Podcasts about Fleet

Last time we spoke about the Oyama Incident and decision to fight at Shanghai. In July 1937, escalating tensions between Japan and China erupted into war after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. As conflict spread, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek, believing in his nation's resilience, called for unity to resist Japanese aggression. A pivotal moment occurred on August 9 at Hongqiao Airport, where a violent confrontation left several Japanese soldiers dead. The circumstances remained murky, with both sides blaming each other, further inflaming hostilities. Despite attempts at negotiation, the military standoff intensified, leading to a consensus that war was imminent. Chiang mobilized troops to Shanghai, a crucial city for both strategic and symbolic reasons, determined to demonstrate that China could defend its sovereignty. The Chinese forces, under Generals Zhang Fukai and Zhang Zhizhong, faced logistical challenges but aimed to strike first against the increasingly aggressive Japanese military. On August 12, both nations prepared for conflict, leading to a drastic escalation.  #157 The Battle of Shanghai Part 2: Black Saturday and Operation Iron Fist Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On Friday, August 13 of 1937, the residents of Shanghai began enduring the sounds of rifle fire and machine gun salvos, punctuated by the distant booms of artillery.  Members of the Japanese marines, disguised in civilian clothes and posing as rowdy thugs, boisterous ronin, arrived at barricades manned by the Peace Preservation Corps at the northern edge of Yangshupu around 9:15 a.m. They began to provoke the Chinese guards with loud taunts and jeers. When the Chinese fired a warning shot into the air, the Japanese retaliated with deadly intent. The Chinese responded in kind, resulting in a lethal exchange. From that moment on, the situation was beyond control. As the day progressed, nervous skirmishes continued throughout the northern part of Shanghai. Chinese commanders dispatched patrols to conduct probing attacks, hoping to identify weak points in the Japanese defenses and push them back wherever possible. Meanwhile, their Japanese counterparts rushed to occupy key positions outside their main line of defense, aiming to gain an advantageous position should their adversaries launch a larger offensive. Small bands of soldiers from both sides maneuvered along narrow alleys to minimize the risk of detection; however, whenever they encountered each other, the results were deadly. In the western sector of the front line, where the Chinese Army's newly arrived 88th Infantry Division was preparing its positions, the center of activity was the headquarters of the Japanese marines near Hongkou Park. This location resembled a fortress, featuring a massive four-story structure shielded from air and artillery bombardment by a double roof of reinforced concrete. The building, which encompassed a large inner courtyard, occupied two city blocks and could accommodate thousands of troops at once. Highly visible, it represented both a significant military threat and a symbol of Japan's presence in Shanghai. The Chinese were acutely aware of their objective: they had to eradicate it. The Sichuan North road lies south between the marine headquarters and the Japanese section of the International Settlement. This road became the scene of frantic activity from the first day of battle. Japanese armored cars and motorcycle patrols, with machine guns mounted on sidecars, sped up and down the otherwise deserted street, while trench mortars positioned along the pavement lobbed grenades into Zhabei to the west. As columns of smoke rose into the sky from buildings in the Chinese district, Japanese officers squeezed into a narrow conning tower atop the marine headquarters, watching the bombardment's results through field glasses. Reports of Chinese snipers stationed in the upper floors of buildings along the road prompted Japanese squads, led by sword-wielding officers, to carry out door-to-door searches. Suspects were unceremoniously dragged away to an uncertain fate. Not a single civilian was visible in the area; everyone stayed indoors, behind closed windows and drawn curtains. On the afternoon of August 13, the Eight Character Bridge, located west of the marine headquarters, became the site of one of the battle's first major engagements. The bridge, measuring just 60 feet in length and spanning a minor creek, was deemed by both sides to have significant tactical importance. The Chinese commanders viewed it as a crucial route for advancing into the Hongkou area, believing that if the bridge fell into Japanese hands, it would be like a "piece of bone stuck in the throat." At around noon, Major Yi Jin, a battalion commander of the 88th Infantry Division, led a couple of hundred men from around the North Railway Station toward Eight Character Bridge. When the soldiers reached their objective at about 3:00 p.m., they spotted a small Japanese unit that had just arrived across the creek and was setting up defensive positions. The Chinese opened fire and managed to secure the bridge, prompting the Japanese to launch a brief artillery bombardment that resulted in several Chinese casualties. Gunfire near the bridge continued intermittently until 9:00 p.m., when a fragile silence fell over the area. Further to the east, in the 87th Infantry Division's sector, the day was also characterized by frantic maneuvering, punctuated by lengthy bursts of violence. Chinese reconnaissance parties infiltrated enemy-held areas, making their way to the Japanese Golf Club near the Huangpu River, where they began shooting at workers busy preparing the makeshift airfield. As the first volleys from the Chinese snipers rang out, clouds of dust filled the air, causing the workers to hastily seek cover. Japanese soldiers stationed in the clubhouse immediately returned fire, throwing off the snipers' aim. After about an hour, two Japanese vessels moored in the Huangpu River, the destroyer Run and the gunboat Seta were called in to assist the Japanese marines facing the 87th Infantry Division on land. Four- and six-inch shells screamed across the sky, exploding in the Chinese districts to the north. Shanghai University was also shelled, as the Japanese troops on land believed it had been occupied by Chinese soldiers. Ultimately, the last remaining staff members, two Americans, were forced to flee the campus. The naval artillery had come to the aid of the beleaguered infantry onshore, a scene that would be repeated continually in the days and weeks to come. Late that evening, Chiang Kai-shek finally ordered his military commanders to “divert the enemy at sea, block off the coast, and resist landings at Shanghai” Even before the mobilization of troops began, panic swept through Shanghai. Meanwhile, the city's waterfront took on an increasingly ominous tone. The China Daily News wrote “Arms, ammunition, and supplies streamed from several Japanese cruisers and destroyers onto the O.S.K. wharf in what appeared to be an unending flow. Additionally, a large detachment of soldiers in full marching gear disembarked, while a cruiser, the Idzumo, two destroyers, and nine gunboats arrived shortly before.” Zhang Zhizhong, the commander of the left wing, finally received the orders he wished to hear. Zhang intended to deploy all available troops in a bold effort to eliminate the Japanese presence once and for all, following the strategy recommended by the Germans. However, the plan had a significant weakness. The assault was to focus on the marine headquarters and the rest of the Hongkou salient while deliberately avoiding combat within the formal borders of the International Settlement. This decision was made as a concession to international public opinion and was politically sound. However, from a military perspective, it was nearly suicidal and greatly increased the risks associated with the entire operation. The Hongkou area represented the most heavily fortified position along the entire front. The marine headquarters was at the center of a dense network of heavy machine gun positions, protected by barbed wire, concrete emplacements, and walls of sandbags. On Saturday, August 14th, the Nationalist military command decided to target one of the most significant Japanese naval assets in Shanghai: the Izumo, anchored with support ships on the Huangpu River in the city center. Shortly before 11:00 a.m., five Chinese planes appeared over the rooftops, flying toward the river and the Japanese vessels. The aircraft released their bombs, but all missed their target, with several detonating on the wharves, demolishing buildings and sending shrapnel flying through the air. In response, the Japanese battleships unleashed a massive barrage, further endangering those unfortunate enough to live or work in the area as shell fragments rained down with deadly force. At 11:20 a.m., another Chinese air raid occurred, this time involving three planes, once again targeting the Izumo. However, for two of the pilots, something went horribly wrong. “From one of the four monoplanes, four aerial torpedoes were seen to drop as they passed over the Bund, far from their intended target... Two others fell on Nanking Road.” Either the pilot misjudged the target, or there was a malfunction with the release mechanism. Regardless of the cause, the bombs landed in one of the city's busiest civilian areas, where thousands were walking, shopping, and enjoying a hot August Saturday. At 4:46 p.m., the public health department's work diary noted, “Palace Hotel hit! Many injured and dead in street! Nanking Road opposite Cathay Hotel.” A reporter vividly captured the horror of the scene: “A bomb arced through the air, struck the Palace Hotel with a glancing blow, and unleashed indescribable carnage. As the high explosive fumes slowly lifted, a scene of dreadful death emerged. Flames from a blazing car danced over distorted bodies. Bodies wrapped in coolie cloth lay in shapeless heaps at the entrances to the main doorways and arcades of the Palace and Cathay hotels, their heads, legs, and arms separated from smashed masses of flesh. The corpse of a Chinese policeman lay dead in his tracks, shrapnel lodged in his head, and a disemboweled child was nearby.” To make matters worse, another pilot mistakenly released his bomb over Avenue Edward VII, another major shopping street. When the numbers were finally tallied, over 1,000 people, both Chinese and foreign had been killed. The bombs struck the International Settlement, a zone that was politically neutral and presumed safe. Hundreds of civilians were killed culminating in what would soon be referred to as “Black Saturday” or “Bloody Saturday.” By the time these tragedies unfolded, the Battle of Shanghai had already entered its second day.  Zhang Zhizhong's men prepared their positions for most of the day, then launched their attack late in the afternoon. Intense fighting erupted in the few hours before sunset, and it quickly became clear that the 88th Infantry Division was encountering resistance that was tougher than expected. In addition to the direct fire from entrenched Japanese positions, the attackers were bombarded by the Third Fleet's powerful artillery, which was awe-inspiring even when it employed only a fraction of its total strength of 700 pieces. However, the Chinese infantry lacked proper training in the use of heavy weaponry against fortified enemy positions. Their heavier guns, which could have made a significant difference, were held too far in the rear and missed their targets too easily, as inexperienced crews used flawed coordinates from observers who were not close enough to the action. Additionally, some of the Japanese positions had such thick defensive walls that it was questionable whether even the most powerful weaponry in the Chinese arsenal, the 150 mm howitzers, could do more than merely dent them. These tactics resulted in extraordinarily heavy losses for the Chinese, including among senior ranks. Around 5:00 p.m., Major General Huang Meixing, the 41-year-old commander of the 88th Infantry Division's 264th Brigade, was leading an attack near the marine headquarters. His divisional commander, Sun Yuanliang, attempted to reach him via field phone, but he was forced to wait. When he finally managed to get through to Huang, he cracked a rare joke: “It took so long, I thought you were dead.” Just minutes later, as if fate wanted to punish Sun Yuanliang for his black humor, Huang Meixing's command post was struck by an artillery shell, killing him instantly. Shock spread through the ranks as the news circulated, recalled Wu Ganliao, a machine gunner in the 88th Division. “Brigade Commander Huang was a fair-minded person, and he showed real affection for his troops. It was sad new”. Huang was by no means an exceptional case; Chinese officers died in large numbers from the very first day. One regiment lost seven company commanders in a single short attack. Several factors contributed to the high incidence of death among senior ranks. One reason was the ethos among some officers to lead from the front in an effort to instill courage in their men. However, leading from the rear could also be highly risky in urban combat, where opposing forces were often just yards apart, and the maze-like environment created by multi-story buildings and narrow alleys led to a fluid situation where the enemy could be just as likely behind as in front. Moreover, soldiers on both sides deliberately targeted enemy officers, perhaps more so than in other conflicts, because rigid leadership hierarchies placed a premium on decapitating the opposing unit's command. However, the massive fatality rates among officers, and even more so among the rank and file, were primarily the result of Chinese forces employing frontal assaults against a well-armed, entrenched enemy.The men who were dying by the hundreds were China's elite soldiers, the product of years of effort to build a modern military. They represented the nation's best hope for resisting Japan in a protracted war. Nevertheless, on the very first day of battle, they were being squandered at an alarming and unsustainable rate. After just a few hours of offensive operations with minimal gains, Chiang Kai-shek decided to cut his losses. In a telegram, he commanded Zhang Zhizhong: “Do not carry out attacks this evening. Await further orders.”In the weeks leading up to the outbreak of the battle of Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek received a parade of leaders from various provinces eager to participate in the upcoming fight. After years of the Warlord nonsense , a new sense of unity began to emerge among them for the first time. All of these factions proclaimed they would lend their troops to his leadership if he pledged them against Japan. As a sign of his sincerity, Chiang decided to appoint the position of overall commander in Shanghai to one of his longest-standing rivals, our old friend, the finger nails inspector, Feng Yuxiang. This was a political savvy move directed at the Communists, trying to earn their favor.  Feng Yuxiang did not hesitate when offered the command. “As long as it serves the purpose of fighting Japan, I'll say yes, no matter what it is.” His appointment was announced just as the first shots were fired in Shanghai. Feng was about a decade older than his direct subordinates, which Chiang considered an advantage. He desired someone who was both composed and prudent to counterbalance the fiery tempers of the frontline commanders, as Chiang put it“ The frontline commanders are too young. They've got a lot of courage, but they lack experience.” Feng moved his command post to a temple outside Suzhou in mid August. Almost immediately afterward, he visited Zhang Zhizhong, who had established his command near the Suzhou city wall. At that time, Zhang was just beginning to realize how formidable the Japanese resistance in Shanghai truly was. His staff started to notice troubling signs of his deteriorating health, sensing that sickness and exhaustion were taking a toll on his ability to stay upright and effectively lead the battle. Perhaps this feeling of being overwhelmed was why he failed to undertake basic tasks, such as providing adequate protection from air attacks. Meanwhile, Shanghai society responded to the sudden outbreak of war. In July, the city's residents worked, ate, drank, and played as they had for decades. Beginning in August, however, they had to entirely remake their lives. Local institutions began to relocate; by late September, it was announced that four local universities would open joint colleges with institutions in China's interior. In the country's premier commercial city, business was being devastated. “Like a nightmare octopus flinging cruel tentacles around its helpless victims,” the North-China Daily News reported, “the local hostilities are slowly strangling Shanghai's trade.” A shopkeeper lamented, “We obtain a lot of business, of course, from tourists who visit Shanghai. What tourists are there these days?” For the foreigners in Shanghai, the war was seen as a violent diversion, but nothing truly dangerous, at least, that's what they thought. For the Chinese, however, life was unraveling. As the fighting intensified around the Japanese district, thousands of refugees poured into the streets, heading for Suzhou Creek and the Garden Bridge, the only link to the International Settlement that remained open. It was a chaotic and merciless stampede, where the weak were at a severe disadvantage. “My feet were slipping… in blood and flesh,” recalled Rhodes Farmer, a journalist for the North China Daily News, as he found himself in a sea of people struggling to escape Hongkou. “Half a dozen times, I knew I was walking on the bodies of children or old people sucked under by the torrent, trampled flat by countless feet.” Near the creek, the mass of sweating and panting humanity was nearly uncontrollable as it funneled toward the bridge, which was a mere 55 feet wide. Two Japanese sentries were almost overwhelmed by the crowd and reacted as they had been trained, with immediate, reflexive brutality. One of them bayoneted an old man and threw the lifeless body into the filthy creek below. This act of violence did not deter the other refugees, who continued to push toward the bridge, believing they were heading toward the safety of the International Settlement. Little did they know, they were moving in the wrong direction, towards the horrific slaughter of innocent civilians that would mark the entire Shanghai campaign. The American advisor Claire Chennault had been in the air since the early hours of August 14. After only a few hours of sleep at his base in Nanjing, he jumped into a lone, unarmed fighter to observe the Chinese air raid as a neutral party. The night before, he had been at the Nanjing Military Academy, in the company of Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling. That night, as war loomed, Soong Mei-ling in tears said “They are killing our people!” Chennault asked “what will you do now?”. She replied “We will fight,”. Chennault was the one who suggested bombing the ships on the Huangpu River because of the artillery support they provided to the Japanese infantry. Since there was no Chinese officer with the expertise to prepare such an operation, Soong Mei-ling had asked Chennault to take over. Although he was completely unprepared for this new role, he felt a growing affinity for China, fueled by excitement at the prospect of contributing to their fight. Eleanor B. Roosevelt, the wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was in Shanghai at the time of the bombing and was horrified by the loss of innocent life. She sent a letter to Japan's premier, Prince Konoye, urging him to seek ways to minimize the risk of Chinese air raids, which she argued were caused by the presence of Japan's military in the Shanghai area. The Japanese did not respond. However, the day after her letter, the Izumo was moved from its anchorage near the Japanese Consulate to the middle of the Huangpu River. The cruiser remained close enough to contribute its artillery to the fighting inland, but far enough away to significantly reduce the danger to civilians in the city. The 15th was surreal, even after thousands had been killed in battle, the fighting in China remained an undeclared war as far as the Japanese government was concerned, and it committed forces only in a piecemeal fashion. The Japanese Cabinet continued to refer to events in Shanghai and further north near Beijing as “the China Incident.” However, euphemisms were not enough to disguise the reality that Shanghai was becoming a significant problem. In the early hours of the 15th, a Japanese Cabinet meeting decided to send army reinforcements to the hard-pressed marines in Shanghai, leading to the deployment of the 3rd and 11th Divisions. The two divisions were to form the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, a unit resurrected from the hostilities of 1932. Many of the soldiers sent to war were reservists in their late twenties and early thirties who had long since returned to civilian life and were poorly disciplined. In their habitual disdain for the Chinese, Japanese leaders figured that this would be more than enough to deal with them. Underestimating the foe would soon prove to be a mistake they would repeat again and again in the coming weeks and months. To lead the force, the Japanese leaders brought out of retirement 59-year-old General Matsui Iwane, a veteran of the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. Matsui was a slight man, weighing no more than 100 pounds, with a large 19th century mustache and a palsy affecting his right side. He was not an accidental choice; he knew China well and had been an acquaintance of Sun Yat-sen.  Hongkou or “Little Tokyo” had become an area under siege. Surrounded by hostile Chinese troops on three sides, its only link to the outside world was the dock district along the Huangpu River. From the first day of the battle, the area was bombarded with Chinese mortar shells, prompting an exodus among Japanese residents, some of whom had lived in Shanghai for years. An increasingly common sight was kimono-clad women carrying heavy loads as they made their way to the wharfs to board ferries taking them back to Japan. Hongkou, said visiting Japanese correspondent Hayashi Fusao, “was a dark town. It was an exhausted town.” Those who remained in “Little Tokyo,” mostly men forced to stay behind to look after their businesses, tried to continue their lives with as little disruption to their normal routines as possible. However, this was difficult, given the constant reminders of war surrounding them: rows of barbed wire and piles of sandbags, soldiers marching from one engagement to another, and the sounds of battle often occurring just a few blocks away. “Every building was bullet-marked, and the haze of gunpowder hung over the town,” wrote Hayashi. “It was a town at war. It was the August sun and an eerie silence, burning asphalt, and most of all, the swarm of blue flies hovering around the feet.” It seemed Vice Admiral Hasegawa Kiyoshi, the commander of the Japanese 3rd Fleet, had bitten off more than he could chew in aggressively expanding operations in the Shanghai area. August 16th saw repeated Chinese attacks, placing the Japanese defenders under severe pressure, stretching their resources to the limit. Rear Admiral Okawachi Denshichi, who headed the Shanghai marines, had to hastily commit reserves, including irreplaceable tanks, to prevent a Chinese breakthrough. That day Hasegawa sent three telegrams to his superiors, each sounding more desperate than the last. After his second telegram, sent around 7:00 pm,  warning that his troops could probably hold out for only 6 more days, the Naval Command ordered the marine barracks at Sasebo Naval Base in southern Japan to dispatch two units of 500 marines each to Shanghai. Following Hasegawa's 3rd telegram later that night, the navy decided to send even more reinforcements. Two additional marine units, consisting of a total of 1,400 soldiers waiting in Manchuria for deployment at Qingdao, were ordered to embark for Shanghai immediately. The Chinese, however, did not feel that things were going their way. The battle continued to be much bloodier than anyone had anticipated. Throwing infantry en masse against fortified positions was the only feasible tactic available to an army rich in manpower confronting an adversary with a clear technological advantage. Yet, this approach turned the battle into a contest of flesh against steel, resulting in tremendous loss of life. Chiang Kai-shek was losing patience. After several days of fighting, his troops had still not succeeded in dislodging the Japanese from the streets of Shanghai. The Japanese marines entrenched in the Hongkou and Yangshupu areas proved to be a harder nut to crack than he or his generals had expected. At a meeting with his divisional commanders, Chiang ordered a massive attack to be launched in the early morning of August 17. The troops were to utilize more firepower and be better prepared than they had been for the assault three days earlier. Codenamed Operation Iron Fist, it was the most ambitious Chinese offensive in the first critical week of the Shanghai campaign. Colonel Hans Vetter, the advisor assigned to the 88th Division, played a key role in planning the offensive. He aimed to employ “Stosstrupp” or “stormtrooper” shock troop tactics that the Germans had effectively used during the Great War. After an intense artillery bombardment, a small, elite group of determined, well-armed men was to punch through the Japanese lines and fight their way deep into the enemy camp before the defenders had a chance to recover from the initial surprise. This procedure was to be followed by both the 88th Division moving in from the west, targeting the area south of Hongkou Park, and the 87th Division conducting a parallel operation from the east. Zhang Zhizhong recognized a window of opportunity while he still enjoyed a significant, but likely temporary, advantage against the Japanese. This opportunity had to be seized before reinforcements arrived. However, the odds were not favorable. Urban combat with modern weaponry of unprecedented lethality was a costly affair, especially when the enemy had the upper hand in the sky. Japanese airplanes constantly threatened the Chinese positions, carrying out relentless sorties throughout the day. The Chinese Air Force remained a factor, but it was uncertain how much longer it would hold out against the more experienced Japanese pilots and their superior, more maneuverable aircraft. The growing Japanese presence overhead, supported by both shipborne planes and aircraft based on airstrips on Chongming Island in the Yangtze Delta, greatly complicated any major movements on the ground. Despite these challenges, the Chinese Army continued its troop build-up in the Shanghai area. The 98th Infantry Division arrived on August 15 and placed one brigade, half its strength, at the disposal of the 87th Infantry Division, ensuring that the division's rear area was covered during Operation Iron Fist. Operation Iron Fist kicked off as planned at 5:00 am on the 17th. Utilizing all available firepower, the 87th and 88th Infantry Divisions launched simultaneous assaults against stunned and bewildered Japanese defenders. In line with the Stosstrupp approach of rapid penetration, Zhang Zhizhong introduced a new tactical principle, prompted by the severe losses during the first few days of fighting. Forces under his command were to identify gaps in the Japanese defenses and exploit them, rather than launch massive, costly, and most likely futile attacks on heavily fortified positions. Once an enemy stronghold was spotted, the main forces would circumvent it and leave just enough troops to keep it pinned down. Chen Yiding, a regimental commander of the 87th Infantry Division, played a pivotal role in the assault. His soldiers, each equipped with provisions for two days, made good progress during the first hours of Iron Fist, leveraging their local knowledge and moving with the slippery dexterity of alley cats. They would enter a building on one street, knock down the wall inside, and exit onto the next street, or they would throw down beams from rooftop to rooftop, sneaking as quietly as possible from one block to another without being noticed by those on the ground. They proved elusive targets for the Japanese, who expected them to come from one direction, only to be attacked from another. Nevertheless, changing the tactical situation from the previous days was not enough. The attackers encountered well-prepared defenses that sometimes could not be circumvented, resulting in significant losses from the outset of the assault. An entire battalion of the 88th Division was wiped out while trying to take a single building. Despite their sacrifices, there was no major breakthrough anywhere along the Japanese defense lines. This was partly due to strong support from Japanese naval artillery stationed along the Huangpu River and partly a reflection of poor coordination between Chinese infantry and artillery.Equally detrimental to the Chinese cause was their careful avoidance, during the first days of combat in Shanghai, of fighting inside the International Settlement or even in the predominantly Japanese part of the settlement, in order to avoid angering the outside world and swaying international opinion against them. This approach frustrated their German advisors. “It was obvious that the attacking troops had been told to engage only enemies standing on Chinese territory, not the ones inside the international areas,” the Germans wrote, with an almost audible sigh of regret in their after-action report. This frustration was shared by several Chinese officers at the frontline. “We are much handicapped by the demarcation of the foreign areas,” the adjutant to a divisional commander told a Western reporter. “We could have wiped out the enemy if it had not been for orders from the Central Government and our commander to avoid causing damage to foreign lives and to give them adequate protection.” The presence of the large foreign community primarily played into Japanese hands. Many of Chiang Kai-shek's officers believed that if the Chinese had been able to move through the French Concession and the International Settlement to attack the Japanese from the rear, they could have won easily. Zhang Fakui would later say “Without the protection provided by the foreign concessions, they would have been wiped out,”. At the end of the day, the Japanese emerged victorious. Their defense proved stronger, as it had for four long years on the Western Front during the Great War. The challenge facing the Japanese was tough, but at least it was straightforward and uncomplicated: they had to hold on to Hongkou and Yangshupu while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. They proved adept at this task. In many cases, Chinese soldiers found themselves fighting for the same objectives they had targeted when the battle for Shanghai began several days earlier. By August 18, the Chinese attack had been called off. Operation Iron Fist had proven to be a costly endeavor for the Chinese, who endured heavy casualties in the vicious urban fighting. The Japanese, on the other hand, suffered approximately 600 casualties, of which 134 were fatalities, according to the Official Gazette. The Japanese marine units dispatched from Manchuria on August 16, the day of crisis for their compatriots in Shanghai, arrived in the city during the morning of August 18 and were immediately thrown into battle. A few hours later, the Japanese Cabinet announced the formal end of its policy of non-expansion in China, which, by that time, had already been a hollow shell for several weeks. “The empire, having reached the limit of its patience, has been forced to take resolute measures,” it stated. “Henceforth, it will punish the outrages of the Chinese Army, thereby spurring the Chinese government to self-reflect.” I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. On August 13, Japanese marines, disguised as civilians, provoked Chinese guards, leading to mutual gunfire. The fierce urban fighting escalated, especially at the strategically vital Eight Character Bridge. Despite determined Chinese assaults, heavy losses ensued as they struggled against well-fortified Japanese positions. As artillery and air strikes rained down, civilian casualties soared, culminating in the infamous "Black Saturday," followed by the failed Operation Iron Fist.    

