U-853-- Part 5: Sinking the USS Eagle 56 and Battle of Point Judith

Although several survivors of the Eagle claimed to have seen a submarine sail with yellow and red insignia, a Navy inquiry attributed the Eagle's sinking to a boiler explosion.  The Navy reversed its finding in 2001 to acknowledge that the sinking was due to hostile action and awarded Purple Hearts to the survivors and next-of-kin of the deceased.

BATTLE OF POINT JUDITH

On 5 May 1945, the new president of Germany, Karl Donitz ordered all U-boats to cease offensive operations and return to their bases.

The U-853 was lying in wait off Point Judith, Rhode Island at the time.

Either the submarine didn't receive this order or ignored it.

Soon afterwards, a torpedo from her blew the stern off of the collier Black Point underway from New York to Boston.  Within 15 minutes the Black Point had sunk in 100 feet of water less than four nautical miles south of Point Judith. Twelve men died and 34 were rescued.

--GreGen

DeKalb Corn Buys War Surplus Property in 1948

From the January 10, 2023, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back.

1948, 75 Years Ago

"Purchase of 553 acres of land and eight major buildings at the Sangamon Ordnance Plant, Illiopolis, Illinois, by the  DeKalb Hybrid Seed Company of DeKalb, was announced today by the War Assets Administration.

"The land and buildings were only a portion of the huge ordnance plant which loaded artillery shells for the Army services during the war.

"The portion purchased by  the DeKalb Company was  four of the nine shell-loading lies.  The newly acquired property will be used for expansion of the company operations, officials said today, with inbred chicken breeding to use a major portion of the facilities."

Getting Rid of War Surplus.  --GreGen

What Happened to All the Surplus WW II Aircraft After the War?

From the October 16, 2022, General Aviation News "The fate of  World War II surplus aircraft" by Frederick Johnsen.

The war ends and there are a lot of aircraft that now have no job. So, what do you do with them?

Aircraft storage areas, typically in Arizona and the southwest became the new homes for  the older and sometines war-weary aircraft.  By early August 1945, with the war still underway,  about 4,000 aircraft were already in these holding areas.

You could find the aircraft at airfields such as Wickenburg, Arizona, Ontario and Blythe, California.

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) was in charge of disposal.  Efforts to recoup costs involved selling their engines and accessories, while scrapping the aluminum frames.

In August 1945, Ontario, hosted 1,600 surplus warplanes, Blythe 877,  Hemet, California, logged 27 and Phoenix had 236 and Wickenburg 680.

The Los Angeles RFC office estimated that it cost $8 per month per aircraft for storage and processing., including handling sales.

--GreGen

Sgt. Stryker Coming Home in 1945

From the September 23, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Mrs. Barbara LaSeur-Stryker of Victor received a telegram from her husband Sgt. Roger Stryker saying that he had arrived in the States and hoped to be home soon.

"Sgt. Stryker  left the States two years ago April and saw action in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, England and the European Theater of war."

--GreGen

A Record Number of Telegrams Sent After Japanese Surrender: Great News, Big Changes

From the August 26, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Japan's surrender produced the largest volume of telegraphing in the nation's history as American business began work immediately to resume peacetime production and distribution, it was announced by R.S. Slack, Jr. of the DeKalb office.

"Here and throughout the nation, the volume of telegrams last week sent the 1945 volume line skyrocketing off the charts and  and exceeded even the busiest weeks of the war."

Western Union Telegrams.  --GreGen

Not All Joy, Though, At V-J Day Celebration, the Injury of Martha Suknaich

From the August 19, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Condition of Martha Suknaich, 1114 Oak Street, who was injured when she fell from a car during the Victory celebration, was reported as being better this morning and she is resting much easier.

"Martha was riding on the running board of a car and fell to the pavement near the intersection of Lincoln Highway and First Street.  She suffered a head injury in the fall and may have a slight  skull fracture."

I looked her up and found that she recovered and died January 29, 2007, according to her obituary.  She was a 1945 graduate of DeKalb High School.  Her name at the time of her death was Martha N. Suknaich-Fulton.

