70 years ago today, John H. Thornton wrote from New Caledonia to his sweetheart, Miss Nell Fagan in East Point, Georgia. He gently provides some very useful information to Miss Fagan regarding the composition of his eagerly-awaited Christmas package. Servicemen being scattered across the globe during WWII and the need to send packages months in advance is sometimes cited as the origin of the early Christmas shopping season.
Gift of M.A. Thornton, 2009.531.018
Thornton writes on page 2 of his letter:
“Darling, about the candy you want to send me, I would like very much to have some but I’m afraid it would ruin getting here, worms get in most of the candy that’s sent out—they were in several pieces of that you sent for my birthday so I’d hate to see things like that ruin. I hate to say don’t send it, because you might think I don’t appreciate what you are trying to do. I appreciate it more than you can ever imagine also think you are very thoughtful and it make me proud to know that a girl like you loves me. I think it’s best not to send the candy but I still want to thank you.”
USS Eldridge DE-173 ca. 1944. Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
The Philadelphia Experiment, in which the US Navy destroyer escort USS Eldridge was allegedly cloaked in invisibility, occurred on or around October 28, 1943. The subject of urban legend, the ship was briefly rendered invisible and teleported from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Norfolk, Virginia. When the Eldridge reappeared, some members of crew were said to be physically embedded in the bulkhead of the ship while others were reported as suffering from delusions. Additional crew members purportedly vanished altogether.
While the experiment is considered a hoax, as the Eldridge was in New York not Philadelphia on the dates when the unusual events allegedly occurred, two coincidences likely contributed to the story. First, Albert Einstein worked for the US Navy on weapons research during 1943 and the equations associated with his Unified Field Theory suggest the bending of time and space is possible. Second, a process called degaussing was applied to the USS Eldridge in which the ship’s magnetic signature was neutralized by installing electrical cables around the hull. This made the vessel “invisible” to German naval mines which used sensors to detect the magnetic field around ships.
In the Second World War, the year 1943 represents a hinge or mid-point in the historical course of the war. We today know that the American entry into the war in late 1941 ultimately culminated in victory in 1945, and many students of history today therefore believe that the United States was gaining traction towards this inevitable, foreordained end. But those Americans living through 1943 had no way to know that the war would end in two years, or that the final result would be victory. In reality, 1943 was a time of tremendous and complex transition in the Allied war effort, one in which momentum was being fostered that would lead to the offensive cascade and escalating violence which would overwhelm the Axis powers.
When I first became interested in the Second World War as a high school student, the year 1943 seemed to be a lull or drag in time, a year which paled in importance compared to the crash of huge events that surrounded it. To my youthful, untamed mind, the great dramatic events of Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, North Africa or Stalingrad in 1942 swept seamlessly and effortlessly into the great dramatic events of Normandy, the Bulge and final victory in the drive to Berlin and the atomic explosions over Japan in the breathtaking time of 1944-45. By comparison, 1943 seemed to be a grind, a breathing spell, a time when leaders were simply “staying the course” until they could undertake the next big, dramatic historical steps.
Fortunately for me, students of history are asked to consider how big, dramatic events in reality come about, and the interested student who digs into the details of an historical time frequently discovers that what first seemed to be mundane or simple events are in fact the result of an enormously complex set of circumstances, initiatives, and personalities. Such has been my experience as I continued to learn about World War II in college, and it is my good fortune to continue to learn new perspectives right up to the present day.
Just in time for the 70th anniversaries of the events of 1943, the Yale historian of geopolitics Paul Kennedy has laid out the case for 1943 as the key time of complex and deep transitions within the war with his latest book, Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned the Tide in the Second World War. Professor Kennedy identifies the strategic issues upon which victory for the Allies hung in the balance: learning how to bring convoys across the Atlantic Ocean safely, how to achieve air superiority, how to halt a blitzkrieg, how to successfully conduct amphibious landings and how to defeat vast geographic distances through logistics. The origins to the big, dramatic events that brought the war to a tremendous climax were due to the Allied responses to these strategic problems, all roughly centered in the year 1943.
The fate of the outcome of the war alights on the movement of events centered on this hinge year of 1943. In this perspective, the battle of the Atlantic comes to a head during the critical month of Black May. The Allies learn after disastrous bombing raids at Ploesti and Schweinfurt that technology can supply the key to long range fighter escorts and reverse the currents in the air war. The techniques first used at El Alamein by the British are demonstrated on a massive scale against the Wehrmacht’s blitzkrieg tactics by the Red Army at Kursk. Through the Mediterranean and Pacific, the Allies honed the tremendous demands of coordination between air, sea and land forces necessary for effective amphibious landings against hostile shores. And the far-flung expanses of the Pacific which protected the Japanese homeland became bridgeable by American forces, with the taking of Saipan in the Marianas opening up a devastating American air campaign.
