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Part 1: The impact of military-strategic decision-making
This autumn, 75 years ago, Canadian and British forces liberated both shores of the Westerschelde, the waterway connecting the North Sea to the port of Antwerp. The victory, realised after heavy fighting, opened up a critical supply route to the Allied Expeditionary Force for its offensive into Germany. Two articles will be dedicated to the Battle of the Westerschelde, the first of which, focusing on the impact of military-strategic decision-making, is published in this issue of the Militaire Spectator.
In late August 1944 Allied forces crossed the River Seine after the German Army had been defeated in Normandy. On 4 September British tanks drove into Antwerp with its port fully intact. What had become the biggest problem for the Allied forces – logistical supply over long roads from the Normandy coast to the new front line – could soon be solved. The port of Antwerp not only had the capacity to supply the total force needed for attacking Germany, it was also close to the new front line near the Dutch and German borders. There was one problem: to reach the port ships had to sail the 60 kilometre long Westerschelde waterway. German coastal batteries on both shores of the entrance of the waterway in the Dutch province of Zeeland could hit any ship on its way to Antwerp. It would take more than two months and heavy fighting before the last German forces in the area surrendered to the Allied liberators. Why was so much time needed to defeat the enemy? One explanation relates to the battle itself, which lasted for more than four weeks in October and early November 1944.[1] Another important reason is the delay in commencing the attack, which was the consequence of the military-strategic decision-making with regard to the priorities of the Allied campaign after the Normandy break-out. This article explains how the lack of unity on the strategic priorities impacted on the Battle of the Westerschelde.
Terrapin and Buffalo amphibous vehicles at Terneuzen, October 1944. Photo Library and Archives of Canada
The Normandy break-out
After more than eleven weeks of heavy fighting since D-Day (6 June 1944), the Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF) had defeated the German Army in Normandy. On 29 August, the 21st British Army Group, under the command of General Bernard Law Montgomery, crossed the Seine. The 1st Canadian Army followed the route along the Channel coast, while the 2nd British Army was heading north on the Arras-Lille-Brussels-Antwerp line. East of the British forces the 12th US Army Group, under the command of Lieutenant-General Omar Bradley, was heading towards the German border: the 1st US Army along a line just north of the Ardennes towards the Liège-Aachen gap and the 3rd US Army heading for Metz, south of the Ardennes (see map 1). Approximately two million soldiers were on the move with the armoured divisions acting as spearhead forces.
Map 1 Allied pursuit to the German border, August 25-September 11, 1944. Cartography Erik van Oosten, NIMH
Logistical supply quickly became a serious problem. Transport capacities had to be scrambled and the 'Red Ball Express' system was introduced for prioritising the dense traffic along the roads.[2] Within several days, the distance from the Normandy Mulberry Harbours to the front lines extended to 500 kilometres or more.[3] In the 'tank race' north of the Seine the main ports along the Channel coast had been bypassed, leaving their liberation to the infantry divisions. Increasingly, commanders were competing for supplies, in particular fuel. The AEF needed about 40,000 tons of supplies daily. In addition, equipment and materials had to be brought inland for repairing railroads, bridges and other infrastructure destroyed by Allied air attacks or sabotage activities by the resistance. At the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) it became clear that another solution had to be found. The closest and largest available port in Western Europe was Antwerp. It could handle approximately 90,000 tons each day, enough to supply the AEF for its attack on the German homeland. Logically, the SHAEF staff was 'electrified' when informed of the liberation of Antwerp with its port facilities being fully available.[4] Optimism must have filled the Headquarters rooms: soon the logistical nightmare could come to an end.
German counter-measures
Still the first cargo ships would only sail into the port of Antwerp by the end of November, almost three months after the tanks of the 11th British Armoured Division had driven into the city. One of the causes of the delay is related to the German military counter-measures. The port of Antwerp could not be reached as long as the Germans controlled the mouth of the Westerschelde waterway. On Dutch territory, the point of entry was well-protected by heavy coastal batteries located at Walcheren and in the western part of Zeelandic Flanders (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen).
German 15cm artillery at Dishoek (Walcheren): the port of Antwerp could not be reached as long as the Germans controlled the mouth of the Westerschelde waterway. Photo Beeldbank NIMH
The importance of blocking the Allied use of the port of Antwerp was well-recognised at the German Army High Command.[5] In the early days of September several counter-measures were taken to halt the Allied advance and to strengthen the defence of the Westerschelde. A new defence line was established: the Brabantstellung (Brabant Line) along the Albert Canal from Antwerp to Liège-Maastricht-Aachen. Calais and the island of Walcheren were upgraded to Festungen, to be defended at all costs. Furthermore, the 15th German Army was ordered to retreat via Walcheren and Zuid-Beveland towards North Brabant in order to reinforce the defensive forces at the Brabant Line.[6] The 719th Infantry Division with its headquarters in Dordrecht was ordered to occupy the area north of Albert Canal, where it started to arrive in the afternoon of 5 September. From Germany, approximately 18,000 paratroopers were transported to the Netherlands within days. The 1. Fallschirm Armee (1st Parachute Army), under the command of Generaloberst Kurt Student, was reactivated. Some paratroopers were combined with other forces in ad hoc formations, called Kampfgruppen. These formations, such as the Kampfgruppe Chill, often acted as 'fire brigades' every time an Allied breakthrough at the new front line was near. Soon, the paratroopers were able to assist in the efforts to stop the attack of the 2nd British Army just north of the Albert Canal. By 11 September, the front line stabilised on Belgian territory due to strong German defences but also as a result of a shortage of supplies.[7]
The 15th German Army had to defend the Channel coast between the Orne river in Normandy and the Westerschelde. After the Allied break-out from Normandy a large part of the 15th Army, commanded by General der Infanterie Gustav-Adolf Von Zangen, managed to retreat along the Channel coast. After the withdrawal behind the (double ) Leopold Canal into Dutch Zeelandic Flanders, a rescue operation was started across the Westerschelde. Despite air attacks by the Royal Air Force, the operation was successful. Between 7 and 23 September approximately 87,000 military, 530 guns, 4,600 vehicles, 4,000 horses and tons of other equipment had reached Between 4 and 21 September 86,100 military, 616 guns, 6,222 vehicles and 6,200 horses had reached the northern shore of the Westerschelde and were transported via Zuid-Beveland to North Brabant.
Several historians have accused Montgomery (and some even Eisenhower) of a strategic mistake by not closing the escape route in early September. The British 11th Armoured Division could have crossed the Albert Canal in Antwerp using the remaining bridge that was still intact. From there 35 kilometres north through almost undefended territory the tanks could have reached the entry/exit point to Zuid-Beveland and Walcheren at the village of Woensdrecht, a few kilometres south of Bergen op Zoom. After the war the Commander of the 11th British Armoured Division, Major-General Richard Roberts, and his superior, Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Horrocks (Commander of the 30th British Army Corps), stated that the Division had enough fuel to advance another 100 kilometres. However, lacking the appropriate intelligence about the 15th Army's withdrawal across the Westerschelde they had not been aware of the opportunity. It should be noted that such information, gathered by way of the ENIGMA decoding system, was only available to the AEF's top commanders. The first messages about the retreat of the 15th Army across the Westerschelde became available through ENIGMA decoding on 6 September. By then, the area north of Antwerp had already been reinforced by the arrival of the first German contingents.
The real opportunity for advancing to Bergen op Zoom existed on 4-5 September. Although Roberts and Horrocks suggested after the war that they could have advanced from a logistical point of view, they did not seize the opportunity by their own decision. This was inherent in the British command culture: execute the plan and then stop. Roberts was given the order to liberate Antwerp, which he had accomplished late afternoon on 4 September. No further initiative was taken, neither by him nor by his superior commander. Clearly, it was a missed opportunity for occupying the Woensdrecht entry point to Zuid-Beveland at relatively low cost compared to the three weeks of heavy fighting by the Canadian 2nd Infantry Division in October 1944. Logically, Canadian (military) historians blame the British commanders for a strategic blunder. However, if the early occupation of the entry/exit point to Zuid-Beveland and Walcheren would have shortened the Battle of the Westerschelde remains a matter of speculation. Assuming that the larger part of the 15th German Army would be stuck on the northern shore of the Westerschelde (transportation by boats towards Dordrecht would have taken weeks), the liberation of Zuid-Beveland and Walcheren might have cost even more losses among the Allied forces (including Canadian) as well as the civil population and caused more destruction of infrastructure and property. In fact, the escape of the 15th German Army to North Brabant and its contribution to the German defences at the Brabant Line and, later on, during and after Operation Market Garden, helped to slow down Montgomery's plan for a break-through across the Rhine on Dutch territory.
Various priorities
After the liberation of Antwerp the 21st British Army Group faced a set of three tasks. Firstly, the Channel ports of Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk – all of them strongly defended Festungen – had to be liberated and this could only be done by the infantry divisions of the 1st Canadian Army.[8] Secondly, the Westerschelde mouth had to be occupied in order to open up the approaches to Antwerp. Thirdly, the Brabant Line had to be attacked with the aim of securing the area east of Antwerp. The question was how Montgomery,[9] then Field Marshal, would position the two Armies under his command to carry out these multiple tasks. He considered the first two tasks to be the responsibility of the 1st Canadian Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar. Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey's 2nd British Army had to cross the Brabant Line and lead the attack towards the German border. Perhaps Montgomery was still hoping he could change Eisenhower's mind. On 23 August and on 4 September the Field Marshal had proposed to Eisenhower to concentrate 40 divisions of the two Army Groups for a 'single thrust' attack in the north while holding defensive positions south of the Ardennes. Eisenhower had rejected Montgomery's proposals as he considered such a concentrated attack to be too risky and contrary to the 'broad front' strategy which had been agreed at SHAEF earlier on. According to this strategy Germany would be invaded by a double thrust to encircle the Ruhr area: in the north by the 21st British Army Group and the 1st US Army advancing through the Aachen gap; south of the Ardennes by Lieutenant-General George Patton's 3rd US Army attacking the Saar area and then onwards in eastern direction[10] (see map 2).
