John J. Pershing Memorial, North Omaha

 On John J. Pershing Drive in north Omaha is the John J. Pershing Memorial, who was the general of the Allied forces in WWI.  It is on the river side just north of Craig.

John J. Pershing
General of the Aries of the United States
This marker commemorates dedication of Pershing Drive
November 11, 1941

Documentary Review: WWI: They Shall Not Grow Old (2019)

****^ They Shall Not Grow Old  This is a Peter Jackson work.  He was asked by British Film Archives to take their collection of movies and make a documentary.  He did this by doing two things.  He colorized much of the film and he also added sound.  Peter Jackson, who has ancestors who served in the war, is a collector of things WWI.  He used actual uniforms to make sure the colors were accurate.  Lip readers were brought in to catch the talk.  In one case he actually found through research the script that an officer was giving before his men went over the wall to attack the Germans.  What this film does very well is show conditions in the tranches.  The filth is incredible, and it really comes to life.  It also is very good at showing the daily life of the soldiers.  What it lacks, and this is a lack of filming sophistication during the time of the war, is footage of actual battle.  Jackson had a collection of WWI magazines, and these magazines were used to show battle scenes.  This movie does not have actors reenacting, and this makes the film much more effective.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  And the Peter Jackson talk of the making the movie were also fantastic.  A last limitation of this film is it shows the life of only a small group of soldiers, focusing on the British.  The experience of the Americans, who joined the war late, was not included.

Veterans Day History

Veterans Day was originally Armistice Day.  It is the day the peace treaty ending WWI went into effect, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1918.  It was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.  It is a day set aside to remember all veterans.  Memorial Day, in May remembers all those service men who passed away in war.  National Armed Services Day, also in May, honors those currently serving. 
November 10, 1775 is the birthday of the Marines.  When Mark was in the Marines they had a yearly  party, which included a formal dance.  (Gleaned from Wikepedia)

Article Review: Exotic WWI Spy Mata Hari

Utah State Magazine Spring 2017, article by Janelle Hyatt.
This article is based on an interview with Tammy Proctor, who was recently interviewed as an expert for a featured BBC documentary about Mata Hari, the spy that was executed by the French during WWI.  The French government said her actions lead to the deaths of thousands of men, as many as 750,000 by some acounts.  Mata Hari was a woman who had survived childhood abuse, and then spousal abuse.  She was left on her own with no means of support, and she needed money to get her who she had been forced to leave when she left her husband.   She was of Dutch descent living in France.  She finally found she could make a living as an exotic dancer.  However when the WWI all her assets were frozen, because she was Dutch.  Then she became a spy.  Mata Hari was a double agent, a spy for the French who was also spying for the Germans.  The legend has her as a seductress, who was able to get information from men when they were the most vulnerable, in bed.  However Proctor contends she wasn't even a very good spy.  She was not responsible for so much destruction. The myth around her actual does a disservice to those women who were actual spies during the time.   MI-5 actually employed 800 female spies during the war.  I may well have been the Mata Hari was set up with fabricated evidence.  She was shot on October 15, 1917.  She refused a blindfold.

Documentary Review: World War I in Color: Victory and Despair

With Russia rescinding in the east, Germany was able to move troops to the west, and with the beginning of 1918 they were able to unleash an offensive that threw the Allies back 30 miles.  This is more territory than had been changed in the past three years.  This was known as the Ludendorff Offensive and brought the Germans to within miles of Paris.  However an allied, tank-lead counterattack put the germans on their heals and pushed them back to the original lines.  At that time the United States now entered the war.  The Allies, following the example of the Australians began to use coordinated air and ground attacks, with troops following tanks.  This allowed the allies a new strategy which was effective.
However they still face the Hindenburg Line, a strong German defensive position with barbed wire and concrete defensive works.  However they were able to make a create a break in the line, and the next day followed up this break.  German morale was greatly influenced, but while they still had some morale, they proposed peace.  However the Germans were able to regain some momentum and talks of peace faded for a time.  It was the blockade that lead to peace.  The Germans were starving.  At this time, the war seemed a wasted effort to the Allies, as the outcome seemed certain.  Casualties remained high.  But everybody knew the end must be close.
The Kaiser sacked his general who did not want to surrender, and himself abdicated, and went into hiding.  An armistice was finally signed 11 November 1918, and the guns went silent.

