#raf advanced striking force

[usafphantom2]

2 September 1939. The Royal Air Force Advanced Air Striking Force was deployed to France. It initially comprised 12e squadrons, 10 equipped with Fairey Battle light bombers and 2 equipped with Hawker Hurricane single-seat fighters.

@ron_eisele via X

[dronescapesvideos]

Heinkel He 111H-2 transported through the town of Roye, France. November 1939. It was intercepted by two Hurricanes of 87 Sqn RAF and shot down by Flt Lt Robert Voase Jeff. It was the first recorded victory for the RAF Advanced Air Striking Force. For his actions, Jeff was awarded the Croix de Guerre and became "the first British officer to receive a French award in the present war." Badly damaged, the Heinkel belly landed at the place called "La Longue Croix", at Staple near Hazebrouck. A wing of the plane struck an electric pylon, while the landing gear broke against a hedge near a small stream. Two French civilians, Jean Ellebout and Eugen Vantours, were the first to reach the bomber. Two of the crew had been seriously wounded. The two others were trying to burn documents and were arrested. Both wounded were brought to Cassel, one later dying of his wounds. The three survivors (including the other wounded) were captured by the French.

➤HD IMAGE: https://dronescapes.video/He-111

[whencyclopedia]

Dunkirk Evacuation

The Dunkirk Evacuation of 26 May to 4 June 1940, known as Operation Dynamo, was the attempt to save the British Expeditionary Force in France from total defeat by an advancing German army. Nearly 1,000 naval and civilian craft of all kinds, aided by calm weather and RAF air support, managed to evacuate around 340,000 British, French, and Allied soldiers.

The evacuation led to soured Franco-Anglo relations as the French considered Dunkirk a betrayal, but the alternative was very likely the capture of the entire British Expeditionary Force on the Continent. France surrendered shortly after Dunkirk, but the withdrawal allowed Britain and its empire to harbour its resources and fight on alone in what would become an ever-expanding theatre of war.

Germany's Blitzkrieg

At the outbreak of the Second World War when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, France was relying almost entirely on a single defensive line to protect itself against invasion. These defences were the Maginot Line, a series of mightily impressive concrete structures, bunkers, and underground tunnels which ran along France's eastern frontiers. Manned by 400,000 soldiers, the defence system was named after the French minister of war André Maginot. The French imagined a German attack was most likely to come in two places: the Metz and Lauter regions. As it turned out, Germany attacked France through the Ardennes and Sedan on the Belgian border, circumventing most of the Maginot Line and overrunning the inadequate French defences around the River Meuse, inadequate because the French had considered the terrain in this forested area unsuitable for tanks. Later in the campaign, the Maginot Line was breached near Colmar and Saarbrücken.

To bolster the defences of France, Britain had sent across the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) under the command of General John Vereker (better known by his later title Lord Gort, 1886-1946). Around 150,000 men, mostly infantry, had arrived in September 1939 to strengthen the Franco-Belgian border. The BEF included the British Advanced Air Striking Force of 12 RAF squadrons. The aircraft were mostly Hawker Hurricane fighters and a few light bombers, all given much to the regret of RAF commanders who would have preferred to have kept these planes for home defence. The superior Supermarine Spitfire fighters were kept safely in Britain until the very last stages of the battle in France. The BEF had no armoured divisions and so was very much a defensive force, rather than an offensive one. More infantry divisions arrived up to April 1940, so the BEF grew to almost 400,000 men, but 150,000 of these had little or no military training. As General Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976) noted, the BEF was "totally unfit to fight a first class war on the Continent" (Dear, 130). In this respect, both Britain and France were very much stuck in the defensive-thinking mode that had won them the First World War (1914-18). Their enemy was exactly the opposite and had planned meticulously for what it called Fall Gelb (Operation Yellow), the German offensive in the west.

Totally unprepared for a war of movement, the defensive-thinking French were overwhelmed in the middle weeks of May 1940 by the German Blitzkrieg ("lightning war") tactics of fast-moving tanks supported by specialist bombers and smartly followed by the infantry. German forces swept through the three neutral countries of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium. The 9th Army punched through the Ardennes and raced in a giant curve through northeast France to reach the coast around Boulogne. The BEF and the northern French armies (7th and 1st) were cut off from the rest of the French forces to the south. Germany had achieved what it called the 'Sickle Slice' (Sichelschnitt). By 24 May, the French and British troops were isolated and with their backs to the English Channel, occupying territory from Dunkirk to Lille. Although there were sporadic counterpunches by the defenders, Gort had already concluded that the French army had collapsed as an operational force. Gort considered an attack on the Germans to the south, which he was ordered to make, would have achieved very little except the annihilation of his army. The BEF must be saved, and so he withdrew to the north.