It's Always Fun Until ....   --GreGen

An Impromptu Celebration in DeKalb, Illinois, for V-J Day

From the August 19, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Quiet settled over the city today and all that remained of last evening's Victory Celebration was debris along main street.  From shortly after six o'clock, when the fire whistle signaled the Japs had accepted the peace terms, the business area was a beehive of activity.

"With horns blaring, cow bells ringing,  noise makers of all types sounding, and the occupants of the cars cheering  lustily, the crowd  grew by the minute nd within an hour after the announcement was received, the impromptu celebration was in full swing.  There was joy and thanksgiving in the hearts of all."

--GreGen

When Will V-J Day Be Celebrated in DeKalb in 1945?

From the August 12, 2020, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"A DeKalb retailers schedule has been prepared which will be followed by the stores in this city when V-J Day is officially announced.

"This schedule will be followed unless President Truman, by his proclamation, sets aside a specific period celebration, in which case the retailer schedule will be disregarded and the president's  proclamation will be followed.

--GreGen

Home Front Price Controls in DeKalb County in 1945

From the August 5, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"In Friday evening's paper the dry groceries price list for  Group One and Two stores will be published.  Use of this list will permit  the housewives to know the correct ceiling prices in the stores doing less than $250,000 business per year.

"Housewives are urged to clip the list and post it on their pantry doors or some other common place where they may refer to it when making out their shopping lists."

So, not only were items rationed, but also price controls were a part of the home front war effort even as the war was drawing to a close.

--GreGen

Did a German Plane Fly Over DeKalb in 1945?

From the August 5, 2020, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"A group of workers employed by the California  Packing firm south of DeKalb yesterday noted a strange  appearing plane flying over and none seemed able to identify it.

"Pictures in a Chicago paper showed an American crew  posing beside a captured Junkers plane and those in the group  feel certain that this is  the ship that passed over south DeKalb yesterday."

--GreGen

Hitler Plans to Die in Battle in 1945

From the April 8, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"A captured German general told front correspondents today that Adolf Hitler plans to die in battle at the head of   SS Elite Guard troops especially picked for the honor of dying  with the fuehrer.

"SS units were already being designated for the sacrifice, German Major General Hans Boehlsen said in an interview with a London News-Chronicle correspondent  on the Third Army Front."

Go Down With His Ship.  --GreGen

AP's Edward Kennedy Was the Man on the Scene Who Broke the Surrender Story

Same Source as the previous V-E Day entries.

Edward Kennedy, then AP's  chief of bureau in Paris, was present at the surrender and was first to report the end of the war in Europe to the United States and the world, bypassing the Allied political embargo.

The news was broadcast unofficially over German radio, but U.S. President Harry Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had agreed to suppress the news of the capitulation for a day, in order to allow Russian dictator Josef Stalin to stage a second surrender  ceremony in Berlin.

Kennedy published the news anyway, angering U.S. authorities.  The military suspended AP's ability temporarily  to dispatch any news from the European theater, and Kennedy was called home and later fired.

AP issued a statement saying, "Kennedy did everything right," because the embargo  was for political reason, not to protect the troops.

"The world needed to know," AP's  then-president and CEO Tom Curley said.    Kennedy "stood up to the power."

--GreGen

President Trump Visits Wilmington, NC, Yesterday and Recognizes the City's Role in WW II-- Part 1

From the September 2, 2020, Spectrum News "In visit to Wilmington, president marks city's WW II history, criticizes protesters" by Charles Duncan.

Standing in front of the battleship North Carolina, President Trump recognized Wilmington's role in World War II as the nation marked the 75th anniversary of Japan's signing of the surrender document on board the USS Missouri that ended World War II.

Sadly, the USS North Carolina was not in Tokyo Bay on September 2, but one of the battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the USS West Virginia, was.  Other battleships there were the USS South Dakota, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Mississippi, Idaho and the British battleships HMS Duke of York and King George V.

The president said that Wilmington and North Carolina made extraordinary contributions to the war effort.  "Nearly two million American servicemen trained for combat in North Carolina, more than any other state,"  Trump said.  "Over 11,000 North Carolina patriots fought to their very last breath.

