Couldn't think of a better day to be honest. After being reminded that "I am dust and to dust I shall return" at mass, I started the third and final section of the book. I was completely engrossed and read it in one sitting. All three stories were good, but the last one blew me away. The theological, moral, and philosophical discussions within a suspenseful, apocalyptic setting was unlike anything I had read before. I thought the writing in all of three stories was great. Each one had funny writing, and each one had moments that my stomach drop. (After the end of part 1 I had to stop because I was just crushed.) I think that this book just "gets" Catholicism like nothing else I've read. Overall, this may be my favorite book now.
submitted by Hey all, it’s been a while. Before we begin I just want to say that I love the support this series has been getting, and while I will absolutely be continuing it going forward, there's just no way that I can keep it to a regular schedule. With the holiday season coming in fast, several experienced people at my job leaving for greener pastures, and, of course, the Pacific (and Modern Warfare...) dropping right now, there's just no way that I can continue dropping good, high-quality, Tommy Tuesdays that I can be proud of at the rate that I used to. On the bright side however, today's Tommy Tuesday is arguably the most well-researched one yet, as I actually had to go out and buy a book just to find good reliable, information about today's unit. So, without further adieu, let's get right into it!
In war-time a naval blockade can be a powerful tool to cut-off your enemies from the outside world. Denied food for their people, resources for their war machine, and communication with potential allies, an enemy under a blockade is at a severe disadvantage. To get around this, small, fast, and stealthy ships will be employed to blitz through the blockade. These ships are called Blockade Runners, and their use in warfare goes back almost as far as the concept of a blockade itself. While the British blockade of Germany was perhaps the largest and most impactful naval blockade of the war, the Wehrmacht introduced a new, novel, take on the concept. For nearly the entire first half of the war, the Luftwaffe reigned supreme over the entire Mediterranean. Any British ship attempting to sail through its waters would come under relentless air attack, forcing the British to sail reinforcements for their embattled North African forces all the way around Africa, a process that took months. In a sense, the Axis Powers’ air supremacy became its own form of blockade, and one which the traditional blockade runner was ill-equipped to tackle. Today we’ll be exploring the unit that was born to run the Luftwaffe’s air blockade, and how it came to operate in one of the most forgotten theaters of the war.
But first, a quick examination of the Blockade Runner set as it appears in-game. For those who aren’t already aware, this set was dropped piece-by-piece through “Weekly Airlifts," unlike the others. Exactly like every other deluxe edition set though, this set is just a reskin of other common cosmetics with unique headgear. Curiously though, the set that DICE reskinned for the top of this one, The Patriot, was already reskinned for the Desert Medic. Meanwhile, the legs of this set are taken from The Writer (which we have not covered yet) and are composed of US M42 Paratrooper Pants worn with US Army M43 Double-Buckle Boots. A bandage has also been wrapped around the right leg for extra tacticool appeal or...
something ;). The unique headgear for this set is a knit stocking cap resembling those sometimes worn by British soldiers or US troops along with a pair of US M1944 Dust Goggles. The pattern applied to the individual pieces seems to be loosely inspired by the pattern sometimes applied to US Airborne Pathfinder uniforms, although it is different for the top and bottom. The hat also sports some manner of camouflage patterning. Overall, I am totally unsure of what this set has to do with blockade running in its current state. At least the hat gives off some commando vibes, but if you’re dead-set on making a stocking-cap commando the “Death in the Afternoon” headgear may be a better choice.
https://preview.redd.it/xnjr1hde1nv31.png?width=231&format=png&auto=webp&s=875372cae7fc667d7b9ce1bf30f7e4938e37b660 It was a brisk morning in the Scottish Isles when one man set out on a mission to change the face of warfare forever. Armed with little more than his folding kayak and a lifetime of experience, he was determined to prove the worth of his dream to create a special group of kayaking commandos. His target on that day was the HMS
Glengyle (later serving with Layforce) and, despite his own craft’s lack of size and speed, he was confident that he would be able to board the larger ship and show the officers who had laughed in his face just how wrong they were. Exhausted from nearly a full day of sailing the waters off the Scottish coast, he clambered aboard the large ship and, without drawing attention, wrote his initials on the door of the captain’s quarters, stole a pair of his trousers, and swiped the cover of a deck gun. Now back aboard his boat, he set course back to Invereray to finally get the recognition his ideas deserved. Exhausted and soaking wet he burst into the hotel in which the officers were staying, the drenched gun cover in his hand, and once more made his case. This time, his concept proven, the officers relented and promoted him to the rank of Captain. He was given the command of a unit of 12 men dubbed the “Folbot Troop,” and told to begin training immediately. This man was Roger Courtney, but this is not his story. Rather, today we will be following the exploits of the unit that the Folbot Troop would become, the Special Boat Squadron.
Below, Courtney can be seen with his dog. This picture was taken in the aftermath of his departure from the Folbot Troop, having fallen terribly ill while training them in North Africa. While the ensuing leadership struggle would mark their decline, David Stirling, commander of the SAS, scooped up the unit shortly before his capture. While his time with them would not be long, his visionary leadership would set the SBS back on the course to greatness. While much of Courtney’s uniform isn’t visible, it can be inferred that it is likely a basic Battledress Officer’s Uniform.
https://preview.redd.it/ank6ann0zlv31.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4abb0d21895110b25d058fd2cd410e06758767e While it is said that the official founding of the Special Boat Squadron occurred on April 1st, 1943, the truth isn’t quite so exciting. While there is an ironic sort of sense to a unit with so impish and mischievous a reputation being founded on April Fool’s day, in reality the SBS had actually been formed on March 19th, nearly a fortnight earlier. Based on the remnants of D-Patrol, Special Air Service under the command of George Jellicoe, the 2nd Earl Jellicoe, itself based on what remained of the Folbot Troop after the disastrous operation Anglo, the SBS burst onto the scene in early 1943 ready for action. Jellicoe organized his new unit into three squadrons, dubbed "L," "M," and "S," after their leaders' initials. Though the track record of their predecessors had been rocky up until that point, it was under the leadership of Jellicoe that things would come to improve, eventually.
