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Italy's Sorrow: A Year of War, 1944-1945
by James HollandJames Holland
NOOK BookFirst Edition (eBook - First Edition)
During the Second World War, the campaign in Italy was the most destructive fought in Europe - a long, bitter and highly attritional conflict that raged up the country's mountainous leg. For frontline troops, casualty rates at Cassino and along the notorious Gothic Line were as high as they had been on the Western Front in the First World War. There were further similarities too: blasted landscapes, rain and mud, and months on end with the front line barely moving.
And while the Allies and Germans were fighting it out through the mountains, the Italians were engaging in bitter battles too. Partisans were carrying out a crippling resistance campaign against the German troops but also battling the Fascists forces as well in what soon became a bloody civil war. Around them, innocent civilians tried to live through the carnage, terror and anarchy, while in the wake of the Allied advance, horrific numbers of impoverished and starving people were left to pick their way through the ruins of their homes and country. In the German-occupied north, there were more than 700 civilian massacres by German and Fascist troops in retaliation for Partisan activities, while in the south, many found themselves forced into making terrible and heart-rending decisions in order to survive.
Although known as a land of beauty and for the richness of its culture, Italy's suffering in 1944-1945 is now largely forgotten. Italy's Sorrow by James Holland is the first account of the conflict there to tell the story from all sides and to include the experiences of soldiers and civilians alike. Offering extensive original research, it weaves together the drama and tragedy of that terrible year, including new perspectives and material on some of the most debated episodes to have emerged from World War II.
James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. A member of the British Commission for Military History and the Guild of Battlefield Guides, he also regularly contributes reviews and articles in national newspapers and magazines. He is the author of several historical works, including Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940-1943; Together We Stand: North Africa 1942-1943 - Turning the Tide in the West; and Heroes: The Greatest Generation and the Second World War. His many interviews with veterans of the Second World War are available at the Imperial War Museum. James Holland is married with two children and lives in Wiltshire.
James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. A member of the British Commission for Military History and the Guild of Battlefield Guides, he also regularly contributes reviews and articles in national newspapers and magazines. He is the author of Italy's Sorrow: A Year of War, 1944-1945; Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940-1943; Together We Stand: North Africa 1942-1943 – Turning the Tide in the West; and Heroes: The Greatest Generation and the Second World War. His many interviews with veterans of the Second World War are available at the Imperial War Museum. James Holland is married with two children and lives in Wiltshire.
PART I The Road to Rome
ONEThe Eve of Battle May 1944
There were many nationalities and differing races in the two Allied armies waiting to go into battle. The British and Americans formed the largest contingents, but there were also French, Moroccans, Algerians, Canadians, New Zealanders (whites and Maori), Poles, Nepalese, Indians (all faiths), South Africans (white, Asian, black, Zulus), and in the air forces, Australians, Rhodesians and others beside. Whatever their differing creeds and wide-ranging backgrounds, they all were relieved to see that on this day, the eve of battle, the weather was being kind. Thursday, 11 May 1944, was a glorious day: warm, with blue skies, and, by the afternoon, not a rain cloud in sight, just as it had been for most of the month. By evening, the temperature had dropped somewhat, but it was still warm, with just the faintest trace of a breeze – even near the summit of Monte Cassino, some 1,700 feet above the valley below. In their foxholes, the men of the 45,600-strong II Polish Corps waited, repeatedly checking their weapons; eating a final meal; exchanging anxious glances. The minutes ticked by inexorably slowly. It was quiet up there, too; quieter than it had been for many days. Not a single gun fired. The mountain, it seemed, had been stilled.
It was now three weeks since the Poles had taken over the Monte Cassino sector and since then, almost every minute, both day and night, had been spent preparing for and thinking about the battle ahead. By day, the men had trained; they had held exercises in attacking strongly fortified positions, practising rock climbing and assaulting concrete bunkers. New flamethrowers were also introduced, while each squadron and platoona was given clear and detailed instructions as to what they were supposed to do when the battle began.