Armistice of Compiegne

Documentary Review: World War I in Color: Mayhem on the Eastern Front

This episode talks a bout the war on the Russian front.  It includes mention of the Armenian holocaust in which the Turkish government killed 1.5 million Armenians.  Turkey was affiliate with Germany and Austria.  Italy entered the war on the Allied side.  In an effort to alleviate some of this suffering, Russia appealed to the other allies.  Germany attempted a Naval campaign in the Gallipoli Peninsula of Turkey.j  This was under the command of Winston Churchill.  At first the Naval vessels set to open with a bombardment hit enemy mines.  When the British forces landed (New Zealand, English and Australian) the became bogged down in a stalemate.  They were removed some months later with the loss of 250,000 casualties.  Churchill was sacked.
The Russians continued to fight, and defended Warsaw from German invasion.  However eventually their forces wore down, and Warsaw fell.  At the same time Czar Nicholas lost control of his country, and the Communist rose to power.  The Russians then left the war.  Russia suffered about 2 million military deaths during the war and another million civilian deaths.  With them leaving the war, the germans could now focus on their western front, France and England.  The effect of the reinforcement from the east was first felt in Italy, as the Germans brought more divisions into the area.  The war would have gone the way except the entry of the United States into the war at about the same time.

Documentary Review: World War I in Color: Killers of the Sea

Killers of the sea of course refers the the German U-Boats.  The struck with deadly effect, however they went too far.  The sunk the cruise ship Lusitania, which was a propaganda victory for the British and eventually lead to the entry of the United States into the war.  For a time Germany agreed to not attack merchant vessels indiscriminately, but when they returned to this policy, the United States entered the war.  However the U-Boats continued to be a problem.  Britain maintained a blockade of Germany, and Germany used the U-boats to destroy supplies headed to England.  Both these strategies proved effective.  In Germany, a population use to eating meat, they many were subsisting on turnips by the end of the war.  Rationing also went into effect in England.
This war produced ever larger naval vessels, dreadnought battleships if you will.  There was only one major naval battle, the Battle of Jutland.  In this battle the the British Grand Fleet faced the German High Seas Fleet.  The first day was a German victory, as two of the British cruisers exploded after their powder kegs were ignited.  However the British retreated to where their larger vessels were waiting, and the second day proved otherwise.  During the two days of fighting fourteen British vessels were sunk, and eleven German.  The battle continued into the night, with the British trying to cut the Germans off from their home base.  However the next morning they had escaped.  Both sides claimed victory, but the Germans new better than to try to engage the British again.  This became the last major naval battle in history involving battleships agains battleships.
The War at sea remained a desperate affair until the British gained ways to slow down the U-boats.  This took place with large air ships-balloon based which could cruise the seas for long periods of time, and then also closing in on the U-boat bases and trying to eliminate their access.  This was done partially by sinking old ships in the mouth of the bay.  Only after the U-boats were somewhat controlled could the U.S. forces travel by sea to join the fighting.

Documentary Review: World War I in Color: Blood in the Air

The use of aircraft in WWI first revolved around reconnaissance.  Balloons were first used, but they were too vulnerable to attack.  Faster aircraft were needed.  However here again, aircraft were not very well armed.  The problem was shooting through the propeller.  A British pilot reinforced his propellers with steal, and thus every tenth bullet would ricochet but not bring the aircraft down.  It was a Danish scientist working for the Germans who discovered a way to synchronize the machine gun and the airplane propeller.  This technological advance gave the Germans a superiority in the air.  However the intelligence was needed, so still the pilots flew, and many were shot down.  The British planes and later American planes, would have a second man with a machine gun shooting behind, but this was not as effective as being able to fire ahead of you.  The Fokker Scourge as this advantage was called resulted in many being shot out of the sky.  One of those who benefitted was the Red Baron, Manfred Von Richthofen, who was credited with downing 80 planes.  He would eventually be shot down by a machine gun on the ground.
there was a year for the technology of the allies to catch up.
WWI also introduced the idea of launching planes from naval vessels.  This was developed by the British as a way to combat the German U-Boats.  Also bombing was introduced during this time.  Germany introduced bombing of civilian areas, as they bombed London, first from zeppelins and then from bombers called Gotha bombers.  In the end, the air war in WWI was mostly air combats, with one pilot going against another.

