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Last time we spoke about the fall of Shanghai. In October 1937 a small battalion led by Colonel Xie Jinyuan transformed the Sihang Warehouse into a fortress against the advancing Japanese army. These men, known as the "800 Heroes," became symbols of hope, rallying local citizens who provided vital support. Despite heavy casualties, they held out against overwhelming odds until a strategic retreat was ordered on November 1. As Japanese forces intensified their assaults, they breached the Chinese defenses and captured strategic positions along Suzhou Creek. The fighting was fierce, marked by desperate counterattacks from the besieged Chinese soldiers, who faced an unyielding enemy. By November 9, the Chinese faced a full retreat, their organized defenses collapsing into chaos as they fled the city. Desperate civilians sought refuge in the International Settlement but were met with hostility, exacerbating the terror of the moment. Amidst the turmoil, remaining forces continued to resist in pockets, holding out as long as possible. By November 11, Japanese troops raised their flag in the last stronghold, marking a grim victory.   #163 Crossing Nanjing's Rubicon 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. As the Japanese were mopping up Shanghai, Chiang Kai-Shek wrote in his diary on November 11th “I fear that they could threaten Nanjing”. Over In Shanghai, General Matsui Iwane was dealing with foreign correspondents, eager to learn what Japan's next move would be and to this he simply stated “For future developments, you had better ask Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek”. The correspondents were surprised by this response and pressed him further. He replied . “Chiang Kai-shek was reported to have predicted a five-year war, well, it might be that long. We don't know whether we will go to Nanjing or not. It all depends on Chiang.” At this point Shanghai was falling under Japanese control and now Matsui and his fellow field commanders were thinking, what's next? Nanjing was certainly the next objective. It was a common understanding amongst the Japanese leadership, that if the four main eastern cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Nanjing were lost, Chiang Kai-Shek's government would collapse. Three of these cities had been taken, Nanjing was dangling like fresh fruit. Matsui's staff believed the Chinese units departing Shanghai would mount a stand immediately west of the city, probably a defensive line running from Jiading to Huangduzhen. On the night of November 11th, Matsui issued a command to all units in the Shanghai area to advance west along the railway towards Nanjing. Their first objective would be a line extending from Taicang to Kunshan. Chiang Kai-Shek was not only reeling from military defeats, but also the gradual loss of his German allies. The Germans were increasingly aligning with the Japanese. Chiang Kai-Shek was looking for new external help, so he turned to the Soviets. It was a marriage of convenience, Chiang Kai-Shek signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR that year and wasted no time pleading for aircraft and pilots. Moscow began sending them before the ink touched the paper. 200 aircraft and pilots in return for some essential minerals, wolfram and tungsten. The Sino-Soviet friendship even drew in an unlikely source of support, Sir Winston Churchill. The Soviet envoy to the UK described how during a meeting with Churchill “he greatly praised our tactics in the Far East: maintenance of neutrality and simultaneous aid to China in weaponry.” Soviet pilots found themselves dispatched to Nanjing where they were briefed by Yakov Vladimirovich Smushkevich, the deputy commander of the Soviet Air Force. “The Japanese armed forces are technically superior to the Chinese. The Chinese Air Force is a particular concern. Soviet pilots who have rushed to China's aid are currently in Nanjing. They are fighting valiantly.” Meanwhile back at Shanghai discipline and order that had characterized previous Chinese withdrawal had collapsed. Simply put, there were hundreds of thousands of men trying to retreat across the lower Yangtze region, it was a shitstorm. Many units had to disengage during combat with the enemy and scramble to pull out. Huang Qixiang, the deputy commander of the Chinese right flank in Shanghai, executed a strategic withdrawal moments before his command post succumbed to the advancing enemy forces. Just fifteen minutes after his departure, the area was overrun by Japanese troops. In a desperate bid to avoid capture, another general had to cross a creek, nearly drowning in the process. Rescued while barely clinging to life and drenched in icy water, he was welcomed by a peasant family who aided in his recovery before he resumed his arduous journey westward. The scale of this withdrawal, occurring both day and night, could hardly escape the enemy's notice, and its complexity made the operation increasingly difficult. The execution of the withdrawal exacerbated the situation significantly. Orders to abandon their positions started to trickle down immediately after the upper command made the decision. However, these orders reached the units in a disorganized manner. Many telephone lines had been sabotaged, and when soldiers were sent to relay the orders in person, they faced severe disruptions in the transportation network. Consequently, many units only became aware of the withdrawal when they witnessed the mass movements of their comrades heading westward. Upon realizing what was happening, many soldiers fled in a state of panic. There were no comprehensive plans outlining the retreat, no designated routes for the various units, nor any established timetables. The outcome was a chaotic scramble for survival. Soldiers who had fought side by side for three months suddenly found themselves competing against one another in a desperate race to escape. At bridges and other chokepoints, weary soldiers exhausted their last reserves of strength, brawling with their fellow troops to be the first to cross. Meanwhile, officers traveling in chauffeur-driven cars attempted to assert their rank to gain priority access to the roads, adding to the growing disorder that ensued. The massive army was hindered by its sheer size, resulting in miles of congested roads filled with men unable to move in any direction. This made them easy targets for Japanese aircraft, leading to a bloody cycle of repeated attacks. Planes adorned with the red Rising Sun insignia would emerge from the horizon, swooping down to strike at these vulnerable formations. As commander Chen Yiding recalled “The lack of organization and the gridlocked roads resulted in far more casualties than could have been avoided,”.  On November 12th, the newspaper Zhaongyang Ribao, published an editorial addressing the citizens of Nanjing, to remind them that tough times lay ahead now that Shanghai had fallen. The article stipulated they needed to prepare the city for the upcoming battle,  “Now, all the citizenry of the capital must fulfill their duty in a way that can serve as a model for the entire nation.” Nanjing in 1937 was a city touched by the war, but not enough to change the social fabric just yet. Cinema's remained open, the shopping arcade was crowded as usual, traffic was heavy along Zhongshan Road, order remained. Telephones remained on, except during air raids. Connections to the outside world functioned as they should, given this was the capital. The region had seen a good harvest in 1937, no one was going hungry. However as the front 200 miles away drew closer, bombing raids more frequent, fear of the enemy increased. Contact with the outside world gradually declined. By mid November the train link from Nanjing to Shanghai was severed.  While the fear amongst the populace increased, so did a newfound sense of common purpose against a common enemy. Poster calling for the Chinese to unite against the Japanese invaders were found throughout Nanjing. Residents were conscripted for various fortification efforts, with some receiving basic military training to help defend the city. Those who refused to cooperate faced severe penalties as “traitors,” while the majority willingly participated. Both military and civilian police were deployed throughout the city, diligently checking identities in an ongoing effort to root out spies and traitors. The authorities enforced a strict prohibition against discussing military matters in restaurants and other public venues. Then all the high ranking military officials and politicians families gradually began departing the city in secrecy. This was followed by said politicians and military officials. Twas not a good look. Nanjing soon saw its population decline from 1 million to half a million. Those who stayed behind were mainly the poor, or those anchored, like shopkeepers. Every day saw a steady stream of Nanjing citizens leaving the city over her main roads, fleeing into the countryside with carts full of belongings. On November 12th at 10am orders were issued for the Japanese to advance west. What had been a war of attrition, where inches of land were claimed with blood, suddenly it was a war of movement. As one Japanese soldier recalled “In the course of 50 days, I had moved only two miles. Now suddenly we were experiencing rapid advance”. As the Japanese came across small towns, they found large posters plastered on all the walls. These were all anti-japanese with some nationalist propaganda. The Japanese soldiers would tear them down and paint up their own messages “down with Chiang Kai-Shek!”.  Towns and cities west of Shanghai fell rapidly one after another, each succumbing to a grim pattern: swift conquest followed by widespread devastation. Jiading, a county seat with a population of approximately 30,000, succumbed to a prolonged siege. When the 10st division captured Jiading on November 13, after relentless shelling had leveled a third of the city, they began a massacre, indiscriminately killing nearly everyone in their path, men, women, and children alike. The battle and its aftermath resulted in over 8,000 casualties among the city's residents and surrounding countryside. One Japanese soldier referred to Jiading as “A city of death, in a mysteriously silent world in which the only sound was the tap of our own footsteps”.  On November 14, soldiers from the 9th Division reached Taicang, an ancient walled city designed to withstand lengthy sieges. As they crossed the 70-foot moat amid heavy fire, the Japanese troops confronted the formidable 20-foot-high city wall. After breaching the wall, their infantry swiftly entered the city and seized control. The destruction persisted long after the fighting ceased, with half of the city being devastated, including significant cultural institutions like the library, and salt and grain reserves were looted. It was as if the Japanese aimed to obliterate not just the material existence of the people but their spiritual foundation as well.  Casual cruelty marked the nature of warfare along the entire front, with few prisoners being taken. Ishii Seitaro, a soldier in the 13th Division's 26th Brigade, encountered a mass execution while marching alongside the Yangtze River. Several headless corpses floated nearby, yet three Chinese prisoners remained alive. A Japanese officer, personally overseeing the execution, wore a simple uniform, but the two ornate swords at his belt indicated his wealthy background. Approaching one prisoner, the officer dramatically drew one of the swords and brandished it through the air with exaggerated flair. In an almost theatrical display, he held it aloft, the blade trembling as if he were nervous. The prisoner, in stark contrast, exhibited an unnerving calmness as he knelt, awaiting his inevitable fate. The officer swung the sword down but failed to deliver a clean strike. Although he inflicted a deep gash to the prisoner's skull, it was not fatal. The prisoner collapsed, thrashing and emitting a prolonged scream that sent chills through those present. The officer, seemingly exhilarated by the anguish he caused, began wildly slashing at the figure until the screams subsided. Ishii turned away in horror, his mind swirling with confusion. Why were the Chinese being executed? Had they not surrendered?  Three months into the war's expansion to the Yangtze region, air raids had become an all too frequent menace in Nanjing. The first major raid came on August 15th and increased each week. On the night of August 27, approximately 30 bombs were dropped on Purple Mountain, specifically targeting the Memorial Park for Sun Yat-sen, aiming to hurt the morale of Nanjing's residents. As days melted into weeks and weeks stretched into months, the landscape of Nanjing transformed under the weight of war. Residents began constructing dugouts in courtyards, gardens, public squares, and even on streets. Foreigners painted their national flags on top of buildings and vehicles, attempting to avoid the risk of being machine-gunned by strafing aircraft. Each raid followed a predictable routine: sirens wailed loudly 20 to 30 minutes before the attack, signaling pedestrians to seek shelter and drivers to stop their engines. By the time a shorter warning sounded, the streets had to be cleared, leaving nothing to do but await the arrival of Japanese planes. Initially, the part-US-trained Chinese Air Force posed a considerable threat to Japanese bombers. The 4th and 5th Chinese Squadrons, stationed near Nanjing to defend the capital, achieved early success, reportedly downing six bombers during the first air raid on Nanjing. Much of the credit for these aerial victories belonged to Claire Chennault, a retired American Army Air Corps captain who had become an advisor to the Chinese Air Force, overseeing Nanjing's air defense. Chennault taught his pilots tactics he had developed in the US but had never fully implemented. His strategy was straightforward: three fighters would focus on one enemy bomber at a time. One would attack from above, another from below, while a third would hover in reserve to deliver the final blow if necessary. He instructed the Chinese pilots to target the engines rather than the fuselage, reasoning that any missed shots could hit the gas tanks located in the wing roots. This approach proved successful, leading to the loss of 54 Japanese planes within three days. For Chennault, it validated his belief that air superiority required a diverse range of aircraft, not just bombers. Nighttime raids, however, posed a greater challenge. Chennault, along with other commanders, sought solutions. Chinese General C.C. Wong, a German-trained artillery officer overseeing the country's anti-aircraft defenses, ensured that dozens of large Sperry searchlights were positioned throughout Nanjing in a grid pattern. This setup had a dual purpose: it would dazzle the Japanese bomber crews and highlight their planes in silhouette for Chinese fighters above to target. The bravery of the most skilled Chinese pilots occasionally gained media attention, making them local celebrities amidst an otherwise grim war environment. However, this bright moment faded quickly when the Japanese command decided to provide escorts for their bombers. Consequently, the elite of China's air force, its finest pilots and aircraft, were lost within weeks that fall. All air raids were brutal, but the worst assaults occurred at the end of September. As a radio broadcaster reported on September 25th “Gallons of civilian blood flowed today as Nanking endured three ferocious air raids”. In total, 96 Japanese sorties were launched on that day. Witnesses observed around a dozen Chinese aircraft retreating north across the Yangtze, initially believing they were fleeing, but some returned to confront the enemy. When Chinese fighters managed to down a Japanese bomber, the streets erupted in cheers as civilians momentarily forgot their fear. The primary aim of the September 25 attack appeared to be spreading terror among the civilian population. Chiang Kai-Shek wrote in his diary that day  “The repeated Japanese air raids over the past several days have had no impact on our military installations. Instead, civilian property has sustained significant damage.” Around 20 bombs struck the Central Hospital, one of Nanjing's largest medical facilities, causing extensive destruction and prompting the evacuation of its staff. Two 1,000-pound bombs exploded nearby, leaving large craters. Had these bombs landed slightly closer, they could have resulted in mass casualties among the hospital's 100 patients, including a Japanese pilot who had been shot down earlier that month. The air raids at the end of September prompted protests from the Americans, British, and French governments to Japan. In response, Tokyo issued a statement on September 30, asserting that while they were not intentionally targeting non-combatants, it was “unavoidable” for achieving military objectives that military airfields and installations in and around Nanjing be bombed.   