By night, the Poles had been even busier. Vast amounts of ammunition and supplies had to be taken up the mountainside, a task that was impossible during daylight when the enemy would easily be able to spot them – secrecy was paramount; so, too, was saving lives for the battle ahead. It was also a task that could only be achieved by the use of pack mules and by the fortitude of the men, for there were just two paths open to them – both old mountain tracks, which for more than six miles could be watched by the enemy. A carefully adhered-to system had been quickly established. Supplies were brought from the rear areas by truck. Under carefully laid smoke screens, they were loaded onto smaller, lighter vehicles, then, as the mountain began to rise, they were transferred onto mules and finally carried by hand and on backs by the men themselves, slogging their way up the two mountain tracks that led to the forward positions. All this was done in the dark, without any lights, and as quietly as possible. Even so, the men were often fired upon. The German gunners around Monte Cassino would lay periodic barrages along various stretches of these mountain paths and despite their best efforts, casualties mounted – casualties II Polish Corps could ill-afford.
Now the waiting was almost over, and as the sun slipped behind the mountains on the far side of the Liri Valley, and darkness descended, the Poles knew that at long last the moment for which they had endured so much in the past four-and-a-half years was almost upon them.
In what had once been a lovely mountain meadow, the men of the 2nd Squadron, 12th Lancers, were now dug in. Part of the Polish Corps' 3rd Carpathian Division, they were some 600 yards from the crumbled ruins of the monastery, and the ground ahead of them was pockmarked and churned by shell holes, and strewn with twisted bits of metal and remnants of the dead. Not that twenty-seven-year-old Wladek Rubnikowicz had had much chance to examine the area that was to be his part of the battlefield. In an effort to keep their presence a secret, Wladek and his comrades had been forbidden to send out patrols to reconnoitre the area. In fact, since arriving in their positions on the night of 3 May, Wladek had done little but bring up more supplies by night and brace himself for the attack by day.
The Lancers were cavalry, trained to use armoured cars and to operate as a fast-moving reconnaissance unit, but for the battle they had become infantrymen, foot-sloggers like almost every other soldier that had fought across this damnable piece of land for the past four months. The armoured cars now waited for them miles behind the line with the rear echelons. Only once the battle was won, and the men were out of the mountains and into the valleys below, would they get their vehicles back.
For the vast majority of Polish troops now lying in wait on the mountain, their journey there had been long and tortuous – an epic trek that had seen them travel thousands of miles, crossing continents and enduring terrible losses and hardship – and Wladek was no exception. It was a miracle that he was alive at all.
The blitzkrieg that followed the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 had lasted just twenty-eight days and on 29 September, the country was carved in two by the month-old allies, Germany and the Soviet Union. What had been a beacon of democracy was now subjugated under fascism in one half and Stalinist communism in the other. Its cities and towns lay in ruins, while its stunned people wondered how this apocalypse could have happened in such a short space of time.
Wladek, then a cadet with the Polish Army, had been wounded in the shoulder in the final days before the surrender. Left behind in a disused schoolhouse, he was helped by some local girls who tended him and brought him food and water and, once fit enough to walk, he began the long journey back home to Glebokie, a small town in what had been north-east Poland, but which had now been consumed by the Soviet Union.
His older brother had been killed in the fighting, leaving a wife and two small children, while his home town had been devastated by the war. 'I could see that every thing that made life worthwhile had come to standstill,' Wladek recalled. Nor could he stay at home. Russian troops were everywhere, arresting Poles in their droves. He eventually managed to get to Warsaw after travelling most of the way by clutching to the buffers of a train in temperatures well below freezing, and despite being arrested at the German – Russian border. Temporarily locked in a barn, he quickly escaped and made his way through the snow into the German-occupied half of Poland.
For a while Wladek worked for the Polish resistance movement, but on a mission back into Russian-occupied Poland, he was arrested at the border once again. This time he did not escape.
For thirteen long months, Wladek was held at Bialystok prison. He was one of fifty-six prisoners crammed into an eight-man cell. Occasionally he would be interrogated and beaten. Eventually he was sentenced to three years in a Siberian labour camp. In June 1941, he and 500 others were loaded onto a goods train, fifty to a wagon, and sent to a labour camp in the Arctic Circle.
Ventilation for the wagon came from a small, barred hole and an opening in the floor used as a toilet. There was not enough air and they all struggled to breathe properly. Each prisoner received 400 grammes of bread and one herring at the start of the journey, but the salty herring made them thirstier. They were eventually given a small cup of water each, which, they were told, had to last until the following day. Dysentery soon gripped many men, and most had fever. A number died, their bodies remaining where they lay amongst the living. 'Can you imagine?' says Wladek. 'We didn't realise then that of course the Soviets hoped these conditions would kill off many of us on the way.'
