vessel Kisaragi Maru and the two large landing barges she was towing at the time, Lombok Strait.

Japanese merchant ship Shinko Maru is sunk by aircraft, 26°57'N, 120°25'E.
How'd they sink all those marus? Code Girls!

Really, U.S.P.S.?

This reporter actually had something to do today, but was advised by a gov't. agency to remain at home.
So this load of plastic crap made in China by slave labor has been sitting a 10-min. walk from the bunker for exactly 12 gawddamn hrs. now? Letter carrier didn't show until post the meridian, they couldn't get it in the truck? Stupid jerks, I'd have walked/bussed the six or eight blks. & picked it up myself if I'd known it would be sitting there all fucking day.

US$9.99 for "Priority Mail", my sweet honky ass!

Sex Crimes Cover-Up Up-Date

The party of "family values", morality & personal responsibility:
Andrew J. Tobias / Plain Dealer:
Jim Jordan's name comes up during Statehouse testimony on OSU abuse victims bill  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — ​U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan's name came up Tuesday during a Statehouse hearing on a bill that would pave the way for victims of former Ohio State University doctor Richard Strauss to sue the university for damages.
Cristina Cabrera / Talking Points Memo:   Ex-OSU Wrestling Captain Says Jordan Begged Him To Deny Claims He Knew Of Sexual Abuse
Jason Easley / POLITICUSUSA:   Jim Jordon Cried And Begged Ohio State Wrestler To Lie About Sexual Abuse Scandal
Justin Wise / The Hill:   Ex-Ohio State wrestler claims Jim Jordan asked him to deny abuse allegations
Hunter / Daily Kos:   Testimony to Ohio lawmakers again describes Rep. Jim Jordan's cover-up of sexual abuse
Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:   Trump-loving GOP candidate accused of stalking ambassador now cooperating with Congress: report
Oliver Willis / The American Independent:   Jim Jordan ripped by former wrestling captain for ignoring sex abuse
Liz Roscher / Yahoo Sports:
Rep. Jim Jordan accused of participating in OSU sexual abuse cover-up by ex-wrestler  —  Ohio congressman and former Ohio State assistant wrestling coach Jim Jordan has been accused of participating in the cover up of widespread sexual abuse in OSU's wrestling program.
Joe Jervis / Joe.My.God.:   Jim Jordan Accused In Ohio State Sex Abuse Coverup
Brad Reed / Raw Story:   Former OSU wrestler: ‘Jim Jordan called me crying, groveling’ to help him with sex abuse scandal ‘coverup’
Busted again, Jim.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Yalta (ARGONAUT) Conference Ends

SUN 11 FEB 1945
General
Yalta (ARGONAUT) Conference attended by President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill, and Russian Premier Stalin ends.

Pacific
TF 92 (Rear Admiral John F. McCrea), comprising three light cruisers and seven destroyers, arrives off Matsuwa Island, Kurils, to conduct bombardment, but encounters heavy weather that would make high-speed retirement impossible; the operation is accordingly cancelled and the ships return to Attu on 14 February.

Marianas-based USAAF B-29s carry out extended search missions to look for Japanese guardboats in the path of TF 58 as it steams toward Japan, augmented by Tinian- based PB4Ys and planes from the carriers. These searches will be repeated on 12 and 14 February.

Tank landing ship LST-577, torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO 50 while in a reinforcement convoy proceeding from Hollandia to Leyte, 08°05'N, 126°17'E, is scuttled by destroyer Isherwood (DD-520). RO 50 is damaged by gunfire in the encounter with U.S. ships.

Fleet tug Takelma (ATF-113) is damaged by collision east of Leyte, P.I., 10°50'N, 125°25'E.

Submarine Batfish (SS-310) sinks Japanese submarine RO 112 off Camiguin, P.I., 18°53'N, 121°50'E.

Submarine Burrfish (SS-312) is damaged by depth charges and aerial bombs off Bonins, 27°51'N, 141°55'N, but remains on patrol.

Japanese escort destroyer Miyake is damaged by aircraft, 19°08'N, 108°15'E.