The battle for Jiashan was among the fiercest in the southern Yangtze delta campaign in November 1937. Although Jiashan was a moderately sized town straddling a crucial railway connecting Shanghai to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. For the Japanese, seizing Jiashan was imperative for their westward advance; without it, their military progress would be severely hampered. Jiashan had endured three days of relentless bombing by the Japanese Air Force, driving most residents to flee into the surrounding countryside. Only about 100 remained, those who were too old or too sick to escape, abandoned by family or friends who lacked the means to assist them. The Japanese troops brutally bayoneted nearly all of these individuals and buried them in a mass grave just outside the town's northern gate. Jiashan was captured by the 10th Army, a division fresh from victories and eager to engage in combat, unlike the weary forces of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force further north. With less than a week of combat experience, the 10th Army's soldiers were hungry for a fight. The martial spirit of the 10th Army was exemplified by its commander, Yanagawa Heisuke. Born near Nagasaki in 1879, he was among a group of retired officers called back to active service as the war in China escalated unexpectedly. Having served in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and taught at the Beijing Army College in 1918, Yanagawa had considerable experience in military affairs. However, his past exposure to China did not cultivate any empathy for the enemy. He was determined to push all the way to Nanjing, and once there, he intended to blanket the city in mustard gas and incendiaries until it capitulated. While Japanese commanders debated the value of capturing Nanjing, the Chinese were equally preoccupied with whether it was worth defending. Most military professionals viewed the situation as a lost cause from the start. After the fall of Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek summoned one of his top commanders, Chen Cheng, to Nanjing for discussions. “How can Nanjing be held?” Chen Cheng shot back “Are you ordering me to hold Nanjing?” Chiang replied “I am not”. Chen Cheng stated frankly, “I believe Nanjing should not be held at all.” By mid-November, Bai Chongxi, one of China's most respected generals, advocated for declaring Nanjing an open city. He argued that defending it was not only unnecessary but also impossible. All available forces had been deployed to Shanghai and were now exhausted. Furthermore, no reinforcements would be forthcoming if they made a stand in Nanjing. Instead of stubbornly clinging to fixed positions, he preferred a more flexible defensive strategy. Zhang Qun, Chiang's secretary, supported Bai's stance, believing that while Nanjing should ultimately be abandoned, political considerations were paramount. If the Chinese simply withdrew and allowed the Japanese to occupy the city, it would undermine China's position in any future negotiations. The Japanese would not be able to present themselves as victors who had triumphed in battle. Similarly, Chiang's chief military advisor, General Alexander von Falkenhausen, was against attempting to hold Nanjing. He deemed it “useless from a military perspective, suggesting it would be madness.” He warned that if Chiang forced his army into a decisive battle with their backs to the Yangtze River, “a disaster would probably be unavoidable.” Chiang's head of the operations bureau Liu Fei argued Nanjing could not be abandoned without a fight as it would crush the NRA's morale. He believed that defending the city could be managed with as few as 12 regiments, although 18 would be feasible. Most at the meeting agreed and Chiang understood Nanjing's international recognition necessitated some form of defense, doomed or not. A second meeting was formed whereupon, Tang Shengzhi, a general staff officer whose loyalties were, lets be honest very flip floppy. During the warlord era, he routinely switched sides, especially against Chiang Kai-Shek. At the meeting Tang stated in regards to Nanjing's international prominence and being the final resting place of Dr Sun Yat-Sen “How can we face the spirit of the former president in heaven? We have no choice but to defend the capital to the death.” Chiang's commanders were all well aware of his intentions. The generalissimo was eager for a dramatic last stand in Nanjing to serve propaganda purposes, aiming to rally the nation and convey to the world that China was resolute in its fight against Japan. His commanders also recognized the rationale behind fighting for Nanjing; however, very few were inclined to embark on what seemed a likely suicide mission. The third meeting occurred the day after the second. Chiang opened by asking, as many anticipated, “Who is willing to shoulder the burden of defending Nanjing?” An awkward silence followed. Then Tang Shengzhi stepped forward. “Chairman, if no one else is willing, I will. I'm prepared to defend Nanjing and to hold it to the death.” Without hesitation, Chiang accepted his offer. “Good, the responsibility is yours.”A little refresher on Tang, he had played a role in Chiang Kai-shek's efforts to unify China by force in the 1920s, when the nation was a patchwork of fiefdoms. However, their relationship had soured on two occasions, forcing Tang into temporary exile, first to Japan and then to Hong Kong. The Japanese invasion of northeastern China in 1931 prompted a loose reconciliation, and since then, Tang had held several important positions, notably organizing war games simulating a Japanese assault on Nanjing. However Tang had often suffered from illness, and crucially, he had not led troops in the field against the Japanese since the onset of full-scale war that summer. Hailing from Hunan province, he was a typical provincial soldier and would likely face challenges commanding respect among elite divisions loyal solely to the central government in Nanjing. He was definitely not the first choice for such a significant task.  Amazingly, while tens of thousands of Chinese and Japanese were killing each other, while Japanese planes relentlessly bombarded Chinese cities including the capital, and while Japanese soldiers committed heinous atrocities against Chinese civilians, the two nations maintained diplomatic relations. China had a fully operational embassy in Tokyo, led by Xu Shiying, a 65-year-old diplomat. This surreal arrangement persisted because neither side was willing to officially declare war. In the fall of 1937, as Japanese armies were heavily engaged on two fronts within mainland China, Xu met with Japanese Foreign Minister Hirota Koki to propose a non-aggression treaty. The proposal was swiftly rejected in Nanjing. By November 1937, Xu was no longer at the forefront of events, and foreign observers shifted their focus from the capitals of the warring nations to Belgium. While large-scale battles raged along the lower Yangtze, representatives from 19 countries convened in Brussels to search for a way to end hostilities. Although China participated in the conference, Japan did not. Japan had received two invitations to join the talks, with its response to the second arriving in Brussels on November 12: a firm rejection. Japan asserted that it preferred direct bilateral negotiations with China, dismissing the Brussels conference held under the auspices of the Nine-Power Treaty, a pact signed in 1922 aimed at ensuring China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Japan argued that intervention by a collective body like the conference “would merely stir national sentiments in both countries and complicate efforts to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution.” The League of Nations had called for a Nine-Power conference a month earlier, which ultimately became a 19-power conference as other nations with interests in East Asia joined. From the outset, Japan opposed the assembly and was absent when the first plenary meeting commenced in Brussels on November 3. Japanese leaders feared that China might attempt to leverage the conference against Western powers, recalling how, in 1895, Japan had been denied its spoils following its first modern war with China due to the intervention of Russia, France, and Germany, who blocked Japan from claiming the strategic Liaodong Peninsula adjacent to Korea. China also exhibited a lukewarm attitude toward the conference. While Japan feared the potential outcomes, China was concerned about the lack of significant results. The proposal to transition discussions from the League of Nations, perceived as ineffective, to the even less authoritative Nine Powers, which lacked formal organization. Nonetheless, the Chinese chose to participate in Brussels, maintaining the pretense that something meaningful could be accomplished. Shortly after Japan's second rejection of the invitation, Wellington Koo made an impassioned plea in Brussels, stating, “Now that the door to conciliation and mediation has been slammed in your face by the latest reply of the Japanese Government, will you not decide to withhold supplies of war materials and credit to Japan and extend aid to China?” In reality, Koo understood that significant Western aid to China was highly unlikely, aside from token gestures. Previous international discussions had momentarily halted Japanese advances in the past; for instance, in 1932, Japanese troops had paused their movements in the Shanghai area just hours before the League of Nations General Assembly commenced. However, that was nearly six years earlier, and circumstances had changed dramatically since then. Rogue states had grown bolder, while democracies seemed increasingly timid. Thus, the Chinese agenda in Brussels was not primarily driven by hopes for substantial Western concessions. Instead, the delegates had been tasked by Nanjing to anticipate the post-conference landscape and to actively seek ways to encourage Europe and America to support Soviet military action against Japan.   China, long reliant on Germany as a diplomatic partner, increasingly felt betrayed, not just by Germany, but also by its fascist ally, Italy. Consequently, it began looking more favorably upon the Soviet Union, Japan's archrival in Northeast Asia, as its main source of international support. The Soviet Union exhibited a firmer stance than the Western democracies at the Brussels conference, joining China in advocating for collective security in Europe and Asia. On November 15th, a small group of officers from the 10th Army gathered for late-night discussions in an abandoned building north of Hangzhou Bay, where they would effectively decide the fate of China. Yanagawa Heisuke, the commander of the 10th Army, presided over the discussions. Fresh from the battlefield since the beginning of the month, he was eager to escalate the fight, a sentiment echoed among the others. It was an unusual meeting, where officers as low in rank as major were making decisions typically reserved for the highest echelons of political power. The agenda included a pivotal question: Should they adhere to Order No. 600 received from Tokyo a week prior, which instructed them to halt their advance along a line from Suzhou to Jiaxing? Or, should they disregard these explicit orders and push forward to seize Nanjing? While the Japanese Army had failed to completely annihilate the Chinese forces around Shanghai, there was a consensus that their adversary was now reeling from recent setbacks, presenting an opportune moment to strike decisively and secure a swift victory. The only remaining question was how aggressively to pursue this goal. Colonel Terada Masao, a senior staff officer within the 10th Army, spoke first. “The Chinese Army is currently retreating toward the capital. We should cross that line and pursue the enemy straight to Nanjing.” Major Iketani Hanjiro, a staff officer recently attached to the fast-moving 6th Division, then offered his input “From a tactical perspective, I completely agree with Terada that we should cross the line, but the decision to attack Nanjing should be considered not just tactically, but also politically. It's not that field commanders can't create a fait accompli to pressure our superiors in Tokyo. However, we must proceed with great caution”. A staff officer raised this question  “What if Tokyo orders us to pull back those smaller units?” Iketani responded “In that case, we will, of course, withdraw them to this side of the line”. Ultimately, Iketani's cautions were set aside, and Terada's aggressive approach prevailed. The majority agreed that the tactical circumstances presented a rare opportunity. Japanese troops in the Shanghai area were poised to advance west, not through small, individual skirmishes but with a substantial deployment of their forces. Officers estimated that if a decisive push was made immediately, Nanjing could fall into Japanese hands within 20 days. However Colonel Kawabe Torashiro, the newly appointed chief of the Army General Staff's Operations Section suddenly arrived at the theater. He was sent on a mission to assess whether the Central China Area Army should be granted greater operational freedom. It was well known in Tokyo that field officers were eager to capitalize on the momentum created by the collapse of Chinese defenses around Shanghai. Kawabe's task was to explore the possibility of allowing forces to cross the line from Suzhou to Jiaxing and move westward in pursuit of the retreating enemy. However, Kawabe was staunchly opposed to further military adventures in China. Kawabe was part of the dwindling faction of "China doves" within the Japanese military. As early as the summer of 1937, he had become alarmed by a letter from a civilian Japanese visitor to the Chinese mainland, warning that Japanese officers were attempting to engineer an “incident” with China to provoke open conflict. This would provide Japan with a pretext to expand its influence in northern China. Kawabe had attempted to alert his superiors, but his warnings fell on deaf ears. They had been lulled into a false sense of security by reports from China that dismissed all talk of war-mongering as baseless and alarmist. When he arrived to the front he stated “I am here to inspect conditions on the ground so that a final decision can be made on where to establish the operational restriction line”. Alongside him came General Akira Muto, recently appointed the commander of the Central China Area Army. He also happened to be one of the architects of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Muto responded promptly: “The line currently stretches from Suzhou to Jiaxing, but we should consider crossing it. This will help us achieve our overall objectives in the theater.” Muto continued, arguing that the 10th Army should be permitted to advance to Huzhou, south of Lake Tai, effectively cutting off communications between Nanjing and the strategic city of Hangzhou. He further claimed that the Shanghai Expeditionary Force should be allowed to capture the vital city of Jiangyin, suggesting, perhaps overly optimistically, that its loss could lead to the fall of Chiang Kai-shek. Ultimately, Muto insisted, Nanjing should also be seized, which he asserted would bring an end to the war. Kawabe listened patiently, a practice he would repeat in the following days as other field officers echoed similar sentiments, eagerly expressing their desire to advance all the way to Nanjing. Yanagawa and his 10th Army exemplified this aggressive mindset. Nevertheless, just as the hawks within the Japanese military and the nation's political leadership appeared to be prevailing in the struggle over China policy, they faced unexpected challenges from a different direction. Germany, a power with ambiguous sympathies in East Asia, was quietly engaged in negotiations aimed at bringing peace. Oskar Trautmann, Germany's ambassador to China, had maintained an objective and neutral stance when he met with Chiang Kai-shek in early November to relay Japan's conditions for initiating peace talks. These conditions included extensive concessions in northern China, such as the withdrawal of all Chinese troops to a line south of Beijing and the establishment of a pro-Japanese regime in Inner Mongolia, bordering the Soviet-controlled Mongolian People's Republic. Chiang dismissed these demands outright, but Trautmann and his superiors in Beijing continued their top-secret efforts. Germany's motivation for seeking an end to the Sino-Japanese War was not rooted in a genuine love for peace, but rather in their embarrassment over witnessing their old Asian ally, China, fighting against their new partner, Japan. Herman Göring, president of the Reichstag and a leading figure in the Nazi party, told a Chinese visitor, “China and Japan are both friends of Germany. The Sino-Japanese War has put Germany between Scylla and Charybdis. That's why Germany is ready to seize the chance to become a mediator.” Germany also feared that a prolonged conflict in China could jeopardize its commercial interests in East Asia and weaken Japan's capacity to confront the Soviet Union, potentially freeing Moscow to allocate more resources to a fight in Europe. In essence, continued hostilities could significantly harm Germany. Japanese field commanders were frustrated by Germany's mediation efforts.  When news of Trautmann's mission leaked, the German diplomat faced severe criticism in the Chinese media, which deemed any negotiation with the "Japanese devils" unacceptable. Additionally, there was the matter of China's ties with the Soviet Union; employing a German mediator raised the possibility of cooperation among China, Japan, and Germany, potentially expanding the anti-Soviet bloc, which would, in turn, pressure Moscow to increase its support for China. By mid-November, however, the complexities of this diplomatic game started unraveling and then Japan took action. At 7:00 am on November 19, Yanagawa issued instructions to his troops in the field. “The enemy's command system is in disarray, and a mood of defeat has descended over their entire army. They have lost the will to fight. The main Chinese forces were retreating west of the line stretching from Suzhou to Jiaxing, and this withdrawal was soon likely to spiral into a full-scale retreat. We must not miss the opportunity to pursue the enemy to Nanjing.” 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. Shanghai had fallen, and the Japanese forces pursued their fleeing enemy further west. However they had orders to halt, but would they? Officers from top down deliberating on the issue, with the vast majority pushing for a drive to Nanjing. They thought it represented the end objective of the conflict. They would all be very wrong. 

