The History Of Wwii Podcast - By Ray Harris Jr

The Commandos land on the far flanks of Dieppe. The attack at the Orange Beaches will see their initial objectives met, but men will be lost. As for Yellow Beach to the East, the commandos will be met with death and the loss of the majority of their team. Images for this episode can be found on the History of WWII Podcast website at https://worldwariipodcast.net/2023/08/14/episode-431-the-father-and-mother-of-all-explosions/ To view this episode with Captions please subscribe to our YouTube Channel RSS - https://feeds.megaphone.fm/history-of-world-war-ii Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wwii45 Twitter - https://twitter.com/WW2Podcaster Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rayharrisjr/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wwiiguy YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@historyofwwiipodcast8712 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Tom Holm discusses Ira Hayes, his time with the Marines, his fighting on Iwo Jima and Mt. Suribachi and his tragic life after the raising of the American flag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 200 plus ships of Operation Jubilee reach the French coast, a single event occurs, ruining all the plans of Combined Operations. Still, the Allied force moves forward, hoping to make the best of a bad situation. Which is when it gets much worse. Images and other media for this episode can be found on The History of WWII Podcast website https://worldwariipodcast.net/2023/08/06/episode-428-it-only-takes-one-little-mistake/ To view this episode with Captions please subscribe to our YouTube Channel RSS - https://feeds.megaphone.fm/history-of-world-war-ii Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wwii45 Twitter - https://twitter.com/WW2Podcaster Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rayharrisjr/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wwiiguy YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@historyofwwiipodcast8712 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A desperate Churchill green lights the raid on Dieppe. And though it has been scaled back to avoid entanglements with panzers, it is still complex and dependent on everything going to plan and on time. A rare event in battle. Still, on August 18th, the ships with the Canadians, Commandos, Free French and 50 US Rangers on board, set out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dieppe Raid planning continues as Churchill needs something to show the Americans and Soviets. The Canadians are tapped to assist the Commandos as Combined Operations wants an overwhelming attack. But the Germans are more than prepared. But Operation Rudder will have growing pains, until it dies. Canada, this one is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Lord Mountbatten in charge of Combined Operations, the plan to soften up the enemy’s coastline defenses is underway. But there is much to learn and lessons here are normally accompanied by death. As Commando raids take place, the British and their Commonwealth Allies gear up for something much larger, a raid on Dieppe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In building up to Operation Sledgehammer, Mountbatten’s arrival is a whirlwind for Combined Operations. Their numbers will grow as will the number of their raids. But soon, the commandos are too few. Churchill wants larger raids, as does Mountbatten. The Canadians on the island are ready do anything to get this war over. Thus they will be tapped. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Operation Pedestal would ensure that Malta stayed in the fight. But Stalin is not appeased. He wants a Second Front. So does Gen. George Marshall and he’s coming to London to say so. The British had to come up with a plan, big enough to impress the Russian and the American, but good enough not to get everyone killed. Enter the new head of Combined Operations, Lord Louis Mountbatten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The final episode of Operation Pedestal. Through luck and determination and American engineering, the Ohio holds together long enough, to bring her in to Valletta Harbor. And so the various machines of war on Malta have a new lease on life. They can continue to harass the supply convoys heading for Rommel. Truly an ironic turn of events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As everyone on Malta and in Britain and in the US and in North Africa wait, the tanker Ohio, carrying much needed oil to the island, slowly crawls towards Valletta Harbor. Yet at any moment, an Axis air attack could come or the tanker may simply split in two, given her damage. The people of Malta need a miracle. Fortunately for them, it was August 15th, the day the Catholic Maltese celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the sun rises on August 14th, the Stuka’s and Italian bombers are back. It would only take one bomb landing true to break the Ohio in half. But manning her AA guns are volunteers from previously lost ships who are determined, this will not happen again. Meanwhile, Churchill’s meeting with Stalin goes badly as the Prime Minister has no good news to deliver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Americans enter the war after the events of Pearl Harbor, the Western Allies have to decide how to fight the war. The Americans have the industry, the British, the experience. But both will have to give to get along so that Hitlerism can be destroyed. Mr. Conroy’s book covers the Casablanca Conference and the one small detail that almost changed the war and the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the merchant ships enter Grand Harbor and Adm. Burrough turns around to make for Gibraltar. But the Maltese notice that only three ships came with Burrough. Where were the others and most importantly, where was the tanker Ohio. She was still a few hours away, with no way to move under her own power. And between the oil on board, not to mention the tons of water now inside her, from the ship’s ripped side, the destroyers were still trying to figure something out. Either way, when the sun rose on August 14th, the Axis fighters and bombers would be back. Something had to happen and soon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the escorting destroyers fill up with rescued crewmen, now it’s the Ohio’s turn as her engines give up the ghost. But the men in this story are determined to get her to Malta, by hook or by crook. For her fuel is the difference to whether Malta endures or surrenders to the not so tender mercies of the Axis Powers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Craig Nelson's book V is For Victory has it all: FDR's early days of combatting the Great Depression, restoring faith in the country and gearing up for a war that many hoped would never come. But it was FDR putting the country on the right path that got the US ready to aid the Allies and eventually enter the war. And win it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the sun rose on August 13th, the Axis forces in the Mediterranean knew they had one last day to stop Operation Pedestal. As such, the Axis air formations came in hot and heavy, with their normal level of accuracy. This wasn’t over yet and more ships would be lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Within a four hour period of darkness, Pedestal will lose many ships. By morning, 7 of the 14 merchants were gone. Still if the rest can get through, then Pedestal would be considered a success. And yet, the rising sun brings whole scores of Luftwaffe planes, vying to finish off Churchill’s last hope of resupplying Malta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As August 13th turns into the 14th, more ships of Pedestal are lost. Some fought bravely during their last moments, other’s not. But Adm. Syfret’s orders are that all ships are to try. And Commander Gibbs of the destroyer HMS Pathfinder and his crew enter into the history books as the ablest crew ever to sail a ship. Still, when the sun rises on August 14th, there are fewer ships to protect and fewer to protect them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ships of Pedestal have entered The Narrows. Waiting for them are Italian E-boats that rule the night. But Keith Park, Malta’s Air Arm commander, has an ace up his sleeve. Well, at least a great poker face. Meanwhile Kesselring and the Italians argue from sun rise, past sun set on whether Adm. Da Zara’s attack fleet should have air cover. What’s the worst the planes on Malta could do to them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Churchill visits Stalin for the first time, only to give him bad news. There will be no Second Front in 1942. Then, back to Pedestal as the merchant ships have been scattered. The destroyers will try to round them up, but some captains don’t want to finish the trip. And the tanker Ohio is still limping towards Malta, but now she’s on her own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices