Author Archives: secondbysecond

This week in the War, 19–25 June 1944: The Battle of the Philippine Sea

Posted on June 22, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, the last of the great carrier-versus-carrier battle took place near the Mariana Islands, on 19 and 20 June 1944: The Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Japanese force under Vice-Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa included 5 fleet … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 12–18 June 1944: V-1 flying bombs launched against London

Posted on June 15, 2016 by secondbysecond

One of Hitler’s secret weapons, the jet-propelled V-1 ‘flying bomb,’ which also went by the name of doodlebug or buzz-bomb (because of the sound it made), had been developed in the Germany Army Research Centre at Peenemünde on Germany’s Baltic coast. … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 5–11 June 1944: D-Day—Allied invasion force lands in Normandy

Posted on June 6, 2016 by secondbysecond

On 6 June 1944, Field Marshal Rommel, the commander of the German forces on the Channel Coast (Army Group B), was at his home in southern Germany. It was his wife’s birthday. He had planned to travel on to Berchtesgaden to … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 29 May–4 June 1944: Liberation of Rome

Posted on June 2, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 4 June 1944, as the German rearguard retreated northwards out of Rome, the first few units General Mark Clark’s US 5th Army entered the southern part of the city. By mid-evening, the US 88th Division … Continue reading →

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In the news: Memorial Day 2016

Posted on May 30, 2016 by secondbysecond

We honour our troops and veterans on Memorial Day, Monday 30 May 2016. The above photograph shows Christopher Jarrell grooming his military working dog companion, Uran, at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. The use of dogs in warfare goes back to … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 22–28 May 1944: Breakout at Anzio

Posted on May 26, 2016 by secondbysecond

The British and Americans had landed at Anzio on 22 January 1944, but strong German pressure had kept the Allied invasion force confined to the beachhead. This week in the war, on 23 May 1944, the Allies mounted a general … Continue reading →

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Book review: Hotel Boy

Posted on May 18, 2016 by secondbysecond

The novel Hotel Boy by John Trythall (Austin Macauley Publishers, 2013) takes the reader through the early years of the Second World War from the viewpoint of ten-or-so-year-old Michael Treloar. In that sense, Hotel Boy can be compared to John … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 15–21 May 1944: Poles capture ruins of Monte Cassino abbey

Posted on May 15, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 18 May 1944, the Polish 12th Podolski Regiment assaulted and captured the ruins of the Benedictine abbey at Monte Cassino. The Gustav line, which had held up the Allies for months, had already been breached … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 8–14 May 1944: Rabaul

Posted on May 10, 2016 by secondbysecond

New Britain, Territory of New Guinea, South Pacific: After much heavy fighting, aimed at preventing the Americans from expanding their beachheads, the Japanese retreated to their fortifications around Rabaul. Well over 5,000 Japanese had been killed in the fighting. Over … Continue reading →

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In the news: Transit of Mercury, 9 May 2016

Posted on May 6, 2016 by secondbysecond

On Monday 9 May 2016, people across the world, including Europe and North America, will be able to witness the transit of Mercury. The planet Mercury will be visible as a tiny black dot as Mercury passes between Earth and the … Continue reading →

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