A chance meeting in a Russian railway carriage in 1951 led to details emerging of two UFO encounters in 1948 & 1949 involving a Soviet Air Force test pilot called Arkady Ivanovitch Apraksin & a huge "cucumber-shaped" object that affected his aircraft's instruments.Subscribe to Bite Sized UFOs on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bitesizedufosBook Ryan on CAMEO at: https://bit.ly/3kwz3DOPatreon: http://www.patreon.com/somewhereskiesByMeACoffee: http://www.buymeacoffee.com/UFxzyzHOaQPayPal: Sprague51@hotmail.comDiscord: https://discord.gg/NTkmuwyB4FBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ryansprague.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/SomewhereSkiesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/somewhereskiespod/Order Ryan's new book: https://a.co/d/4KNQnM4Order Ryan's older book: https://amzn.to/3PmydYCStore: http://tee.pub/lic/ULZAy7IY12URead Ryan's articles at: https://medium.com/@ryan-sprague51Opening Theme Song by SeptembryoCopyright © 2025 Ryan Sprague. All rights reservedSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/somewhere-in-the-skies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, hosts Brooke Kehl and Dirk Smith, along with guests Jim Black, Lanny Tucker, and Darryl Willis, share impactful stories from their trip to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, highlighting the power of Bible distribution and unity among believers.  Hear about a former Soviet Air Force officer turned pastor and a gathering of church leaders in Kazakhstan sharing their experiences. They share inspiring stories of individuals who have overcome challenges and embraced their faith wholeheartedly amidst great adversity. The conversation emphasizes the boldness of Christians, the need for more Bibles, and the importance of unity.  Listen to the podcast to learn more about how you can support and pray for EEM and the nations of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Show Notes: Follow us on: PRAY.COM Read the Kazakhstan report for more inspiring stories: https://www.eem.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/6.27.24Public-K2-Report.pdf  Connect with EEM: EEM WebsiteEEM Facebook EEM Twitter EEM Instagram EEM Media

