http://whythiswar.com Lest We Foget Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:52:24 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Battle of the Denmark Strait was a World War II naval conflict between ships of the British Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine. The British battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Hood fought the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, both of which were attempting ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-two/battle-of-the-denmark-strait The Battle of Britain Luftwaffe attacks on Britain began with raids on naval targets, with bombers being shot down over the Firth of Forth on 16 October 1939 and over Scapa Flow on the following day, but there were no major attacks during the Phony War period, a lull ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-two/battle-of-britain This will be the most memorable Christmas I've ever spent or likely to spend: since about tea time yesterday I don't think theres been a shot fired on either side up to now. Last night turned a very clear frost moonlight night, so soon after dusk we had ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-one/christmas-in-the-trenches Heiß über Afrikas Boden die Sonne glüht. Unsere Panzermotoren singen ihr Lied! Deutsche Panzer im Sonnenbrand, Stehen zum Kampf gegen Engeland Es rasseln die Ketten, es dröhnt der Motor, Panzer rollen in Afrika vor. Translation Hot over African ground, the sun is glowing. Our panzer engines sing their song! ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-two/africa-corps-marching-songs The actual Memphis Belle, a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, serial 41-24485, was delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bomb Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. It deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on September 30, 1942, and then to its permanent base at Bassingbourn, England, on October 14. Captain Robert Morgan's ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-two/memphis-belle A CHANT OF LOVE FOR ENGLAND A song of hate is a song of Hell; Some there be that sing it well. Let them sing it loud and long, We lift our hearts in a loftier song: We lift our hearts to Heaven above, Singing the glory of her we love,-- ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-two/a-chant-of-love-for-england In 1914, Lettow-Vorbeck was appointed the commander of the small German garrison of 3000 soldiers and twelve Askari companies in German East Africa, modern-day Tanzania. With the beginning of the war in August, knowing the need to seize initiative, he ignored orders from Berlin and the colony's governor Dr. ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-one/the-africa-queen In the summer of 1941, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands began an oil embargo against Japan, threatening its ability to fight a major war at sea or in the air. However, Japanese forces continued to advance into China. Japan planned an attack on Pearl Harbor ... http://whythiswar.com/world-war-two/pearl-harbor THE MINE-SWEEPERS Dawn off the Foreland--the young flood making Jumbled and short and steep-- Black in the hollows and bright where it's breaking-- Awkward water to sweep. "Mines reported in the fairway, Warn all traffic and detain. Sent up _Unity_, _Claribel_, _Assyrian_, _Stormcock_, and _Golden Gain_." http://whythiswar.com/world-war-one/the-mine-sweepers Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind. Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky And the affrighted steed ran on alone, Do not weep. http://whythiswar.com/world-war-one/war-is-kind