Crappy pic but I caught the B-29 FiFi flying out of Albany a bit ago.
I am a WW2 History guy. My uncle fought at the Bulge.
I have ~50 books of the battles, and my favorite author is James Hornfischer (d, age 56 in 2021). He wrote about the Navy in the Pacific. His history was well researched, and he added the human element.
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The Japanese leadership knew that if they didn't take care of business in the first year, they were in for a world of hurt. They didn't have the resources for an extended engagement.
There is the famous secret recording by the Finnish secret service* (equivalent) of Hitler trying to talk Mannerheim on his personal train outside Helsinki into joining the Axis and so trying to take over Murmansk and Archangle and so cutting of the Lend Lease shipments. And during it Hitler said if he knew the Soviets had built almost 30,000 tanks during the inter war years 1928 to 40, he would of never had invaded them as it would of taken Germany almost 20 years at 1939 production levels to equal it!!!!This, and the Germans placed their faith in superior technology. Instead of wasting valuable resources on things like Bismark class battleships, they should have built more tanks and u-boats. Those may have actually made a difference. They also underestimated Russia, and should have invaded England before trying to push east. Ultimately, Germany never stood a chance against American industry as long as it could make it to Europe.
Japan should have destroyed the Panama Canal after Pearl Harbor, and invaded Panama and Southern Argentina/Chile. That may have bought them more time to shore up more territory in the Pacific.
There is the famous secret recording by the Finnish secret service* (equivalent) of Hitler trying to talk Mannerheim on his personal train outside Helsinki into joining the Axis and so trying to take over Murmansk and Archangle and so cutting of the Lend Lease shipments. And during it Hitler said if he knew the Soviets had built almost 30,000 tanks during the inter war years 1928 to 40, he would of never had invaded them as it would of taken Germany almost 20 years at 1939 production levels to equal it!!!!
Coming soon to a TV near you. Hate that it moved to Apple TV+, but I'll renew my subscription to see it.
Uncle Walt, according to some reports was early on a NAZI sympathizer. Early, a lot of Americans were, because they figured Hitler would stand as the wall to keep Marxism from spreading. When he got it figured out, he had some catching up to do, and went all-in for the Allies.I wonder if that b-29 had anything to do with the fifi of the WASP.
Disney created fifinella for the WASP during wwII. Only time Disney did something like this.
My mother-in-law was in the WASP. Quite a cool story how they were formed.
Uncle Walt, according to some reports was early on a NAZI sympathizer. Early, a lot of Americans were, because they figured Hitler would stand as the wall to keep Marxism from spreading. When he got it figured out, he had some catching up to do, and went all-in for the Allies.
I've never been able to verify this about Disney, specifically. But I do know, from my own great-grandfather's mouth, because he was one of them: many Americans thought the Nazis would solve the Communism problem for us. Remember that it wasn't until near the end of the war that the Holocaust was discovered by the rest of the world, so the American citizens of the time (mid-to-late '30's) can be forgiven for initially supporting Hitler. And I do mean support! The nAZI'S had many large rallies through out the United States including Madison Square Garden. And that same concept, that the Nazi's were going to end communism, was shared by a lot of British citizens, too, all the way up to the top of the royal family!
But what wasn't widely realized, even today, is that NAZI is an anagram. It means National Socialism. They got in power by promising, among other things, that German workers would be taken care of by the state from the womb to the tomb, in return for their service to the country, either being a plumber or an infantryman. So in the reality it was two different forms of fascism fighting for which would be dominant in the region, if not the world.