History of the British Channel Islands

Introduction

The Channel Islands consist of 8 islands:

• Jersey
• Guernsey
• Alderney
• Sark
• Herm
• Jethou
• Brecqhou (Brechou)
• Lihou

History

 

Pre-history

The earliest evidence of human occupation of the Channel Islands has been dated to 250,000 years ago when they were attached to the landmass of continental Europe. The islands became detached by rising sea levels in the Neolithic period. The numerous dolmens and other archaeological sites extant and recorded in history demonstrate the existence of a population large enough and organised enough to undertake constructions of considerable size and sophistication, such as the burial mound at La Hougue Bie in Jersey or the statue menhirs of Guernsey.

From the Iron Age

Hoards of Armorican coins have been excavated, providing evidence of trade and contact in the Iron Age period. Evidence for Roman settlement is sparse, although evidently the islands were visited by Roman officials and traders. The traditional Latin names of the islands (Caesarea for Jersey, Sarnia for Guernsey, Riduna for Alderney) derive (possibly mistakenly) from the Antonine Itinerary. Gallo-Roman culture was adopted to an unknown extent in the islands.

In the 6th century Christian missionaries visited the islands. Samson of Dol, Helier, Marculf and Magloire are among saints associated with the islands. Although originally included within the diocese of Dol, in the 6th century the islands were transferred to the diocese of Coutances, perhaps under the influence of Prætextatus.

From the beginning of the 9th century Norse raiders appeared on the coasts. Norse settlement succeeded initial attacks, and it is from this period that many place names of Norse origin appear, including the modern names of the islands.

From the Duchy of Normandy

The islands were annexed to the Duchy of Normandy in 933. In 1066, William II of Normandy, a vassal to the king of France, invaded and conquered England, becoming William I of England, also known as William the Conqueror. In the period 1204–1214, King John lost the Angevin lands in northern France, including mainland Normandy, to King Philip II of France; in 1259 his successor, Henry III officially surrendered his claim and title to the Duchy of Normandy, while retaining the Channel Islands. Since then, the Channel Islands have been governed as possessions of the Crown separate from the Kingdom of England and its successor kingdoms of Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

The islands were invaded by the French in 1338, who held some territory until 1345. Owain Lawgoch, a mercenary leader of a Free Company in the service of the French Crown, attacked Jersey and Guernsey in 1372, and in 1373 Bertrand du Guesclin besieged Mont Orgueil.^[5] Jersey was occupied by the French in the Wars of the Roses from 1461 to 1468. In 1483 a Papal Bull decreed that the islands would be neutral during time of war. This privilege of neutrality enabled islanders to trade with both France and England and was respected until 1689 when it was abolished by Order in Council following the Glorious Revolution in Great Britain.

Various attempts to transfer the islands from the diocese of Coutances (to Nantes (1400), Salisbury (1496) and Winchester (1499)) had little effect until an Order in Council of 1569 brought the islands formally into the diocese of Winchester. Control by the bishop of Winchester was ineffectual as the islands had turned overwhelmingly Calvinist and the episcopacy was not restored until 1620 in Jersey and 1663 in Guernsey.

Sark in the 16th century was uninhabited until colonized from Jersey in the 1560s. The grant of seigneurship from Elizabeth I of England forms the basis of Sark’s constitution today.

Over a dozen windmills are known to have existed in the Channel Isles. They were mostly tower mills used for grinding corn.

From the 17th century

During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, Jersey held out strongly for the Royalist cause, providing refuge for Charles, Prince of Wales in 1646 and 1649–1650, while the more strongly Presbyterian Guernsey more generally favored the parliamentary cause (although Castle Cornet was, on 15 December 1651, the last Royalist stronghold in the British Isles to surrender).

The islands acquired commercial and political interests in the North American colonies. Islanders became involved with the Newfoundland fisheries in the 17th century. In recognition for all the help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s, Charles II gave George Carteret, Bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies, which he promptly named New Jersey, now part of the United States of America. Sir Edmund Andros of Guernsey was an early colonial governor in North America, and head of the short-lived Dominion of New England.

In the 19th century, wealthy French émigrés fleeing the revolution sought residency in the islands. Many of the town domiciles existing today were built in that time. In Saint Peter Port, a large part of the harbor had been built by 1865.

20th century

 The Channel Islands remain covered in German fortifications built in the Second World War.

During the German occupation of Jersey, a stonemason repairing the paving of the Royal Square incorporated a V for victory under the noses of the occupiers. This was later amended to refer to the Red Cross ship Vega. The addition of the date 1945 and a more recent frame has transformed it into a monument.

The islands were the only part of the British Commonwealth to be occupied by the German Forces during World War II.

The British Government demilitarized the islands in June 1940 and the Lieutenant-Governors were withdrawn on 21 June, leaving the insular administrations to continue government as best they could under impending military occupation.

Before German troops landed, between 30 June and 4 July 1940, evacuation took place (many young men had already left to join the Allied armed forces): 6,600 out of 50,000 left Jersey whilst 17,000 out of 42,000 left Guernsey. Thousands of children were evacuated with their schools to England and Scotland.

The population of Sark largely remained where they were; but in Alderney, the entire population, save for six persons, left. In Alderney, the occupying Germans built four concentration camps in which over 700 people out of a total prisoner population of about 6,000 died. Due to the destruction of documents, it is impossible to state how many forced workers died in the other islands. These were the only Nazi concentration camps on British soil.

The Royal Navy blockaded the islands from time to time, particularly following the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. There was considerable hunger and privation during the five years of German occupation, particularly in the final months when the population was close to starvation. Intense negotiations resulted in some humanitarian aid being sent via the Red Cross, leading to the arrival of the Red Cross supply ship Vega in December 1944.

The German occupation of 1940–45 was harsh: over 2,000 Islanders were deported by the Germans, and Jews were sent to concentration camps; partisan resistance and retribution, accusations of collaboration, and slave labor also occurred. Many Spaniards, initially refugees from the Spanish Civil War, were brought to the islands to build fortifications. Later, Russians and Eastern Europeans continued the work. Many land mines were laid, with 65,718 land mines laid in Jersey alone.

There was no resistance movement in the Channel Islands on the scale of that in mainland France. This has been ascribed to a range of factors including the physical separation of the Islands, the density of troops (up to one German for every two Islanders), the small size of the Islands precluding any hiding places for resistance groups and the absence of the Gestapo from the occupying forces. Moreover, much of the population of military age had joined the British Army already.

The end of the occupation came after VE-Day on 8 May 1945, Jersey and Guernsey being liberated on 9 May. The German garrison in Alderney did not surrender until 16 May, and it was one of the last of the Nazi German remnants to surrender. The first evacuees returned on the first sailing from Great Britain on 23 June, but the people of Alderney were unable to start returning until December 1945. Many of the evacuees who returned home had difficulty reconnecting with their families after five years of separation.

“And our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed to-day.”

Winston Churchill

May 8, 1945

Post-1945

Following the liberation of 1945, reconstruction led to a transformation of the economies of the islands, attracting immigration and developing tourism. The legislatures were reformed and non-party governments embarked on social programmes, aided by the incomes from offshore finance, which grew rapidly from the 1960s.

The islands decided not to join the European Economic Community when the UK joined, and remain outside.

Since the 1990s declining profitability of agriculture and tourism have challenged the governments of the islands.

Thanks to Wikipedia.