Continue reading...

[pinturas-sgm-aviacion]

1945 03 Victory over the Rhine - Nicolas Trudgian

Of the many famous combat aircraft to serve their respective countries in the Second World War, two perhaps more than any others, created huge impact and consternation upon seasoned opposing pilots when they first appeared on the battlefront - the Supermarine Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Me262. Both in their day represented enormous advances in aircraft design and power, and both have continued to capture the imagination of aviation enthusiasts ever since. As the war progressed the Spitfire continually upgraded its performance and by the time the Luftwaffes new Me262 turbo-jet arrived on the scene the sleek new Mk XIV, powered by the awesome Griffon engine, was among the fastest piston-engine fighters of the war. The stage was set for a clash between the most powerful piston-engine fighter and the worlds first turbojet, and it was not long before the pilots of these two most advanced combat aircraft met in the hostile skies over western Europe. Ill-advisedly employed by Hitler as the wonder-bomber, the Me262 was initially issued to Bomber Units, one of which being KG51. Tasked with undertaking lightning fast raids upon advancing Allied ground forces, the shark-like jets employed their spectacular speed advantage to surprise, strike and escape. Not to be outdone, the RAF responded with their supremely fast Spitfire XIVs which had already proven themselves highly effective against Germanys V1 flying bombs. In his painting, Nick Trudgian recreates a typical moment: Spitfire Mk XIVs of 41 Squadron have intercepted and damaged a Me262 of KG51 and, with smoke and debris pouring from its damaged Jumo 004 Turbojet, the stricken Luftwaffe jet will be lucky to make it home. A dramatic painting and a fine tribute to the RAFs contribution to the Victory in Europe.

[wushigod]

Rishi Sunak has confirmed that RAF Typhoons shot down a number of Iranian drones overnight and said the UK’s involvement helped save lives in Israel and neighbouring Arab countries. The prime minister did not provide the number of drones hit, although the UK’s contribution is likely to have been significantly less than the 70 claimed by the US and dozens reported knocked out by Jordan over its airspace. I can confirm that a number of Iranian attack drones were shot down and we pay tribute to the bravery and the professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians,” Sunak said. Britain signed a military cooperation agreement with Israel in 2020, which remains secret, and a defence and trade pact a year later, but these are not thought to require the UK to come to Israel’s aid in the event that it is attacked by another country. Instead, Sunak described Britain’s participation as “saving lives not just in Israel but in neighbouring countries like Jordan as well”, and he suggested it was an extension of the air campaign against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Constitutionally, the prime minister can start a war or order military action without reference to parliament, relying on royal prerogative powers originally reserved to the monarch but now delegated to ministers. In 2011 the Conservative-led coalition said a convention had emerged whereby MPs would have the opportunity to debate the deployment of military forces in advance, except in the case of an emergency. Parliament’s authorisation was sought for the UK to participate in the bombing against Muammar Gaddafi’s forces in Libya in 2011, against IS in Iraq in 2014 and in Syria in 2015, but more recently Sunak declined to give parliament a vote on Britain’s participation in strikes against Yemen’s Houthis, who have been attacking shipping in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Parliament returns from its Easter break on Monday, having not sat since the US first warned of a likely Iranian attack on Israel at the end of last week. The prime minister is expected to personally update MPs on the crisis and Britain’s military assistance on Monday afternoon. Ministers are likely to face renewed pressure from Tory MPs to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist group. I have argued for a long time that they should already be proscribed because of their actions inside and outside Iran,” Liam Fox, the former Tory defence secretary, told the Guardian. “Recent events have merely confirmed what many of us believe – that they are the toxic core of a thuggish regime. We might also ask why Iran Air are still operating daily from Heathrow and why Iranian banks still function in the City.” Bob Blackman, the Tory MP for Harrow East, said: “Iran has declared war on Israel and Israel is our ally. We should proscribe the IRGC, sequester their assets in the UK and close the Iranian embassy in London.” The shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, renewed the Labour party’s call for the IRGC to be proscribed and called for the government to “come forward with new plans” to make it happen. The Foreign Office has resisted the move because doing so with a state body would be likely to sever diplomatic relations with Tehran and prevent direct engagement. Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg Show: “We believe that the police or security services and the courts here in the UK have the powers that they need to target those people who are causing the most concern and indeed, we have sanctioned 400 individuals and entities from Iran here in the UK. “But secondly, there is a point of the value of being able to have a direct conversation with the Iranian authorities, in the way that has already happened.” Preparations for the UK’s participation in the event of any Iranian attack went on for several days last week, with Typhoons and Voyager refuelling aircraft being rebased at the Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus to provide the necessary support. ...