--GreGen

President Trump to Visit Wilmington on Wednesday, Sept. 2 to Declare the City the Nation's First World War II Heritage City

From the August 30, 2020, U.S. News & World Report  "Trump to visit Wilmington to declare it WW II 'Heritage City' "The visit is timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Japanese signing of the surrender terms on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

Legislation enacted last year requires the U.S. Secretary of the Interior  to declare at least one American city every year to be a World War II Heritage City.  Wilmington is the first one to receive the honor thanks in large to the efforts of Wilbur D. Jones who worked many years to have cities which had a lot to do with the war so honored.

Wilmington is also the home of the battleship USS North Carolina since 1962.

A great honor for Wilmington

--GreGen

USS Essex Delivers Warbirds to Hawaii for 75th Anniversary of End of WW II

From August 11, 2020, Drive  "Amphibious assault ship USS Essex carries load of gorgeous World War II warbirds to Hawaii" by Joseph Trevithick.

The U.S. Navy's Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex recently served as a transport ship, bringing  a load of WW II-era warbirds to Hawaii.  Included were  a P-51 Mustang fighter,  and a B-25 Mitchell bomber.  They are to take part in the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on Friday, August 14.

There were other planes as well, such as two Catalina flying boats, an F8F Bearcat fighter, an FM2 Wildcat  fighter, two Texas  trainers and a Boeing -Stearman PT-17  biplane.

There were a real lot of photos of them moving the planes off the ship.  Go to the site and check them out.

Hopefully the Planes Will Remain for the 75th Official Anniversary of the End of the War with the Signing of the Japanese Surrender on the USS Missouri.   --GreGen

World War II Surrender Ceremony on Board the USS Missouri to Be Held September 2, 2020

From the August 24, 2020, "WW II surrender ceremony in Hawaii limited to local veterans" by Hannah Patrick.

This 75th World War II anniversary at Pearl Harbor will likely be the last  opportunity for many of that war's aging veterans to attend a commemoration, but sadly will only be limited to those veterans living in Hawaii because of coronavirus concerns.

Originally plans called for 200 to assemble on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, where the original surrender ceremony took place in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

Organizers are working on a way to make the event virtual for WW II veterans on the mainland.

Here's Hoping They Find a Way to Make It Virtual.  --GreGen

75 Years Ago Today Was V-J Day, the Real End of World War II

From Wikipedia.

Victory Over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect, bringing that war to an end.

The term is applied to both days in which the initial announcement of the end of the war was made --  August 15, 1945, in Japan, and, because of time zone differences, August 14, 1945, when it was announced in the United States.  It also applies to September 2, 1945, when the official surrender document was signed.

The long nightmare was finally over.

--GreGen

The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki-- Part 1: "Prompt and Utter Destruction"

From Wikipedia.

The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6, 1945, and August 9, 1945, respectively.  The two bombings, between them, killed  between 129,000 and 226,000 people. most of them civilians.    These two bombings remain the only two times atom bombs have been used in conflict.

In the final year of World War II, the Allies were preparing for what surely was to be a very costly invasion of the Japanese homeland.  The undertaking was preceded by a conventional firebombing campaign which devastated 67 Japanese cities.

The war in Europe had ended May 8 with the German surrender.  Now the Allies turned their attention to Japan.  They called for an unconditional Japanese surrender of their armed forces under the terms of the Potsdam  Declaration on July 26, 1945.  If they did not, the Allies promised "prompt and utter destruction."

The Japanese fought on despite the ultimatum and dire warning.

--GreGen

Today Is Also "Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive"

This is a day to honor World War II veterans (and now Korean War veterans) as it also marks the anniversary of the end of World War II.

And, I went to one of the ceremonies where four new flagpoles and U.S. flags were dedicated in cemeteries in and around McHenry, Illinois.

The flagpoles were given by a family, with construction donated by a local company and a year's worth of large U.S. flags donated by the McHenry American Legion.

I have been to this commemoration in McHenry for the last eight years.

I was afraid it wasn't going to be held this year because of you-know-what.

--GreGen

75 Years Ago Today: Nagasaki

Seventy-five years ago today, the United States dropped the second atom bomb on Japan.  This time on he city of Nagasaki.

The dropping of these two bombs finally made the Japanese government realize the futility of further resistance and World War II end a few days later.

--GreGen