Map 2 The alternate plans of Montgomery and Eisenhower, August 1944
Eisenhower's rejection of the single thrust strategy was not only based on military considerations. He knew that Bradley and Patton would strongly resist the single thrust in the north. Thus, he would encounter serious arguments with his own commanders; additionally, there would most likely be opposition in the US. The political leadership and public opinion would not understand why the overwhelming part of American combat power had to be concentrated under Montgomery's command. Eisenhower and Montgomery would continue their personal controversy on the preferred military strategy even after the war.[11] Unfortunately, in the autumn of 1944 the differences of opinion on the priorities of the next phase of the war had severe consequences, in particular for the liberation of the Westerschelde area.
Montgomery's final attempt
In the meantime Montgomery had started to develop a new plan: airborne landings to capture the bridges across the Waal in Nijmegen and the Rhine in Arnhem, combined with an offensive by the 2nd British Army in that direction. When successful, the Ruhr could be attacked from the area north-east of the Siegfried Line.[12] His initiative received support from the staff of the 1st Allied Airborne Army, still present in England and eager to be involved in what looked like the preparatory operation for the final blow to Germany.[13]
German military lead away British paratroopers as prisoners of war in Arnhem during the failed Market Garden operations. Photo Beeldbank NIMH
Operation Market Garden was the outcome of this convergence of interests of Montgomery and the leadership of the 1st Allied Airborne Army.[14] Eisenhower was informed and, when he met with Montgomery on 10 September, the Supreme Commander gave his permission to execute the plan. According to Eisenhower's own account of the meeting, Montgomery was granted permission on the condition that priority would be given by his 21st Army Group to open up access to Antwerp once Market Garden had been concluded. In his account of the meeting Montgomery points out that this was not mentioned at all, so it remains unclear what happened. In a letter to Montgomery on 20 September the Supreme Commander left no doubt about this priority: 'My choice of routes for making the all-out offensive into Germany is from the Ruhr to Berlin. A prerequisite from the maintenance viewpoint is the early capture of the approaches to Antwerp so that that flank may be supplied.'[15] This priority would be repeated several times by Eisenhower. Nevertheless, he had concurred with launching Operation Market Garden, the consequence of which was the concentration of the 2nd British Army on the Eindhoven-Nijmegen line. The Operation started on 17 September.
Multitasking the Canadians
On 14 September Montgomery sent a new directive to Crerar, perhaps also in response to the pressure by Eisenhower regarding the Antwerp issue. In Directive M.525 the 1st Canadian Army was given four tasks:[16] to capture the Channel ports of Boulogne, Dunkirk and Calais as soon as possible; to open up the route to the port of Antwerp; to take over the positions of the 2nd British Army in the Antwerp area; and to liberate the western part of North Brabant and to continue towards Rotterdam and the western part of the rest of the Netherlands. With only two relatively weak Army Corps available (see figure 1) Crerar was asked to advance on a front extending from Boulogne to Antwerp.[17] He was facing an impossible set of tasks. The three available infantry divisions (two Canadian, one British) would be needed to conquer the strongly defended Festungen of Boulogne, Dunkirk and Calais. Only the 4th Canadian Armoured Division and the 1st Polish Armoured Division, both of which had arrived around 6-7 September in the Bruges-Ghent area, were available for attacking the Germans in the Westerschelde area. But inundated polders, canals and other water obstacles made an attack by heavy armoured units more or less impossible. These operations could only be carried out by infantry divisions. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division would only arrive in the Bruges area to start offensive operations against the Breskens pocket (on the south shore of the mouth of the Westerschelde) after it had conquered Festung Calais on 1 October. In other words, before early October, the 1st Canadian Army was lacking infantry capacity to start offensive operations to clear the south shore of the Westerschelde mouth.
49th British (West-Riding) Infantry Division
Figure 1 Composition 1st Canadian Army, September 1944
Furthermore, Montgomery's hope of using the Channel ports for logistical supplies as long as the port of Antwerp was not available proved to be idle.[18] The German defenders had destroyed most of the port facilities of Boulogne and Calais. Dieppe could be used, but its capacity was limited to 6,000 tons daily,[19] whereas Dunkirk remained occupied by German forces until May 1945. The air transport capacity was approximately 2,000 tons of logistic supplies daily, but its full use for that purpose implied that no transport aircraft would be available for airborne operations. Post-war logistics studies confirmed that without the use of the port of Antwerp it would have been impossible to provide the required logistical supplies for the AEF's attack on Germany, either in a single or in a broad front thrust.[20] Thus, Eisenhower and other AEF Commanders were right when stating that the Allied offensive into Germany was not possible without using the port of Antwerp.
Canadian Army denied flank support
On 16 September the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division started to arrive in Antwerp to replace the 51st (Welsh) Infantry Division, which was deployed further east in support of Operation Market Garden. Preparations began for the attack on the Zuid-Beveland isthmus, but the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division – with its infantry strength reduced to approximately 50 percent – was in need of support on its eastern flank in order to liberate the western part of North Brabant and, thus, to secure the entry point to Zuid-Beveland/Walcheren. On 26 September, the day after Operation Market Garden came to an end, Crerar asked Montgomery for permission to allow the 1st British Army Corps (part of the 1st Canadian Army) to carry out an attack on the line towards Bergen op Zoom in order to encircle the German defences south of the city. Crerar was denied flank support, which was directly related to Montgomery's command decisions after the end of Operation Market Garden.[21] The corridor from Eindhoven to Nijmegen – 80 kilometres long and 20-25 kilometres wide – now had to be defended against German forces to the west and east. Montgomery gave priority to the east, ordering the 2nd British Army to attack in the direction of the River Meuse. Thus, the west side of the corridor became vulnerable to German counter-attacks. For that reason he ordered the 1st British Army Corps – located east of Antwerp in the area under the responsibilty of the 1st Canadian Army – to advance in the direction of Tilburg and on to Den Bosch, neglecting General Crerar's request to make the Corps available for the flank support that he deemed necessary.[22] The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division had to attack along the Antwerp-Bergen op Zoom line without flank support needed for encircling the German forces.
Civilians take cover as British soldiers exchange fire with German troops: the 1st British Army Corps advanced in the direction of Tilburg and Den Bosch, denying Crerar the flank support that he deemed necessary. Photo Beeldbank NIMH
The command crisis
In early October the Allied offensive had come to a halt once more. At the Westerschelde the situation remained unchanged with one exception. From 16 to 21 September the 1st Polish Armoured Division liberated the eastern part of Zeelandic Flanders.[23] As a result, the Allies controlled the port of Terneuzen, but the western part ('the Breskens pocket') and the northern shore of the Westerschelde were still firmly held by German forces. By early October, the 2nd British Army was making hardly any progress east of the Eindhoven-Nijmegen corridor. The 1st US Army, of which two divisions had temporarily been placed under Montgomery's command and was also lacking adequate supplies for its attack on the Aachen gap, was grounded just east of Liège. The same applied to Patton's 3rd US Army near Metz. On 5 October another attempt was made at Eisenhower's HQ to convince Montgomery of the priority he should give to the operations to open the port of Antwerp. At the meeting, the Allied Naval Commander of the Expeditionary Force, British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, criticised Montgomery for his lack of action, to which the Field Marshal reacted furiously and informed Eisenhower after the meeting that the Canadian offensive was already underway. Ramsay had no knowledge of land warfare, he added. In the following days Eisenhower would make several attempts to convince Montgomery, but to no avail. On 9 October he sent him a letter, headed by 'For Field Marshal eyes only'. Eisenhower explained that the whole front had come to a standstill and that, without the use of Antwerp, offensive operations would no longer be possible: 'I must emphasize that, for all our operations on our entire front from Switzerland to the Channel, I consider Antwerp of first importance, and I believe that the operation to clear up the entrance – requires your personal attention.'[24]
Eisenhower's attempts at diplomacy remained without result until 13 October, when the SHAEF command crisis reached its peak. The British and American Chiefs-of-Staff, Field Marshal Alan Brooke and General George Marshall, became involved although formally they did not belong to the SHAEF command structure. They considered the option of giving Montgomery a formal order, but Eisenhower apparently wanted to avoid such an unusual step.[25] Instead, he threatened Montgomery to bring the matter to higher authorities if he were to persist.[26] The Field Marshal then gave in. On 16 October he issued Directive M.532, stating that operations to free the port of Antwerp must have 'complete priority' over all other offensive operations of the 21st Army Group. The full capacity of the 2nd British Army had to be made available for this purpose. Furthermore, the 1st British Army Corps, consisting of the 49th British (West Riding) Infantry Division and the 1st Polish Armoured Division, was reinforced with the 4th Canadian Armoured Division and the 104th US (Timberwolves) Infantry Division. On 20 October Operation Suitcase was launched to liberate the western part of North Brabant (see map 3). The threat of encirclement for the German defensive positions south of Bergen op Zoom by this flanking operation would lead to the withdrawal of the remaining defenders from the Woensdrecht area. This flank operation brought victory for the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. The Canadians could now secure the entry/exit point to Zuid-Beveland, for which they had been fighting on their own for a period of three weeks in October at the cost of around 400 fatal casualties.
Overview of the Battle of the Westerschelde, October-November 1944. Cartography Erik van Oosten, NIMH
An appraisal
Historians have critised Montgomery for a lack of understanding of the military-strategic priorities in September and early October 1944, as he turned the 2nd British Army east instead of west to secure the approaches to the port of Antwerp. The Australian historian Peter Beale[27] accuses Montgomery of having made 'great mistakes' by allowing the 15th German Army to escape from the coast via Vlissingen to strengthen the Brabant Line, by pursuing the capture of the Channel ports – binding the infantry capacity of the 1st Canadian Army needed to attack the Westerschelde area – and by launching Operation Market Garden. The Canadian military historian R.W. Thompson puts the blame for the delay of opening up the sea lane to Antwerp fully on Montgomery.[28] Hans Sakkers, who systematically checked the information from the German command centres in Middelburg and Vlissingen available to the AEF leadership through the ENIGMA decoder, concludes that 'From the point of view of Bletchley Park Montgomery's strategic choice was an incomprehensible disappointment.'[29] Anthony Beevor does not even shy away from connecting the World War II events to the United Kingdom of today: 'In fact one could argue that September 1944 was the origin of that disastrous cliché which lingers on even today about the country punching above its weight.'[30]