Fleet Maull, PhD helps overwhelmed founders and entrepreneurs step out of survival mode and into strategic, CEO-level leadership. With 25+ years of experience as a business strategist and founder of multiple mission-driven ventures—including an Inc. 5000 company—he developed a high-impact MBA program for bootstrapped entrepreneurs scaling from 6 to 7 or 8 figures. His approach blends operational strategy with mindset mastery to help leaders beat burnout, build aligned teams, and accelerate growth. A globally respected meditation teacher, Fleet is also the creator of Neuro-Somatic Mindfulness®, a method that integrates neuroscience with contemplative practice to support peak performance. He hosts the Radical Responsibility Podcast, featuring guests like Jack Canfield, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, and Dave Asprey. As a podcast guest, Fleet brings calm authority and transformative insights on business growth, leadership, and personal evolution. In this episode, Fleet Maull, PhD shares the journey he took to get interested in neuro-somatic mindfulness and radical responsibility, and the role of mindfulness, meditation, gratitude and forgiveness in resolving trauma and living your best life. Learn more about Fleet here: https://www.fleetmaull.com/   Heart Mind Institute: events & more resources - http://www.heartmind.co  Instagram: @heartmindinstitute @fleetmaull Get his book Radical Responsibility and Dharma In Hell: https://www.fleetmaull.com/books Get 15% off Peluva minimalist shoe with coupon code COACHTARA here: http://peluva.com/coachtara CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro 5:40 Fleet's background 26:40 Neuro-somatic mindfulness 36:32 Radical responsibility 55:00 Forgiveness & gratitude 57:00 Resoursces

Diane Hund (Chief Marketing Officer at US Foods) reveals how the company's marketing strategies, including truck branding and authentic human touch points, help build trust and loyalty across more than 100,000 restaurant partners nationwide. Listen now to learn why brand consistency matters, how the US Foods' team brings itself to life, and the ways AI is transforming menu design and marketing for restaurant operators. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Olá, seja muito bem-vindo ao StandardsCast EP #331 ALL FLEET. Neste episódio conversamos com Cassiano Djehdian (Coordenador de Flight Standards e Treinamento ALL FLEET) sobre as últimas atualizações no MGO Rev. 19. Abordamos as RTs que foram incorporadas no nosso Manual Geral de Operações e aproveitamos a oportunidade para nos aprofundar em alguns tópicos importantes contemplados nessas mudanças operacionais implementadas recentemente. Forms: https://forms.office.com/r/A23tSQXHuH Em caso de dúvidas, críticas ou sugestões, envie um e-mail para standardscast@voeazul.com.br. Este Podcast foi produzido pela Diretoria de Operações da Azul Linhas Aéreas. Em caso de divergência entre qualquer assunto técnico abordado e os documentos oficiais, os documentos prevalecerão. Todos os direitos reservados.

Naval Postgraduate School Trident Room Podcast host U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Colleen Wilmington interviews two graduating students, U.S. Navy Ensign Grace Casey and Ensign Dutton Rogers, attending NPS through the Shoemaker Scholar program, and pursuing a thesis through the NPS Undersea Warfare program. This episode was recorded on January 28, 2025. The Shoemaker Scholarship program provides an opportunity for Student Naval Aviators awaiting flight school to get their graduate degree at NPS directly following their undergraduate program. Shoemaker Scholars are provided with an opportunity to sharpen their mind before heading out to the Fleet, taking their new-found expertise to their next command and reducing the need for an operational gap. Recently, the Shoemaker Scholar program expanded significantly, from 10 to 50 quotas, with applicants not constricted to the U.S. Naval Academy.

"Fleet managers make the world go round, so why doesn't the world recognize that?"

Could a split-second seat-shake save a life at 70 mph?In this episode of Your AI Injection, host Deep Dhillon chats with with Gareth Bathers, Head of Data at EXEROS Technologies, to unpack the eye-tracking, seat-vibrating AI keeping long-haul drivers alive. Gareth reveals how a retrofit camera kit slashed one fleet's crashes by ~86%, why a two-second blink triggers an instant haptic jolt, and how human analysts still sift the footage for ethical red flags. From calibration phases that build driver trust to blind-spot AI trained on rainy London streets, the conversation explores whether shaking drivers awake is a stop-gap, or the future of commercial road safety.Learn more about Gareth here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bathers/and EXEROS Technologies here: https://exeros-technologies.com/Check out some of our related content: 3 Million Gallons Vanished? The AI Smart City Revolution That's Making Water Waste Visible with Ashwin Chandran of McCord DevelopmentAI and Smart Commuting with Corey Tucker

A Marine's worst nightmare came true in a split second.In this episode of Urban Valor, Marine veteran Kyle Hansen recounts the devastating moment his AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicle) ran over a natural gas line, sparking a massive explosion that left him severely burned and changed his life forever.Kyle served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2014–2018, starting in Marine Security Forces guarding nuclear assets at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. He later transitioned to 1st Marine Division's 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, training for overseas deployment. But during his final exercise, the explosion tore through the vehicle, injuring several Marines and a Navy corpsman.In this interview, Kyle shares the mental and physical aftermath of combat trauma, what it means to lead under fire, and how brotherhood shaped him. He also opens up about recovery, Wounded Warrior Battalion, and reclaiming purpose after being medically retired.

In this episode, host Matt Tucker, Director of Research at IFMA and Professor of Facility Management, speaks with three facility management students and graduates: Christopher Bourke from The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Daniëlle van't Westeinde from Tilburg University, and Mathias De Roeck, a Fleet and Facility Coordinator in Belgium. They discuss the role of ChatGPT in their education and future careers, noting mixed implementations and the importance of using it as a tool rather than a replacement for critical thinking. They highlight the need for curriculum to include data analytics and proper AI utilization techniques to better prepare students for the evolving industry.This episode is sponsored by ABM! Learn more about ABM here. Connect with Us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ifmaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFacilityManagementAssociation/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IFMAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifma_hq/YouTube: https://youtube.com/ifmaglobalVisit us at https://ifma.org

Bank of America discharged over 16,000 old mortgages after a merger with Fleet. Then it discovered more than hundreds of the loans had never been paid off after all. The bank has sued over 100 of homeowners in Massachusetts to reinstate the mortgages.

For analysis of the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and Tehran's response, Geoff Bennett spoke with retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan. He commanded the U.S. 5th Fleet based in Bahrain and is now a distinguished military fellow at the Middle East Institute. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For analysis of the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and Tehran's response, Geoff Bennett spoke with retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan. He commanded the U.S. 5th Fleet based in Bahrain and is now a distinguished military fellow at the Middle East Institute. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Natalie Fleet is the Labour MP for Bolsover whose path into politics has been far from typical. From a very young age, teachers told her she was destined for university – something almost unheard of in her Nottingham mining town. But her future took a different turn, when at fifteen, she became pregnant by an older man. At the time she had thought they were in a relationship - but as she grew older, Natalie says she realised she had been a victim of grooming and statutory rape. She's now speaking out to give a voice to those she feels have been made to feel they should be silent, and joins Anita Rani in the studio. Only 3.1% of PREP users in England are women. That's Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a drug that reduces the risk of being infected with HIV. Many women don't know that PREP exists, or don't consider themselves at risk. Yet women accounted for 30% of new HIV diagnoses in England in 2023. This week, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has launched pilot programmes to increase women's access to PREP. Anita was joined by Dr Jenny Whetham, Consultant and Joint Clinical Lead, Sexual Health and HIV Medicine, Brighton and Anne Aslett, CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation to discuss.Trisha Goddard rose to fame as a TV journalist. She was the first black TV presenter in Australia and is best known in the UK for her eponymous TV show which aired on ITV and Channel 5 in the late 90s and 2000s, earning her a reputation as the British Oprah. She joined Anita to talk about her career, appearing on Celebrity Big Brother and why she chose recently to go public with her diagnosis for stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.BBC journalist Sanchia Berg and fertility lawyer Beverley Addison joined Nuala McGovern to discuss the recent cases of older couples becoming parents via surrogacy.Comedian, actor and writer Rosie Jones joined Nuala to discuss her first sitcom, Pushers, which she stars in and co-wrote. She plays Emily in the Channel 4 show, who has very little left to lose after having her disability benefits cut when she loses her job - she finds herself building an illegal drugs empire. Emily isn't your average street-dealer though - she's sharp, funny, highly educated and has cerebral palsy. What better disguise could there be for criminal activity than to be entirely written off by society?Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Rebecca Myatt

There is a blog post that accompanies this episode at PrMarlon.comConnect with me.Check out our church at Cloverdale.orgThe intro music Fleet of Happy Fingers by Ryan Bell

SUMMARYIn this episode of "Right About Now," host Ryan Alford recaps major business news from June 20, 2025. Topics include Amazon's shift to AI-driven job replacements and hydrogen fuel cell trucks, the return of dollar menus at fast food chains, Walmart's rollout of drone delivery, new international AI safety regulations, expanding right-to-repair laws, and IKEA's launch of micro-stores. Alford emphasizes the importance of adapting to technological and market changes, offering actionable insights for businesses and consumers navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.TAKEAWAYSAmazon's job replacements due to advancements in AI technologyIntroduction of hydrogen fuel cell trucks by Amazon for sustainable logisticsRevival of dollar menus in fast food chains to attract customersWalmart's operational drone delivery service for rapid deliveryEstablishment of international AI safety regulations through the Geneva AccordPush for right-to-repair laws allowing consumers to repair their own devicesIKEA's development of micro-stores to enhance the shopping experienceImportance of adapting to technological changes in the business landscapeStrategies for businesses to leverage new trends and innovationsThe competitive landscape between major retailers like Amazon and WalmartSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Greening the Grid: How NYC's Keith Kerman is Electrifying the Nation's Largest Fleet On this episode Gil Bashe welcomes Keith Kerman, New York City's Chief Fleet Officer and Deputy Commissioner at DCAS. Keith leads the transformation of the city's 30,000+ vehicle fleet—making it a model for climate-forward, tech-enabled urban mobility. From electric vehicles and real-time telematics to sustainability benchmarks and air quality improvements, Keith outlines how smart municipal fleet management can deliver major public health dividends. It's a must-listen for city leaders, healthcare innovators, and anyone curious about the intersection of climate action, health equity, and urban infrastructure. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen/

Episode Summary:In this candid episode of The Fleet Success Show, RTA CEO Josh Turley and fleet industry veteran Marc Canton dive headfirst into a growing crisis facing government fleets: massive budget shortfalls. With some agencies facing $2-3 million in cuts, they explore the crossroads where leadership, fleet efficiency, and public service collide.Rather than simply trim the fat, Josh and Marc flip the script: budget cuts can be a golden opportunity to innovate, right-size, and lead with boldness. From leveraging debt financing to rethinking replacement backlogs and idle fleet utilization, this episode is a strategic playbook for fleet managers forced to do more with less. It's a masterclass in leading up, down, and across, all while protecting your team and your fleet's integrity.Whether you're managing a city fleet or consulting on fleet maintenance management software, this episode will leave you with tools to navigate fiscal storms while keeping your mission (public service) at the core. Key TakeawaysTwo options for deficits: Cut expenses or raise revenue, and the latter is politically toxic.Leadership mindset: Your first response cannot be “we can't.” Be an advisor, not a blocker.Debt financing & leasing: Underutilized lifelines for cash-strapped fleets.Right-sizing tactics: Everything from technician staffing to underutilized assets can yield savings.Consulting ROI: Outside expertise often identifies millions in savings by seeing what insiders can't.Storytelling = survival: Present options with consequences, not resistance. You're informing policy, not making it. Speaker BiosJosh TurleyCEO, RTA: The Fleet Success CompanyA third-generation leader, Josh has spent 20 years helping fleets succeed and the last decade redefining fleet management software through innovation, leadership, and culture.Marc CantonFleet Success Consultant, RTAWith nearly 30 years in the fleet industry, including two decades managing Fordham University's fleet, Marc brings practical, battle-tested strategies to municipal fleet management, specializing in resource efficiency and leadership development.

Planes scooping water from lakes. Crews flying into firestorms. Mechanics maintaining aircraft in warzone-like conditions.  It sounds like a military operation, because in many ways, it is. As wildfires grow more frequent, more destructive, and more deadly, the national spotlight is turning to one of the most critical and overlooked fronts in disaster response: aerial firefighting.  Events like the Lahaina fire and the Palisades blaze have shown just how high the stakes are and how essential rapid, airborne intervention has become in saving lives, homes, and ecosystems. Bridger Aerospace sits at the center of this transformation. With a mission rooted in military discipline and public service, the company combines aviation, emergency response, and cutting-edge technology in a way few others can. In this episode, I'm joined by Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, operator of the largest private fleet of CL-415 “Super Scoopers” in the U.S.  Sam opens up about what it's really like to run a year-round, 200-person aviation operation with aircraft flying low over burning terrain across the country.  From supply chain crunches to political backlash, it's a raw look inside one of the most demanding jobs in aviation today. We also talk about how Bridger Aerospace is pioneering wildfire response using military-grade sensors, early detection aircraft, and a culture of service that rivals special ops. You'll learn: Why aerial firefighting is one of the most complex aviation operations in the U.S.  How Bridger balances safety, inventory, and downtime in remote environments  What it takes to recruit and train elite pilots for low-altitude wildfire missions  Why sensors, software, and year-round deployments are the future of firefighting  How culture, passion, and purpose drive performance in high-risk settings  The role of private enterprise in strengthening America's wildfire defense    Guest Bio Sam Davis is the CEO of Bridger Aerospace. Bridger Aerospace is an aerial firefighting and aerospace services company based in Belgrade, Montana, located at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (KBZN). It was founded in 2014 to support frontline firefighters with world-leading technology and aerial fire suppression systems. Since its inception, the company has grown from operating a single plane to commanding a significant Air Attack fleet, the most modern fire imaging and surveillance aircraft, and the world's largest private Super Scooper fleet. Sam is integral in facilitating revenue growth, implementing operational efficiency, and executing strategic initiatives to expand services and global footprint. Visit https://bridgeraerospace.com/ and connect with Sam on LinkedIn.    About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years' experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women's Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.    Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

Why does darkness exist? Through profound channeling from the Fleet and the Pleiadian star family, Lori uncovers why negative alien agendas, spiritual warfare, and dark entities are allowed in a universe governed by Source and divine love. If you've ever questioned the existence of suffering, or wondered why lightworkers, starseeds, and awakening souls face deep spiritual challenges, this episode is for you. Lori speaks candidly about the purpose of duality, the role of free will in ascension, and the lessons embedded in trauma, shadow work, and deception. She explains how developing divine discernment is critical in navigating disinformation, especially for those on a mission to reclaim their spiritual sovereignty. This is a powerful activation for anyone who wants to move beyond fear and align with their soul purpose in the ascension timeline.Lori talked about: Why darkness exists in a universe created by divine loveThe spiritual role of reptilian, draconian, and AI-based alien agendasThe cosmic laws that allow free will and duality to operateHow lightworkers and starseeds are awakening through spiritual contrastWhy divine discernment is the most powerful tool for awakened beingsJoin Us For the next LIVE DNA Activations webinar: https://lorispagna.com/events/speed-activations/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Join Lori's annual Sacred Membership: https://lorispagna.mykajabi.com/offers/Na8hFP6Y/checkoutGet The FULL Self Love, Self Nurturing and Self Healing Home Study Course: https://lorispagna.mykajabi.com/offers/SbK2Zgjh/checkoutGet The FULL Secret Energy Of Money & The Spiritual Laws Of Wealth & Prosperity Home Study Course: https://lorispagna.mykajabi.com/offers/FjJHooYF/checkoutGet The FULL Future Crafting ~ Reality Crafting & The Secrets To Effortless Manifestation Home Study Course: https://lorispagna.mykajabi.com/offers/39wL7KWv/checkoutGet The FULL Reclaim Your True Divine Power & Authenticity Home Study Course: https://lorispagna.mykajabi.com/offers/tNnLfpPr/checkout

UKRAINE: UKRAINE: SANCTIONING THE SHADOW FLEET, JOHN HARDIE, BILL ROGGIO, FDD 1854 ODESSA

AP correspondent Ben Thomas reports Denmark is testing a fleet of robotic sailboats amid tensions with Russia.

PREVIEW: Colleague John Hardie of FDD recommends the EU press sanctions against Russia in order to remove the so-called Shadow Fleet of aged, unsafe or uninsurable oil tankers from the conflict. More later. 1958

"If you're not going to do it right the first time, don't do it at all. That's what I tell everybody in here." --2024 Small Fleet Champ Paul Rissler In this week's edition of Overdrive Radio, listen in for a tour around the headquarters of Paul Rissler Transportation, current Overdrive Small Fleet Champ, on the old home place for the big Rissler trucking family. Overdrive Editor Todd Dills was there in early May just ahead of Paul's older brother John and younger brother Delton Rissler's Crossroads Truck Meet show at the junction of U.S. 50 and Missouri state route 87 in California. Paul Rissler's one of five Rissler brothers all with some tie to trucking -- in their family, it's clear the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. In the podcast, Paul details his father and mother's small fleet history right from the spot where it all started for a young Paul, following in his father's footsteps as a small fleet owner. The fleet's ranged over more than a couple decades now from just a few to eight trucks. Paul and Michelle Rissler were right at 6 when they brought home the Small Fleet Champ title belt from the NASTC conference last fall. When we visited in May, things were in a brief moment of flux with one longtime driver moving toward retirement to local work, and another leaving as well. In search of the right drivers to fill those spots, the all-reefer fleet was well-positioned still with steady LTL lanes out of Pennsylvania from consolidator Dutchland Refrigerated, and other customers back toward Missouri from Colorado. Paul and his wife, Michelle (with all three sons Justin, Josh, and Jordan involved in various aspects of the business), have clearly built a fleet that's sustainable, no matter what comes. We start in the company office, then get a look at the main shop and warehouse area for Paul Rissler Transportation, then at the Risslerbilt, LLC, custom truck shop operated now by Josh and outfitted with what might just be the biggest paint booth in the entire state of Missouri. All of it was built by the hands of, and the close bonds between, the Rissler family and close-knit trucking community they've brought along with them on their long run of success. As mentioned in the podcast, small fleets of 3-30 trucks can enter to compete for this year's title belt in Overdrive's Small Fleet Champsionship via this link: https://overdriveonline.com/2025sfc -- deadline: July 31. Find more images from Rissler headquarters and the Risslerbilt custom shop in the post that houses this podcast at https://overdriveonline.com/15748560

Zevo is a new peer-to-peer car-sharing startup, which is broadly similar to Turo, but focused exclusively on electric vehicles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fleet footfall, jump, hang, glide. Physics is your plaything, Bond. A full-lipped quip in a red dress. A lithe, lip-biting woman who craves your death, pulling you down into the rocks below. Always pulling. As you escape. "Oh, please James, spare me the Freud. I might as well ask you if all the vodka martinis ever silenced the screams of all the men you've killed... or if you find forgiveness in the arms of all those willing women, for all the dead ones you failed to protect."

“Closed mouths don't get fed. If you don't speak up about what your fleet really needs, no one's going to help you.”In this laugh-out-loud, wisdom-packed episode of The Fleet Success Show, hosts Josh Turley and Marc Canton sit down with Harold Siguenza, the Assistant Director of Public Works for the City of Avondale, Arizona. Buckle up—because Harold's story isn't your typical “fell into fleet” tale. It's a full-throttle leap from car sales to budget analyst to fleet operations and beyond.Harold shares how he transformed from “the guy asking what a budget office even does” to the trusted leader of multiple divisions including fleet, solid waste, transit, and pavement preservation. Along the way, he exposes the harsh reality of “finance PTSD,” breaks down how to actually get your fleet replacement budget approved, and drops truth bombs on leadership, trust, and the secret to building a legacy beyond the garage.This one is for every fleet manager who's ever wondered, “What's next?” Harold shows that fleet isn't just a job—it's a launching pad for a purpose-driven career in public service.Key TakeawaysFleet + Finance = Power: Understanding how budget offices think helps you win more resources—and influence.Squeaky Wheels Win Replacements: You get what you ask for—so stop lowballing your budget out of fear.Leadership is Trust First: Harold reveals how trusting his team (and asking tons of questions) built powerful alignment.Fleet Pros Isn't Just a Club—It's a Career Accelerator: Why Fleet Pros' new 101 series is grooming the next generation of leaders.Succession Planning is Not Optional: Your legacy isn't your title—it's who comes after you.Speaker BiosHarold SiguenzaAssistant Director of Public Works, City of AvondaleA fleet outsider turned fleet champion, Harold's story blends public administration, fleet management, and a relentless drive to serve the public. He's also a board member with Fleet Pros, where he helps up-and-coming techs and supervisors rise into leadership roles.Josh TurleyCEO, RTA: The Fleet Success CompanyAs RTA's CEO, Josh brings decades of insight into building better fleets through smart leadership, technology, and systems. His mission: help fleet managers lead with confidence.Marc CantonHead of Product & Consulting, RTAWith a background in consulting and analytics, Marc now leads the design of tomorrow's fleet management software—one that meets real-world needs in the shop and the boardroom. #FleetLeadership #FleetSuccess #FleetManagerLife #FleetMaintenanceSoftware #PublicWorksLeadership #SuccessionPlanning #GovernmentFleet #FleetPros

A battery charger ignited and burned out in the cab of a 28-year-old fire truck this week. The Professional Firefighters Union said it was symptomatic of a nationwide problem. The union's Tauranga branch secretary Mike Swanson spoke to Corin Dann.