Operation Husky would see Allied forces taking the first major step back into retaking continental Europe, and marked the full realization of the Allied Powers’ strength. Before it could begin though, something had to be done about the German bombers stationed on Sardinia. With each one capable of sending an entire transport ship carrying 2,000 men to the bottom of the sea with a single bomb, the risk posed by the sheer possibility of even one slipping through the Allied fighter screen made many hesitant to give Operation Husky the green light. While the RAF had proven themselves capable of attacking airfields on their own, it was decided that boots on the ground were necessary to ensure the Axis’ birds stayed in their nests. This, it was decided, was where the SBS’ L Squadron would have to intervene. Using the SAS’ raids as a model, a three week long excursion was launched on the 30 of June, 1943. Codenamed “Operation Hawthorn,” it would end in disaster. Compared to the SAS’ successful raids, there were several notable distinctions to be made. For one, while the SAS’ raids usually happened over the course of a week at most, with only one night seeing real combat, the SBS were expected to stay on the island for nearly a month, launching multiple consecutive raids and evading capture throughout. Secondly, whereas the SAS could always pull out early if things got too bullety, the SBS were trapped on an island swarming with enemy forces. Thirdly, the SAS were never sent into combat while suffering from Malaria. While L Squadron’s medic had the medicine to treat this, he was unable to inform his patients what the medicine he was giving them was actually for since it had been decided that such information would damage morale. As a result, few took the prescription seriously and many men fell quite ill before the raid even began, including the medic himself. As if matters were not already bad enough, the SBS’ guide, a suspicious Italian expat by the name of Louis Tempanyro, was assigned as the squadron’s guide. The commandos found him difficult to work with and doubted his loyalty, as he had been conscripted against both his and their will into the mission. It’s no surprise that he disappeared only hours after the first group of commandos came ashore.
Over the course of nearly a week the Italians slowly rounded up the commandos who didn’t pass away from disease in the wilderness and loaded them into a truck bound for the Sassari jailhouse. Only one group had actually managed to do any damage, with the others who had even made it to their targets reporting that the Italian guards seemed all too prepared for an attack, with extra barbed wire, well-organized patrols, and large searchlights being deployed. All evidence pointed to someone sounding the alarm, and as if there were any question as to who had snitched Tempanyro eventually joined his imprisoned fellows following a lengthy stay at the Italian barracks. Jellicoe, who had suffered a car crash at around the time of the Operation, didn’t find out about what exactly had happened until one man was returned to his unit over three months later. Having been left around the sick and drinking contaminated water from a stream, Sergeant Pat Scully managed to simultaneously contract malaria and dysentery during his stay in the Sardinian prison. Deemed unfit to be moved to a German prison alongside the other men, he spent the next two months hospitalized, only being moved via plane to Naples days before the Italian surrender. With the country collapsing around him, he managed to slip away unnoticed, eventually getting picked up by an American patrol and sent back to Jellicoe nearly a month later. While the few surviving members of L Squadron (those who had gotten too sick before the operation and were left behind in Algeria) were moved to S Squadron, the SBS was still down nearly a third of their number following just one operation. Losses like this simply weren’t sustainable and, had it not been for another simultaneous raid on Crete, the SBS may well have been entirely disbanded.
If Sardinia was the bastion of the Luftwaffe in the west, Crete was their impenetrable fortress in the East. The men of S Squadron sent to the island of heroes would concoct a plan eerily similar to that of Operation Hawthorn, but under the veteran leadership of Captain Sutherland and without concern for an inconveniently timed outbreak of malaria, things were actually looking up for the men of S Squadron. Coming ashore on the night of June 23, 1943, B and C patrols made contact with the Cretan Resistance who would guide them to the Heraklion and Kastelli airfields, respectively. Four days later, D patrol climbed onto the rocky shore and began making their way to the Tymbaki airfield, which would turn out to be empty. While the going was rough, the SBS nevertheless made it to their targets in time to conduct a thorough reconnaissance. B Patrol’s guide, a resourceful Cretan teenager named Janni, volunteered to scout their airfield. When he returned, it was with the news that Heraklion had been abandoned, but that they had found a much more exciting target. A depot containing thousands of gallons of aircraft fuel was only a few miles west of their hideout. The night of the attack B patrol found the gas guarded by only a pair of Germans with dogs. Hoping to give the animals little cause for alarm, only one man entered the dump that night while the rest pulled overwatch. Following a close call when the two guards stopped to gossip only a few meters from him, the commando managed to successfully slip away unnoticed after planting his bombs. The fireworks that night were immense, as the flaming fuel from the dump ignited an undiscovered ammo cache hidden nearby, sending overcooked munitions off into the night sky. Meanwhile, C Patrol found the Kastelli airfield not only bustling with German activity, but far better defended than any airfield the commandos had ever seen. Not about to let their enemies win so easily though, Lassen, a frightful Danish man who many, himself included, saw as a modern example of the viking warrior spirit, ordered his patrol to commence with the attack. While he and another man went after a handful of Ju-88s on one side of the airfield, two more circled around to deal with a dozen heavily guarded stukas on the other. Upon setting their bombs, Lassen and his man heard a commotion coming from the other side of the airfield. Suspecting that their colleagues had been spotted, they moved in to check it out, and continued their sabotaging while the sentries were distracted. Unbeknownst to them however, another guard had stayed behind and attempted to stop the two strange men. Lassen, who was fluent in German, attempted to tell him off. The guard responded in Italian, and probably thinking something along the lines of “
Well, shit,” Lassen whipped out his Smith & Wesson and fired. The shot rang out through the night, pulling the guards’ attention away from the other two men and back to the planes, where a pair of unknown strangers now stood over the body of their dead comrade. In the ensuing chaos, Lassen began throwing Mills bombs left and right to throw their pursuers off their tail. In no time, the Italians began to fire upon themselves and, in the mayhem, the commandos managed to slip away.
The next day, as the SBS units moved to regroup, Elements of C and D Patrols were stopped by 25 islanders who wanted off the island. In retaliation for the attacks the preceding night, the Germans occupying the island had massacred an entire village and were threatening to kill more if those responsible were not turned in. S Squadron now found themselves in a precarious situation. They couldn’t just send these men back to their deaths, but 25 extra bodies would strain their supply lines and put them at far greater risk of discovery. Eventually, Sutherland decided that he would have to radio Cairo for an early pick up just as their long-range radio died. Now scrambling in broad daylight to find a suitable replacement, it is nothing short of a miracle that no Axis patrols spotted them by the time they were able to hook up a pair of smaller batteries and send out the SOS. After a short wait, they got a reply back from Cairo. The ships were on their way, and would be arriving at midnight. Now scrambling for the beaches, Sutherland, his men, and the refugees made camp on a ridge overlooking the sea. Though an uneasy sense of dread hung in the air, the men of the SBS kept themselves in high spirits throughout the rest of the day, nearly missing the sound of Germans shouting somewhere very nearby. One cannot imagine the surprise the two patrolmen must have felt when suddenly, out of nowhere, a dozen heavily armed commandos burst from the rocks and ordered them to lay down their weapons. With the only other alternative being death, the Germans obliged. Since they had found only two, the Allies concluded that more must be out there. While the British were assembling a group to go out and track them down, the Cretans, who soon burst from their camp with great furor, beat them to the punch. Within the hour the sound of a firefight could be heard nearby. While the situation was undesirable, the SBS decided to hang back and hope that the wind would continue to conceal the commotion. As the sun went behind the horizon and the world fell to darkness however, the air became suddenly very still. Deciding that their current position was now inadvantageous, Sutherland moved his men, the remaining Greeks, and their prisoners down to the beaches. Setting their packs into two rows in the sand for a quick getaway, a small squadron of commandos were assembled and dispatched to go and retrieve their trigger-happy companions, and to keep the Germans pinned until they could evacuate. When the ships finally arrived however, the commander of the small relief force, an accomplished, if over-eager, soldier named Ken Lamonby, failed to return with the others. The men of S-Squadron were able to convince the boat to go back around and search for him, but Lamonby’s fate would be sealed on that island. Unknown to the brothers who left him behind, Lamonby had been fatally wounded trying to take the Germans on up close. He passed away in a hospital near Heraklion some time later.
Below Lassen (left) and Lamonby (right) can bee seen, possibly on Crete some time during their escape from the Germans. Their uniforms are fairly simple, consisting of Aertex desert shirts, knit wool “commando” caps, and (based on evidence from other photographs I’ve seen but which I am unable to share) Pattern 1941 KD Shorts. They also have a handful of personal bits, either reminders of who they are or specialized bits of equipment to help them in their commandoing. Lassen wears a necklace of some manner and a set of P37 Webbing that he had customized to be little more than a belt of pistol ammo pouches (I know from aforementioned other photographs). Lamonby, meanwhile, sports his signature pipe and a scarf. He too appears to be wearing some manner of P37 webbing, and although I cannot infer how he’s wearing it based on other photographs, it is clearly not in the basic style.
https://preview.redd.it/ttx0xv378mv31.jpg?width=881&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44ee73cfe10c407333eaf797b90a3272746b4c58 Upon their return to friendly lines, it became apparent that S Squadron would not be allowed to rest for long. The developing situation in Italy and throughout the Mediterranean would call them back to arms, alongside M Squadron, in early September. While the Italian armistice had been signed on September 3, 1943, it was not made publicly known until the 8th, five days later. It was also on the 8th that a very surprised Jellicoe and a number of other British officers stationed in the Middle East were hastily summoned to Cairo to discuss how they would handle this sudden change of course. For many, this meant that they were being redeployed to more active fronts, but for Jellicoe this meant that his squadrons would once more be setting sail for the Greek Islands. The Italian occupied Dodecanese had long been of strategic interest for British High command, namely the main island of Rhodes, on which many commandos had already lost their lives. Nevertheless, a day after having been briefed Jellicoe and two other men parachuted onto Rhodes. They planned to make contact with the commander of Italian forces on the island and convince him to turn his 35,000 strong garrison against the much smaller 7,000 strong German garrison, effectively capturing the island overnight. To their dismay, the Italians surrendered to the Germans on Rhodes, turning what could’ve been a quick and easy operation into a nearly three month long campaign. While the rest of the islands were quickly captured with minimal bloodshed by the SBS, the British were struggling to muster the manpower and equipment to capture Rhodes. Instead, the SBS, now reinforced by the LRDG, Greek Sacred Circle, and Levantine Schooner Flotilla, would have to pick up the slack and do everything they could to starve the German garrison into surrender.
Disaster struck in early October when orders came down from Hitler himself that not only would Rhodes never surrender, but that the Wehrmacht would launch a full-scale invasion of the Dodecanese to rip them right back out of Allied control. Beginning with the invasion of Kos, Allied forces were caught totally off-guard. Sutherland watched the chaos enfold from his observation point on the neighboring Kalymnos and decided that he should send in a small unit of his own men to assess the situation. What they saw was grim. British forces on the island were confused and disorganized, and the Germans were now working to mop up what little resistance remained. Deciding to beat them to it, the group sent to Kos set about evacuating survivors. Working over the course of a week without boots and little more than the few clothes they were able to scrounge up to warm themselves in the cold, autumn, nights (they had attempted to escape the island themselves aboard makeshift rafts, but had been forced to swim back when they proved non-seaworthy, stripping unnecessary clothing as they went), they managed to save nearly a hundred lost, confused, and starving men.