Eisenhower (left) and Montgomery (right): historians have critised Montgomery for a lack of understanding of the military-strategic priorities in September and early October 1944. Photo ANP/AFP
Indeed, the Field Marshal's focus on a rapid breakthrough across the Rhine is very clear from, on the one hand, his proposals for a single thrust attack on Germany and, on the other, his initiative leading to Operation Market Garden in the second half of September 1944 and his idea to invade Germany with a 20-plus division strong force. One could argue that Montgomery caused a double delay for the Westerschelde Battle: firstly, in mid-September by launching Operation Market Garden, which was binding the whole 2nd British Army to the central and eastern part of North Brabant; secondly, in late September by directing the 2nd British Army in eastern direction to liberate the area between the Eindhoven-Nijmegen corridor and the River Meuse while refusing the 1st Canadian Army Commander's request for a flank operation west of the corridor. Why Montgomery was so persistent is food for thought for psychologists. Factors often mentioned are: his 'El Alamein hero' reputation, his own ambition, his solistic character, the support of Prime Minister Churchill and his aversion of US commanders. Perhaps one could argue that Montgomery's mind was locked in a 'tunnel vision': he was absolutely convinced that his approach to ending the war with Germany as quickly as possible was the best strategy while neglecting or downscaling the risks of a concentrated attack as well as the problem of logistical supply to sustain such an all-out offensive. Even Montgomery's most loyal servant, his Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant-General Sir Francis de Guingand, stated: 'My conclusion is, therefore, that Eisenhower was right when in August he decided that he could not concentrate sufficient administrative resources to allow one strong thrust deep into Germany north of the Rhine with the hope of decisive success.'[31]
Montgomery would never admit that his strategy for a concentrated attack could not have been realised in the autumn of 1944 without the use of the port of Antwerp. However, in his memoires published in 1958 he admitted guilt with regard to the priority issue: 'And here I must admit a bad mistake on my part – I underestimated the difficulties of opening up the approaches to Antwerp so that we could get the free use of that port. I reckoned that the Canadian Army could do it while we were going for the Ruhr. I was wrong.'[32]
The case of the opening up of the Westerschelde waterway shows how a lack of unity at the military-strategic level can influence the course of a military campaign. However, it is too simple to put all the blame on Montgomery. His 21st Army Group was tasked not only with opening up the approaches to Antwerp, but also with occupying the territory east of Antwerp in order to secure the city from German counter-attacks (in December 1944 the strategic objective of the German Army's Ardennes offensive was to recapture Antwerp). On top of that Eisenhower granted permission for Operation Market Garden, which also delayed the 2nd British Army's involvement in operations in support of liberating the Westerschelde area. Despite the fact that he had been appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, Eisenhower in reality was more a primus inter pares. He had to keep the commanders together in one team, but it could only be done at the price of making concessions to them, in particular to Montgomery as he was not American and had the support of Churchill, the British press and the British public. From the point of military effectiveness, Eisenhower could also be blamed for the delay in opening up the approaches to Antwerp, but blaming is easy in hindsight. In the heat of the campaign in the autumn of 1944 Eisenhower's most important consideration was to prevent a further escalation of what had already become a serious command crisis. He succeeded in that effort, but at the cost of sacrificing an early liberation of the Westerschelde area and, therefore, delaying the use of the port of Antwerp which was so much needed for supplying the Allied forces for the attack on the German homeland.
* Dick Zandee is a historian with a special interest in World War II. The author is grateful to Christ Klep and Lt-col. (Ret.) Wouter Hagemeijer for their valuable comments on the text.
[1] The operational level will be the focus of the second article, to be published in Militaire Spectator No. 11-2019).
[2] Also known as the 'Red Ball Highways', mentioned after red ball markers placed along the priority routes.
[3] Two artificial Mulberry Harbours had been constructed on the Normandy beaches, one of which had been damaged during a storm in mid-June. The only available port was Cherbourg, but it was located even further away from the front lines and had limited capacity.
[4] Dwight D. Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe (First Published 1948, Melbourne-London-Toronto) p. 333.
[5] Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW).
[6] See box 1 for a further explanation.
[7] Major-General Sir Francis De Guingand, Operation Victory (First published 1948, London) p. 331.
[8] Le Havre was liberated on 10 September after seven days of bombing, causing the death of 2,053 citizens. Before surrendering the Germans had destroyed the port facilities almost completely.
[9] On 1 September the British Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Winston Churchill had promoted Montgomery to Field Marshal. He therefore held a military rank which was higher than his Supreme Commander, General Eisenhower. On the same day the command of all Allied land forces was transferred from Montgomery to Eisenhower. Despite the fact that this transfer of command was in line with decisions taken earlier, Montgomery would continue to argue that he should command all of AEF's land forces. Tensions among the AEF's top commanders, which had already worsened during the Normandy campaign, increased further, also fuelled by the American and British press.
[10] Furthermore, the 6th US Army Group landed in southern France in mid-August, and, after heading north, would attack the Alsace-Lorraine in order to invade the southern part of Germany. The 6th US Army Group consisted of the 7th US Army and the 1st French Army.
[11] In his Crusade in Europe published in 1948 Eisenhower stated that Montgomery, in the light of how the attack on Germany had taken place, should admit that his single thrust had been wrong. In his memoirs, published ten years later, Montgomery continued to argue that the war had been unnecessarily extended due to the spread of forces and logistics along a broad front.
[12] Called Westwall by the Germans: the defensive line west of the River Rhine on German territory, from the German-Dutch border near Wesel to Aachen.
[13] The 1st Allied Airborne Army, commanded by the American Lieutenant-General Lewis Brereton, consisted of three American and two British Airborne Divisions, the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division and the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade. Several times plans were drawn up for airborne landings during the break-out campaign after the Normandy battle: for example near Lille, near Brussels and near Liège. On all occasions plans were cancelled as the AEF's armoured divisions had already reached the strategic objectives before the envisaged day of the landings.
[14] In the original plan only one British Airborne Division plus the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade would be used in Operation Comet. After Lieutenant-General Brereton made two US Airborne Divisions available, the plan was adapted and the Operation renamed Market Garden.
[15] The Memoirs of Field Marshal Montgomery (First published in Great Britain, 1958) p. 280. 'Maintenance' is the term used for logistical supplies.
[16] Directive M.525 is fully quoted in Montgomery's Memoirs.
[17] In Directive M.525 Montgomery stated that tactical air power and strategic bombing capabilities as well as airborne troops would be made available. The latter never materialised as Brereton considered landings in Zeeland with its waterways, canals and inundated polders too risky, also taking into account the German air defence capabilities.
[18] Montgomery's original estimate was that the Channel ports of Dieppe, Boulogne, Dunkirk and Calais plus a 3,000 ton capacity of Le Havre and 1,000 ton by airlift could fill the needs of a spearhead attack by 20 divisions (the full 2nd British Army and the 1st US Army plus three airborne divisions) – a reduced force compared to his original proposal as it was clear that Eisenhower was sticking to the broad front strategy. Thus, in Montgomery's view the use of the port of Antwerp was not an absolute requirement. A note on this was written in the 21st Army Group's report of 9 September. See: Charles Perry Stacey, The Victory Campaign. The Operations in North-West Europe 1944-1945 (Volume III) (Published by Authority of the Minister of National Defence, Canada, 1960) p. 310.
[19] Dieppe had been liberated on 1 September. The Germans had not succeeded in destroying the port facilitities completely. As of 7 September the port could be used, but its full capacity (6,000 tons) was not available before the end of the same month.
[20] E.g.: Roland R. Rupperthal, Logistics and the Broad-Front Strategy (Center of Military History, United States Army, 1990); Norman R. Denny, Seduction in combat. Losing sight of logistics after D-Day (Knoxville, University of Tennessee, 1989). Rupperthal refers to 12th Army Group calculations that 19,000 tons daily were needed in the first half of October for a 22-division strong offensive; by early November 23,000 tons would be needed to supply a 28-division strong force. In reality, 8,000 to 10,000 tons per day were reaching the forward zone in September and prospects for October were even worse.
[21] The strategic objective of Operation Market Garden was not the bridge in Arnhem. The bridge was just the means to the envisaged end: the occupation of the airfield of Deelen (where the 52nd Infantry Division would be flown in) and to reach the Zuiderzee (now IJsselmeer) in order to cut off the western part of the Netherlands from Germany.
[22] Due to strong German defence operations this attack towards Tilburg would fail.
[23] The terrain in eastern Zeelandic Flanders was better accessable to tank formations. Furthermore, the Germans defended the area with relatively weak forces as the available infantry had to be concentrated in the Breskens pocket.
[24] David G. Chandler, (Ed.) The papers of Dwight David Eisenhower. The war years, (Baltimore & London, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1970) Volume IV, p. 2215. In Montgomery's Memoirs, p. 283, the quote ends after 'first importance'. The reference to requiring his personal attention is missing.
[25] Formal military orders were not issued by SHAEF. The Army Groups themselves were given responsibility for the conduct of the operations to reach the strategic objectives set by SHAEF.
[26] Chandler, The papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume IV, pp. 2221-2225.
[27] Peter Beale, The Great Mistakes. The battle for Antwerp and the Beveland Pensinsula, September 1944 (Trupp Stroud Gloucestershire, Sutton Publishing, 2004).
[28] R.W. Thompson, The eighty-five days. The story of the Battle of the Scheldt (London, Hutchinson, 1957).
[29] Bletchley Park hosted the ENIGMA decoding centre. Hans Sakkers, Enigma en de strijd om de Westerschelde. Het falen van de geallieerde opmars in september 1944 (Soesterberg, Aspekt, 2011) p. 289 (translation into English by Dick Zandee).
[30] Anthony Beevor, Arnhem. The battle for the bridges, 1944 (New York, Viking, 2018).
[31] De Guingand, p. 330.
[32] Montgomery, p. 297.