Palestine Deep Dive's Ahmed Alnaouq talks to UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese about the legality of Israel's interception of the flotilla bound for Gaza. Albanese says Israel's actions are totally illegal and that it is obliged to immediately release the activists and return the vessel. The Madleen was a UK-flagged ship and Albanese called on the British government to take its responsibility for the activists it held and pressure Israel to abide by international law. But she went further saying that, now the flotilla has been intercepted, the navies of every nation in the Mediterranean, mentioning specifically France, Italy, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Spain should be sent to Gaza to break the siege.

The crew discuss the upcoming Vanguards update and catch up on the last two weeks after an amazing interview with Arthur!

Tune in to hear details on Ford Pro services, including a fleet management program, software tracking solutions, repair services, purchasing, and more.

NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS MAY 2025New car registrations rose, year on year, 1.6% thanks to Fleet. BEV registrations rose to 21.8% of the market share, which is growth but still a long way off the mandated amount. The SMMT once again called on Government financial help to encourage more people to buy electric. Click this link here to read more from the SMMT. TFL TO INCREASE LONDON CONGESTION CHARGEFrom 2 January 2026, the rate of the Congestion Charge if being proposed to increase to £18 along with the exemption for zero emission vehicles (ZEV) ending. However, ZEVs will pay a reduced amount that will change over time. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here. For the Autocar article, click here. PIRELLI CAUGHT UP IN ANTI-CHINESE CONNECTIVITY RULESThe US Department of Commerce has finalised their rules on connected vehicle technology and software. They are banning any from Russia and China. This has brought Pirelli's ‘Cyber Tyre' technology into the crosshairs as Sinochem, a Chinese company, has 37% of shares in the manufacturer. To read more, click this Carscoops article link here. BRAZIL SUES BYD OVER WORKER'S CONDITIONSBYD, the Chinese EV maker, is building a plant in Brazil, but has been raided by officials who state they released 220 workers from conditions they likened to slavery. Welfare and financial restrictions were found that contravened the local laws. For more on this story, click here to read a BBC News article. NORTH OF SCOTLAND EV CHARGING CONTRACT SIGNEDEasyGo, an EV charging network, has signed a 20 year contract to install and maintain electric charging points across the north of Scotland. On top of that they will take on the upkeep of 425 existing council charge points. Click this electrive article link here to read more. FASTNED TO OPEN NEW CHARGING HUB IN WEST SCOTLANDFastned will open its fifth charging hub in Scotland, this time at Greenock, which will house four ultra-rapid chargers that can add around 100 miles to a car's range in five minutes. If you wish to read more, click this Electric Drives article link here. MCDONALD'S EV CHARGING PROVISION INCREASESMcDonald's, in partnership with Instavolt, has EV charge points at 250 sites across the UK and Ireland. They do not plan on slowing down either. Fast charging for fast food. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more. TFL STUDY SHOWS ROAD INJURY AND DEATH REDUCTION A study by Transport for London (TfL) into rates of serious injury and death on roads with 20mph speed limits has shown a reduction in the numbers. This backs up what...

Send us a textWhat if your self-storage facility could also be your most powerful marketing tool? Scott Meyers sits down with CJ Strattle and Sherry Miller of On the Move to explore how branded rental trucks are redefining marketing, operations, and revenue in the storage industry. From CJ's roots in the business to the company's family-driven innovation, the conversation dives deep into turnkey solutions, competitive advantages, and why even major REITs are revisiting this “old-school” concept. They also share insights from the recent ISS conference, discusses trends in tech, security, and market dynamics, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how On the Move quietly became the fourth-largest rental fleet in the U.S.—without anyone outside the industry even knowing. WHAT TO LISTEN FOR1:06 “Rent with me, use this truck for free” – the family legacy4:17 Taking control: Why On the Move exists6:19 A patented solution from CJ's grandfather10:54 Turnkey truck branding made simple13:13 ISS 2025: New tech, new vendors, new energy16:25 They sold the show truck at the show!30:52 Think outside the truck: Monetizing ad space Leave a positive rating for this podcast with one click CONNECT WITH GUESTS:CJ STRATTLE, President & CEO of On the MoveLinkedIn | Website | YouTube | InstagramSHERRY MILLER, Director of Sales at On The MoveLinkedIn  CONNECT WITH USWebsite | You Tube | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram Follow so you never miss a NEW episode! Leave us an honest rating and review on Apple or Spotify Attend the Self Storage Academy in Seattle, WA August 21-23https://selfstorageacademy.com/

Sebastian Barrios was the longtime head of product and engineering at Mercado Libre, the largest company in Latin America—valued at over $100 billion and home to more than 100,000 employees. There, he led a team of more than 18,000 engineers across 18 countries and oversaw an astonishing 30,000 code deployments a day. Before Mercado Libre, he founded multiple startups, including a ridesharing company that competed directly with Uber in Latin America. And at just 17, he got a personal phone call from Steve Jobs asking him to take his app off the App Store. Today, Sebastian is the SVP of Engineering at Roblox.What you'll learn:• Why Mercado Libre operates with 95% fewer PMs than typical tech companies (and how it actually works)• How to maintain product quality with 30,000 daily deployments and distributed ownership• The weekly email system Sebastian uses to maintain alignment with leadership• How to build a culture of radical candor and direct feedback in a traditionally hierarchical region• The counterintuitive approach to product reviews that keeps 18,000 engineers aligned• How to evaluate hype cycles (crypto, AI) pragmatically while staying innovative—Brought to you by:Merge—A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your appVanta—Automate compliance. Simplify securityLinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Where to find Sebastian Barrios:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zebas/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Sebastian Barrios and Mercado Libre(05:03) Mercado Libre's scale and unique ways of operating(14:48) AI's impact on operations(19:19) Empowering teams and reducing fear of failure(34:20) The importance of radical candor(38:26) Weekly updates(41:03) Avoiding hype cycles(44:24) When Steve Jobs personally called 17-year-old Sebastian(49:00) Building successful app businesses(55:33) Unique personal habits(01:04:00) Raising independent children(01:07:15) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Mercado Libre: https://www.mercadolibre.com/• Claude: https://claude.ai/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• Nvidia: https://www.nvidia.com/• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/• Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/• Uber: https://www.uber.com/• OpenAI: https://openai.com/• Marcos Galperin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcosgalperin/• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/• Which companies produce the best product managers: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/which-companies-produce-the-best• Which companies accelerate PM careers most: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/which-companies-accelerate-your-pm• How Revolut trains world-class product managers: The “local CEO” model, raw intellect over experience, and a cultural obsession with building wow products | Dmitry Zlokazov (Head of Product): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-revolut-trains-world-class-product-managers• Intercom: https://www.intercom.com/• Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice• Managing up: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up• Steve Jobs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs• Tobi Lütke's leadership playbook: Playing infinite games, operating from first principles, and maximizing human potential (founder and CEO of Shopify): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/tobi-lutkes-leadership-playbook• Everything Everywhere All at Once: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6710474/• Dune on Max: https://www.max.com/movies/dune/e7dc7b3a-a494-4ef1-8107-f4308aa6bbf7• Bluey on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-fa6973b9-e7cf-49fb-81a2-d4908e4bf694• Mentava: https://www.mentava.com/• Matt Bateman's website: https://mattbateman.xyz/• Beast Academy: https://beastacademy.com/• David protein bars: https://davidprotein.com/• Marc Andreessen on X: https://x.com/pmarca• Tatami mats: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatami—Recommended books:• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509• High Output Management: https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove/dp/0679762884/• The Odyssey: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Homer/dp/0140268863• The Dream Machine: https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Machine-M-Mitchell-Waldrop/dp/1732265119/• Dune: https://www.amazon.com/Dune-Chronicles-Book-1/dp/0441013597/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

What do the Spider Web drone attacks tell us about Ukraine's tactics inside Russia going forward? Could the West limit Russian oil revenues by confiscating its 'shadow fleet'? And are we any closer to seeing high-precision laser weapons on the battlefield?We answer all that and discuss what the implications could be for Ukraine after Poland elected a new conservative president, with the BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet and diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams. Today's episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Laurie Kalus, Ben Carter and Nik Sindle. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

What does it really take to electrify America's fleets? From skyrocketing insurance rates to policy risks to reduced incentives, the market dynamics are complex.   Enter Electrada, a Cincinnati-based EV infrastructure company revolutionizing how fleets transition to clean energy. As the developer, owner, and operator of electric fueling assets, Electrada offers a unique 360 Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) model that delivers zero capital investment, 99%+ uptime, predictable pricing, and expert management. Serving all fleet types across multiple transportation sectors, Electrada designs fully tailored, long-term EV charging solutions that reduce cost per mile from day one with no operational disruptions or price risk.   Listen in as we sit down with Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the North American fleet electrification market.   We'd love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to podcast@sae.org. Don't forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.   Follow SAE on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Follow host Grayson Brulte on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

“There are two biggest buckets of cost in any fleet: your people and your assets. If you're not managing both with strategy, you're leaking efficiency.”In this consulting-centric episode, Marc Canton and Steve Saltzgiver give listeners an inside look at the real issues fleet organizations are asking RTA for help with — and the critical ones they aren't asking about but should be.From right-sizing analyses and facility planning to VMRS codes and preventive maintenance workflows, this episode reads like a checklist of where modern fleets are succeeding... and where they're falling behind. Steve breaks down how fleets can turn reactive problems into proactive strategies by investing in policies, proper documentation, and performance benchmarking.Whether you're a fleet manager dealing with staffing shortages or a city agency unsure if your shop still fits your growing fleet, this episode is packed with practical guidance and candid consulting insights that will help you run a more efficient, effective operation.Key Takeaways:Most Requested Projects: Best practice assessments, staffing studies, facility reviews, right-sizing analysis, and cost of service evaluations. Right-Sizing Always Pays Off: These projects consistently deliver ROI by helping fleets identify and reduce excess or underutilized assets. Facility Assessments Are Rising: Growing fleets are struggling with outdated bays, cramped layouts, and missing the mark on equipment needs. Underutilized Tools: Many fleets still lack documented workflows, up-to-date policy manuals, and clean, lean shop environments. Preventive Maintenance Process Is Key: PM efficiency depends on prep work — staging parts, tools, and task flow to avoid tech downtime. Chargebacks and Data Visibility Drive Better Behavior: Transparent cost allocation policies can improve operator stewardship and accountability.Marc CantonProduct leader at RTA and seasoned fleet consultant, Marc combines 20 years of fleet management experience with a sharp eye for software design and operational strategy. He's passionate about helping fleets modernize.Steve SaltzgiverFleet Hall of Famer and consulting guru, Steve brings decades of experience across public, private, and federal sectors. Known as the “Fleet Whisperer,” his insights drive transformation from the shop floor to the boardroom.

