Bruce K. McWhirk

THE POWER OF DECEPTION – “THE ARMY OF TWO”

HOW “THE ARMY OF TWO” – THE BATES SISTERS – SAVED SCITUATE HARBOR, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A. DURING THE WAR OF 1812 Rebecca Bates (left) and Abigail Bates (right) playing fife and drum. (illustration: New England Historical Society) “All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when usingContinue reading “THE POWER OF DECEPTION – “THE ARMY OF TWO””

THE LAST AMERICAN OPERATION ON D-DAY – A GLIDER OPERATION – MISSION ELMIRA, JUNE 6, 1944

C-47s tow HORSA gliders over Normandy. (photo: U.S. Air Force Material Command) By Bruce McWhirk Mission ELMIRA, the last American operation that happened on D-Day, June 6, 1944. This glider operation took place beyond Utah Beach, six miles inland, 18 hours after the amphibious landings had been launched along the coast. This glider operation wasContinue reading “THE LAST AMERICAN OPERATION ON D-DAY – A GLIDER OPERATION – MISSION ELMIRA, JUNE 6, 1944”

WERE GERMAN ZEPPELINS AT THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND?

The Royal Navy’s colossal intelligence failure concerning the presence of German Zeppelins at the Battle of Jutland, and its long-term effects on the U.S. Navy By Bruce McWhirk, January 7, 2022 “EYES OF THE GERMAN FLEET”: Super-Zeppelin L-31 and the German battleship SMS Ostfriesland. This photo was taken shortly after L-31’s first flight 12 JulyContinue reading “WERE GERMAN ZEPPELINS AT THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND?”

“LIGHTER THAN AIR”

THE EXPLOITS OF AN AMERICAN PILOT IN WORLD WAR I – ENSIGN NORMAN JACKSON LEARNED, U.S.N.R.-F-C. By Bruce McWhirk (photo: Elmira Star-Gazette) Ensign Norman Jackson Learned, U.S.N.R.-F-C. was the only U.S. Navy aviator who successfully led an attack that sunk a German U-boat during World War 1 ENSIGN NORMAN “JACK” LEARNED STATIONED AT RAF BASEContinue reading ““LIGHTER THAN AIR””

CAPE COD’S WILD SUMMER WEEKEND DURING WORLD WAR I

THE BATTLE OF NAUSET BEACH, CAPE COD, MASSACHUSSETTS, USA By Bruce K. McWhirk FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1918: B-12 BLIMP GOES MISSING THE U.S. NAVY’S B-12 BLIMP PATROLS FROM CHATHAM, CAPE COD LOOKING FOR GERMAN U-BOATS The following article appeared in the Aircraft Journal in 1919. It describes the disappearance from Naval Air Station (NAS) Chatham’s of its B-classContinue reading “CAPE COD’S WILD SUMMER WEEKEND DURING WORLD WAR I”

DEFENDING GENERAL EISENHOWER’S HEADQUARTERS IN WARTIME LONDON

The Story of the Young British WAAFs who operated “ROMEO”, an R.A.F. Barrage Balloon, over Grosvenor Square, London during World War II MODEL STUDENTS – Four British WAAFS (members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) study a model of a Barrage Balloon. (photo: IWM) WAAF airwomen worked with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during WorldContinue reading “DEFENDING GENERAL EISENHOWER’S HEADQUARTERS IN WARTIME LONDON”