Below a pair of men who participated in the rescue operation on Kos can be seen. On the left is Dick “Jeff” Holmes, who led the operation. His outfit consists of a British Army Sweater, pair of Pattern 1941 KD Shorts, and what I believe to be a beret (the SBS wore beige berets with SAS badges throughout WW2), although it could just as easily be some sort of wool cap. Around his waist is a P37 webbing belt supporting a pistol holster for his prized Smith & Wesson revolver, a P37 Pistol ammo pouch, and some manner of other large pouch, possibly a P37 Utility Pouch that he might be using to carry extra ammunition for his Tommy Gun. The man on the right is Duggie Pomford, a former boxer turned commando (there seem to have been a lot of those…). Like Holmes, he wears an Army Sweater, however in place of the KD shorts more commonly worn in Greece he has instead acquired a nice, warm, pair of Battledress trousers. Around his neck he has a pair of binoculars and tucked beneath his arm is some sort of blanket. While he too has a P37 webbing belt, his appears much more sparsely adorned, as he is likely taking advantage of his trouser’s large leg pocket for carrying ammunition. The elephant in the room however, is their boots. Referred to by the commandos as “Canadian Boots,” they seem to be some manner of duck boot, and were likely a private purchase of the two men. As this style of boot proved itself popular with the SBS thanks to its durable, waterproof, rubber bottom and flexible, easily worn, calf-length leather upper portion, there are many pictures of SBS commandos sporting them from the latter half of the war. With so little information available though, it is impossible for me to say for sure what these “Canadian Boots” actually were. Also, notice the bandage wrapped around Holmes' leg...
hmm.... https://preview.redd.it/tyvpfln9cmv31.jpg?width=306&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=744d8ca66a931a6b62ef894d96eb0005520e3c40 Meanwhile on the island of Simi, 26 commandos, mostly from M Squadron, alongside roughly 140 Italians garrisoning the island and 40 RAF ground crewmen whom the SBS had “coaxed” into helping them were preparing to fight a bitter defense for the island. When the Germans did come ashore the 20mm Breda Autocannon that they had placed overlooking the bay began tearing into them, and while several of the attackers managed to penetrate further inland, reaching Simi Town, they were met by a bloodthirsty Lassen who began to viciously push them back to their boats. With the enemy routing, another group of the SBS set off in a boat of their own and chased down the unarmed German ships, pushing them right into view of a Bren Gun battery that they had set up the day previous. The machine guns riddled the wooden deck with bullets, killing and wounding many more men. The Allies’ victory was well-fought but would be just as equally short-lived. When the German officers in charge of the Dodecanese campaign found out about this humiliating defeat they came down hard with the Luftwaffe. Over the next several days stukas rained hell on the island, killing Allied soldiers and Greek civilians indiscriminately, ultimately forcing the Allies off of the island.
A similar situation faced the men attempting to hold Leros, including most of S Squadron. Throughout the month of October, the island was indiscriminately bombed both day and night by the Luftwaffe. Following a brief moment of rest in the first week of November, the Germans once more resumed their attacks. With their efforts primarily focused on the coastal defences, it became evident that the German attack would be coming at any moment and, realizing the tenuous situation, Jellicoe (who had just arrived on the island alongside what remained of M Squadron to take charge of the situation) sent a handful of reliable men under the command of Lassen north to Samos. Their instructions were to begin preparations to pull Allied forces stationed there out in the event that Leros fell, as their position in the Dodecanese would no longer be salvageable at that point. Additionally, Sutherland was sent to contact the Royal Navy to arrange for an evacuation of Leros in the event that their defense failed. Finally, on the morning of November 12th the first German invaders began making their way onto the beaches under withering fire from the Allied guns. By that afternoon, the Allies’ lines held strong as dozens of Ju-52s filled the sky overhead. The commandos had proven their efficacy against the Wehrmacht’s regular infantry time and time again, but they had never faced a foe like the one that began embarking from those planes. These were no grunts, nor even elite fallschirmjägers. Instead, Hitler had sent none other than his finest soldiers to do battle with the British commandos. Nearly 500 Brandenburgers descended onto the island that day and, if they were anything like what was claimed, the battle was already lost to the Allies. Over the next few days, the Germans and Allies clashed in a vicious tug-of-war over the rocky slopes of the island. While the initial surprise of the airborne attack had allowed the Germans to secure the central region, cutting the Allied force in two, subsequent attempts to land troops by parachute proved disastrous. Not only were Allied forced ready and picked them apart with an onslaught of machine-gun fire, but a strong wind blew many off course and into the sides of cliffs, houses, or into the water where they drowned. By the 15th it looked like the Allies might be able to actually push back the Germans, but the following day everything changed. Unbeknownst to nearly all Allied forces on the island, a squad of Brandenburgers had managed to slip through their lines and set a course straight for Robert Tilney, the commander of all Allied Forces on Leros. To ensure that this bold play went undiscovered, the Luftwaffe was called in once more and, on the morning of November 16th, they forced the Allies back on the defensive. The Germans began to slowly but surely take ground, and when the Brandenburgers informed Tilney of this situation, at gunpoint, he was persuaded to capitulate. When Jellicoe found out about this betrayal, he was furious and rounded up whatever British forces he could to make a mad dash for a Royal Navy motor transport that he had arranged to evacuate them. The fall of Leros and the subsequent abandonment of Samos marked the official end of the short-lived Dodecanese campaign, but not for the SBS.