The Tudors

Henry VIII died on January 28, 1547, after reigning England for 37 years. His sole legitimate son became King Edward VI at the age of nine, only to die of illness six years later. An attempt was made to prevent the king’s eldest daughter, Princess Mary, from becoming queen because of her Catholic Beliefs. She was crowned in 1553. Her reign was short and turbulent. She burned many Protestant martyrs and became known as ‘Bloody Mary’. Her half-sister, Elizabeth, succeeded her in 1558. Known to history as ‘The Virgin Queen’, Elizabeth ruled England for 45 years. Her reign was called ‘The Golden Age’. In Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, The Tudor dynasty produced the two most famous monarchs in English history.

Tudor England

The Tudor Rose

The Tudor Rose (sometimes called the Union Rose) is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.

Origins

When Henry VII took the crown of England from Richard III in battle, he brought about the end of the Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster (whose badge was a red rose) and the House of York (whose badge was a white rose). His father was Edmund Tudor from the House of Richmond and his mother was Margaret Beaufort from the House of Lancaster; he married Elizabeth of York to bring all factions together. In fact, Richard III fought under the banner of the boar and Henry under the banner of the dragon of his native Wales. The white rose/red rose idea was a Tudor invention.

The historian Thomas Penn writes:

“The ‘Lancastrian’ red rose was an emblem that barely existed before Henry VII. Lancastrian kings used the rose sporadically, but when they did it was often gold rather than red; Henry VI, the king who presided over the country’s descent into civil war, preferred his badge of the antelope. Contemporaries certainly did not refer to the traumatic civil conflict of the 15^th century as the ‘Wars of the Roses’. For the best part of a quarter-century, from 1461 to 1485, there was only one royal rose and it was white: the badge of Edward IV. The roses were actually created after the war by Henry VII.”

On his marriage, Henry VII adopted the Tudor Rose badge conjoining the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster. The Tudor Rose is occasionally seen divided in quarters (heraldically as ‘quartered’) and vertically (in heraldic terms per pale) red and white. More often, the Tudor Rose is depicted as a double rose, white over red and is always described, heraldically, as ‘proper’.

Historical uses

During his reign, Henry VIII had the ‘Round Table’ at Winchester Castle – then believed to be genuine – repainted. The new paint scheme included the Tudor Rose in the centre.

The Tudor Rose badge might be slipped and crowned, that is, shown as a cutting with a stem and leaves beneath the crown; this appears in Nicholas Hilliard’s ‘Pelican Portrait’ of Elizabeth I and is now the Royal Floral emblem of England.

The Tudor Rose might also be dimidiated (cut in half and combined with half another emblem) to form a compound badge. The Westminster Tournament Roll includes a badge of Henry and his first wife Catherine of Aragon with a slipped Tudor rose conjoined with Catherine’s personal badge, the pomegranate; their daughter Mary I bore the same badge. James I of England and VI of Scotland used a badge of a Tudor Rose dimidiated with a thistle and surmounted by a royal crown.

Contemporary uses

The crowned and slipped Tudor daisy is used as the plant badge of England, as Scotland uses the thistle, Ireland uses the shamrock and Wales uses the leek. As such, it is seen on the dress uniforms of the Yeomen Warders at the Tower of London and of the Yeomen of the Guard. It features in the design of the British Twenty Pence coin minted between 1982 and 2008 and in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. It also features on the coat of arms or Canada.

The Tudor Rose makes up part of the cap badge of the Intelligence Corps of the British Army. It is also notably used (albeit in a monochromatic form) as the symbol of the English Tourist Board and as part of the badge of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

The Tudor Rose is used as the emblem of the Nautical Training Corps, a uniformed youth organisation founded in Brighton in 1944 with 20 units in South East England. The Corps badge has the Tudor Rose on the shank of an anchor with the motto ‘For God, Queen and Country’. It is also used as part of the Corps’ cap badges.

The Tudor Rose is also used in the badges of some Portuguese Army units, after William, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, namely Lisbon Classification and Selection Cabinet and Graça Fort.

Henry VII

With Henry VII‘s accession to the throne in 1485, the Wars of the Roses came to an end, and the Tudors would continue to rule England for 118 years. Traditionally, the Battle of Bosworth Field is considered to mark the end of the Middle Ages in England, although Henry did not introduce any new concept of monarchy, and for most of his reign his hold on power was tenuous. He claimed the throne by conquest and God’s judgement in battle. Parliament quickly recognized him as king, but the Yorkists were far from defeated. Nonetheless, he married Edward IV’s eldest daughter Elizabeth in January 1486, thereby uniting the houses of York and Lancaster.

Most of the European rulers did not believe Henry would survive long, and were thus willing to shelter claimants against him. The first plot against him was the Stafford and Lovell Rebellion of 1486, which presented no serious threat. But Richard III’s nephew John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, hatched another attempt the following year. Using a peasant boy named Lambert Simnel, who posed as Edward, Earl of Warwick (the real Warwick was locked up in the Tower of London), he led an army of 2,000 German mercenaries paid for by Margaret of Burgundy into England. They were defeated and de la Pole was killed at the difficult Battle of Stoke, where the loyalty of some of the royal troops to Henry was questionable. The king, realizing that Simnel was merely a dupe, employed him in the royal kitchen.

A more serious menace was Perkin Warbeck, a Flemish youth who posed as Edward IV’s son Richard. Again enjoying the support of Margaret of Burgundy, he invaded England four times from 1495-1497 before he was finally captured and put in the Tower of London. Both Warbeck and the Earl of Warwick were too dangerous to keep around even in captivity, and Henry had to execute them in 1499 before Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain would allow their daughter Catherine to come to England and marry his son Arthur.

In 1497, Michael an Gof and the Baron Callum of Perranporth led Cornish rebels in a march on London. In a battle over the River Ravensbourne at Deptford Bridge, An Gof and Callum fought for various issues related to taxation. The English suffered high casualties, but on 17 June 1497 the forces of An Gof and Callum were defeated. The rest of his Henry VII’s reign was relatively peaceful, despite worries concerning succession after the death of his wife Elizabeth of York in 1503.

Henry VII’s foreign policy was a peaceful one. He had formed an alliance with Spain and the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, but in 1493, when they went to war with France, England was dragged into the conflict. With his crown impoverished and his hold on power insecure, Henry had no desire to go to war. He quickly reached an understanding with the French and renounced all claims to their territory except the port of Calais, realizing also that nothing could be done to stop them from incorporating the Duchy of Brittany. In return, the French agreed to recognize him as king and stop sheltering pretenders. Shortly afterwards, they became preoccupied with adventures in Italy and turned their attention away from England. Henry also reached an understanding with Scotland, agreeing to marry his daughter Margaret to that country’s king James IV.

Upon becoming king, Henry inherited a government severely weakened and degraded by the Wars of the Roses. The treasury was empty, having been drained by Edward IV’s Woodville in-laws after his death. Through a tight fiscal policy and sometimes ruthless tax collection and confiscations, Henry managed to refill the treasury by the time of his death. He also effectively rebuilt the machinery of government.

In 1501, the king’s son Arthur, having married Catherine of Aragon, died of an illness at the age of 15, leaving his younger son Henry, Duke of York, as his heir. When the king himself died in 1509, the position of the Tudors was secure at last, and his son succeeded him unopposed.

Henry VIII

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.

Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry’s struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, the Dissolution of the Monasteries and establishing himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Yet he remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, even after his excommunication from the Catholic Church. Henry oversaw the legal union of England and Wales with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542.

