Did you know Winston Churchill had 2 heart attacks during WW2 and that during the whole conflict he worked everyday without a holiday. 6 years on the job. What a guy and rightly the greatest Briton ever (even tho he was half American)!
Little known facts about WW2
- Thread starter Bootie
- Start date
Copenhagen, in German occupied Denmark, was a favourite spot for German officers on R & R. In an effort to 'get their own back' members of a Danish resistance group opened up an Arts and Craft shop specializing in scroll work. They offered to personalize the officers side weapons by fitting ivory handles to their Lugers and cover the gun with artful designs and scroll work. Some were customized as gifts for fellow officers serving on other fronts. Trade was brisk, but what was not explained was that the barrels were being modified by reducing the diameter inside and weakening the breach of the gun, which, when fired for the first time would blow up in the officers face. Of course these guns were never fired while the officer was on leave and any 'accidents' at the front were put down to 'casualties of war'. According to Harry Jensen, the only survivor of the resistance group, hundreds of these Lugers were modified this way before they closed shop and fled.
THE LAST EXECUTION IN THE TOWER OF LONDON
This historic event occurred on August 14, 1941. German spy, Josef Jakobs, was executed while seated tied to a chair, by an eight man firing squad from the Scots Guards. The white lint target patch placed over the area of his heart bore five bullet holes from the eight shots fired. Jakobs had parachuted into Britain on January 31, 1941, and broke his leg on landing. He lay all night in a field until his cries for help were heard next morning. He is buried in an unmarked grave in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery at Kensal Green, London. (The chair on which Jacobs sat during his execution is now on display in the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds)
This historic event occurred on August 14, 1941. German spy, Josef Jakobs, was executed while seated tied to a chair, by an eight man firing squad from the Scots Guards. The white lint target patch placed over the area of his heart bore five bullet holes from the eight shots fired. Jakobs had parachuted into Britain on January 31, 1941, and broke his leg on landing. He lay all night in a field until his cries for help were heard next morning. He is buried in an unmarked grave in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery at Kensal Green, London. (The chair on which Jacobs sat during his execution is now on display in the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds)
From Ultra information, the allies knew of operation "Barbarossa," Hitler's plan to invade Russia.
Stalin was duly warned, but the British could not reveal the source of their information, for fear that the Germans would realize their coded messages were being read. Stalin, perhaps in the belief that England was trying to drive a wedge between Russia and Germany, ignored the warning.
Stalin was duly warned, but the British could not reveal the source of their information, for fear that the Germans would realize their coded messages were being read. Stalin, perhaps in the belief that England was trying to drive a wedge between Russia and Germany, ignored the warning.
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Rommel
Guest
changed to what. the little box did not work. ahuggggggggg
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PoorOldSpike
Guest
They shouldn't have shot him, they should have kept him in prison so that he could be exchanged for one of our spies that the Germans captured later.
M
mgk
Guest
and here are signs of Polish Mountain units from 1939
Following a massive naval bombardment 35,000 US and Canadian troops stormed ashore at Kiskahttp://www.multipointproductions.com/heroes/henri/the-battle-for-kiska-story.htm. 32 troops (28 Americans and 4 Canadian) were killed in the fire fight and over 50 wounded. It would have been worse if there had been Japanese on the island.
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Bert Blitzkrieg
Guest
The German bombardment of Rotterdam on the 14th of May, 1940 cost approximately as much civilian casualties as the accidental bombardment of Nijmegen the 22nd of February, 1944 by the American bombers. They thought they were bombarding the German town of Kleef just at the other side of the border. Both bombardments cost about 800 lives.
The first one is still well known in our history. The latter is not. You sometimes stumble on an article about it.
German propaganda had a fieldday. To this day some people in and around Nijmegen still believe the Dutch government in exile gave its consent to bomb Nijmegen...
The first one is still well known in our history. The latter is not. You sometimes stumble on an article about it.
German propaganda had a fieldday. To this day some people in and around Nijmegen still believe the Dutch government in exile gave its consent to bomb Nijmegen...
Before it was overrun by Soviet Forces the Germans blew up the German Memorial at Tannenberg and removed the remains of Field Marshal Von Hindenburg who was buried at the site of his greatest victory against the Russians in World War I