PzLdr History Facts

[PzLdr]

1923 - CURLY DIES:

Curly, a Crow scout who stayed with Custer longer than his tribesmen at the Little Big horn, and who saw Custer's final moments from a ridge northeast of Last stand hill, dies on the Crow Reservation of pneumonia. The Crow, traditional enemies of the Sioux, were a major source of Indian Scouts on the northern Plains, along with the Shoshone, the Pawnee, and the Arikaras, throughout the wars waged between the U.S Army, and the Sioux and their Northern Cheyenne, and Arapahoe allies.

1934 - BONNIE AND CLYDE BUY THE FARM:

Death comes to Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in an ambush in Louisiana on this date. Small fry in the outlaw world of their time, Bonnie and Clyde are a psychopathic novelty act; a stone killer with a sawed off Browning automatic Rifle [BAR], as opposed to a Tommy Gun, and his gun toting, bad poetry writing moll and accomplice.

Although they conduct a wave of robberies, they are never as polished or professional as Dillinger, and rob more convenience stores than banks. But they do kill people, including police officers.

So retired Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, and a posse of Texas and Louisianan lawmen set an ambush based on a tip [and betrayal] from a Bonnie and Clyde associate [and his family] Using the confederate's father as bait, they catch Bonnie and Clyde on a back road, and they slow to help the man, the posse riddles the car they're in with bullets. The two are buried in Texas.

1945 - HIMMLER BITES THE BULLET [ACTUALLY CYANIDE CAPSULE]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.20

1960 - ADOLF EICHMANN CAPTURED

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.14

[PzLdr]

1941: BISMARCK SINKS H.M.S HOOD

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.2

1943: THE 'ANGEL OF DEATH', JOSEF MENGELE, ARRIVES AT AUSCHWITZ

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.26

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.13

[apples]

'In a galaxy far, far away, a long time ago'. large Star Destroyer passed over our heads in a theater [or so it seemed], in the pursuit of a small ship with the doughy resistance fighter, Princess [and Senator] Leia Organa and the plans for an Imperial weapon system known as the Death Star. And we were off and running on one of the most successful movie franchises in history, a franchise so successful, it has worked its way into our language, our culture and our conscious.

It has given us a fistful of memorable major characters: Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, the Laurel and Hardy of outer space [R2D2 and C-3PO], and possibly the greatest screen villain of all time, Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. It gave us a wheelbarrow full of minor characters, some impressive - Emperor Palpatine, Mace Windu, some not - Jar Jar Binks and those damn Ewoks. And it gave us concepts of good [Jedi], evil [Sith], and everything in between. And it gave us the "Force". But most of all , it gave us fun, and pleasure.

So as a follower of the Sith [as a small government Conservative, you have to pull for a system where two guys rule the galaxy, and both are striving to reduce that number to "One"], may I say, "May The Force Be With You!"

Wow  41 years ago for me. Mom and I would go to my Aunts place sometimes during the holidays to eat and enjoy family. Us kids would end up in the boys room on the bunk  beds falling asleep and watching Star Wars. Good times.

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, "La Paradis", p.13

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, "The Rhine Exercise", p.2

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p. 13

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, 'Operation Merkur [Operation Mercury]', p.2

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.14

[PzLdr]

It was, up to that time, the biggest Naval engagement  of modern times. It was a tactical victory for the Germans, but a strategic victory for the British. And it was fought off the coast of neutral Denmark.

Jutland was Imperial Germany' last real attempt to confront the Royal Navy in the first World War. It began when two battlecruiser fleets fought a meeting engagement, a feigned withdrawal by the Germans to lure the British onto the main battleship line of the Imperial Navy. A pursuit to the north followed, which resulted in the Germans running into the British Grand Fleet.

The battle occurred in two distinct phases: a battle between the battle cruisers of David Beatty and Franz von Hipper, and then a much larger battle between the two main opposing fleets.

The first battle went clearly to the Germans, when two British battle cruisers were sunk, and 2,000 sailors lost. The second battle resulted in more sinkings, with the Germans outnumbered almost two to one in warships. But the German fleet commander evaded the British net by executing not once, but twice, simultaneous reversals of all his ships, With night falling, the Germans escaped through a minefield to their home bases.

The Germans lost 11 ships, including a battleship. but the British lost 14 ships, including three battlecruisers. Those losses reflected much better construction of the German ships, especially in the area of compartmentalization, and better damage control procedures used by the german sailors.

The High Seas Fleet never sailed again, except into captivity, and scuttling at Scapa Flow. and disaffected  sailors, believing their officers were going to do a 'death and glory' suicide run on the royal Navy in 1918, became one of the leading elements in the revolts that swept Germany at the end of the war.

[PzLdr]

On this date in 1935, George Herman "Babe" Ruth retires from baseball.

Starting as a Hall of Fame class pitcher for the Boston Red Sox [He also won several games in his Yankees career], Ruth established a record for shut out innings pitching in the world Series that stood until toppled by whitey Ford. But he was such a great hitter, he began alternating pitching and playing right field on his 'off' days, so the Sox could make use of his bat.

Then in 1920, the owner of the Red Sox, Broadway producer sold Ruth to the New York Yankees. Neither Ruth, or the Yankees ever looked back. Ruth, in company with Tony Lazzari, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez and a lineup called "Murderers' row, ran up seven pennants, and four world Series championships [the Sox, who had won five Series before they traded Ruth, wouldn't win another until 2004].

But as Ruth aged, his interests turned to managing. the Yankees, perfectly happy with Miller Huggins, and aware of Ruth's lack of personal discipline, wouldn't hear it. With his skills eroding, Ruth agreed to a trade to the Boston Braves, believing he would manage the team in the near future. His belief was chimerical. the Braves wanted ruth as a 'draw', nothing more. So when Ruth realized he had been duped, he played out the season, and retired. He would go on to 'coach' the Brooklyn Dodgers for the same belief, with the same result.

Ruth's 714 home run record wasn't broken until 1974 [Hank Aaron]. His single season best of 60 HR wasn't broken until 1961 [Roger Maris]. His .690 slugging percentage has never been topped. He stole home some ten times. His BA was well north of .300

Babe Ruth died of throat cancer in 1948. Over 100,000 people visited Yankee Stadium when he lay in state for two days.

Seventy years after his death , Babe Ruth is still one of the most well known, and beloved baseball players of all time. One can argue that he is still the face of baseball. And he retired from the game on this date.

Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player in history. Period.

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.2

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.2

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.14

[apples]

Back in those days they played less games than they do now. Pet peeve of mine when they say so and so broke a old timers record.....not really IMO they play more games now.