The last months of World War II on the Eastern Front saw a ferocious fight between two very different air forces. Soviet Air Force (VVS) Commander-in-Chief Alexander Novikov assembled 7,500 aircraft in three powerful air armies to support the final assault on Berlin. The Luftwaffe employed some of its most advanced weapons including the Me 262 jet and Mistel remotely guided bomb aircraft.To discuss this overlooked part of World War 2 is today's guest William Hiestand, author of “Eastern Front 1945: Triumph of the Soviet Air Force.” We discuss the aerial capacities of the SSV, the Luftwaffe, and specific battles that laid the groundwork for Cold War air force doctrine.

The Five Year Plans were important to the Red Army, they would also be very important to the Soviet Air Force and Navy. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on History of the Second World War.  History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Movie Critic Tim Sika is with Pat Thurston to share recent movie reviews of the following: The Duke - British comedy/drama based on a true story of a working-class senior citizen who went on trial for stealing a priceless painting (In theaters today) Memory -  Action film starring Liam Neeson as an assassin with Alzheimers (In theaters) Freebird - Drama based on a true story of the forbidden love between a private and a fighter pilot set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War (In theaters) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie Critic Tim Sika is with Pat Thurston to share recent movie reviews of the following: The Duke - British comedy/drama based on a true story of a working-class senior citizen who went on trial for stealing a priceless painting (In theaters today) Memory -  Action film starring Liam Neeson as an assassin with Alzheimers (In theaters) Freebird - Drama based on a true story of the forbidden love between a private and a fighter pilot set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War (In theaters) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1930s, with the black clouds of war gathering over the skies of Europe once more, the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin pushed to demonstrate its technical prowess to the rest of the world, particularly in the air, where the Soviets established a number of endurance records for aircraft. To demonstrate how far the Soviet Union had come culturally, a number of these record-breaking efforts included female pilots and aircrew, and none were more famous than Marina Raskova. Often credited as the Soviet Union's Amelia Earhart, Raskova was the first woman to qualify as a navigator in the Soviet Air Force in 1933 and was part of a record-breaking attempt for female aviators that saw her crew fly over 4,000 miles in a converted DB-2 long range bomber. This earned her celebrity status in the Soviet Union and crucially, influence over Stalin himself. For when war would finally break out between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, Raskova would come to Stalin with a plan for women to join the men in the fight against fascist tyranny. This plan would result in one of the most famous flying units of World War II – the Night Witches. Welcome to Wars of the World. 

