Word: commandeering
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...summer long the Japanese naval high command, reshuffled after the smashing defeat in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, had planned for the next inevitable meeting with the U.S. Fleet. The blow must be struck when the U.S. amphibious forces entered the last island defense line, Japan-Ryukyus-Formosa-Philip-pines. So for the three top-ranking taisho* there was not a wide choice of time. But the taisho could still pick the specific moment: it would be in the first confused days of the beachhead. They devised an ingenious Japanese plan, last week snapped it into execution, after...
...many reasons for the swift U.S. success, not the least was the Filipinos themselves, whose guerrillas had been harassing Jap command posts, spying on sea movements, running weather stations and flashing messages to U.S. listening posts. Since the fall of 1942, when a weak radio signal was received in Australia from Panay, Douglas MacArthur had been supplying the rebels by submarine. Last week the guerrilla chief on Leyte and Samar, lithe, impassive Colonel Ruperto Kangleon claimed that his men had killed 3,800 Japs in the past year. Kangleon's chief of staff was a U.S PT-boat officer...
Perhaps this retreat, a sound strategic move, reflected the return to command on the western front of Germany's No. 1 soldier, chill Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who was apparently back in Hitler's favor. Field Marshal Walter von Model, the previous commander, was now in charge of the northern sector under Rundstedt. Field Marshal Johannes Blaskowitz commanded the southern...
...award: the Congressional Medal of Honor. His citation: "Colonel Shoup fearlessly exposed himself to the terrific, relentless artillery, machine-gun and rifle fire . . . rallying his hesitant troops . . . gallantly led them across the fringing reefs ... to reinforce our hard-pressed, thinly held lines. Upon arrival at the shore he assumed command of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant, withering enemy fire during the next two days, conducted smashing attacks against unbelievably strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions...
...Americans: it did not contain the word "unconditional." After some hesitation, which he said was due to fear of Nazi retaliation against his family, Gerhardt Wilck drafted another: "Aachen's defending German garrison ran out of food and ammunition. I am forced to give up my command and surrender Aachen unconditionally, with all its stores, to the commanding officer of the victorious Americans...