Before the fall of France, Iceland was in the way of U-boats trying to break out into the Atlantic by way of Norway (which is why Hitler invaded Norway). It was also on the convoy routes between Halifax in Canada and Britain. Hence the interest--the USS Reuben James was sunk on convoy duty off Iceland. For years Keflavik was a major US Navy base (Nazis having been replaced by Soviets), and Iceland is a member of NATO. Supposedly their culture revolves around the sagas and the law. Since the population is fairly homogeneous and only in the hundreds of thousands, they are a trove for genetic research on disease and other heritable conditions. The main industry is fishing, though, at least until tourism took off. During the run-up to the housing bond crash of 2007, banking was huge and they took big risks. Their banks failed and their currency tanked. They have a whole chapter in Michael Lewis' book "Boomerang". They refused to indemnify foreign (mostly British) depositors, and for a long time were pariahs and their recovery was slow because they couldn't borrow. The high-flying bankers needed new jobs, and that meant fishing. "We don't have a lot of desk jobs. People are going to get wet." They are proud that they faced down bigger powers and enforced the catch limits that saved their cod fishery from the fate of the "grand banks" off the east coast of North America in the famous "Cod Wars"--commemorated on one of the many stamps I have from there. I have toyed with the idea of getting a book on learning Icelandic. I was only there once as a teenager en route to Britain--we flew Icelandic Airlines because it was cheap (food service was cold sandwiches) and during the layover we took an airline bus around Reyjavik--lots of stone work and lots of ducks. Supposedly with their abundance of geothermal energy their green houses can supply most of their vegetables. Now people actually go there because they want to go there.It actually commemorates independence from Denmark in 1944 - though it had been a largely autonomous part of a 'united kingdom' since 1918, and when Denmark was occupied by the Nazis in 1940, British forces moved into Iceland, subsequently replaced by US, while the Althing remained in charge of civil administration, so formal independence was simply confirming what was already the situation in fact.
I never saw it from that point. I thought the main reason, Hitler invaded Norway, was to secure the supply routes of Swedish iron ore trough Norwegian ports, particularly Narvik. Hitler (justly) feared, the Allies were planning to cut it off, which they actually briefly managed to do in early May 1940. But then, Germany invaded France, and the French troops holding the Narvik route, were desperately needed to defend their homeland.Iceland was in the way of U-boats trying to break out into the Atlantic by way of Norway (which is why Hitler invaded Norway).
It could be. Of course the ore could have come down through Swedish and Danish ports. Hitler never invaded Sweden, which given his dependence on iron ore would have made more sense.I never saw it from that point. I thought the main reason, Hitler invaded Norway, was to secure the supply routes of Swedish iron ore trough Norwegian ports, particularly Narvik. Hitler (justly) feared, the Allies were planning to cut it off, which they actually briefly managed to do in early May 1940. But then, Germany invaded France, and the French troops holding the Narvik route, were desperately needed to defend their homeland.
Iceland was in the way of U-boats trying to break out into the Atlantic
The physicist Neils Bohr, when it looked like he would be arrested and forced to work on Hitler's bomb, was ferried out of Denmark via a fishing boat to a waiting RAF plane at Malmo. His head was too big to fit in the oxygen helmet, and he lost consciousness on the flight to Britain over occupied Norway.A part of that story that deserves to be better known - The Shetland Bus:
The Shetland Bus Story
This section covers the clandestine operations between Shetland and Norway during WW2 which became known as the 'Shetland Bus'.www.scallowaymuseum.org
I have read that FDR issued only two direct orders during the war. One was to override Marshall's objections and invade North Africa to support the British campaign. The other was to transfer 60 B-24 Liberator bombers from the Pacific to remedy a gap in antisubmarine coverage of the convoy routes. Iceland was a key part of the anti-U-boat campaign.A part of that story that deserves to be better known - The Shetland Bus:
The Shetland Bus Story
This section covers the clandestine operations between Shetland and Norway during WW2 which became known as the 'Shetland Bus'.www.scallowaymuseum.org
This reminds me of the snippet I read that the Pennsylvania Railroad hauled all the materials to build the US Interstate Highway system, which of course killed the railroads (but now they're resurrected because of fuel efficiency among other things--but passenger railroads are still mostly dead). 1952 was not too far from the time when transatlantic flight became commonplace, and ocean liners were "retro-exotic".
New York Harbour tugs escort SS 'United States' up the Hudson at the end of her triumphant maiden voyage on 14 July 1952. She has wrested the Blue Riband from the Queen Mary, breaking the records for the eastbound and westbound crossings, with an average speed of 35.59 knots (39.5 mph). The highest recorded speed was 38.32 knots (44 mph) and the westbound crossing was completed in 3 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes, beating the Queen Mary's best time by nine and a half hours. Sixty nine years later, she still holds the record.
Quite so - by the 1960s air travel had become an economic alternative to spending four days on the North Atlantic. 'United States' made her last commercial voyage in 1969.This reminds me of the snippet I read that the Pennsylvania Railroad hauled all the materials to build the US Interstate Highway system, which of course killed the railroads (but now they're resurrected because of fuel efficiency among other things--but passenger railroads are still mostly dead). 1952 was not too far from the time when transatlantic flight became commonplace, and ocean liners were "retro-exotic".
The blue ribbon was partly a matter of (national) prestige. Some transatlantic lines deliberately did not take part in that competition, for the sake of their passenger's comfort. After all, when running at top speed, the ships were very subject to irritating vibrations, days and nights long.The majority of large, new passenger vessels have since been designed for cruising, for which high speed is not a requirement.
Yes, some of my older relations worked on those liners in various jobs, and that was something they very much recalled.The blue ribbon was partly a matter of (national) prestige. Some transatlantic lines deliberately did not take part in that competition, for the sake of their passenger's comfort. After all, when running at top speed, the ships were very subject to irritating vibrations, days and nights long.
I've been looking at this thread since Thursday, trying very hard Loxuru to keep my silence, but finally my resolve has cracked and pedantry has triumphed!The blue ribbon was partly a matter of (national) prestige.
Winfield Scott, the head of the US Army (such as it was), in responding to Lincoln's eagerness to move against the South said "Sir, this isn't an army".On July 21st 1861, today 160 years ago, the Battle of Bull Run took place, the first major battle of the American Civil War. The battle ended with a Confederate victory, when the Union troops fled in disorder. They clearly had a lack of training. Luckily for the Union, the Confederates had the same problem, otherwise, they could have marched straight to Washington DC, only some 45 km north of the battlefield. But once the Union was on the run, the Conferdate soldiers were satisfied with the result and wandered around on the battlefield, more interested in loot than in continuing to march and fight.
Hence, on the long run, the Union would more benefit from the battle, since it was a wake-up call to strenghten training and discipline. The Conferdates on the other hand, did not take the right lesson, believing now they could easily defeat the Union Army, and thinking the war was already won after their victory.
Bull Run is a 'first' in history for the importance of transporting troops to the battlefield by train. Also, curiously, a lot of citizens from Washington DC had gathered to watch the battle.
Benjamin Franklin spent a lot of time crossing the Atlantic. He wondered why the transit to the east was so much faster than that to the west. He made measurements of the speed of the Gulf Stream. Having that guy on board your ship with nothing to do must have been a real pain for the officers and the crew--don't let him fall overboard.I've been looking at this thread since Thursday, trying very hard Loxuru to keep my silence, but finally my resolve has cracked and pedantry has triumphed!
It is the Blue RibandBlue Riband - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org