tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post8589614942803849079..comments2024-03-28T04:18:22.794-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: “Beyond the limits of a vulgar fate, / Beneath the good how far - but far above the great.” *OldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-44577950218788301652016-03-21T20:14:35.303-07:002016-03-21T20:14:35.303-07:00As a great American from Nebraska has said. "...As a great American from Nebraska has said. "We stand on the shoulders of Giants." I can only pray that I would have done as well.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-57673811953180447452016-03-21T17:46:35.420-07:002016-03-21T17:46:35.420-07:00Second grade free reading period (teacher needs a ...Second grade free reading period (teacher needs a vitamin V and a little down time). Working my way through the encyclopedias in the back of the room, I come across Ploesti (which I read as Polesti). Two illustrations, the low level through the black smoke and an image of a column of smoke rising from the sea. I read and cogitate, cogitate and re-read. My eyes keep returning to the lonely column of smoke, all that remains of Wongo Wongo! and her crew. I drag the heavy book up to teacher's desk and show her what I've found. She doesn't get it and I can't articulate it. In some ways I still can't. http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=523289PrairieAdventurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466447251827774900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-33196690621319914092016-03-21T15:16:26.700-07:002016-03-21T15:16:26.700-07:00And according to Frederick the Great "He who ...And according to Frederick the Great "He who defends everything defends nothing." Pretty costly strategy though. Less than 50 fully functioning Libs remaining made that wing pretty useless.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-66685960949647481982016-03-21T14:33:39.177-07:002016-03-21T14:33:39.177-07:00They were truly heroes. One thing the Ploesti raid...They were truly heroes. One thing the Ploesti raid did was show that Americans WOULD push the limits to make a strike and it forced the Germans to protect the 'back door' so to speak.Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-29386758879121129582016-03-21T12:12:04.379-07:002016-03-21T12:12:04.379-07:00According to this site Lt Reuter received a Silver...According to this <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=%2055903216" rel="nofollow">site</a> Lt Reuter received a Silver Star, Lt Pezella and the rest of the crew received DFCs. Looks like my interpretation of the Hell's Wench Project article about the crew list was in error. According to the Find A Grave site, the crewlist was:<br />Lt Col. Addison Baker<br />Maj. John Louis Jerstad<br />1Lt. Alfred W. Pezzella <br />1Lt.George J. Reuter <br />T/Sgt Charles E Bennett<br />T/Sgt T/Sgt John M Carroll<br />S/Sgt.George P. Allen<br />S/Sgt.Edgar C Faith<br />S/Sgt. Morton O. Stafford, Jr<br />S/Sgt.William O. Wood<br />juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-77399559474937428472016-03-21T11:54:38.076-07:002016-03-21T11:54:38.076-07:00Here's the reference to SSgt Faith's DFC. ...<a href="http://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/american-war-cemetery-ardennes-f/50707-faith-edgar-c" rel="nofollow">Here's</a> the reference to SSgt Faith's DFC. Not much info, but I just noticed he had a DFC and one Oak Leaf Cluster, so two awards. No date on either however.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-42882606252458383992016-03-21T11:42:24.709-07:002016-03-21T11:42:24.709-07:00I wondered that myself, but I think, if you read t...I wondered that myself, but I think, if you read the two citations, Maj Jerstad was the Aircraft Commander and LtCol Baker was the Mission Commander probably flying in the right seat. Given that, the two MOH's might be appropriate. I looked to see if other Medals were given, and there isn't a lot of info on the remainder of the Crew. It seems SSgt Faith received a DFC at some point. (I've got my source info at home, I'll add a citation this evening) The Hell's Wench project website implies that Lt Reuter only received a Purple Heart. And I couldn't find any info on any of the others. <br /><br />I did think this was a particularly thought provoking passage from the Hell's Wench project <a href="http://hellswenchoperationtidalwave.blogspot.com/2012/12/meeting-uncle-bud.html" rel="nofollow">website.</a><br /><i>"I couldn't wrap my child's mind around it. I wasn't sure how you got a medal after you had already died. How did they pin it on you? He never got to see it. It was like getting chocolate cake for your birthday even though you died the day before! A lot of good it did you. <b>But then again, medals bestowed to dead men aren't really for the dead men, but rather the living. Something to hold on to, I guess. Or maybe something to assuage the conscience of those responsible for sending young men to their deaths. Or, a little of both.</b>"</i><br />juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-63539823302069152952016-03-21T10:07:08.481-07:002016-03-21T10:07:08.481-07:00The award distribution is interesting, and in keep...The award distribution is interesting, and in keeping with the today's USAF attitude that anything other than a pilot is baggage. I get giving the AC the MOH -- he made the decision to jeopardize himself, the crew, and the a/c to complete the mission. Tough call, but he was there, and made it, and no one should second guess him. But the co-pilot? Seriously, he was along for the ride just like everybody else. How about giving it to the bombardier? He was the exposed one (as evidenced). He didn't say 'eff this and bale for safety outside that glass cage. I recognize it, but I don't get it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-63236659078440286542016-03-21T09:09:49.253-07:002016-03-21T09:09:49.253-07:00Good catch! I missed that also.Good catch! I missed that also.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-64211813450835243672016-03-21T09:08:55.320-07:002016-03-21T09:08:55.320-07:00Thanks.
"Germans were darned good at spreadin...Thanks.<br /><i>"Germans were darned good at spreading out manufacturing and in getting damaged facilities repaired ASAP."</i><br /><br />I had an Instructor at CGSC state that differently. "The enemy gets a vote on your OPlan." The Tidal Wave Wikipedia article talks about a prior raid on Ploesti finding that the refinery was lightly defended. That finding led to the decision to attack at low level to achieve greater accuracy. Obviously, in the interim between the two raids, the German Commander strengthened the defenses significantly. Hubris is a terrible attribute in war.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-38039964598135243772016-03-21T09:04:08.887-07:002016-03-21T09:04:08.887-07:00Thanks.
One of the posts I read, I think it was t...Thanks.<br /><br />One of the posts I read, I think it was the Tidal Wave Wikipedia one, talked about the one bomber "flopping" into the sea. At that high of an Angle of Attack, the plane is very close to stall. If someone bumped the throttles, or pulled a little hard on the yoke, the aircraft could very easily stall and in attempting to break the stall, the pilot would push forward on the yoke. @300' ASL, that maneuver is almost impossible to pull off. The heavier the airplane, the less likely the recovery.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-89316153500285818782016-03-21T06:53:34.886-07:002016-03-21T06:53:34.886-07:00I see at least three of the attackers were B-24Gs,...I see at least three of the attackers were B-24Gs, with the Consolidated nose turret.SCOTTtheBADGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859188068159799373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-77892263495360362942016-03-21T06:02:31.721-07:002016-03-21T06:02:31.721-07:00Very nice article Sir. Nice way to start a Monday...Very nice article Sir. Nice way to start a Monday by reading a snippet of our WWII history. In all the times that I've read about the raid, I did not remember the minimal effect that our efforts had made. Germans were darned good at spreading out manufacturing and in getting damaged facilities repaired ASAP. Thanks!Ron Snyderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217389199007968254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-6279399671551885102016-03-21T05:23:16.968-07:002016-03-21T05:23:16.968-07:00Awesome post Juvat. Lot's of information to di...Awesome post Juvat. Lot's of information to digest here, I think I'll be spending time over at the <em>Hell's Wench Project</em> site. Lot's of good stuff.<br /><br />In the first picture (not the map mind you) only a pilot would notice the AOA on those bombers. I've seen that picture many times and never noticed that. Now? Well, it seems pretty obvious. Thanks for sharing that little insight.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.com