As the winter of 1943 gave way to the spring of 1944, The Germans found themselves being boxed in on all sides. In the East, the Red Army was battering a crumbling Wehrmacht out of their land and into the old killing grounds of Poland and the Baltics. Looking south, the combined might of the Western Allies had finally broken the stalemate at Monte Cassino and forced the Italians to surrender. In the skies over Western Europe, Allied bombers struck at the very heart of Germany, killing thousands. Most importantly of all, a force was assembling and training to undertake the greatest amphibious invasion the world had ever seen just across the English channel, with D-Day only six months away. The only front on which Germany seemed to have made any gains was in the Aegean, but the SBS wasn’t about to let them take that win so easily. Under orders to undertake a clandestine naval campaign, the purpose of which was to force the Germans into wasting resources that could be used on more important fronts, the SBS began a long series of raids and attacks that many within their ranks bluntly described as “Piracy” and “Terrorism.” From Stampalia to Piscopi the SBS made the Germans pay dearly for their occupation of the Greek islands. For nearly 4 months their reign of terror went practically unopposed until, in late March, they attempted to launch a raid against the islands of Chalki and Alimia, just north of Rhodes. A German spy in Turkey had gotten word of the SBS’ plans to attack the islands and forwarded this information to the commander of the German forces on Rhodes. As soon as the commandos had set foot on Alimia they were rounded up, arrested, and sent to be interrogated before ultimately being handed over to the SS for “liquidation.” The SBS’ luck hadn’t totally run out though, as even though many of their secrets were spilled, the Germans foolishly broadcast what they had learned over public propaganda channels, giving their enemies a chance to adapt before they could even use the information that they had gained. While this ultimately saved many lives, all commandos understood that to be captured meant death, and the execution of good men and friends could not go unpunished. When the SBS struck next, it would be for blood.
In late April, 1944, S Squadron was given to go ahead to expand their area of operations to include the Cyclades, an archipelago before-now untouched by British forces. To announce this new theatre and ensure that the Germans got the message, Sutherland devised a plan to launch 3 simultaneous attacks on Santorini, Ios, and Mykonos. In addition to their standard orders to destroy German shipping and communication infrastructure, a third objective was also given: To eliminate any enemy targets as opportunity provides. On Santorini, Lassen and his men led a direct assault on the barracks, slaughtering the Germans as they slept while a small handful of his men destroyed the wireless station further inland. On Mykonos, the SBS discovered that the garrison comprised only nine men, all of whom were either killed or captured in a single night. Finally, the group sent to Ios eliminated the garrison there and destroyed German communications equipment and an ammo dump before moving on to Amorgos. There they killed the lieutenant in charge of the island who had sent his entire garrison to Santorini to hunt for an already long-gone Lassen. Realizing the golden opportunity they had, the raiders on Amorgos set up an ambush for the returning Germans, killing all but two of the ten that arrived. Throughout the month of May, lightning raids with the goal of spreading terror through the German ranks such as these continued, ultimately eliminating 15 enemy ships, 17 communications centers, untold dozens of enemy soldiers, and capturing 25 tons of food from the Germans, most of which was redistributed to the starving civilian populace of the islands. As the SBS had taken to growing out their beards and wearing strange clothes such as German Field Caps and
Special Hooded Smocks, an American reporter given the chance to visit their headquarters at this time could not help but make the comparison between them and Robin Hood. For the Germans however, the bloodthirsty bearded devils that came in the night had transformed the Aegean from a nice, peaceful, even beautiful post where embattled units recovering from the horrors of the Eastern Front could be sent for much needed R&R to a whole new flavor of hell. Although S Squadron would eventually be pulled back to Palestine, ending their month of chaos, M-Squadron would pick up where they left off.
Below a handful of men from S Squadron can be seen aboard one of their “Pirate Ships.” Andy Lassen again makes an appearance (top right), but also of note is Stefan Casulli (bottom left) who was one of only two Allied soldiers that died during the Cyclades raids. The men of the SBS wore a wide variety of clothing by this point, with the photo below serving as an excellent example of this. The commandos wore anything from the typical Aertex shirts and P1941 shorts to early pattern British Army sweaters and sometimes even just their underwear (Aegean summers are
hot). The aforementioned “Canadian Boots” were still a popular choice in this theatre, however some men (like Lassen below) also grew fond of South African pattern boots, which were lighter and more comfortable in the Mediterranean heat. Finally, additional equipment such as commando caps, berets, binoculars, and P37 belts for carrying sidearms were all common.
https://preview.redd.it/1n7p9wpmnmv31.jpg?width=620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a24e198b3a0b44ee2b75d7e0aaed2aedc957e8f Knowing that the Germans had reinforced their garrisons in the southern Archipelagos, M Squadron instead attempted to shift their focus north to the Sporades. Discovering these islands to be a poor hunting ground though, the SBS once more set a course for the Dodecanese. Here, they would conduct the largest special operations raid the world had yet seen. Working alongside men from the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment in early July, the SBS used their signature kayaks to silently come up alongside a pair of German destroyers, plant limpet mines, and stealthily make their escape. With the resulting explosions forcing them back to Italy for repairs, the way was now clear. 10 caiques and a pair of schooners collectively carrying 220 SBS, LRDG, Sacred Circle, SAS, and LSF raiders set sail for the island of Symi. Coming ashore in the early hours of July 14, the Allies set up mortar and machine-gun positions overlooking the German defenses that had been reconnoitered by a small force of SBS commandos a few days prior. When the sun first began to rise in the sky, the SBS opened fire on the unsuspecting Germans. Within the first hour of fighting the commandos swept through Symi town, capturing a large number of Germans. Meanwhile, two other forces had moved to capture the island’s two major landmarks, which the Germans were using to house their men. While the monastery force were able to drive their quarries to the edge of a cliff and force a surrender, those sent to the castle faced a far more determined foe. Locked in a stalemate for several hours, the commander of the fort was eventually compelled to parley, and ultimately surrender. Having taken prisoner 151 Germans and killed another 21, the British spent the remainder of the day demolishing anything and everything that the next garrison might use before disappearing back over the waves, prisoners in tow. The next day a German invasion force was sent in to re-take the island, only to find it totally abandoned save 21 dead men. The Symi raid, sometimes called Operation Tenement, was a resounding success for the Allied forces, but it was also the SBS’ last operation in the Aegean, as well as where we will have to end today’s installment of Tommy Tuesday. While I would love to go into further detail about the SBS' exploits in the Balkans and beyond, I'm afraid that to do so would require me to double the length of this already incredibly long installment. Fret not though, as I am sure that we will revisit this unit again some day, even if only to tell those stories.
