good morning jeremy

  

N  O  T  H  I  N  G     B  U  T     W  A  T  E  R

love 

   dad

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Algiers

 

 

 The politics among French generals, their jealousies

and feuds with one another, often determined the greeting

received by the Americans.  How did you feel about Petain -

patriot or puppet?  Did being anti-Nazi make you a traitor?

At the time, only Churchill appreciated Charles de Gaulle's

leadership talents.  The Free French cause was still

only a distant rumble.

The game plan for taking Algiers was from the same

blue print used to take Oran, but hopefully without the

resulting lose of life.  A destroyer packed with 

Allied soldiers made a daring dash, under fire,

the length of the harbor, successfully capturing

their objective .  The landed infantry were soon

surrounded, surrendering only when their

ammunition had run out.

Mistakes were made up and down the line. 

No one escaped the harsh judgment of reality.

How do you feel about a game using

human lives as chess pieces?  

Can you make a decision on the basis of little

knowledge and a good deal of hunch?

Under these circumstances a desk in Washington 

is the preferred destination for most. 

The Allied goal was to take nearby Tunis, quickly

ending the war in North Africa.  Despite the sometimes

hideous cost of inexperience, the risks taken 

were worth it.  On the job training errors

produced fatalities.  Give it a curse word 

of disgust, then move on.

Success validates the cost.

The six engine Gigant provided Hitler with overnight 

delivery of combat infantry and vehicles.  It was a

short hop from Sicily to Tunis.  German troops

were already making their presence know in Tunisia

even as the Yanks were mopping up Vichy

opposition in Algiers.

 Hitler just upped the ante with these troops added

to his pile of North African poker chips.  

They were a real fun bunch.

The Yanks would soon meet up with them

just down the road at a mountain pass

named Kasserine.

*  *  *  *  * 

©  Tom Taylor

OVER   EASY

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Happy Birthday Justin !

  

H  O  T      P  O  T  A  T  O

love

   dad 

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good morning justin

  

 S  E  A  P  L  A  N  E

love

   dad

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Oran

  

The Allies needed to beat Hitler to Tunis and starve

Rommel's Afrika Korps into submission.  The docks of

Oran's port would provide the supplies needed to

defeat the Germans in Tunisia.  Time was critical.

Hitler had already begun sending troops to Tunis

to counter this American thrust.

Commodore Peters was given two old American

coast guard cutters to secure Oran's docks for

the Allies.  His plan was to make a mad dash

across the length of the harbor to wrest control

of the docks from the French.  Surprise was his

only hope for success if the French turned out 

to be hostile.

A battery of large cannon defended the harbor from a cliff

nearby.  Along side this fortress was stationed a brilliant

searchlight used to illuminate their target.  It would be used

with devastating success.

There was never any hope of surprise.  

The attack from the sea on the harbor was to

come two hours after Americans began landing on the

shores bracketing Oran.  No one would be sleeping on

guard duty with all this commotion going on about them.

Hundreds of American GIs were crammed in holds

under the decks of these unarmored relics.

They prayed this wouldn't be the suicide mission

of their fears.  Turns out their fears were right.

Two-thirds of the 700 men involved in the mission

were killed or wounded.  The rest were fished from

the water and taken prisoner.  Peters ordered the 

operation to proceed despite a message from HQ

stating Oran was about to fall and his mission 

may not be necessary.  

Peters led his charge from the bridge of the Walney.

His vessel reached Pier 1, its objective, as a ghost

ship.  After machine gun fire raked its decks and

cannon shells exploded among those stuffed 

below, there just didn't appear to be any room left

for those hoping to live.  The same was true for

those souls that sank with the second lifeless cutter.  

The French had a score to settle with the Brits.

Killing Americans was unfortunate but it was

a matter of French honor.

Tomorrow, though, would be different.

*  *  *  *  * 

©  Tom Taylor

OVER   EASY 

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Happy Birthday Frances

   

H A P P Y     B I R T H D A Y !

love

     Grandma and Grandpa 

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good morning jacob

  

 J  I  G  S  A  W

love

   dad

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