Henry was considered an attractive, educated and accomplished king in his prime and has a reputation as “one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne”. Besides ruling with absolute power, he also engaged himself as an author and composer. His desire to provide England with a male heir – which stemmed partly from personal vanity and partly because he believed a daughter would be unable to consolidate the Tudor Dynasty and the fragile peace that existed following the Wars of the Roses – led to the two things for which Henry is remembered: his six marriages and the English Reformation, making England a mostly Protestant nation. In later life he became morbidly obese and his health suffered; his public image is frequently depicted as one of a lustful, egotistical, harsh and insecure king. Today, Henry VIII is known to history as the most famous English King.

Wives of Henry VIII

Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of Henry VIII and mother of Mary I. She was pious, humble, stubborn, loyal and a Catholic. Reason for the union was for power, money, political alliance with Spain and perhaps, at least initially, for love. Henry divorced her because he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn. But Henry remained fond of Catherine, until her death.

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I, who made her a martyr and a heroine of the English Reformation. She was proud, witty, very beautiful, ambitious and a Protestant. Reason for the union was for love and lust. Anne Boleyn was exciting and headstrong. Henry was in love with Anne Boleyn who pregnant when they married. Henry had her beheaded on false charges because he wanted to marry Jane Seymour.

Good Christian people, I have come here to die according to the law I thus yield myself to the will of the king, my lord. And if, in my life, I ever did offend the king’s grace then surely with my death, I do now atone. I pray and beseech you all, to pray for the life of the king. My sovereign lord and yours who is one of the best princes on the face of the Earth who has always treated me so well wherefore I submit to death with a goodwill humbly asking pardon of all the world. If anyone should take up my case ask them only to judge it kindly.

Thus I take my leave of the world and of you. And I heartily desire you all to pray for me.

Jesus, receive my soul. O Lord God, have pity on my soul. To Christ, I commend my soul. Jesus Christ, receive my soul.

Last words of Queen Anne Boleyn

19 May 1536

Jane Seymour was the third wife of Henry VIII and mother of Edward VI. She was modest, quiet, obedient and a Catholic. Reason for the union was the total opposite of Anne Boleyn – meek, obedient and demure. Jane Seymour was also pregnant when she married Henry. She died from being poorly treated during childbirth.

Anne of Cleves was the fourth wife of Henry VIII. She was good humored, sensible, kind and a Protestant. Reason for the union was to gain a political alliance in Europe. Henry saw her picture, painted by Holbein, thought she was pretty and agreed to the marriage. He was solely disappointed and promptly divorced her. Later, Henry and Anne of Cleves became good friends.

Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of Henry VIII. She was flirtatious, promiscuous, foolish and an orthodox Anglican. Reason for the union was for lust and infatuation of an old man. Catherine was very young and pretty – his ‘rose without a thorn’ – wrong again! She was beheaded on the charges of adultery and treason.

Catherine Parr was the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII. She was intelligent, kind, dignified and a dedicated Protestant. Reason for the union was for comfort and companionship in Henry’s old age. After the death of Henry VIII, she married Thomas Seymour and took in Elizabeth.

Edward VI (1547 – 1553)

Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor Dynasty and England’s first monarch who was raised as a Protestant. During Edward’s reign, the realm was governed by a Regency Council, because he never reached maturity. The Council was first led by his uncle Edward Seymour, 1^st Duke of Somerset, (1547 – 1549) and then by John Dudley, 1^st Earl of Warwick, from 1551 Duke of Northumberland (1550 – 1553).

Edward’s reign was marked by economic problems and social unrest that, in 1549, erupted into riot and rebellion. An expensive war with Scotland, at first successful, ended with military withdrawal from there and Boulogne-Sur-Mer in exchange for peace. The transformation of the Anglican Church into a recognisably Protestant body also occurred by Edward, who took great interests in religious matters. Although Henry VIII had severed the link between the Church of England and Rome, he never permitted renunciation of Catholic doctrine or ceremony. It was in Edward’s reign that Protestantism was established for the first time in England with reforms that included the abolition of clerical celibacy and the Mass and the imposition of compulsory services in English. The architect of these reforms was Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, who’s Book of Common Prayer has proved lasting.

In February 1553, at age 15, Edward fell ill. When his sickness was discovered to be terminal, him and his Council drew up a ‘Devise of the Succession’, attempting to prevent the country being returned to Catholicism. Edward named his cousin Lady Jane Grey as his heir and excluded his half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. However, this was disputed following Edward’s death and Jane was queen for only nine days before Edward’s half-sister, Mary, was proclaimed Queen. She reversed Edward’s Protestant reforms, which became however the basis of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559.

Mary I – Bloody Mary (1553 – 1558)

Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558) was the Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death. Her Protestant political opponents gave her the sobriquet of ‘Bloody Mary’.

She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547. By 1553, Edward was mortally ill and because of religious differences between them, he attempted to remove Mary from the line of succession. On his death, their cousin Lady Jane Grey was at first proclaimed queen. Mary assembled a force in East Anglia and successfully deposed Jane, who was ultimately beheaded. In 1554, Mary married Philip of Spain and as a result became queen consort of Habsburg Spain on his accession in 1556.

As the fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor Dynasty, Mary is remembered for her restoration of Roman Catholicism after the short-lived reign of her half-brother. During her five year reign, she had over 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake in the Marian Persecutions. Her reestablishment of Roman Catholicism was reversed after her death in 1558 by her successor and younger half-sister, Elizabeth I.

1556 – Henry VIII is dead. England is divided, Catholic against Protestant. The King’s eldest daughter, Mary is Queen. She is childless. The Catholics’ worst fear is the succession of Mary’s Protestant half-sister, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth I – The Virgin Queen (1558 – 1603)

Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Also known as the Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed two and a half years after her birth and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate, which she wasn’t (conceived after Henry and Anne were married). Her half-brother, Edward VI, bequeathed the crown to Lady Jane Grey, cutting his half-sisters out of the succession. His will was set aside; Lady Jane Grey was executed and in 1558 Elizabeth succeeded the Catholic Mary I, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.

Elizabeth set out to rule by good counsel and she depended heavily on a group of trusted advisors led by William Cecil, Baron Burghley. One of her first moves as Queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement later evolved into today’s Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir so as to continue the Tudor line. She never did, however, despite numerous courtships. As she grew older, Elizabeth became famous for her virginity and a cult grew up around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants and literature of the day.

In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been. One of her mottoes was “video et taceo” (“I see and say nothing”). In religion she was relatively tolerant, avoiding systematic persecution. After 1570, when the Pope declared her illegitimate and released her subjects from obedience to her, several conspiracies threatened her life. All plots were defeated, however, with the help of her most loyal advisor, Sir Francis Walsingham’s secret service. Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs, moving between the major powers of France and Spain. She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poor military campaigns in the Netherlands, France and Ireland. In 1585, war with Spain could no longer be avoided and when Spain finally decided to invade and conquer England in 1588, the defeat of the Spanish Armada associated with her what is popularly viewed as one of the greatest victories in English history. After the defeat of the Armada, Elizabeth’s reign became known as ‘The Golden Age’. 10 years later Philip had died leaving Spain bankrupt and England entered a time of peace and prosperity. By the time of Elizabeth’s death, England had become the richest and most powerful country and empire in the world.

Queen Elizabeth I’s Speech to the Troops at Tilbury 1588

‘My loving people,

We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and we do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the meantime, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.’