B-17Fs over Schweinfurt, Germany, August 17, 1943
What is most interesting for students of history to consider in the great strategic events of this time is the mosaic of seemingly simple, individual decisions and causes underlying the turn of events. A change of doctrine such as the counter-intuitive, aggressive movement of ships towards German U-boats after an attack at sea, a technological innovation such as the installation of a Rolls-Royce engine inside a P-51 aircraft or the entrepreneurial determination of a small businessman such as Andrew Higgins all played a role in determining the outcome of the events of 1943, and thus the eventual Allied victory in the war. These examples are not singular explanations, but fit into a larger historical picture with still more multiples of causes and ideas which contributed to why history turned out as it did.
So to further contemplate, discuss and determine why 1943 matters in the Second World War, The National WWII Museum will host as the subject of our annual International Conference on WWII “1943: Victory in the Balance” from November 21-23, 2013, here in New Orleans. I invite all students of history, young and old, to attend as we seek friendly arguments and stimulating answers within this fascinating hinge year of the war.
Dr. Keith Huxen is the Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Director of Research and History at The National WWII Museum.
70 years ago this week saw the launch of the Third War Loan. Addressing the nation during one of his fireside chats, President Franklin Roosevelt called Americans to “contribute your share and more than your share.” The President continued, “It is not sufficient to simply put into War Bonds money which we would normally save. We must put into War Bonds money which we would not normally save. Only then have we done everything that good conscience demands.”
With a fundraising goal of $15 billion, individual sales of $100 denomination series E bonds would need to double. The public’s effort surpassed the goal outlined by Roosevelt, reaching almost $19 billion by the drive’s close on October 2, 1943. Everyday citizens often purchased savings bonds while certificates of indebtedness and treasury notes were generally held by banks and corporations. The popular E series bond could be purchased for 75% of its ultimate value. For example, a war bond costing $75 matured in ten years to a $100 payout. Almost 70% of the Series F and Series G Bonds sold during the Third War Loan were purchased by individuals. These savings bonds, available in denominations up to $10,000, earned compounding interest and matured in twelve years.
In addition to funding the costs of global conflict, war loan drives served an important role in reducing inflation. During times of inflation, the supply of cash is plentiful, decreasing demand and lowering the value of money. Inflation is apparent when we compare prices of the past to those of today. For example, a candy bar that cost 5 cents in 1942 costs 99 cents today, an almost 1900% increase.
When the US Treasury sells a bond, it accepts cash removing the currency from the market. During a bond drive the supply of cash is reduced, increasing demand and raising the value of money. During times of inflation, the supply of cash is plentiful, decreasing demand and lowering the value of money.
Gift of Holly Reynolds, 2011.466 Ushers at the "Back the Attack" Army show in Washington DC for the Third War Loan
On this day 70 years ago, fresh from starring alongside Dorothy Lamour in the Paramount Pictures film ‘Dixie,’ Bing Crosby was back at the top of the charts with a song featured in the film: ‘Sunday, Monday or Always.’ A popular song covered by many different artists – Frank Sinatra’s 1943 competing version most famously – ‘Sunday, Monday or Always’ would keep Crosby at #1 for over seven weeks.
Of note, besides Crosby’s crystal clear bass-baritone, is the lack of any instrumental backing on the song. This absence of accompaniment on ‘Sunday, Monday or Always’ and on several other big hits of the season such as The Song Spinners’ ‘Coming In On A Wing And A Prayer’ and Dick Haymes’ ‘You’ll Never Know’ was due to the ongoing American Federation of Musicians’ Strike of 1942 – 1944. Already a year old by the fall of 1943 and, with no members of the musicians’ union willing to have their performances recorded, record companies more and more turned to vocal groups to provide the backup role normally held by orchestras.
Despite the urging of President Roosevelt, the musicians’ strike would continue until November, 1944; an unforeseen consequence of which was the beginning of the decline of the Big Band style.
Click below to hear Bing Crosby’s original 1943 hit recording of ‘Sunday, Monday Or Always.’
Post by Collin Makamson, Family Programs & Outreach Coordinator @ The National WWII Museum
Today is the 70th anniversary of the death of Seaman First Class Johnnie Hutchins. Had he survivied WWII, Hutchins would be 91 years old. Hutchins received the Medal of Honor for his actions on 4 September 1943 off the coast of New Guinea. His medal, gifted to the Museum by the family of Johnnie Hutchins, is on display in the Museum’s D-Day in the Pacific exhibit.
