Enemy of the Bane

Enemy of the Bane is a two-part story from the "Doctor Who" spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures". It was broadcast on CBBC on 1 and 8 December 2008, and is the final serial of the second series. This episode was originally intended to be a crossover with the modern "Doctor Who" series; Davies reveals in his non-fiction book ' that former companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) was intended to appear in the two-parter, but had to be replaced with classic series character Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) "at the last minute" due to Agyeman's role in the ITV series ', making this the last episode to have Courtney as the Brigadier prior to his death in 2011.
Plot.
Part 1.
Rani's mother, Gita, is kidnapped by Mrs Wormwood, who leaves a cheque with her name on it. In the morning, Rani calls upon Sarah Jane to help her find her mother. Upon investigating the flower shop, they discover the cheque and take it back to Mr Smith for analysis. Mr Smith's scan reveals that the sort code and account number are fake, but are actually a code. When translated, they give an address of an abandoned warehouse. Rani and Sarah Jane find that the door is open and find Gita in a trance. Mrs Wormwood enters and remarks on Rani being taller than Maria. Mrs Wormwood tells Sarah Jane she needs her help. She says that since the Bane's plan to take over the Earth failed, she has been exiled and is being hunted. The Bane attack, but they manage to escape.
Sarah Jane takes Mrs Wormwood back to her house on Bannerman Road. Mrs Wormwood says that an ancient immortal, Horath, tried to take over the galaxy, but was defeated three thousand years previously. Unable to destroy him, Horath's body and consciousness were separated and placed at opposite ends of the galaxy. Mrs Wormwood says that the Bane have discovered Horath's consciousness, and are trying to find his body, which is located on Earth. Once united, she says the Bane will be able to conquer the galaxy. The only clue to the body's location is in the Tunguska Scroll, which is kept in UNIT's Black Archive, a secure storehouse of alien artifacts.
Sarah Jane visits her old friend, retired Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, to get his help to enter the Archive. Sarah Jane and Rani obtain the Tunguska Scroll, which has information on the location of the body of Horath. UNIT personnel stop her, but she uses her sonic lipstick and escapes with Rani and the Brigadier. Meanwhile, Luke is talking to Mrs Wormwood about his creation (against Sarah Jane and Clyde's wishes) when the Bane attack the house. Mrs Wormwood is about to escape when a Bane tries to eat her. Sontaran Commander Kaagh shoots it and reveals himself to be her agent.
Part 2.
Mrs Wormwood saves Luke and Clyde, trying to tell him something, then Rani and Sarah Jane arrive. Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, the Brigadier and Mrs Wormwood all hide in Gita's flower shop so that UNIT cannot find them. Mrs Wormwood asks Sarah Jane for the Tunguska Scroll but she refuses. Kaagh arrives and forces Sarah Jane to give it up by threatening Luke, Clyde and Rani. With the scroll in hand, Mrs Wormwood kidnaps Luke and he is forced to go with her and Kaagh, who is violent towards Luke and tries to kill him. Mrs Wormwood, Kaagh and Luke arrive at a factory where Kaagh has hidden his space pod. He places the Consciousness of Horath in a scroll. Mrs Wormwood says to Luke that he could be a ruler of a galaxy as her son. Luke tries to escape with the scroll, resulting in him nearly being shot by Kaagh, but Mrs Wormwood saves him at the last second. Meanwhile, the others go to Sarah Jane's house to speak to Mr Smith, to try to find the whereabouts of Luke and the scroll. Once they find out, they borrow Gita's van and go after them. Mrs Wormwood, Luke and Kaagh arrive at a stone circle where they force Luke to insert the scroll. They cannot do it themselves as only a human can enter the force-field. Sarah Jane then arrives, and Luke is forced to choose between Mrs Wormwood, his creator and Sarah Jane, his adoptive mother. Kaagh, ashamed of his submission to Mrs Wormwood, pushes her into the portal and he is dragged in with her.
Continuity.
Mrs Wormwood last appeared alongside the Bane in the series one episode "Invasion of the Bane". Commander Kaagh last appeared in the series two story "The Last Sontaran". Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart last appeared in the "Doctor Who" serial "Battlefield", although he had a brief cameo in the charity special "Dimensions in Time". This is the first time that Sarah Jane and the Brigadier have met on screen since "The Five Doctors", almost exactly 25 years earlier (aside from the 1995 direct-to-video, "Downtime").
The Brigadier references several of his previous adventures including "Day of the Daleks", "The Invasion", "Terror of the Autons" and "Terror of the Zygons". Clyde makes a reference about the events about his dad in "The Mark of the Berserker".
The Brigadier refers to the recent change in public awareness of aliens (in episodes such as "Aliens of London", "The Christmas Invasion", "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday", and "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End"). Sarah Jane mentions that even Queen Victoria knew about aliens. This is a reference to the "Doctor Who" episode "Tooth and Claw" and the charter of the Torchwood Institute. Like Rose Tyler in "Tooth and Claw", Rani makes a joke about Her Majesty's apocryphal quote, "We are not amused."
The Brigadier has just returned from his trip to Peru; this visit was mentioned in the "Doctor Who" episode "The Poison Sky" when the Doctor asked where he was. He is said to be back in Peru during the events of "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith" and "Death of the Doctor" up until he went into a Nursing Home where he died which "Eleventh Doctor" gets the call during the event of "The Wedding of River Song".
Outside references.
Mrs Wormwood introduces herself as "Wormwood, Mrs Wormwood", a play on the line "Bond, James Bond" used in the eponymous series of films. Samantha Bond, who plays Mrs Wormwood, played the iconic Miss Moneypenny in the four Bond films which starred Pierce Brosnan.
At one point Mrs Wormwood exclaims, "...Luke, I am your mother!" a reference to Darth Vader's famous revelation to Luke Skywalker in "The Empire Strikes Back": "No, "I" am your father!" (frequently mis-quoted as "Luke, I am your father!")


Chris Adams (character)

Chris Adams is a fictional character in the 1960 Western film "The Magnificent Seven" and its sequels. Originally played by Yul Brynner, he is the functional equivalent of Kambei Shimada, the character portrayed by Takashi Shimura in the 1954 film "Seven Samurai".
Description.
Chris Adams, a Cajun, is the laconic leader of a band of seven gunmen. He always wears black, smokes cigars, and shoots sharp. He is a man of principle, incorruptible and sturdy.
Character analysis.
Chris, and to a lesser extent the others of the Seven, are examples of the "western hero"-archetype who is resolute, "single minded", "independent", "strong", "loyal", and "honorable" as well as having various other positive characteristics. "The key lesson that Chris teaches is the distinction between law and ethics, laid out in 1924 by the British jurist Lord Moulton, who distinguished between the realms of law and of ethics. Law requires obedience to the enforceable, while ethics requires 'obedience to the unenforceable'". Hence, Chris and the other members of the Seven "help the locals focus on the survival skills they will need" and their "leadership is necessary", even though it is essentially transient. They are "desperate for money, but equally in need of self-esteem, of belonging and a sense of worth." Chris is not as cruel as Calvera, but like Calvera represents a way of life that is antithetical to humane civilization. Nevertheless, Chris and Calvera are morally equivalent and Calvera is in some ways preferable or at least, seems to be the more powerful and inescapable of the two. As a result, Chris has been called "a black-clad Shane".
Portrayal.
Yul Brynner originally played Adams in "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) and reprised the role in the "Return of the Seven" (1966). Brynner's character in the 1973 science fiction Western thriller "Westworld" is visually based on Adams.
George Kennedy played Adams in the "Guns of the Magnificent Seven" (1969), while Lee Van Cleef portrayed the character in the fourth film, "The Magnificent Seven Ride" (1972).
Chris Larabee.
Portrayed by Michael Biehn, Larabee is loosely based on the "Chris Adams" character from the original films. His wife and son were murdered before the start of the series, turning him into a reserved but deadly individual. His quest for vengeance ia a recurring theme through several episodes of the series.
Sam Chisolm.
Sam Chisolm, a warrant officer from Wichita, Kansas, and leader of the Seven, is Adams' counterpart in the 2016 remake. He is played by Denzel Washington.


