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Legenda Support: Ukraine Aid It is with a heavy heart that we as Legenda understand that those wounded as we speak in Ukraine, arriving at a hospital (of field hospital) will or could die due to lack of Humanitarian Aid or safe organised passage of aid. We will never learn to navigate the future, unless we can put our common sa...

This day in maritime history 1858 – After several unsuccessful attempts, the first telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean is completed, a feat accomplished largely through the efforts of American merchant Cyrus West Field. The telegraph was first developed by Samuel F. B. Morse, an artist-turned-inventor who conceived of the idea of the electric telegraph in 1832. Several European inventors had proposed such a device, but Morse worked independently and by the mid 1830s had built a working telegraph instrument. In the late 1830s, he perfected Morse Code, a set of signals that could represent language in telegraph messages. In May 1844, Morse inaugurated the world’s first commercial telegraph line with the message “What hath God wrought,” sent from the U.S. Capitol to a railroad station in Baltimore. Within a decade, more than 20,000 miles of telegraph cable crisscrossed the country. The rapid communication it made possible greatly aided American expansion, making railroad travel safer as it provided a boost to business conducted across the great distances of a growing United States. In 1854, Cyrus West Field conceived the idea of the telegraph cable and secured a charter to lay a well-insulated line across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Obtaining the aid of British and American naval ships, he made four unsuccessful attempts, beginning in 1857. In July 1858, four British and American vessels–the Agamemnon, the Valorous, the Niagara, and the Gorgon–met in mid-ocean for the fifth attempt. On July 29, the Niagara and the Gorgon, with their load of cable, departed for Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, while the Agamemnon and the Valorous embarked for Valentia, Ireland. By August 5, the cable had been successfully laid, stretching nearly 2,000 miles across the Atlantic at a depth often of more than two miles. On August 16, President James Buchanan and Queen Victoria exchanged formal introductory and complimentary messages. Unfortunately, the cable proved weak and the current insufficient and by the beginning of September had ceased functioning. Field later raised new funds and made new arrangements. In 1866, the British ship Great Eastern succeeded in laying the first permanent telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean. Cyrus West Field was the object of much praise on both sides of the Atlantic for his persistence in accomplishing what many thought to be an impossible undertaking. He later promoted other oceanic cables, including telegraph lines that stretched from Hawaii to Asia and Australia.

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This day in maritime history 1790 – Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton’s proposal to build ten cutters to protect the new nation’s revenue (Stat. L. 145, 175). Alternately known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. The cutters were placed under the control of the Treasury Department. This date marks the officially recognized birthday of the Coast Guard.
Photo: WWII - A newly launched 83-footer, the GC-624 (later 83373 & CG-14 in Rescue Flotilla 1). These wooden-hulled cutters were all built by Wheeler Shipyard in Brooklyn, New York. The first 145 cutters were fitted with an Everdur bronze wheelhouse but due to a growing scarcity of that metal during the war, the latter units were fitted with a plywood wheelhouse. A total of 230 83-footers were built and entered service with the Coast Guard during the war. Twelve other 83-footers were built for the Navy and were transferred to Latin American navies. Note the 20mm/80 on her quarterdeck and the depth charge tracks off her stern. (captioned by US Coast Guard)

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Iliad Exploration Iliad Exploration is a group of adventurers sharing their experience aboard a 1927 Stone Boat Works

Maps of the Great War: Army Cartography in World War I One of the most illuminating groups of records found in the Cartographic Branch at the National Archives is Record Group 120: Records of the American Expeditionary Forces (World War I), 1848 & #8211…

On this day, 100 years ago, the first mustard gas bombardment took place over the Ypres Salient. 125 tonnes of mustard gas were launched during the night toward British troops. Though mustard gas had no immediate effect, those affected by the gas would be rushed to dressing stations within 1-2 hours with blisters, blindness and breathing difficulties.

Gas masks only protected lungs from the gas, but even skin underneath clothing could burn. The vapours would take days to disperse from trenches, shell holes, and even contaminated the water collected from no-man's land. Veterans told stories of mud that soldiers tracked back to their dugouts that poisoned people while they slept.

Photo: AWM, P10688.031.002

Wounded men of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, 86th Inf. Brigade being tended in a trench in the 29th Division's area near Beaumont Hamel on the morning of the initial assault, 1st July 1916.

The attack on Beaumont Hamel from the Sunken Road.
1st Bn The XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers -1st July 1916.

To the north of the river Ancre lay an important objective,the Grandcourt -Serre ridge. This ridge was the goal of the V111 Corp in which the 1st and 2nd LFs were serving.
The Germans had protected the ridge with a formidable series of defences, amongst these was the heavily fortified village of Beaumont -Hamel.
On the 29th June the Divisional Commander Major General H.de.B.de Lisle addressed the main body of 1LF, this is what he said,
"To you has been set the most difficult task-that of breaking the hardest part of the enemies shell"
The Battalions objective was the village of Beaumont Hamel.
Between the Bn. and their objective lay a sunken road which was chosen as the forming up point, the Bn. would attack from there following a huge artillery barrage and a massive mine being detonated at the Hawthorn redoubt.
The setting off of the mine had the unfortunate side effect of alerting the Germans to the LFs formed up in the sunken road and they were subjected to a tremendous cross fire from the front and both sides.
Snipers were killing the wounded and those who tried to help them, the road became blocked with dead and dying.
The attack cost the Bn. dearly, 7 officers killed and 14 wounded, 156 Other ranks killed and 298 wounded with 11 missing presumed dead.
The Bn. won 4 military Crosses and 8 Military medals in that one day. (lancs-fusiliers.co.uk)

(Source - IWM Q 739)

(Colourised by Doug)

Battle of the Scarpe.
Capture of the Greenland Hill by the 51st Division.
Stretcher-bearers (SB) of the 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders asleep.
Near Roeux, 29 August 1918.

(Photo source - © IWM Q 7014)
Brooke, John Warwick (Lieutenant) (Photographer)

(Colour by Doug)

II. Landsturm Infanterie Regiment Nr. 20 (XX. 16)

Assault troops from II. Landsturm Infanterie Regiment Nr. 20 prepare to lob their M.1917 Stielhandgranaten at an unseen threat. At least three of these fellows will have to repeat the hand gr***de course as they've forgotten to pull the gr***de's detonator cord.

Original Source : ✠ drakegoodman ✠

(colours by Victor Pinguet from France)

South Pacific World War II Museum Website Launched Following months of development, the South Pacific World War II Museum in Vanuatu is proud to announce the unveiling of its official website.