The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Friday, June 6, 2014

D-Day timeline: The beginning of the end of WW2..[ 4016 ]

D-Day: In the words of the BBC journalists

BBC.,5 June 2014 Last updated at 23:26 GMT

D-Day landings
Seventy years ago today, one of the biggest military operations in history took place, as thousands of Allied troops landed on the French coast. Below are extracts from the BBC's reports of D-Day.

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"This is Richard Dimbleby speaking..." The first part of D-Day involved the dropping of 24,000 British, Canadian and US troops in Nazi-occupied France, shortly after midnight. In this audio clip, and in the script below, Richard Dimbleby, the BBC's war correspondent and one of its most famous journalists, witnessed the very first aircraft take off from southern England on the night of 5 June 1944.
Richard Dimbleby reporting from an aerodrome

D-Day bulletins on the BBC

See the original BBC radio news scripts from 1944 and hear them being read by Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Stewart and Toby Jones, on the BBC Radio 4 website
"This was the first combat jump for every one of them"
BBC war correspondent Robert Barr was one of four reporters who followed General Dwight Eisenhower from D-Day until the end of World War Two. Here, he records the anticipation as paratroopers prepare to board a Douglas C-47 destined for France.
Robert Barr
US paratroopers, heavily armed, sit inside a military plane as they soar over the English Channel en route to the Normandy French coast for the Allied D-Day invasion
US paratroopers aboard a military plane en route to the French coast for D-Day
 
 


"The next time our feet touch dry land it will be on the soil of Europe"
Allied infantry started to land on the Normandy coast at 06:30. At 08:00, the BBC announced that "a new phase of the Allied Air Initiative has begun". At midday, the radio announcer John Snagge (pictured) was able to go further and announced that "D-Day has come".
The dispatch below, filed by Robert Dunner from an American headquarters ship, described the atmosphere as troops waited to land in France.
Dunner report from aboard American ship
British troops on their way to Normandy to take part in the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944
"There was a very loud explosion" The invasion of Normandy was the largest amphibious assault ever launched. It involved five army divisions in the initial assault and over 7,000 ships. In addition there were 11,000 aircraft. Colin Wills painted the scene from above, in a plane flying over the English channel. Below, the veteran BBC reporter Howard Marshall described the moment when one boat of troops landed.
landing craft hits the beach
Troops landing on Normandy beach, D-Day
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A landing barge, tightly packed with helmeted soldiers, approaches the shore at Normandy, France, on D-Day.
What was D-Day? On 6 June, 1944, British, US and Canadian forces invaded the coast of northern France at Normandy.
The landings were the first stage of Operation Overlord - the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe, and were intended to bring World War Two to an end.
The invasion of Normandy was the largest amphibious assault ever launched. Over 150,000 troops landed on D-Day.
By the end of D-Day, the allies had established a foothold in France. Within 11 months Nazi Germany was defeated.
• D-Day: How was the biggest ever seaborne invasion launched?
• D-Day timeline: The beginning of the end of WW2
• How close did D-Day come to failure?
• Radio 4's D-Day archive
"When it comes, it sure comes" In this clip, Alan Melville reported from the Normandy beach-head as Allied paratroopers were dropped in to provide support.
In the script below, American reporter Tom Traynor described the situation as infantry tried to make it off the beach and avoid German shelling.
Thomas Trayner dispatch from the beach part 1
Thomas Trayner dispatch from the beach part 2
"The new battle of Europe" Richard Dimbleby took up the story once more, this time towards the end of D-Day, from within France. British and Canadian troops had managed to take three of the five beaches - Juno, Gold and Sword - without heavy casualties, and pressed on towards the town of Caen (although it would be more than a month before they took it).
Dimbleby report from 1600, 6 June 1944
British commandos who landed in Normandy on 6th June set out to capture a Nazi gun site, which is protected by enemy snipers on June 6, 1944 British commandos in Normandy set out to capture a Nazi gun site
"The King has broadcast a national call to prayer" By the end of the day it was clear that D-Day had been a success, even though there had been 3,000 fatalities on the Allied side - mostly airborne troops, and those who landed at Omaha beach, where US infantry were hit by heavy German fire. This was how Frank Phillips announced the news on the BBC Home Service bulletin at midnight.
Midnight bulletin, 6 June
Assembled by Ben Milne and Vanessa Barford
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