R. Lee Ermey

Ronald Lee Ermey (March 24, 1944 – April 15, 2018) was an American actor, and Marine drill instructor. He achieved fame for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film "Full Metal Jacket", which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Ermey was also a United States Marine Corps staff sergeant and an honorary gunnery sergeant.
Ermey was often typecast in authority figure roles, such as Mayor Tilman in the film "Mississippi Burning", Bill Bowerman in "Prefontaine", Sheriff Hoyt in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake, Jimmy Lee Farnsworth in "Fletch Lives", a police captain in "Se7en", plastic army men leader Sarge in the "Toy Story" films, Lt. "Tice" Ryan in "Rocket Power", a prison warden in an episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants", and John House in "House".
On television, Ermey hosted two programs on the History Channel: "Mail Call", in which he answered viewers' questions about various military issues both modern and historic; and "Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey", which concerned the development of different types of weapons. He also hosted "GunnyTime" on the Outdoor Channel.
Early life.
Ermey was born in Emporia, Kansas, on March 24, 1944 to John Edward and Betty Ermey. He grew up with five brothers on a farm outside Kansas City, Kansas. In 1958, when Ermey was 14, he and his family moved to Zillah, Washington. As a teenager, Ermey often got into trouble with the authorities, and he was arrested twice for criminal mischief by the age of 17. After his second arrest, a judge gave him a choice between the military and jail; Ermey chose the military.
Military career.
In 1961, at age 17, Ermey enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and went through recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in San Diego, California. He served in the aviation support field for a few years before becoming a drill instructor in India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, where he was assigned from 1965 to 1967.
Ermey then served in Marine Wing Support Group 17 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan. In 1968, he was ordered to South Vietnam with MWSG-17, and spent 14 months in-country. The remainder of his service was on Okinawa, where he was advanced to staff sergeant (E-6). He was medically retired in 1972 because of several injuries. On May 17, 2002, he received an honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant (E-7) by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James L. Jones.
Ermey continued to visit Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in San Diego, California and Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina to visit with and speak with recruits. Ermey filmed an episode of "Mail Call" at Parris Island.
Acting career.
Films.
Ermey was cast in his first film while attending the University of Manila in the Philippines, using his G.I. Bill benefits. He played a First Air Cavalry helicopter pilot in "Apocalypse Now", and doubled as a technical advisor to director Francis Ford Coppola. Ermey then was cast as a Marine drill instructor in Sidney J. Furie's "The Boys in Company C".
For the next few years, Ermey played a series of minor film roles until 1987, when he was cast as drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket". Initially, he was intended to be only the technical advisor. Kubrick changed his mind after Ermey put together an instructional tape, in which he went on an extended tirade at several extras, convincing Kubrick he was the right man for the role. Breaking his word to original actor Tim Colceri, Kubrick gave Colceri's part to R. Lee Ermey. Seeking authenticity for the film, Kubrick allowed Ermey to write or edit his own dialogue and improvise on the set, a notable rarity in a Kubrick film. Kubrick later indicated that Ermey was an excellent performer, often needing just two or three takes per scene, also unusual for a Kubrick film. Ermey's performance won critical raves and he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor.
Ermey later played a drill instructor in the pilot episode of "" and the ghost of a drill instructor in the film "The Frighteners", both similar to his character in "Full Metal Jacket". Ermey subsequently appeared in about 60 films, including "Purple Hearts", "Mississippi Burning", "The Siege of Firebase Gloria", "Dead Man Walking", "Se7en", "Fletch Lives", "Leaving Las Vegas", "Prefontaine", "Saving Silverman", "On Deadly Ground", "Sommersby", "Life", "Man of the House", "Toy Soldiers", and "The Salton Sea", as well as the remake of "Willard", and as an evil sadist in two of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" films.
Ermey also lent his voice to "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy", "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", and "Toy Story 3", as well as ' and '. He usually appeared in a commanding military role, for shows such as "Kim Possible", "The Simpsons", "Family Guy", "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Rocket Power", "Angry Beavers," "Fillmore!," "Miami Vice", "House", "Scrubs", "My Life as a Teenage Robot", and "Invader Zim". His voice was also briefly heard through a voice disguise machine in "". In addition he hosted the documentary series "Mail Call" and "Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey".
Television.
In 1993 Ermey appeared as the father of Bruce Campbell's character in "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." for two episodes (1 and 8) of season one.
On December 14, 1994, Ermey played a sheriff in "Tales from the Crypt", season six, episode nine, "Staired in Horror". He also played the role of Reverend Patrick Findley, a minister, on "The X-Files" season 3, episode 11, "Revelations". On "Mail Call", Ermey discussed weaponry, tactical matters, and military history. "Mail Call"s subject matter was dictated by viewer emails; one episode focused on an M1 Abrams tank, while others involved World War II secrets, and others focused on elements of medieval warfare. The set consisted of a military tent, other military gear and weapons, and a World War II jeep.
Ermey traveled to Kuwait in June 2003 during the first phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom to film mail distribution by the Defense Department to service personnel for an episode of "Mail Call". According to a 2005 episode of "Mail Call" filmed at Whiteman Air Force Base, he was the 341st person to fly in the B-2 stealth bomber. He also guest-starred in the episode "Second Chance" of "Human Target".
Ermey also made guest appearances on the television drama "House", playing the role of Dr. Gregory House's father, who was a decorated naval aviator while serving in the Marine Corps ("Birthmarks", "Daddy's Boy"), and the sitcom "Scrubs", playing the Janitor's father. He also voiced Wildcat in several episodes of "". In two episodes of "The Simpsons" entitled "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" and "Waiting for Duffman", Ermey voiced Colonel Leslie "Hap" Hapablap.
In the episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants" "Inmates of Summer", he voiced an irate warden of a maximum-security island prison who demoralized the inmates whenever he could. In the episode of "The Angry Beavers" "Fancy Prance", he voiced the Lipizzaner stallions' instructor, Drill Sergeant Goonther.
In 2009, Ermey hosted a second History Channel show entitled "Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey", which discussed the history of various weapons used by militaries of today.
In late 2010, Ermey starred in a GEICO commercial as a drill-instructor-turned-therapist who insults a client, in a parody of some of his iconic characters. Ermey was also featured each week on ESPN's College GameDay. His role was to insult the experts' incorrect picks from the previous week. In that same year, Ermey appeared in the "" episode "Trophy" as a paroled sex offender.
In 2011, Ermey starred as a drill instructor on the "X-Play" special on "Bulletstorm". In the "Family Guy" episode "Grumpy Old Man", Ermey guest-starred, again as a drill instructor.
Ermey served as host of "GunnyTime", a program that debuted on Outdoor Channel in 2015.
Video games.
In 1993, Ermey played Lyle The Handyman in the full motion video game Mega-CD/Sega CD game "Double Switch". In 1996, he was the player character's superior officer in "Earthsiege 2".
Ermey lent his voice to several video games, including ' (as General Barnaky) and ' (as Wa-Wa). He also made a cameo in "Real War: Air, Land, Sea", a real-time strategy video game based on the official Joint Chiefs of Staff training game. In 2014, he did voice-over work for "".
Several characters have made references to Ermey and the character of Hartman. In the game "Fallout 3", a recruitable companion is named Sergeant RL-3, a modified military robot with a personality very similar to Ermey (the companion's name is a reference to Ermey's initials wherein the 3 is leetspeak for the letter E). In the ' expansion there is a character named "Lieutenant Emry" that speaks some of Ermey's signature lines from "Full Metal Jacket". In ', the drill sergeant from the initial boot camp stage had dialogue and mannerisms very similar to Ermey's character in "Full Metal Jacket".
Commercials.
Ermey was an official spokesman for Black Book (National Auto Research), Glock firearms, TRU-SPEC apparel, Tupperware, Victory Motorcycles, Hoover, SOG Specialty Knives, WD-40, Young Marines, and appeared in commercials for Coors Light, Dick's Sporting Goods, GEICO, and pistachio nuts. He provided the introduction for the Professional Bull Riders. He can be seen giving a service announcement for Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, demanding that viewers be quiet during the film. He was a board member for the National Rifle Association.
Personal life.
Ermey married his wife, Nila, in 1975. They had four children.
Business venture.
Ermey was a co-founder of Bravery Brewing in Lancaster, California.
Military appearances.
On May 17, 2002, Ermey received an honorary post-service promotion to gunnery sergeant (E-7) from the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James L. Jones in recognition of his continuing support to Americans in military service.
He conducted morale tours, visiting United States troops in locations such as Al Kut, Iraq, and Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in which he filmed parts for his television show "Mail Call". While at Bagram Airfield, he held a USO-type show in which he portrayed GySgt Hartman and conducted a comedy routine. He also did the same at Doha, Qatar and Camp Doha, Kuwait City, Kuwait, in 2003.
Political views.
Ermey described himself as an independent. In the 2008 presidential election, Ermey voted for Barack Obama, but subsequently criticized his economic policies, accusing him of attempting to “impose socialism” on the American people and “destroying the country.” Ermey said in a 2015 interview that he supported Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president. He said, "You know what, I just watched Ted Cruz – I mean, what a tough act to follow. I'm not going to tell you who I'm going to vote for, but I'm going to let you guess [...] and the first two guesses don't count!" He would later endorse presidential candidate Donald Trump. Ermey was a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and a board member of the National Rifle Association.
Death.
Ermey died at a hospital in Santa Monica, California, from complications related to pneumonia on the morning of April 15, 2018, three weeks after his 74th birthday. His funeral was held in Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, January 18, 2019, where his ashes are buried.
Awards and decorations.
Ermey was retroactively awarded the Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon after he retired from the military due to his prior service as a Marine Corps recruit training instructor. Ermey's military awards included:


50th Missile Regiment Royal Artillery

50 Missile Regiment Royal Artillery (sometimes nicknamed '50 Miserable') was an artillery regiment of the British Army. From the late 1950s it was stationed with the British Army of the Rhine in Germany, at Northumberland Barracks, Menden, equipped with 8-inch towed howitzers, the Honest John, and, from 1976, the MGM-52 Lance surface to surface missile. It generally comprised three to four artillery batteries namely 19 Gibraltar battery, 51 Kabul battery, and a headquarter battery.
History.
On 1 April 1947 RHQ 4th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA was redesignated RHQ 50th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA. It was located at Stoneleigh Park Camp, Coventry.
In April 1952 while stationed at Troon it was converted to a medium regiment, with BL 5.5-inch Medium Guns. In 1959 it was moved to Northumberland Barracks, Menden, gaining the Honest John missile soon afterwards, and there in 1964 it was redesignated a missile regiment. Almost as soon as the regiment became a missile artillery regiment, it moved to the 4th Armoured Division.
24 Missile Regiment RA was amalgamated in February 1977 with 50 Regiment, as the Honest John was phased out. In the early 1980s it was part of the Artillery Division. Still stationed at Menden in 1991, it was placed in suspended animation in 1993. Towards the end of its history the regiment gained the nickname of the "Lincolnshire and Humberside Gunners" when it started recruiting mainly from that area.


Savannah campaign Union order of battle

The following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Savannah campaign (or Sherman's March to the Sea) of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is listed separately. Order of battle compiled from the army organization during the campaign.
Union Forces.
MG William T. Sherman, Commanding
Headquarters guard:
Engineers:
Right Wing (Army of the Tennessee).
MG Oliver O. Howard

Escort:
XV Corps.
MG Peter J. Osterhaus
XVII Corps.
MG Francis Preston Blair, Jr.

