Life This Day in History - Page 64

Amnorix · 01-01-2009, 10:36 PM

Today...

**Donger** · 12-13-2010, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Sure, but by then the Germans couldn't exactly change their overall naval strategy. They had alot invested in the surface assets that they had, which was really built towards repeating the Battle of Jutland -- not that they really had sufficient assets to do that anyway. But in any event, they certainly didn' thave any aircraft carriers or anything. Instead they had tons of investment in ships like the Tirpitz, which really did little but tie down equally useless (except for countering the Tirpitz/Bismarck etc.) British heavy surface vessels and serve as a target for air raids.

By the time the Germans "perfected" their U-boats -- both in terms of technological capability and mass production, ASDIC and cracking Enigma more than offset the German submarine program successes.

Right, that's why I wrote that the NAZI surface fleet efforts were almost quaint.

Did you know that U-boat crews had the highest casualty percentage of any other German outfits in WWII? Something like 70%.

Amnorix · 12-13-2010, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Right, that's why I wrote that the NAZI surface fleet efforts were almost quaint.

Did you know that U-boat crews had the highest casualty percentage of any other German outfits in WWII? Something like 70%.

Didn't know it, but hardly surprised. They sank something like 42 U-Boats in April of '43 alone. I remember Doenitz writing about it extensively in his autobiography -- how they had massively ramped up production but the sinkings were so incredibly high they still didn't have as many boats in the water as they wanted.

Have you read Iron Coffins? Great book...

CoMoChief · 12-13-2010, 02:44 PM

Today marks the day that Saddam Hussein was captured in Operation Red Dawn (2003).

patteeu · 12-13-2010, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Today marks the day that Saddam Hussein was captured in Operation Red Dawn (2003).

Yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

December 13

2003. Former Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein is captured.

**Dave Lane** · 12-13-2010, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Didn't know it, but hardly surprised. They sank something like 42 U-Boats in April of '43 alone. I remember Doenitz writing about it extensively in his autobiography -- how they had massively ramped up production but the sinkings were so incredibly high they still didn't have as many boats in the water as they wanted.

Have you read Iron Coffins? Great book...

Excellent book I really enjoyed it. Its been years though.

**Donger** · 12-13-2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Have you read Iron Coffins? Great book...

No.

Amnorix · 12-13-2010, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

No.

One of the best, if not THE best, in-person, front-line military accounts I've ever read. It's about a captain of a U-Boat who actually survived the war (very rare indeed).

**Donger** · 12-13-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

One of the best, if not THE best, in-person, front-line military accounts I've ever read. It's about a captain of a U-Boat who actually survived the war (very rare indeed).

Jezebel.

Amnorix · 12-14-2010, 07:42 AM

December 14

1287. The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands gives way in the "St. Lucia's Flood" (it was the day after the holiday), killing 50-80 thousand people.

1903. The Wright Brothers made their first attempt at heavier-than-air machine powered flight with the Wright Flyer. They flip a coin to see who will get the first crack at it. Wilbur wins. They successfully launch the plane, but Wilbur pulls too sharply on the stick, the plane stalls, and lands (semi-crashes) after only three seconds of flight. Repairs will take three days...

1947. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is founded.

1958. A Soviet team reaches the Southern Pole of Relative Inaccessability -- or the spot in Antarctica furthest from the ocean surrounding the continent. It is a location far more difficult to reach than the true South Pole.

1972. Trivia moment -- the immortal Eugene Cernan becomes the last man to walk on the Moon, after he and his fellow astronaut complete their last extra-vehicular activity (EVA) during Apollo 17. This one's for you, Mr. Last-Man-To-Walk-On-The-Moon-But-Nobody-Has-Ever-Heard-of-You man....

2008. During a press conference in Baghdad, a moronic Iraqi broadcast journalist shouts "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog" and throws two shoes at President Bush. Despite calls by some ot place the shoes in a museum, American and Iraqi security forces destroy the shoes. He will later be tried for assaulting a foreign head of state, and serve nine months in prison.

patteeu · 12-14-2010, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

December 14

1972. Trivia moment -- the immortal Eugene Cernan becomes the last man to walk on the Moon, after he and his fellow astronaut complete their last extra-vehicular activity (EVA) during Apollo 17. This one's for you, Mr. Last-Man-To-Walk-On-The-Moon-But-Nobody-Has-Ever-Heard-of-You man....

Amnorix · 12-14-2010, 09:22 AM

I'd like to publicly applaud the work of our official thread photographer, Patteeu. Rep.

Hydrae · 12-14-2010, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

I'd like to publicly applaud the work of our official thread photographer, Patteeu. Rep.

Yes, it is very nice to have pictures to look at for those of us who have trouble with the larger words.

patteeu · 12-14-2010, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

I'd like to publicly applaud the work of our official thread photographer, Patteeu. Rep.

Ha. I just figured it was a way to let you know that people are reading without overloading your rep box.

**2112** · 12-14-2010, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

December 14

1972. Trivia moment -- the immortal Eugene Cernan becomes the last man to walk on the Moon, after he and his fellow astronaut complete their last extra-vehicular activity (EVA) during Apollo 17. This one's for you, Mr. Last-Man-To-Walk-On-The-Moon-But-Nobody-Has-Ever-Heard-of-You man....

That was also a spectacular night launch of the gigantic Saturn 5 rocket.

**2112** · 12-14-2010, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D2112

That was also a spectacular night launch of the gigantic Saturn 5 rocket.

01-01-2009, 10:36 PM
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	This Day in History Today...
Posts: 43,125

12-13-2010, 02:44 PM	#948
CoMoChief Mahomes Dynasty Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $7672254	Today marks the day that Saddam Hussein was captured in Operation Red Dawn (2003).
Posts: 39,245

12-14-2010, 07:42 AM	#954
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	December 14 1287. The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands gives way in the "St. Lucia's Flood" (it was the day after the holiday), killing 50-80 thousand people. 1903. The Wright Brothers made their first attempt at heavier-than-air machine powered flight with the Wright Flyer. They flip a coin to see who will get the first crack at it. Wilbur wins. They successfully launch the plane, but Wilbur pulls too sharply on the stick, the plane stalls, and lands (semi-crashes) after only three seconds of flight. Repairs will take three days... 1947. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is founded. 1958. A Soviet team reaches the Southern Pole of Relative Inaccessability -- or the spot in Antarctica furthest from the ocean surrounding the continent. It is a location far more difficult to reach than the true South Pole. 1972. Trivia moment -- the immortal Eugene Cernan becomes the last man to walk on the Moon, after he and his fellow astronaut complete their last extra-vehicular activity (EVA) during Apollo 17. This one's for you, Mr. Last-Man-To-Walk-On-The-Moon-But-Nobody-Has-Ever-Heard-of-You man.... 2008. During a press conference in Baghdad, a moronic Iraqi broadcast journalist shouts "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog" and throws two shoes at President Bush. Despite calls by some ot place the shoes in a museum, American and Iraqi security forces destroy the shoes. He will later be tried for assaulting a foreign head of state, and serve nine months in prison. __________________ "I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington
Posts: 43,125

12-14-2010, 09:22 AM	#956
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	I'd like to publicly applaud the work of our official thread photographer, Patteeu. Rep. __________________ "I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington
Posts: 43,125