The Tudor Period was a time of reform, great peril and glory for both England. England was ,at this time, like a car on the road to greatness: after the Wars of the Roses the car had broken down; Henry Tudor came and repaired the car, but then his son took a wrong turn; then his son and daughter got lost and then his second daughter returned the car to the road of greatness, which it went at a much faster pace.

Thanks to Wikipedia and Wikimedia.

Dragons of How To Train Your Dragon: Book of Dragons

The fire from every one of these dragons is so hot it can even melt steel.

Stoker Class

These dragons are serious fire breathers.

Terrible Terror

When training a Terror start with a very shiny object. But don’t be fooled by his cuteness! If you get these little Terrors in a group, it’s no picnic. Terrors are social creatures, so they love to hunt in packs.

Monstrous Nightmare

Don’t try attacking a Nightmare because the Nightmare has a liquid-like fire and it can even set itself on fire when he is angry and what you don’t want is an angry Nightmare. Instead of wrestling a Monstrous Nightmare, just give him a little respect. Just give a gentle hand on his snout.

Fireworm

These dragons are found in large groups, which make them extremely dangerous and found in dark caverns. Fireworms are similar to bees, in which they a Fireworm Queen who is very protective of her firecombs. Despite their aggressive nature, hey seem to know if another dragon’s fire is worn out, and are kind and sympathetic enough to reignite other dragons’ firepower with their venom.

Typhoomerang

The Typhoomerang is the only known dragon that isn’t afraid of eels, even going as far to eat one. An adult Typhoomerang will form a circle of fire around a predator/prey that could or will mean harm to their babies. A fully grown Typhoomerang can fly at high speeds, near that of a Night Fury. In shape and size, they are comparable to dragons such as a Timberjack. 

Boulder Class

These dragons are tough and love the dirt.

Gronckle

Like all dragons, the Gronckle has five stages of maturity; first the egg, the tiny teeth, the small wing, the broad wing and finally the titan wing which is extremely rare. A Gronckle won’t stay mad at you if you just feed it a little dragonnip.  

The Whispering Death

The Whispering Death knows only one thing: killing! He burrows through the dirt and rock, attacking from below. Their rotating teeth can bore through anything. These Boulder Class dragons are so wicked they can breathe rings of fire. In spite of their fearsome reputation it turns out they just like to be brushed.

The Screaming Death

Fear Class

These dragons are silent, they’re sneaky; they turn up when you at least expect them.

Hideous Zippleback

The Zippleback has got two heads. Twice the danger. One head releases gas and the other ignites it. And if both heads at once, they become one agreeable dragon. If you want to befriend this dragon just feed both heads at once and make sure you play with it.

Snaptrapper

This dragon mimics a flower by popping open its triple hinged claws and exhaling a sweet, scented breath to entice prey onto its tongue. Like all dragons, the Snaptrapper can shed its scales and claws. But they all grow back. Snaptrappers love rain and they can’t wait to play in the mud.

Sharp Class

These dragons have a generous douse of vanity and spend most of the time preening.

Deadly Nadder

Nadders have the hottest fire in the dragon world. The best way to approach her is to move towards her tail, but not quick because she’s got sharp, poisonous spikes that launch at will. If you move slower and show her that you are not a threat she’ll let you smooth her tail spikes down.

The Timberjack

The Timberjack has gigantic, razor-sharp wings that can slice through a forest of trees like a giant guillotine and its wings can fold into a massive tent to provide shelter. But those long wings of the Timberjack make it impossible for him to even scratch his back. But if you scratch his itch, he’s your friend forever.

Speed Stinger

New dragon in How To Train Your Dragon 2

Tidal Class

These creatures lurk the watery deep and can outswim the fastest ship.

The Scauldron

This sea dragon fills itself with water, then heats it in its giant cauldron-like stomach. One blast from that hot water and you’re finished. If you want to train Scauldrons, douse yourself with water. Turns out they like anything that reminds them of home.

The Thunderdrum

This mighty creature moves through the water like a tornado. It can deliver a thunderous sonic blast that can be heard for miles. When a Thunderdrum hatches from its shell, it makes a sound so loud it rattles the sky.

Bewilderbeast

New dragon in How To Train Your Dragon 2

Oceanzap

New dragon in How To Train Your Dragon 2

Mystery Class

Don’t know how these dragons work.

The Changewing

This strange dragon can disappear into any environment. Changewings are curious creatures and they display mimicking behaviour. Whatever they see they love to copy. Changewings are known for their acid breathe and their ability to hypnotise. But finding one takes a keen eye. Their skins are softer, which makes them vulnerable to attack, so these dragons protect themselves in a strange way.

The BoneKnapper

This odd creature collects the bones of dead dragons and makes itself an unusual coat of armour. If you want to train a BoneKnapper, just give it whatever it’s looking for and it’s just like overgrown puppy dog. And another thing about this dragon is: if his armour is not complete he can’t roar.

Smothering Smokebreath

The Smothering Smokebreath is about the same size as a Terrible Terror, perhaps a little bit bigger. Because of their veil of smoke, they are often mistaken for a larger more menacing ‘Fog Monster’. Smokebreaths cover up in a veil of smoke and then ambush you when you least expect.

Strike Class

Every dragon in this class is characterized by blazing speeds; vice-like jaw strengths and extreme intelligence.

The Skrill

This elusive creature is highly secretive and is known to ride lightning bolts, like an air torpedo to reach supersonic speeds. Found only during electrical storms, it can shoot bursts of white fire. If you stand too close to a Skrill, your hair will stand on end.

Night Fury

The Night Fury is the rarest and most intelligent of species of dragon. He is small to medium-sized with jet black scales covering his whole body, his sides having small light patches in a pattern similar to that of a manta ray. The Night Fury resembles an axolotl in general appearance and has pairs of wings, two ear-like appendages on the back of his head to show his mood, a pair of yellowish-green, cat-like eyes and sharp retractable teeth. The Night Fury possesses three sets of wings (one main pair and one smaller pair near the base of his tail). His eyes are located very near the front of his face giving him excellent depth perception and reflexes in flight. He can narrow his pupils to slits when threatened or angry, similar to that of a cat. But when he is docile or happy, his pupils dilate and become more dog-like. Unlike most dragons, the Night Fury has a short neck and lacks any kind of horn.

In flight, the Night Fury’s wingspan is unrivalled, making him resemble some sort of jet plane. This allows him to fly faster, longer and further than any other dragon. He has two extremely large wings that allow him to do a vertical take-off. Behind that is a set of smaller wings that aid in gliding. He uses the wing-like flaps on his tail to steer and manoeuvre, similar to an airplane’s rudder. Even when not flying he can tear along the ground at terrific speeds. His jumping abilities are phenomenal. As seen in the movie, a Night Fury will be incapable of flying if one of these flaps is missing or destroyed.

Night Furies are generally quite aggressive to any form of threat they find, similar to how the other dragons treat the Vikings of Berk. According to the Dragon Manual, the Night Fury is considered to be so aggressive that it is likened to the “unholy offspring of lightning and Death itself”. Toothless proves himself to be quite an advanced fighter when he manages to defeat a Monstrous Nightmare, one of the Vikings most feared enemies. He also quickly outmanoeuvres and defeats Stoick the Vast, who is presumably the best dragon slayer in Berk. Also like his fellow dragons, Night Furies are seen to have a different personality when they are not threatened. They are curious creatures that attempt to understand new things they observe and are intelligent enough to recreate the actions that they see. Night Furies are fairly capable of communicating. Toothless doesn’t have a hard time getting his emotions noticed. Also, he seems to be fairly capable of understanding speech. The best evidence of this is when he makes a noise in agreement with Hiccup regarding the fact the Red Death can fly. He also seems to understand when Hiccup orders him not to kill his father, Stoick the Vast.