Escort:
Left Wing (Army of Georgia).
MG Henry W. Slocum
Pontoniers:
XIV Corps.
Bvt MG Jefferson C. Davis
XX Corps.
BG Alpheus S. Williams


Cholm Shield

The Cholm Shield () was a World War II German military decoration awarded to those who fought in the Cholm Pocket on the Eastern Front between 21 January and 5 May 1942. It was instituted on 1 July 1942 and is the rarest of the German combat shields, with approximately 5,500 recipients. Awards ceased to be bestowed on 1 April 1943.
Background and design.
In January 1942, the Soviet Red Army began a series of counteroffensives against the German Army. In the course of these operations, the German occupied town of Cholm (or Kholm) was attacked on 18 January 1942. By the 21 January the town was surrounded and cut off, creating the Cholm Pocket. Led by Generalmajor Theodor Scherer a mixed group of Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and police personnel were supplied by air until relieved on 5 May 1942.
After the relief of Cholm, a commemorative shield was suggested by General Scherer to Adolf Hitler, who agreed to the award. A design by Polizei-Rottwachtmeister Schlimmer, a veteran of the pocket, was then approved by Hitler, with some minor changes made by Professor Richard Klein.
The award features a shield, 38mm wide and 65mm high, with a large "open-winged" Wehrmacht-style eagle grasping an Iron Cross with a swastika at its centre. Below this is written CHOLM in capitals, and then the date 1942. The shields were hollow stamped metal washed in silver. A backing plate was attached with a number of prongs, and affixed to a piece of coloured cloth that matched the colour of the uniform of the recipient's arm of service.
After an initial ban, the Federal Republic of Germany re-authorised the wear of many World War II military decorations in 1957. These included the Cholm Shield, re-designed by removing the swastika emblem from the centre of the Iron Cross. Members of the Bundeswehr could wear the shield on the ribbon bar, represented by a small replica of the award on a field grey ribbon.
Criteria for award.
To receive the shield, military personnel had, between 21 January and 5 May 1942, to have:
The Cholm Shield was worn on the left upper sleeve of the uniform of soldiers and airmen. Those with two campaign shields would wear them one above the other, separated by half a cm. Holders of three shields wore the earliest received uppermost, with the remaining two worn beside each other below. For civilian clothes, a smaller shield roughly 16mm across with a needle fitting could be worn on the left lapel.


Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Allied Command Operations (ACO). Since 1967 it has been located in Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons, but it had previously been located, from 1953, at Rocquencourt, next to Versailles, France. From 1951 to 2003, SHAPE was the headquarters of Allied Command Europe (ACE). Since 2003 it has been the headquarters of Allied Command Operations, controlling all NATO operations worldwide.
SHAPE retained its traditional name with reference to Europe for legal reasons although the geographical scope of its activities was extended in 2003. At that time, NATO's command in Lisbon, historically part of Allied Command Atlantic, was reassigned to ACO. The commander of Allied Command Operations has also retained the title "Supreme Allied Commander Europe" (SACEUR), and continues to be a U.S. four-star general officer or flag officer who also serves as Commander, U.S. European Command.
History.
An integrated military structure for NATO was first established after the Korean War raised questions over the strength of Europe's defences against a Soviet attack. The first choice for commander in Europe was American General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, as he had successfully directed the Allied landings in Normandy and subsequent march into Germany during World War II, amid many inter-Allied controversies over the proper conduct of the campaign on the Western Front. On December 19, 1950, the North Atlantic Council announced the appointment of General Eisenhower as the first SACEUR. British Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery moved over from the predecessor Western Union Defence Organization (WUDO) to become the first Deputy SACEUR, who would serve until 1958. Volume 3 of Nigel Hamilton's "Life of Montgomery of Alamein" gives a good account of Montgomery's exacting, tireless approach to improving the command's readiness, which caused a good deal of bruised feelings in doing so. In establishing the command, the first NATO planners drew extensively on WUDO plans and personnel.
General Eisenhower arrived in Paris on January 1, 1951, and quickly set to work with a small group of planners to devise a structure for the new European command. The Planning Group worked in the Hotel Astoria in central Paris while construction of a permanent facility began at Rocquencourt, just west of the city, at Camp Voluceau.
Devising command arrangements in the Central Region, which contained the bulk of NATO's forces, proved to be much more complicated. General Eisenhower considered naming an overall Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) there as well but soon realized it would be difficult to find an arrangement that would satisfy all three major powers with forces in the Center—the United States, United Kingdom and France—as they had strongly differing views on the proper relationship of air and ground power. Drawing upon his World War II experience, General Eisenhower decided to retain overall control himself and did not appoint a C-in-C for the Central Region. Instead there would be three separate C-in-C's (air, land, and sea).
In December 1950 it was announced that the forces initially to come under General Eisenhower's command were to be the U.S. Seventh Army in Germany, the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), with the 2nd Infantry and 7th Armoured Divisions, to be bolstered by the 11th Armoured Division and a further infantry division, three French divisions in Germany and Austria, the Danish, Belgian, and the Independent Norwegian Brigades in Western Germany, and the American and British garrisons in Austria, Trieste, and Berlin. Four days after Eisenhower's arrival in Paris, on 5 January 1951, the Italian defence minister, Randolfo Pacciardi, announced that three Italian divisions were to be formed as Italy's 'initial contribution to the Atlantic army', and that these divisions would also come under Eisenhower's control.
Initial command structure.
On April 2, 1951, General Eisenhower signed the activation order for Allied Command Europe and its headquarters at SHAPE. Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) was activated in Fontainebleau, France in 1953. On the same day, ACE's subordinate headquarters in Northern and Central Europe were activated, with the Southern Region following in June.
By 1954 ACE's forces consisted of Allied Forces Northern Europe, at Oslo, Allied Forces Central Europe (Fontainebleau), Allied Forces Southern Europe (Paris/Naples) and Allied Forces Mediterranean at Malta.
The commanders and commands in 1957 were:
Plans and exercises.
Four exercises were conducted in the ACE area during autumn 1952. "Blue Alliance" was a major allied air force exercise for the Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) to achieve air supremacy over the Central European front and provide close air support to NORTHAG ground forces under the overall command of Lt. General Lauris Norstad, USAF. Two 1952 central region exercises involved air-ground combined forces. "Equinox" was a major air-ground exercise involving French-American tactical air units and a French airborne infantry unit under the command of "Général d'Armée" Alphonse Juin, French Army. "Holdfast" was a major allied air-ground exercise involving 150,000 British Army of the Rhine, Dutch, Belgian and Canadian troops of NATO's Northern Army Group in coordination with the Allied Air Forces Central Europe. They maneuvered east of the Rhine River in the British Zone under the overall command of Lt. General Sir Richard Nelson Gale, British Army. Finally, "Rosebud" involved ground maneuvers by the U.S. Seventh Army in the American Zone of Occupation of Allied-occupied Germany.
The initial plans saw the defence of Western Europe from a Soviet invasion resting heavily on nuclear weapons ('Massive retaliation'), with conventional forces merely acting as a 'tripwire.' The policy enunciated in Military Committee document MC14/1, issued in December 1952, saw the defence of Germany as principally a delaying action, to allow a line of resistance to be established along the lines of the IJssel and Rhine rivers. The conventional forces would attempt to hold this line while the allied strategic air forces defeated the Soviets and their allies by destroying their economy and infrastructure.
What this strategy meant for the land battle in the central region was described for publicity purposes in January 1954 by then-Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alfred Gruenther as:
In 1957, SACEUR General Lauris Norstad, USAF, noting the numerical superiority of Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces over NATO ground forces, called for "about 30" divisions to augment NATO's central European front. That year Allied Command Europe carried out Operation Counter Punch, which involved AFCENT forces on the European mainland, and two other major military exercises in September 1957. Operation Strikeback was a series of multilateral naval exercises that concentrated on NATO's eastern Atlantic/northern European flank. Operation Deep Water involved NATO carrier and amphibious assault forces operating along NATO's southern flank in the Mediterranean Sea.
To improve alliance military readiness and integration, NATO continued to hold annual alliance-wide military exercises each autumn ("FALLEX") that was jointly planned and executed by SACEUR and SACLANT forces.
From 1967 however, under 'flexible response', the aim became to build up conventional forces so that, if possible, nuclear weapons might not be needed. However it was made clear that first use of nuclear weapons might be necessary if the conventional defences were being overwhelmed. Eventually SACEUR was allocated planning control of a small number of US and British ballistic missile submarines, and some 7,000 tactical nuclear weapons were deployed in Europe.
Relocation to Belgium.
One of the most significant events in the history of Allied Command Europe (ACE) was France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military structure. This move forced SHAPE and several other ACE headquarters to leave French territory. France's resentment over NATO's military structure had been brewing for a number of years, as successive French governments had become increasingly incensed with Anglo-American domination of the command structure and insufficient French influence. In February 1966 President Charles de Gaulle stated that the changed world order had "stripped NATO of its justification" for military integration, and soon afterward, France stated that it was withdrawing from the NATO military structure. SHAPE and all the other NATO installations, including NATO Headquarters and Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT), were informed that they must leave French territory by April 1967.