Now, it is time for us to imagine what, in an ideal world in which DICE actually tried to give the British Faction British cosmetics, the Blockade Runner might actually look like. As with all pre-order bonus sets, I will be leaning a bit more into the tacticool side of things, though with this set I will be going for more light-weight, stealthy, and fast sort of aesthetic. Starting with the head, while it is tempting to go with something like a German Tropical Field Cap since the SBS took a liking to these, a more balanced option that I think would be just as well, and also help to point to their theater of operations, would be a
Greek fisherman's hat with an (admittedly slightly anachronistic)
SBS Patch. Moving on to the torso, a
British Army V-Neck sweater, worn without the typically accompanying undershirt forms a nice base layer onto which a
P37 Webbing belt covered in
Pistol Ammunition Pouches and a
holster for a Smith & Wesson style revolver should be worn. For further detailing, the sleeves should be rolled and a
British Officer's Watch should be worn around one wrist. Finally, a scrim-scarf, nicely tied and tucked under the sweater, completes the look. Finally, for the legs, as a nice nod to the legend of Roger Courtney's raid on the HMS Glengyle, a pair of
Royal Navy Officer's trousers should be worn with a pair of "
Canadian Boots." Both as a nod to the actual set as well as to protect the hem of the nice Officer's pants from damage, a sort of improvised puttee, looking suspiciously like a bandage wrapped around the top of each boot into which the trousers are tucked, should be worn.
And with that, I end this Tommy Tuesday. Next time, we'll be looking at Sandman, Desert Rat, and Dust Raider. I don't think it takes a genius to see what I'm planning with these, but regardless, I look forward to seeing you all next time, whenever that may be.
If you just read all of this and aren’t sure what’s going on but want to learn more, this is part of a weekly series in which I breakdown various British uniforms used throughout WW2 in the hopes that it will raise awareness of just how varied authentic British cosmetics could actually be and to (optimistically) get DICE to actually give the British faction real British Uniforms. This is because, despite the voices, flag, and vehicles of the current allied faction all being British, the actual cosmetic options available to this “British” faction are anything but. The British as they currently appear in game are just Americans with Brodie Helmets and London accents, and until DICE adds actual British cosmetics, that is all they can ever be. For people like me who were excited to see a modern battlefield take on WW2 and to be immersed in this setting in a way that only the Battlefield series allows, BFV has been a massive disappointment. This is only one small part of that problem, but it’s the one that I feel most qualified to talk about, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy this series and maybe even learn something from it as time goes on. If you would like to know more, a list of previous Tommy Tuesdays can be found in the comments below.
1: WWII - Pacific War - United States troops land in the Marshall Islands.
2: The first issue of Human Events is published in Washington, D.C.
3: WWII - United States troops capture the Marshall Islands.
7: WWII - At Anzio, German forces launch a counteroffensive.
8: WWII - 2,765 drown when USS Snook torpedoes the Japanese ship Template / 2,670 drown when HMS Sportsman torpedoes Petrella.
14: WWII - An anti-Japanese revolt breaks out on Java, Indoneisha.
15: WWII – Battle of Monte Cassino - The monastery atop Monte Cassino is destroyed by Allied bombing.
17: WWII: Pacific War – The Battle of Eniwetok begins, when U.S. forces invade the atoll in the Marshall Islands.
18: WWII - Light cruiser HMS Penelope is torpedoed and sunk by U-410; 417 of her crew, including the captain, go down with the ship; 206 survive.
20: WWII - The "Big Week" begins, with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers / The United States takes Eniwetok Atoll.
22: The United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe is organized from the Eighth Air Force's strategic planning staff, subsuming strategic planning for all US Army Air Forces in Europe and Africa.
23: WWII - The Chechen and Ingush are forcibly deported to Central Asia / The Battle of Eniwetok concludes, when U.S. forces secure the last islands in the Eniwetok Atoll.
24: WWII - USS Rasher torpedoes Ryūsei Maru and Tango Maru; 7,998 drown.
26: Kurt Gerron begins shooting the Nazi propaganda film, Theresienstadt in Theresienstadt concentration camp. He and many others who are featured in it are transferred to Auschwitz, and gassed upon the film's completion / Sue S. Dauser becomes the first woman appointed to the substantive rank of captain, in the United States Navy Nurse Corps.
29: WWII - Pacific War – The Admiralty Islands campaign (Operation Brewer) opens, when U.S. forces land on Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands.
submitted by EDIT - Title should read 'Part 2', but never mind! Chapters:
Part 1: Introduction Part 3: Weapons and Classes It's been a while since I wrote my introduction, been a bit busy, but here is part 2 of my idea for Battlefield 1944. All the maps, with descriptions. Every map from the original BF1942 and Road to Rome expansion has been included, but I have also added eight new ones. Some changes have been made to the originals, be it for historical accuracy or simply changing the nations.
They take place over five fronts: Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Pacific, and Western Europe.
Without further ado, here they are:
Eastern Europe: Berlin A war torn city is all that stands in the way of Allied victory, and it plays host to some intense street fighting. Similar to the original BF1942, but it has expanded south of the river, where there is another capture point, and to the north west of the map is the Reichstag.