Laura and Xhafer share a rare lunchtime record session. Laura is easily deceived by Just for Men. Xhafer gets nostalgic for magazines. Today's episode covers Battlestar Galactica Season 2, Episode 8: Final Cut.Join us for more discussion on the Discord @ https://discord.gg/MUHKDDk6TN

Join us in episode 184 of the Channel 23 podcast, where we dive deep into the heart of the JFW family. This week's episode brings a mix of emotions as we discuss safety, spirituality, and support within our fleet. We welcome special guest Mike Cisneros, who shares insights into his long driving career and personal anecdotes. The episode opens with a heartfelt prayer for the fleet's well-being and a dedication to a team member overcoming medical challenges. We then navigate through various discussions, including the consequences of a recent company accident, the importance of engagement and safety on the road, and how simple acts like looking out for each other can make a big difference. This episode isn't just about trucks; it's about embracing a culture of care, being vigilant on the road, and celebrating our community through humor and shared experiences. Don't miss out on a special feature with insights from Tucker Carlson's podcast, tying in life lessons on health and personal growth. Calley & Casey Means: The Truth About Ozempic, the Pill, and How Big Pharma Keeps You Sick The Tucker Carlson Show Whistleblowers Calley and Casey Means expose how Big Pharma co-opted government agencies and the food industry to poison America and keep us sick. Buy Casey and Calley's book, “Good Energy” here - https://www.caseymeans.com/goodenergy (00:00) Art of the Surge (00:54) Who Are Casey and Calley Means? (10:16) Seed Oils and the Lies of the Food Pyramid (25:20) Vaccines for Newborns (39:41) Why Is the Medical Industry Ignoring This? (49:38) The Spiritual Crisis (1:21:35) The Birth Control Pill (1:36:12) The Rise of Dementia (1:43:27) Why Obamacare Is Harmful and How to Fix the Medical Industry Paid partnerships with:  Liberty Safe https://LibertySafe.com/Tucker Promo code “Tucker”  Meriwether Farms https://MeriwetherFarms.com/Tucker Use promo code “Tucker” to save  Unplugged Get $25 off a new phone with code "Tucker"  https://Unplugged.com/Tucker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tucker-carlson-show/id1719657632?i=1000665653719     Links to Help find Ambyr's Mom https://medium.com/@amarianacarolus428/the-strange-disappearance-of-terri-ann-ackerman-89559cc7ceee https://www.iheart.com/podcast/the-troubleshooter-20710606/episode/the-troubleshooter-04-25-23-113838662/ https://kdvr.com/news/colorado-cold-cases/cold-case-where-is-terri-ackerman/ News story https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/coldcase/casedetail.html?id=356000- Picture and description of her https://charleyproject.org/case/terri-anne-ackerman https://www.lochbuie.org/police Help Find Terri Ackerman Facebook Page https://www.thevanishedpodcast.com/episodes/2021/7/12/episode-295-terri-ackerman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDJQfwbwwNs&t=244s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgejVtc7juE&t=199s

Ukraine Blindsided Trump And The US On Purpose Become A Member http://youtube.com/timcastnews/join The Green Room - https://rumble.com/playlists/aa56qw_g-j0 BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO FIGHT BACK - https://castbrew.com/ Join The Discord Server - https://timcast.com/join-us/ Hang Out With Tim Pool & Crew LIVE At - http://Youtube.com/TimcastIRL

Dr. Li-Meng Yan w/ The Voice of Dr. Yan – This time, it's not about the cargo — it's about the ships that carry it. And the strike is not loud or flashy, but deeply structural: a quiet chokehold delivered through the coordinated use of energy leverage, shipping control, and institutional rules — a triad designed to cut off the very channels the CCP relies on to project power globally...

Get the stories from today's show in THE STACK: https://justinbarclay.comKirk Elliott PHD - FREE consultation on wealth conservation - http://GoldWithJustin.comJoin Justin in the MAHA revolution - http://HealthWithJustin.comTry Cue Streaming for just $2 / day and help support the good guys https://justinbarclay.com/cueUp to 80% OFF! Use promo code JUSTIN http://MyPillow.com/JustinPatriots are making the Switch! What if we could start voting with our dollars too? http://SwitchWithJustin.com

Last time we spoke about the fall of Shuri. In the unforgiving terrain of Okinawa during May 1945, American Marines confronted fierce resistance from entrenched Japanese forces. Amidst heavy rain and dwindling supplies, General Buckner's 10th Army battled uphill toward Shuri, a critical stronghold. With communication crumbling and morale wavering, the Americans pressed on, launching daring patrols. The situation reached a turning point when intelligence revealed the Japanese withdrawal plans. Buckner ordered continuous pressure, leading to the capture of significant strategic points like Shuri Castle, which was relentlessly bombarded prior to the Marine assault. On May 29, as the last remnants of Japanese forces fled south, American soldiers swept through Shuri, which lay in utter ruin, a testament to the devastating power of the campaign.  This episode is the Liberation of Mindanao Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Last week we covered the fall of Shuri and today we continue the brutal brawl for Okinawa and the liberation of Mindanao. As we last saw, the Japanese retreat from the Shuri line opened the path for General Buckner's 10th Army to move southward, with only General Fujioka's 62nd Division and a few minor rearguards standing in their way. On June 3, General Arnold's 7th Division continued its offensive to the south. Colonel Pachler's 17th Regiment successfully secured the area of Itokazu. Meanwhile, Colonel Green's 184th Regiment pushed toward the coast to completely cut off the Chinen Peninsula. Colonel Finn's 32nd Regiment was diverted into the rugged hills nearby to clean up any remaining resistance. To the west, despite persistent bad weather and challenging supply conditions, General Bradley's 96th Division also achieved success. Colonel May's 383rd Regiment secured the locations of Kamizato and Tera against relatively light resistance. At the same time, Colonel Halloran's 381st Regiment advanced to seize the entire Inasomi area. Looking northwest, General Del Valle's 1st Marine Division encountered stronger opposition. The bulk of the 5th Marines managed to push only as far as Tsukasa before being pinned down. In a strategic move, Colonel Griebel's 2nd Battalion executed a wide swing through May's rear area to capture the Gisushi region. Colonel Snedeker's 7th Marines made steady progress through the Kokuba Valley, facing small enemy blocking forces, in order to extend the line held by the 5th Marines. Meanwhile, at sea, Admiral Ugaki launched his 9th mass Kikisui attack. This operation, featuring just 50 kamikaze aircraft, faced heavy obstacles due to Typhoon Viper but still managed to damage 2 vessels. In another development, after successfully occupying Torishima Island on May 12, Colonel Clarence Wallace's 8th Marines landed on Iheyajima without encountering any opposition. In addition, preparations for the shore-to-shore assault of General Shepherd's 6th Marine Division were completed. Colonel Shapley's 4th Marines were set to land on the Nishikoku beaches before securing the Oroku Peninsula and its airfield. Consequently, during the early hours of June 4, Shepherd's Reconnaissance Company successfully assaulted Ono-Yama Island, while Shapley's assault battalions began the shore-to-shore movement to Nishikoku under the cover of artillery and naval bombardment. Despite some mechanical failures on the LVTs, the Marines successfully landed at 06:00 under sporadic machine-gun fire and then pushed onto the high ground 300 yards inland against minor resistance. After securing the initial foothold, the attack slowed against increasing resistance on the left flank. Because of this, the reserve 3rd Battalion was landed at 08:45 and subsequently advanced to the edge of the airdrome.  During the day development of the enemy's defense had revealed an inordinate number of automatic weapons, ranging in various calibers up to 40mm. Subsequently, it was disclosed that the Japanese had stripped the armament from the air defenses and damaged aircraft in the area and integrated these weapons into the ground fortifications to stiffen materially the resistance on Oroku. Besides meeting with the most extensive mine fields yet encountered during the campaign, on this day the 6th Division had its first contact with an awesome weapon: an 8-inch rocket that exploded with terrific concussion. However, there was little fragmentation and accuracy was poor. While the noise the huge projectiles made, tumbling through the air end over end, sounded "like a locomotive from hell" to the troops, the rockets were mainly a source of annoyance and caused few casualties. Rockets continued to fall in the rear areas during the night, snipers and infiltrators were active, and the entire front came under intermittent heavy mortar fire. This landing allowed Shepherd to bring in Colonel Whaling's 29th Marines by midday, which then secured the Kikibana area of Naha Bay, while the 4th Marines captured one-third of Naha's airfield. To the east, the Americans encountered less resistance than before, as the 62nd Division and other minor rearguards completed their withdrawal from the intermediate lines south of Shuri to a reserve area south of the new Kiyamu Peninsula lines. Recognizing this change, Buckner shifted the corps boundary to the west, assigning General Geiger's 3rd Amphibious Corps the task of isolating the Oroku Peninsula and occupying the Itoman-Kunishi sector, while General Hodge's 24th Corps advanced toward the Yaeju Dake-Yuza Dake escarpment.  As a result, the 7th Marines were able to move south to seize Takanyuta and isolate Admiral Ota's forces on the Oroku Peninsula. The atrocious weather had converted the already muddy roads to impassable morasses. Transport was hopelessly mired north of the Kokuba Gawa. South of the river the "trails were only negotiable by foot troops, vehicles could not have been used" even if it had been possible to bring them across the inlet. The 5th Marines managed to secure the Hill 107 area without opposition before being relieved by Colonel Mason's 1st Marines. However, the 1st Marines were unable to continue their push south toward Shindawaku Ridge due to a flooded stream. Meanwhile, Mason's 3rd Battalion attempted a wide envelopment through the 96th Division zone but was quickly halted in front of Tera. Food was scarce, but through the wholehearted cooperation of the 96th Division the Marines procured two meals of K rations per man. It was the considered opinion of at least one member of 3/1 that "this day probably was the most miserable spent on Okinawa by men of this battalion." To compound these problems and discomforts, the 3d Battalion also found itself without a supply route or communications with the regiment 11,000 yards to the rear. Further east, the 383rd Regiment advanced rapidly, engaging isolated but strong enemy delaying groups as they secured the outskirts of Iwa. Matching this progress, the 381st Regiment advanced all the way to the hills north of Aragusuku, facing steadily increasing resistance. Additionally, while the 17th Regiment established positions controlling the Minatoga-Meka road, the 184th Regiment advanced against patchy and ineffective resistance until the Minatoga area was secured. The following morning, Admiral McCain's Task Force 38 launched strikes on Okinawa and Kyushu. Unfortunately, poor situational awareness from Admiral Halsey caused the 3rd Fleet to inadvertently enter Typhoon Viper. This storm inflicted varying degrees of damage to four carriers, two escort carriers, three cruisers, one destroyer, and one tanker, while also destroying 76 planes. Additionally, kamikaze attacks succeeded in damaging the battleship Mississippi and heavy cruiser Louisville. Back on Okinawa, Shepherd's attack on the Oroku Peninsula commenced and progressed slowly but steadily against uniformly stubborn resistance. The 4th Marines secured most of the airfield and the Toma high ground, while the 29th Marines fought laboriously to advance toward Mura and Oroku, gaining up to 1,000 yards. To the east, the 7th Marines advanced to positions just north of Hanja, while the 1st Marines bypassed the inundated area in front of them by swinging east and following their 3rd Battalion toward Iwa. In fact, Mason's 3rd Battalion launched another attack aimed at Shindawaku Ridge, advancing over 3,000 yards to the area west of Iwa. Despite muddy conditions and rainy weather, Hodge's infantrymen continued to penetrate the enemy outpost zone, developing the edges of the main Japanese battle position. The outpost line of Kiyamu Peninsula was fully manned on June 4. Japanese Army headquarters estimated that the strength of its now concentrated forces totaled 30000, distributed as follows: 24th Division and attached units, 12000; 62nd Division and attached units, 7000; 44th IMB and attached units, 3000; 5th Artillery Command and attached units, 3000; and units directly under 32nd Army command, 5000. The difference in total strength between the 50000-man estimate late in May and the 30000 left in Kiyamu Peninsula was attributed to "attrition during retirement operations." Only about 20% of the remaining troops were survivors of the original crack infantry-artillery units; the rest were untrained rear echelon personnel or Boeitai. Most senior commanders at battalion level and above were still alive, however, and capable of bolstering the fighting spirit of their motley collection of men. But the 32nd Army had suffered grievous losses in weapons and equipment since L-Day. Hand grenades and explosives were almost entirely expended. 4 out of every 5 machine guns had been destroyed, and the supply of heavy infantry cannon and mortars had been reduced to the vanishing point. Despite the fact that 2 150mm guns, 16 150mm howitzers, and 10 AAA guns had been successfully withdrawn to the Kiyamu battle position, artillery ammunition levels were insufficient for more than 10 days of sustained firing. General Ushijima's 32nd Army was in desperate straits, its destruction merely a question of time, but the tradition, discipline, and indoctrination of Japanese military forces promised only a violent, last-ditch, man-to-man struggle before the battle for Okinawa was ended. By June 6, the 7th Division reached the outskirts of Gushichan, and the 96th Division advanced toward Shindawaku and Tomui. To the west, the 1st Marines finally captured Shindawaku and cleared the bypassed area behind them. Meanwhile, the 7th Marines attacked toward Hill 108, advancing 1,000 yards before encountering stiff resistance and ultimately dug in around Dakiton. Additionally, Colonel Roberts' 22nd Marines arrived to contain the Oroku Peninsula in the Hill 103 sector. Although the 29th Marines and Shapley's 1st Battalion made little progress in the Oroku-Mura area due to strong enemy resistance. Meanwhile the terrain confronting the 3rd Battalion there "consisted of a series of small temple-like hills, each of which had been converted into a fortress . . . from which mutually supporting automatic weapons could cover adjacent positions and deny the open ground between the hills." These gun positions were well dug-in and impervious to artillery fire. Because the narrow roads in the area had been made impassable by mines and shell cratering, tank support was not forthcoming, and a day of bitter fighting netted 3/29 a gain of a scant 150 yards. The remainder of the 4th Marines attacked Naha Airfield where counter fire from tanks, artillery, and support craft was immediately laid down. An urgent call for an air strike on the island was answered in less than half an hour, and "as rack after rack of bombs fell on the Nip positions, the troops stood up and cheered." The artillery piece was soon silenced, but 20mm fire was received spasmodically. Nevertheless, 3/4 pressed forward with its open flank covered by continued air strikes on Senaga Shima and completed the capture of Naha airfield before noon, whence they pushed south toward Gushi. At sea, kamikaze attacks crashed into and damaged two destroyer minesweepers, while also causing further damage to escort carrier Natoma Bay and destroyer Anthony on June 7. That day, Shepherd's Marines faced stiff resistance all along the front. The 4th Marines reduced Little Sugar Loaf where stiff resistance and bitter fighting characterized the action in the center and on the left of the 4th Marines' area. However, the attack forged ahead against machine-gun fire coming "from everywhere," while "countless caves were methodically cleaned out and sealed by the old process of direct fire, flame, and demolitions."Meanwhile the 29th Marines entered Oroku, and the 22nd Marines captured Hill 103 and the area south of Tamigusuki.  To the southeast, the 7th Marines overran Hanja and Hill 108, ultimately digging in just north of Zawa and linking up with the 1st Marines, which also advanced up to 1,200 yards as they secured Hill 75 and pushed toward Yuza. Further east, the primary offensive efforts of the 7th and 96th Divisions on June 7 and 8 were focused on probing enemy defenses and advancing assault battalions to more favorable positions for an attack. Additionally, by the afternoon of June 8, the 32nd Regiment successfully relieved the exhausted 184th in the Gushichan area. On that same day, the 1st Marines pressed forward to the high ground overlooking the Mukue River, while the 7th Marines moved through Zawa and began probing enemy positions in Itoman, encountering stiffened resistance. The first LVT's, supported by LVTa's, arrived at the newly-uncovered beaches at noon on 8 June, and shortly thereafter General Hodge sent General del Valle "congratulations for cutting the island in two." Meanwhile, on Oroku, the 29th Marines made little progress as they stalled at a key ridgeline on the left. The 4th Marines committed all three of their battalions to the attack, successfully securing the areas of Hill 39 and Gushi Ridge. The 22nd Marines continued to pivot on their right, seizing Hill 55 and making good progress along the front toward Chiwa and Tomigusuki. On June 9, although the 22nd Marines managed to secure Hill 55 and push to Hill 28, little advancement was achieved to the north. Concurrently, the 4th Marines were able to slowly push to the outskirts of Chiwa and Uibaru, with patrols clearing out Chiwa and Whaling's 3rd Battalion extending the front to the north. The action in the zone of the 4th Marines on 9 June remained unchanged from that of preceding days: “The advance was still slow and tedious against bitter resistance. Every Jap seemed to be armed with a machine gun, and there was still the same light and heavy mortar fire. Casualties continued to mount and the number of Japs killed soared over the maximum of 1500 which were supposed to be defending and there were still plenty left.” In the meantime, to the south, Del Valle sent strong patrols across the Mukue, which began to encounter significant enemy resistance. Consequently, the 7th Marines were unable to push toward Tera and Itoman. Further east, Hodge finally launched a corps attack to the south. The 96th Division focused its efforts on softening the enemy positions on the escarpment in front of them, while the 7th Division carried out the offensive. The 32nd Regiment attempted to attack the eastern end of Hill 95 but was unsuccessful; however, they managed to locate and identify the most troublesome sources of enemy fire for destruction. On a more positive note, the 17th Regiment gained a precarious foothold on the southern end of Yaeju Dake, just north of Nakaza, where they would withstand several Japanese counterattacks throughout the night. The first and greatest obstacle confronting Wallace's attack was the open ground over which both assault companies had to move. Wallace used all available support and the men camouflaged themselves with grass and rice plants, but enemy fire began almost as soon as the leading platoons moved into the open. The infantrymen crawled through the slimy rice paddies on their stomachs. Within an hour Company I was strung from the line of departure to the base of the objective which two squads had reached. About this time the Japanese opened fire with another machine gun, separating the advance squads with a band of fire. This left one squad to continue the attack; the remainder of the company was unable to move, cut off by fire or strung across the rice paddies. Those men in the squad still free to operate lifted and pulled each other to the edge of the cliff and crawled quietly forward through the high grass on top. Pfc. Ignac A. Zeleski, a BAR man, moved so stealthily that he almost touched the heels of one Japanese. Zeleski killed him, and the other men killed eight more Japanese within the first ten minutes. Another squad reached the top of the escarpment about an hour later but was caught in cross and grazing fire from three machine guns, and the entire 8-man squad was killed. Gradually, however, a few more men reached the top, and by evening there were twenty men from Company I holding a small area at the escarpment rim. Company K had a similar experience. Accurate enemy fire killed one man, wounded two others, and halted the company when it was from 200 to 300 yards from its objective. For forty-five minutes the attack dragged on until S/Sgt. Lester L. Johnson and eight men maneuvered forward through enemy fire, gained the high ground, and concentrated their fire on the enemy machine gun that was firing on the remainder of the company. This did not silence the gun but did prevent the gunner from aiming well, and Johnson waved for the rest of the company to follow. By 1330 of 9 June Company K was consolidated on the southeastern tip of the Yaeju-Dake. That evening, three small but determined counterattacks, with sustained grenade fire between each attempt, hit the small force from Company I, which held off the attackers with a light machine gun and automatic rifles. Additionally, Wallace's 1st Battalion successfully landed unopposed on Aguni Island to establish air warning and fighter director installations.  However, it's now time to leave Okinawa and shift our focus to the Philippines to cover the continuation of General Eichelberger's Mindanao Campaign. As we last saw, by May 3, General Sibert's 10th Corps had successfully invaded the island and secured the key Kabacan road junction. General Woodruff's 24th Division occupied Digos and Davao, while General Martin's 31st Division advanced up the Sayre Highway toward Kibawe. Thanks to the arrival of the 162nd Regiment from Zamboanga, the 31st Division was now able to send another regiment, the 155th, to assist in the push north against General Morozumi's 30th Division. In response to the rapid advance of the 31st Division as far as Kibawe, Morozumi was assembling his units at Malaybalay in preparation for a retreat eastward to the Agusan Valley. He dispatched the 3rd Battalion of the 74th Regiment to the south to delay the Americans in the vicinity of Maramag, at least until May 10. Meanwhile, after capturing Davao, Woodruff's goal was to mop up the sector and destroy General Harada's 100th Division in the mountainous interior. The 100th Division located the southern anchor of its defenses at Catigan, 13 miles southwest of Davao, and the northern anchor in hills some twelve miles north of Davao. The Davao River, flowing generally south-southeast into Davao Gulf at Davao, divided the defensive forces into two groupments. The Right Sector Unit, west of the river, was composed of 5 infantry battalions, 3 regular and 2 provisional. The territory east of the river was the responsibility of the Left Sector Unit--2 regular infantry battalions, 2 provisional battalions, and the Air Force's Hosono Unit of ill-armed service personnel. The Right and Left Sector Units had a little artillery attached, for General Harada kept under his direct control most of the artillery as well as many engineer and service units. As a reserve Harada had about a battalion of regular infantry. The central and strongest portion of Harada's defenses rested its right on rising ground overlooking Libby Airdrome, two miles northwest of Talomo on the coast. From this point the central defenses, along which Harada initially deployed three battalions, extended eastward across the Talomo River and some rough hills to the west bank of the Davao River. The focal point of the central defenses was Mintal, four miles up Route 1-D from Talomo. Anticipating ultimate withdrawal into the mountains via Route 1-D, the southeastern section of the so-called Kibawe-Talomo trail, Harada had prepared defenses in depth along the highway and along ancillary roads paralleling it. Much of the region west of the Davao River from Talomo northwest twelve miles to Calinan was covered with overgrown abaca, or hemp, plantations. Resembling banana plants, and growing to a height of about 20 feet, the abaca plants had originally been planted in rows 10 feet apart, with 10 feet between plants. With harvesting slack during the war, the plantations had become thick with shoots, and older plants had grown to a foot or so in diameter. Plants of various sizes were, in April 1945, scarcely a foot apart. Visibility was virtually nil, and the heat at the hemp plantations was like that of an oven. With the 162nd Regiment taking control of Digos and the area stretching from Illana Bay's shores inland to Kabacan, Woodruff was now free to utilize his entire division to engage the enemy forces in the Davao area. At the start of May, the 21st Regiment had already launched an attack to clear Libby Airdrome, Route 1-D between Mintal and Talomo, and Mintal itself. They successfully reached Mintal by May 3, effectively forcing Harada to reinforce his defenses near the Talomo River. Although the airdrome was cleared two days later, subsequent efforts up Route 1-D toward Mintal were repelled by fiercely defending Japanese forces. Due to this resistance, elements of the 34th Regiment attempted to drive north along the high ground on the east bank of the Talomo River to bypass the Japanese defenses on Route 1-D. On May 8, the 21st Regiment finally crossed to the east side at Mintal; however, in the face of Japanese artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire, they had to withdraw back to the west bank two days later. At the same time, the 19th Regiment was expanding its hold in the Davao area, striking into the high ground controlling the coast road immediately west of the Davao River on May 10. They also cleared scattered Japanese strongpoints on hills just north of Davao and on Samal Island. Two days later, the 21st Regiment again attacked northward along the east bank of the Talomo, successfully clearing out numerous positions from which the Japanese had directed fire on Route 1-D. By May 14, the highway all the way north to Mintal was finally secured. In the meantime, the 124th Regiment started north from Kibawe on May 6. However, the recently arrived Japanese defenders at Maramag managed to delay the occupation of this town until May 12, thus accomplishing their task more than adequately. Despite this success, Eichelberger had shrewdly sensed that Morozumi would attempt to make a last stand in the hills northwest of Davao. Therefore, he decided to land the 108th Regiment behind enemy lines in the Macajalar Bay area to expedite the conquest of Mindanao and open a new supply route to the 31st Division. Accordingly, on May 10, the 108th Regiment landed unopposed along the southeastern shore of Macajalar Bay, making contact almost immediately with guerrilla units operating in the region. This regiment then drove down the Sayre Highway to meet the 31st Division advancing from the south, encountering no significant resistance until May 13, when it faced strong Japanese defenses near Dalirig. With its rear protected by the recently landed 3rd Battalion of the 164th Regiment, the 108th proceeded to attack the enemy positions with great intensity, finally forcing the Japanese to retreat to the area east of Malaybalay by May 16. Concurrently, on May 13, the 155th Regiment passed through the 124th Regiment to continue the drive northward, meeting little opposition but facing supply problems. By May 20, the Americans finally reached the outskirts of Malaybalay, where fire from remnants of the 30th Field Artillery Regiment halted their advance. Realizing that the regiment could not haul its weapons into the mountains east of Malaybalay, Morozumi had left the unit at Malaybalay to fight a rear-guard action, which was successful in keeping the 155th Infantry out of the town until late on 21 May. On 22 and 23 May the 155th continued up Sayre Highway, encountering elements of Morozumi's Northern Sector Unit that had not learned that American troops had reached Malaybalay and were still withdrawing southward to join the 30th Division's main body. Pressed by troops of the 108th Infantry, 40th Division, which had already landed at Macajalar Bay, the retreating forces gave the 155th Infantry little trouble and, about 1400 on 23 May, the 155th made contact with the 108th Infantry near Impalutao, twelve miles northwest of Malaybalay. Its share in the task of clearing Sayre Highway cost the 31st Division approximately 90 men killed and 250 wounded, while the 108th Infantry, 40th Division, lost roughly 15 men killed and 100 wounded. Together, the two units killed almost 1,000 Japanese during their operations along the highway, and captured nearly 25 more. Nevertheless, the 30th Division had managed to escape east this time to establish new positions near Silae. Back in Davao, on May 15, Woodruff directed the 21st and 34th Regiments to attack abreast to the north and northwest, targeting the Japanese center. Meanwhile, the 19th Regiment advanced north to clear the northeastern shores of Davao Gulf, link up with the guerrilla forces north of the gulf, and ultimately swing westward against the 100th Division's left flank forces. Surprised by the lack of enemy attacks against his flanks, Harada concluded that the American forces intended to neglect his flanks in favor of a frontal assault on his center. As a result, he weakened the defenses of the Left Sector Unit to reinforce the Mintal line, leaving only Admiral Doi's air-naval troops to defend his left flank. On May 17, Woodruff renewed his offensive. The 19th Regiment struck north to establish contact with the guerrilla 107th Division, while the 34th Regiment began clearing the coastal hills between the Talomo and Davao Rivers and attacked northwest toward Tugbok. The 21st Regiment also drove north toward Tugbok in the face of determined opposition. Progress in the following days was slow due to intense artillery, machine-gun, rocket, mortar, and rifle fire. However, by May 27, the 21st Regiment seized the Tugbok area, with the 34th Regiment arriving the next day to relieve them. As Harada's strongest defenses had been breached, he ordered a general withdrawal to a hastily established second line crossing Route 1-D in the vicinity of Ula. Furthermore, the 19th Regiment managed to establish contact with the guerrillas by May 24 as it secured Route 1 north of Davao. On May 29, the 19th Regiment struck westward toward Doi's Mandog defenses, closing in two days later to engage the naval troops in fierce combat. Concurrently, on May 30, the 34th Regiment attacked toward Ula, which fell easily the following day, though progress then slowed in the face of fanatic resistance. Reinforced by the recently arrived 3rd Battalion of the 163rd Regiment on June 4, the 34th began to make headway beyond Ula on the secondary road, gaining one mile by June 6 before swinging east toward Mandog. The next day, having overrun Doi's outer defenses, the 19th Regiment advanced steadily into the main positions near Mandog, which ultimately fell by June 9, just as the 34th was reaching the area. Continuing northward, the 34th was almost three miles north of Ula along both roads and found few signs of organized Japanese resistance by June 11. However, the 19th Regiment would not clear the hills north of Mandog until June 15. In the meantime, the 21st Regiment struck north from Lamogan on May 31 along secondary roads west of Route 1-D, ultimately seizing Wangan on June 16 and forcing Harada's battered forces to commence a full retreat northward in disarray. After the fall of Culanan three days later, Harada finally decided to retreat to a new line near the Bannos River. Yet Woodruff's troops continued to pursue them, rapidly crossing the Tamogan River and inflicting heavy casualties on the retreating enemy until they reached the mountain barrio of Kibangay on June 26, where the pursuit was finally halted. Looking back to the north, with Sayre Highway cleared, the 124th Regiment began probing into the mountains to the east in late May, encountering heavy resistance, rough terrain, bad weather, and supply problems. Nevertheless, by June 5, Morozumi abandoned his plan to hold the Silae area for a month and slowly began moving his best troops eastward toward Waloe in the Agusan River valley, harassed by Filipino guerrillas along the way. In the end, Silae was finally occupied on June 9, with troops of the 108th Regiment pushing further to the Bobonawan River four days later. Additionally, the 155th Regiment arrived on the Pulangi River on June 12, while elements of the 162nd Regiment struck twenty miles into the mountains east from Maramag by June 26. On June 25, the 1st Battalion of the 155th Regiment successfully landed on Butuan Bay and managed to reach Waloe before the Japanese on June 27, dispersing the 3rd Battalion of the 41st Regiment that was holding the area. However, the Japanese retreat was so slow that Morozumi was still assembling his forces about seven miles up the Agusan from Waloe by the end of the war.  Far to the northwest, units of the 31st Division had been probing southeast along the upper section of the Kibawe-Talomo trail ever since early May, and on the 11th of that month a battalion combat team of the 167th Infantry launched the reconnaissance-in-force directed by General Sibert.  Japanese along this section of the trail, about 1,000 men in all, comprised a conglomerate mass of service troops with a small leavening of infantry. Control was vested in General Tomochika, chief of staff of the 35th Army, who had set up a small headquarters groupment near barrio Pinamola, about twenty miles southeast of Kibawe. The Japanese force had a defensive potential far greater than its strength and nature would indicate, for the terrain gave the Japanese every conceivable advantage. Bounded on both sides by dense jungle and thick rain forest, the trail as far as Pinamola ran up and down steep ridges and was scarcely jeep-wide. Rains of late May soon rendered all sections of the trail completely impassable to wheeled vehicles, and supplies had to come in by airdrop, supplemented when possible by hand-carrying parties and laden Carabaos. The mud was so deep that often troops had to pull, push, or even jack the Carabaos out of gooey holes. Delayed by the Japanese, the terrain, and the weather, the 167th Infantry's battalion did not reach the Pulangi River, thirteen miles southeast of Kibawe, until 29 May.  Then, although the Japanese from the trail could no longer offer any threat to the 31st Division, the battalion continued south toward Pinamola, aided considerably by guerrillas. The remnants of the 1st Battalion, 74th Infantry, and the South Sector Unit, 30th Division, which had been driven into the mountains along Highway 3 by the swift American advance in central Mindanao had meanwhile been attached to Tomochika's forces early in June. Troops of the 167th Infantry finally reached Pinamola on 30 June as the remaining Japanese were withdrawing southward another eight miles to the crossing of the Kuluman River. Progress as far as Pinamola had cost the 167th Infantry approximately 60 men killed and 180 wounded, while the Japanese had lost almost 400 killed along the same section of the trail. Elements of the 167th Infantry held along the northwestern section of the Kibawe-Talomo trail until the end of the war, and as of 15 August the regiment was preparing to send troops across the Kuluman River to continue the advance southeastward. On that date nearly 30 miles of Japanese-improved trail, only 19 air miles--still separated the 167th Infantry from guerrilla units operating in the vicinity of Kibangay. Organized remnants of Harada's 100th Division holed up until the end of the war in rugged terrain north of this 30-mile stretch of the trail. Finally, the 24th Reconnaissance Troop successfully landed on the southeastern shore of Sarangani Bay on July 4 to establish contact with the guerrilla 116th Regiment, subsequently clearing the bay's shores against negligible resistance. On July 12, the 1st Battalion of the 21st Regiment landed on the northwest shore, just as two provisional battalions were arriving in the area from different directions. The three forces began to clear the area, successfully locating and destroying the only Japanese unit in the region by July 25. This concluded the campaign in Mindanao, during which the Americans suffered 820 men killed and 2,880 wounded. In turn, almost 10,540 Japanese were killed in eastern Mindanao by June 30, with the pursuing Filipino-American units killing another 2,325 Japanese by the war's end. Roughly 600 Japanese prisoners were captured, over 250 of whom were civilians, before August. After the war, about 22,250 Japanese troops and 11,900 civilians turned themselves in. It is also estimated that an additional 8,235 Japanese lost their lives due to starvation and disease between April and the war's end. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In the spring of 1945, the fierce battle for Okinawa escalated as General Buckner's troops captured crucial strongholds, pushing the Japanese forces into retreat. Meanwhile the liberation of Mindanao was kicking up. American forces launched a rapid invasion, confronting Japanese defenders who were heavily fortified in the mountainous regions. Despite the stubborn resistance, American troops relentlessly battled, ultimately culminating in significant victories and paving the way for liberation.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Ukraine hits Russia's long-range bomber fleet in a daring drone strike that hit strategic airbases thousands of miles inside Russian territory. Hamas agrees to a partial hostage release but demands major changes to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan. The United States offers Iran a new nuclear deal—will Tehran take the bait, or walk away again? And in today's Back of the Brief: ISIS resurfaces with its first attacks on Syria's transitional government since Assad's fall. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Lean: Visit https://TakeLean.com & use code pb20 for 20% off Jacked Up Fitness: Go to https://GetJackedUp.comand use code BAKER at checkout to save 10% off your entire purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 1,195.Today, after what some are calling the most successful special operation in modern history, we assess the strategic significance of Ukraine's strikes on Russia's bomber fleet. We also discuss the Polish presidential elections and the Strategic Defence Review, coming out later today in the UK.Contributors:Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X.James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/ukraine/ Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.Content Referenced:Ukrainian drones destroyed Putin's bombers. A secret smuggling operation made it possiblehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/01/ukraine-drones-russia-nuclear-bombers-olenya-belaya-bases/Right-winger Karol Nawrocki wins Polish presidential electionhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/01/liberal-mayor-narrowly-leads-poland-election-blow-trump/Britain's new nuclear-powered attack submarines to ‘face down' Russiahttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/01/britain-nuclear-powered-attack-submarines-face-down-russia/Starmer's defence strategy in disarrayhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/06/01/starmer-3pc-defence-spending-pledge-in-disarray/Massive security breach: Russian nuclear facilities exposed onlinehttps://danwatch.dk/en/serious-security-breach-russian-nuclear-facilities-exposed/NOW AVAILABLE IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edition No148 | 01-06-2025 - 41 Russian strategic bombers have been hit with an operation taking well over a year to plan. At least 5 Russian air bases hit. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has just struck aircraft at the Olenya airbase, including A-50s, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22 bombers. "A black day for our strategic aviation" - Russian milblogger Alexander Kots.Russia may have lost a nuclear submarine in today's attack by Ukraine. Ukraine just did more to make the world a safer place than 40 years of negotiating with Russia and the USSR before it. BREAKING: White House wasn't aware that today's large-scale drone attack by Ukraine on the Russian military aircraft was coming - CBS. ----------Your support is massively appreciated!SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGNEvents in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon CurtainNEXT EVENTS - LVIV, KYIV AND ODESA THIS MAY AND JUNE.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur first live events this year in Lviv and Kyiv were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. We may add more venues to the program, depending on the success of the fundraising campaign.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------

Your support is massively appreciated! SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon CurtainNEXT EVENTS - LVIV, KYIV AND ODESA THIS MAY AND JUNE.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur first live events this year in Lviv and Kyiv were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. We may add more venues to the program, depending on the success of the fundraising campaign. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube's algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Much is often made of London's lost rivers, like the Tyburn, Fleet, and Walbrook. Yet Newcastle upon Tyne also has rivers we cannot see. Ours are not lost, rather they're simply buried. The Skinnerburn, Erick Burn, Pandon Burn, Lam Burn, and Lort Burn all continue to flow beneath the city, down to the mighty Tyne. The Lort Burn is perhaps the most well-known of the buried rivers. Originally called the Dene Burn, it gained its new name of Lort Burn in the later 14th century. Some sources say 'Lort' comes from an Old Norse word meaning 'filth' or 'excrement'. The Story of the Tyne: And the Hidden Rivers of Newcastle gives the rough route of the Lort Burn. I've followed it as best I can given the current street layout, picking up the ghost stories and legends that lie along its route. Let's go and explore them in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/lort-burn-route/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

#RUSSIA: SANCTIONING THE SHADOW FLEET. MICHAEL BERNSTAM, HOOVER. COSSACK HOUSE

FRANCE: NUCLEAR POWER FLEET. SIMON CONSTABLE. 1903 TOUR