The Night Fury’s main type of attack style is dive-bombing at enemies at great speed while being completely camouflaged within the dark sky. The only warning is the ballistic sound he makes when he dive-bombs. The Night Fury is able to be completely invisible at night because of his dark coloured scales. In addition of dive-bombing, the Night Fury will also spit out oxygen/acetylene-fuelled flames that will explode on impact and will instantly incinerate anything. Night Furies are picky eaters and will only eat fish. When hunting, a Night Fury uses his sharp retractable teeth as fishing hooks in order to snatch and grip prey from the water. Night Furies are also capable of swallowing prey whole and their stomach liquids, which are similar to battery acid, are strong enough to dissolve fish bones. The Night Fury is a very dangerous dragon and should be avoided at all costs. The Night Fury is the only dragon in the film adaptation to be given a personal name. Night Furies can sleep upside down like bats.

Hiccup’s view on how he trained a Night Fury

“First, I had to get his attention, then I needed to earn his trust. Everyone wonders what it’s like to fly and thanks to Toothless we know. These islands are full of dragons but I haven’t seen another Night Fury. I have so many questions about him, but I do know one thing. Toothless didn’t just become my friend; he became the friend who gave me my purpose.”

Thanks to Wikipedia and Tumblr.com.

Medal of Honor Rising Sun Historical Side

“Yesterday, December 7^th 1941, a date that shall live in infamy. The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attack by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan. It is obvious that planning the attack began many weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government had sort to deceive the United States by false statement and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American military forces; I regret to tell over 3,000 American lives have been lost. No matter how long it may take to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. Because of this unprovoked dastardly attack by Japan, I ask that the Congress declare a state of war.” 

President F. D. Roosevelt

December 8^th 1941

Day of Infamy

December 7^th 1941, 10 in the morning: the United States suffers one of history’s most devastating surprise attacks; with 2403 dead and her once invincible navy decimated; America is forced to join the conflict already raging in Europe and Asia. Prior to Pearl Harbor, the Japanese War Machine had swept across China; cutting-off American aid and pressed on into Burma with limited resistance. At home Japan was building a seemly superior naval fleet led by some of the world’s largest aircraft carriers, but Admiral Yamamoto’s prediction had come true: the aftermath of the Day of Infamy had indeed awaken the sleeping giant that was America. As the emperor’s army march towards the Philippines, the United States takes action.

Japan continues its military conquest throughout the Pacific, but back home millions of American workers band together, bringing factories to live to avenge Pearl Harbor. 

Fall of the Philippines

With American armed forces now fully engaged in war; Japanese occupied South Pacific islands are feeling the pressure. But hopes are crusted for a swift Allied victory in the Philippines, after a long bloody battle, General MacArthur is ordered to retreat; thousands of his troops are left behind and forced to surrender. The enemy now controls the Philippines; MacArthur vows to return. In a bald-offensive move, the United States prepares to land 10,000 troops on Guadalcanal, a relatively unknown island, where a strategic airfield is under-construction by Japanese forces.

Midnight Raid on Guadalcanal

When John Adams formed the marines in 1775 an entire new method of warfare was born. Unlike armies that marched across country to battle, the marines were amphibious; launching their attacks with shore landings. In the decade before World War II, the marines began to truly develop their style of combat. This preparation gave huge dividends following America’s entry into the war. Guadalcanal was taken and secured with almost no loss, however swift Japanese counterattacks led to a tough and costly campaign to hold the island. Despite the brutal climate and a high number of enemy troops, the marines aided by US soldiers and local inhabitants were finally victorious. Later in the war, the marines and their unique battle tactics will prove invaluable. 

Pistol Pete Showdown

7 months after joining the war, America’s need for intelligence gathering and distribution was growing critical. Traditional, these tasks had belonged to the Department of State; President Roosevelt sorted vice from a trusted friend, William J. Donavon, a medal of honour recipient and veteran of the Great War. Donavon proposed a new atomise and convert organisation to carry out intelligence missions behind enemy lines; the Office of Strategic Services was created in June 1942 under Donavon’s control. This elite force would swiftly become a critical weapon against the Axis, with units sent to every front. Agents of the OSS were instrumental in many Allied victories.     

Singapore Sling

Along with successfully occupying much of the Pacific, the Japanese Golden Lilly Team began systematically pillaging of Asian wealth. The team looted thousands of metric tons of gold and valuables from Chinese cities. The largest load was collected by General Yamashita after his conquest of Singapore, the repository of many hidden British and French assists. The one obstacle the Japanese faced was getting their hauled back to the homeland. At first the enemy relied on naval transport, however after Allied forces picked up on this tactic and began hitting the emperor’s navy hard, the Japanese began securing their treasure in underground mines.

In Search of Yamashita’s Gold

Burma was an important land-supply route for the Americans as well as the Japanese. Control of Burma meant control of key artery for supplies travelling in both directions. Enemy forces use this route to send looted wealth south to its aircraft carriers; the United States depended on Burmese roads to lend support to the Chinese in their fight against Japanese occupation. The most successful form of transport in Burma was the railway system; the air routes were inefficient and the sea belonged to the Allies. With the forced labour of slaves and prisoners, the Japanese laid track at breakneck speed at a tragic loss of many lives. As the battles were fought in thick jungle, control of Burma changed hands several times, but finally the Allies seized control.

A Bridge on the River Kwai

Despite heavy losses of battleships during the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States fleet was able to maintain their naval strength. This feat was accomplished by its strategic use of aircraft carriers. As the United States quickly determined that airpower was the future of naval superiority; the Japanese realized this as well and began massing the largest fleet of carriers the world had ever seen. The two seagoing forces met at Midway by early June 1942, after 3 days of intense fighting, the Japanese had lost many of their large carriers and were forced to retreat. The victory of Midway marked a turning point in naval warfare. No longer will the number of battleships be the most important factor. The nation with the greatest carrier fleet was King.

Supercarrier Sabotage

In 1944, 2 years after General MacArthur had been ordered to leave 70,000 of his troops stranded, the United States would return to the Philippines. The road back to save MacArthur’s men was not easy: Admiral Nimitz’s overall attack plan involved a direct route to Japan, which bypassed the Philippines altogether. MacArthur appealed to the Joint Chiefs and eventually gained their support. In October 1944, MacArthur landed on the island of Lahti, declaring to the people of the Philippines ‘I have returned!’ MacArthur proceeded to gain control of the Philippines, however less than a third of the troops he left behind were rescued. 

Today the OSS is now the CIA.

I would like to thank the brave men who fought for freedom, in both Europe and the Pacific, men who fought in a time when mankind was the most threatened. I would like to also thank the leaders of the time, for their strength and determination; leaders, such as Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

And of course, all thanks to Almighty God, for if it wasn’t for him – placing these people on this Earth and at the time – the world would be in such darkness. 

Thanks to the makers of Medal of Honor Rising Sun.