Belgium became the host nation for both NATO's political headquarters and SHAPE. General Lyman Lemnitzer, SACEUR at the time, had hoped that SHAPE could be located near to NATO Headquarters, as had been the case in Paris, but the Belgian authorities decided that SHAPE should be located at least 50 kilometres from Brussels, NATO's new location, because SHAPE was a major wartime military target. The Belgian government offered Camp Casteau, a 2 km2 Belgian Army summer training camp near Mons, which was an area in serious need of additional economic investment. In September 1966, NATO agreed that Belgium should host SHAPE at Casteau. SHAPE closed its facility at Rocquencourt near Paris on 30 March 1967, and the next day held a ceremony to mark the opening of the new headquarters at Casteau.
The drawdown of the British Mediterranean Fleet, the military difficulties of the politically decided command structure, and the withdrawal of the French from the military command structure forced a rearrangement of the command arrangements in the southern region. Allied Forces Mediterranean was disbanded on 5 June 1967, and all forces in the south and the Mediterranean assigned to AFSOUTH in Naples. This left SHAPE and Allied Command Europe with three commands: AFNORTH covering Norway and Denmark, AFCENT most of Germany, and AFSOUTH Italy, Turkey, Greece, and the rest of the southern region.
The 1970s – Haig and Rogers.
The headquarters' new home in Mons, Belgium, was the center of international attention from time to time as new Supreme Allied Commanders came and went, with one of the more notable being General Alexander Haig. Haig, who had retired from military service in order to serve as White House Chief of Staff for President Richard Nixon during the depths of the Watergate crisis, was abruptly installed as SACEUR after Watergate's denouement. Haig arrived in 1974. Some scattered notes about his time at SHAPE are recorded by Colodny and Shachtman's book "The Forty Years War". In addition, then-Lieutenant Colonel John Galvin (later to become SACEUR himself) served as speechwriter for both Goodpaster, Haig's predecessor, and Haig. Galvin wrote that 'Goodpaster was ..internationally minded, avuncular, philosophical, gentlemanly, thoughtful, warm, and measured in his ways. Haig was combative and suspicious, and conspiratorial in outlook.' While at SACEUR Haig felt that the large Warsaw Pact exercises were intimidating to observers, and, despite HQ staff disapproval, created the Exercise Autumn Forge exercise series, increasing the size of the event by holding all the NATO ACE exercises at the same time of year.
A creature of habit, Haig took the same route to SHAPE every day – a pattern of behavior that did not go unnoticed by terrorist groups. On June 25, 1979, Haig was the apparent target of an assassination attempt in Mons, Belgium. A land mine blew up under the bridge on which Haig's car was traveling, narrowly missing Haig's car, but wounding three of his bodyguards in a following car. Authorities later attributed responsibility for the attack to the German Red Army Faction.
Haig's successor, General Bernard W. Rogers, became somewhat of an institution in Europe as the former U.S. Army chief of staff occupied the office for nearly eight years; a brief outcry arose from the other NATO capitals when Rogers was slated for retirement by the U.S. administration in 1987.
Command structure and the 1980s and 1990s.
ACE in 1986 had three major subordinate commands (MSCs), one each for Northern, Central, and Southern Europe, as well as smaller commands.
From 1993, the staffing of ACE was reduced in line with personnel reductions already in progress since 1990 and the Schaefer Plan, drafted by retired German general Shaefer. Shaefer's aim was to begin the first effort to streamline NATO's Cold War structure to meet the new circumstances. Personnel in the headquarters fell from 18,354 in 1990 to 12,919 in 1996. Costs fell from US$621m to $482m over the same period. From 1994-c.1999, there were three Major Subordinate Commands in ACE: Allied Forces Northwestern Europe at RAF High Wycombe, Allied Forces Central Europe at Brunssum, The Netherlands, and AFSOUTH in Naples.
After much discussion within the Alliance, ACE's three-command system was reduced to two commands covering the same area after 1996, one for north of the Alps and one for south of the Alps. The United States had wished to retain three commands, arguing that 'the span of control might be excessive.' It was feared by Pentagon officials at the time that if the two-command structure was adopted, some functions at the MSC level would have had to be moved 'downward' in the new structure. But while the United States eventually had to give in on a reduction to two commands, it was successful in that a European officer was not placed in charge of the new southern command (now Allied Joint Force Command Naples), a move which France and Germany supported. Despite French President Jacques Chirac exchanging letters with Bill Clinton personally over the issue in September–October 1997, the United States stood firm and today an American admiral remains in charge of the Naples command. In addition to the two continental commands AFNORTHWEST covered the United Kingdom and Scandinavia.
An early retirement again disrupted the Mons headquarters in 2000 as General Wesley Clark was shunted aside in favor of Air Force general Joseph Ralston. Although the move was publicly characterized as a purely administrative move necessitated by Clark's approaching retirement and the lack of an open four-star slot for the highly respected Ralston [a reality which would have compelled him to either accept a temporary demotion to two-star rank or retire from the service], Clark's relief has been often seen as a slap at the general on the part of a Pentagon leadership that had been very much at odds with him during the Kosovo war the previous spring.
From the early 2000s ACO as it became had more and more activities related to the NATO Response Force. Yet after Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined the alliance, and especially after the 2008 Georgia-Russia war, more attention began to be paid to NATO's core Article 5 defence obligations. The three Baltic states' worries were specifically focused on a potential Russian threat. Thus while some exercises were ostentially run to prepare the NRF, sometimes they also included Article 5 aspects. Among these dual-purpose exercises was 'Steadfast Jazz', part of the NATO Exercise Steadfast series, which was run in November 2013 across a number of NATO countries, including Poland and the Baltic states.
Structure created in 2003.
In 2003, a French flag was set up in the SHAPE headquarters in Mons following the return, after almost forty years, of French military officers to the HQ. Fifteen French military officers, including General Jean-Jacques Bart, work there, of a total amount of 1,100 personnel. They are however considered as "inserted," and not as "integrated," as they cannot be ordered to move without previous French approval.
A new structure was developed with three main headquarters under Allied Command Operations:
Between 2003 and 2006, a new category of forces was created, principally to improve the flexibility and reach of land forces. The structure incorporated six "NATO Rapid Deployable Corps headquarters." Formed from October 2003, the NATO Rapidly Deployable Corps are designated High Readiness Forces (HRF), designed to be able to react on short notice. Although these forces cannot deploy on five days warning like the NATO Response Force (NRF), they have a longer sustainment capability in combat than the NRF, which is limited to 30 days.
The Multinational Corps Northeast headquartered in Szczecin, Poland, was seen along with the downgraded Greek corps, as the third echelon deployable force in the NATO rapid deployment capability. The Eurocorps HQ, in Strasbourg, France, is an EU force with a technical agreement linking it to NATO.
, there are nine High Readiness Force Headquarters:
Certification of the following High Readiness Forces (Maritime) Headquarters took place in 2004:
Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), homeported at Gaeta, Italy, whose lead nation is the United States, is commanded by Commander United States Sixth Fleet, and is also part of the NATO Force Structure. STRIKFORNATO is the only command capable of leading an expanded maritime task force.
The final formation is Commander French Maritime Forces, initially aboard the "Charles de Gaulle", but now aboard the amphibious ship "Mistral". The French naval component is drawn from the Force d'Action Navale, the French Navy's surface fleet.
Island Commander, Iceland, remains in existence as a detachment of HQ ACO, as does Allied Submarine Command, a NATO command based on the United States Navy's ComSubLant. A special operations coordination centre and an intelligence fusion centre have also recently been formed within SHAPE.
As more capable rapid reaction forces were established, earlier 'fire brigades', including the ACE Mobile Force (Land) ('AMF (L)'), were disbanded; AMF(L) was disbanded on 30 October 2002.
In addition to this Allied Command Operations has at its disposal standing forces such as:
Airlift support for SACEUR's travels is provided by the USAF's 309th Airlift Squadron at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium.
In 2012 and 2013, NATO underwent a reorganization of the military command, and the land component commands at Heidelberg and Madrid were deactivated, the maritime component command at Naples was closed and the air component command at Izmir also shut down.
Structure.
Today Allied Command Operations (ACO) is one of the two strategic commands of NATO (the other being Allied Command Transformation (ACT).
Joint force operational headquarters.
There were initially two joint force operational headquarters and several single service commands under Allied Command Operations:
In 2018, it was agreed that a new joint force operational headquarters in Norfolk would be created to conduct operations in the Atlantic.
Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF) was established due to the rising Russian threat, making the Atlantic sea routes a critical domain. A Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) was also created in Ulm, Germany, to improve rear area logistical support.
Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Since 2003 the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) has also served as the head of Allied Command Europe and the head of Allied Command Operations.
In popular culture.
Ian Fleming referenced SHAPE in his short-story 'From a View to a Kill', collected as part of "For Your Eyes Only".
In the film "Private Benjamin", Goldie Hawn's character negotiates an assignment to SHAPE.


