Brooklyn Boro

June 10: ON THIS DAY in 1944, 4 French towns fall in Cherbourg drive

June 10, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1922, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The stage is set for the first serious attempt to salvage the fortune in jewels, bullion and express freight which went down on the Cunard liner Lusitania seven years ago when a U-boat potted her off the hoary old head of Kinsale, on the Irish coast. At the local offices of the Cunard Line today it was stated the depth of the water in which she lies had already been sounded. An official of the company added that the Cunard Line had no interest in the venture other than a large curiosity, which is shared by the rest of the world. A little band of 1922 adventurers are making the expedition to the bottom of the sea entirely ‘on their own.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “Men, women and children in holiday mood filled every vantage point overlooking New York Harbor and along West St. and the West Side Express Highway from the Battery to Central Park today to give Their Majesties, King George and Queen Elizabeth, a typical New York welcome. An estimated 2,000,000 gathered along Shore Road and Brooklyn Heights to witness the triumphal water procession. Thousands of spectators clad in summery finery lined West St. on both sides of the curb, cheering, waving flags and shouting greetings as they waited in gay but orderly fashion for the royal motorcade to pass. They stood behind lines of policemen who stood on either side facing the crowd, backs turned to the roadway. Scotch burrs and broad English accents predominated along the line — many of the city’s Scotch-born having turned out to see the little Scotch commoner who grew up to be the Queen of the world’s most far-flung empire. A distinct feeling of kinship with and affection for the smiling lady, who sits on the throne of England, was evident.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “In the face of the storm of opposition which Brooklyn patriotic and other organizations have raised against the proposed removal of the General Grant statue from this borough, Park Commissioner [Robert] Moses has indicated a willingness to abandon the project rather than provoke a ‘petty local squabble.’ He made this attitude known in a letter sent yesterday to William A. Halloran, president of the Kings County Allied War Veterans Association. Meanwhile, Borough President [John] Cashmore was preparing to appear before the Municipal Art Commission today to present the views of borough veteran and civic organizations. Replying to Mr. Halloran’s letter of protest against the removal of what had been a ‘landmark for the Borough of Brooklyn for the past 40 years,’ the Commissioner wrote that he would do nothing further in the matter if public opinion in the matter did not support it. He added the hope that ‘some other way can be found’ to obtain a suitable equestrian statue to stand in front of Grant’s Tomb in Manhattan.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “ALLIED SUPREME HEADQUARTERS (U.P.) — Allied forces advanced on all fronts on the Norman peninsula, it was officially announced today, and German sources reported that an American armored column had driven to within 10 miles of the prize port of Cherbourg. American forces captured Trevieres, nine miles west of Bayeux, the Allied announcement said. It was the fourth town to be taken by the Americans, who previously had taken Ste. Mere-Eglise, Isigny and Formigny, as well as assisting in the capture of Bayeux. Advancing American patrols in the northern Cherbourg peninsula cut the Carentan-Ste. Mere-Eglise-Valognes road at a number of places, it was announced. The coastal stronghold of Isigny and Ste. Croix had fallen earlier in the Allied drives to link up their beachheads along a front of nearly 60 miles. It was announced also that the Allies for the first time since 1940 were using air bases on French soil, with heavy transports and American Spitfires operating from two airfields on the peninsula. The opening of landing strips increased Allied air control over the peninsula and also permitted the evacuation of wounded by air for the first time since the invasion began.”

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