This weekend at OUTFEST, the brilliant love story FIREBIRD premiers.  We have the film's star and co-screenwriter Tom Prior, and the film's director and co-screenwriter Peeter Rebane in the house! The film is impeccably produced.  It is both beautiful and tragic, erotic and yet innocent.  The performances are stunning and the film has the potential to be a classic iconic piece.  The story is " set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War. Sergey, a troubled young private, is counting the days till his military service ends. His life is turned upside down when a daring fighter pilot, Roman arrives at the base. Driven by curiosity, Sergey and Roman navigate the precarious line between love and friendship as a dangerous love triangle forms between them and Luisa, the secretary to the base Commander. Sergey is forced to face his past as Roman's career is endangered and Luisa struggles to keep her family together. As the walls close in, they risk their freedom and their lives in the face of an escalating KGB investigation and the fear of the all-seeing Soviet regime. Based on a true story." Peeter's directing portfolio includes feature films Firebird (2021), Sailing to Freedom (in development), documentaries Tashi Delek! (2015) and Robbie Williams: Fans Journey to Tallinn (BBC Worldwide, 2014)  He has also produced the 2010 European Film Awards, the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest, and hundreds of shows in the Baltic region for various A list artists.   Tom's acting work includes: The Theory of Everything (Working Title) playing Eddie Redmayne's son Robert Hawking, Kingsman: The Secret Service (Twentieth Century Fox, Marv Films) and Endeavour for ITV as well as performances in London's West End.  

This weekend at OUTFEST, the brilliant love story FIREBIRD premiers.  We have the film's star and co-screenwriter Tom Prior, and the film's director and co-screenwriter Peeter Rebane in the house! The film is impeccably produced.  It is both beautiful and tragic, erotic and yet innocent.  The performances are stunning and the film has the potential to be a classic iconic piece.  The story is " set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War. Sergey, a troubled young private, is counting the days till his military service ends. His life is turned upside down when a daring fighter pilot, Roman arrives at the base. Driven by curiosity, Sergey and Roman navigate the precarious line between love and friendship as a dangerous love triangle forms between them and Luisa, the secretary to the base Commander. Sergey is forced to face his past as Roman's career is endangered and Luisa struggles to keep her family together. As the walls close in, they risk their freedom and their lives in the face of an escalating KGB investigation and the fear of the all-seeing Soviet regime. Based on a true story." Peeter's directing portfolio includes feature films Firebird (2021), Sailing to Freedom (in development), documentaries Tashi Delek! (2015) and Robbie Williams: Fans Journey to Tallinn (BBC Worldwide, 2014)  He has also produced the 2010 European Film Awards, the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest, and hundreds of shows in the Baltic region for various A list artists.   Tom's acting work includes: The Theory of Everything (Working Title) playing Eddie Redmayne's son Robert Hawking, Kingsman: The Secret Service (Twentieth Century Fox, Marv Films) and Endeavour for ITV as well as performances in London's West End.  

K2 in Uzbekistan was a Soviet Air Force base with a long history of environmental contamination.  The DOD leased 40 acres of the base from October 2001-2005 and an estimated 15,000 military members were stationed at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) on the way into Afghanistan.  The base was immediately recognized as having contamination and DOD was slow to recognize the problems and limit exposure.  Now 20 years later, public pressure has Congress looking at the issue and veterans health being impacted by the exposure to golden oils in the soils, black goo, chemical weapons, ordnance explosions, yellow cake, and depleted uranium from Soviet use and American burn pits. Mike Lechlitner, Army veteran and DOD contractor, speaks with host Jim Fausone about his experiences at K2 and efforts to get Congress to recognize and provide presumptive disease recognition to veterans.

K2 in Uzbekistan was a Soviet Air Force base with a long history of environmental contamination. The DOD leased 40 acres of the base from October 2001-2005 and an estimated 15,000 military members were stationed at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) on the way into Afghanistan. The base was immediately recognized as having contamination and DOD was slow to recognize the problems and limit exposure. Now 20 years later, public pressure has Congress looking at the issue and veterans’ health being impacted by the exposure to golden oils in the soils, black goo, chemical weapons, ordinance explosions, yellow cake and depleted uranium from Soviet use and American burn pits. Mike Lechlitner, an Army veteran and DOD contractor, discusses his experiences at K2 and efforts to get Congress to recognize the problems and provide presumptive disease recognition to veterans.

The Foxbat was one of the most feared and enigmatic aircraft of the Cold War. We chat to Mike Guardia, author of the new book Foxbat Tales: The MiG-25 in Combat about the aircraft's innovative radar. The MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) combat aircraft first graced the skies in March 1964, entering service with the Soviet Air Force in 1970. Reaching top speeds of almost Mach Three (1,600 knots/3,000 kilometres-per-hour), the MiG-25 was a potent interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft. For the Foxbat, speed was life. It had little in the way of self-protection, but it did have a mysterious radar under the nose. The Smerch series transmitted on an X-band frequency of 9.993 gigahertz/GHz, but had a secret dual band capability allowing the radar to also transmit on a Ku-band frequency of 14.9GHz. In our latest Armada EW Podcast Mr. Guardia reveals what made the Smerch radar special, and how the West unravelled its secrets.

This is the longest episode yet, and I suspect that it will remain that way. I just was working with a lot of great material and I didn't want to have to split this into two episodes. Next week, as the episode can attest to, will be the first episode on Barbarossa itself. But comparing this episode to the previous one, on the Luftwaffe makes me want to redo that one, but that's for some time in the future. Until then, I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you next week. If you want to get in touch with me about anything, its apocalypseintheast@gmail.com. Thanks!

