Today in the Second World War

The 13th of September

Hidden History
September 13, 2023

As we step into September 13, we're drawn 80 years back to a world reshaped by the flames and fervor of World War II. On this day, amidst the sprawling narrative of global conflict, pivotal moments of heroism, strategy, and consequence played out. Join us as we delve deeper into the events of this date, unveiling tales that resonate as much today as they did in the war-torn landscapes of yesteryears.

We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. War's are not won by evacuations." - Winston Churchill - To Parliament - 4th June 1940

Bravery in the Skies

1940: Sergeant J. Hannah was awarded the Victoria Cross. An 18-year old wireless operator/gunner on a Hampden bomber of No. 83 Squadron RAF that was hit by intense flak during an attack on invasion barges at Antwerp, Belgium. The wireless operator's and rear gunner's stations were set ablaze by a direct hit on the aircraft's bomb-bay. After two of the crewmen had baled out and with two fuel tanks pierced, Sergeant Hannah single-handedly fought the fire for ten minutes, using a fire extinguisher and his own log book, while rounds of ammunition detonated all around him and the aluminium fuselage beneath his feet melted in the heat. Such unselfish dedication to duty allowed his pilot to bring the wrecked bomber safely home.

The remains of the gunner's compartment on Hannah's Hampden.

Starvation

1941: The German OKW determined that Soviet prisoners of war would receive fewer rations than prisoners of other nationalities.

Soviet POW’s.

Turnaround

1943: Private Richard Kelliher won the Victoria Cross in New Guinea for knocking out Japanese positions to rescue his pinned down Australian comrades. Only six months before, Irish-born Kelliher had been court martialled for cowardice under fire, although the conviction had been quickly quashed.

Private Richard Kelliher

Surrender

1945: Japanese forces in Burma surrendered to the Allies.

Lieutenant General Hatazo Adachi symbolically surrendered his sword to Australian Major General H. C. H. Robertson at Wom Airstrip, New Guinea, 13 September 1945.

Photo of the Day

Ten-year-old Polish girl Kazimiera Mika mourning the death of her sister, caused by strafing German aircraft, near Jana Ostroroga Street, Warsaw, Poland, 13 September 1939.

As we conclude our journey through the annals of September 13 during World War II, let's carry forth the resilience and lessons from those tumultuous times. These stories, both harrowing and inspiring, serve as a poignant reminder of our shared human legacy. Until we meet on tomorrow's pages, may we continue to learn, reflect, and remember.

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Have a great week :)

PERIL IN THE DEEP: Adventures of the WWII Submarine USS Burrfish: Schultz, David M.

"The first hour of deck watch was spent inside a fog bank with little for the lookouts to see. Then the surfaced submarine USS Burrfish emerged into sunlight just outside the thick wall of mist. Ocean and sky seemed void of activity except for two seagulls flying in the distance far behind. Seagulls? Cardelli focused on the closest bird for a moment but it quickly disappeared into the fog.

The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand (World War II Collection): Biggio, Andrew

Tales of American combat and comradery in World War II all connected to the iconic rifle of the era, the M1 Garand. An award-winning author puts one such rifle into the hands of a series of vets, records their stories, and gathers their signatures on the rifle, in a pilgrimage and homage to heroism.

Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II: Keene, Anne R.

In 1943, while the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals were winning pennants and meeting in that year and apos;s World Series, one of the nation and apos;s strongest baseball teams practiced on a skinned-out college field in the heart of North Carolina. Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Johnny Sain were among a cadre of fighter-pilot cadets who wore the Cloudbuster Nine baseball jersey at an elite Navy training school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won: Hanson, Victor Davis

A "breathtakingly magisterial" account of World War II by America's preeminent military historian (Wall Street Journal)

MacArthur Reconsidered: General Douglas MacArthur as a Wartime Commander: Ellman, James

James Ellman digs deep, connects the dots, and concludes that General Douglas MacArthur was decidedly not a military genius.

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