Pearl Harbor Survivors M1903 Salvaged from the U.S.S California.

 

I clipped this from "American Rifleman", I thought it was a great story, I have or had a 1903 pattern rifle before I lost her in the great kayak mishap*sniff*Sniff*, the same time I lost my lamented Garand

Here they are during happier times before the Kayak mishap*Sniff*Sniff*.  Perhaps one day....the happier times will return, and I can look at ownership again.  The story behind this was really neat.

“December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” as said by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Congress on Dec. 8, 1941. The suprise attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the most pivotal moments in United States history, severely crippled the fighting capabilities of the Pacific Fleet for the onset of World War II. After the attack, monumental efforts went into rescuing men still trapped on the sunken vessels and salvaging material from the wrecks. Now, 80 years later, three rifles salvaged from the U.S.S. California have been discovered by the Archival Research Group and can be documented to this recovery operation following the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

The U.S.S. California, BB-44, was a one of two Tennessee Class "super-dreadnought" battleships built by United States Navy during World War I and completed after the war. Launched in November 1919, the ship was over 600' long, weighed over 30,000 tons and was armed with 12 14" naval guns. After being commissioned in 1921, U.S.S. California became the flagship of the U.S. Pacific Battle Fleet and, along with her sister-ship U.S.S. Tennessee, helped form the backbone of the U.S. Navy's modern battle line during the inter-war period. She was nicknamed “The Old Prune Barge,” due to the large amount of prunes her namesake state of California produced at the time. In 1940, she also became one of the first battleships in the U.S. Navy to be fitted with radar.

The U.S.S. California (BB-44) sinking at her moorings next to Ford Island during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. The ship is low in the water and listing to the port side after suffering two torpedo hits. In the background, the destroyer U.S.S. Shaw burns and the stricken battleship U.S.S. Nevada begins to beach herself at Hospital Point.   

On Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941, U.S.S. California was moored alone near the southeastern end of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, just ahead of the fleet oiler U.S.S. Neosho and "Battleship Row." When the first wave of the attack began, the senior officer onboard roused the crew to general quarters and ordered preparations to get the ship underway. Gun crews rushed to their 5" and .50-cal. anti-aircraft armaments and began firing back at the swarming Japanese warplanes as they made strafing runs and dropped bombs. However, the ready use ammunition kept around the anti-aircraft batteries was limited and the ammunition magazines had to be unlocked.    

While the ship was still attached to her moorings, two Japanese Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers approached from the southeast and released their ordnance, with both striking on the port side. The resulting explosions ripped massive holes into the U.S.S. California's hull under the waterline, compromising several internal compartments and structures. She immediately began to take on large volumes of water and heel to the port side, with the flooding only worsened by the fact that many below-deck hatches and doors had been left open for inspection. 

A photo of salvage operations underway on the wreck of U.S.S. California after the attack. Note how low the main deck is in the water, along with the water being pumped out of the hull. As the U.S.S. California settled onto bottom of Pearl Harbor, the hull began to sink down ever deeper into a silt embankment, necessitating the removal of usable materials and extra weight from the ship. This included the removal of the ship's 14" naval guns, which are already missing from the turrets in this photo.

Uncontrolled flooding spread through the port side compartments and the order was given to counter flood on the starboard side, in a desperate effort to keep the ship upright. To make matters worse, water entered the fuel lines and the ship lost power. As the crew fought to save the ship, Japanese Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers made repeated attacks on the stricken vessel, scoring a bomb hit and two near misses that started fires and caused further damage. Dead in the water, U.S.S. California burned and began to slowly sink. Despite the efforts of the crew, surrounding vessels and portable pumps, the ship slowly settled into the mud of harbor bottom over the next three days, mostly upright with only her main deck and super-structure remaining above the waterline.

After the attack, extensive efforts were made to save men still trapped on the sunken vessels and salvage whatever equipment remained usable. Evaluations on the sunken ships were also conducted to determine if any could be raised and brought back into service. Of the four battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor, the U.S.S. California was the least damaged overall and prioritized for salvage. However, despite resting is the mud, the ship's hull began to sink even deeper into a silt embankment on the harbor bottom. Furthermore, the longer equipment still onboard the ship was exposed to the harbor's salty tropic waters, the less usable it would rapidly become. These factors necessitated efforts to remove extra weight and any usable materials from the ship as quickly as possible, including the removal of the ship's 14" naval guns from their turrets.

A page of the memorandum in which Capt. Joel Bunkley documents the transfer of the small arms to the Supply Department of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. Photo courtesy of Archival Research Group.