The Crimea This German occupied peninsula, dominated by rolling hills and villages, is separated from the Ukranian mainland by a bridge, with the Soviet forces waiting to launch their offensive on the other side.
East Prussian Offensive On one side of the river is the city of Konigsberg, where the Axis have been pushed back. On the other is the fields and meadows where Soviet forces are.
Kharkov An island in the middle of two rivers, with Allied and Axis forces on either side waiting to take the city. A huge change from the original BF1942 version is that the island in the middle has been completely urbanised, with plenty of buildings.
Kursk A huge swathe of rural land plays host to epic tank battles. No changes from the BF1942 version.
Seelow Heights German and Russian forces, dug into their trenches, fight for supremacy over a mountainous piece of land, their bases either side of it.
Stalingrad Russians launch their assault on a German occupied city, it's buildings wrecked and in rubble as a result of continous fighting. Changes from the original see the Allies spawn across the river to the south of the map and crossing it to the southern capture point by boat, and the north west train station now being a capture point.
Mediterranean: Anzio An industrial port with a river through the middle leads American forces to push on through the surrounding mountainous region against the Germans. The main change from the original Road to Rome version is that the Allies begin the map on a ship, and must land at Anzio, where the Germans have all the flags.
Crete A series of villages and an airfield set amongst mountains and hills, occupied by the British, play host to a German paratrooper assault from across the sea, with naval assistance.
Monte Cassino A German occupied Monastery, wrecked by constant Allied bombings, sits atop a gradual mountain where intensive fighting plays out. The Allied nation is British, rather than French like in the original version.
Monte Santa Croce German troops are dug in atop a hill in a vast mountainous region, whilst Allied forces are based across the river. The Allied nation is British, rather than French like in the original version.
Operation Baytown Two islands, one occupied by the British, and the other by the Italians, with a third, smaller island in between. No changes from the original Road to Rome version.
Operation Husky British troops land on a beach and move inland, towards a village occupied by the Italians. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Salerno Americans and Germans go head to head on a large, spacious, mountainous landmass surrounded by a river. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
North Africa: Beda Fomm British and Italian defensive lines lie across this peninsula, comprised wholly of desert sand.
El Alamein A huge desert plays host to tank battles and air strikes between British and German forces, both located in large bases. The difference between this version and the original version is that the map has been made slightly smaller, with the sea to the north of the map, and a railway line along the coastline, with the village of El Alamein located along the railway as a cappable flag.
Gazala Narrow roads and small villages are the only spaces on this hugely mountainous map that allow the many tanks to pass through, as Britain and Germany go head-to-head. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Kasserine Pass German and American forces fight in the rocky mountains, lined with plenty of natural trenches, with the village of Kasserine to the south.
Operation Aberdeen A large spacious desert with only one small village in the middle, with a huge emphasis on tank battles. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Operation Battleaxe British and German bases lie on either side of a small, arena-like valley in the desert. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Tobruk Behind a number of defensive lines lies the city of Tobruk, occupied by the British, who defend it from oncoming German forces. A huge change to the map is that the city of Tobruk has been made a lot bigger, stretching towards the sea, with a new flag being added - Tobruk port.
Pacific: Coral Sea An almost entirely naval map, with only a few nondescript attols as any landmark during this naval battle between America and Japan. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Guadalcanal This large island dominated by mountains and jungles is bookended by American and Japanese bases. The spacious grassy parts to the east of the island in the original BF1942 version are now jungles.
Iwo Jima American forces land on this small, mountainous island dominated by the Japanese. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Invasion of the Phillipines A series of small islands play host to amphibious landings and naval warfare between America and Japan. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Midway The American and Japanese navies engage in fighting in the water around this small atoll that hosts only an airfield. No changes from the original BF1942 version.
Okinawa Japanese soldiers defend a narrowly shaped island from an amphibious American assault.
Wake Island Well...it's Wake Island. You all know the score.
Western Europe: Battle of Britain British fighters must defend their factories from German bombers and fighters coming from across the sea. No changes to the original BF1942 version.
Battle of the Bulge In snowy terrain, Americans and Germans go head to head in a large swathe of land, separated in two by a river, with one village to the south. No changes to the original BF1942 version.
Bocage Americans and Germans fight in French countryside, with windmills, church towers, a sawmill and a few bombed out buildings being the only cover. No changes to the original BF1942 version.
Hurtgen Forest A rural map with a large forest, in which Americans and Germans fight, divided in two by a river with a large dam.
Liberation of Caen Allied troops cross Pegasus Bridge to engage German forces in urban warfare on the streets of Caen. The Allied nation is British, rather than Canadian like in the original BF1942 version.
Omaha Beach The Americans partake in an amphibious assault on a beach strongly defended by the Germans, and push inland through the village at the top. The bunkers are larger than the original BF1942 version, and can be entered through a door at the bottom. There is also a wall of barbed wire near the top of the beach, and mortars have been placed among the bunkers.
Operation Market Garden Allied forces fight on the streets of Arnhem, which sits on a river, with German forces based on the other side. The Allied nation is British, rather than American like in the original BF1942 version.
submitted by 1: WWII - An anti-fascist strike begins in northern Italy / USS Trout torpedoes Sakito Maru; 2,495 drown.
2: Balvano Train Disaster - A train stalls inside a railway tunnel outside Salerno, Italy; 521 choke to death / The 16th Academy Awards Ceremony is held, the first Oscar ceremony held at a large public venue, Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Casablanca, (directed by Michael Curtiz), wins the Best Picture Award.
3: WWII - The Order of Nakhimov and the Order of Ushakov are instituted in the USSR.
4: In Ossining, New York, Louis Buchalter, the leader of 1930s crime syndicate Murder, Inc., is executed at Sing Sing, along with Emanuel Weiss and Louis Capone.