text:
Influence of source and level of glycerin in the diet on growth performance, liver characteristics, and nutrient digestibility in broilers from hatching to 21 days of age
Mandalawi, H.A., M.V. Kimiaeitalab, V. Obregon, D. Menoyo and G.G. Mateos
The influence of source and level of inclusion of raw glycerin in the diet on growth performance, digestive traits, total tract apparent retention and apparent ileal digestibility of nutrients was studied in broilers from 1 to 21 days of age. The experiment was a 2 × 4 factorial with two sources of glycerin and four levels of inclusion (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10%). The glycerin sources contained 87.5 or 81.6% glycerol. Study results indicated that the feed conversion utilization, and apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter and gross energy were significantly increased as the glycerin content of the diet increased while average daily gain was not affected. The researchers concluded that raw glycerin from the biodiesel industry can be used efficiently, up to 10% of the diet, as a source of energy for broilers from 1 to 21 days of age and that the energy content of well-processed raw glycerin depends primarily on its glycerol content.
Mandalawi, H.A., M.V. Kimiaeitalab, V. Obregon, D. Menoyo and G.G. Mateos. 2014. Influence of source and level of glycerin in the diet on growth performance, liver characteristics, and nutrient digestibility in broilers from hatching to 21 days of age. 93:2855-2863.
Broiler | Digestibility | Energy | Glycerin | Poultry