Other equipment of varying size, from the ship's radar to ammunition, was also salvaged. This included the recovery of the many small arms which were still stored in various armories below deck. Yet, what happened to these small arms that were recovered from the wreck since then? This is where documentation from the National Archives expands further. On a memorandum dated Feb. 13, 1942, Capt. Joel Bunkley wrote to the commandant of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard to transfer the small arms salvaged from the U.S.S. California to various coastal artillery batteries located around the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

This transfer included 352 M1903 rifles, 53 M1911 pistols, 26 Browning Automatic Rifles, 16 Lewis machine guns and two Thompson submachine guns. The lists of serial numbers for the M1903 rifles in the memorandum does not specify whether the rifles are of Springfield Armory or Rock Island Arsenal manufacture. However, all are serial numbers exclusive to Springfield Armory production and above the range of duplicate serial numbers (Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal bearing the same serial number on the receiver). The serial numbers were also recorded in ascending order, making it easier to see trends in serial number ranges present.

The first page from a list of rifle serial numbers from the commanding officer of the U.S.S. California, transferring salvaged property to the commandant of the Navy Yard of Pearl Harbor. Note rifle S/Ns 664504 and 1024813 are contained in the list of rifles sent to Battery No.2. Photo courtesy of Archival Research Group.  

 

The second page of the list of M1903 rifle serial numbers recovered from the wreck of the U.S.S. California, with rifle S/N 1011683 transferred to Battery No. 4. Photo courtesy of Archival Research Group.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Territory of Hawaii was in a state of emergancy and security across the archipelago was put on high alert. Eight defensive batteries were hastily constructed around the island of Oahu to offer better protection against further seaborne attacks and even possible invasion. The salvaged M1903 rifles that came from the U.S.S. California were only sent to batteries one through four, with battery one receiving 96, battery two receiving 81, battery three receiving 84 and battery four receiving 91 of the rifles. The authors of this article have compiled a table of these eight coastal defense batteries built around the island, along with armament type and notes regarding each:

Battery Number	Location	Type	Notes
No.1	Hickam Field	Four 5" Naval Guns	Located at Hickam Village housing complex. No remains.
No.2	Waipahu	Four 5" Naval Guns	Located in a sugarcane field somewhere in the West Loch vicinity.
No.3	Fort Weaver (Puuloa)	Four 5" Naval Guns	Most likely located adjacent to the Navy’s Fleet Machine Gun Training School. Marines here manned three batteries of .50-cal. anti-aircraft machine guns when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7. This area was developed for housing in the 1950’s, adjacent to the present-day Marine Corps Puuloa Rifle Range.
No.4	Ewa Marine Corps Air Station	Four 5" Naval Guns	No remains, site developed.
No.5	Ahua Point	Four 5" Naval Guns	Searchlights were emplaced here, as well as an anti-aircraft warning station (AAIS 10) (1940). No remains of any military structures.
No.6	Waipio (Pearl Harbor Naval Base)	Four 5" Naval Guns	Located on the point halfway on the eastside of the Waipio Peninsula along the shore of the Middle Loch. Also included a mobile 3" anti-aircraft gun battery. Two concrete gun emplacements, the power generator house and fire-control switchboard room.
No.7	Pearl Harbor (Ford Island)	Four 5" Naval Guns	Under the command of Fort Kamehameha.
No.8	Aiea Heights	Four 5" Naval Guns	Hawaiian Anti-Aircraft Command, command post was located here.

 

In the 80 years that have passed since the attack, the history of these rifles and their whereabouts was largely forgotten and began to fade. Yet, thanks to the patient efforts of the Archival Research Group and the information discovered in Capt. Bunkley's 1942 memorandum, three of these salvaged rifles have been identified. These three M1903 rifles appear in the memorandum by serial number as being recovered from the U.S.S. California, and all three were carefully examined by the authors for any interesting features or details. A table with some of technical details of these M1903 rifles is below:

Rifle S/N	Bolt	Stock	Disposition after salvage from U.S.S. California
664507	J5	Finger grasping groove with two stock screws. No inspector marks remain.	Battery No.2
1011683	J5	Finger grasping groove with two stock screws. J.S.A. inspected.	Battery No.4
1024813	J5	Finger grasping groove with two stock screws. D.A.L. inspected, followed by S.A./J.F.C. re-arsenal stamp.	Battery No.2

 

Of the three rifles examined, the lowest numbered, S/N 664507, does not appear in like-new condition, but also does not show signs of extensive surface corrosion or pitting on its metal components. Meanwhile, S/N 1011683 is in an almost like-new condition. It exhibits many features of a non-rebuilt rifle with original finish, with both the metal and wood being in good condition with honest wear and patina, but no signs of water damage. As for S/N 1024813, while its stock and some other parts display signs of being rebuilt by Springfield Armory after the war, it still bears the original receiver finish and has no surface pitting.

