Jamie McTrusty
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Jamie McTrusty
@jamiemctrusty.bsky.social
Posts on (mostly) Second World War aviation and naval history. See ALT text for picture credits and additional information!
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
This is a hell of a thing. A terrifyingly low level attack on a power station near Paris in 1943 by Free French crew flying RAF Bostons (the British A-20 Havoc bomber variant). The A-20 was not the most agile aircraft ever, so this kind of flying under radar is a real feat.
youtu.be/1LyqGo6dz2I
Dramatic low level flying bomber footage (1943)
YouTube video by British Pathé
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
Check out the latest really interesting episode of the @holocaustpod.bsky.social!!!
November 24, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
NEW EPISODE

When The Wind Blows, Part 15

pod.fo/e/359632
Atomic Hobo: When The Wind Blows, Part 15
To get ad-free access, plus bonus episodes, please visit www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
pod.fo
November 25, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
I’ve written a special post (free) for a friend on her birthday about the story of a ship with the same name.

The museum ship HMS Caroline, the past surviving vessel that saw action at Jutland and a training school through much of the 20th Century

jerijerod14.substack.com/p/the-caroline

#history
The Caroline
So I found an old notebook the other day when looking for some research notes for an upcoming article and found at the front a list of “Things to do by 2025”.
jerijerod14.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
A beloved British hero, a masked German, a super-weapon, and... a time-travelling 1980s New York executive? We're watching the ultimate crime against literature and cinema: the Biggles movie. With @wallaceme.bsky.social of Total Politics, who was scarred for life by this film.

pod.fo/e/3564bb
November 20, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
On 25 November 1941 the Royal Navy lost another large unit, HMS Barham, further weakening its Mediterranean position after the loss of HMS Ark Royal.

@rjhammond215.bsky.social @marcusfaulkner.bsky.social @alanallport.bsky.social
The loss of HMS Barham
Background On 25 November 1941 one of the heaviest losses of life, and the only loss of a Royal Navy battleship to a submarine at sea, occurred off Bardia, when HMS Barham was torpedoed at extremel…
rommelsriposte.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
On 25 November 1941, 15. Panzerdivision was very pleased with itself for having executed a textbook envelopment attack using all arms against an attacking enemy tank force, resulting in its complete destruction.

Anyways, that's what the war diary says.

@sodrock.bsky.social @pptsapper.bsky.social
The Battle for 1 Army Tank Brigade’s Repair Shop
Background The ‘Dash to the Wire’, with which Rommel aimed to win the battle, produced many curious incidents. One of the stranger ones was a tank battle for a repair shop, between 16 M…
rommelsriposte.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
23 Nov 1939 // Armed merchant cruiser HMS Rawalpindi encountered German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau SE of Iceland, and despite the huge disparity of force her captain chose to fight. She was sunk after an unequal 40-minute battle with 238 dead. (Image: NMM) #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
November 23, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The Junkers 88 (1936) evolved into the most versatile aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. It served on all fronts in roles including bomber, heavy fighter, reconnaissance aircraft and night fighter. Over 14,600 were produced.
📷 Roy Cross/Airfix
🧵1/10
November 23, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
1941 of course. 🙄

Apols, as Bluesky keeps crashing new posts on me I posted the thread without triple-checking to make sure I didn’t lose it.
OTD in 1942 the battle of Sidi Rezegh, in German die Schlacht am Totensonntag, took place. It was the largest tank battle fought in the west and North Africa since Cambrai.

It was an Axis victory, but at prohibitive cost. This was compounded by command failure after the battle.

Some vignettes 🧵
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
One of the most prolific post-war SB2C operators was the French aéronavale; here are Helldivers from the carrier Arromanches (based ashore at Bach Mai airfield), flying support missions over Diên Biên Phu in 1954.