Telly Savalas

Aristotelis Savalas (; January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt. Theo Kojak on the crime drama series "Kojak" (1973–1978) and James Bond archvillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969).
Savalas' other roles include "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), "Battle of the Bulge" (1965), "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), "Kelly's Heroes" (1970), "Horror Express" (1972), "Lisa and the Devil" (1974) and "Escape to Athena" (1979). For "Birdman of Alcatraz", he was nominated for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.
As a singer, Savalas released a cover of the Bread song "If", which became a UK No. 1 single in 1975. The song also peaked at number 12 in Australia.
Early life.
Aristotelis Savalas was born in Garden City, New York, on January 21, 1922, the second of five children born to ethnic Greek parents Christina (née Kapsalis; 1904–1988), an artist who was a native of Sparta, and Nick Savalas ( 1883–1948), a restaurant owner. His paternal grandparents came from the Greek village of Ierakas. Savalas and his brother, Gus, sold newspapers and polished shoes to help support the family. Savalas initially spoke only Greek when he entered grade school, but later learned English. He attended Cobbett Junior High School in Lynn, Massachusetts. He won a spelling bee there in 1934; due to an oversight, he did not receive his prize until 1991, when the school principal and "Boston Herald" decided to award it to him.
Savalas graduated from Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, New York in 1940. A renowned swimmer, he worked as a beach lifeguard after graduation from high school. However, on one occasion, he was unsuccessful in saving a father from drowning; as he attempted resuscitation, the man's two children stood nearby crying for their father to wake up. This affected Savalas so much that he spent the rest of his life constantly promoting water safety, and later made all six of his children take swimming lessons.
Military service.
In 1941, Savalas was drafted into the United States Army. From 1941 to 1943, Savalas served in Company C, 12th Medical Training Battalion, 4th Medical Training Regiment at Camp Pickett, Virginia. In 1943, he was discharged from the Army with the rank of corporal after being severely injured in a car accident. Savalas spent more than a year recuperating in hospital with a broken pelvis, sprained ankle and concussion. He then attended the Armed Forces Institute where he studied radio and television production.
He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Columbia's School of General Studies in 1946 and started working on a master's degree while preparing for medical school.
Early career.
After the war, he worked for the U.S. State Department as host of the "Your Voice of America" series, then at ABC News.
In 1950, Savalas hosted a radio show called "The Coffeehouse in New York City".
Savalas began as an executive director and then as senior director of the news special events at ABC. He then became an executive producer for the "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports", where he gave Howard Cosell his first job in television. Before his acting career took off, Savalas directed Scott Vincent and Howard Cosell in "Report to New York", WABC-TV's first regularly-scheduled news program in fall 1959.
Savalas did not consider acting as a career until asked if he could recommend an actor who could do a European accent. He did but as the friend in question could not go, Savalas himself went to cover for his friend and ended up being cast on "And Bring Home a Baby", an episode of "Armstrong Circle Theatre" in January 1958. He appeared on two more episodes of the series in 1959 and 1960, one, acting alongside a young Sydney Pollack. He was also in a version of "The Iceman Cometh".
Savalas quickly became in much demand as a guest star on TV shows, appearing in "Sunday Showcase", "", "Dow Hour of Great Mysteries" (an adaptation of "The Cat and the Canary"), "Naked City" (alongside Claude Rains), "The Witness" (playing Lucky Luciano in one episode and Al Capone in another), "The United States Steel Hour", and "The Aquanauts." He was a regular on the short-lived NBC series "Acapulco" (1961) with Ralph Taeger and James Coburn.
Savalas made his film debut in "Mad Dog Coll" (1961), playing a cop. His work had impressed fellow actor Burt Lancaster, who arranged for Savalas to be cast in the John Frankenheimer directed "The Young Savages" (also 1961 and again playing a cop). Pollack worked on the film as an acting coach.
In one of his most acclaimed performances, Savalas reunited with Lancaster and Frankenheimer for "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), where he was nominated for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. The same year, he appeared as a private detective in "Cape Fear" (directed by J. Lee Thompson whom Savalas would work with in future films), and "The Interns", reprising his role from the latter film in "The New Interns" (1964).
Savalas also guest starred in a number of TV series during the decade including "The New Breed", "The Detectives", "Ben Casey", "The Twilight Zone" (the episode "Living Doll"), "The Fugitive (1963 TV series)" and "Arrest and Trial" among others.
Baldness and stardom.
Savalas, already at a late stage of male-pattern baldness, shaved his head to play Pontius Pilate in "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965) and kept his head shaven for the rest of his life. He reunited with J. Lee Thompson in "John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!" (1965), and was one of many names in "Genghis Khan" (also 1965).
He was part of an all-star cast in "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), playing Archer Maggott (the worst of the dozen), in a role Jack Palance turned down. He reunited with Burt Lancaster and Sydney Pollack in the Western "The Scalphunters" (1968), and also featured in the comedy "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell" (also 1968) — noted as one of his favorite roles — and the all-star action movie "Mackenna's Gold" (1969), his third film for J. Lee Thompson. Savalas attributed his success to "his complete ability to be himself."
After continued supporting roles in films such as "The Man from the Diners' Club", "Love Is a Ball" and "Johnny Cool" (all 1963), Savalas' first leading role in film was in the British crime comedy "Crooks and Coronets" (1969). The same year he appeared in the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He continued to appear in films during the 1970s including "Kelly's Heroes" (1970) (with Clint Eastwood), "Clay Pigeon" (1971), and several European features such as "Violent City" (1970) (with Charles Bronson), "A Town Called Bastard" (1971), "Horror Express" (with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee), "A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die" (all 1972), and "Redneck" (1973). He reunited with Lee in the 1976 thriller "Killer Force", and also appeared in Peter Hyams' "Capricorn One" (1978).
Savalas also wrote, directed and starred in the 1977 independent thriller "Beyond Reason". However, the film was not released in cinemas; it was made available only on home media in 1985.
"I had worked my way up to star billing", he later said, "when the bottom dropped out of the movie business. I could have stayed in Europe and made Italian movies but I discovered the big difference between an Italian and American movie is that in the American movie you get paid."
"Kojak" (1973–1978; 1985–1990).
Savalas first played Lt. Theodopolus "Theo" Kojak in the TV movie "The Marcus–Nelson Murders" (CBS, 1973), which was based on the real-life Career Girls Murder case.
Kojak was a bald New York City detective with a fondness for lollipops and whose tagline was "Who loves ya, baby?" (He also liked to say, "Everybody should have a little Greek in them.") Although the lollipop gimmick was added in order to indulge his sweet tooth, Savalas also smoked heavily onscreen—cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars—throughout the first season's episodes. The lollipops had apparently given him three cavities, and were part of an (unsuccessful) effort by Kojak (and Savalas himself) to curb his smoking. The critic Clive James explained the lead actor's appeal as Kojak: "Telly Savalas can make bad slang sound like good slang and good slang sound like lyric poetry. It isn't what he is, so much as the way he talks, that gets you tuning in."
David Shipman later wrote: "Kojak was sympathetic to outcasts and ruthless with social predators. The show maintained a high quality to the end, mixing tension with some laughs and always anxious to tackle civic issues, one of its "raisons d'etre" in the first place. It was required viewing in Britain every Saturday evening for eight years. To almost everyone everywhere Kojak means Savalas and vice versa, but to Savalas himself the series was merely an interval, albeit a long one, in a distinguished career."
"Kojak" aired on CBS for five seasons from October 24, 1973, until March 18, 1978, with 118 episodes produced. The role won Savalas an Emmy and two Golden Globes for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Co-stars on the show included Savalas' younger brother George as Detective Stavros – a sensitive, wild-haired, quiet, comedic foil to Kojak's street-wise humor in an otherwise dark dramatic series – Kevin Dobson as Kojak's trusted young partner, Det. Bobby Crocker, whose on-screen chemistry with Savalas was a success story of 1970s television, and Dan Frazer as Captain Frank McNeil.
Due to a decline in ratings, the series was canceled by CBS in 1978. Savalas and Frazer were the only actors to appear in all 118 episodes. Savalas was unhappy about the show's demise but got the chance to reprise the Kojak persona in several television movies, starting in 1985. The first film, subtitled "The Belarus File" and broadcast in February 1985, reunited Savalas with several of his co-stars from the series: younger brother George, Dan Frazer, Mark Russell (Det. Saperstein) and Vince Conti (Det. Rizzo); this marked those actors' final appearances in the "Kojak" franchise.
A further six "Kojak" TV movies were produced, titled "" (1987), "Ariana", "Fatal Flaw" (both 1989), "Flowers for Matty", "It's Always Something" – with Kevin Dobson reprising his role of Bobby Crocker, now an Assistant District Attorney – and "None So Blind" (all 1990).
Later career.
Savalas was part of an all-star cast in the movies "Escape to Athena" (1979), "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure" (both 1979) and "Cannonball Run II" (1984), and continued to appear in a number of film and television guest roles during the 1980s, including "Border Cop" (1980) and "Faceless" (1988), the series "Tales of the Unexpected" (1981), and two episodes each of "The Love Boat" (1985) and "The Equalizer" (1987): the latter series was produced by James McAdams, who had also produced "Kojak."
Savalas was the lead actor in the TV movie "Hellinger's Law" (1981), which was originally planned as a pilot for a series but ultimately never materialized.
In 1992, he appeared in three episodes of the TV series "The Commish" (his son-in-law was one of the producers). This was Savalas' final television role. He would appear in two further feature films before his death, "Mind Twister" (1993) and the posthumous release "Backfire!" (1995).
Other career achievements.
As a singer, Savalas had some chart success. His spoken word version of Bread's "If" produced by Snuff Garrett reached No. 1 in both the UK and Ireland in March 1975, and his version of Don Williams's "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend" topped the charts in Switzerland in February 1981. He worked with composer and producer John Cacavas on many albums, including "Telly" (1974) [which peaked number 49 in Australia] and "Who Loves Ya, Baby" (1976).
In the late 1970s Savalas narrated three UK travelogues titled "Telly Savalas Looks at Portsmouth", "Telly Savalas Looks at Aberdeen", and "Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham." They were produced by Harold Baim and were examples of quota quickies, which were then part of a requirement that cinemas in the United Kingdom show a set percentage of British produced films. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Savalas appeared in commercials for the Players' Club Gold Card. In 1982, along with Bob Hope and Linda Evans, he participated in the "world premiere" television ad introducing Diet Coke to Americans. On October 28, 1987, Savalas hosted "Return to the Titanic Live", a two-hour television special broadcast from Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris. He also hosted the 1989 video "UFOs and Channeling."
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983. In 1999, "TV Guide" ranked him number 18 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.
Personal life.
Savalas was married three times. In 1948 after his father's death from bladder cancer, Savalas married his college sweetheart, Katherine Nicolaides. Daughter Christina, named after his mother, was born in 1950. In 1957 Katherine filed for divorce. She urged him to move back to his mother's house during that same year. While Savalas was going broke, he founded the Garden City Theater Center in his native Garden City. While working there he met Marilyn Gardner, a theater teacher. They married in 1960. Marilyn gave birth to daughter Penelope in 1961. A second daughter, Candace, was born in 1963. They divorced in 1974, after a long separation.
In January 1969, while working on the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", Savalas met actress Sally Adams (billed as Dani Sheridan, one of Blofeld's "Angels of Death"), a small-time actress 25 years his junior whose daughter from a previous relationship is Nicollette Sheridan. Savalas later moved in with Sally, who gave birth to their son Nicholas Savalas on February 24, 1973. Although Savalas and Sally Adams never legally married, she went by the name Sally Savalas. They stopped living together in December 1978; she filed a palimony lawsuit against him in 1980, demanding support not only for herself and their son, but also for Nicollette.
In 1977, during the last season of "Kojak", Savalas met Julie Hovland, a travel agent from Minnesota. The couple were married from 1984 until his death and had two children: Christian, an entrepreneur, singer and songwriter, and Ariana, an actress and singer/songwriter. Savalas was close friends with actor John Aniston, and was godfather to his daughter Jennifer, a successful TV and film actress.
Savalas held a degree in psychology and was a world-class poker player who finished 21st at the main event in the 1992 World Series of Poker. He was also a motorcycle racer and lifeguard. His other hobbies and interests included golfing, swimming, reading romantic books, watching football, traveling, collecting luxury cars, and gambling. He loved horse racing and bought a racehorse with movie director and producer Howard W. Koch. Naming the horse Telly's Pop, it won several races in 1975 including the Norfolk Stakes and Del Mar Futurity.
In his capacity as producer for "Kojak", he gave many stars their first break, as Burt Lancaster had done for him. He was considered by those who knew him to be a generous, graceful, compassionate man. He was also a strong contributor to his Greek Orthodox roots through the Saint Sophia and Saint Nicholas cathedrals in Los Angeles and was the sponsor of bringing electricity in the 1970s to his ancestral home, Ierakas, Greece.
Savalas had a minor physical handicap in that his left index finger was deformed. This deformed digit was often indicated on screen; the "Kojak" episode "Conspiracy of Fear" in which a close-up of Savalas holding his chin in his hand clearly shows the permanently bent finger.
As a philanthropist and philhellene, Savalas supported many Hellenic causes and made friends in major cities around the world. In Chicago, he often met with Illinois state senators Steven G. Nash and Samuel C. Maragos, also of Greek descent, as well as millionaire Simeon Frangos, who owned the Athens North nightclub and the Flying Carpet Hotel near O'Hare Airport.
In 1993, Savalas appeared on an Australian TV show, "The Extraordinary", with a paranormal tale where he talked about an experience that he had that he could not explain.
Deaths of relatives and later years.
After Savalas reprised his "Kojak" role in the 1980s, he began to lose close relatives. His brother George Savalas, who played Stavros in the original series, died in 1985 of leukemia at age 60. His mother Christina, who had always been his best friend, supporter and devoted parent, died in 1988. Later that year, Savalas was diagnosed with transitional cell cancer of the bladder.
Death.
Savalas died on January 22, 1994, one day after his 72nd birthday, of complications of cancer of the bladder and prostate at the Sheraton-Universal Hotel in Universal City, California. He had lived at the Sheraton in Universal City for 20 years, becoming such a fixture at the hotel bar that it was renamed Telly's. Savalas was interred at the George Washington section of Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The funeral, held in the Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, was attended by his third wife, Julie, and his brother Gus. His first two wives, Katherine and Marilyn, also attended with their own children. The mourners included Angie Dickinson, Nicollette Sheridan, Jennifer Aniston (his goddaughter), Kevin Sorbo, Sally Adams, Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, and several of Savalas' "Kojak" co-stars – Kevin Dobson, Dan Frazer, and Vince Conti.