[thxnews]

UK PM Outlines Yemen Conflict Strategy

Exact transcript of the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Speech to the House of Commons on the Combined Attack on the Houthi military targets in Yemen. I would like to update the House on the action that we took on Thursday night against Houthi military targets in Yemen. Since 19 November, Iran-backed Houthis have launched over 25 illegal and unacceptable attacks on commercial shipping in the Red sea, and on 9 January they mounted a direct attack against British and American warships. They fired on our ships and our sailors—it was the biggest attack on the Royal Navy for decades—and so we acted. We did so in self-defence, consistent with the UN charter, and to uphold freedom of navigation, as Britain has always done. Alongside the United States, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, we ordered the RAF to strike two Houthi military facilities in Yemen. I want to be clear that these were limited strikes. They were carefully targeted at launch sites for drones and ballistic missiles to degrade the Houthis’ capacity to make further attacks on international shipping. I can tell the House today that our initial assessment is that all 13 planned targets were destroyed. At the drone and cruise missile base in Bani, nine buildings were successfully hit. A further three buildings were hit at Abbs airfield, along with a cruise missile launcher caught in the open. We have seen no evidence thus far of civilian casualties, which we took great care to avoid. I know the whole House will join me in paying tribute to the incredible bravery and professionalism of all our servicemen and women. The need to maximise the security and effectiveness of the operation meant that it was not possible to bring this matter to the House in advance, but we took care to brief Members—including of course you, Mr Speaker, and the Leader of the Opposition—before the strikes took place, and I have come to the House at the earliest possible opportunity. I do not take decisions on the use of force lightly. That is why I stress that this action was taken in self-defence. It was limited, not escalatory. It was a necessary and proportionate response to a direct threat to UK vessels, and therefore to the UK itself. Let me be absolutely clear why the Royal Navy is in the Red sea. It is there as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, protecting freedom of navigation as a fundamental tenet of international law. The Houthis’ attacks on international shipping have put innocent lives at risk. They have held one crew hostage for almost two months, and they are causing growing economic disruption. Global commerce cannot operate under such conditions. Containers and tankers are having to take a 5,000-mile detour around the Cape of Good Hope. That pushes up prices and imperils the passage of goods, foods and medicines that the British people and others rely on. We have attempted to resolve this through diplomacy. After numerous international calls for the attacks to stop, a coalition of countries gave the Houthis a clear and unambiguous warning two weeks ago. Last week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the attacks and highlighting the right of nations to defend their vessels and preserve freedom of navigation, yet the Houthis continued on their reckless path. We should not fall for the Houthis’ malign narrative that this is about Israel and Gaza—they target ships from around the world. We continue to work towards a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and to get more aid to civilians. We also continue to support a negotiated settlement in Yemen’s civil war, but I want to be very clear that this action is completely unrelated to those issues. It is a direct response to the Houthis’ attacks on international shipping. We should also recognise the risks of inaction. It would weaken international security and the rule of law, further damage freedom of navigation and the global economy, and send a dangerous message that British vessels and British interests are fair game. There is another point here, which is often overlooked. The Houthis’ attacks risk worsening the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen itself. The UK helps to feed around 100,000 Yemenis every month, with aid arriving via the very sea routes that the Houthis have in their sights. The threats to shipping must cease. Illegally detained vessels and crews must be released, and we remain prepared to back our words with actions. But dealing with that threat does not detract from our other international commitments; rather, it strengthens our determination to uphold fundamental UN principles. If our adversaries think they can distract us from helping Ukraine by threatening international security elsewhere, they could not be more wrong. On Friday, I travelled to Kyiv to meet President Zelensky and address the Ukrainian Parliament. I took a message from this House to the Rada that we will stand with Ukraine today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes. If Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there, and other malign actors will be emboldened. That is why Ukraine’s security is our security. That is why the UK will stay the course, and it is why I am confident that our partners share our resolve. Far from our resolve faltering, our military support to Ukraine will increase this year. We will provide the biggest single package of defence aid to Ukraine since the war began, worth £2.5 billion. That will include more air defence equipment, more anti-tank weapons, more long-range missiles, thousands more rounds of ammunition and artillery shells, training for thousands more Ukrainian servicemen and women, and the single largest package of advanced drones given to Ukraine by any nation. All of that is on top of what we have already provided to support Ukraine. In total, since the war began, the United Kingdom will have provided almost £12 billion of aid to Ukraine. We were the first to train Ukrainian troops, the first in Europe to provide lethal weapons, the first to commit main battle tanks, the first to provide long-range missiles, and now we are the first to keep the promise made at last year’s NATO summit, alongside 30 other countries, to provide new bilateral security commitments. Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO, and NATO will be stronger with Ukraine in it, but these commitments will help bridge the gap until that day comes. Under the new agreement that we signed with President Zelensky, we are building Ukraine’s military capabilities; and if Russia ever invades Ukraine again, we will provide swift and sustained assistance, including modern equipment across land, air and sea. Together with our allies, the UK will be there from the first moment until the last. For all of this, I bring a message of thanks from President Zelensky to the British people. Today, I hope that the House will join me in sending a message back to the Ukrainian people: that we stand together as one in support of these firm commitments. We are building a new partnership with Ukraine, designed to last 100 years or more. Yes, it is about defence and security, but it is also about trade, investment, culture and more. There could be no more powerful sign of our unique bond than Ukraine’s decision to adopt English as the language of business and diplomacy. So, through the British Council, we are going to fund English language training for the Ukrainian people. In dangerous times, we are investing in defence, hardening our critical infrastructure and building our alliances. We are resolute in our principles: international security; the rule of law; and freedom to determine your own future. An attack on those principles is an attack on everything that we believe in and on which our lives and livelihoods depend. As the home of parliamentary democracy and a leader in collective security, it is our responsibility to defend those principles and to defend our people. That is who we are. That is what Britain does and will always do. I commend this statement to the House.   Sources: THX News, Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street & The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP. Read the full article