#Aviation #WWII #WW2 #Vietnam #France #Indichina #AviationHistory #NavalHistory
November 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
If you miss hearing me talk about war stuff this weekend. I urge you to watch me being interviewed by Jacob Watson-Howland here www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc7f...
Everything You Know About D-Day Is Wrong: WW2 Historian Exposes What Most Experts Don’t Tell You
YouTube video by Jacob J. Watson-Howland
www.youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (1940) was the last dive bomber operated by the US Navy. Intended to replace the SBD Dauntless, numerous issues with the aircraft delayed its entry into service until November 1943. Helldivers eventually equipped 30 Navy squadrons during the war.
📷 HpH Models
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November 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
#OTD 21/11/1942 #RememberRCN -HMCShips TIMMINS & MINAS rescue 60 sailors from MV Empire Sailor (UK), torpedoed by U-518 while in Convoy ON-145. Loaded with phosgene bombs, mustard gas & cyanide, crew abandoned freighter immediately. 20 survivors later succumbed to the phosgene gas.
November 21, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
#OTD in 1944, USS Sealion (SS-315) torpedoed IJN Kongō, becoming the first and only U.S. submarine to sink an enemy battleship. During the same attack, Sealion also fired a salvo that missed the battleship Nagato but hit and sank the destroyer Urakaze. usni.org/magazines/n...
To Sink a Battleship | Naval History Magazine - August 2023, Volume 37, Number 4
Commanding the Balao-class submarine Sealion, Eli Reich accomplished a singular sea-fighting exploit of World War II.
www.usni.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
21 Nov 1759 // 74-gun 3rd-rate HMS Resolution, which had suffered heavy damage during the Battle of Quiberon Bay, ran aground on sandbanks when attempting to leave the bay. She refloated at high water on the morning of 21 November but grounded again when the tide ebbed. [1/4]
November 21, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
In a double whammy, Lord Lovat, of woolly Aran jumper fame is the pin up after the Commandos raid on Boulogne…. Closely followed by our cartoon of the week - Hitlers moustache singed by the COMMANDOS!
November 21, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
Looking through some old footage of Farnborough 1952, and there is this short clip of the majestic and out of time Saunders-Roe Princess flying boat. She could carry 102 passengers in rather more comfort than the 100-odd plus you can squeeze into an A220.

Footage: IWM COI 335

#aviation #avgeek
November 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
#OTD in 1941 the proverbial hit the fan when Eighth Army gave the order ‘pop’ to Tobruk Fortress, meaning they should break out to the southeast through the siege lines.

All hell broke loose as the attack ran smack into the combined German-Italian force ready to attack Tobruk two days later.
Making Sense of the Tobruk Breakout
Background I have written a few posts about the Tobruk breakout (see here, here, here, and here), and thought a map and a complete overview of the code names for the objectives maybe helpful. This …
rommelsriposte.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
28th June, 1944, RAF Tholthorpe, nr York. George Cross action of Air Commodore Dwight Ross; George Medal actions of Cpl Maurice Marquet and Flt/Sgt Joseph St. Germain; British Empire Medal actions of LAC Melvin McKenzie and LAC Robert Wolfe, all Royal Canadian Air Force.
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📷 IBCC Digital Archive
November 20, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
My husband @tealcartoons.bsky.social has donated a fantastic piece of artwork to help raise money for Alzeimer's charities! Check it out and consider bidding for this great cause! @getsmart2025.bsky.social - astarauction.com/getsmart25
Look at this absolute stunner from @tealcartoons.bsky.social - it's one of over 100 envelope designs up for auction in aid of Alzheimer's charities. Link in bio.
November 18, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
#OTD in 1953, Scott Crossfield was the first man to break the Mach 2 barrier in Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket #37974 NACA-144.

Crossfield reached Mach 2.005, which was 25% beyond the aircraft's original design intention.

Scott Crossfield was a badass.

#aviation #avgeek #flying #records
November 20, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
Regular reminder that the full set of German intelligence assessments for Operation CRUSADER is here, together with some explanations and background.

This is to my knowledge the most/only comprehensive resource in English covering German intelligence of their enemy in a specific operation in WW2.
Panzerarmee Intelligence Reports
The table below gives easy access to the daily reports. The background to these reports is as set out below. The reports were made daily to the High Command of the Army’s Foreign Armies West …
rommelsriposte.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:23 AM
28th June, 1944, RAF Tholthorpe, nr York. George Cross action of Air Commodore Dwight Ross; George Medal actions of Cpl Maurice Marquet and Flt/Sgt Joseph St. Germain; British Empire Medal actions of LAC Melvin McKenzie and LAC Robert Wolfe, all Royal Canadian Air Force.
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📷 IBCC Digital Archive
November 20, 2025 at 10:52 AM
If you’ve not heard this pod before, it’s a fascinating listen - a month by month examination of the German occupation of Guernsey (now with added Jersey!)
November 20, 2025 at 8:15 AM