When examining these rifles, a question that comes up is: “Why are these rifles not showing signs of salt-water damage?” Unfortunately, the documentation does not specify when exactly during the salvaging operations that these small arms were recovered. Without the confirmation of primary documentation, it theoretically could have been hours, days, or even weeks following the sinking that these small arms were removed. But, considering the intensity of the salvage operation and the conditions concerning the ship, the removal of such items would have been an urgent issue. With the observable conditions of the three rifles, it is likely these small arms were retrieved from the U.S.S. California before the damaging effects of salt-water corrosion could set in.

M1903 S/N 664507. 

The memo also does not state the conditions of the armories when the rifles were retrieved, that is, if they were in a partially flooded section or in a dry section. Furthermore, it does not provide any information as the the location or designations of the armories onboard the ship. Yet, these locations where the small arms were stored could have played a big factor in the rifles’ good condition. If the armories were located on the upper decks, they could have been unaffected by flooding due to the ship sinking in shallow water. Also, despite the fact that many watertight doors had been left open during the attack, the crew did manage to close a substantial number and there were lower compartments of the ship that remained water tight even after the sinking.

M1903 S/N 664507 does show some signs of light pitting and the sort of corrosion one would expect from a rifle that was salvaged from a wrecked vessel in a tropical harbor. However, S/Ns 1011683 and 1024813 do not show similar signs of corrosion. At the present time, it is unknown as to whether S/N 664507’s corrosion is linked to Pearl Harbor’s salt water or not. With the U.S.S. California out of action for the foreseeable future, the rifles were perfect candidates for redistribution to the island defenses. Thus, it is also reasonable to speculate that, due to the state of emergency on Oahu, they could have been prioritized to be removed immediately. 

M1903 S/N 1011683.

When viewed through the lens of 2021, it is rather difficult to imagine a land invasion by Japanese troops on the island of Oahu after the attack. It is clear now that invasion was never an immediate strategic intention of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Yet, the strategic intentions of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army were still unknown at the time. With the fear of a possible invasion looming, it is easy to understand why all weapons would be prioritized for reissue to bolster defenses around the island. However, this prioritization is not directly stipulated in the correspondence.

The details on the memorandum have also caused some confusion in its interpretation. Some have interpreted, based off the four "batteries" listed on the documents, that these small arms were salvaged from the ship's four main gun turrets and barbettes. Understanding Naval terminology can offer some additional clarification. A battleship’s armaments of the time were often referred to as primary and secondary "batteries," and the U.S.S. California did have four main battery turrets. However, these positions only serviced and housed the ship's larger caliber weapons. The term battery can also refer to a grouping of artillery or other large-caliber armaments in an established position, as is the case with the four defensive positions on the island the rifles were sent to.

M1903 S/N 1024813.

Some historians have debated whether these rifles were used by Navy personnel or the Marine detachment while aboard the U.S.S. California. These rifles would almost certainly have been for issuance to the naval personnel and landing parties. At the time, the common practice for the Marine detachment was to bring aboard, maintain and handle their own small arms. The responsibility for these arms belonged to the commanding officer of the Marine detachment, not the captain of the ship. Thus, it seems unlikely that these rifles were from the marine detachment.

The next question that should be addressed is: "Why does a battleship even need small arms aboard?" The naval landing party would augment the Marine detachment aboard the ship when needed. It consisted of sailors who were normally assigned roles that were not crucial for the ship's operational needs. The primary role of these armed sailors was to function as the ship’s security. Though, this should not be confused with policing onboard the ship.

Landing party members aboard the U.S.S. California, sometime in the late 1920s to early 1930s. The U.S.S. California's sister-ship, the U.S.S. Tennessee, can be seen in the background. Take notice of the two Marine officers supervising the formation. It is reasonable to believe that the rifles we've examined may be shouldered by one of these sailors.

Naval personnel of the landing party would occasionally combine with the Marine detachment to form a larger landing force in certain situations, such as securing and stabilizing a hostile port. One example of the use of combined landing parties was the United States' occupation of Veracruz. The Marine detachment was also tasked with training the naval personnel in infantry tactics. It should also be noted that the Marines and Navy had separate armories for maintaining, repairing and storing their small arms. They only combined for training and carrying out landing party operations.