[militaryleak]

Royal Air Force Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Flies for First Time

The Royal Air Force Protector RG Mk1, a remotely piloted aircraft system, took to the skies from RAF Waddington, marking another important milestone in the delivery of the surveillance, intelligence, and precision strike aircraft to the front line. The first of 16 remotely piloted Protector aircraft arrived at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in September and is undergoing a series of rigorous trials and tests before entering the RAF fleet. Capable of operating across the world with a minimal deployed footprint and remotely piloted from RAF Waddington, it can operate at heights up to 40,000 feet with an endurance of over 30 hours. Protector, the largest and most advanced remotely piloted aircraft flown in UK airspace, successfully taxied and flew a series of circuits around RAF Waddington airfield, at all times under the control of a pilot through its ground-based advanced cockpit. Equipped with a suite of surveillance equipment, the Protector aircraft will bring a critical global surveillance capability for the UK, all while being remotely piloted from RAF Waddington. Protector will be able to undertake a wide range of tasking including land and maritime surveillance to track threats, counter terrorism, and support to UK civil authorities, such as assisting HM Coastguard with search and rescue missions.

The Royal Air Force Protector RG Mk1, a remotely piloted aircraft system, took to the skies from RAF Waddington, marking another important milestone in the delivery of the surveillance, intelligence, and precision strike aircraft to the front line. The first of 16 remotely piloted Protector aircraft arrived at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in September and is undergoing a series of rigorous…

[xtruss]

US 'Doomsday Plane' Capable of Ordering World-Ending Nuclear Strikes Spotted in Europe

The US and Russia are the only two countries in the world possessing ‘doomsday planes’ – a type of airborne command post designed to launch nuclear strikes and survive an enemy nuclear attack. The terrifying aircraft were created during the Cold War, but have gained new relevance amid the ongoing NATO-Russia proxy conflict in Ukraine.

United States European Command (EUCOM), the Stuttgart, Germany-based combatant command responsible for US military operations in and around Europe, Turkey and Russia, has tweeted a photo of a US Navy E-6B Mercury airborne command post and communications relay plane which recently landed in Iceland.

“A US Navy E-6B Mercury assigned to United States Strategic Command Wing One arrived in Iceland recently, while conducting operations in the EU European Command area of responsibility,” the EUCOM’s account tweeted.

Russian Air Force Il-80 Maxdome, “Doomsday Plane”

The plane’s crew was said to have met with Carrin Patman, the US ambassador to Iceland, as well as unnamed “other diplomatic and military leaders.”