Documentary Review: World War I in Color: Slaughter in the Trenches

For two years the two armies faced each other across the trenches, and although both sides would try, both sides would be fought back.  The machine gun and artillery fire would turn back every attack.  The Allies would advance only 6 miles in this time, and loss 600,000 men.  The winter of 1916 was especially cold; but the cold did not stop the killing.
The mail from home was a joy to the British soldiers.  The mail was able to arrive in just two days, both ways.  Cakes and other goodies would often cheer up the men.  The statement "We go over the top" was dreaded, and filled all the soldiers with fear.  Who knew how many would come back.
Towards the end of 2918, after two years of this trench warfare struggle, both French and British troops had a lack of morale.  At one point, the French soldiers held a sort of mutiny, where they would not go on.  British morale was also low.  However two new introductions started to make a change.  The British introduced un-targeted artillery barrages.  Usually a few shells were fired to home into the target.  Stopped this practice allowed for more surprise in attack.  The second advance was the introduction of the tank.  

Documentary Review: World War I in Colour: Catastrophe

The 28 of June 1914 in Sarajevo a bomb had been thrown at a car, the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the thrown, and his wife escaped harm.  However a few hours later, the car is stopped again, and this time an assassin kills the duke and his wife, Sophie with a pistol.  A terrorist organization back by Serbia is blamed.  Austria decides to punish the Serbs, and the countdown to war has begun.
On July 28 Austria declared war on Serbia.  The alignments of nations then came into play.  This included Great Britain, France and Russia having an alignment, and Russia being the protectorate of Serbia.  On the other side, Hungary Austria had an alignment with Germany.  Russia defending Serbia lead to Germany declaring war on Russia.  Britain followed declaring war on Germany on August 4.  The whole continent was falling into war.
At first  everyone declared that the war would be over by Christmas.  Had it been, it would have meant a German victory.  Germany attacked France through Belgium, and go to within 30 miles of Paris.  However a counterattack by the French forces, and the British Expeditionary Force was able to force the Germans to retreat.  This counterattack was helped by the Paris taxi cabs which transported many French forces to the battle.
On the other side of the war, Russia had successfully invaded Germany, only to see this offensive halted by counterattack with many Russians taken prisoner.
At the end of the first year are the scenes of the temporary Christmas truce between British, French and German forces.  However the war was not over by Christmas.

Book Review: Main Battle Tanks

Main Battle tanks, Melissa Abramovitz, Capstone High-Interest Books, Mankato, MN, 2001.
I learned a couple new things about tanks.  The first is that tanks no longer have rifled shells.  For a time all tanks had rifled barrels because the spin on the shell lead to more accurate shooting.  However now accuracy is developed by having finned shells.  The are shot from smooth bored barrels which shoot the ammunition at a higher speed.
I also learned why tanks are called tanks.  During WWI tanks were developed as a way to defeat trench warfare.  When they were first built, the tank was a secret.  Those building them were told they were building water storage devices, and thus the were given the name tank.
I knew tanks had night vision.  However in the Gulf War night vision was used during the day because visibility was low due to oil well fires.
Tanks today are built so they can stay on target even when the tank is moving.
This book is lacking in describing advances in tanks outside of the United States.  It would have been fun to hear about nazi tanks during WWII because they were larger than American tanks.  That said the M1 Abrams model tank is a mean tank, and proved the superior weapon in the Gulf War.

Book Review: Stubby the War Dog

Stubby the War Dog: the True Story of World War I’s Bravest Dog, by: Ann Bausum, National Geographic Kids, Washington, D.C., 2014.

