This Day in History

[besilarius]

In 1265, Dante Aligheri, peripatic poet, cavalryman, Traveller, and lover of Beatrice, died.

In 1899, Iosip Dzugashvilli was expelled from the Tblisi seminary for missing his exams.  The wayward youth later changed his name to Josif Steel/Stalin.

[besilarius]

On this day in 248 emperor Philip the Arabian celebrates the Ludi Saeculares celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Rome.
The Ludi Saeculares festival is never observed again.

[besilarius]

1813, USS Chesapeake is taken by HMS Shannon at the mouth of Boston harbor.
This was a little n audacious effort by Captain James Lawrence but ineptly done.  The Chesapeake had a crew that was untested and not yare, having been shut in Boston by the British blockade.
Both captains wanted a fight.  Captain Broke had drilled Shannon to be a crack vessel and a premier gunnery crew.  He even had early gunsights attached to his cannon at his own expense.
Captain Lawrence seems to have suffered from PTSD.  He never got over the British ship, Dread naught a 100 gun ship of the line, impressing crew from his own little gunboat during the Barbary war.
Brooding over this insult, he did well in the War of 1812, but came to believe he should be captain of the Constitution.  That was a plum post, but he was still rather junior, and his judgement somewhat erratic.
This slight seems to have bothered him deeply.  To think he could take A crack frigate with his green crew seems like magical thinking.

[besilarius]

1898, the US navy attempts to block the harbor of Santiago, Cuba with the collier Merrimac.  This would block the exit of Admiral Cervera's cruisers.
While passing under the guns of the fortress, the rudder was shot away and the Merrimac could not position herself to fill the channel.  The entire crew was able to get away with no casualties.
Lt Hobson gathered his men on some floating debris through the night.  In the morning, they were all picked up by admiral Cervera's personal cutter, the admiral himself pulling men out of the water.  He then sent a message to the American fleet that the entire crew had been rescued with no one hurt.  He promised to send them back the next day "after they had rested."
True to his word, they were transported under a flag of truce.  However, one sailor had a massive bandage covering his head.  Thinking the Spaniards had abused the sailors angered the ship.
However, it turned out the sailor had been drinking hard at a fete that the Spanish gave for the gallant crew.  Losing his balance, he fell onto a table Injuring himself.

[bbmike]

1898, the US navy attempts to block the harbor of Santiago, Cuba with the collier Merrimac.  This would block the exit of Admiral Cervera's cruisers.
While passing under the guns of the fortress, the rudder was shot away and the Merrimac could not position herself to fill the channel.  The entire crew was able to get away with no casualties.
Lt Hobson gathered his men on some floating debris through the night.  In the morning, they were all picked up by admiral Cervera's personal cutter, the admiral himself pulling men out of the water.  He then sent a message to the American fleet that the entire crew had been rescued with no one hurt.  He promised to send them back the next day "after they had rested."
True to his word, they were transported under a flag of truce.  However, one sailor had a massive bandage covering his head.  Thinking the Spaniards had abused the sailors angered the ship.
However, it turned out the sailor had been drinking hard at a fete that the Spanish gave for the gallant crew.  Losing his balance, he fell onto a table Injuring himself.

We probably should have been doing this all along- a recommended game to go along with "This Day in History":

A Splendid Little War: The 1898 Santiago Campaign

[besilarius]

In 1942, PBY pilot Howard "Juni" Ady sights the Japanese Kido Butai West-Northwest of Midway at 0530.

[bbmike]

In 1942, PBY pilot Howard "Juni" Ady sights the Japanese Kido Butai West-Northwest of Midway at 0530.

Solitaire only, but really fun: Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea

[bob48]

On this day in 1943, it would have been my dad's 23rd Birthday. According to him, and verified by his army records, he was serving with one of the brigades of 5th Infantry Division, 8th Army, and entered Rome on this day.
 

[bbmike]

On this day in 1943, it would have been my dad's 23rd Birthday. According to him, and verified by his army records, he was serving with one of the brigades of 5th Infantry Division, 8th Army, and entered Rome on this day.

Hmm, not sure what game(s) to pair that with. Would Salerno '43 or the upcoming Assault Sicily 43 work? Maybe 8th Army?

[bob48]

He took part in the landings in Sicily and Italy, and was at Anzio.

[besilarius]

1944. D-Day.

It's a bit surprising that with all the German defences, only one major warship was sunk, the USS Corry.
Besides giving good gunfire support to the landing force, her other claim to fame is rarely mentioned.
During an upkeep in Boston navy yard, she was tied up next to a cruiser.  A working party noticed a crate on the pier.  It was clearly marked for the cruiser and also labeled "Ice Cream Machine."
In the best naval tradition of cutting out valuable treasures, that night the crew painted over the cruisers name and stencilled on the Corry.  Next day, yard workers craned it onto the destroyer.

(a these machines could work with real dairy, but after a few days at sea, used a powder mix to create it de cream.  Connoisseurs hated the stuff, but like powdered milk, was better than doing without.)

[Sir Slash]

Happy D-Day to everyone and Happy Bob's Dad Birthday!   

[bbmike]

1944. D-Day.

It's a bit surprising that with all the German defences, only one major warship was sunk, the USS Corry.
Besides giving good gunfire support to the landing force, her other claim to fame is rarely mentioned.
During an upkeep in Boston navy yard, she was tied up next to a cruiser.  A working party noticed a crate on the pier.  It was clearly marked for the cruiser and also labeled "Ice Cream Machine."
In the best naval tradition of cutting out valuable treasures, that night the crew painted over the cruisers name and stencilled on the Corry.  Next day, yard workers craned it onto the destroyer.

(a these machines could work with real dairy, but after a few days at sea, used a powder mix to create it de cream.  Connoisseurs hated the stuff, but like powdered milk, was better than doing without.)

Too many D-Day games to list! 

[bob48]

Yeah, there are a few.

I remember playing SPI's monster 'Atlantic Wall' and Avalon Hill's 'The Longest day' both of which are large games. Lots of other games on the subject, as Mike quite rightly says.

My own favourite games are GMT's excellent 'Normandy '44' and 'Liberty Roads' by Hexasim.

[besilarius]

In 66 AD, Jewish zealots storm the fortress Antonia in Jerusalem.  This begins the Great Revolt.