On This Day ... in 1497 & Others
John Cabot set sail from Bristol to find what he thought was Asia; Cabot's expedition reached land on June 24th, likely at Cape Breton, then made his way along the south coast of Newfoundland
1602: George Weymouth’s expedition set sail from Ratcliffe on the ships Discovery and Godspeed to find the North West Passage to China & win the promised £500 prize by offered by the East India Company
1670: The Hudson Bay Company was chartered by King Charles II
1915: When the Germans launched a devastating gas attack on British positions at Ypres, the majority of troops, unprotected against the new weapon, were forced to withdraw. However, Private Lynn of The Lancashire Fusiliers, remained steadfast at his post, manning a machine-gun with which he decimated the German infantry trying to follow-up on the success of the gas attack. When the clouds of gas obscured his vision, he hauled his machine-gun out of the protection of the trench to gain a better view. Sadly, the effects of the gas eventually proved fatal. Lynn was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
1945: In Operation Dracula, 26th Indian Division conducted amphibious landings to retake the city of Rangoon.
The Russians finally take Berlin ending the Second World War in Europe.
1975: The US Navy departs Vietnamese waters following the end of evacuation of South Vietnam
1982: The nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror engaged and sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano with two Mk 8 torpedos
Comments
The General Belgrano was a former US ship, the last active duty ship which survived the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. I believe the original name of the ship was USS Phoenix (The city, not the bird).
Posted by: Joseph | April 25, 2008 1:32 AM
At least it sank in battle, and isn't moored to some manky dock, rusting away ingloriously.
Posted by: Kim du Toit | May 2, 2008 8:23 PM
Funny thing when the Thatch was unmder fire for giving the go-ahead to sink the ship the media and skanky left were trying to gang up whe the Captain of the Belgrano publicaly supported her, pointing out that in war the idea is to win and the ship was intended to be a major threat to our Navy, what a gent.
Posted by: chris Edwards | May 5, 2008 8:22 PM