Stars and Stripes Review: May 22, 1943

In this issue of the Stars and Stripes, the headline details the latest exploits of the famed 8th Air Force, with the destruction of German submarine construction yards in Emden and Wilhelmshaven, both on the northwestern part of Germany itself. The most visible piece of the front page is the picture of the M12, basically a modified Sherman tank equipped with a 155mm gun that can shoot a 95 pound projectile over ten miles, and is supposedly capable of sinking a heavy cruiser.

Another story of note in this issue, while not pertaining to the European theater is the death of Admiral Yamamoto, the senior Japanese naval officer, and planner of the attack on Pearl Harbor. His death was likely received with the same kind of response at home and in the field as the death of Osama bin Laden has received today.

Further stories of note in this issue are the completion of Andrews Field, an air force base in Essex, England built entirely by the US and used by both the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces later on in the war. Also, there are reports of flooding in the Mississippi River area, forcing over 100,000 people to evacuate in six Midwestern states. There is also a report of a B-24 Liberator crashing into a gas tank in Chicago, an event eerily echoed 70 years later when a restored B-17 bomber crashed outside of Chicago earlier in June.

One of the more interesting features in this issue is a featurette entitled 'Diary of an American Ranger', a first-hand account of the war from the perspective of a US Army Ranger. While it does cover the war to some extent, it mostly describes the daily life of a soldier, the expectations they have and the disappointments they face when confronted with reality.

Besides news related to the war, there is also coverage of how the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2, and the Philles smashed the Cubs in a double header, 3-0 and 2-0. There is also an amusing story of how Winston Churchill, after a meeting in Washington, got bumped by a passer-by and dropped his cigar. He swiftly picked it up, narrowly butting heads with a US senator!

Out of the relatively few issues of The Stars and Stripes in my possession, this issue is one of my favorites. Until next time, take care,and thank you.