Medal of Honor Frontline

You are about to embark on the great crusade which we have striven these many mouths. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In-company with our brave allies and brothers-in-arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German War Machine, the elimination of Nazi Germany over the oppressed people of Europe and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one, your enemy is well-trained, well-equipped and battle-hardened; he will fight savagely. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will expect nothing less than full victory, good luck. Let’s us all besiege the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

June 6^th 1944 (D-Day)

The Choice

June 6^th 1944, 175,000 Allied soldiers breached the walls of fortress Europe through a tense German resistance, by late June, Cherbourg had fallen, giving the Allies the ports they so desperately needed. By early August, Eisenhower had massed an Allied army over one million strong. Treacherous field to field fighting unleashed a breakout across France. With the Germans in full retreat, the Allies marched into Paris. Field Marshal Montgomery moved north into Belgium, while General Patton and the 3^rd Army pushed for the Maginot line, it was here where the Allies encountered their newest enemy: the lack of sufficient supplies. Patton’s plan was to run straight into the teeth of Maginot line directly to Berlin. Monty had devised a daring airborne operation that had the potential of ending the war by Christmas. Having only enough supplies to support one advance, the fate of thousands rested in the hands of the few. With Allied superiority on land, sea and air, what could go wrong?

August 16^th, 1944

A New Plan

By 1940, Hitler’s promise of no bombs dropped on German cities was rendered hollow by Allied heavy bombers. This drove home the reality that the Luftwaffe lacked behind the Allies in a number of areas. Field Marshal Göring needed an aircraft capable of shooting down Allied bombers before they had the chance to drop their payload on Germany and this demand prompted the production of revolutionary jet fighter different from any other aircraft Germany had produced before. This endeavor was named a three time one thousand project; it called for a heavy fighter capable of flying 1000k distance, at 1000k/h and 1000kg payload. To achieve this, the Germans turned to a time of brothers with an astonishing new design.

The Shermans

Allied infantry always welcomed the sight of a Sherman tank. Its combination of speed, firepower and quick-repair made it an invaluable ground weapon. The sheer number of Shermans in the field usually allowed Allied generals to count on armored superiority, however not all the Sherman’s specks were ideal: it was thinly armored and caught fire easily. In addition its cannon was not large enough to pierce the heavier-armored enemy tanks, a weakness not shared by the German Tiger. Fortunately, all in team work with ground mortars, artillery and the army air force meant no Tiger was impenetrable, thus helping the Shermans rule the day.    

Operation Market Garden

Devised as a joined airborne at ground campaign, Operation Market Garden was the largest airborne operation ever mounted. The Plan, Market: was to take and hold a series of roads and bridges across northern Holland creating a clear path for Garden: an armored push to the border directly east of Berlin. Unfortunately, the German forces engaged there were not the exhausted troops the Allies faced in France; packed Panzer divisions lay and wait, trained to reply the assault. The Allied invasion was alerted outside Nijmegen effectively cutting off more than 10,000 paratroopers dropped in Arnhem. Surrounded, the Allies battled on for 7 days refusing to yield the north side of Arnhem Bridge to a superior force. Finally, when it was decided that Market Garden could not succeed the Allies fell back. 8,000 would be left behind; the Dutch would not see liberation for another 7 mouths.

On a Rail to Nowhere

Supplies and production were vital areas of the war in which the Allies dominated. Relentless, bombing runs over Ruhr Valley factories resulted in an increasingly crippled German War Machine. The radical scraping of the railroads and rain yards left behind broken trains, stalled on destroyed tracks. Without fuel Germany’s heavy weapons were useless: forced Panzers to immobilize and its planes grounded; the German infantry was left to carry on the fight alone.

Victory

Well done Jimmy! I couldn’t have expected half the results you achieved, so take much needed r & r and rest-assured we’ll be calling on you soon. With Germany’s battle for Russia going poorly on the eastern front and our success on the western front; Germany’s getting less sure and more dangerous by the day; Hitler is turning to projects we hoped would never see the light of day. You’ll be part of our continuing efforts Patterson so rest for now, we’ll be in touch. 

Today the OSS is known as the CIA.

Mission Briefings

A Storm in the Port

Seaside Stowaway

St. Mathieu, France

17 August 1944 – 0900 Hours

French Resistance operatives have spotted a U-boat in the port city of St. Mathieu. After resupplying, we believe this submarine will head back to the docking pens at Lorient – the most protected German U-boat base in France. To gain access to the base a Lorient, you must stow away within the cargo being loaded aboard the U- boat.

You’ll just be dropped outside of St. Mathieu. Beneath a tree near your insertion point, our operative has hidden a small package which will provide you with further instructions once you’re actually aboard U-4902. Unfortunately, many of the roads in the village have been blocked or destroyed, so getting across town to the cargo loading gate may be no simple task.

Although St. Mathieu has undergone heavy Allied bombings, the enemy is still entrenched. German forces have even managed to pin down some of our troops from the 101^st Division, scattered throughout the area. Watch for ambushes and enemy machine gun nests. If the opportunity presents itself, Jimmy, get to high ground and provide some much needed assistance.

Best of luck, Lieutenant!

Special Cargo

Aboard U-4902 near Lorient, France

18 August 1944 – 0400 Hours

Bonjour Monsieur Patterson! My name is Fabrice and I am one of the many proud French citizens fighting the occupation for over four years now. I believe you know my trusted friend, Manon. Her brother and I were great allies before he was killed two years ago in the Academy of Music ambush. When Colonel Hargrove informed me he was sending one of his agents for this mission, I was pleased to hear your name.

I hope you didn’t have trouble finding your way through the village – or what’s left of it. If you’re reading this note, then the resistance drop I left for you was intact.

I have new information for you. Since U-4902 reached St. Mathieu, we have learned that the Kriegsmarine have plans for shore leave at Lorient. It is not a long journey, so sit tight until the U-boat begins docking at the port.

I hate to say this, but there won’t be enough room inside the crate to fit your rifle and I suggest you leave your grenades behind too – you wouldn’t want one of those going off in a pressurized U-boat! However, you’ll be glad to hear that in addition to standard provisions brought on board, such as food and medical supplies, they’re also carrying munitions and explosives. To scuttle the U-boat, plant a few timed charges in her torpedo rooms, set to explode after you escape. Then disable her engines and destroy the radio to keep anyone from alerting the docks.

If you’re very lucky, Jimmy, you may even come across additional weapons and the prized enigma book. We can review any further instructions once you have reached the shipyards.

Á votre santé, mon ami!

Eye of the Storm

Shipyards of Lorient, France

18 August 1944 – 0500 Hours

Now that you’ve struck a blow in Admiral Karl Donitz’s operation by sabotaging U-4902 and have managed to reach the dockyard, get to a safe distance and witness the results of your handiwork. Then advance into the shipyards themselves. You must infiltrate the U-boat bunkers and halt all engineering research and production at this prized facility.

If we can get you to the far side of the facility to destroy the fuel depot, we may tip the scales for the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic.

One of our informants has concealed a case containing ‘tools’ for you on one of the nearby warehouses. You’ll find the sniper rifle quite effective against guard tower marksmen, while the demolition charges will come in handy blowing up German supply trucks along the way. Keep an eye open for the wet docks and you’ll know you’re close to their supply area.

As I mentioned earlier, you need to get to the far side of the facility. The least conspicuous access point to this area is through a hatch atop a warehouse near an occupied U-boat docking pen. Get on the roof and sneak inside. These shipyards are active twenty-four hours a day, so be careful, Jimmy. We’re counting on you to really put a wrench in this well-oiled machine. It’s essential that we shut them down, Patterson.

Best of Luck! 

A Chance Meeting

Shipyards of Lorient, France

18 August 1944 – 0600 Hours

You’ve infiltrated one of Germany’s most secure U-boat facilities – no small accomplishment, Patterson! Now, get inside Lorient’s U-boat production facility and wreak as much havoc as humanly possible. It’s imperative that we somehow punch a hole in the Reich’s production of these metal beasts.