Japanese fast transport T.13 is damaged by aircraft, Bonins.

USAAF aircraft sink Japanese cargo vessel Shoto Maru, Saigon, French Indochina.

Mediterranean
Destroyer McLanahan (DD-615), while withdrawing from bombardment mission off Italian Riviera, is damaged by near-misses from German shore battery at San Remo, Gulf of Genoa.

Monday, February 10, 2020

Suicide Swimmers Attempt Attack

SAT 10 FEB 1945
Pacific
Japanese suicide swimmers attempt attack upon surveying ship Hydrographer (AGS-2) in Schonian Harbor, Palaus.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.33 and escort destroyer Mikura are damaged in collision in Formosa Straits, 23°51'N, 117°52'E.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Planes & A Mine

FRI 9 FEB 1945
Pacific
Navy aircraft sink Japanese army cargo ship Hekisui Maru off Mako, Formosa, 23°28'N, 119°40'E.

PV-1 sinks small Japanese cargo vessel No.177 Nanshin Maru in Flores Sea west of Maumere.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.61 is damaged by mine [laid by submarine Ray (SS-271) on 22 February 1944°], 10 miles off Cape St. Jacques, French Indochina, 10°10'N, 106°55'E.*

Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Cape Edmont rescues one boatload of survivors from sunken freighter Peter Silvester, sunk on 6 February by German submarine U-862 (see 27 February).
*She is towed to Saigon, but is never repaired, and is ultimately broken up there.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

The Reverse Joker

Damn but that boy's mighty white under that bronzer orange concealer. "Spackle the hag" indeed.
P.S.: The image doesn't look very modified to this photographer. Autocorrected once, maybe. The (pasty) hands are useful for comparison.

J'En Ai Vraiment Marre De Tout

Bring. It. On.

Death On The Riviera

THU 8 FEB 1945
Mediterranean
Destroyer McLanahan (DD-615) bombards German outpost on Italian Riviera, shelling troop concentration.

Motor torpedo boat PT-308, in company with two British motor torpedo boats, operating from Leghorn, Italy, attack three northbound flak lighters off Point Moneglia. The MTBs draw fire while PT-308 scores damage on one flak lighter. A second allied attack is unsuccessful.

Pacific
TF 92 (Rear Admiral John F. McCrea), comprising three light cruisers and seven destroyers, sorties from Attu, bound for Matsuwa Island.

Submarine Pampanito (SS-383) attacks Japanese convoy in Gulf of Siam, sinking gunboat Eifuku Maru off Cape Camau, French Indochina, 07°05'N, 104°50'E.

Japanese landing ship T.143 is run aground and abandoned southeast of the Pescadores Islands, 23°30'N, 119°40'E.

Friday, February 7, 2020

Night Reconnaissance

WED 7 FEB 1945
Pacific
Motor torpedo boats PT-373 and PT-356 enter Manila Bay for night reconnaissance; these are the first U.S. naval units to enter that body of water since the surrender of Corregidor in 1942.

Destroyer escort Thomason (DE-203) sinks Japanese submarine RO 55 off Iba, Luzon, 15°27'N, 119°25'E.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320), attacking Japanese convoy off east coast of French Indochina, sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.53 and damages merchant tanker Toho Maru near Cam Ranh Bay, 11°56'N, 109°18'E.

Submarine Guavina (SS-362), attacking a Japanese convoy, sinks merchant tanker Taigyo Maru 250 miles south of Saigon, French Indochina, 06°45'N, 106°00'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Okinoyama Maru, 29°09'N, 129°45'E.

Submarine Ronquil (SS-396) damages Japanese army cargo ship Kuretake Maru 31°46'N, 140°17'E.

British submarine HMS Subtle sinks small Japanese cargo vessel Nanei Maru, 07°28'N, 94°56'E.

Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-303 and PT-304, and British MTB 422, patrolling from Golfe Juan, France, engage southbound enemy convoy off Savona, Italy, sinking at least two vessels.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

U-Boats Still At It

TUE 6 FEB 1945
Pacific
Submarine Pampanito (SS-383), attacking Japanese convoy, sinks merchant tanker Engen Maru about 200 miles northeast of Singapore, 06°22'N, 106°00'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese merchant passenger/cargo ship Shohei Maru off Port Arthur, Korea, 38°46'N, 121°28'E.