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Openstreetmaps: Make my scale have 1cm in the paper I got a complain from a client that said that the scale on the paper had 1.2 cm instead of 1 cm. I'm trying to fix this but I don't have much experience with openstreetmaps nor leaflet to know where do I need to change the code to make my scale have 1 cm all the time.
Can someone point me to the right direction? Thanks in advance

A: *

*Instead of the standard Leaflet Scale Control, you should write your own Control (or any other widget). The standard one does not have a fixed length: it adjusts it so that it can represent a "round" distance (like "1km", "50km", etc.). But it sounds like you want the reverse: have a fixed length, representing whatever distance.

*You should check the pixel to length (on paper) ratio of your browser and printer. You should be able to adjust zoom / scale.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Most U.S. schools teach Black history, but few do it well
Johns Hopkins education policy expert says poor materials and lack of rigor preclude schools from offering rich lessons on the African American experience
By Jill Rosen
/ Published Feb 10, 2021
Jill Rosen
jrosen@jhu.edu
JHUmediareps
As the United States marks Black History Month this year, more K-12 schools in the United States are teaching Black history than ever before. However, ongoing analysis from Johns Hopkins University finds these efforts often fail, because coursework emphasizes the negative aspects of African American life while omitting important contributions made by people of color in literature, politics, theology, art, and medicine.
"Most school districts are trying, and many fall short," said Ashley Rogers Berner, director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy. "They may create better representation, but often forget quality and coherence in the process. They miss the chance to create a robust picture of the African American experience."
"Black History Month is designed to make sure that there is representation, and the ideal is to have these lessons woven into all of the histories that we study, not necessarily a separate history."
Ashley Rogers Berner
Director, Institute for Education Policy
Berner and the Institute for Education Policy have developed rigorous and groundbreaking evaluations of curricula to determine, among other things, what students are actually learning in social studies and English Language Arts courses—and what's being left out. Since 2018, the Institute has conducted several dozens of such evaluations in districts across the country. Work to ensure diversity in the classroom experience has clearly accelerated in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, Berner has found.
The United States is leading the international charge to prioritize inclusivity, and many democracies are following suit, revising their instructional approach to minority cultures to include the hard histories of colonialism and oppression.
But at the same time, the U.S. lags significantly behind our peers in insisting upon high-quality curricula, Berner says. That's true of every subject, and in every type of school.
When it comes to teaching Black history, Berner says schools are missing an opportunity. Coursework often emphasizes negative aspects of African American life without noting the accomplishments, achievements, and contributions of Black Americans. Lessons will typically cover slavery and the Civil Rights movement, but omit the Harlem Renaissance, the sociology of the Great Migration, and some of the most important novels of the 20th century.
A key part of the problem is that teachers aren't getting the support and training needed to create stronger curricula, Berner says, adding that teachers report turning most often to Google, Pinterest, and an online marketplace called TeachersPayTeachers to craft lessons. As critical as it is for children to see their own identities and context in their classroom materials, Berner says these instructional materials have to be high-quality.
"There is great unevenness in the actual quality of the texts teachers are choosing in terms of accuracy, in terms of beauty, in terms of quality of writing, and in terms of the capacity of the texts to evoke emotion and to drive important conversations," Berner says. "The result can be strikingly superficial."
She adds: "You may have a great novel like Their Eyes Are Watching God. It's a beautiful novel, but when teachers create a unit of supplemental texts around it, they often draw from a resources that have nothing to do with the book's time and place and meaning."
The encouraging news is that some school systems are doing it right: including Detroit; Duvall County, Florida; Louisiana; and Baltimore. Berner says schools in Baltimore, one of the most impoverished districts in the country, have created very strong programs that make Black history part of a typical unit in American history and that emphasize quality and coherence in their English Language Arts units.
The Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy led by Berner and Executive Director David Steiner worked with Baltimore educators to evaluate its English curriculum in 2018, and in 2020 focused on their Social Studies courses.
"We were able to report to them, 36% of your secondary school texts are about the African American experience, but the majority of them are about police brutality and incarceration," she said. "The Baltimore community was pushing for more representation and we said, 'You've got representation; that's not the problem. The problem is the tone and the quality and the omissions."
After that review, Baltimore City Schools adopted a new curricula for K-8—one of the most challenging and also diverse curricula on offer. For the higher grades, Baltimore now has a 9th-grade unit framed around The Other West Moore by Baltimorean Wes Moore that explores everything from the race riots of 1968 to Colin Powell and the Rhodes Scholarship that Moore received. A 10th-grade unit designed around Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehesi Coates, who is also from Baltimore, brings in supplemental texts about historically Black colleges and the American Dream by looking at speeches by Barack Obama, the movie 13th, and stories from The New York Times about race as a construct.
"Black History Month is designed to make sure that there is representation," Berner says, "and the ideal is to have these lessons woven into all of the histories that we study, not necessarily a separate history."
Tagged education, black history month, institute for education policy
Informed insights for struggling schools
Founded in 2015, the Institute for Education Policy at the School of Education has earned a reputation for unbiased, pragmatic research


Easter is nearly here and the School Holidays have begun which means I will be knee deep in PVA glue and craft materials for the next couple of weeks. Which got me thinking of some other great DIY's out there that you could do, with your children, or just for yourself!
So, what better way to find some ideas, than through the beautiful world of Pinterest! You can follow us here.
First up is this great idea for a bunny mask for your little ones, how cute will they look on Easter weekend looking for their eggs with this over their face! Cuteness overload!
To the top right is this great tutorial for making foiled eggs for decorations. We did an egg decoration workshop last year for Easter and that is definitely the last time I am blowing eggs (60 eggs later) - but this tutorial from good old Martha, has me thinking I might do a few this year.
Bottom left is a hair raising egg for Easter, sorry, couldn't resist! Who didn't love sowing cress and watching it grow when you were a child, now it's time to reinvent your youth and get some of your eggs having a bit of a do for the Easter weekend with these Eggheads.
For the last one, it's another version of something I have made at work - these are not mine though. These Peg Eggs are so cool and you could do any kind of opening and closing characters, we made sharks and monsters for ours last year. But with the Easter theme, maybe bunnies or children eating eggs inside?
So, which one would you make first? I am making some super cool peg superheroes for one of my workshops at The Lightbox this year and I am very excited for it, it lands on my birthday, what a way to spend the day hey!
What do you think? Can you see which superhero they all are?
P.S. Photos are not all our own, they have been taken from the websites linked within the post. Apart from the Superheroes, that's all mine!
I bet you can't wait Alison. Gives you time to be creative too, by doing things with her.


Our brand new 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR is a loud and fast SUV that's quicker than a Ferrari Daytona, a seminal supercar. It sounds quick, it feels quick, it is quick, equally at home running hard in the left lane on the freeway as it is storming an open, sweeping two-lane back road. This is a Range Rover with the grunt, the grip, and the brakes of a genuine performance car.


It's a fact that cotton covers 2 . five per cent of the world's cultivated area and conventional cotton uses approximately 25% of the word's insecticides. What's why organic cotton blankets are so necessary for all people especially for those who is affected with allergies and experiences chemical sensitivities. All natural organic natural cotton blankets are: eco friendly, allergies, completely breathable, chemical free, resin free, pesticide free of charge. Our organic cotton blanket are certified organic by the Texas Department of Cultivation where it is grown. All of the colored blankets has been coloured with eco dyes. White wine cotton blankets has been white colored with peroxide, not chlorine. Blanket stitching has been finished with viscose thread which is considered to be stronger than cotton an individual.
Carteretsenior - Protein shakes for women ultimate guide for ladies. With so many worries in our lives, obesity has added some extra burden on our mind and bodies if you have ever experienced the same burden, probably gym would be the first place you headed towards to find some relief. The ultimate guide to protein youtube. In today's video i'm going to breakdown all the types of protein powder available in this ultimate guide to help you make the right choice gnc and i partnered to bring you this comprehensive. Protein shakes for women world proteinshakesforwomenworld. We collected one metadata history record for protein shakes for women world has an elaborated description which rather positively influences the efficiency of search engines index and hence improves positions of the domain. The 7 best protein powders for women of 2019 verywell. Read reviews and buy the best protein powders for women from top companies including fitmiss, kelan, bodylogix and more. : protein shakes for women. Is tracked by us since june, 2014 over the time it has been ranked as high as 384 299 in the world it was hosted by hostwinds llc and siteground chicago. Whey protein 101: the ultimate beginner's guide. Summary whey protein is a mixture of proteins in whey, which is a byproduct of cheese production it's usually sold as a flavored powder, which is added to shakes, meal replacements and protein. Protein shakes for women. Description: do you want to learn everything about protein shakes for women? are you interested in a better body? check out our ultimate guide for best tips and advice. The 10 best protein powders for women 2019 list femniqe. If you're looking for the best protein powders for women that will help you to achieve your body goals then this guide will help you decide in the fitness world, sometimes protein gets a bad rap therefore many women tend to avoid them for fear of gaining a muscular physique. Protein supplements: the ultimate guide to the best for. Protein is a macronutrient found in many foods such as meats, dairy products, nuts, and beans, to name a few it's comprised of amino acids, the building blocks of lean body tissue that promote. The ultimate guide to protein supplements men's health. The ultimate guide to protein supplements consider this your cheat sheet for navigating the supplement aisle and understanding your choices.