The journey lasted two weeks. The further they travelled the more bleak and desolate the surrounding country became. Eventually they halted at a railhead on the Pechora River. Staggering off their wagon, they were herded towards a transit camp before continuing their journey by paddle steamer. This took them a further 700 miles north. They disembarked a week later at Niryan-Mar Gulag, in one of the most northern parts of Russia.
Conditions had been bad at Bialystok, but Niryan-Mar reached new depths of deprivation. The men were housed in large marquee-like summer tents, each sheltering around 180 men, and although they each had a rough wooden bunk to sleep on, there were neither mattresses nor blankets and the prisoners slept fully clothed at all times. They kept their clothes stuffed with cotton wool and although they just about managed to keep warm, they were soon plagued by lice.
Every day the prisoners were put to work at the nearby port on the mouth of the Pechora for twelve-hour days of physically demanding labour, sustained only by meagre rations of water and hard bread. As Wladek says: 'We worked as slaves.'
The camp was surrounded by barbed wire and watchtowers, but there was nowhere a prisoner could go even if he did escape: they were miles from anywhere and the surrounding forests and marshes were home to wolves. Even so, Wladek did make one bid for freedom. A Swedish vessel came into port and thinking the crew seemed friendly and sympathetic, he managed to slip away and hide in the hold. He misjudged them, however. Soon discovered, he was handed back to the Soviets. 'The punishment I received I shall never forget,' he says; Wladek was beaten to within an inch of his life.
Inevitably, many prisoners succumbed to disease. Illness, however, was no excuse not to work. Despite high fevers and crippling dysentery, prisoners had to keep going, as 'the alternative to working was death'. Wladek's malnutrition caused him to start to go blind. His affliction was worse in the evening and to ensure that he did not step out of line and that he made it safely back to camp each night, he depended on others to guide him.
This hell did eventually come to an end, however. Months after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, he and his fellow prisoners were released and, armed with a free rail pass and some meagre rations, were told to head south. As they did so, Stalin had already begun to renege on his promises and large numbers, Wladek included, were forcibly detained on collective farms. He and several others managed to escape by stealing and pilfering, and, weeks later, they finally reached the Polish camp at Guzar in Uzbekistan, one of the most southerly points in the Soviet Union.
Even before Wladek had left the gulag and set out on the journey that would take him eventually from the Arctic Circle to the edge of Persia, he had been in a weakened physical state – and just a fraction of his normal body weight. Several thousand miles later, having travelled by rail, boat, and on sore and bloody feet, he was seriously ill. Struggling with a high fever, he staggered to the Polish camp's registration office and was then sent to the first aid station, where he was told he had contracted typhoid.
Meanwhile, General Wladyslaw Anders in the southern Soviet Union, and General Sikorski, the Commander-in-Chief of the Free Polish Forces, in London, had been having a difficult time with the Soviet leaders. It had been the Poles' hope and intention that the reconstituted Polish Army should fight as a whole against Germany on the Eastern Front, which would send out a strong signal to the world about Polish solidarity and their fighting spirit. Stalin, however, who had designs on Poland if and when Germany was beaten, had no intention of allowing this to happen, and so had been making life as difficult as possible, giving the Poles mustering areas and camps in inhospitable parts of the Soviet Union where disease – such as typhoid – was rife, and waylaying potential Polish troops by forcing them to work on collective farms.
Eventually, however, Stalin decided he wanted to free himself of any obligations to arm and provide for the Polish Army, no matter how useful they might one day be. Churchill had let it be known that he wanted Polish forces fighting alongside the Allies in the Middle East, and so under pressure from both Britain and America, Sikorski agreed that Anders' Polish Army should be evacuated to Persia, from where they would train under British guidance.
Wladek Rubnikowicz was still making his miraculous recovery from typhoid when the first evacuation to Persia was made, but he joined the next one a few months later, only to contract malaria. After a couple of weeks the fever subsided leaving him with recurrences of the disease that would plague him for years to come. Things were looking up, however. He made his way to Iraq, where he joined General Anders' camp at Quisil Ribat Oasis and where training began in earnest. It was whilst there that Wladek also heard good news about his parents. They too had escaped from the Soviet Union and were at a camp in Iran. He even managed to get leave to see them.