After the small arms were salvaged and sent to their respective batteries, it remains unclear what, if any, further service these rifles saw. It is possible that they sat out the rest of the war at the batteries, were transferred onto active duty ships, used for training or sent elsewhere. The U.S. Navy did not adopt the M1 Garand service rifle until September 1945, and the M1903 rifle was declared obsolete in 1947.

A view of the markings in the stock of M1903 S/N 1024813. Note the original D.A.L. inspector stamp followed by a post-war Springfield Armory S.A./J.F.C. rebuild cartouche as well as the added "Hatcher" hole in the receiver.

Thus, it is possible that these rifles could have served in other roles during the war, but that is unknown at the present time. It's also possible that these rifles were withdrawn from service sometime before or around the official adoption date of the M1 by the Navy in 1945, or shortly after the M1903 was declared obsolete. However, the presence of a Springfield Armory S.A./J.F.C. cartouche from a post-war rebuild in the stock of S/N 1024813 might indicate possible use into the 1950s. 

As for the U.S.S California, her story did not end in the mud of Pearl Harbor. After extensive efforts to patch the two torpedo holes and regain buoyancy, she was re-floated in March 1942. In October 1942, she sailed for Puget Sound Naval Yard, Wash., for long-term repairs and reconstruction. While being repaired, the ship was modernized and refitted with a new superstructure, radars and anti-aircraft mounts. Finally, on Jan. 31, 1944, the rebuild was completed, and she underwent a series of sea trials before rejoining the Pacific Fleet.

The U.S.S. California underway in 1944 after her extensive repairs and rebuild at Puget Sound Naval Yard, Wash. Note the redesigned superstructure, added radars and anti-aircraft mounts. 

Back in the fight, U.S.S. California’s battle record included the invasions of the Saipan, Guam and Tinian in the summer of that year. In October 1944, the ship took part in the largest naval battle of World War II, the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. On the night of Oct. 25, 1944, a U.S. naval force under the command of Rear Adm. Jesse Oldendorf, which included the Pearl Harbor veteran battleships U.S.S. California, U.S.S. West Virginia and U.S.S. Tennessee, encountered a Japanese battle line sailing up the Surigo Strait.

The Japanese force, commanded by Vice Adm. Shoji Nishimura and comprised of the battleships I.J.N. Fuso, I.J.N. Yamashiro and the heavy cruiser I.J.N. Mogami, attempted to sneak up the strait toward U.S. amphibious forces landing on the island of Leyte. In the ensuing battle, the U.S. battleships crossed the enemy's "T" and opened fire with devastating accuracy, thanks to their radar-guided gunnery. All three Japanese ships were lost during this engagement, and it marked the final gun dual between battleships in naval history. U.S.S. California served for the remainder of the war in the Pacific, before being decommissioned in 1947 and placed in reserve. She and her sister-ship remained in mothballs until being scrapped in 1959.

Another view of M1903 S/N 1024813.

It is often said in the firearm collecting community: “Buy the rifle and not the story.” These words are commonly repeated almost as a mantra when advising fellow collectors on the most intriguing of backstories attached to prospective purchases. Specifically, this advise aims to help avoid a costly mistake. Many stories attached to old arms with a price tag are typically just that, stories that cannot be validated.

These three rifles serve as the exception to that rule, and show that one can in fact accept and prove a story with primary source documentation. Their unique history would have been lost, had the connection not been made between the respective serial numbers and the 1942 memorandum obtained at the National Archives. They also serve as a humble reminder of one of the darkest moments in U.S. history, as 98 men perished onboard the U.S.S. California during the attack. For more information on other serial numbers of small arms salvaged from the U.S.S. California and other documentation, visit archivalresearchgroup.com.

I'm just tired and I don't want to talk about it any more.....

   There is soo much going on in the world right now, and there is soo much that I want to say

We have rumblings of Putin invading the Ukraine and adding "The Breadbasket" to Mother Russia, and our "Betters" are pushing sanctions and other things and beating the drums of war, talking about committing troops and I am horrified, I am an Army Cold War Veteran, I was part of VII Corp in Southern Germany and I also went to the Persian Gulf as part of Desert Storm, so as they say "I smelled the smoke and saw the elephant" That isn't what concern me, I was part of a highly trained green machine that had all the branches of the services that were well equipped and highly trained in warfighting, now the Army and the Military in General has newer equipment and in a lot of cases, better equipment, but the leadership flatout sucks, they are more concerned about "Diversity and Inclusion" then warfighting skills, whereas our near peer enemies don't have that problem and we will get our asses handed to us.  Our troops are fragmented, the ones that believe in this country are forced to either get vaxxed or get out, and the ones that stay in are the ones that will be ideologically pure to the left in this country, but they can't fight worth a crap, but by God they check off all the boxes.  And our "Betters" that are pushing for a confrontation, it won't be their kids fighting and dying, it will be "Flyover Countries" kids fighting and dying.  Our"betters" have no skin in the game unless the payouts they have in any Ukraine companies *Cough*Hack* Hunter Biden's  Gas Company sponsorship*Cough*Cough*. If there is a fight, we will have China watching and

either getting ready to carve up Taiwan or they will while we are embroiled in the Ukraine dealing with Russia.  They will be studying how we fight and figuring out countermeasures  and right now I don't have faith in the leadership military, Civilian, and political to do whats is in the best interest of our country, but I am too tired....