Is your temper on a somewhat shorter fuse than usual? Is the list of things that get under your skin growing longer by the day? Is your tolerance for the human foibles of those around you noticeably diminishing? Do you find yourself picking on your friends, significant other or children for the most minor of irritants? Or perhaps you just can't seem to get enough sleep or stop thinking about work when awake?
To manage other human beings for any length of time guarantees that at some point you will experience some if not all of the above. And when you do, it is a sure sign that something or someone is getting the best of you. And when that happens, it is time to take stock and reintroduce yourself to the importance of SELF MANAGEMENT.
Start by reminding yourself why you are actually being paid as a manager. It is not for working hard; that is a given. Rather, it is for your ability to make sound, clear-headed decisions, a requirement that is easily compromised when we are in a state of emotional disequilibrium or distress.
Is your need for control, out of control; that is, you find yourself micromanaging almost everything?
Has you openness to new ideas and criticism disappeared; suddenly the input of your subordinates and colleagues has become insulting and offensive?
Do you find yourself avoiding difficult but required conversations because you fear what you may say or do?
Are you having difficulty sorting out your job priorities?
Have you developed unusual anxiety around making mistakes, screwing things up and losing the confidence of your superiors?
Or, have you lost your sense of humor regarding the human condition, or your perspective regarding what your job requires of you?
Self management with regard to any of the big six is a great place to start. Moreover, it is an essential requirement if you are to tackle the real problem: Identifying what exactly it is that is getting the best of you? Everything else — whether inside or outside of work — are simply the symptoms.
Thinking this through can prove simple or very difficult. The obvious is often not very clear at all, although perhaps hiding in clear sight: problems with a boss; trouble with someone or something outside of work; financial difficulties; a health problem you have been ignoring; the list goes on. Sometimes we humans unconsciously try very hard to avoid acknowledging the real "bete noire" because confronting it directly portends difficulty, time-consuming hard work and often considerable emotional distress. But the above symptoms will not abate for long if we continue to avoid their root cause.
I have no magic bullet or strategy to offer here. Each of us must find our own path. But I have always found it helpful to talk things through with a colleague, friend, or trusted other. Often they seem to see things more clearly than we do or are willing to admit. Moreover, their sustained support can help bolster the confidence we need to tackle the real problem head-on.
What the best managers know is that any of the above symptoms of distress can hinder their ability to function at their clear-headed best. Thus, what they do is seek out and eventually confront the real issue or problem regardless the personal or emotional cost.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using System.Text;

namespace Amazon.EC2.Model
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Describes the Spot Price history.
    /// </summary>
    [XmlRootAttribute(IsNullable = false)]
    public class DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest : EC2Request
    {
        private string startTimeField;
        private string endTimeField;
        private List<string> instanceTypeField;
        private List<string> productDescriptionField;
        private List<Filter> filterField;
        private string availabilityZoneField;
        private int? maxResultsField;
        private string nextTokenField;

        /// <summary>
        /// Start date and time of the Spot Instance price history data.
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElementAttribute(ElementName = "StartTime")]
        public string StartTime
        {
            get { return this.startTimeField; }
            set { this.startTimeField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets the start date and time of the Spot Instance price history data.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="startTime">Start date and time of the Spot Instance price
        /// history data.</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithStartTime(string startTime)
        {
            this.startTimeField = startTime;
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if StartTime property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if StartTime property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetStartTime()
        {
            return this.startTimeField != null;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// End date and time of the Spot Instance price history data.
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElementAttribute(ElementName = "EndTime")]
        public string EndTime
        {
            get { return this.endTimeField; }
            set { this.endTimeField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets end date and time of the Spot Instance price history data.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="endTime">End date and time of the Spot Instance price
        /// history data.</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithEndTime(string endTime)
        {
            this.endTimeField = endTime;
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if EndTime property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if EndTime property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetEndTime()
        {
            return this.endTimeField != null;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// One ore more instance types to return.
        /// <remarks>
        /// Valid values:
        /// m1.small | m1.large | m1.xlarge |
        /// c1.medium | c1.xlarge | m2.xlarge | m2.2xlarge |
        /// m2.4xlarge | m3.xlarge | m3.2xlarge | t1.micro
        /// </remarks>
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElementAttribute(ElementName = "InstanceType")]
        public List<string> InstanceType
        {
            get
            {
                if (this.instanceTypeField == null)
                {
                    this.instanceTypeField = new List<string>();
                }
                return this.instanceTypeField;
            }
            set { this.instanceTypeField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets instance types to return.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="list">A list of instance types.</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithInstanceType(params string[] list)
        {
            foreach (string item in list)
            {
                InstanceType.Add(item);
            }
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if InstanceType property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if InstanceType property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetInstanceType()
        {
            return (InstanceType.Count > 0);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// A list of AMI descriptions to filter by.
        /// </summary>
        /// <remarks>
        /// Valie values: Linux/UNIX | SUSE Linux | Windows |
        /// Linux/UNIX (Amazon VPC) | SUSE Linux (Amazon VPC) |
        /// Windows (Amazon VPC)
        /// </remarks>
        [XmlElementAttribute(ElementName = "ProductDescription")]
        public List<string> ProductDescription
        {
            get
            {
                if (this.productDescriptionField == null)
                {
                    this.productDescriptionField = new List<string>();
                }
                return this.productDescriptionField;
            }
            set { this.productDescriptionField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets a list of AMI descriptions to filter by.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="list">A list of AMI descriptions</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithProductDescription(params string[] list)
        {
            foreach (string item in list)
            {
                ProductDescription.Add(item);
            }
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if ProductDescription property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if ProductDescription property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetProductDescription()
        {
            return (ProductDescription.Count > 0);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// A list of filters used to match system-defined properties and user-defined tags associated
        /// with the specified SpotPriceHistory.
        /// For a complete reference to the available filter keys for this operation, see the
        /// Amazon EC2 API reference.
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElementAttribute(ElementName = "Filter")]
        public List<Filter> Filter
        {
            get
            {
                if (this.filterField == null)
                {
                    this.filterField = new List<Filter>();
                }
                return this.filterField;
            }
            set { this.filterField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets filters used to match system-defined properties and user-defined tags associated
        /// with the specified SpotPriceHistory.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="list">A list of filters used to match system-defined properties and user-defined tags associated
        /// with the specified SpotPriceHistory.
        /// For a complete reference to the available filter keys for this operation, see the
        /// Amazon EC2 API reference.</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithFilter(params Filter[] list)
        {
            foreach (Filter item in list)
            {
                Filter.Add(item);
            }
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if Filter property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if Filter property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetFilter()
        {
            return (Filter.Count > 0);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Availability zone to filter the results by.
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElementAttribute(ElementName = "AvailabilityZone")]
        public string AvailabilityZone
        {
            get { return this.availabilityZoneField; }
            set { this.availabilityZoneField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets the availability zone to filter the results by.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="availabilityZone">Filters the results by availability zone.</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithAvailabilityZone(string availabilityZone)
        {
            this.availabilityZoneField = availabilityZone;
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if AvailabilityZone property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if AvailabilityZone property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetAvailabilityZone()
        {
            return this.availabilityZoneField != null;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The number of rows to return.
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElementAttribute(ElementName = "MaxResults")]
        public int MaxResults
        {
            get { return this.maxResultsField.GetValueOrDefault(); }
            set { this.maxResultsField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets the number of rows to return.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="maxResults">Specifies the number of rows to return.</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithMaxResults(int maxResults)
        {
            this.maxResultsField = maxResults;
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if MaxResults property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if MaxResults property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetMaxResults()
        {
            return this.maxResultsField.HasValue;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Token for the next set of rows to return.
        /// </summary>
        public string NextToken
        {
            get { return this.nextTokenField; }
            set { this.nextTokenField = value; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Sets the token for the next set of rows to return.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="nextToken">Specifies the next set of rows to return.</param>
        /// <returns>this instance</returns>
        [Obsolete("The With methods are obsolete and will be removed in version 2 of the AWS SDK for .NET. See http://aws.amazon.com/sdkfornet/#version2 for more information.")]
        public DescribeSpotPriceHistoryRequest WithNextToken(string nextToken)
        {
            this.nextTokenField = nextToken;
            return this;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Checks if NextToken property is set
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>true if NextToken property is set</returns>
        public bool IsSetNextToken()
        {
            return this.nextTokenField != null;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Visuals - ESPN Playbook
Nets fan has designs on Dwight Howard
Courtesy of Cliff Knueppel
Patrick DorseyESPN Editor
General Editor
Arizona native, LA resident, Northwestern graduate
Two down, one to go. That's the way the Brooklyn Nets seem to feel after acquiring Joe Johnson, re-signing Deron Williams and now reportedly turning their attention to Dwight Howard.
That's the way Cliff Knueppel feels, too. And he's showing it. Literally.
Knueppel, a 25-year-old New Jersey native and longtime fan of the franchise, has been part of the Nets' game-night crew since 2008. He's also a graphics enthusiast.
So while not employed by the team as a designer, Knueppel spends his free time working on his blog, My Graphicks, posting Nets-themed designs and posters almost exclusively.
And yeah, all of this free agency craziness has inspired quite a few ideas. Take the one above.
(... plus some other variations.)
And its own variation, before the team changed its logo.
This whole offseason has been an active one for Knueppel, whose work imagined several stars -- many of whom are now off the market or effectively unavailable to the Nets -- in Brooklyn unis.
• Pau Gasol
• Jason Kidd
• Kevin Garnett.
And, of course:
Naturally, seasons and seasons of attending games and watching them on TV created quite the love for the Nets -- one that peaked during their back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals (2002 and 2003), and one that isn't dying now that the team is crossing state lines.
"Throughout those years, countless memories were created," Knueppel wrote in an email to Playbook. "Whether we were Champions or 12-70, the Nets always provided and experience to be treasured. At the end of the day, that's what the game of basketball, at its very core, is all about.
"At the Barclays Center, I expect fans to share an experience unlike they've ever had before, and that's why I've put so much hard work into the graphics I've created. I'm excited for what the Nets have to offer and, as of late, it seems to only be getting better."


