10-16th January 1945 – Navy
Except for submarines, Task Force-38 was the first appreciable presence of U.S. forces in the South China Sea. The ‘Great Fleet’ under VAdm. John McCain consisted of 8 carriers, 4 light-carriers, 19 other capital (war) ships, 56 screening vessels and various logical support ships. Their mission, Operation Gratitude, was to disrupt the Japanese Navy and interrupt the vital support lanes from Singapore and Indochina.
TF-38 spent 2 days avoiding detection from the enemy and staying clear of the typhoon brewing over the island of Mindanao. On the 12th, they arrived 65 miles off Can Ranh Bay in French Indochina (Vietnam). Halsey’s intelligence proved false as to the activity in the area, so alternative plans were put into action.
Waves of US aircraft scoured the Indochinese coast from Qui Nhon to Saigon. Clusters of merchant ship and escort vessels were attacked, as were concentrations found in Saigon Harbor on the Mekong River. Convoy HI-86, north of Qui Nhon, consisted of 10 merchant ships and 6 escorts and drew attention that was an average for the day.
The full strikes of 30-40 planes each from the carriers Hancock, Hornet (Essex-class), Ticonderoga, Essex, Langley, Lexington (Essex-class), and Independence. The result was that only 3 smaller enemy escorts remained afloat, the rest were either sunk, left beached or burning.
The absence of air opposition allowed all this damage to be accomplished. At the end of that single day, a total of 41 ships throughout the region were sunk, 31 damaged and 112 aircraft were destroyed on the ground. In addition to all this, docks, oil storage tanks, and airfields were heavily damaged.
The results of this day drastically reduced the Japanese ability to ship goods along this route and Japan would feel the effects for a long time to come. Robert Sherrod, a Time Magazine correspondent, flew as an observer in one of the Essex aircraft, summed up the day by saying, “By any accounting, 12 January 1945 must be regarded as one of the greatest days of the U.S. Navy.”
With the typhoon now moving westward, TF-38 moved across the South China Sea and northward. After they refueled, they were in position to strike Formosa again on the 15th. These strikes were successful, but not as dramatic as the previous ones and they proceeded to backtrack westward again.
On the 16th, they launched strikes against Hong Kong and the island of Hainan. The Formosa, Hong Kong and Hainan missions encountered a better organized anti-aircraft fire than Indochina, but it did not hold back the attack. During these 2 days, another 14 Japanese ships (mostly warships) were sunk and 10 more were damaged.
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Navy Humor
TF-38 avoided the typhoon, but still experienced very rough seas. On 13 January 1945, they created their own humor!!
USMC Captain Gerard Armitage was washed overboard from the USS Astoria‘s port beam; Herman Schnipper took the photograph. Joe Aman drew the cartoons for the USS Astoria ‘Morning Press News’.
As you can see below – Capt. Armitage was rescued from the sea, but the seamen on board were not satisfied to simply do that for the Marine. When he got back on board ship the men serenaded him with their own version of a popular song….
The Captain of the Marines went over the rail, parlez vous
It happened in a terrific gale, parlez vous
He slipped on the deck and slid on his tail
You’ll never teach a Marine to sail
Inky-dinky parlez vous.
_____ J.Fred Lind
Once dry and having a meal in the mess, Capt. Armitage was awarded the “Extinguished Service Cross” – It just happened to be his 24th Birthday!!
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Farewell Salutes –
Gary Asles – Long Beach, CA; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
John Balog – Wichita, KS; US navy, WWII, PTO, Yeoman, USS Anthony, gunner

111024-N-WD757-029
SAN DIEGO (Oct. 24, 2011) Ceremonial honor guard during the funeral for retired Vice Adm. Paul F. McCarthy. McCarthy passed away on October 5, 2011. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Carlos M. Vazquez II/Released)
Charles Cooper – Dover, DE; US Navy, WWII, Captain, USS Hornet, Washington & San Diego
Harry Doerfler – Amarillo, TX; US Army, WWII, ETO, 424/106th Infantry Division
Jay Ewing – AR; US Army, WWII, PTO, ambulance driver
Joseph Hanoon – Philadelphia, PA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Enterprise
Merv Martin – Paeroa, NZ; RNZ Navy # 13636, Korea
Frank Nolte – Albuquerque, NM; US Army, Korea, Co.K/187th RCT
Marvin Peters – Longmont, CO; US Army Air Corps, WWII, B-17 gunner
John Turek Sr. – brn. POL/Newington, CT; US Army, WWII, Cpl., mechanic
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Posted on December 14, 2017, in WWII and tagged Airborne, CBI, History, Military, Military History, Navy, Robert Sherrod, veterans, war, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 99 Comments.