Meanwhile Stacy Abrams announced her plan to run again for Governor of Georgia, she narrowly was defeated in 2018, but then she was instrumental in getting both Georgia Senators democrats by her political organizations and harvesting the votes.  I am concerned, Brian Kemp is the present governor of Georgia, he did a good job overall of running Georgia especially during the pandemic, but he blew off President Trump and the  another candidate, the defeated senator Perdue whom former President Trump has endorsed is going to try to primary him.  This is a mess, Kemp has the support of the never Trumpers, and if he defeats Perdue, the GOP that supports President Trump will be lukewarm at best about supporting Kemp making it easier for Abrams to win, especially with the democrats proclivity of "finding the Votes"

 it is a real possibility my state will go democrat and that is a real concern, and unfortunately moving is not an option for a few years because of my and the spousal units job..But I am too tired....

    We have the latest variant to hit the shores, and of course the "CovidKarens" are shrieking in fear demanding more "masks" and more "lockdowns" and of course certain countries have gone total totalitarianism, like Australia, that is sending their infected citizens to "Covid Camps",

 

 and in Europe the Austrians, Germans and Italians have locked their unvaccinated citizens in their homes and fining them if they are caught outside, and if you are outside you better have either an app that shows your vaccine status or "your papers"

    I remember version 1.0 of this stuff where the undesirables and others were shoved into camps after being stripped of their rights as citizens, had their property seized by the state and millions killed and I keep wondering how the people today don't see it.  I know that the people in Germany in 1938 were blind to history, but we know what happened and we are careening down that same road again, I keep trying to explain what is going to happen if they keep pushing, but the people pushing are on a mission, you can see it to get  "everyone Vaxxed"...For our own good mind you and they don't understand what lies down that road when they strip a persons freedom and autonomy from them and say "You must obey or else".   But I am too tired.....

   Meanwhile we have the Grinch Dr Fauci himself telling everyone that they must get the boosters or "They don't get Christmas", now this is the problem, Fauci who is the face of "Our Betters" have decreed that we must get boosters to have our freedom back...well this is the problem sport...our freedom were given to us as a gift from God, not the State or a bureaucratic hack, and what the state don't give, the state can't take, but unfortunately so many people who don't know any better because of the abysmal education system in this country gave our sovereignty to the state, that which was a gift from God, many surrendered to government hacks and now they go hat in hand and beg for crumbs of their former freedom back from these same hacks.  I am ashamed of my countryman....how the mighty have fallen......but I am too tired.

Meanwhile these mandates have been a boon for certain companies, I normally don't have an issue with any companies making money the honest way, Adam Smith was adamant about the "flow of commerce", but what is going on here is government interference in the market by demanding that we take and "accept" a vaccine that isn't really a vaccine.  Now if someone wants to take "The Jab" , fine have at it, you have to judge the pro and cons of the "jab" and decide if it is right for you...or not.  The Individual is the most important person in this, the rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution are Individual rights, given by our creator and the governments job is to make sure that it isn't interfered with, but instead, you have the same people that scream "My womb, My choice" are trying to force me to accept "the Jab", all in the name of "Safety."  They can't have it both ways, you are either free or you ain't.  And these companies that are profiting are making a killing, just so happen that a lot of congressmen own stock in them...But I am too tired to explain to these people.......

Meanwhile the mandates about "vaccines" from the Usurpers administration keeps getting knocked down by the court system, and I hope this continues...I have filed for exemptions because I don't want to take the jab, I have had Covid 2 times now, I am having to fill out a petition at work for a waiver not to have to take the "Vaccine", at my place of employment, I have a job that pays exceeding well and I have to worry about losing that job because I am standing up on my principles on "Who Owns You" I am concerned despite the court order telling the Xiden administration that they overreached, he is telling companies to proceed anyway and most of them are proceeding despite the court order.  What is going on? why are all these companies rolling over and showing their bellies to the Xiden administration.  Does anybody have a spine anymore? 