Fleet Reserve Association

The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is a non-profit U.S. military and veterans organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. chartered by the United States Congress that represents the interests of enlisted Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine veterans and active duty personnel in the United States.
FRA represents approximately; 277,428 active-duty members of the Navy, 163,346 active-duty of the Marine Corps and 40,000 active-duty of the Coast Guard
The FRA was named after the US Navy retirement procedure "PERS 836". The organization was founded in Philadelphia on October, 1922, by Chief Yeoman George L. Carlin, and it was chartered on November 11, 1924, by the U.S. Congress. The association is composed of branches located in each State, U.S. territory, and several overseas locations.
The guiding principles of the FRA are Loyalty Protection and Service. In addition to organizing events, members provide assistance at VA hospitals and clinics. It is active in issue-oriented U.S. politics. Its primary political activity is advocating on behalf of the Sea Service enlisted personnel, including support for benefits such as pay and pensions. The organization has also prompts "Americanism and Patriotism" through its essay contest.
History.
1919: Chief Yeoman Robert W. White and Chief Gunner’s Mate Carl H. McDonald are the first enlisted personnel to testify before Congress. They present the enlisted perspective on military pay legislation.
1921: Chief Yeoman George Carlin conceives an association dedicated to monitoring all legislation that impacts enlisted personnel. Carlin is considered the father of the FRA.
1923: The Association’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee determined membership eligibility for the new organization. The document stated, “a shipmate is a shipmate, regardless of race, creed or color.”
Conceived as the U.S. Fleet Naval Reserve Association. The organization was chartered as Fleet Reserve Association under Title 36 of the United States Code. Officially chartered by the U.S. Congress.
1925: FRA adopts its cardinal principles of “Loyalty, Protection and Service” as its official motto.
1925: The Association holds its first national convention in the place of its birth — Philadelphia.
Founded as an association for enlisted career Navy, FRA expanded its membership to Marine enlisted personnel in January 1956. The cover of the Naval Affairs published by The Fleet Reserve Association "For Career Navy and Marine Corps Enlisted Personnel. (Volume 35, No. 1 January 1958) By March 1957 the cover statesmen read "The Magazine for Career Enlisted Men of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines Corps." (Naval Affairs, March 1957) The next significant change was in October 1970 when the cover statement was updates to The Magazine for Career Enlisted Personnel of the U.S Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The elimination of the word "Men" was significant as it opened FRA membership to enlisted women of the sea services.
The June 1971 issue of Naval Affairs announced the New National Emblem which included the initials USN USMC and USCG. The emblem was designed by Shipmate Willis H. Wolfe.
The Fleet Reserve Association Headquarters is located in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the primary office for the National President, and also is the Administrative Headquarters which houses the FRA museum, library, membership services, communications, and the magazine editorial offices.
Publications.
The organization's official monthly full color magazine was originally launched in 1921 and called U.S. Navy Magazine "Fleet Reserve Bulletin". In October 1931 it was renamed "Naval Affairs". In November 2006 the magazine's name and volume numbering system changed again, this time to "FRAtoday." The publications typically is 48 pages of content.


Omega Sector


Ondanondu Kaladalli

Ondanondu Kaladalli (English:"Once Upon a Time") is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language epic film co-written and directed by Girish Karnad with soundtrack by Bhaskar Chandavarkar, starring Shankar Nag and Akshatha Rao in their debut. Through this movie, Kavita Krishnamurthy started her singing career as playback singer.
The film has influences of the early samurai films of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, to whom Karnad has reportedly acknowledged his indebtedness.
The film won the 1978 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada "For delineating the code of warrior's ethics in a medieval setting with a modern vision. The film has excellent outdoor photography, high standard of acting and an eye-catching decor" as cited by the Jury. Shankar Nag received the "Best Actor : Silver Peacock Award" at the 7th International Film Festival of India for his work in the film.
The movie was released at The Guild Theatre, 50 Rockefeller Plaza on 17 May 1982. Vincent Canby, the chief film critic of The New York Times, called the movie "that is both exotic as well as surprising in view of all the bodies on the ground at the end, sweet natured!".
The film was subtitled into English for its American premiere on 18 October 1995 in Shriver Hall at the Johns Hopkins University as part of the 1995 Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium "Framing Society : A Century of Cinema".
Plot.
Gandugali (Shankar Nag) is a mercenary who comes across a band of soldiers on the trail of a couple of wounded enemy soldiers. He ends up rescuing them and is taken to their chieftain who hires him to train his soldiers to fight his brother — his enemy. While there, Gandugali befriends the son of the chieftain's eldest brother, Jayakeshi, who is consigned to tending to cattle by his uncle. Jayakeshi asks Gandugali to help him reclaim his land and reinstate him as the chief. Gandugali refuses saying he is only a mercenary and that the youngster has no money to offer.
Gandugali helps the chieftain earn minor victories against his brother, much to the envy of the chief's commander. After one battle where Gandugali manages to steal the enemy's cattle, on the day of a festival, the commander of the enemy Peramadi (Sundar Krishna Urs) ends up trapped by Gandugali and his men. Gandugali releases him saying that he did not wish to shed any blood on a festival day.
Gandugali returns to his chief with the cattle only to realise that the chief and the commander are set against him for releasing Peramadi. The chief refuses to see him and the commander assigns men to keep an eye on him. That night an attempt is made on Gandugali's life, but the men looking out kill the assassin. Gandugali is furious when he realises that men had been assigned to keep an eye on him. Gandugali also realises that now with Peramadi defeated they don't have anything to fear or any need for him. He collects his salary and leaves in anger.
On the way he is confronted by Peramadi who challenges him to a duel. After a long fight where both end up exhausted, Peramadi tells him that it was his son who was out to kill Gandugali; his chief had humiliated him for losing the cattle and being defeated by Gandugali and believes that Gandugali killed him. Peramadi swears to wipe out the whole family of the chiefs including Jayakeshi. Gandugali swears to hunt him down and kill him wherever he is if anything happens to Jayakeshi. Finally, Peramadi makes a deal with Gandugali to help him destroy the family in return for letting Jayakeshi go.
The next few days they send out a warning and a challenge to the chiefs which unites them and their armies. Slowly, Peramadi and Gandugali isolate the chiefs, first by scaring away half the army and then killing some. On the way to the final decisive battle, Peramadi tells Gandugali that if he died in the battle, he would not hold himself to the promise of sparing Jaykeshi and kill him. Gandugali, knowing that Peramadi was not be trusted, ensures that Jaykeshi is hidden.
In the final battle, they destroy the chiefs' armies and Gandugali kills the commander in a duel. Jaykeshi escapes from his hideout to fight, but holes up with some soldiers who hedge their bets on him becoming the next chief. Gandugali, having realised that Jaykeshi has escaped, comes down to the palace looking for him and ends up facing his old chief. He refuses to kill him saying that he was his servant and ate his salt, and his deal with Peramadi was only to help him get to them. The chief, however, attacks him at an opportune moment, fatally injuring him. Peramadi comes in after killing his chief (the younger brother) and kills the older chief. He sounds the bugle to signal the end of the war. Jaykeshi runs down to the palace on hearing it. On seeing Gandugali dead, he breaks down near his corpse. Peramadi comes from behind and raises his sword to kill him, but Jaykeshi escapes after being warned. Peramadi realises that Jaykeshi was crying over Gandugali and, after a change of heart, reinstates him as the chief and walks away.
Soundtrack.
The title song is the only solo song in the entire movie and it is the first film song of singer Kavita Krishnamurthy.
Notes.
In his intro scene, Gandugali is shown to be sleeping, with a casual attitude in the forests, when he is woken up by some soldiers. The way he casually talks, his lazy demeanour and his cool attitude was noted to be in Toshiro Mifune style. The other mercenary is played by Sunder Krishna Urs, who later became famous for his baddie roles.
Reception.
One of the finest films ever made, the movie has some fascinating stunt scenes, involving Kalaripayattu. With wide tracking photography, great shots of the Malenadu forests and excellent detailing, "Ondanondu Kaladalli" is an epic masterpiece.
Awards.
26th National Film Awards
Karnataka State Film Awards
Filmfare Awards South
International Film Festival of India


Macheteros de Jara

The Macheteros de Jara was a cavalry regiment that was organized since August 15, 1932, before the Battle of Boquerón began. The regiment was recruited from former outlaws from Paraguay who fought against Bolivian officers and soldiers.
It was an irregular unit whose mission was to prevent it from supplying provisions and ammunition to the defenders of Boquerón. When Boquerón had fallen they dedicated themselves to the assault and abuse of small towns. All the attacks were commanded by Commander Don Plácido Jara who was in charge of the attack on civilians (as long as they looked like a pen) and the attack on the Bolivian forts. The Macheteros de Jara was nicknamed after its founder, a rustler called Plácido Jara and the Machete, the Paraguayan soldiers favorite weapon in the conflict. The regiment was founded to demoralize the Bolivian soldiers by slaughtering them with machetes, bodies and heads were hung on trees to demoralize Bolivian officers and soldiers.