 

This is a very interesting story of a man and his canine friend.  Stubby adopted R. Robert Conroy while he was dong basic training as a volunteer for the Army in WWI.  They were training at the athletic grounds at Yale University.  Stubby began to hand around the army trainees, particularly the kitchen staff, hoping for a bone or something to eat.  He was a mutt, but mostly of Boston Terrier extraction.  He befriended Conroy and they became best friends.  The dog trained along with the men.  He actually could sit on his haunches and salute, and he march and present right or left with the men.

However eventually, the army moved out headed to the war.  The left Stubby behind, but Stubby would have none of it and followed the men.  He hopped aboard the rail car on his own, and no one stopped him.  However to take him aboard the ship headed to Europe would be breaking rules.  Conroy hatched a plan to have a sympathetic crew member sneak him aboard.  The plan was successful, and after they were well on their way the brought him out of hiding and no one seem to mind.  The commanding officer spotted the animal, but Stubby won him over with a salute.

Thus Stubby became a war dog.  War is not safe.  Conroy had to fit an air mask for him.  On one occasion Stubby was wounded by shrapnel, and was evacuated as the wounded men.  Stubby of course healed form his wound.

Stubby performed many jobs, including being the mascot for his unit.  He would lie by the men as the slept, he helped the medics locate wounded, and at times would stay by a wounded man until the medics arrived, or until the man passed away, giving them some comfort in their final moments.  At times he and Conroy would help with delivering messages. 

Stubby had a knack for being able to distinguish Germans from Americans.  He is credited with capturing a German officer, who was perhaps a spy.  He took an Iron Cross from this officer which Conroy placed on his jacket over his rear end.  Stubby had a special jacket, which eventually included many medals and honors.  I don’t think any dog from the war was as decorated. 

Book Review: *****Silent Night:

A couple years ago, Charity and I did a Christmas presentation.  We told the story of the 1914 truce.  In 1914 the troops spontaneously ceased hostility and a truce ensued, which lasted more than a week in some places along the front line. This book tells the story of this Christmas season along the front in France.

It seams many people called for a truce this Christmas time.  The bloodshed along the front had been horrendous.  Pope Benedict XV, who had just been nominated as Pope, called for a truce.  However the governments involved in the fighting did not think a truce was a good idea.  And so the ment took matters into their own hands.

Along the front on Christmas Eve, the truce was gained in a precarious manner.  It started for the most part with the German troops  share their Tennebaum, putting their Christmas trees on the parapets, and shining flash lights on them.  The strange lights were seen by the soldiers on the line opposite them.  The truce continued as with men along the front saying, "Come over here" and the reply "no you come over here."  "Don't shoot" and finally, small groups ventured out.

Songs were heard along the lines.  In one place a German baritone mounted the parapets and sang, "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht."  The book talks of this night in this manner.  "Voices reached them across the dark void of No Mans Land.  The the Scots saw dim figures silhouetted on the German parapet, and about them more lights.  With amazement Maddison realized that a Christmas tree was being set there, and around it Germans talking and laughing together.  "Hoch!  Hoch!  Hoch!" they shouted happily."

Another story of this day involves a German Baker who was making  marzipan balls for the holidays.  Opposite this part of the German front was a group of Algerians fighting with the French.  The Christmas holiday meant nothing to them and the kept up a steady fire upon the Germans.  A shot got too close to he baker, and he had finally had enough.  He grabbed a Christmas tree and headed into No Mans Land with it.  He struggled over the hills ca, now you rrying the tree.  The Algerians held their fire, thinking the baker was too comical or just crazy in his baker's hat.  The units next to the Algerians also informed them what was taking place.  The baker got to the middle of the field, and their he set the tree.  He calmly took some matches and lit the candes and said, "There you blockheads, now you know what's going on.  Merry Christmas!"

along the lines troops from opposing sides came together and shared their provisions.  This included special rations and packages for the holidays.  In some areas the truce lingered.  During the following days, spontaneous soccer games broke out.  The men played in their bulky boots.  Most often score wasn't kept and the men just played.  A more formal game was played in one location.  The German's won 3-2, but one solider commented in may have been because the British official had too much Christmas Spirit towards the Germans and missed an off sides call.

The Christmas of 1914 was remembered fondly by the survivors of the war.  It was brought to our memory a few years ago by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Walter Cronkite providing the narration and telling this story.