15-16 February 2014 | 112 comments (112 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Feb 14th, 2014 at 02:51:09 PM EST

15 February 1944 – the senseless destruction of the Abbey of Monte Cassino during the Battle of Monte Cassino by a bomber raid, killing 230 Italian civilians.
On the same day, the Red Army starts the Narva Offensive which fails to take Estonia

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Feb 14th, 2014 at 02:51:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On This Date (none / 0)

They had to do something given the position they were in. but the Italian campaign was badly mis-managed. It should never have got to the point where the battle was even needed

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Feb 15th, 2014 at 11:21:33 AM EST
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Re: On This Date (none / 0)

The battle itself had four phases lasting several months and also affected adjoining hills, but the bombing on 15 February was based on flimsy evidence of the presence of German lookouts at the Abbey that wasn't proven to this day. After the bombing, German lookouts did deploy on the hill, hiding among the rubble, so the aerial bombing brought absolutely no military gain.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sat Feb 15th, 2014 at 04:08:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On This Date (none / 1)

Mistakes get made in the heat of battle; however the general consensus I've seen is that the battle of Monte Cassino could have been avoided if the allies had moved more swiftly from landing.

It's worth noting that Montgomery allowed the exact same mistake to be made in normandy when the British landed. The Q plan required that they move inland immediately towards Caen, but instead the troops on the ground thought the objective was to secure the beach and, in any case, lacked the armour necessary to proceed inland., Due to that, Caen ended up getting plastered just as the monastery did.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Feb 16th, 2014 at 04:50:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On This Date (none / 1)

well they broke Rule 1 of invading Italy, Don't do it from the bottom.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Feb 16th, 2014 at 08:58:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On This Date (none / 0)

Well, they had to, don't want to fight on two fronts, supply lines blah blah.

But if you invade somewhere that is lightly defended, then move fast to occupy ground and keep the enemy on the back foot.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Feb 16th, 2014 at 09:35:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On This Date (none / 0)

As Churchill said, "I thought we were hurling a tiger at the enemy, it seems we have merely beached a whale"

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Feb 16th, 2014 at 09:36:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On This Date (none / 0)

16 February 1934 – the four-day Austrian Civil War ends with the victory of state and paramilitary forces under chancellor Engelbert Dolfuß over the Schutzbund paramilitary of the Social Democrats, opening the way to the legal establishment of the Austrofascist dictatorship

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Feb 14th, 2014 at 02:51:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

15-16 February 2014 | 112 comments (112 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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