Time Travelers Hub

24/04/2024

British sailors on the battleship HMS George V which volunteered for the Zeebrugge Raid, February 1918.
Today 106 years ago, on April 23, 1918, the Zeebrugge Raid took place - a British attempt at blocking the German port at Zeebrugge on the Belgian coast to the North Sea.
The British sought to launch an amphibious invasion of the Belgian coast, but plans were cancelled. Now, instead of an invasion, the British decided to attempt to block the ports, preventing German ships from leaving the coast.
It was planned for the destroyer HMS Vindictive to land on the mile-long Zeebrugge mole for Marines to invade. Two submarines filled with explosives would be blown up at the thinnest part of the mole, slowing down German reinforcements.
This would be a diversion to three other ships filled with concrete to sail into the Zeebrugge canal and block it. The British would rely on a smokescreen and surprise for their raid.
On April 23, 1918 the Zeebrugge raid began. Under a smokescreen the HMS Vindictive reached the Zeebrugge mole and 1,700 marines then invaded it.
Though at the time of the landing the wind changed, clearing the smokescreen. The marines immediately became exposed and came under heavy fire from the German defenses on the mole.
The HMS Vindictive was spotted by the Germans and forced to land in the wrong location to avoid being hit. This meant the marines didn't have the artillery support from the HMS Vindictive.
One of the submarines mangaed to be blown up on the mole, but didn't do enough to make the raid succeed
Meanwhile three British ships filled with concrete was on their way to block the Zeebrugge canal port.
One of the ships hit an obstruction and sunk before reaching the port. The two other ships barely reached the canal, but nevertheless did manage to block it before being sunk. Ultimately the British did succeed in blocking the canal, but only for a couple of days before the Germans cleared it.
Out of the force of 1,700 British Marines, 227 were killed and 356 wounded. The destroyer HMS North Star was also sunk while guarding the HMS Vindictive.
sailor

22/04/2024

A miner at his evening meal, 1937.

22/04/2024

French Zouave Captain holding a wounded German soldier at gunpoint at Mt. Cornillet during the Battle of the Hills, May 1917.
Today 107 years ago, on April 17, 1917, the Battle of the Hills of Champagne began, also called the Third Battle of Champagne, a supporting offensive to the main French effort on the Chemin des Dames of the Nivelle Offensive.
The French planned an ambitious offensive to capture the many mountain peaks of the Moronvillers Hills in the Champagne region east of Reims, where the Germans enjoyed excellent observation over French positions.
13 French Divisions of their 4th Army were to be pitted against 17 German Divisions of their 4th Army, but the French had a huge advantage in artillery guns. The French Infantry were to capture one mountain peak at a time in an attempt to achieve a breakthrough, cutting German supply lines to the Chemin des Dames.
The Germans held magnificent defensive positions on the Moronvillers Hills, most notably the Mt. Cornillet, Mt. Blond, Le Golfe, Mt. Sans Nom, Le Casque, Le Téton, Mt. Perthois and the highest, 260m Mt. Haut. Elaborate trench networks, tunnels and machine-gun nests along the hills allowed for deadly enfilade fire, in the case of a French attack.
On April 10, the French commenced a week-long preliminary bombardment on the German positions on the hills, badly damaging many of the defenses on the mountains, but leaving others intact.
On April 17, 1917, a day after the French attack on the Chemin des Dames, the French 4th Army attacked the Moronvillers Hills along an 11 km front. Thick fog protected the French Infantry attacking uphill, but German machine-gun- and artillery fire put up heavy resistance.
On the right flank, the Mt. Sans Nom was captured and the Mt. Blond and Mt. Cornillet were both taken on the left flank, but the latter was lost to counter-attacks.
On April 18, the French continued the attack and captured the formidable Mont Haut, but now had to face waves of German counter-attacks, which eventually recaptured the summit on April 19.

22/04/2024

Abraham Lincoln. Photographed in 1858.

22/04/2024

1918 German fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the ‘Red Baron’, was shot down and killed near the French village of Vaux-sur-Somme. With 80 recognised air combat victories, he was the leading air ace of WW1 (only half the war’s top 20 aces survived the war).

An Australian squadron was the nearest allied air unit to the crash site, and organised a military funeral for their famed adversary.

22/04/2024

The youngest emperor of Rome was Gordian III, who ascended to the throne at the age of 13. He reigned from 238 AD to 244 AD. Gordian III’s elevation to emperor occurred during a turbulent period known as the Year of the Six Emperors, which was marked by civil unrest and the rapid turnover of rulers.

22/04/2024

Constructed over 30 years, the Old London Bridge was as grand as Europe's most splendid castles and cathedrals. Completed in 1209, it was London's sole river crossing for centuries and stood for over 600 years.

20/04/2024

Australian solidiers after their release from Japanese captivity from Singapore , 1945.

20/04/2024

School boys heading home for Christmas, 1926.

18/04/2024

15/04/2024

Inventors that were killed by their own inventions Part 9 #

02/04/2024

American actor Burt Reynolds in a scene from the motion picture “Sam Whiskey” back in 1969.

01/04/2024

An American mother and daughter arrive home from shopping in a futuristic spaceship. circa 1950s.

28/03/2024

Downtown Los Angeles in 1901, then 2001.

28/03/2024

Then vs Now :
The Knights Road (14th Century AD), in the ancient medieval city of the island of Rhodes, Greece.
The Knights' Road is the main road from the port to the Palace of the Grand Master. The Palace was originally a Byzantine fortress which was built at the end of the 7th Century AD, and was converted at the beginning of the 14th Century AD, by the Knights of St. John into the residence of the Grand Master as well as the administrative center of the Order of the Knights. The buildings on each side of the road housed the noble families of the different orders of the Knights.
Following an almost exact east to west direction, the well preserved cobble paved street uses, in part, an ancient straight road that connected the port with the ancient Acropolis of Rhodos. The medieval road is about 600m long. It starts from the square in front of the Knights’ Hospital and leads to the Grand Master’s Palace.
Along the street seven imposing Inns where constructed in the early 16th Century AD, representing the seven countries, or tongues, that the Knights of the Order of St John were originated from. Each facade is decorated with emblems and details that reflect the respective country. The Inns are still in use to this day.