Wing One is the US Navy’s nuclear command and control wing. Based out of the Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, the unit’s primary mission consists of receiving, verifying and retransmitting “Emergency Action Messages (EAMs) to US strategic forces.” In Pentagon jargon, EAMs are messages directing US nuclear forces to launch strikes against enemy targets in conditions of nuclear war. In addition to its ability to deliver launch orders to ballistic missile submarines, the planes can remotely order ground-based operators of Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile silos to launch their payloads.

Pentagon planners have also highlighted the EAM network for possible use in the execution of its ‘Prompt Global Strike’ plans as well. The latter is an ambitious (but highly dangerous) Pentagon initiative cooked up during the Bush II administration envisioning the disarmament of a nuclear-armed adversary and the ‘decapitation’ of its political and military leadership through the massed launch of conventional ballistic and cruise missiles. Russia responded to PGS through the creation of new advanced hypersonic missiles and other weaponry to convince the Pentagon that any attempt to “declaw” Russia’s strategic arsenal would result in “unacceptable” losses – including the possible destruction of American cities.

The US Navy has 16 E-6 Mercury aircraft in its inventory, plus four older Boeing E-4 ‘Nightwatch’ Advanced Airborne Command Post (AACP) planes.

Russia is the only other country in the world operating ‘doomsday planes,’ with its inventory consisting of three Ilyushin Il-80 (NATO reporting name ‘Maxdome’) airborne command and control aircraft built in the 1980s.

The US has deployed its doomsday plane to Europe in the past. Last March, an E4-B Nightwatch was transferred from Edwards Air Force Base in California to RAF Midenhall in the UK as part of a fleet of aircraft that accompanied President Biden during last year’s emergency NATO summit and meetings with European officials.

— Sputnik International | By Ilya Tsukanov | March 01, 2023

[captain-price-unofficially]

During the "Phoney War" the Battle did achieve the distinction of scoring the first aerial victory of an RAF aircraft in the conflict. In May 1940, the Battles of the Advanced Air Striking Force suffered many losses, frequently in excess of 50 per cent of aircraft sorties per mission. By the end of 1940 the Battle had been withdrawn from front-line service and relegated to training units overseas. As an aircraft that had been considered to hold great promise in the pre-war era, the Battle proved to be one of the most disappointing aircraft in RAF service

Fairey Battle. A pretty useless, but elegant aircraft.

[usafphantom2]

24 August 1939. The RAF Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) was formed. Initially consisting of 10 squadrons of Fairey Battle bombers, its mission was to deploy to France in the event of war with Germany and strike targets in Germany from French bases.

@ron_eisele via X

[bookloversofbath]

Fighter Pilot: A Personal Record of the Campaign in France 1939-1940 :: Paul Richey

Fighter Pilot: A Personal Record of the Campaign in France 1939-1940 :: Paul Richey

Fighter Pilot: A Personal Record of the Campaign in France 1939-1940 :: Paul Richey soon to be presented for sale on the super BookLovers of Bath web site! London: Leo Cooper, 1990, Hardback in dust wrapper. Includes: Black & white photographs; Facsimiles; Diagrams; Maps (1); From the cover: The first and finest story of a fighter pilot in World War II. So Group Captain Peter Townsend DSO, DFC…

[whencyclopedia]

Dunkirk Evacuation

The Dunkirk Evacuation of 26 May to 4 June 1940, known as Operation Dynamo, was the attempt to save the British Expeditionary Force in France from total defeat by an advancing German army. Nearly 1,000 naval and civilian craft of all kinds, aided by calm weather and RAF air support, managed to evacuate around 340,000 British, French, and Allied soldiers.

The evacuation led to soured Franco-Anglo relations as the French considered Dunkirk a betrayal, but the alternative was very likely the capture of the entire British Expeditionary Force on the Continent. France surrendered shortly after Dunkirk, but the withdrawal allowed Britain and its empire to harbour its resources and fight on alone in what would become an ever-expanding theatre of war.

Germany's Blitzkrieg

At the outbreak of the Second World War when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, France was relying almost entirely on a single defensive line to protect itself against invasion. These defences were the Maginot Line, a series of mightily impressive concrete structures, bunkers, and underground tunnels which ran along France's eastern frontiers. Manned by 400,000 soldiers, the defence system was named after the French minister of war André Maginot. The French imagined a German attack was most likely to come in two places: the Metz and Lauter regions. As it turned out, Germany attacked France through the Ardennes and Sedan on the Belgian border, circumventing most of the Maginot Line and overrunning the inadequate French defences around the River Meuse, inadequate because the French had considered the terrain in this forested area unsuitable for tanks. Later in the campaign, the Maginot Line was breached near Colmar and Saabrücken.

