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This Week in History: March 21 - March 27

March 21: 1945; Operation Carthage takes place

 Operation Carthage was a controversial military raid on the Gestapo headquarters in Denmark.  It is controversial because in addition to succedding in destroying the Gestapo HQ, known as the shellus, a Danish school was attacked by accident, resulting in the death of 125 civillians, including 86 children.

 

The shellus during the raid:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Shellhuset12.jpg

 

March 22: 1942; The Second battle of Sirte takes place

This naval battle is a relatively unknown naval battle of WWII.  A minor confrentation between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina (Italian Navy).  A British force consisting of 4 light cruisers, 1 anti-aircraft cruiser, 18 destroyers and 1 submarine battled a force consisting of 1 battleship, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 8 destroyers and 1 submarine.  Although neither side lost a ship, the history books classify this as a tactical victory for the allies, and a strategic victory for the axis.

Italian Cruiser Gorizia firing her guns during the battle:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/Gorizia_firing_on_RN_destroyers.jpg

HMS Kingston following the battle:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/HMS_Kingston_%28F64%29.jpg

 

March 23: 1914; The USS Oklahoma is launched

The USS Oklahoma was a Nevada-class battleship and the only battleship of the US Navy to ever be named for the 46th state.  Not much can be said of it, because it fought no battle during WWI, and it never saw action in WWII.  She is most famous for her fate during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she capsized after taking more than 5 torpedoes.  More than 400 men dies when she rolled over.  She was raised in 1943, she sank in 1947 while under tow to be scrapped, and along with BB-39 was one of only 2 American battleships lost in WWII. (The Utah was a target ship by this time, so she doesn't count)

Pictures of the Oklahoma when she was upright:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Uss_oklahoma_bb.jpg

(Based on the "cage masts," this picture is WWI era)

USS Oklahoma post-modernization:

http://www.bluejacket.com/usn/images/sp/bc/bb37_oklahoma.jpg

Day of Infamy:

http://postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1d_USS_Oklahoma-02.jpg

http://blog.newsok.com/worldwartwo/files/2007/10/g19941.jpg

http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/PearlHarbor04.jpg

Being un-capsized:

http://z.about.com/d/history1900s/1/0/r/2/ph4.jpg

http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/special/pearlharbor/ph/LAHO/3LAHO001.jpg

Post-uncapsizing:

http://z.about.com/d/history1900s/1/0/G/2/ph2.jpg

Remains of Oklahoma alongside USS Wisconsin:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h78000/h78940.jpg

 

March 24: 1944; The "Great Escape" commences

  Unknown to many, the 1963 movie starring Steve McQueen was actually based on a real event.  In 1943 Robert Bushell was a Prisoner in the German Prison camp Stalag Luft III, when he came up with an intricut plan to break 200 prisoners out of camp. It involved dismantleing wooden furniture, forging documents, 600 prisoners working on three escape tunnels 30 ft underground and a LOT of sand dumping.  It took nearly one year, but soon one of the tunnels was ready for use.  Due to inclimate weather, only 76 men successfully got out of the camp... of these, only 3 made it to freedom, and 50 of the recaptured 73, including Bushnell, were executed.

Model of Stalag Luft III:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Model_Stalag_Luft_III.jpg

Robert Bushnell, the mastermind:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a6/Roger_Bushell1.jpg

Tunnel "Harry"

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/HarrySagan2.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/HarrySagan1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Sagan_harry-2.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Sagan_harry-3.jpg

Memorial to the executed officers: (the camp housed only officers, no enlisted, as far as I know)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/The50Memorial.jpg

 

March 25: 1941; Yugoslavia joins the axis

 On this day, the country of Yugoslavia briefly joined the axis becuase the government was pro-German.  However, two days later, the pro-allied population toppled this government...ans what happened afterwards I can't find anything on.

 

March 26: 1945; Iwo Jima declared secure

 Nearly 2 months after landing on the island, with the 22,000 man Japanese army almost completely wiped out, the allied forces offically declare Iwo Jima secure.

 

March 27: 1943; Battle of the Komandorski Islands takes place

On this day, one of the most unknown naval battles of WWII took place.  An american force consisting of 1 Heavy Cruiser, 1 Light Cruiser and 4 Destroyer took on a Japanese force of 2 Heavy Cruisers, 2 Light Cruisers and 4 Destroyers.  Although both sides lost sailors and damaged ships, no ships were actually sunk, and while it was tactically inconclusive, it was a strategic win for the United States.

USS Salt Lake City during the battle:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/USS_Salt_Lake_City_%28CA-25%29_in_action.jpg