Military Service Institution of the United States

The Military Service Institution of the United States was "a voluntary organization of officers of the Army for mutual improvement (the privileges of which are extended to officers of the National Guards of the States), fostered by Generals Sherman and Sheridan while they commanded the Army, and presided over by the senior major-generals, has now for many years been the constant means of widespread increase in the most advanced studies of the Science and Art of War." In his Annual Report (1892), Major-General John Schofield, commanding the Army.
The Institution.
It was organized on September 28, 1878 in New York City, with the first annual meeting taking place in January 1879. The Act of Incorporation was on June 17, 1884.
U.S. Army officers had felt the need for an institution similar to the Royal United Services Institute of Great Britain.
The design of the Military Service Institution contemplated professional unity and improvement by
correspondence, discussion and the reading and publication of Essays, the establishment of a military library and museum, and, generally, the promotion of the military interests of the United States. The Rooms or Headquarters were located at Fort Columbus, renamed Fort Jay on Governors Island in New York harbor.
The institution did not long survive its founders, becoming defunct by the end of World War I.
Membership.
The following named persons are eligible for full membership upon written application to the Secretary: Ex-officers of the Regular army of good standing and honorable record are eligible to membership by ballot; all officers of the Army and Professors and Cadets of the U. S. M. A. without ballot; officers of the Navy and Marine Corps are also entitled to full membership without ballot, but shall not be entitled to vote nor be eligible to office; all other persons of honorable record and good standing are eligible to Associate Membership upon written application, endorsed (except in case of the officers of the National Guard) by a member or associate member, by ballot of the Executive Council. Officers of the Organized Militia are eligible for Associate Membership upon written application, giving organization, rank and date of appointment.
The Journal.
The "Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States", was the oldest existing military magazine in the country exclusively controlled by professional soldiers and devoted to the interests of all branches of the service.
It contained original papers by officers of the Army, Marine Corps, Volunteers and Organized Militia on subjects relating to the Art and Science of War, together with reprints and translations from the leading foreign journals, comments on current topics and expert reviews of the latest books.
Library and Museum.
The Military Service Institution of the United States museum was opened
on Governor's Island in New York Harbor in 1884. It contained a collection of 10,000 books and manuscripts of interest; many volumes were from the private libraries of deceased officers and some are exceedingly rare publications.
The Museum contained relics and trophies of all wars and campaigns in which the United States has been engaged, as well as models and specimens of the latest improvements in war material, loaned by and renewed from time to time by the bureaux of the War Department.
The Museum was shut down in 1924 due to declining attendance.
Annual Prizes.
Gold And Silver Medals.
First Prize. Gold Medal $100 and Life Membership.
Second Prize. Silver Medal, $50 and Honorable Mention.
For best two essays on topics of current military interest selected by the Council: competition open to all eligible to membership; award on recommendation of Board chosen by Council: essays not less than 5,000 nor more than 10,000 words.
A Gold Medal prize was won by John Gibbon in 1881 for his essay on "The Indian question".
The Seaman Prize.
First Prize. One Hundred Dollars.
Second Prize. Fifty Dollars.
For best two essays on a subject selected by Major Seaman and approved by Council: competition open to all officers and ex-officers of Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Marine Hospital Service, Volunteers or National Guard: in other respects same as Gold Medal prize except that essays are limited to 15,000 words.
The Santiago Prize.
Prize. Fifty Dollars.
For "best article upon matters tending to increase the efficiency of the individual soldier, squad, company, troop or battery," published in the Journal M. S. I. during a twelvemonth; awarded upon recommendation of Board selected by President N. S. A. S. C.: competition limited to officers of the Army and National Guard below grade of Lieut.-Colonel: essays not less than 1,000 nor more than 5,000 words.
Short Paper Prizes.
Essays to be not less than 1,500 nor more than 3,500 words published in the Journal during twelve months.
Hancock Prize.
Fifty Dollars and Certificate of Award.
For best short paper on matters affecting the Line of the Army. To be given for the best original essay or, paper, critical, descriptive, or suggestive on a subject directly affecting the Line, published in the Journal Op The Institution during the twelve months ending May 1 of each year and which has not been contributed in whole or in part to any other association, nor has appeared in print prior to its publication by the Institution, nor has been published in the Journal in any previous year, and excluding essays for which another prize has been awarded.
Fry Prize.
Fifty Dollars.
For best short paper on matters affecting the General Service not covered by Hancock Prize. To be the same as the Hancock Prize and awarded upon the recommendation of a board of three members of the Institution, not line officers or members of the Executive Council, under the same regulations
for papers or essays appearing in the Journal during the twelve months ending September 1 of each year on subjects directly affecting the military service and not otherwise provided for
Charter Directors.
WINFIELD S. HANCOCK, President
GEORGE W. GETTY, Vice-President.
JAMES B. FRY, Vice-President
STEPHEN W. BENET, Vice-President
THOMAS L. CRITTENDEN, Vice-President
WESLEY MERRITT, Vice-President
THEOPHILUS F. RODENBOUGH, Secretary
ROBERT CATLIN, Assistant Secretary
GEORGE F. PRICE, Treasurer
J. ESTCOURT SAWYER, Vice-Treasurer
Past Officers.
Presidents.
WINFIELD S. HANCOCK, 1878–1886
JOHN M. SCHOFIELD, 1887–1897
NELSON A. MILES, 1898–1900
THOMAS H. RUGER, 1901-


Artificer sergeant major

Artificer sergeant major (ASM) is a senior warrant officer appointment in the technical branches of the British and Australian Armies.
British Army.
Artificer sergeant major is an appointment held by a warrant officer class 1 in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), the corps of the British Army whose function is the repair and recovery of all mechanical and electrical equipment. The ASM is normally the senior tradesman in large REME units and is the technical advisor to the unit; the senior tradesman in smaller units such as light aid detachments is normally a warrant officer class 2 (artificer quartermaster sergeant). An ASM must have passed the artificer training course and served as an artificer electronics/weapons/vehicles or similar discipline as a staff sergeant and warrant officer class 2 (holding the appointment of artificer quartermaster sergeant) prior to promotion to WO1.
Australian Army.
The title is also used in the Australian Army in the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME), and applies to the senior soldier (tradesman) in the brigade administration support battalion, or combat service support battalion, or workshop troop, or technical support unit. The appointment may be held by a warrant officer class 1 or 2.