One of the biggest contributors to noise pollution are vehicles on roads and motorways. Aircraft, trains and cars are just some of the examples of transportation vehicles that contribute to noise pollution. Not only is it the engines themselves that contribute to noise pollution, but also the features that come with them. For example, an emergency services vehicle has a siren to alert those nearby there's an emergency. Similarly, tram comes with a horn to let pedestrians know they're moving on the track.
Common sources of noise pollution can even increase from a growing population. More jobs and housing are created, which makes city areas, in particular, busier and prone to larger levels of noise in the surrounding area. Cities such as London and Tokyo are prime examples of well-populated areas that are likely to have potentially harming levels of noise.
Construction industries are heavily criticised for the amount of air and noise pollution they omit from their factories and sites. However, due to the trade of work, it's extremely difficult to prevent this causes from happening. Large equipment and machines are used on a regular basis which can't help but generate excessive noise. To prevent this, businesses are installing acoustic enclosures to cut down on noise. And it's not just industrial workplaces that cause this. A simple office job can still be classed as a common source of noise pollution.
The simplest of noises can also be sources of harmful noise pollution. The items we use every day can lead to long-term health problems such as radios, alarms, washing machines and telephones. It's common for individuals to play music sources really loud. Mainly to prevent sounds from the outside interfering with what they're listening to, but regular exposure to it can burst eardrums or potentially cause deafness.
There are a number of ways that you can protect your hearing from noise pollution. A common way to tackle it is through earplugs. Due to their discreetness, they can be worn in practically any situation which will help reduce harm from sources of noise pollution.
Industrial workplaces can install attenuators in their systems that help to reduce noise signals that are made from large industrial equipment, helping to protect their employees from the noise. The appropriate safety equipment for staff is also worth investing in.
For more information on ways in which you can prevent pollution in your workplace, don't hesitate to contact us and we'll be happy to help.


text:
// Copyright 2017 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
//
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
// You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
// limitations under the License.

using UnityEngine;

namespace Gvr.Internal {
  /// Factory that provides a concrete implementation of IKeyboardProvider for the
  /// current platform.
  static class KeyboardProviderFactory {
    static internal IKeyboardProvider CreateKeyboardProvider(GvrKeyboard owner)
    {
// Use emulator in editor.
#if UNITY_EDITOR
      return new EmulatorKeyboardProvider();
#elif UNITY_ANDROID
      // Running on an Android device.
      return new AndroidNativeKeyboardProvider();
#else
      // Other platforms not supported, including iOS and Unity versions w/o the native integraiton.
      Debug.LogWarning("GVR Keyboard not supported on " + Application.platform);
      return new DummyKeyboardProvider();
#endif  // UNITY_EDITOR
    }
  }
}


Music of Hildegard von Bingen, Dowland, Purcell, Handel and more.
FREE Admission. Donations made be made online or at the event.
Presented in conjunction with the American Bach Society Conference.
Charles Weaver, Theorbo/guitar; Richard Egarr, keyboard.


t was my husband's birthday yesterday and we had an AMAZING family day together which involved huge amounts of coffee, cake and more cake on top! Even the little ones behaved themselves.
I felt truly blessed in so many ways. Years ago the thought of afternoon tea would have filled me with anxiety & panic as I would have known that meant 'falling off my diet' and you can GUARANTEE that I would have lost all control around the cream scones & chocolate eclairs! I ate plenty but I didn't lose control and I delighted in every mouthful!
Anyway I'm not sending you this quick message to tell you all about the amazing day I had yesterday (although I really did!), but because I watched the most wonderful film last night and I wanted to share something I learnt from it.
The very quick summary of the film is Hector goes off on a journey of self discovery with a notebook & pen to finally figure out what makes people happy as he realises he isn't happy anymore. He leaves his job, his girlfriend and sets off and his travels take him to China, Africa & the US.
It got me thinking how true this is when you think about our obsession with our weight and the way we think we should be eating.
We chase the belief that when we are slim we will be happy. We give so much time, energy, planning & obsessing to dieting and eating 'right' that we lose focus on what is important.
What if like Hector, we STOP focusing on our weight, STOP chasing the dream number on the scales or the ideal clothing size in a pair of jeans and instead FOCUS on creating a fulfilled, contented & authentic life for ourselves.
What if the side effect of that WAS SLIMNESS…??
What if you need to be fulfilled & content in order to be slim and not the other way around..??
Slimness is not a guaranteed doorway to Happyville – we all know slim people who aren't happy with their lives so isn't it interesting that many of us still believe that happiness comes with slimness?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think slimness = happiness? Have you ever been slim and actually not that happy?


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The In-Kraut: Hip Shaking Grooves Made in Germany 1966-1974 is the first volume in The In-Kraut series released by Marina Records on compact disc and double vinyl in 2005.

The album is a collection of obscuro German pop rarities, collected from various soundtracks and singles by artists who never intended to have their music released outside Germany.  It was followed by The In-Kraut, Vol. 2 in 2006.

Track listing
 "From Here On it Got Rough" (Hildegard Knef) – 2:38
 "Gemini" (Günter Noris) – 2:54
 "Marihuana Mantra" (Kuno & The Marihuana Brass) – 2:34
 "Why Don't You PLay The Organ, Man" (Memphis Black) – 2:38
 "An Unknown Quantity" (Bill Ramsey & The Jay Five) – 2:28
 "Sunday Love Affair" (Orchester Frank Pleyer) – 2:40
 "Wie A Glock'n..." (Marianne Mendt) – 2:51
 "Beat It" (Fredy Brock) – 3:06
 "Hippie Hippie" (France Gall) – 2:41
 "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra) – 2:30
 "Berlin" (Heidi Brühl) – 3:11
 "Das Stundenhotel Von St. Pauli" (Erwin Halletz) – 1:33
 "Molotow Cocktail Party" (Vivi Bach & Dietmar Schönherr) – 2:32
 "Naturally Stoned" (Helmut Zacharias) – 2:31
 "Alexander" (The Boots) – 2:10
 "Bodybuilding" (Orchester Werner Müller) – 3:22
 "Jungle Soul" (Johannes Fehring & the ORF Big Band) – 2:50
 "Pussy Baby" (Bill Lawrence) – 2:54
 "Moving Out" (Orchester Helmuth Brandenburg) – 3:37
 "Undergroovin'" (Eugen Thomass) – 3:09

2005 compilation albums
Compilation albums by German artists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A Piper Cherokee PA-28-236 crashed into a seven-story building housing IRS offices in Austin, Texas, Feb. 18. Law enforcement officials have stated that the aircraft was flown by owner Andrew Joseph Stack III. (Note: Stack is listed two ways in FAA records. The FAA aircraft registry lists the aircraft owner as Joseph A. Stack, but the airmen registry lists him as Andrew Joseph Stack III.) Stack held private pilot instrument and single and multi-engine ratings.
AOPA will continue to stay in touch with FAA, Transportation Security Administration, and Department of Homeland Security officials.
This week, the aviation community suddenly found itself at the center of the troubling issue of suicide in America. As tragic and dramatic as this one suicide in Austin proved to be, those who influence and make public policy have a responsibility to keep this event in perspective.
Each year, there are more than 30,000 suicides in America. Even more disturbing, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that there are 25 suicide attempts for every suicide death.
But the fact is that pilots are a remarkably healthy group of individuals, both physically and psychologically.