The Medal of Honor citation for Hutchins reads:
For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous valor above and beyond the call of duty while serving on board a Landing Ship, Tank, during the assault on Lae, New Guinea, 4 September 1943. As the ship on which Hutchins was stationed approached the enemy-occupied beach under a veritable hail of fire from Japanese shore batteries and aerial bombardment, a hostile torpedo pierced the surf and bore down upon the vessel with deadly accuracy. In the tense split seconds before the helmsman could steer clear of the threatening missile, a bomb struck the pilot house, dislodged him from his station, and left the stricken ship helplessly exposed. Fully aware of the dire peril of the situation, Hutchins, although mortally wounded by the shattering explosion, quickly grasped the wheel and exhausted the last of his strength in maneuvering the vessel clear of the advancing torpedo. Still clinging to the helm, he eventually succumbed to his injuries, his final thoughts concerned only with the safety of his ship, his final efforts expended toward the security of his mission. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
Our tribute to Hutchins, along with testimony from his brother, Harold, can be seen at Remember Them.
Seventy years ago today, on 1 September 1943, the SS William Pendleton was launched by Delta Shipbuilding Co. in New Orleans. Delta would launch a total of 187 Liberty ships (out of 2,710 produced overall) during the war.
Ceremony at the Boston Naval Shipyard transferring the USS Eldridge (DE-173) and USS Garfield Thomas (DE-193) to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 15 January 1951. Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
The US Navy destroyer escort USS Eldridge, named for Lieutenant Commander John Eldridge, Jr., was commissioned seventy years ago today. The subject of urban legend, the ship was allegedly part of the Philadelphia Experiment in which it was briefly rendered invisible and teleported over 200 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Norfolk, Virginia. The experiment is connected to Einstein’s unfinished Unified Field Theory reconciling the physical laws governing matter, light and gravity. It has been suggested that Albert Einstein, working with naval researchers, developed the elegant equations used to bend time and space.
While the experiment is considered a hoax, as the Eldridge was in New York not Philadelphia on the dates when the unusual events occurred (not to mention defying all known laws of physics), two events likely contributed to the story. First, Einstein did in fact work for the US Navy from July 1943 until June 1944 on weapons research. Second, a process called degaussing was applied to the USS Eldridge in which the ship’s magnetic signature was neutralized by installing electrical cables around the hull. This made the vessel “invisible” to German naval mines which used sensors to detect the magnetic field around ships.
Post by Annie Tête, STEM Education Coordinator
Albert Einstein's 1943 timecard while working for the US Navy. Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Albert Einstein's 1944 timecard while working for the US Navy. Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Ceremony at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Massachusetts, transferring the USS Eldridge (DE-173) and USS Garfield Thomas (DE-193) to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 15 January 1951. Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
70 years ago today on August 26, the Polo Grounds, at the corner of West 155th St. and Eighth Ave. in Manhattan, played host to an all-star afternoon of sport and entertainment, organized by the New York Journal American newspaper to sell War Bonds and to raise money for the war effort. Featuring entertainment and comedy from the likes of James Cagney, Ethel Merman, Cab Calloway and Milton Berle, the main attraction of the day was an exhibition game featuring some of baseball’s biggest names, including seven of the then twelve living members of the Baseball Hall Of Fame and three of ‘The Five Immortals’ of the inaugural Hall Of Fame class of 1936: Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth. In the exhibition match-up, an all-star squad, referred to interchangeably as the “New York All-Stars” and the “Yanks-Giants-Dodgers,” defeated the U.S. Army New Cumberland Reception Team 5 – 2, though the G.I. team was aided by professionals Hank Greenberg, Johnny Beazley, Danny Murtaugh, Billy Hitchcock and Enos Slaughter.
In front of an audience of over 35 thousand, the War Bond Jubilee Game raised a staggering $800 million dollars in War Bonds, sold as either advertising or tickets for the event; equivalent to nearly 11 billion dollars today. Fans in attendance that Thursday were rewarded with a truly memorable display, including Babe Ruth taking Washington Senators’ legend Walter Johnson deep into the right field stands. This blast off ‘The Big Train’ was to be Ruth’s last ever home run in a major league ball park. Ruth would succumb to cancer in 1948.
Sid Feder of the Associated Press described the scene:
“There were still 35,000 lumps in 35,000 throats around the village Friday, all because a dozen old men walked out on a ball field. As they spread out on their regular spots on the field, the lump you got in your throat and the moisture in the eyes of some of the most blasé baseball writers in the press coop were more than enough to prove that the baseball fan is at least part elephant. He never forgets.
“It didn’t matter that in fielding some of Babe’s “practice shots” Murray fell down, Speaker was practically decapitated and Collins was all but carried into right field by a line drive. The folks had a look at ‘em, and the Babe finally parked one. That was the icing on the cake.”
This post by Collin Makamson, Family Programs & Outreach Coordinator @ The National WWII Museum