This episode from 2015 covers the Night Witches, an all-female bombing regiment in the Soviet Air Force. Flying biplanes meant for dusting crops and training new recruits, they dropped 23,000 tons of bombs on German forces in WWII. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

In a special episode of Finest Hours, learn about the all-female division of the Soviet Air Force that terrorized the invading Nazi army by flying bombing missions under the cover of darkness. Also in this episode, Skylar gets listed as a war casualty and a surprise visit from Abraham Lincoln.

Back in 1997, on a sliver of land wedged between a gas station and a car park, a lone C130 Hercules could be found. It was mounted there near the entrance to the National Security Agency at Fort Mead in Maryland for a good reason. Not the original aircraft, as that crashed on foreign soil, it had been painted with the tail number 60528 to represent it.   The memorial to the crew of 60528   The C130 airborne   The plot of 60528 and the track of the intercepting fighters.   A Mig 17   Gun camera film from the attacking Mig17s   Gun camera film from an attacking Mig 17 showing the C130 in flames   The crash site of 60528   A USN Neptune   A Mig15   An LA11   An RAF Lincoln   The U2 spy plane   Gary Powers   The memorial to the crew of the C130   Arlington Cemetery   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the NSA, Soviet Defence Archives, 1Lt Kucharyaev, Soviet Air Force, Kirill Pisman, Adam Jones, Garry Goebel, RIA Novosti archive and IP Singh.  