Organization of the Kriegsmarine

The organization of the "Kriegsmarine" refers to the operational and administrative structure of the German Navy from 1935 to 1945. Many of the organizational tenets of the Kriegsmarine were inherited from its predecessor the Reichsmarine. As World War II unfolded, the Kriegsmarine expanded to cover additional regions and responsibilities, most significant of which was the occupation of France and the Battle of the Atlantic.
Navy High Command.
The ultimate command authority for the Kriegsmarine was the "Oberkommando der Marine" (OKM), which was headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Germany Navy ("Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine"). OKM in turn answered to the "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht"; naval affairs were often run independently from the wishes of the Army, under the authority of the "Oberkommando des Heeres". The Navy and the Luftwaffe (Air Force) further had little coordination, leading to serious delays in the development of naval aviation.
The following personnel served as commander-in-chief of the German Navy from the inception of the Kriegsmarine in 1935 until the downfall of Nazi Germany ten years later.
Internal to the OKM were several additional offices, the most important of which was the "Seekriegsleitung" (SKL), which coordinated naval warfare and operational plans. Offices also existed for naval construction, weapons, as well as general office for naval affairs ("Allgemeines Marineamt"). A supply and logistics office, known as the "Marinekommandoamt", was in charge of all quartermaster needs.
The "Kriegsmarine" did not maintain an independent naval intelligence branch, but instead relied upon the "Abwehr", which coordinated intelligence for all branches of the German military. Admiral Wilhelm Canaris was Chief of the "Abwehr" for most of its existence until he was replaced just prior to the 20 July plot against Hitler. Thereafter the Abwehr was folded into the "Sicherheitsdienst" and was run by the SS under Walter Schellenberg.
Fleet commander.
The fleet commander of the Kriegsmarine, who was a member of the Navy High Command, was the highest administrative officer to which the vessel type commanders answered. The position did not actually command an at-sea fleet, but was more comparable to a modern-day Chief of Naval Operations or Inspector of the Navy.
Navy Type Commands.
Navy type commanders were permanently assigned administrative officers which oversaw the development, deployment, and in some cases operational activities of the various classes of German naval vessels. Due to cross jurisdiction with the Navy group commanders, who tactically commanded all vessels at sea, some type commanders were little more than ceremonial officers who held a title with little authority. Others, such as Karl Dönitz who commanded the German U-boat force, exercised near total independence and held enormous authority, both operationally and administrative.
Navy Group Commands.
The Navy Group Commands were the highest operational authority of the Kriegsmarine and held direct tactical control of all naval vessels and personnel in their region of responsibility. In contrast to other navies, the Kriegsmarine did not use numbered fleets, but instead used geographical regions to determine operational control. Thus, vessels were not permanently assigned to a group, but were administratively commanded by a type commander and then operationally deployed into a particular Navy Group commander's area.
The original Navy group commands were formed from the preexisting Baltic and North Sea Fleets which had existed under the Reichsmarine. Navy Group Command "West" was formed at Wilhelmshaven while "Ost" was based out of Kiel. Both commands were activated in November 1938 with Admiral Conrad Albrecht commanding Group East while Alfred Saalwächter commanded in the west. Command of Group East was assumed by Admiral Rolf Carls in October 1939 and he held the command until August 1940 when Group East was disbanded and merged with the new Navy Group North. Admiral Saalwächter continued as commander of Navy Group West until after the invasion of France when the position was assumed by Admiral Wilhelm Marschall who had previously served as the Navy Region Commander for Northern France. Marschall served as Commander Navy Group West during the opening years of the Battle of the Atlantic; he was later succeeded in April 1943 by Admiral Theodor Krancke who held the position until the German withdrawal from France and the disbandment of Navy Group West in October 1944.
Navy Group North became a highly significant command following the invasion of Norway. In March 1943, command was assumed by Otto Schniewind who also held dual assignment as the Kriegsmarine fleet commander. Schniewind's title was "Marinegruppenkommando Nord und Flottenchef" which he held until his command was disbanded in July 1944. Thereafter, naval operations in the North Sea were controlled directly by the OKM.
Naval operation command of the Mediterranean Sea was established in February 1941 through a command known as "Admiral Z" and headed by "Vizeadmiral" Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière. However, Arnauld de la Perière was killed in a plane crash shortly after assuming this post with command then transferred to Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster. In April 1941, Schuster's command was renamed as "Admiral Südost". In July of that year, the Italian-Mediterranean Area was elevated to the status of a Navy Group and became known as "Marinegruppenkommando Süd". Sub-commands to the Navy Group South also existed for naval forces operating off of the coasts of Tunisia and North Africa.
Wilhelm Marschall served as Commander Navy Group South from December 1941 to March 1943. He was then replaced by Admiral Kurt Fricke who held the position until the end of the war.
Tactical operations.
During tactical operations, the Navy group commanders served in the same capacity as an operational fleet commander. Units under their command were organized into naval task forces, groups, as well as independently assigned units. The commanders of the task forces and groups were temporarily assigned, most often from the ranks of the naval type and flotilla commanders. One of the largest naval operations of the Kriegsmarine, the invasion of Norway, saw a naval order of battle consisting of a battleship force, six warship groups, as well as numerous other combat and support craft grouped into "objective groups" as well as temporary at-sea flotillas.
Naval transport craft, considered an integral part of amphibious operations, were grouped into six primary "Transportflottillen" which were deployed as needed to support naval operations under the authority of a Navy group commander. Four additional transport flotillas, based in specific geographical regions, were located in Danzig, the Netherlands, Niederrhein and along the Ruhr river. The Kriegsmarine also maintained a smaller transport company in the Netherlands, known as the "Fährflottille Waal". Smaller landing craft were grouped into one of several landing craft flotillas.
Special operations.
Navy special operations, which included the operation of midget submarines and Navy frogman units, were grouped under a single command known as the "Kommando der Kleinkampfverbände". The command was established in April 1944, under "Vizeadmiral" Hellmuth Heye; Heye would hold the position until the end of World War II. Special operations were originally grouped into five command regions: West, South, Holland, Norway, and a special region known as "Skagerak, zugleich z.b.V.". In the spring of 1945, the regions were reconsolidated into the following six special operation divisions:
Dispersed through the various special operations divisions were a total of eight " Lehrkommando", numbering from 200 through 800. The smallest special operation units, known as "K-Flottille" oversaw direct operations of the small battle units and submarines, and were numbered according to their parent "Lehrkommano" (i.e. K-Flottille 215, K-Flottille 416, etc.). K-Flottille 311 was specifically designated to oversee deployment of the Hecht miniature submarine while the Seehund submarines were dispersed between K-Flottille 312, 313, and 314.
Navy Regional Commands.
Naval regional commands were the senior most shore authority for the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. There were four naval regions established from 1938 to 1942 (North Sea, Baltic Sea, South, and Norway). Regional commanders oversaw a large staff consisting of naval inspectors, administrative offices, permanently assigned naval shore units, and also served as the senior commander for any naval prisoner-of-war camps as well as the reporting senior for the naval arsenals. A deputy position, known as the "2.Admiral", served as head of regional administration and as the senior officer for all transient personnel.
Naval Districts.
Naval districts were the immediate operational command for most shore units and were usually commanded by a rear or vice admiral. In the early years of World War II, in particular following the invasion of France, naval districts held relatively the same authority as a Navy region; by 1943, the naval districts had been downsized, with the larger districts broken apart into several smaller commands. There were approximately twenty naval districts in existence from 1941 to 1945. A special district, known as "District Southeast", dealt specifically with inland waterways and was based at Traunstein.
In some of the more important naval districts, there were further lower administrative commands known as "Marine-Abschnitts" (Naval areas). In France, this areas were known as "Kriegsmarinedienststellen". Another type of local command was the sea defense zone ("Seeverteidigung"), which was a tactical operational area intended to defend the German coast line against actual attack by enemy forces.
Navy Ports.
The German Navy divided ports into two separate categories with larger ports commanded by a "Hafenkommandanten" (Port Commander) while the remainder of ports were overseen by a Port Captain ("Hafenkapitäne"). Ports in the same geographical area were grouped together into administrative areas known as "Hafenkommandanten im Bereich". Larger ports were commanded by officers ranked "Korvettenkapitän" or "Kapitän zur See", while smaller ports were typically commanded by a "Fregattenkapitän".
Naval ports were led by a command staff with lower departments covering maintenance, medical care, supply, as well as personnel administration. Personnel permanently assigned to the port were part of the port's naval garrison, while those assigned to ships and submarines answered to their own commanders. For crews who berthed in shore facilities, instead of on board ship (especially in the case of in-port submarines), these personnel were administratively reportable to the port authorities.
Port security was divided into shore security, harbor security, and land defense. Every port maintained its own small security force as part of the "Marine Kustenpolizei" (Navy Shore Police) which was augmented by a larger unit known as the "Landesschützen-Kompanie" which also included naval reservists. Harbor security was maintained by a completely separate command chain and did not operationally involve the port commander. The port commander further did not command the naval land defense units, such as flak batteries and naval coastal artillery, which also answered to their own chains of command.
Most German ports also maintained a large contingent of civilian dock workers and frequently employed senior civilian engineers to oversee shipbuilding and repair. In France, the French resistance made extensive use of dock workers to gather intelligence about German naval activity, in particular the comings and goings of German U-boats from port. Sabotage was also a constant problem for the Germans in occupied ports, leading to the creation of a special SS unit, the "SS-Hafensicherungstruppen", which consisted of Allgemeine-SS reservists who performed port security and night watch duties.
Harbor Security Commands.
Waterborne security within German harbors was maintained by a separate chain of command from the traditional shore establishment, and in many cases even bypassed the administrative command of the German ports themselves. The security of all harbors in Nazi occupied Europe was under the authority of three senior geographical regions lead by a "Befehlshaber der Sicherung" (Commander of Security). These commands controlled all harbor patrol vessels, such as minesweepers, minelayers, submarine net ships, and coastal patrol boats.
Ground and staff forces.
Kriegsmarine ground personnel were permanently based at shore assignments, usually due to the nature of their career field. Staff and support personnel typically rotated between shore and sea duty, depending upon the nature of their assignment.
Naval Infantry.
The Kriegsmarine maintained a large ground force, organized along the same lines as the German Army, which was known as the "Marine-Infanterie". There were five active "Marine-Infanterie-Divisionen" as well as two independent Marine Infantry Brigades. Internally, each division and brigade contained a number of regiments which were divided into the following classes:
Within each regiment were subordinate "Marine-Bataillone". The Kriegsmarine also maintained two "Divisionskampfgruppen" (Divisional Combat Groups) which were composed of three rifle and two replacement regiments.
Naval Artillery and Anti-Aircraft.
Kriegsmarine naval artillery and anti-aircraft crews were considered as shore personnel and assigned to either the "Marine-Artillerie-Einheiten" (for naval artillery) or "Marine-Flak-Einheiten" (naval anti-aircraft). Artillery units were organized into either regiments or sections while flak units were maintained in brigades and regiments. Both types of units were assigned to various ports and harbors and thus were under the direct operational authority of both the port commanders as well as the commander harbor security forces. During actual invasion of coastal regions by enemy forces, these units became part of the sea defense zones.
Staff and support units.
The "Kriegsmarine" maintained several dedicated staff units which were maintained as independent units normally attached to a Navy shore command. Members of the staff corps could also be interspersed into regular Navy units, such as ships and shore bases, to serve as part of the regular complement. The following were the four primary staff and support units:
Independent operations.
German commerce raiders were nominally independent, reporting to the "Seekriegsleitung" for administrative purposes.
German vessels operating off of South America, such as "Admiral Graf Spee", were also considered on "extended detached duty" and reported directly to OKM. German naval forces operating off of Spain and Portugal were also not under a naval group and typically answered to their type commander German hospital ships ("Lazarettschiffe") were under the authority of the Reich Commission for Ocean Navigation which was a civilian agency outside the authority of the regular Navy.
The officers and crew of "Graf Zeppelin" existed in a unique state, since the vessel was not commissioned and those on board were mainly involved in construction as well as upkeep. The direct authority for this "housekeeping crew" was vague and those assigned to "Graf Zeppelin" appeared to have rotated between various higher commands depending upon the location and status of the aircraft carrier


VF-83

Fighter Squadron 83 or VF-83 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established on 1 May 1944, it was disestablished on 24 September 1945. It was the first US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-83.
Operational history.
VF-83 formed part of Carrier Air Group 83 (CVG-83) assigned to the . CVG-83 was in action in the Pacific theatre from 10 March to 15 September 1945 participating in raids on Kyushu, supporting the invasion of Okinawa, the discovery and sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato and other air strikes against the Japanese home islands.