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Author Topic: This Day in History  (Read 200015 times)

bob48

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Reply #225 on: November 21, 2019, 07:52:04 AM
How very interesting.

We used to holiday on the Isle of Wight.

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besilarius

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Reply #226 on: November 21, 2019, 08:31:44 AM
Various Louis, kings of France, planned to invade England by landing on Isle of Wight and creating a base.
Have often wondered if this scenario wouldn't make a good game?

"I do not say the French will not come.  I merely say they will not come by sea."  First Sea Lord Earl St. Vincent.

"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell."  - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side."   Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.


bob48

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Reply #227 on: November 21, 2019, 08:37:52 AM
he wouldn't have lasted long on the IoW - all those ferocious seaside B&B landladies and ice-cream shops would have finished him off.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'


bbmike

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Reply #228 on: November 21, 2019, 08:40:36 AM
 :2funny:

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bayonetbrant

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Reply #229 on: November 21, 2019, 08:59:56 AM
Various Louis, kings of France, planned to invade England by landing on Isle of Wight and creating a base.
So.... Dragonstone


I do not say the French will not come.  I merely say they will not come by sea."  First Sea Lord Earl St. Vincent.
Wasn't that a reference to the fact that the Scottish were pretty closely linked with the French for a long time in helping them resist English rule?

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besilarius

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Reply #230 on: November 21, 2019, 09:03:43 AM
Yes, you're right.
But it's such a good quote whenever the French think they can win at sea.

"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell."  - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side."   Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.


besilarius

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Reply #231 on: November 21, 2019, 10:55:23 PM
Fleet Admiral William F Halsey retires, 22 November, 1945.

&t=151s

The Naval Museum in the Washington, DC Navy Yard has the saddle that Halsey promised to use on the emperor's horse in Tokyo.
After the signing of the peace, Halsey went to take a ride through the streets of Tokyo.  The only suitable car was a Packard limousine that was owned by the manager of the Imperial Hotel.  Liking the feel of it, Halsey impounded the vehicle as spoils of war and had it transported to the US.  He drove it to the day he died.

"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell."  - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side."   Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.


besilarius

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Reply #232 on: November 22, 2019, 08:05:43 AM
Knew there was something else.
Back in the 70s, There were still a lot of older chiefs who had sailed with Halsey in the Pacific.  He was quite the character and if you could get them going, there were lots of quirky stories they would tell.
He got the nickname Bull from his exploits ashore during the Cruise of the Great White Fleet.  He did love the young ladies.
He was extremely superstitious about the Thirteenth of each month, and really got nervous when there was a Friday the Thirteenth.
When he began pilot training, at the age of 52, his wife told their daughter "the old fool is learning to fly."
He was on a familiarisation tour of the South Pacific command and was in a whaleboat approaching Admiral Ghormley's command vessel, when a communications officer handed him a Top Secret order.  Reading that he was to relieve Ghormley and take command, he uttered, "Jesus Christ and General Jackson.  This is the hottest potato they've ever handed me."
At that time, the mandatory retirement age was 60.  Halsey turned 60 in 1942, but was given a special dispensation by President Roosevelt.  Halsey dreaded being relieved due to his age.
During the kamikaze attacks off Okinawa, it was necessary to keep the destroyers topped off in fuel.  Maneuvering at flank speed  increased fuel consumption enormously, so at every opportunity the battleships would fuel them.  (The fleet oilers in the Sea Train, never went into a combat zone.)
At one point, a destroyer was alongside New Jersey., Halsey's flagship, when he stormed out on the bridge wing and yelled across the water, "Sheer off, coxswain.  I've got bandits coming in."
Now, coxswain is the commander of a small rowboat, and was quite an insult to a ship's captain.
The destroyer captain, was furious at this slight.  He turned his back to the New Jersey and let his feelings out, 'That damned old asshat, blankety-blank bollard screwing..."
The captain let his feelings out for a couple of minutes of salty insults; and then noticed his bridge crew all looked concerned.  He turned and the admiral was furiously glaring at him.  By a trick of the air, his tirade carried over and was heard by Halsey.  He scrunched his arms over the bridge railing and looked like he was going to leap across to the destroyer for the dirty implications.
"How DARE you call me old."

"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell."  - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side."   Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.


bbmike

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Reply #233 on: November 22, 2019, 08:41:11 AM
Good stuff, besilarius.  :bigthumb:

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
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bayonetbrant

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Reply #234 on: November 22, 2019, 08:45:21 AM
nice read :)

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bob48

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Reply #235 on: November 22, 2019, 08:57:39 AM
 :bigthumb:

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

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bbmike

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Reply #236 on: November 22, 2019, 09:41:10 AM
besilarius has become my replacement for The History Channel.  :rockon:

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
-Sherlock Holmes

My Own Worst Enemy


Sir Slash

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Reply #237 on: November 22, 2019, 02:59:11 PM
The Besilarius Channel. On my Favs list.  :bigthumb:

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besilarius

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Reply #238 on: November 23, 2019, 08:29:38 AM
Thankee, sors, thankee, he said knuckling his brow.

Sorry, but I does love a good sea story.  Hope you enjoy these historical gumdrops.  Now that I've finally got time on my hands, the reading and research is a lot of fun.
It's strange.  Things I read, or heard,  years back, can come back with a small trigger, but ask me what was for lunch yesterday and I'm lost.

"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell."  - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side."   Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.


bob48

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Reply #239 on: November 23, 2019, 08:35:42 AM
You do find some great stuff - keep up the good work! :bigthumb:

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'