Encounter! Roll initiative!Not that it matters, talking is a free action and we'll talk your ears off.Starting this week, Valve's integrity has been called into question over Esports. Yes mum, Esports are real sports.The Flash needs to stop messing with the timeline. It's 2011 again, and Green Lantern is getting a TV series, written by one of the comic authors. And there's two lanterns, so the British are coming by sea. Oops. Barry. Stop. Paul Revere doesn't belong here.But next take the time machine to the far future to find out how long it takes for Lego to break down, based on research done by recruiting beach combers to hand over all the lego they find. Surely this isn't just a scheme to get people to give you lego.Professor played Noita, the Roguelite version of Powder Toy, and DJ chose to go to Japan in Total War: Shogun II.Come hear us again next week.Valve’s competitive integrity a threat to Esports- https://www.ggrecon.com/articles/valve-s-attitude-towards-competitive-integrity-is-a-threat-to-esports.ampGreen Lantern TV series coming soon on HBO Max-https://comicbook.com/dc/news/green-lantern-hbo-max-geoff-johns-produce-new-series/Legos may take hundreds of years to break down in the ocean-https://www.sciencenews.org/article/legos-may-take-hundreds-years-break-down-ocean- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749119364152#!Games PlayedProfessor- Noita – https://store.steampowered.com/app/881100/Noita/Rating: 5/5DJ– Total War : SHOGUN 2 - https://store.steampowered.com/app/201270/Total_War_SHOGUN_2/Rating: 4/5Other topics discussedRetail shops ease toilet paper and other item restrictions- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-28/coles-woolworths-ease-coronavirus-restrictions-on-toilet-paper/12194438Coronavirus restrictions ease in Queensland- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-29/coronavirus-australia-queensland-restrictions-easing-vaccine/12188622Flash Gaming Boss' Statement on Disbandment: Match-fixing, GOTV Cheating, $0 Loan Fee, Initial Buyout and more.- https://old.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/ac4nj2/flash_gaming_boss_statement_on_disbandment/The International (Dota 2) (The International is an annual esportsworld championship tournament for the video game Dota 2, hosted and produced by the game's developer, Valve.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_International_(Dota_2)Geoff Johns (American comic book writer, screenwriter and film and television producer. Some of his most notable work has used the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman,Flash and Superman.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_JohnsStargirl (Courtney Elizabeth Whitmore, known as Stargirl (often called "Stars" or "Star"), is a fictional superhero created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtney_WhitmoreStargirl TV Series (Stargirl is an upcoming American drama web television series created by Geoff Johns that will premiere on DC Universe.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargirl_(TV_series)Gotham TV Series (Gotham is an American action crime drama television series developed by Bruno Heller, produced by Warner Bros. Television and based on characters published by DC Comics and appearing in the Batman franchise, primarily those of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotham_(TV_series)Titans 2018 TV Series (Titans is an American web television series created by Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, and Greg Berlanti for DC Universe.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titans_(2018_TV_series)The Flash 2014 TV Series (The Flash is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti,Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns, airing on The CW.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flash_(2014_TV_series)Crisis on Infinite Earths TV Crossover ("Crisis on Infinite Earths" is the sixth annual Arrowverse crossover event featuring episodes of the television series Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow on The CW. The Supergirl, Batwoman, and The Flash episodes aired in December 2019, and the Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow episodes aired in January 2020.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_on_Infinite_Earths_(Arrowverse)Ezra Miller Flash cameo on Crisis on Infinite Earths- https://www.ign.com/articles/crisis-on-infinite-earths-ezra-millers-flash-cameo-connects-dc-tv-and-movie-universesKrypton TV Series (Krypton is an American television series developed by David S. Goyer for Syfy.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krypton_(TV_series)Lego sustainable plastic plan combating the pollution- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/sustainable-lego-plastic-plants-pollution-crisis-a8266256.htmlLiero (video game for MS-DOS, first released by Finnish programmer Joosa Riekkinen in 1998.)- https://www.liero.be/Fortnite × Travis Scott FULL EVENT (Scott performed several virtual live shows in the video game Fortnite Battle Royale from April 23 to 25, 2020 based on songs from his Astroworld album.)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZpowQlrNt8The Beatles (The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_BeatlesLaibach – Sympathy for the Devil- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7muCRio2nQTroubling Issues (TNC Podcast)- https://thatsnotcanon.com/troublingissuespodcastThat’s Not COVID (TNC Podcast)- https://thatsnotcanon.com/thatsnotcovidpodcastShout Outs27 Febuary 2020 – Gene Dynarski, American away passed away at 77 - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gene-dynarski-dead-seinfeld-close-encounters-third-kind-actor-was-86-1291775Gene Dynarski, a character actor who appeared in Steven Spielberg's Duel and Close Encounters of the Third Kind and played Izzy Mandelbaum Jr., the son of Lloyd Bridges' character, on Seinfeld. Dynarski was seen as Benedict, one of Egghead's (Vincent Price) henchmen, on Batman in 1966, and on a 2000th episode of The X-Files, his character fell victim to a monstrous bat creature. Dynarski also portrayed Josef Stalin in the 1996 videogame Command & Conquer: Red Alert appearing throughout much of the game's Soviet campaign and, to a lesser extent, the Allied campaign. He is one of 32 actors or actresses to have guest-starred in both the original Star Trek television series and in one of the series' spin offs such as Star Trek: The Next Generation. He died in Studio City, California. His death was not announced until the 24th of April of this year.21 April 2020 – Jerry Bishop, ‘Judge Judy’ Announcer & Radio/Voice-Over Veteran passed away at 84 - https://deadline.com/2020/04/jerry-bishop-dead-judge-judy-announcer-los-angeles-radio-veteran-1202917454/American announcer, radio host and radio personality. Bishop best known as the announcer for the American courtroom television show, Judge Judy, for 24 years from 1996 until 2020. Jerry Bishop simultaneously began working as a voice-over artist and announcer during the 1970s. He was the announcer for the television game show, The Cross-Wits, as well as the short-lived NBC variety series, Dick Clark's Live Wednesday, which aired briefly in 1978. Bishop began working as the off-camera announcer for the syndicated television courtroom show, Judge Judy, beginning with the series' debut season in 1996. He remained with Judge Judy for 24 years as the show became the highest rated series on daytime television. Bishop continued to work on Judge Judy until a few weeks before his death in 2020. “Jerry Bishop has been the voice of our program for 24 years,” star Judy Sheindlin said in a statement. “Everybody loved him. He had a golden heart and generous spirit. I adored him and will miss him.” He died from heart and kidney failure in Los Angles, California.24 April 2020 - Fortnite Travis Scott event sees 12.3 million players in first show - https://www.gamesradar.com/au/fortnite-travis-scott-event-sees-123-million-players-in-first-show/The Fortnite Travis Scott event, dubbed Astronomical, saw 12.3 million concurrent players take part, Epic has announced. Taking to Twitter, the Fortnite developer also revealed that this is an "all-time record" for the battle royale shooter. In the lead up to the event going live last night, Epic teased the "one of a kind musical journey" for quite some time, that debuted a new track. Scott isn't the first artist to make an appearance in Fortnite. Back in February 2019, DJ Marshmello put on a live concert performing a special Fortnite extended set.25 April 2020 - The Rolling Stones Versus The Beatles Debate Continues Into Its Sixth Decade - https://deadline.com/2020/04/this-week-in-music-rolling-stones-beatles-1202917836/It’s an argument that dates back to the early 1960s, and sharply divides the world into two camps. The ancient rivalry seemed to resume this week, as Paul McCartney claimed The Beatles were bigger than The Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger responded Friday and pointed out that The Beatles were never a big touring band, unlike the stadium-filling Stones. ‘That’s the real big difference between these two bands. One band is unbelievably luckily still playing in stadiums and then the other band doesn’t exist.”Remembrances27 April 1989 - Kōnosuke Matsushita - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dnosuke_MatsushitaJapanese industrialist who founded Panasonic, the largest Japanese consumer electronics company. One of Matsushita's best products was his invention of a more efficient battery-powered bicycle lamp. During the 1920s, bicycle lamps were candles or oil-burning lamps. They were highly inefficient as they usually only lasted for three hours. He created an oval lamp that used a battery for power and a lightbulb for illumination. He had to personally market his products to retail bicycle shops. Matsushita learned a very important lesson in terms of growing a company while he was trying to introduce his bicycle lamp to wholesalers. He realized that even if he had a product that was superior to anything out in the market it would not matter if he could not sell the product. As a result, Matsushita began devising ways to create sales channels for his products by concentrating less on manufacturing and more on building a sales force. Matsushita's products were originally marketed under the name brand of "National" and later moved on to the more recognizable names of Panasonic, Quasar and Technics. From 1950 to 1973, Matsushita's company became one of the world's largest manufacturers of electrical goods, sold under well-known trademarks including Panasonic and Technics. In retirement, Matsushita focused on developing and explaining his social and commercial philosophies and wrote 44 published books. One of his books, entitled “Developing A Road To Peace And Happiness Through Prosperity”, sold over four million copies. In 1979, at the age of 84, he founded the Matsushita School of Government and Management to train the future politicians and businessmen of Japan. He died from pneumonia at the age of 94 in Moriguchi, Osaka. He died with personal assets worth US$3 billion and left a company with US$42 billion in revenue business.27 April 1992 - Gerard K. O'Neill - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_K._O%27NeillAmerican physicist and space activist. As a faculty member of Princeton University, he invented a device called the particle storage ring for high-energy physics experiments. Later, he invented a magnetic launcher called the mass driver. In the 1970s, he developed a plan to build human settlements in outer space, including a space habitat design known as the O'Neill cylinder. He founded the Space Studies Institute, an organization devoted to funding research into space manufacturing and colonization. While teaching physics at Princeton, O'Neill became interested in the possibility that humans could survive and live in outer space. He researched and proposed a futuristic idea for human settlement in space, the O'Neill cylinder, in "The Colonization of Space", his first paper on the subject. He held a conference on space manufacturing at Princeton in 1975. Many who became post-Apollo-era space activists attended. O'Neill built his first mass driver prototype with professor Henry Kolm in 1976. He considered mass drivers critical for extracting the mineral resources of the Moon and asteroids. His award-winning book The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space inspired a generation of space exploration advocates. He died from leukemia at the age of 65 in Redwood City, California.27 April 2002 - George Alec Effinger - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Alec_EffingerAmerican science fiction author, His first novel, What Entropy Means to Me, was nominated for the Nebula Award. He achieved his greatest success with the trilogy of Marîd Audran novels set in a 22nd-century Middle East, with cybernetic implants and modules allowing individuals to change their personalities or bodies. The novels are in fact set in a thinly veiled version of the French Quarter of New Orleans. He made brief forays into writing comic books in the early 1970s, mostly in Marvel Comics' science fiction, fantasy, and horror titles; and again in the late 1980s, including the first issue of a series of his own creation entitled Neil and Buzz in Space & Time, about two fictional astronauts who travel to the edge of the universe to find it contains nothing but an ocean planet with a replica of a small New Jersey town on its only island. The first issue was the only issue, and the story ended on a cliff-hanger. He died from gastric ulcers caused an internal bleeding at the age of 55 in New Orleans, Louisiana.Famous Birthdays27 April 1932 - Casey Kasem - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casey_KasemKemal Amin "Casey" Kasem, American disc jockey, music historian, radio personality, actor and voice actor. He was notable for being the host of several music radio countdown programs, notably American Top 40 from 1970 until his retirement in 2009 and being the first actor to voice Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in the Scooby-Doo franchise from 1969 to 1997, and again from 2002 until 2009. Kasem co-founded the American Top 40 franchise in 1970, hosting it from its inception to 1988, and again from 1998 to 2004. As for his recognizable voice quality, "It's a natural quality of huskiness in the midrange of my voice that I call 'garbage,'" he stated to The New York Times. "It's not a clear-toned announcer's voice. It's more like the voice of the guy next door." He was born in Detroit, Michigan.27 April 1963 - Russell T Davies - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_T_DaviesStephen Russell Davies, better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include Queer as Folk, Bob & Rose, The Second Coming, Casanova, the 2005 revival of the BBC One science fiction series Doctor Who, and the trilogy Cucumber, Tofu, and Banana. Davies revived and ran Doctor Who after a sixteen-year hiatus, with Christopher Eccleston, and later David Tennant, in the title role. Davies' tenure as executive producer of the show oversaw a surge in popularity which led to the production of two spin-off series, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the revival of the Saturday prime-time dramas as a profitable venture for production companies. Davies was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2008 for services to drama, which coincided with the announcement he would step down from Doctor Who as the show's executive producer with his final script, "The End of Time". Davies moved to Los Angeles, California in 2009, where he oversaw production of Torchwood: Miracle Day and the fifth and final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures. He was born in Swansea, Wales.27 April 1986 – Jenna Coleman - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenna_ColemanJenna-Louise Coleman, credited since 2013 as Jenna Coleman, is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jasmine Thomas in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale,Clara Oswald in the BBC series Doctor Who, Queen Victoria in the ITV drama Victoria and Joanna Lindsay in the BBC series The Cry. Coleman went on to play "hard girl" Lindsay James in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road, Susan Brown in a BBC Four television adaptation of the John Braine novel Room at the Top, Annie Desmond in Julian Fellowes' four part mini-series Titanic and Rosie in Stephen Poliakoff's original drama series Dancing on the Edge. In 2018, she portrayed the role of Joanna Lindsey in the BBC miniseries The Cry, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the International Emmy Awards. Moffat chose her for the role as the Doctor’s companion because she worked the best alongside Smith and could talk faster than he could. She auditioned for the role in secret, under the pretense of auditioning for Men on Waves (an anagram for "Woman Seven": she would first appear in the show's seventh series). She was born in Blackpool,Lancashire.Events of Interest27 April 4977 B.C. – Universe is created, according to Kepler - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/universe-is-created-according-to-keplerOn April 27, 4977 B.C., the universe is created, according to German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler, considered a founder of modern science. Kepler is best known for his theories explaining the motion of planets. In 1609, Kepler published the first two of his three laws of planetary motion, which held that planets move around the sun in ellipses, not circles (as had been widely believed up to that time), and that planets speed up as they approach the sun and slow down as they move away. In 1619, he produced his third law, which used mathematic principles to relate the time a planet takes to orbit the sun to the average distance of the planet from the sun. As for Kepler’s calculation about the universe’s birthday, scientists in the 20th century developed the Big Bang theory, which showed that his calculations were off by about 13.7 billion years.27 April 1953 – Operation Moolah offers $50,000 to any pilot who defected with a fully mission-capable Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 to South Korea. The first pilot was to receive $100,000. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_MoolahOperation Moolah was a United States Air Force (USAF) effort during the Korean War to obtain through defection a fully capable Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter. Communist forces introduced the MiG-15 to Korea on November 1, 1950. USAF pilots reported that the performance of the MiG-15 was superior to all United Nations (U.N.) aircraft, including the USAF's newest plane, the F-86 Sabre. Speculation exists about the origin of Operation Moolah. According to then-Captain Alan Abner, the idea of the operation originated from his office at the Army's Psychological Warfare Branch, in Washington D.C.. According to intelligence reports they received, dissatisfaction within the Soviet Air Force, even to the extent of some desertions by disgruntled pilots, led to the belief that possible future defections by some pilots was promising. Their plan set forth an offer of $100,000 (worth nearly $941,000 in 2019) for a Soviet MiG-15 and political asylum for the pilot. On the night of April 26, 1953, two B-29 Superfortress bombers dropped 1.2 million leaflets over Communist bases in the Yalu River Basin. These leaflets were written in Russian, Chinese, and Korean. According to General Clark, immediately after the drop of the leaflets, U.N. aircraft did not make visual contact with any MiG aircraft for the following eight days. Though weather may have been a factor, he opines that the leaflets had a direct effect and believes that senior Communist military leaders began to screen for politically unreliable pilots. Incidentally, immediately after the leaflet drop, a radio-jamming transmitter whose location could not be identified began to jam all U.N. Russian-language broadcasts of Gen. Clark's MIG-15 offer, but Chinese and Korean broadcasts were unhindered.27 April 2015 – Australiens played for audiences in attendance of the Studio 35 Cinema Comedy Film Festival. - https://www.scifihistory.net/april-27.htmlWritten and directed by Joe Bauer, and SciFi/Comedy feature starred Rita Artmann and Tamara McLaughlin, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:"At the age of 10, Australian-born Andi Gibson had what she describes as a close encounter with a flying saucer. Naturally, everyone assumed she was bonkers. That is until one notable evening, 17 years later, when an airborne extra-terrestrial armada launches a nation-wide assault on Andi's home country and at the same time, for unspecified reasons, kidnaps her mother. To add to the debacle, it seems the other nations of the world are far too insulted by their exclusion from the attack to come to Australia's aid. Now it is up to Andi, her hypochondriac brother Elliot, retired boxer cousin Keith and documentary filmmaker friend Cam to stop the attack and rescue Andi's mum. Enlisting the help of Andi's equal-parts mysterious and cringeworthy father, the gang must battle car-chasing spaceships, martial-arts aliens, giant killer robots and, perhaps most frighteningly, a deluge of family secrets in their fight to save Australia. Bloody hell, this is gonna be a long night."IntroArtist – Goblins from MarsSong Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJFollow us onFacebook- Page - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/- Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/440485136816406/Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamatedSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrSiTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094RSS - http://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/topshelfnerdspodcast?format=rssInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/nerds_amalgamated/General EnquiriesEmail - Nerds.Amalgamated@gmail.comRate & Review us on Podchaser - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nerds-amalgamated-623195