The debate over ones preferred platform has for a very long time felt more like a religous discussion more than anything else. Whether it's PC vs. Mac, iOS vs. Android, or Windows vs. Linux, proponents of the various platforms tend towards an almost religious level of zeal for their preferred platform, and against the other platform.
From my point of view, the important question is "Am I able to do what I need to do on this platform?". If the answer to this question is yes, then which platform that happens to be is utterly irrelevant. This forms the basis of my stance of platform agnosticism.
This is not to say that I do not have a preferred platform, which I would use, given the choice to do so. I do, and long-time readers might already know what platform that is. For a number of reasons, my preferred platform is that of Apple. I prefer a MacBook to a Windows or Linux laptop, and I prefer iOS to Android. Why, then is that my preferred platform?
An international power supply is the device which means it doesn't matter what country you're in, or even if you know what country you're in (more of a problem than you might suspect) – you just plug your Mac in and it figures it out for itself. We call this principle Plug and Play. Or at least, Microsoft calls it that because it hasn't got it yet. In the Mac world we've had it for so long we didn't even think of giving it a name.
While Macs were pretty good back then (remember, Adams died in 2001), they are leaps and bounds better today. My current setup includes a MacBook Pro, an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and AirPods. All of these are well integrated, and getting that integration up and running is a simple matter. For example, when I opened my AirPods case for the first time, my iPhone immediately detected them, and asked if I wanted to connect.
A similar thing happened when I set up my Apple Watch, which is now my preferred way to unlock my Mac – which happens automatically. Similarly, handoff of work in progress, quite simply works, intuitively, natively, and automagically. There are undeniable advantages to controlling the entire ecosystem one is working in, and Apple does that better than most.
I first started using a Mac back in 2010, and going on eight years later, I am still very happy with my preferred platform. This is not to say that other platforms are bad – they are not – nor that there is no fault to be found with Apple devices – there certainly is. This is simply to say this is my preference. Your mileage may vary.


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Marvel Genesis
153: Tales of Suspense #55
Tales of Suspense #55
And so concludes the Mandarin two-parter we left Iron Man in last time. Regrettably, it turns out that most of the interesting bits were in the story's setup in part one; this really is just an action piece by comparison. Iron man manages to break free of the Mandarin's trap (of course) and then they fight for a bit - with M using disintegrator rays, illusions, tractor beams and more. Really, the most notable point is at the climax, when Tony smashes all of the villain's equipment before he leaves - America's stolen missiles reclaimed - and the Mandarin, thwarted, swears ever-lasting vengeance. Finally we see the beginning of the Mandarin's obsession, and the first few steps on his road to becoming Iron Man's "big bad".
I suppose this is comedy?
But wait, there's more! In addition to the 13-page feature story, this issue also boasts five pages of "insider info"! And this is significant, because it means that the 5-page filler stories in Tales of Suspense are no more; starting next month, Iron Man's page count will bump up to 18 pages! Well, at least for the next few issues, until the format of the magazine changes once again, and quite dramatically....
Um ... now that we know Stark's aware of the chemistry
between Happy & Pepper, this really is churlish behavior.
Unfortunately, the bonus feature this month is really just a lot of filler in its own right. The first page is just a splash, with a shot of Iron Man standing in front of various of his villains. This is followed by a two-page explanation of donning his armor - which would be more interesting if we hadn't already seen that very thing just a few issues ago. A one page "more info about" does actually give some better insights into the man and the machine, but the piece is then rounded off with a "Pepper Potts' Pin-up Page", showing nothing more than Potts posing for Happy Hogan on a beach. Unusually, the text itself acknowledges the change in her appearance: "When first introduced in "Tales of Suspense" Pepper had been a perky, pug-nosed, freckle-faced imp! But, after she realized how Tony Stark feels about glamorous females ... Pepper went to her beauty parlor and 'shot the works!' Today she's one of the most gorgeous females in comics or anywhere else!"
Notes on the machine.
(Click to enlarge.)
Meanwhile, the backup "Tales of the Watcher" is amusing. One day, while the Watcher is gazing at the Earth from his home on the moon (now identified as his temporary domicile, definitively clearing up a bit of confusion), a bug-eyed alien lands and explains his plan to steal the Earth's sun, needed to replace his homeworld's star which is now dying out. Aware of the Watcher's oath to not interfere, the alien happily answers all his incessant questions, knowing there's nothing the enigmatic being can do to stop him. As it turns out, however, the Watcher had realized that the alien had parked his craft on a bog (a bog?? On the moon??), and was delaying him just long enough for the ship to sink - taking with it the alien's sun-stealing apparatus, as well as all his communications. Desperate, the creature begs the Watcher for help, explaining that without his ship he can't call home for help, and will die when his limited air supply runs out - but the Watcher, unmercifully, reiterates that there's naught he can do ... but watch.
The Watcher pulls a filibuster.
Labels: Iron Man
Iron Man|
A blog looking at the Marvel Comics of the early 1960s - one comic at a time.
This Month's Reading List
The X-Men #7
Tales to Astonish #60
Fantastic Four Annual #2
The Avengers #8
Amazing Spider-Man #17
Fantastic Four #31
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #10
Marvel Genesis on LiveJournal
Marvel Genesis on Twitter
The Marvel Database Project
The Marvel Chronology Project
The Complete Marvel Reading Order
The Unabridged Marvel
Marvel Masterworks Resource Page
The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
G-Mart Comics
Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae
Barry's Pearls of Comic Book Wisdom
Chasing Amazing
155: Fantastic Four #28
154: Strange Tales #122


We work across a range of sectors, transforming the supply chain of many of the world's leading brands.
At Unipart Logistics, we understand that every sector has its own characteristics and priorities.
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text:
Advanced Composition Explorer
It observes particles of solar, interplanetary, interstellar, and galactic origins, spanning the energy range from solar wind ions to galactic cosmic ray nuclei.
Aeronomy of Ice
Exploring Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs), also called noctilucent clouds, to find out why they form and why they are changing.
C/NOFS
Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System
Investigated and forecasted scintillations in the Earth's ionosphere.
FGST
An international and multi-agency space mission that studies the cosmos in the energy range 10 rev-300GeV.
Is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1009, and remains in operation. Although not the first space telescope, Hubble is one of the largest and most versatile, and is well known as both a vital research tool and a public relations boon for astronomy.
Ionospheric Connection Explorer
Will investigate the forces at play in the near-space environment, leading the way in understanding disturbances that can lead to severe interference with communications and GPS signals.
Interface Region Imaging Spectograph
Observes how solar material moves, gathers energy, and heats up as it travels through a little-understood region in the sun's lower atmosphere.
JWST
James Web Space Telescope
It will study every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Band, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System.
LRO
Robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon in an eccentric polar mapping orbit. Data collected by LRO has been described as essential for planing NASA's future human and robotic missions to the moon.
Magnetosphereic Multiscale
Investigated how the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields connect and disconnect, explosively transferring energy from one to the other in a process that is important to the Sun, other planets, and everywhere in the Universe.
NEOWISE-R
Near Earth Objects Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer
Harvests measurements of asteroids and comets from WISE images and provides a rich archive for searching WISE data for solar system objects.
Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array
The first orbiting telescopes to focus light in the high energy X-ray (6-79keV) region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
RHESSI
Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager
To explore the basic physics of particle acceleration and explosive energy release in solar flares.
To understand the causes of solar variability and it's impacts on Earth. SDO is designed to help us understand the Sun's influence on Earth and Near-Earth space by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and time and in many wavelengths simultaneously.
Solar & Heliospheric Observatory
Designed to study the internal structure of the Sun, its extensive outer atmosphere and the origin of the solar wind, the stream of highly ionized gas that blows continuously outward through the Solar System.
Solar-B
A highly sophisticated observational satellite equipped with three advanced solar telescopes to explore the magnetic fields of the Sun. It consists of a coordinated set of optical, extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and x-ray instruments to investigate the interaction between the Sun's magnetic field and it's corona.
Swift Gamma-Ray Burst
A first-of-its-kind multi-wavelength observatory dedicated to the study of gamma-ray burst (GRB) science. Its three instruments work together to observe GRBs and afterglows in the gamma-ray, S-ray, ultraviolet, and optical wavebands.
TDRS (on orbit)
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
On orbit, geosynchronous telecommunications satellites that support NASA Missions with the transmission of data to the ground.
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
Identifies planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, orbiting a wider range of stellar types and orbital distances. The principal goal is to detect small planets with bright host starts in the solar neighborhood, so that detailed characterizations of the planets and their atmospheres can be performed.
THEMIS/ARTEMIS
Time History of Events Macroscale Interactions during Substorms
Aims to resolve one of the oldest mysteries in space physics, namely to determine what physical process in near-Earth space initiates the violent eruptions if the aurora that occur during substorms in the Earth's magnetosphere.
Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics
Is an orbiter mission dedicated to study the dynamics of the Mesosphere and Lower Therosphere portion of the Earth's atmosphere.
Van Allen Probes
Named for their discoverer
Will study two extreme and dynamic regions of space known as the Van Allen Radiation Belts that surround Earth.