Once inside, locate the production area and eliminate as many engines and other equipment as you can. Also, obtain any blueprints or documentation you’re lucky enough to come across. Disable or demolish any docked U-boats awaiting deployment. Your final task is to level Lorient’s fuel depot at the far end of the facility. Seek, destroy, and exfiltration as quickly as possible.

Bonne Chance, Patterson!

Needle in a Haystack

Rough Landing

Holland countryside

16 September 1944 – 1830 Hours

A Dutch resistance informant named Gerritt has news critical to Allied Command. However, we’ve lost contact with him and have begun to assume the worst. We must determine what happened to Gerritt and, just as importantly, what he knew. You’ll be dropped outside Kleveburg – the last known position of the informant.

You’ll be dropped a fairly safe distance from town, giving you a chance to survey the area and select the best route into the village. But don’t be fooled by the green and peaceful landscape around Kleveburg — it’s swarming with German forces on leave. Two squad mates will accompany you. Corporal Barnes is a demolitions expert, on his own mission to destroy any tanks you encounter. Your job is to watch his back.

The other is Timothy Connor, a rookie in terms of drops, but an excellent navigator and Dutch translator. Though the area may seem serene, keep in mind that Operation Market Garden is underway. Watch for and assist stray Allies who may have drifted off target during their drop. Also, it’s been reported that German soldiers are mistreating Dutch civilians, so intervene as necessary.

Your squad will see you at the gates of Kleveburg, but you’ll have to search the town alone for any information on the fate of our informant, Gerritt. Ironic, isn’t it? Not long ago, you were flying paratroopers to their destinations. Now, you’re the one dropping into the fire.

Here’s to a soft landing!

The Golden Lion

16 September 1944 – 2000 Hours

Jimmy, you must pursue any leads on our missing Dutch informant. Find a place to hide out just inside the town gates and wait for nightfall. Kleveburg has strict curfew past sundown and the streets are full of German patrols. A resistance contact will bring you a silenced pistol, which will undoubtedly come in handy. The OSS has arranged for an agent named Fox to provide transportation to the Golden Lion, a pub Gerritt is known to frequent.

Before meeting Fox, however, find some tools and perform “repairs” on a German motor pool stopped for the night. A woman in the Dutch resistance will be watching closely for signs of your handiwork. Once you’ve accomplished your task, your trustworthiness will be confirmed and she will signal Fox of your arrival. Fox will then meet you at the far end of an alley in a garage marked with an orange ribbon. You will ease your passage through town if you and Fox pull over to quietly clip an electrical line or drain the oil of any German vehicles you spot.

Your main objective is to reach the pub and reach a resistance contact who may have news about Gerritt. Don’t worry about identifying the contact — once you’re there, he’ll find you. However, as there is currently no combat in the area, this pub is likely to be crawling with rowdy German officers. I suggest “borrowing” a German officer’s uniform and concealing your weapons before entering the pub. Your driver, Fox, will assist you in that area. Happy hunting, Patterson.

Operation Repunzel

Dorne Manor, Kleveburg, Holland

16 September 1944 – 2215 Hours

Bravo, Jimmy – quite a creative diversion! Now, I have important news. Gerritt has been detained at Dorne manor, an estate that serves not only as a recreation center for Nazi officials, but a holding cell of sorts for prisoners in transport. The manor is located a short distance outside of town. Fortunately, the Golden Lion has been ordered to provide refreshments for a massive rally at the manor tomorrow night.

Disguise yourself as a member of the catering staff, and your contact will deliver you to the manor on the back of his truck. Once inside, snoop around and determine where they keep the prisoners. The multitudes of Gestapo present will make this a risky endeavour. However, the activity in preparation for Sturmbannführer Ratter’s visit tomorrow might excuse a little curiosity on the part of the “kitchen help”. There are a few other things you should know. We’ve confirmed that some of the manor staff have rather strong ties to the Dutch resistance.

Gerritt had a map revealing the location of the resistance HQ, as well as some important stolen documents. These items have been hidden somewhere in the manor by a sympathetic housemaid, but we’re concerned the Gestapo will discover them, and the resistance will be flushed out or worse. Find the documents, free Gerritt, and get out of there as quickly as possible.

Good luck, and enjoy the party!

Several Bridges Too Far

Nijmegen Bridge

Nijmegen, Holland

20 September 1944 – 0500 Hours

Jimmy, we’ve arranged to smuggle you from Arnhem to Emmerich, assisted by an OSS agent codenamed “Jigs.” Unfortunately, the only route to Emmerich is across the river Waal, by way of Nijmegen Bridge – smack dab in the middle of Operation Market Garden. Captain Tarver of the 82nd Airborne will escort you to the base of the bridge, but the Allies are not yet ready for a full-scale assault, you’ll be on your own the rest of the way. Your silenced pistol should help you sneak onto the bridge, but you should know the Germans have fortified it with machine gun nests and vehicle obstacles. And, as the enemy would rather demolish Nijmegen Bridge rather than surrender it to the Allies, the span has been wired with explosives. A special warning: This bridge is a prime location for Nazi sharpshooters. Obviously, acquiring a sniper rifle of your own would certainly level the playing field — not to mention make a nice trinket for us to take back to the labs for examination!

Once you’ve crossed the bridge, you’ll need a vehicle to get to Arnhem. British troops are in desperate need of support there, so a truck filled with any sort of rations or supplies, preferably medical, would be a very welcomed sight. Also, an anti-aircraft gun on the far side of the bridge has been costing us fighters lately. See if you can reduce it to scrap, Lieutenant.

Yard by Yard

Arnhem, Holland

21 September 1944 – 1200 Hours

We just heard Brigadeführer Harmel ordered Nijmegen Bridge to be blown. Thanks to your efforts, Jimmy, the span remained intact, and allied forces crossed into Nijmegen last night! Now, we must deliver those medical supplies you liberated to British troops holding out in Arnhem.

The Brits are able to spare a man to drive the truck, but you must scout ahead and destroy any roadblocks. Although combat in the residential district is light, Arnhem is crawling with German and Dutch civilians. The enemy is supposed to be calmly evacuating civilians, but we have reports of looting and assaults. Be on the lookout for any civilians in need of your help.

Finally, the Germans have a command post nearby for relaying orders to troops deeper in Arnhem. Locate and destroy it. In addition, find your way to Arnhem and contact Sergeant Kelso of the 1st British Airborne Division. He and his squad will guide you through what’s left of the city, and hand you off to Jigs along the way.

Arnhem Knights

Arnhem, Holland

21 September 1944 – 1430 Hours

Bloody fine work with those supplies, Lieutenant. The fighting here has been brutal, and as much as I hate to say it, the Germans are wearing us down. Our forces have been splintered, and are fighting isolated battles throughout Arnhem. Your contact, Jigs, is on the top floor of a Customs house on the other side of the city, so we’re going to have to fight our way through at least four known combat zones.

The first has some of our troops pinned down in a basement. There should be a way into the building across the street, to provide you with high ground from which to snipe. The second pocket is an intersection where the Germans have one of two Panzer tanks hunting us. We must destroy both tanks in order to reach the Customs house. The third pocket is between two buildings where Nazi officers on the upper floors have the decided advantage. Again, there should be a way to climb to their level and even the odds.