On September 26, 1983, one man made a decision that saved the entire world from a nuclear holocaust. Stanislav Petrov, a Lt. Colonel in the Soviet Air Force was the duty officer at the early nuclear detection facility. Suddenly alarms rang overhead as the Soviet computers detected 5 nuclear missiles launched from the United States. Stanislav's decision-making that night would save hundreds of millions of lives.

So feared were these pilots, flying almost silently over the German positions at night to attack any movement or light, that the Nazis called them Night Witches.  With just the wind whistling through the wires of their old Po-2 biplanes, again and again the brave young women of the Soviet Air Force flew with such skill that many were made Heroes of the Soviet Union.     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Douzeff.  Other images from public domain.

DCS Mig 21 by Leatherneck Simulations Review - Guy In Car Radio #11 I go over the DCS Mig 21 from leatherneck Simulations. It for me is one of the best modules for DCS at this time. Leatherneck Simulations Have gone above and beyond on this module. The radar is fun and quite realistic as you have to keep an eye on the coolant. Go pick it up I know you wont regret it. Introduction The MiG-21bis is a delta wing, supersonic, fighter-interceptor jet aircraft. Much like the AK-47 became the everymans' rifle, the MiG-21 has been operated by more than 40 countries worldwide, and has enjoyed the longest production run of any modern jet fighter to date. The MiG-21, in all of its' variants, has fought in wars stretching all the way from the Vietnam War in the 1960's to the modern day Syrian Civil War. Owing to it's unique blend of versatility, ruggedness and maintainability, the MiG-21 remains in active service to this very day. Initially designed as a pure-bred interceptor, the MiG-21 has over the years evolved into a hybrid multirole aircraft. In addition to a vast Air-to-Air arsenal, it can effectively employ unguided rockets, bombs and radar-guided missiles to destroy ground or naval targets. The MiG-21BIS 75AP (МиГ-21бис Изделие 75) was the ultimate development of the MiG-21, fitted with the Tumansky R25-300 turbojet engine and a great number of other advances over previous types. The MiGs' intended for the Soviet PVO (Air Defense Force) were equipped with the Lazur GCI system (NATO: "Fishbed-L"), while those for the Soviet Air Force were fitted with the Polyot ILS system (NATO: "Fishbed-N"). It's fitted with instruments and electronic equipment ensuring capability to fly by day and at night, under fair and poor weather conditions. The MiG-21BIS is considered to be a third generation jet fighter. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations half-century after its' maiden flight. Several firms offer upgrade programs for the MiG-21, designed to bring the aircraft up to modern standards, with greatly upgraded avionics and armament. The DCS: MiG-21bis simulates an aircraft built to the Fishbed-N standard.

The Night Witches were an all-female bombing regiment in the Soviet Air Force. Flying biplanes meant for dusting crops and training new recruits, they dropped 23,000 tons of bombs on German forces in WWII. Read the show notes here. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Dive into a lesser-told tale of World War II heroism that soars beyond traditional battle stories—this is the legend of the Night Witches, an all-female squadron of the Soviet Air Force. These brave women took to the skies in rickety planes and harrowed the German army by night, becoming one of the most formidable forces in aerial warfare. With each successful mission, their legend grew in the minds of their enemies, morphing from mere pilots to spectral presences terrorizing the Eastern Front. This episode uncovers the untold story of their tenacity, skill, and the inexplicable dread they cast over the Nazi soldiers. The Night Witches flew without parachutes, in the dead of night, under the glow of flames and the shroud of darkness. In their fragile, wooden biplanes, they managed not only to elude the enemy but to deliver devastating blows as well. To the German soldiers, these women were phantoms, witches of the night sky, who could come and go without warning—their engines idling on the wind to drift silently before dropping their deadly cargo. As we peel back the layers of history, we find a gripping narrative of determination and valor, punctuated by the whoosh of plywood-and-canvas bombers and the echo of their courage. Join us as we trace the extraordinary exploits of the Night Witches and pay homage to their fearless spirit. From the strategic genius that directed their night raids to the steely resolve that carried them through the darkness, we honor these unsung heroines of the skies. For more captivating stories that bring the past alive with every detail, remember to visit itshometownhistory.com, where the whispers of history become the conversations of today.Episode Sponsor: Head to http://Factormeals.com/hometownhistory50 and use code hometownhistory50 to get 50% off!Time travel with us on Hometown History.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy