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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 

"Umbrella Assassin" Strikes (1978)
Georgi Markov began his career as a writer in his native Bulgaria. After defecting to the West in 1969, he continued his criticisms of the Bulgarian regime. On September 7, 1978, Markov was waiting at a London bus stop when he felt a sting on his leg and turned to see a man pick up an umbrella. Markov's death days later was attributed to the tiny, ricin-laced pellet that had been fired into his leg—likely from the umbrella. The "Umbrella Assassin" was never caught.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY:

First V-2 Rocket Hits London (1944)
Developed by Germany during World War II, the Vergeltungswaffe 2 (V-2) rocket was the world's first modern ballistic missile and the first known manmade object to enter outer space. Thousands were launched on Allied targets during the last year of the war, causing more than 9,000 deaths. One of the rocket's first targets was London, which was hit just days after Hitler declared his plans to start V-2 attacks.

It might have been V1's but one of the two was used against the Erich Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen after it's capture by the 1st US Army. The bridge was important enough to warrant that because it was the first Rhine crossing captured and allowed the US to establish a bridgehead east of the Rhine before the bridge collapsed. By the time the bridge collapsed the US Army had constructed pontoon bridges and already had a defensible position east of the river.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 

Two Plus Four Agreement Signed in Moscow (1990)
The Two Plus Four Agreement, also known as the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany, was the final peace treaty negotiated between West Germany and East Germany—the "Two"—and the four powers that occupied Germany at the end of World War II: France, the UK, the US, and the Soviet Union. The treaty paved the way for the German reunification, which took place less than a month later, on October 3.

World War II changed everything we know about warfare, from the weapons we use to the way we fight. Despite immense technological advancements, the final naval engagement of the war wasn't fought between steel battleships or large aircraft carriers. It was fought between two junks off the coast of China.

Junks were a common sight in that area, especially in the days before the Japanese invasion of China. With wooden hulls and rigid sails, they are perfectly suited for the waters off the Chinese coastline. They are not suited for combat against World War II artillery.


Navy Lt. Cmdr. Livingston Swentzel and Marine Corps 1st Lt. Steuart Pittman were in command of the two junks, traveling from Hainan to Shanghai in August 1945. Seven Americans and 20 Chinese guerrillas were manning the tiny flotilla. Not all of them would make it to Shanghai.

Just days before, this journey would have been perilous. Though Japan was losing in the Pacific Theater, Japanese ships were still aggressively prowling the waters of the East China Sea. But since Emperor Hirohito had announced the surrender of the Japanese Navy and Army on Aug. 15, the sea voyage should have been uneventful.


Swentzel and Pittman spotted another junk in the distance on the morning of Aug. 21. When the mystery junk saw the American ships, it came about and fired a round from a 75-millimeter howitzer. The shot hit Pittman's junk, killing its .30-caliber machine gun crew and the helmsman. The rest of the crew scrambled, not knowing what to do next.

While these junks may have been old technology, they were ready for a more modern kind of combat. The two officers coordinated their counterattack via handheld radios as Swentzel and Pittman took over their respective helms. They got their crews under control and went to work on knocking out their attacker, even as more 75-millimeter shells rained down on them.

Swentzel ran up the colors as their junks moved closer to the enemy ship and the two sides exchanged heavy machine-gun fire. When the Allied ships were within 100 yards, each brought out a bazooka, the heaviest weapons they had. With only a few bazooka rounds between them, they hit the Japanese with everything they could.

The third bazooka round finally knocked out the Japanese howitzer. Low on ammunition but still maneuverable, Swentzel then pressed their advantage, bringing his vessel alongside the Japanese boat and shouting an order to his men to prepare to board.

To prepare for the boarding party, American and Chinese troops began tossing grenades at the enemy vessel, killing many of the 83 Japanese defenders on board. Pittman's crew locked onto the enemy ship and boarded it with rifles and knives drawn. The fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

By the time Swentzel's crew also boarded the Japanese junk, the entire engagement had lasted 45 minutes. They met little resistance, considering the bulk of the defending crew had been killed in the bazooka and grenade attacks. Still, they had to drop grenades down the hatches and below decks.

When the smoke cleared and the enemy crew finally surrendered, 44 Japanese soldiers were dead with another 35 wounded and captured. The third junk was secured as they all made their way toward Shanghai.

Swentzel would later receive the Navy Cross and Pittman a Silver Star for the last naval battle of World War II, the last battle between sailing ships and the last naval engagement in which an American prize crew boarded an enemy vessel in combat.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

FACT OF THE DAY:

Germany was the first country in Europe to adopt Daylight Saving Time (DST), also known as “Summer time,” in 1916 during World War I.

Today in sports history: Sept. 25


1962 — Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson at 2:06 of the first round at Comiskey Park in Chicago to win the world heavyweight title.

Heavyweight boxer Floyd Patterson is down and out on the canvas after being in the ring for one round with Sonny Liston, right, Sept. 25, 1962, in Chicago. Referee Frank Sikora signals to Liston to go to the neutral corner. (AP Photo)

The Gigantic Floating Dry Docks That Could Repair Battleships And Carriers Thousands Of Miles From Home (warhistoryonline.com)



Some of the "noncombat" stuff in WW 2 is really hard to believe for me.