Navy PB4Ys attack Japanese convoy in the Sakishima-Okinawa area, sinking small cargo ship No.77 Ume Maru.

USAAF planes sink Japanese cargo ship No.3 Kinyu Maru at 12°50'N, 109°23'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.12 is damaged by aircraft, 36 miles northwest of Chichi Jima.

Japanese tanker Obi Maru is sunk by mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command) on 25 January in Johore Strait, 01°09'N, 103°36'E.

Japanese battleship/carrier Ise is damaged by mine, Singapore.

Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Peter Silvester is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-862 in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Australia, 34°19'S, 99°37'E; 7 of the 26-man Armed Guard perish with the ship.

Europe
U.S. freighter Henry B. Plant, in Antwerp-bound convoy TAM 71, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-245 at 51°19'24"N, 01°42'30"W; 7 of the 28-man Armed Guard perish in the abandonment. British minesweeper HMS Hazard and HM Trawler Sir Lancelot rescue survivors.

Instant Kobe Karma

Alisha Ebrahimji / CNN:
A high school principal was put on leave for saying Kobe Bryant's death was ‘deserved’  —  (CNN)A Washington state high school principal has been placed on administrative leave over a Facebook comment following Kobe Bryant's death in a helicopter crash.  —  After the January 26 crash …
John Bowden / The Hill:   Washington high school principal put on leave for attributing Kobe Bryant crash to ‘karma’
Anne Branigin / The Root:   Gayle King Asked Lisa Leslie About Kobe Bryant's Rape Case.  The Response Revealed How Much Further We Need to Go
Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:   High school principal apologizes for suggesting Kobe Bryant deserved to die
Bob Heye / KATU-TV:   Camas High principal apologizes for Facebook post after Kobe Bryant's death

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Hangfire

MON 5 FEB 1995
Pacific
Destroyer Bearss (DD-654) suffers minor damage from ammunition hangfire while on exercises in the Aleutians.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.6 is damaged by marine casualty; and minesweeper W.29 is damaged by mine off Chichi Jima.

Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-308 and PT-313, on a routine patrol from Leghorn, Italy, sight two south-bound KT ships and one escort and engage them a half mile northwest of the swept channel off Portovenere, claiming at least one KT ship sunk.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Yalta (ARGONAUT) Conference Begins

SUN 4 FEB 1945
General
Yalta (ARGONAUT) Conference attended by President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill, and Russian Premier Stalin, begins. Matters discussed include the timing of the Russian entry into the war against Japan, and three postwar issues: the division of Germany, the extent of the Soviet sphere of influence in Europe, and the status of Poland. [This is when & where the Democrat Party began selling Amurka out to the Commies, were you unaware. — M.B.]

Pacific
Submarine Barbel (SS-316) is sunk by Japanese naval aircraft in South China Sea, between Borneo and Palawan, 07°49.5'N, 116°47.5'E.*

Submarine Pargo (SS-264) bombards Woody Island east of Tourane, French Indochina, destroying Japanese weather station and radio equipment, administration building, a jetty, and several fishing boats.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Tairai Maru in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea, 37°18'N, 125°22'E.

*She is reported as overdue, presumed lost, on 16 February 1945.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Submarine Sea Robin

SAT 3 FEB 1945
Pacific
Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407) damages Japanese transport Suiten Maru off Bawean Island N.E.I.

Japanese river gunboat Karatsu [ex-Luzon (PR-7)] is scuttled as blockship at Manila.

Minesweeper W.102 (ex-HMS Waglan) is damaged (cause unspecified) north of Haitan Island 25°40'N, 119°50'E.

Merchant tanker No.3 Nanryu Maru is sunk by aircraft off Takao, Formosa.

Hoorin' It Up W/ Mel T.

Thought Trump was so rich he was going to pay for the whole thing himself. Has he even loaned any money to his campaign? No, 'cause he doesn't have any money.