I want to tell people to stand up....but I am tired of screaming into the wilderness......Just tired.

     Meanwhile "Our Betters" are totally tone deaf, Xiden picked the most incompetent people in D.C on the Potomac for his administration, they have no clue how regular people live, they are so insulated in their blue bubble around D.C they have no concept or worse they don't care what happens to the American people and this is criminal.  All they care is how much they get from the federal trough as they stick their nose in as they parrot "Da Narrative", and whatever the narrative is to the modern left and it totally disgust me.  I wish there was a way to cleanse the place, and replace the people with people that actually want to serve, rather than try to enrich themselves art the expense of the American people and worse try to start up a near feudal society with them as "Gentry" and us as Serfs or Kulaks where we know our place and tug on our forelock and bow down to our master as they walk by, this is the dream that they have, but it is not the dream that I have and it is totally diametrically opposed....and if this continues...there will be collision of dreams and this will not end well, ...but I am soo tired of trying to explain to people that don't want to listen what the cost will be....

Meanwhile in Waukesha Wisconsin a Mr. Brooks decided to run through a Christmas parade and killed 6 people and wounded 50+ others, he was given a really low bail for running over the mom of his kid a couple of weeks earlier, and he had had many run ins with the law, and he kept getting chances and more chances and rather than staying in prison where he belonged, he kept getting released into the street.  Because the DA supported social justice type bail reform, Mr. Brooks was able to be on the street to literally ride havoc on the streets of that town in Wisconsin.  When I first heard of it, I first figured he was suffering from "Sudden Jihadi Syndrome" because the denizens of islam love to take vehicles and drive through Christmas parades of the infidels, it is something they do in Europe.

   Mr. Brooks believed in Black nationalism and he didn't like police or white people, from his many social media post.  Hey it is his right, he can believe what he wants, bigots gotta bigot.

 

 But it somehow funny to watch the twisting of the media as they downplay the race and social media activities of the driver of that red SUV that caused so much carnage in that Christmas Parade....the Double standard of the mainstream media is galling...

      When "Da Narrative" is threatened, the media buries the information and pretends it don't exist, then they ofiscate and gaslight you.......But I am soo tired and don't want to talk about it any more.

   And speaking of the Media, it is coming out that the New York Times and other legacy media were complicit in the "Russia Conspiracy" hoax that they used to savage President Trump during his time in office, to the point that the Pulitzer prize they won for journalistic excellence for the totally debunked story should be returned, but despite the call for the Pulitzer Prize committee to revoke the award, they will not do anything because when ideology trumps the truth, there is a problem with the institution, and they don't recognize it and don't care.  this shows the effect of being in the bubble and twisting facts to support a narrative and facts be dammed, this is further splitting the country, we are no longer 1 country, but 2 totally different country and I see a divorce in the future, but I am tired of trying to explain.

    Soo many people wish President Trump was still President, I know I wish I do, I wonder how many Xiden supporters are having buyers remorse,  Sure President Trump can be an asshole, but his policies were good for the country, he loved the country, and unlike the current crop of donks ain't trying to tear it down.  I don't know if he will run in 2024 or if he will be behind the scenes anointing Desantis or some other GOPer in his image, but I am soo tired of trying to explain to people, I am just burned out, my people switch is toast and I have no give left in me...all I have left is push back.

Monday Music "Just Got Lucky" By JoBoxers

 

 I am continuing my "What songs would I play if Sirius/XM  would let me host a segment for an hour and these are the songs that I could play over and over again 3 or 4 times before continuing to the next song.  I will continue the *Boogaloo* theme after Christmas, that poor theme I had started November of 2019 and rode it hard like that little burro that carries the really fat lady down the grand canyon in July and back up again so it is still recharging in the pasture eating grass and grain before use it again.

 

   

JoBoxers was a predominantly British new wave group formed in 1982, when former Subway Sect members Rob Marche (guitarist), Dave Collard (keyboardist), Chris Bostock (bassist), and Sean McLusky (drummer) teamed up with American singer Dig Wayne (born Timothy Wayne Ball, 20 July 1958, Cambridge, Ohio). Wayne had previously fronted the New York based punkabilly band, Buzz and the Flyers as Buzz Wayne.

Like Gangbusters is the first studio album by British new wave band JoBoxers, first released in 1983^[and featuring five chart singles.

The first single "Boxerbeat", the group's anthem, worked its way up the UK charts while the group were the opening act on the Madness 'Rise and Fall' tour,reaching number three. It was kept off the top slot by David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and Duran Duran.