To bolster the defences of France, Britain had sent across the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) under the command of General John Vereker (better known by his later title Lord Gort, 1886-1946). Around 150,000 men, mostly infantry, had arrived in September 1939 to strengthen the Franco-Belgian border. The BEF included the British Advanced Air Striking Force of 12 RAF squadrons. The aircraft were mostly Hawker Hurricane fighters and a few light bombers, all given much to the regret of RAF commanders who would have preferred to have kept these planes for home defence. The superior Supermarine Spitfire fighters were kept safely in Britain until the very last stages of the battle in France. The BEF had no armoured divisions and so was very much a defensive force, rather than an offensive one. More infantry divisions arrived up to April 1940, so the BEF grew to almost 400,000 men, but 150,000 of these had little or no military training. As General Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976) noted, the BEF was "totally unfit to fight a first class war on the Continent" (Dear, 130). In this respect, both Britain and France were very much stuck in the defensive-thinking mode that had won them the First World War (1914-18). Their enemy was exactly the opposite and had planned meticulously for what it called Fall Gelb (Operation Yellow), the German offensive in the west.

Totally unprepared for a war of movement, the defensive-thinking French were overwhelmed in the middle weeks of May 1940 by the German Blitzkrieg ("lightning war") tactics of fast-moving tanks supported by specialist bombers and smartly followed by the infantry. German forces swept through the three neutral countries of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium. The 9th Army punched through the Ardennes and raced in a giant curve through northeast France to reach the coast around Boulogne. The BEF and the northern French armies (7th and 1st) were cut off from the rest of the French forces to the south. Germany had achieved what it called the 'Sickle Slice' (Sichelschnitt). By 24 May, the French and British troops were isolated and with their backs to the English Channel, occupying territory from Dunkirk to Lille. Although there were sporadic counterpunches by the defenders, Gort had already concluded that the French army had collapsed as an operational force. Gort considered an attack on the Germans to the south, which he was ordered to make, would have achieved very little except the annihilation of his army. The BEF must be saved, and so he withdrew to the north.

Continue reading...

[theaudientvoid]

After the war, German soldiers who had been stuck in a massive traffic jam that lasted for over a day as the German army advanced along only four usable roads through the Ardennes, reported that they fully expected to die to Allied air strikes, but the air strikes never came.

The British and the French, anticipating an extended air war, chose to keep the bulk of their air forces in reserve. This allowed the Germans to establish air superiority over the Ardennes. This was the only point in the war when the Germans would have air superiority over the Western Allies. The British ultimately got their extended air war over the next year as the RAF and Luftwaffe clashed over the skies of Britain. The French, unfortunately, did not make it that far into the war.

So, the popular view of the Fall of France is that the French poured all their resources into building up the Maginot line, and then Hitler just went "lol *invades you through Belgium again*" but that isn't strictly accurate. Unlike WWI, the Belgians had there own network of defenses, and with the help of the French and British, where fully prepared to resist an invasion. The problem was that between the two systems of fortifications lay the Ardennes Forest, which the Allies left largely undefended because it was thought to be too densely forested to be passable to tanks. Turns out it wasn't.

Anyway, though, the point is that WWII might have turned out very different if the Allies hadn't had that one particular blind spot, or if the German's hadn't had Manstein around to go "y'know, we could probably drive a panzer army through there..." (Hitler's original plan WAS to invade through Belgium again.)

Near the end of of the war, Hitler tried attacking through the Ardennes for a second time (the so called "Battle of the Bulge"), but the Americans actually defended it this time, and so it didn't work.

[certainwoman]

Kahn didn’t know it at the time, but as Daniel Ellsberg later revealed, the ‘doomsday machine’ was only a slight extension of US nuclear designs. While the RAND intellectuals were theorising, the military continued to work on actual nuclear war plans, the details of which were kept secret even from US presidents. Strategic Air Command’s Emergency War Plan 1-49 included a list of seventy cities on which thermonuclear bombs would be dropped, from Moscow and St Petersburg to Berlin, Potsdam, Warsaw and most of what is now Ukraine and Belarus. In 1960, the generals completed a comprehensive plan for a first-strike attack, the Single Integrated Operational Plan, or SIOP-62. In the case of non-nuclear conflict with the Soviet bloc, the US would drop 3423 nuclear bombs on Soviet territory, Eastern Europe and China (the RAF was supposed to participate). Every city in the Soviet Union and China was to be destroyed. The power of the nuclear weapons to be used on Moscow alone was four thousand times that of the bomb used on Hiroshima. Military analysts predicted that around 600 million people would be killed, including 100 million in Western Europe and 100 million in neutral countries adjacent to the Sino-Soviet bloc such as Afghanistan, India and Japan. It would be hard to argue that any document in history contains greater evil; there is nothing in the Nazi archives that approaches it.

Advocating non-proliferation is a common hobby for retired American officials with time on their hands and a less than clean conscience. Were the US actually committed to limiting nuclear weapons, it would at the very least have to declare a ‘no first use’ policy for its own nuclear arsenal. The Soviet Union, China and India have all made such a pledge in the past (Britain and France have not). Kaplan takes seriously Obama’s professed desire for ‘a world without nuclear weapons’, but the Obama administration refused to declare no first use. Its successes on nuclear matters – the Iran nuclear deal and the new START arms reduction treaty with Russia, signed in 2010 – were overshadowed by its commitments to build the next generation of US nuclear weapons systems. New ‘Ground Based Strategic Deterrent’ missiles will soon start replacing the Minuteman III. The US navy is getting new W93 nuclear warheads. The US air force will have B-21 stealth bombers ‘designed to overcome even an advanced adversary’s air defences’. In many respects Obama was a continuity president in matters of imperial management.

In March, the National Intelligence Council delivered its latest ‘global trends’ briefing to President Biden. It included the judgment that the use of nuclear weapons is ‘more likely in this competitive geopolitical environment’. Efforts to find a role for nuclear weapons in conflict have so far fallen at the feet of Luttwak’s maxim. But intentional use is not the only danger. Nuclear strategists systematically underestimate the chances of nuclear accident: it has no place in the logic of strategy. But there have been too many close calls for accidental use to be discounted. The stakes may be anthropogenic extirpation.Lieber and Press argue that nuclear weapons ‘have made the world a better place’ and that abolishing them would lead to more conventional wars. But the assumption that nuclear weapons will indefinitely prevent large wars rests on unjustified optimism. The stronger argument against abolition is practical. Nuclear weapons can be renounced but nuclear capability can’t: our energy needs won’t allow it. And once you have that capability, the silos can always be refilled. When the only rule is the rule of force, agreements between states are always provisional. Solutions to these problems have been proposed. New treaties, such as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which many non-nuclear states have signed, are one approach. A reworking of the IAEA or the placement of fuel cycle facilities into international control are another. But such proposals rarely get far. Instead, the stockpiles are growing.

[greatworldwar2]

• 335th Squadron (Greek) Squadron RAF

Motto: Αίεν Υψικρατείν (Greek:"Always dominate the Heights")

Squadron Codes: FG (Oct 1941 - Jul 1946)

The 335th Squadron (Greek: 335 Μοίρα, 335 M), callsign "Tigers", is the oldest squadron in service with the Hellenic Air Force formed on the 10th of October 1941 at Aqir airfield in Palestine as a unit in exile under the Royal Air Force (RAF).

In April 1941, the German Wehrmacht overran Greece. The Greek government under King George II fled to Allied-controlled Egypt, where it began to establish expatriate Greek Armed Forces. These were formed out of personnel that had been evacuated from Greece or fled to the Middle East during the Occupation, and were equipped and organised along British lines, coming under British command. They had also been formed from Greeks who migrated to Egypt or were born in Egypt before the War. The squadron was formed as the 335th Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron (335 Βασιλική Ελληνική Μοίρα Διώξεως) designated within the British Royal Air Force as No 335 (Greek) Squadron, on October 10th, 1941 at Aqir airfield in Palestine. Its first commander was Squadron Leader Xenophon Varvaressos, and the personnel was provided from a core of Greek pilots who were undergoing training in Iraq, augmented by others who had fled from Greece. Initially it was equipped with Hurricane Mk I aircraft, and employed while training in defensive duties until January 1942. Subsequently, the squadron was transferred to El Daba in Egypt, where it was declared as fully operational on February 12th, 1942.

The squadron began operations over the Western Desert, where it operated continuously until late 1942, participating in convoy protection, bomber escort and ground attack roles. Between June and September 1942, it was re-equipped with Hurricane IIBs. Under Squadron Leader Ioannis Kellas, the squadron participated in the air operations of the Second Battle of El Alamein; on October 28th, 1942, the second anniversary of the Italian invasion of Greece, the squadron organized a strafing attack on the Italian XX Corps headquarters, an operation that was a huge morale booster for the expatriate Greeks.

As the Allied armies advanced west, No.335 Squadron remained in the east, flying shipping protection patrols off the coast of Libya. From this point on it served alongside a second Greek fighter squadron, No.336. In the autumn of 1944 the squadron converted to the Spitfire, and in September took these aircraft to bases in Italy. The Spitfires were used to fly offensive sweeps over Albania and Yugoslavia. In November 1944 the squadron was able to move onto home soil, and was based at Hassani from then until September 1945. The squadron was used to fly fighter sweeps over Crete and the remaining German bases in the Aegean.

On July 31st, 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control. The motto of the 335 Squadron Αίεν Υψικρατείν ("Always dominate the Heights") is now the official motto of the Hellenic Air Force. Following the hand-over, the squadron was deployed to Sedes Air Base near Thessaloniki. From there, after the outbreak of the Greek Civil War, the squadron participated in operations against the Communist guerrillas. In June 1947 it was equipped with Spitfires Mk IX and XVI. In November 1960, the squadron was transferred to Tanagra and assigned to ground strike duties as the 335th Strike Squadron (335 Μοίρα Κρούσης), where it remained until its transfer to Araxos in June 1977. In May 1965 the squadron was equipped with the F-104G, and would continue flying the Starfighters until May 1992. The squadron operated the aircraft until 2008, when it began receiving new F-16 Block 52+ Advanced aircraft. Converted to a multirole squadron, it became operational with the type in February 2010.

[thxnews]

UK's Leap in NATO Support with Troop Deployment

The UK's Commitment to Global Security

Today, at Lancaster House, Defence Secretary Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP outlines a decisive vision for the UK's role in global security. Amid rising global tensions, the UK is set to significantly enhance its military presence, showcasing a commitment to deterring threats and leading among allies.   Steadfast Defender 24: A Major Military Exercise In a major announcement, the Defence Secretary revealed that 20,000 service personnel from the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force will deploy across Europe in the first half of 2024. This significant move, part of Exercise Steadfast Defender 24, marks one of NATO's largest deployments since the Cold War and coincides with the Alliance's 75th year.   Showcasing Advanced Military Capabilities The UK’s deployment showcases the latest in military prowess, employing the RAF's most advanced fighter jets, the Royal Navy's top-tier warships and submarines, and a comprehensive range of the Army’s capabilities. This display of strength is a clear message to adversaries and a reassurance to allies.   A New Era of Defence Defence Secretary Grant Shapps highlights the urgent need for the UK to be ready to deter enemies, lead allies, and defend the nation. In his speech, he emphasized the changing nature of global threats and the importance of being prepared for any eventuality, saying, “We are in a new era and we must be prepared to deter our enemies, prepared to lead our allies and prepared to defend our nation whenever the call comes.”   The Coalition's Strength in Unity Steadfast Defender 24 is not just a demonstration of the UK's military might; it's a testament to the strength of the NATO alliance. The exercise will see UK forces joining hands with 31 NATO allies and Sweden, enhancing the coalition's ability to respond to threats in unity.  

Contributions from Each Service

The Royal Navy's Role The Royal Navy will deploy a formidable force, including eight warships and submarines, and over 2,000 sailors. A key feature will be a UK Carrier Strike Group, centered around a Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, demonstrating naval supremacy in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea.   The British Army's Involvement The British Army will contribute significantly, with 16,000 troops equipped with tanks, artillery, and helicopters. Their operations will include live fire maneuvers and joint exercises with Navy forces, highlighting the UK's readiness to defend NATO territories.   The Royal Air Force's Participation The RAF will employ cutting-edge F35B Lightning attack aircraft and Poseidon P8 surveillance aircraft, training in simulated conflict scenarios to prove its capability in deterring and defending against modern threats.  

Conclusion

The UK's substantial contribution to NATO's Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 is a clear indication of its commitment to global security and the defence of democratic values. As Defence Secretary Grant Shapps states, this deployment is not just about military might; it's about leading the charge in a world of evolving threats and uncertainties.   Sources: THX News, Ministry of Defence, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, & The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP. Read the full article