Now with the 12th Polish Lancers of the newly formed II Polish Corps, Wladek moved with his regiment to Kirkuk. With plentiful rations and a moderately balanced diet, he and the rest of his Polish comrades gradually began to build up their strength. 'We all felt anxious to get to the front,' he says, 'and begin fighting for the liberation of Poland. That may sound strange, but it's true.'
After further training in Palestine, the 12th Lancers, part of the 3rd Carpathian Division, reached Italy in December 1943. Several months were spent carrying out final training and acclimatising, until, in the middle of April, they were moved up to the Cassino front.
In fact, General Sir Oliver Leese, commander of the British Eighth Army, under which II Polish Corps served, had visited General Anders on 24 March and proposed that his troops be given the task of taking the Monte Cassino heights and then the hill-top village of Piedimonte, several miles to the west in what would become the fourth battle of Cassino. 'It was,' noted Anders, 'a great moment for me.'2
The Polish commander had suffered as well in the previous years of war. Captured by the Russians in September 1939, Anders had been imprisoned in Lubianka after refusing to join the Red Army. Released after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was given permission to trace and recruit Polish POWs held in the gulags. It was largely thanks to his tireless efforts that he managed to muster some 160,000 men in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan who were then trained to continue the fight for Poland. Now, at Cassino, he had a small corps of two divisions and an armoured brigade made up of 45,626 fighting men. It was an incredible achievement by the dashing and charismatic fifty-two-year-old.
For a few moments only, Anders had considered Leese's suggestion. He was well aware that Monte Cassino had not been taken in two months of bitter fighting; that it had hitherto eluded the efforts of battle-hardened and highly experienced troops. The task that Leese was putting forward was an awesome proposition for his men in what would be their first battle since the fall of Poland. 'The stubbornness of the German defence at Cassino and on Monastery Hill was already a byword,' Anders observed. 'I realised that the cost in lives must be heavy, but I realised too the importance of the capture of Monte Cassino to the Allied cause, and most of all to that of Poland.'3 And so he accepted.
Now, on the evening of 11 May, the moment had almost arrived. Wladek and his comrades had been thoroughly briefed. The messages of Generals Alexander and Leese to their troops had been translated into Polish and the single sheets of thin paper passed around. So too had Anders' own message. 'Soldiers!' he wrote, 'The moment for battle has arrived. We have long awaited the moment for revenge and retribution over our hereditary enemy … The task assigned to us will cover with glory the name of the Polish soldier all over the world.'
Wladek and the men of 2nd Squadron, 12th Lancers were as one behind their commander. Certainly, Wladek was scared, but he was excited too. 'We all wanted to be able to fight for our country,' he says. 'All of us, 100 per cent and 100 per cent more, felt a sense of honour at going into battle for Poland.'
It was not only the Poles who felt ready for the coming battle. Operation DIADEM, the codename for the battle for Rome, had been launched by the Commander-in-Chief of Allied Armies in Italy at a commanders' conference on the last day of February 1944.b Since then, General Alexander, his staff, and commanders had been working flat out, reorganising and training troops, planning and making sure that nothing was left to chance; they were not going to be caught short for want of a horseshoe.
All of the commanders felt tense. For every single one involved, whether at divisional, corps or army level, this was to be the biggest battle of their careers: more men, more guns; more aircraft above them. Each was acutely aware of how much was at stake. Despite the build-up of men and materiel, and despite the improved weather, there was unlikely to be any easy victory. The flooding in the valley had receded but the Liri Valley, only six miles at its widest and just four at the greater part of its length, was narrow for a two-corps assault. The serpentine River Liri was too wide and deep to ford, while numerous other tributaries and water courses cut across the valley and hence the path of the attackers. There were also heavy German defences: concrete dugouts, gun turrets, machine-gun posts, mines and wire. Furthermore, overlooking this softly undulating valley of pasture, cornfields and broken woodland – slow going for wheels and tracks – were the imposing mountain ranges, filled with yet more carefully positioned guns, machine guns and troops. Indeed, the mouth of the Liri Valley, the gateway to Rome, was protected by two superb artillery positions, Monte Cassino to the north, and Monte Maio to the south. In four months of fighting these 'gate posts' had not been cleared. Few of the Allied commanders, however, could have felt this pressure more keenly than Lieutenant-General Mark W. Clark, Commander of the US Fifth Army.
