We will be starting a new series today on Aces High. We will be looking at one month in the history of World War 2, and we will share a timeline of that month. No, they will not be in chronological order, from the beginning of the war to the end; what’s the fun in that?
Why are we doing this? Number one, because we have great respect for the soldiers and personnel who fought in that war. Two, because obviously, we are fascinated by everything about that war, and since we base our combat flight simulator on the war it is a good idea that we know as much as possible.
Without further delay, here is the timeline for November, 1944.
- 1st British forces control Salonika in Greece
- 2nd Canadian troops control Zeebrugge in Belgium, entirely freeing Belgium.
- 4th Axis forces leave Greek mainland completely. British General Dill dies and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
- 5th U.S. bombs Singapore.
- 6th Roosevelt wins his fourth term as President. The USS Lexington is damaged by kamikazes.
- 9th Patton’s troops cross the Moselle River
- 10th Britain is continually hit by V-2 rockets
- 12th The German battleship Tirpitz is sunk off the coast of Norway.
- 17th Germans withdraw from Tirana, Albania, and the capitol is liberated by Allies.
- 21st San Marino declares war on Germany
- 23rd Metz, France is taken and Strasbourg is freed by French troops.
- 24th B-29’s raid Tokyo. The USS Intrepid is hit by kamikazes for the 3rd time.
- 25th Japanese take Nanning in China
- 26th Italian theater is slowed by heavy rains
- 28th Antwep becomes major supply port for Allies
- 30th US XXII Corps arrives in Europe
Those are the highlights, a thirty second summary of a war that was nearing the end for Germany and Japan. We hope you find this as fascinating as we do, and hopefully you look forward to the next installment of our timeline of World War II.
If you are new to Aces High, please try our free download and find out for yourself just how fun online combat can be. We won’t even ask you for a credit card; just sign up, download, strap on your helmet, and fly the skies with Aces High!
We hope to see you soon online, and we invite you to join us next week on Timeline of World War 2.
The first full week of November is one busy week if you are into Special Events, and quite frankly, why wouldn’t you be? Special Events give you, the flight sim player, and chance to take on the best gamers in the world, so why in the world would you not be playing in our Special Events.
This week has action every single day starting with tonight when we have our usual AHXARL or Aces High XTreme Racing League, followed by a Snapshot on the 7th and This Day in History on the 8th.
Every month we post the top pilot rankings so you can see who is doing the best job on Aces High. Our rankings go like this:
Late War
Mid War
Early War
In each of those categories, point totals determine the Top Overall Ranking, the Top Fighter, Top Bomber, Top Attack, and Top Vehicle.
It is a month long competition that encompasses all of our flight sim players from around the world, rookies as well as seasoned veterans.
If you don’t know what any of this means, but would like to find out without making a commitment, try our free two-week download; all the thrills and chills for not cost for two weeks.
Welcome to November at Aces High, the combat flight simulator that tests your every skill against the best in the world. Are you ready for some thrills and chills? Well then sign up for these special events and find out just how good you are.
On Friday, November 2nd, we will hold an FSO, this one Frame one of Fiery Sky!
On the 3rd we will have a great scenario called Scenario Der Grosse, and on the 4th we have Frame 1 of SEC, or Sunday European Command; this one is entitled Nigh Raids 1942-1944.
Strap on your helmet and fly the skies with Aces High!
Today Aces High would like to salute an organization that has been on the front lines of every war since World War II. The USO, or United Service Organizations, is a non-profit outfit that has provided entertainment for enlisted men and women since 1941. They originally started out in barns, churches, and log cabins, holding dances and other recreational activities for service men; they also provided a quite spot where enlisted personnel could rest from the hectic wartime activities.
They quickly, however, became known for their “Camp Shows” where Hollywood entertainers came to provide much-needed entertainment and a morale boost. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the entertainment industry signed on to provide a feel-good night for those serving our country.
The most famous of the entertainers was of course Bob Hope, and from 1941 to 9147, there were over 400,000 performances featuring entertainers such as Hope, Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny and James Cagney. Performers were paid $100 per week to partake in this great benefit, and at the peak of the USO history, in 1944, USO shows performed 700 times a day. That, my friends, is the ultimate morale booster.
It is estimated that over 161 million servicemen and women saw USO shows in the United States and abroad, and the USO even did shows in hospitals, eventually entertaining over three million wounded soldiers and sailors in 192 different hospitals. Many entertainers signed on for six-month tours, and eventually television got into the act and carried many of the USO shows on the major networks. To say that the USO served this country would be a gross understatement. Famous author John Steinbeck, who served as a war correspondent, praised the USO for their war effort and for the great morale boost that they provided.
Is that cool stuff or what? At HiTech Creations, we are all about World War 2, and that includes the war effort behind the scenes while our servicemen and women were doing the actual fighting. From the building of airfields to the construction of ships and tanks, the war effort was a complete effort of military and civilians, coming together to prepare America for war.
So the next time you strap on your helmet and fly the skies with Aces High, remember the men and women of the USO, who unselfishly gave of their time and money to make the soldiers feel cared about.
Aces High, the best World War 2 flight simulator for thirteen years running! We salute the USO!