From: Everette (194cbteng@bellsouth.net)
Date: Sat Dec 31 2005 - 19:35:26 PST
January 4
1944 United States begins supplying guerrilla forces
On this day, U.S. aircraft begin dropping supplies to guerrilla forces
throughout Western Europe. The action demonstrated that the U.S. believed
guerrillas were a vital support to the formal armies of the Allies in their
battle against the Axis powers.
Virtually every country that experienced Axis invasion raised a guerrilla
force; they were especially effective and numerous in Italy, France, China,
Greece, the Philippines, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. Also referred to
as a "partisan force," a guerrilla army is defined roughly as a member of a
small-scale "irregular" fighting force that relies on the limited and quick
engagements of a conventional fighting force. Their main weapon is
sabotage-in addition to killing enemy soldiers, the goal is to incapacitate
or destroy communication lines, transportation centers, and supply
lines.airdrops. The American support was critical, because guerrillas fought
admirably in difficult conditions. Those partisans who were captured by the
enemy were invariably treated barbarically (torture was not uncommon), as
were any civilians who had aided them in their mission. Tens of thousands of
guerillas died in the course of the war, but were never awarded the formal
recognition given the "official" fighting forces, despite the enormous risks
and sacrifices.
A friend of mine was a part of the "carpetbaggers" a group of AAF units
whose mission was to fly these missions.
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