The planning for Operation DIADEM largely complete, Clark spent a final few days touring the front, briefing his commanders and inspecting his troops, many of whom would be going into battle for the first time. Earlier that morning of Thursday, 11 May, Clark had inspected also the US 36th Division, pinning a number of medals on the chests of Texans and addressing them briefly. It was the 36th Division who had been involved in the first disastrous attempt to break into the Liri Valley back in January, when they had tried to cross the narrow Rapido River that runs south through the town. Even before that attack, the auspices had not been good. The British 46th Division had already failed to cross the wider River Garigliano further south – an operation designed to help the Texans in their task to cross the Rapido – and had warned the Americans that the ground on the far side of the river was heavily defended. Moreover, they had insufficient river craft with which to do the job. Yet Major-General Walker, 36th Division's commander, had assured Clark, despite considerable private doubts, that the operation was still achievable. Clark, who had urgently needed to divert German troops away from the Anzio beachheads for the Allied landing that would take place two days later, had consequently given the go-ahead.
In the forty-eight hour operation that followed, some 1,700 men were killed or wounded. Rather like the men on the Somme on 1 July 1916, the Texans had been cut down in swathes. The river had run red with blood; the bodies stacked six high in places. In America, the pressmen had labelled the 'Bloody Rapido' the worst disaster since Pearl Harbor.
General Clark had taken his share of the blame, but within a few days it became apparent that the American-led operation at Anzio, Operation SHINGLE, had also fallen short of its aims. Neither the Rapido disaster nor the setback at Anzio had been entirely Clark's fault and both operations had been executed because of pressure higher up the chain of command. But an army commander lives and dies by his successes, and by the spring of 1944 – on the battlefield at any rate – these had been all too few. Clark was unaware that his position was under threat and that discussions had taken place about whether to remove him, but he nonetheless keenly felt the frustrations of his comparative lack of success.
Mark Clark – or 'Wayne' as friends knew him – had just turned forty-eight at the start of May. Standing six foot three inches tall, he was lean and muscular, his hair still dark, and despite a prominently hawkish nose, he was a youthful-looking and handsome three-star general who towered over most of his subordinates and superiors alike. One of the few American commanders who had seen action in the last war, he had led a battalion in France in 1917, until wounded when a shell had exploded nearby. He spent the rest of the war as a captain carrying out staff duties. It was a rank he kept for sixteen years, sitting out the post-war doldrums with mounting impatience.
In 1933 his fortunes had finally begun to change, with promotion followed by time spent at both the US Command and General Staff College and the Army War College, so marking him out for future high command. By the summer of 1937 he had joined the 3rd Division, where he renewed his friendship with his old West Point friend, Dwight D. Eisenhower. By 1940, he was a lieutenant-colonel and was appointed chief of staff to General Lesley McNair, the man commanded to expand, train, and reorganise the US Army ready for war. Clark immediately showed his exceptional aptitude for planning and organisation, demonstrating great resources of energy, intelligence, enthusiasm, and an ability to get things done, and done fast.
Catching the eye of General Marshall, the US Chief of Staff, Clark was sent to Britain in 1942 along with Eisenhower to arrange for the reception and training of American troops and to begin preparations for the invasion of Continental Europe. When immediate Allied plans were redirected towards an invasion of northwest Africa, Eisenhower was made Commander-in-Chief with Clark as his deputy. As head of planning for Operation TORCH, Clark deservedly won a great deal of credit for pulling off what was the largest seaborne invasion the world had ever known. It was also no small thanks to Clark and his pre-invasion discussions with Vichy French commanders that the resulting landing was a comparative walkover.
But however much Clark had proved himself as a planner and diplomat, he desperately wanted the chance for operational command but, as Eisenhower's official deputy, he knew he was in danger of spending the rest of the war as a desk man. Consequently, he began to badger his chief for his own command until he was eventually appointed commander of the newly created US Fifth Army, the first American army headquarters to be formed overseas. Although for the first few months it was little more than a training organisation, it was then that he began to develop a deep affection for Fifth Army, a force that he nurtured and considered his own. Together, he believed, they were destined to achieve great victories.
