Top 10 Little Known Events in World War II

Stearman75972 · **Joined:** Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:42 pm **Posts:** 332

Came across this listing of 10 Little Known Events in World War II. An interesting look at events that have never made it into the history books.

10. Aleutian Islands Campaign
9. Japanese Holdouts
8. South American Involvement
7. Vichy France vs. the Allies
6. Operation Drumbeat
5. Other Europeans in Nazi Forces
4. Japanese Fire Balloons
3. Stalag Luft III
2. The Ni’ihau Incident
1. The Death Match

http://listverse.com/2011/03/02/top-10- ... ld-war-ii/

Holedigger · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:50 pm

Dang, I need to get a life, I know something about all of them! :shock:

The Ni’ihau Incident I just came across last year though!

Punisher05 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:03 pm

How disgusting is it that the Bataan Death March is the #1 "most little known" thing????

Stearman75972 · **Joined:** Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:42 pm **Posts:** 332

It is "The Death Match" not "The Bataan Death March" The Death Match was about a soccer game between a POW Soviet team, “FC Start”, and a team comprised of Luftwaffe members, “Flakelf”.

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

That is an interesting list, I too only learned about the Ni'ihau incident last year. I was surprised when the Aleutians were not covered in a WWII hist class I took last semester. I would add the IJN carrier Shinano to this list.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:30 pm

Throw in Exercise Tiger disaster at Slapton Sands
Dieppe Raid
The German airborne invasion of Crete

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

Holedigger wrote:

Throw in Exercise Tiger disaster at Slapton Sands
Dieppe Raid
The German airborne invasion of Crete

Agreed. PS, I really like the T-6/SNJ profiles.

M.

Punisher05 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:49 pm

Stearman75972 wrote:

It is "The Death Match" not "The Bataan Death March" The Death Match was about a soccer game between a POW Soviet team, “FC Start”, and a team comprised of Luftwaffe members, “Flakelf”.

Ah OK, my bad! Thanks for clarifying...guess that shows how I didn't know about it either!

-Brandon

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:46 am

general patton organized a team / mission to rescue his p.o.w. son inlaw from the germans. the mission failed, & he was called onto the carpet for it, + he had no approval to do so, he got his butt chewed off in regard to mounting a personal mission that caused a fair amount of casualties.

joe kennedy, president jfk's brother died during an operation aphrodite mission where his bomber's cockpit roof was cut off to fly the explosive laden plane to target, bail out, easily hence roof removal, & have another bomber w/ the remote controls to steer it to target. the experimental explosive on kennedy's plane was very unstable & blew up enroute to target.

army rangers mission to rescue u.s. soldiers held by the japanese as p.o.w.'s.

merrills marauders...... need i say more??

british general wingate's chindits & their exploits behind enemy lines.

want more?? i can supply plenty.

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

tom d. friedman wrote:

general patton organized a team / mission to rescue his p.o.w. son inlaw from the germans. the mission failed, & he was called onto the carpet for it, + he had no approval to do so, he got his butt chewed off in regard to mounting a personal mission that caused a fair amount of casualties.

joe kennedy, president jfk's brother died during an operation aphrodite mission where his bomber's cockpit roof was cut off to fly the explosive laden plane to target, bail out, easily hence roof removal, & have another bomber w/ the remote controls to steer it to target. the experimental explosive on kennedy's plane was very unstable & blew up enroute to target.

army rangers mission to rescue u.s. soldiers held by the japanese as p.o.w.'s.

merrills marauders...... need i say more??

british general wingate's chindits & their exploits behind enemy lines.

want more?? i can supply plenty.

Yes.., tell us everything you know. :wink:

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 2:09 pm

Lieutenant Joe Kennedy was Naval Aviator, and was flying a PB4Y-1 (Naval version of the B-24) when he was killed. Kennedy's was the only Naval Aphrodite mission, and the only one to use a B-24..the rest were AAF B-17s. Some of the Aphrodite B-17s had the top deck cut off, but Kennedy's Liberator didn't have any structural mods (I don't think there would be a way to cut the top off of a B-24.)

Kennedy was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal. His copilot Lieutenant Wilford John Willy was also posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

SN

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 11:36 pm

the south pacific aussie coastwatchers is a story in itself, as are the exploits of both the european underground & filipino guerrilla fighters.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 11:50 pm

the execution of private eddie slovik u.s. army, the only u.s. soldier killed by a u.s. firing squad as sanctioned by general eisenhower for refusing to fight while in military service.

brucev · **Posted:** Sat Mar 12, 2011 11:46 pm

I'd add the attrocity at Oradour-sur-Glane to the list.

TonyM · **Posted:** Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:36 am

Stearman75972 wrote:

Came across this listing of 10 Little Known Events in World War II. An interesting look at events that have never made it into the history books.

10. Aleutian Islands Campaign
9. Japanese Holdouts
8. South American Involvement
7. Vichy France vs. the Allies
6. Operation Drumbeat
5. Other Europeans in Nazi Forces
4. Japanese Fire Balloons
3. Stalag Luft III
2. The Ni’ihau Incident
1. The Death Match

http://listverse.com/2011/03/02/top-10- ... ld-war-ii/

Do you mean History Text books instead of History Books? Many of these events have been covered in dedicated volumes.

I have a 3,000 volume library in my home and I have read many of the books that are in my library, and I know that many of my "History Books" cover or feature these events. One of the most interesting book I have read is a first hand account of a Japanese WWII holdover. He surrendered in 1974 after he was relieved by his CO. This book has been in print for over 30 years. The book is NO SURRENDER--My Thirty Year War by Hiroo Onoda.

TM

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