April 22, 1944: Night of the Intruders: The Slaughter of Homeward Bound USAAF Mission 311

This is the full account of USAAF Mission 311 on 22 April 1944, when B-17 Liberator and B-47 Flying Fortress bombers suffered their highest ever loss to German intruders. The German fighters followed the air armada home after the raid, picking individual bombers off on their return over Europe and then over England as the American force struggled to land.

https://www.storiesofthe448th.com/repulser/

B-24 and B-17, but yes. Pretty sad.

ABATTBQ87 said:

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April 22, 1944: Night of the Intruders: The Slaughter of Homeward Bound USAAF Mission 311

This is the full account of USAAF Mission 311 on 22 April 1944, when B-17 and B-24 bombers suffered their highest ever loss to German intruders. The German fighters followed the air armada home after the raid, picking individual bombers off on their return over Europe and then over England as the American force struggled to land.

https://www.storiesofthe448th.com/repulser/

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That's what happens when you copy and paste and don't proof read

https://www.amazon.com/Night-Intruders-Slaughter-Homeward-Mission/dp/1848842945

Yeah, I doubt any German fighter save the Me262 could have kept up with a B-47.

Today in 1948 Larry Groce was born. Why is that worth mentioning? He has had a successful but not amazing career in the music industry. What stands out is that graduating from the same HS as him within a 4 year period was Michael Martin Murphy, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and B.W. Stevenson. This made me wonder, is there another school out there who within a 4 year stretch, could claim a better musical group? Not counting bands, only solo acts or at least separate acts.


Larry Groce

This HS also produced Samuel Dealey of WW2 fame and some guy named E King Gill as well.

YouTube’s oldest video, “Me at the zoo”, was uploaded 20 years ago today. The video, filmed at the San Diego Zoo, features YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of the elephant exhibit. pic.twitter.com/WGSSQWfkv4

— History Calendar (@historycalendar) April 23, 2025

Tongues? So youtube has always been wrong.

Apr 25, 1846

The Thornton Affair or Rancho Carricitos. A battle near Brownsville where a force of 1600 Mexicans defeated 80 U.S. dragoons near Brownsville. The incident was the justification for President Polk/Congress to declare war on Mexico on May 13th.

Named after Capt. Seth Thornton, the commander of the 80-man force.

It was during this time in 1940 that the Katyn massacres were taking place. It's a challenge to kill that many people in one day so it took some time. Overall around 22K Poles were executed. Not only was it members of the Polish military, but also clergy, academics, lawyers, doctors, etc. Russia of course denied this took place until the 1990's, and even recently have downgraded the memorial.

April 29th, 1990, cranes tear down the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate. pic.twitter.com/mRCqoZGwQ3

— Gusano (@mistergusano) April 29, 2025

1st May, 1945
World War II: A German newsreader officially announces that Adolf Hitler has "fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancellery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany". The Soviet flag is raised over the Reich Chancellery

World War II: Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda Goebbels commit suicide in the Reich Garden outside the Fhrerbunker.

Today 163 years ago, Robert E Lee scores what is probably his most brilliant victory at Chancellorsville and members of the 18th North Carolina fire what's arguably the most effective volley of the war for the Union and severely wound Stonewall Jackson.

A day late on this:
1915 The poem In Flanders Fields is written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

Quote:

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In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

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May 4 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings play their first official baseball game, defeating the Great Western Base Ball Club 45-9

May 3 and 4 1999 tornado outbreak

https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19990503

May 10th:

• 1773 The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation leads to the Boston Tea Party.
• 1801 First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America. This will end well. "To the shores of Tripoli…"
• 1869 The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah) with the golden spike.
• 1924 J. Edgar Hoover is appointed the Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, and remains so until his death in 1972. This is called "seniority". Via cointelpro he would illegally spy on all sorts of domestic enemies including presidents from FDR to Nixon.
• 1933 Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings.
• 1940 A busy day in World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland.
  
  

161 years ago today, J.E.B. Stuart died in Richmond, Va after being wounded the previous day during the battle of Yellow Tavern.

1865 - May 12-13, Battle of Palmito Ranch. Considered the last land battle of the War Between The States. Occurred east of Brownsville, Tx. Resulted in a Confederate victory.

1607 Jamestown, Virginia is settled as an English colony.
1787 In Philadelphia, delegates convene a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States; George Washington presides.
1796 Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox inoculation.
1897 The Stars and Stripes Forever is first performed in public near Willow Grove Park, Philadelphia.
1948 Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 ArabIsraeli War. Israel won. 1956 Israel won. 1967 Israel won. 1973 Israel won.

May 15, 1940: The First Corporate McDonalds

Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first Corporate McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, CA. Speedee, a hamburger chef poised upon the McDonald's sign, was the mascot back then. The "Golden Arches" adorned the sides of the restaurant.

16 May 1940

• German 6th Army broke through the Dyle Line; British troops withdrew west of Brussels, and the Belgian government evacuated to Ostend. From its Meuse River bridgeheads, German Army Group A tanks broke through the French lines, capturing thousands of surrendering French troops. Guderian's units reached Montcornet, while Rommel's units reached Avesnes-sur-Helpe. Fearful that this advance into France would expose the invasion's flanks, the German High Command ordered Army Group A to halt its spearheads so that the infantry could catch up.
  
• US President Roosevelt requested the US Congress to appropriate US$546,000,000 for the US Army, US$250,000,000 for the US Navy and US Marine Corps, and US$100,000,000 for his own office for national defense purposes. He also requested authorization for the military and his own office to issue contracts in the amounts of US$186,000,000 and US$100,000,000, respectively.
  
• US President Roosevelt responded to British Prime Minister Churchill's telegram from the previous day, noting that any military aid to Britain must have the authorization from the US Congress, and that the US fleet would remain concentrated at Hawaii in the Central Pacific for the time being.

France

• British Prime Minister Winston Churchill flew to Paris, France, to meet with his French counterpart, Paul Reynaud. Witnessing the burning of government archives, he inquired about the strategic reserve and received the answer "Aucune" ("There is none"). On the same day, Churchill also sent his Italian counterpart Benito Mussolini a message urging him to keep Italy out of the European War.

Happy World Turtle Day! In 2017, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Thetis rescued a sea turtle in the Eastern Pacific that had become entangled in 26 bales of cocaine worth $53 million. The cocaine had been jettisoned by smugglers. #WorldTurtleDay pic.twitter.com/0lmtCzeVfW

— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) May 23, 2025

Happy Turtle Day.

HMS Hood is destroyed by the German Battleship Bismarck. Out of 1428 sailors only 3 survive the explosion. HMS Prince of Wales is also damaged but escspes, while the Bismarck is also damaged in the exchange of gunfire.

JABQ04 said:

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HMS Hood is destroyed by the German Battleship Bismarck. Out of 1428 sailors only 3 survive the explosion. HMS Prince of Whales is also damaged but escspes, while the Bismarck is also damaged in the exchange of gunfire.

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His equivalent in Saudi is the Sultan of Swordfish

Can't say typo since it technically was correct, but fixed.

USA*** said:

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JABQ04 said:

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HMS Hood is destroyed by the German Battleship Bismarck. Out of 1428 sailors only 3 survive the explosion. HMS Prince of Whales is also damaged but escspes, while the Bismarck is also damaged in the exchange of gunfire.

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His equivalent in Saudi is the Sultan of Swordfish

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Bismarck's damage to her rudder led to being unable to maneuver to evade torpedoes from RAF Swordfish aircraft. Bismarck sank as a result. Although there have been some who said Bismarck was scuttled so she would not be captured.