6: WWII - Soviet Army planes attack Narva, Estonia, destroying almost the entire baroque old town.
9: WWII - Soviet Army planes attack Tallinn, Estonia, killing 757 and leaving 25,000 homeless.
10: In Britain, the prohibition on married women working as teachers is lifted / Resistance leader Joop Westerweel is arrested while returning to the Netherlands, having escorted a group of Jewish children to safety in Spain.
12: WWII - The Political Committee of National Liberation is created in Greece.
15: WWII - Battle of Monte Cassino - Allied aircraft bomb the monastery, and an assault is staged / WWII - The National Council of the French Resistance approves the Resistance programme / The Soviet Union introduces a new anthem, replacing The Internationale / In Sweden, the 1864 law which had criminalized homosexuality is abolished.
18: The last eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy kills 26, and causes thousands to flee their homes / WWII - The Nazis execute almost 400 prisoners, Soviet citizens and anti-fascist Romanians at Rîbnița.
19: WWII - Operation Margarethe: German forces occupy Hungary.
20: WWII - Landing on Emirau: 4,000 United States Marines land on Emirau Island in the Bismarck Archipelago to develop an airbase, as part of Operation Cartwheel / British Royal Air Force Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade's bomber is hit over Germany, and he has to bail out without a parachute from a height of over 4,000 meters (13,123 ft). Tree branches interrupt his fall and he lands safely on deep snow.
23: WWII - Members of the Italian Resistance attack Nazis marching in Via Rasella, killing 33.
24: WWII - Ardeatine Massacre - In Rome, 335 Italians are killed, including 75 Jews and over 200 members of the Italian Resistance from various groups / In Markowa, Poland, German police kill Józef and Wiktoria Ulm, their 6 children and 8 Jews they were hiding / The "Great Escape" - 76 Royal Air Force prisoners of war escape by tunnel "Harry" from Stalag Luft III this night. Only 3 men (2 Norwegians and a Dutchman) return to the UK; of those recaptured, 50 are summarily executed soon afterwards, in the Stalag Luft III murders.
submitted by The Abbey of Monte Cassino, established in 529 and the oldest Benedictine monastery in the world, was destroyed by Allied bombers on this day in 1944 in what is now acknowledged as one of the biggest strategic errors of the Second World War on the Allied side. An American cemetery, where the dead from Monte Cassino and other battles of the Italian campaign are interred, lies 90 miles north of Monte Cassino and houses some 8,000 graves. Memories of the Italian campaign and the destruction of the abbey stayed with many of the veterans for a lifetime. Monte Cassino, in the province of Lazio, is located 81 miles South of Rome is the site of the ancient Roman town of Casinum, but it is best known for its historic Benedictine Abbey that was a focal point for one the most bloody WWII battles.It was St. Benedict of Nursia who established this very first Benedictine monastery around the year 529. After months of battle and tremendous loss of life The world's most glorious monastery, at Monte Cassino in Italy, was destroyed during the second world war because of a mistake by a British junior officer, according to new evidence in a book due Official news release which accompanied this film stated:"This silent Combat Film 378 shows the dive bombing of the Monte Cassino Monastery. According to included information: "Because of the fact that German artillery was still operating from the ruins of the Monastery following the initial bombing by U.S. planes, American dive bombers continued to attack the ruins for the next several days. The honor of claiming Monte Cassino fell to a patrol of the 12th Podolski Lancers, who mounted the shattered walls of the monastery and raised a Polish flag. Alexander, ecstatic with the symbolic victory that had taken so long to secure, fired off a dispatch to Churchill. In the fall of 1943, although the fighting front was far from Monte Cassino, Italian museum officials reminded the Allied command of the historic and artistic importance of the abbey. Word went out to air units at once: “All possible precautions to be taken to avoid bombing abbey on Monte Cassino.” For the thousands of Allied soldiers who had fought and suffered for so long in the shadow of the abbey of Monte Cassino, Tuesday morning, February 15, 1944, was a time of joy and celebration. In early February the U.S. Thirty-fourth Infantry Division failed to capture the western anchor of the Gustav Line, and one of the holiest shrines of Roman Catholicism, the abbey of Monte Cassino. Close to the hearts of many Italians, Monte Cassino, a Catholic monastery situated high on a rocky hill above the town of Cassino, was a symbol of peace and magnificence for hundreds of years. However, in 1944 this religious beacon transformed into a looming reminder of Allied attrition, stagnancy, and the costliness of war.
Unissued / unused material - dates and location unclear or unknown. Cassino monastery, used by Germans as observation post, is bombed by the allies. Italy. Long shots of bombs and shells exploding ... Unused / unissued material - dates and locations unclear or unknown. Monte Cassino - action shots. M/S of British soldiers carrying wounded soldier. Various shots of British soldiers walking over ... http://www.zazzle.com/trumpess The War Years designs and sells a wide range of WWII military history commemorative items including t-shirts, mouse mats, mugs... REEL 1 - English for the Italians CU Leaflet in Italian warning everybody to evacuate the Monastry CU ditto in English (x 2) GV's various of Monastry before ... Item title reads - Cassino monastery bombed.Italy.L/S of the abbey on the crest of Monte Cassino. M/S Benedictine monks walking in grounds of Pershore and Na... Shows aerial views of explosions in Cassino, Italy. Fighter planes, manned by Negro pilots, are armed, fueled, and taken off to bomb the city. Camouflaged U.S. howitzers fire on the city. Planes ... Monte Cassino Combat Footage 1944 Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy – 17.01-19.05.1944Bombing of the monastery - the testimony of Mr Zbigniew Gądek - one of General Anders soldiers from the Poli... The decision to attack the monastery, occupied and fortified by the Germans, was a military necessity. The results of the decision are vividly portrayed in the following sensational pictures. CUTS ...