Their next single, "Just Got Lucky", became an international hit. This single sold over 250,000 copies, made the UK top 10, and cracked the U.S. top 40, reaching #36 during November 1983, and has been featured in a number of films including Just My Luck and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

The third single "Johnny Friendly" is a homage to the Marlon Brando film On The Waterfront. British boxer Frank Bruno appeared in the promotional video for the song.

"Jealous Love"/"She's Got Sex" was released as a double A-side. "Jealous Love" was performed on the UK TV show Loose Talk introduced by the actress Diana Dors in one of her last TV appearances,while "She's Got Sex" was covered on Samantha Fox's double platinum selling album Touch Me (as "He's Got Sex"

The band's debut single, "Boxerbeat" found success in Britain, peaking at number three in the UK Singles Chart. However, it was their next hit, "Just Got Lucky," that truly broke the band internationally. This single also sold 250,000 copies, made the UK Top 10, and cracked the U.S. Top 40. It remains the band's only American top-40 hit to date, and the group are often branded as one-hit wonders in the U.S.

Subsequent singles "Johnny Friendly" and "Jealous Love" did less well. JoBoxers' debut album, Like Gangbusters, featuring all of the abovementioned hits, reached the Top 20 of the UK Albums Chart. The band released another single "Is This Really The First Time" and a second album Skin and Bone in 1985, but then split up, with McLusky joining Marche and Paul Wells in the indie-dance band called If? and Bostock joining Dave Stewart's post-Eurythmics group, The Spiritual Cowboys.
Meanwhile, Wayne remained in London and briefly attempted a solo career, releasing the album Square Business in 1987, featuring fellow former JoBoxer Dave Collard on keyboards. One single, "Mastermind" was released from this album. After his solo efforts proved unsuccessful, Wayne began pursuing an acting career. He would go on to appear in several stage productions (including a starring role in the successful West End musical Five Guys Named Moe) in the UK. In 1995, he returned to the U.S., settling in Los Angeles, California, to continue pursuing his acting/television career.

 

 

Was the Bismarck a failure? or was the decisions of the Captain a failure.

 

Why did Germany’s epic battleship Bismarck fail so quickly? Was it inevitable that such a creation would be an immediate lightning rod for all of the Allied forces?

Despite being the largest battleship that the Germans had ever built, the Bismarck’s failure was expected by many. The ship itself was built to manifest German greatness in the eyes of the Führer and to act as a motivational tool for the German public.

The British Royal Navy boasted the world’s greatest navy entering World War 2 and despite losing over 50,000 sailors to the Germans, had a considerable upper hand on the German navy throughout World War II. Bismarck was an attempt by Germany to try and match the greatness of the Royal Navy.

If we analyze the situation that Bismarck faced, we might find some internal reasons regarding the Germans that led to the failure of the famous battleship. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss some of the mistakes that the Germans made which ultimately sealed the fate of Bismarck.

A significant factor of the failure was that the Germans made crucial mistakes when designing the battleship.

Because the German battleship designers lacked experience, they followed outdated design philosophies that were used in battleships during World War I.

Consequently, the design of Bismarck had inferior defensive capabilities. For example, its main belt armor was thin and installed vertically, decreasing its horizontal defensive ability. Similarly, the Bismarck’s upper and main armored decks were not strong enough, as evidenced by the lack of protection on its turrets.

Moreover, likely due to the anachronistic designs, its defenses against air combatants was subpar, leaving it open to Allied air strikes. Therefore, even with an advanced manufacturing process, the Germans were not able to produce a battleship that was powerful enough because of their outdated design.

On the other hand, the Royal Navy had only built 2 battleships, HMS Rodney and HMS Nelson, and no battlecruisers between 1918 – 1939, thus their fleet was almost all WW1 vintage.

The HMS Rodney was built in 1927, while only the HMS Prince of Wales was in any sense modern. However, the Prince of Wales was still so fresh that in fact she still had dockyard workers on board. The Royal Navy hardly possessed an elite and modern battlecruiser unit.

In addition to the outdated design of Bismarck, the Germans had not realized that battleships were no longer the preeminent weapon.

The importance of the air force increased exponentially during World War II. On May 22nd 1941, the Royal Air Force spotted that German battleships had left the harbor.

Multiple days later on May 26th, more aircraft had found and tracked the Bismarck, something that traditional vessels would not be able to do.

During the final battle, the aircraft dealt the nail in the coffin for the mighty German vessel. The skies were now where wars were won due to wartime innovation, and the British had caught on to this trend, manufacturing two aircraft carriers to assist in the war effort and ultimately proving that they were superior to traditional approaches.

As a result, aircraft carriers would become the overlord of the sea.