Not until the invasion of Italy was Clark finally given the chance he so craved, of leading his men in battle. Given the task of planning the main Allied landings at Salerno, VI Corps from his Fifth Army duly landed on 9 September 1943. It was almost a massive failure. Heavily contested by Kesselring's AOK 10, it had been a far more bitter fight than either the North African or Sicily landings. Clark, however, had showed resolve and courage, quickly getting himself onto the beachhead and taking firm and decisive command. At one point, during the second and most threatening German counterattack, he took personal charge of an anti-tank unit and turned back eighteen German tanks at almost point-blank range. The Allies regained their footing, a bridgehead was firmly established, and as Axis forces withdrew north towards the defences of the Gustav Line, Clark and his Fifth Army quickly took Naples, a key port on the route to Rome.
Despite this success, however, Clark suffered the mutterings of some. At the height of Salerno, with defeat a distinct possibility, Clark realised he had made no provision for an evacuation should the worst occur. Quickly trying to rectify this, he ordered his staff to make the necessary plans for a withdrawal. Although purely a contingency plan, news of these orders spread; to some, this was not seen as Clark's pragmatism shining through, but rather a sign that he had momentarily lost his nerve.
In fact, at Salerno and in the fighting in Italy since the Allied invasion, Clark had proved himself an extremely able battlefield commander. He possessed a thorough understanding of modern all-arms tactics, an ability to grasp and see the bigger strategic overview, and was not afraid of taking difficult decisions or the rap if things did not go according to plan. However, many found him overly blunt, arrogant even; he could be prickly – and brusque and heavy handed with his subordinates. He was the boss – and no one was allowed to forget it. If that made him unpopular to some, well to hell with it; winning battles and the war was what counted, not worrying about telling people some harsh home truths. Again, in many respects, there was nothing wrong with this approach, but unfortunately Clark also suffered from a deep-rooted hang-up that many of his fellow commanders, whether Alexander or Leese, or the British corps commanders attached to his Fifth Army, had considerably more battlefield experience than he and he suspected that they looked down on him because of this. There is no evidence that anyone regarded this as a defect at all, but it niggled him considerably and made him far too quick to see the decisions of Alexander and others as an attempt to undermine him, his authority, and to belittle the efforts of his Fifth Army.
Just six days earlier, on 5 May, this paranoia had come to the fore when Alexander made a visit to the Anzio bridgehead, from where the US-led VI Corps was to make its break-out once the southern front had been sufficiently broken in the forthcoming battle. There, Alexander had spoken with Major-General Lucian Truscott, the VI Corps commander. After hearing Truscott's plans, Alexander suggested he should be concentrating on only one course of action, namely to spearhead north-eastwards towards Cisterna, Cori and Valmontone, as had been previously agreed with Clark and all concerned. Truscott then informed Clark of this conversation. Outraged, Clark rang Alexander's headquarters and demanded to speak with the British commander. 'I told Alexander,' Clark wrote in his diary, 'that I resented deeply his issuing any instructions to my subordinates.' Alexander, by now used to Clark's occasional fits of over-sensitiveness, assured him he had not intended to undermine his authority in any way, and that he had merely made the point lightly in the course of his conversation with Truscott, gently reminding Clark that he was only telling Truscott what had already been agreed. It seemed to be what the American wanted to hear. 'This is a small matter,' Clark noted later, his honour sated and his feathers smoothed once more, 'but it is well that I let him know now, as I have in the past, that he will deal directly with me and never with a subordinate.'4
However, on the eve of battle – 11 May – that day of days, Clark was playing the part of army commander perfectly. It is typical of him that he should have chosen that morning to address the men of the 36th Texas Division – the men who blamed him above all for the Bloody Rapido – looking them in the eye and stirring them for the battle to come, a battle in which yet more of them would lose their lives.
News that the offensive would at last begin that night was given out to men along the line throughout the day, in the form of thin paper fliers. In the case of those in Eighth Army, one was from General Alexander and the other from General Leese. Then, in the afternoon, battalion commanders gathered their officers around them and gave them a general as well as a more specific brief. The 19th Indian Brigade, for example, part of 8th Indian Division, had a key role that opening night of the battle. 'Tonight,' the Brigade Commander, Major Parker, told his officers, 'we're attacking the Gustav Line across the River Rapido here. We'll have the Poles and 4th Division on our right and French troops on our left. The Fifth Army are making a push at the same time. This is the first blow of the Second Front. It will be closely followed by the invasion of Western Europe and a general attack by the Russians in the south-east.'
The attack, Major Parker continued, would begin with a massive barrage at 11 p.m. using just under 1,700 guns – almost double what had been used at the Battle of Alamein in November 1942. To begin with, the fire would be counter-battery, that is, falling behind the German forward positions in an effort to hit the enemy's own artillery. Then it would be directed against targets on the front. After this opening barrage, the infantry would begin their attack. In their own sector along the Liri Valley, the division would make their assault alongside the 4th Division, crossing the River Garigliano under cover of continued artillery fire, while the Poles assaulted Cassino and the Goums and part of the French Expeditionary Force attacked the Aurunci Mountains on their left, 'with instructions to cut off the heads of every German they meet'. Furthest to the south, along the Minturno Ridge that runs to the sea, the US II Corps would attack with the new boys, the 85th and 88th Infantry Divisions.
The task of 19th Infantry Brigade was twofold. The Indian battalions were to get themselves across the river, whilst the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were to invade what was known as the 'Liri Appendix', a narrow finger of land between where the Garigliano turned sharply and ran parallel to the River Liri before actually joining it. From the moment the barrage began, the Appendix would be covered by machine-gun fire to keep the Germans' heads down. 'So if you hear close machine-gun fire,' the Brigade Major told them, 'you'll know it'll be our fellows pumping lead into this Appendix.' The barrage would not finish until 4 a.m., and would then be followed by wave after wave of Allied bombers and fighter planes – 'as many as we'll want'.
Having given his brief outline, Major Parker paused, folded away his map, then smiled dryly at his men. 'We hope,' he told them, 'this will do the trick.'5
Although any infantry heading into battle obviously faced extreme danger, amongst those men most at risk were the junior officers. American Lieutenant Bob Wiggans was a platoon commander with Company D of the 1st Battalion, 338th Infantry Regiment – part of the 85th 'Custer' Division.c The 85th had reached Italy less than seven weeks before, sailing into Naples under the smoke and pall of the still-erupting Mount Vesuvius, and had only been sent up to the front in the middle of April. The entire division, along with the also newly arrived 88th Division, were the first American all-draftee divisions to go into combat. Bearing the brunt of the Americans' initial assault in the coming battle, their performance would be the first proper test of the US Army's wartime training and replacement system – a system that had been set up in some part by General Mark Clark.
A twenty-six-year-old farmer from upstate New York, Bob Wiggans had undergone reserve officer infantry training whilst at Cornell University – an activity that was compulsory for all male students – and so when he was given his draft notice just a couple of weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, he was immediately sent to Camp Shelby in Mississippi to join the cadre that would help form and train the brand-new 85th Infantry Division.
Bob regarded 7 December 1941 as one of the saddest days of his life. The war would not only take him away from the farm he had bought less than a year before, but also from Dot, his wife of five months. Leaving home was a terrible wrench, but he believed that the United States was doing the right thing, and that Nazism had to be defeated.
In the two years in which Bob had served with the 85th, it had grown from nothing to a fully-formed and trained combat division. However, the division showed its inexperience during its first few days on the Cassino front, when it took over positions from the British in the rubble and remains of the town of Minturno, the most westerly point of the front line. Most of the 85th's men found the whole experience of being on the battlefield and close to the enemy and of coming under shellfire deeply unsettling. Bob had been called out one night offering to help 3rd Platoon who were convinced there were Germans crawling around in the rubble above them. It turned out the 'enemy' were just rats scurrying about. Bob had found that hurtling through the ruined town in his jeep, distributing mail, ammunition and supplies, was enough to get his heart racing. 'These night missions were harrowing enough with the interdictory artillery fire,' he noted, 'but the awful smell of decaying flesh from under the rubble made it infinitely worse.'6
That the 'Custermen' were a little jumpy is no wonder: all the draftees, officers and enlisted men were entirely new to war, with no battlefield experience to draw upon. And like the Poles and so many of the assaulting troops, their first battle would be one of the biggest their countries had ever taken part in. d
That afternoon, back in his caravan at Fifth Army headquarters, General Clark dictated a message of best wishes to his fellow army commander, General Sir Oliver Leese – happy, on this occasion, to observe inter-army protocol. The British commander promptly replied in kind. 'We all in Eighth Army,' wrote Leese, 'send your Fifth Army our cordial good wishes and look confidently forward to advancing shoulder to shoulder together.'7
Leese was impatient for the battle to begin, and though apprehensive was quietly confident. 'Ultra' intercepts of German Enigma codes passed on by the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, suggested that the Allies' elaborate deception plans had worked and that the Germans were not expecting a major attack until the following month. Leese had more than a quarter of a million men under his command – 'an immense army' – all of whom were fully trained and briefed. Ammunition and petrol were ready in dumps at the front line. Everyone was agreed on the battle plan, and from his manic tours around the front, Leese believed his troops to be in good heart. 'It has been a vast endeavour and it will be a huge battle,' he wrote. 'All we want is fine weather and a bit of luck.'8
As the evening shadows lengthened, infantrymen along the front furtively began moving up to their start lines and forming-up positions. In the Liri Valley, men uncovered assault boats; bridging parties moved trucks of Bailey bridge sections forward, while other sappers reeled out long lines of white marker tape to later guide the troops in the dark towards specific river crossing points.