What a fascinating account. I have never known anything about this before.Well done indeed!
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Thank you very much. It’s always good to hear that I’ve hit on something new.
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What a 24th birthday party for Captain Armitage! 🙂
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Yes, coincidences DO really happen!
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Reblogged this on KCJones and commented:
Great that they had a sense of humor: “The Captain of the Marines”
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Without a sense of humor out there, those men would have cracked! IMO
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A great achievement. Loved the photos. Loved the song. :)))
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I really liked this post myself, Anna. Thanks.
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Hey who doesn’t want to go for a dip during their birthday? 🙂
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Well, you’ve got me there, Lloyd. Great story, eh?!! Had to capture that one. 🙂
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What a grand sight the 87 ships of the TF 38 must have been. Adm McCain must have been bursting with pride as he surveyed all those ships under his command.
An Armada of that size and force must surely have deserved an Admiral of The Fleet in overall command,
Bull Halsey was I believe one of the USN few 5 Star Admirals equivalent to an Admiral of The Fleet.
Must admit to singing that little ditty aloud, love it:D
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You got it, Beari: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy and King were the 5-Star Admirals of WWII. Yes, he must have had quite a feeling of pride looking over that fleet! Thank you for visiting!
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Which was rougher? The seas or the humor?
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The needed humor through everything that was going on around them and to them. Sometimes I think that perhaps the old adage, “You’ve to laugh to keep from crying” came from the generation that went through the Great Depression slap into a world war!
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Reblogged this on Give Me Liberty.
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Their sacrifices, actions, lives and deaths all spelled our insured freedom – we have a duty to remember. Thank you.
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Thank-you for sharing these stories and help us understand what happened in the Pacific during the war.
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It has always bothered me seeing how little our school systems teach about it.
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Spannend verhaal en de humor er in bracht me aan het lachen.
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Thank you, I am very glad I made you smile!
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Dear GP Cox
the commentary of Nasuko made me think of how can we write about war without idealising it. As you know I am German. Actually the German student revolution started with the critique of our parents fighting in the war and speaking about heroes. Well, a poor country that needs heroes. Fortunately I never experienced a war but I talked to the old boys in English pubs who had to fight. From my accent they immediately noticed me being German and after few pints I quite often I heard “we didn’t want to go to war and we know your people didn’t want it neither.”
On the other hand I agree we have to know the history of wars to learn. But how to present it?
There has been quite a discussion about Ernst Jüngers bestseller “Storm of Steel” that raised this question about how to present war without falling into the trap of presenting heroes or heroic deeds. I like that you don’t present ‘heroic’ action or heroes on your blog. It’s not that easy writing about the horrors of wars …
Thank you very much, dear GP Cox, for your detailed history lessons and all this rechearching.
We wish you a cosy and wonderful pre-Christmas time
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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I thank you very much, Klausbernd. This critique of my presentation means a lot to me. I dislike the way Hollywood presents the stories, all glorified and romantic, when we all are aware that no one wins in a war. It was my father who first told me after I found his scrapbook that it wasn’t difficult to get along with the Japanese people, even being one of the first to step foot on that nation as a “conqueror” because the civilians were happy that it was finally over! He never had a complaint about how he was treated in Japan.
All the very best wishes for my Fab Four of Cley for the weekend and throughout the holiday season!!
GP Cox
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Dear GP Cox
thank you so much for your kind reply!
We agree in quite a lot and I really like your attitude that no one wins in a war.
Today we start baking our Christmas cookies. We love it when the whole house smells of cinnamon and all the other goodies.
With lots of love and finest fairy dust
The Fab Four of Cley
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Dear Klausbernd,
The mention of cinnamon brings back those days of watching mom bake (and don’t forget the nutmeg!) and the scents of pine from the tree all coming together to spell the magic that makes strangers smile and enmies shake hands.
All my very best hopes for an outstanding future…
GP Cox
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🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you very much for reminding us of the nutmeg!
Love from
Dina, Siri & Selma, Klausbernd
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The Japanese cannot have had any idea of the power of the United States when they initiated Pearl Harbor. Task Force 38 turning up like that must have seemed to them like July 8, 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry turned up with his warships in Edo Bay.
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We had to create that power since our military was downsized, as usual for ‘peacetime’. After the Battle for Leyte Gulf, this had to have IJN pulling their hair out for sure! Thanks for stopping in, John.
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Does write to rejoice that have defeated Japan in the war?
The winning war equal “justice”?or be said to be “All correct”?
It is “No”.
If All the countries do not realize what did wrong the “war”, the world repeat the same “failure” forever.
I can not find the meaning of recording past wars.
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I grew up with the US military, they had always “justice”.
A country losing the war can be bent the facts, the evidence is destroyed,
History be rewritten beneficial to Win country.
People all over the world know such a thing.
The American soldier I know had “justice”.
I am a bit disappointed.
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Thank you for commenting, Nasuko.
Can you possibly tell me how the serviceman who stopped to help a car crash victim and got hit himself is doing in the hospital? I can’t believe the only report I’ve seen so far on it here is from the Stars and Stripes magazine about 3 servicemen helping him.
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Dr.GP Cox,
Is it About the condition or Medical treatment of Master Sergeant Hector Trujillo?
He seems to be unconscious because brain’s damage.
“Gastrostomy” take nutrition, this will not be a problem ,because it can remove when he recuperate.
Other complications (Pneumonia etc) have caused , but it will be cured of antibiotics etc.
We just hope to recuperate from his cerebral function .
http://gofundahero.com/campaign/detail/4936#.WiSxPV-PwCI.facebook
[Updates]His wife write about him.↓
December 11, 2017
~ Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is an endoscopic medical procedure which a tube is going into Hector’s stomach through the abdominal wall so they can feed him. They are also conducting an electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that detects electrical activity in the brain. ~Early today they have been letting him breathe with out the machine but it does bring his blood pressure up so they are also trying to keep that blood pressure balanced~
December 12, 2017
~As far as his EEG test they don’t see any major changes with each test. So neurologist team will keep monitoring daily.So it’s not getting worse and to early to diagnose anything severe. He did run a fever last night and they think it might be an infection in the lungs so they did not go with the PEG procedure till a later date~
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Thank you so very much for keeping me updated on the Sgt’s condition. My prayers are with him.
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This is the latest I heard about the incident.
https://www.stripes.com/news/trio-saves-life-of-fellow-marine-injured-helping-okinawa-crash-victims-1.501987
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I will ask other ppl about this, thank you! 😀
This is a story afterTrujillo was struck by a car driven by a 28-year-old Marine staff sergeant,don’t you.
I heard about this accident and his name”Trujillo ” from Okinawa general ppl, because the article of Okinawa news is “Strange”.
Nobody touches “the rescue activities of three soldiers” after Trujillo accident in Japan.
Okinawa media never broadcast about Good news of USA Forces.
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That is sad. That means to me that they want China to take them over.
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Exactly!
China wants to make the US troops withdraw from Okinawa ,
“take back land Okinawa ” for the realization of “Great Han nationalism”.
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It looks like China and Okinawa just might get their way on this. Not good.
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We can always hope that by re-learning the past wars, we will NOT repeat the same mistakes. Of course the Allies rejoiced in defeating the enemy, just as the Axis powers rejoiced in their successes. Both sides always feel they are right in their beliefs, but in my opinion, it takes 2 to make an argument. I thank you for coming by. It is good that we can compare both sides now that our countries are friends.
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Dr.GP Cox,
I found you way more mature than my comment!
Great Thanks and Respect you! 😀
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Never feel I am talking bad about your nation, Nasuko. In relating the war’s events, we are retelling the facts, as best I am able. I appreciate talking to you and hearing Japan’s side.
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Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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Thank you, John. These men deserve the recognition.
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You are welcome, and I am glad to give them the recognition they deserve.
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GP – I enjoyed this post – especially the Navy humor about the overboard Marine!
🙂
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I had to laugh at that one!!
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It’s posts like this that keep me coming back for more. What an interesting history lesson. Thanks, GP, for sharing your research.
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This was a nice one to publish, I have to agree. 🙂 Thank you.
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Well Captain Armitage sure looks like a good sport – – the Pacific is a pretty big ocean to get washed into, I’m glad it had a happy ending, and he lived to laugh about it.
I was looking at the pictures of the airstrikes, and thinking there must have been oil, diesel, gasoline just everywhere on the coast of Vietnam etc. So the war was kind of an environmental disaster, too. But as far as the war effort, pretty good shootin’ that day, that’s quite a tally!
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Environmentally, I really would not want to even try to figure it out!! But we sure put a dent in what ships the enemy had left after Leyte Gulf! With his birthday and all, Capt. Armitage was a champ!!
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A very interesting story, GP. Thanks.
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Thank, John. I thought the humor story gave the post today a different twist for a change.
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That Marine must have blushed for a week.
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I’d give odds on it lasting longer than THAT!! haha
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😀
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The comic and story that goes with it both made me smile.
The damage inflicted by the task force, in a matter of a few days, had to be unthinkable by the Japanese years, perhaps even months earlier. This was like Sherman’s march to the sea.
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The enemy had scrambled to collect what ships they could after the Battle of Leyte Gulf and we tore them up again!
I love that Capt. Armitage story – had to pick THAT up!
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Enjoyed this post, GP, learning the strategies and accomplishments of these military heroes. I looked it up, and learned that Vice Admiral John McCain was U.S. Senator John McCain’s grandfather. A celebrated and patriotic family.
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Thankfully the Admiral didn’t live long enough to see his grandson’s anti-USA confession. It seems the stories of some other POW’s don’t exactly agree with his version.
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Such frightening times. And awfully close to my son in Okinawa. Well, that’s a whole ‘nother story, innit.
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We’re just grateful this action isn’t going on now with your son over there!!
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If indeed Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto had said: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” At this point in the war, the Japanese must have realised that the game was up, despite their refusal to surrender. Even so, there was a long way to go and a great struggle ahead for Allied forces until the final surrender on August 15. Great post GP.
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I’m sure those “in the know” understood the situation, but not most of the population. The military was the government and they had control of all the news – perhaps they invented ‘fake news’ eh?
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😆‼️
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It is entirely possible GP. Disinformation has always been a primary tool in warfare.
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I believe that the Vice Admiral John McCain you mention was Senator McCain’s grandfather. Is that correct? Great post. Thanks.
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Yes, that is correct. You are more than welcome.
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Amazing.
Being swept overboard – probably not a good experience.
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I’m sure he’d agree with you!! 🙂
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That’s really funny about Capt. Armitage, although I’m sure he was scared to death after being washed overboard. It has always amused me how men in a combat situation could be so light-hearted at times. But I guess that’s how they survived. 🙂
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You are quite right, Hannah. They survived the Great Depression and found themselves in a world-wide war – they had to keep laughing!!
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Great post! I always enjoy reading your posts!
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Thanks, DC, much appreciated.
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I liked the humorous song
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I thought it was kinda cute myself, Derrick!
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In reference to Navy humor: My Dad was transferred to the Philippines via a Liberty ship early in 1946 for mop up duty. He said the effort to avoid the tropical storms along the way was ‘up to but not exceeding the minimum distance necessary, and usually not that much’. He said there would always be dozens of soldiers hanging their heads over the railings during the entire trip – day and night!
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You father was told you no lies, Dennis. Every ship had heads over the side. Even without a storm, the Pacific is huge and wild.
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Well, that’s one way to celebrate a birthday!
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Isn’t that something?!! I had to pick up THAT story!!
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A very detailed and interesting account.
These actions in the SCS again prove that air supremacy back then was vital.
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Extremely, Eric. As they reports are always mentioning, air supremacy ruled!!
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A marvelous bit of history, GP. Have a thriving Thursday!
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And you as well, Teagan!
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Wonderful article, thanks GP!
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Always great to see you here, Hollie, thanks.
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It’s always a pleasure to visit you GP.
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Thank you.
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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Thank you for helping these men to be remembered, Michael.
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Always with a great pleasure, GP! I am honored to do. Thank you for your efforts on posting, and have a nice day. Michael
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I appreciate that, Michael.
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Thank you, GP! Sorry, the last week has some grazy hours. Have a good weekend. Michael
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And you as well, Michael.
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This really illustrates the power of air supremacy, a lesson also learned by the Germans in 1945. Once the allies had command of air operations, the end was inevitable, on all fronts.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you for reading and for contributing, Pete!
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Inky dinky parlez-vous ! 😀
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While typing this out, I WAS thinking of you!! haha
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🙂 I appreciate that, brother — and the interesting story, too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
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I’m honored to have such a friend!
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