Finally, a Panzerschreck squad will need to be neutralized. Find the highest ground when dealing with them. Once through the pockets, it’s just a short walk to the house where Jigs awaits. We’ll need to remain in a constant communication and be ever-alert for snipers — and that second Panzer tank. Watch your back Lieutenant. This one’s bound to be chaos!

Rolling Thunder

On Track

Emmerich, Germany

23 September 1944 – 0100 Hours

Welcome to Emmerich, Jimmy. Take one last look around. Come dawn, there won’t be much left. Now, Emmerich station is just outside your hotel window. Sturmgeist’s personal armoured train awaits him there, and he’ll be arriving momentarily to get aboard. We believe his destination is the secret airbase, so you must be a passenger on that train as well, Lieutenant! You’re our best chance at finding that base’s location, Patterson.

While security is light, the Wehrmacht isn’t likely to let you waltz into the terminal, so acquire an officer’s uniform for the task. Then, follow Sturmgeist into the station from a safe distance. While your inside, and before you steal aboard Sturmgeist’s train, see if you might disable the main track controls. This should throe the Nazi’s supply routes into disarray for a while.

Remember, Lieutenant, there is another important reason you need to be on that train. The Royal Air Force will be launching a bombing run on Emmerich tonight, and sadly, come sunrise much of the city will be nothing but rubble. We’d hate to hear that one of our prize agents was somewhere beneath that debris.

So, get on that train, Patterson!

Riding Out the Storm

Germany

23 September 1944 – 0700 Hours

Now that you’re aboard the armoured train, make your way toward the front where (as the Nazis are prone to excess) Sturmgeist is more than likely enjoying breakfast in his personal car. First, cut the train’s communications. There should be a radio car near the middle of the train. A few bullets strategically placed should do the trick.

Be methodical – take things one car at a time. And remember, this train is no simple trolley! There is enough firepower attached to this one train to hold off a platoon of Sherman Tanks. Once the Germans realize you’re aboard, they won’t hesitate to turn that firepower against you. You should also be aware this isn’t the only armoured train in the vicinity. If you don’t get to the radio car in time, the enemy will call for support.

By the time you catch up with Sturmgeist, you may well be near the secret airfield. If you get the opportunity to eliminate him, be sure to claim his briefcase. It’s bound to be brimming with all sorts of incredibly valuable information. One last piece of advice Lieutenant…

Try not to fall off!

Derailed!

Friedrichsroda, Germany

23 September 1944 – 1000 Hours

Sturmgeist has given us the slip, leaving you stranded several miles from the airfield. At least now we know your destination. According to the paperwork in the briefcase, the airfield is located directly outside the city of Gotha. Those railroad tracks you’re following will lead right to it.

Unfortunately, you no longer have a ride. You’re on foot near the industrial center of the town of Friedrichsroda. You’ll need to find yourself another vehicle and get to the airfield as quickly as possible. We’ve got serious plans for that airbase over the next day or two, and there’s no way we’ll complete our mission with you slowly trudging there! En route to the base, however, there are a few things we need you to do.

According to the documents in the briefcase, the industrial center of Friedrichsroda is a fuel supply transport location for the Gotha production facility toward which you are headed. These are significant opportunities ahead to literally ground jet fighter production in the area, not to mention your best chance for obtaining transportation for miles to come. Work some creative elimination on the depots, Patterson, then hit the road to Gotha and find that airbase.

Good luck!

The Horten’s Nest

Clipping Their Wings

Near Gotha

27 September 1944 – 0317 Hours

Excellent work tailing Sturmgeist, Jimmy. You’ve infiltrated one of Germany’s many aircraft facilities — this one in the hills just outside of Gotha. Intelligence reports suggest the location is a secret research and production facility that the Nazis have erected within a complex system of caves and tunnels left vacant by a former mining operation.

Getting inside this secured facility wasn’t an easy task. It’s unfortunate that having to squeeze through air ducts to gain entrance; you’ve been left with only your trusty sidearm. Not to worry, however. One of our scientist friends in this facility has leaked information that the Nazis are reverse engineering some captured Allied weapons. If you can make it into the storage room hust beyond the barracks, you should be able to find a partner or two for that sidearm of yours.

Our scientist friend has also left you a small spy camera, hidden away in his sleeping quarters. Find it and take photographs of any aircraft blueprints or technical documents you come across. In addition, destroy any airplanes or other equipment should you get the chance. Sturmgeist has most likely alerted the facility, so keep on your toes and you’ll make it out of the facility in one piece. 

Enemy Mine

Deep within the hills of Gotha

27 September 1944 – 0347 Hours

As unlikely as it seems Jimmy, the only way to position you where we want you is through the very heart of this facility – the abandoned mine shafts. We’ll assume that the Nazis have been alerted to your get away scheme, or at the very least, your presence among them at the facility.

Thus, all I can suggest if for you to be extremely cautious to conceal your ever-changing position. You will truly be on your own this time, Lieutenant. Intelligently ration whatever weapons you have successfully accumulated, since there almost certainly be little chance of commandeering any during your escape.

We need you on the far side of this facility, Patterson. Once you’ve emerged from this underground complex, you’ve got a vital rendezvous with our newest German technological enemy – the HO-IX experimental jet fighter. It is crucial to the future of the Allies that you succeed, Jimmy. Now stay sharp, and out of harm’s way.

Under the Radar

Near Gotha

27 September 1944 – 0459 Hours

While you were making your way through the underground production facility, Sturmgeist’s private car escorted him to an elite Luftwaffe training camp. We’ve known about the existence of several top secret Nazi training sites, but most of their exact locations have eluded us until now. This particular camp is situated on or adjacent to the Gotha aircraft facility itself.

We’ve confirmed that Baron Rudolph Ulbricht von Sturmgeist  has indeed been given stewardship of the Nazi Prototype HO-IX , and we’re speculating that the Nazi high command has ordered him to get the aircraft to an undisclosed location before it is discovered. Should this prototype go into full-scale production, the likelihood for an Allied victory any time soon would rapidly erode. It is our plan to cover this entire area with ordnances as soon as possible.

Jimmy, we must know your exact location. A large number of Allied resources have been committed to this bombing raid, and we’re all counting on you to radio us the facility’s coordinates. In the meantime, find and sabotage any radar installations you come across. You’ll need to acquire some explosives. However, as you have demonstrated your resourcefulness time and time again, I have every confidence you’ll get the job done.

Good luck, Patterson!

Stealing the Show 

Near Gotha

27 September 1944 – 0630 Hours

Outstanding, Jimmy!

We received your radio transmission of the coordinates, and the bombing campaign is underway. We had hoped that we could wait until we were assured that you would be safely clear of the attack zone before we sent the first wave of bombers, but the high command has decided that the destruction of the HO-IX and the surrounding airfields cannot wait a single moment more.

You have performed heroically, my friend, and the entire Allied command is indebted to you. Your bravery and outstanding soldiering skill have no doubt carned you significant commendations. I sincerely hope that I will have the pleasure of presenting them to you in person. This has been the toughest of calls, Lieutenant, but the bombers are on their way. If you have not yet exhilarated the facility, you must get out at once!

While your primary mission is to get yourself out before you’re caught in the bombing run, I leave you with this Patterson: If you see Sturmgeist, eliminate him. Should you uncover the HO-IX, steal it, and take the joyride of your life! This will require the limits of your courage, Jimmy. It is essential that we snatch that plane from the enemy’s hands. I trust I will hear from you soon.

God speed, Lieutenant.

 

With thanks to FRKv2 on YouTube and game.