Another serious mistake was that the German military did not emphasize the importance of information security. Prior to the sinking of Bismarck, during the Rhine Exercise, the British military had already deciphered Germany’s military codes and destroyed several German replenishment oilers. This had ruined Germans’ Rhine Exercise.

Then, on May 25th 1941, after Bismarck was damaged and on its way back to the harbor, a German admiral on the ship, Johann Günther Lütjens, sent a telegram out from the ship to the military command. Even though Johann Günther Lütjens’ tactics were successful and created opportunities for Bismarck to retreat, his decision of sending this telegram was the most serious mistake he had ever made. It was so deadly that it finally led to Bismarck’s sinking and his own death.

When the admiral sent out the telegram, he was too confident that Bismarck had already escaped from the Royal Navy.

However, the Royal Navy captured this and successfully captured Bismarck’s location. Had the admiral never sent this, the British military would have resorted to searching blindly on the sea by navy and air force for the Bismarck. Then, Bismarck may have been able to have retreated safely.

But, was retreating really an option? We must also remember that Lütjens was under orders to attack British shipping, so he wouldn’t have wanted to retreat. His signal gave his general location, but it was patrolling aircraft that located Bismarck.

Had Bismarck retreated, HMS Hood, the largest battlecruiser in the British Navy, would have been spared being sunk by the Bismarck on May 24, 1941. Hood was sunk in a matter of minutes, losing all but 3 of its 1,418 crewmembers. The legendary battle between Hood & Bismarck was chronicled in Theodore Taylor’s book, H.M.S. Hood Vs Bismark: The Battleship Battle.

One more important mistake that the Germans made was regarding Bismarck’s fuel. At that time, Bismarck was designed with a maximum speed faster than most of the British ships. In addition, Bismarck’s fuel capacity was designed for an eight-day sailing while maintaining its maximum speed. Therefore, even if Bismarck had lost the battle, it would still have had the ability to retreat safely.

Bismarck under construction by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, 1938

Lütjens’ signal was instrumental in helping the Royal Navy locate Bismarck, and the damage received from the Prince of Wales was significant, but it was the airstrike that damaged the screws and the rudders that was the decisively fatal blow in the end. Once Ark Royal’s aircraft (open cockpit biplanes) had hit, Bismarck needed repairs, and there was only one dock she could go to in France. The Royal Navy then had a good idea of her course and intercepted her as a result.

Moreover, after deciding to retreat, Bismarck had been sailing with high speed for three days. As a result, when it was found by the Royal Navy, there was not much left in its fuel stores. So that maintaining high-speed sailing was not possible even if the crew had been able to repair the broken rudder.

The significant factor wasn’t Bismarck’s fuel state, but the ship’s inability to maneuver, which doomed her. Ark Royal’s airstrike damaged the rudders and in the sea state it proved too difficult to steer by engines.

This left her vulnerable to Rodney and King George V and their attendant cruisers and destroyers. At the end, Rodney closed to 3000 yards (point blank range for 16 inch guns) to finish off Bismarck. ‘After the sinking, Admiral John Tovey said, “The Bismarck had put up a most gallant fight against impossible odds worthy of the old days of the Imperial German Navy, and she went down with her colours flying.”‘ (wiki) Bismarck’s great threat to the British nation was her great power.

Had she escaped into the North Atlantic she and her consort, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, would have been free to savage the vital convoy routes between North America and the UK.

HMS Rodney firing on Bismarck, which can be seen burning in the distance

In fact after close observation by the explorer Robert Ballard when he found Bismarck at the bottom of the sea in 1989 it was discovered that despite being bombarded at close range Bismarck was mostly intact. “A detailed underwater survey of the wreck in 2002 showed that the sustained close-range shelling was largely ineffective in the effort to sink the ship, the many torpedoes launched at Bismarck were also almost completely ineffective, and the massive plating of the armour deck was also found to be virtually intact.” (Wiki)

Both ships were vastly faster and vastly better armed than convoy escorts, which would have fought gallantly and died futilely defending their convoys. The scattering merchant ships themselves would have been easy prey to the battleship and her heavy cruiser attendant. U-boat henchmen lurking nearby would have completed the destruction – PQ17 is evidence enough of that.

HMS Dorsetshire picking up survivors

Small wonder then that the Royal Navy mobilized every available capital ship north of Gibraltar to deal with the menace. In addition continued to devote disproportionate levels of effort to counter Bismarck’s sister, Tirpitz until she too sunk. The British Admiralty has known since the days of Pepys that command of the sea is what kept Britain safe from invasion and was the anvil of victory over oppression in the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries.