The Road to Liberation - 16th December 1940

Good morning everyone

I thought we all needed a warm photo of summertime as the weather is particularly grim at the moment. Not much of an update for the midweek but this evening I will be adding some more files to the member's area on the website. Please feel free to sign up.

Have a great day.

Thanks

Phil

Resistance Nest Gorey Hafen (above), during the Occupation Gorey was heavily defended and modifications and bunkers added to both the harbour and castle. Below is a look at just the harbour. More information, maps and photos on our website link.

One light Machine Gun 34

Two light Machine Gun 34’s

One 3.7cm French Puteaux gun mounted in a APX-R tank turret with a co-axial Machine Gun

One 3.7cm Anti-Tank gun

One 7.5cm Anti-Tank gun

Five defence flamethrowers

Two 40cm searchlights

80 years ago today
 16th of December 1940

Today would be the 169th day of the Islands Occupation with 1,605 days remaining.
 

"Last States session of the year, at which it is announced that by a German Order new identity cards are to be issued for everyone over the age of 14, bearing a photograph. "

Leslie Sinel

Civilian working at the Evening Post
 

80 years ago today

16th of December 1940

Operation ABIGAIL RACHEL.

the sole objective was to bomb the industrial centre of Mannheim on which 108 tons of high explosive and over 13,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. Countless fires were started and aircraft which arrived late in the night reported that many blocks in the Western and South-Eastern areas were ablaze. Aircraft visited the town on the two following nights and reported many fires still burning after the previous attacks, and smoke hanging over the town.

The British Air Situation report for the week reported:

The outstanding event of the week was the heavy and successful attack on Mannheim on the night of the 16th-l7th December…

The bombing was widely dispersed and only 34 people were killed. There was no comparison with the large scale raids by the Luftwaffe – which were now killing hundreds each time they attacked the industrial cities of the Midlands and northern England. This will change!

The December book recommendation is "The Americans on D-Day."

This book has 450 dramatic photographs captured in northern France during the first day and week of its liberation and is available on kindle! Click the photo to find out more. It also would make a fantastic Christmas Present.