Dusk soon gave way to the darkness of night, and the first desultory shelling of Cassino began just as it had every night for weeks since the end of the third battle of Cassino in March. Partly as cover, and partly to give the impression that this was just like any other evening along the front, the shelling gradually died out, so that at ten o'clock, when General Leese sat down to write to his wife, Margie, the front seemed eerily quiet.
'In sixty minutes,' he scrawled on the thick blue writing paper Margie Leese had sent out to him, 'hell will be let loose, the whole way from Monte Cairo to the sea. At 11 p.m. on 11 May, 2,000 guns will burst forth.'e It had, he added, been a lovely day, and it was now a glorious night.
A huge weight of responsibility rested on Leese's shoulders and those of his fellow commanders, not only for the men under their command but also because there was so much at stake with this, the biggest battle the Western Allies had yet attempted in the war. A sweeping, crushing victory promised untold riches, yet defeat would not only be a blow to Allied chances of success in launching an invasion of northern France, but it would also wreck the future of the Italian campaign and with it British credibility in particular. No wonder General Leese was counting down the minutes.
ITALY'S SORROW. Copyright © 2008 by James Holland. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
List of Illustrations xi
List of Maps xv
Note on the Text xxvii
Principal Personalities xxix
Prologue xxxiii
The Road To Rome 1
The Eve of Battle: May 1944 3
Battle Begins: 11-12 May 1944 18
Churchill's Opportunism 23
The Slow Retreat 32
Frustrations 42
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 53
Masters of the Skies 70
The Battle Rages: 13-16 May 1944 81
New Order 92
Breaking the Gustav Line: 17-18 May 1944 103
Achtung Banditen! 111
The Fog of War: 18-23 May 1944 125
Break-out: 23-26 May 1944 139
General Clark and the Big Switch: 26-30 May 1944 152
The Fall of Rome: 1-5 June 1944 169
The Brutal Summer 185
The North 187
The Problems of Generalship: June 1944 202
The Typhoon Rolls North 215
Breaking the Albert Line: 20-30 June 1944 225
The Politics of War 241
Differences of Opinion 252
Summer Heat: July1944 264
Crossing the Arno: July-August 1944 279
A Change of Plan: August 1944 291
Despair: August 1944 305
The Gothic Line: 25 August-1 September 1944 317
The Tragedy of Gemmano: 1-12 September 1944 333
Mountain Passes and Bloody Ridges: 12-21 September 1944 345
The Winter of Discontent 365
Death in the Mountains: 22-29 September 1944 367
The Reason Why 383
Rain, Mud and Misery, Part I: 1-14 October 1944 393
Rain, Mud and Misery, Part II: 15-31 October 1944 411
The Infantryman's Lot: November 1944 425
The Partisan Crisis: November-December 1944 441
White Christmas: December 1944 453
Endgame 471
Stalemate: January-February 1945 473
Getting Ready: February-April 1945 487
The Last Offensive: 9-20 April 1945 504
The End of the War in Italy: 21 April-2 May 1945 516
Postscript 528
Bibliography 547
Acknowledgements 573
Abbreviations and Glossary 577
Guide to ranks 581
A comprehensive, anecdotal survey of the Italian campaign, with the sweep and cast of characters of a Darryl F. Zanuck epic. As Holland (Together We Stand: America, Britain and the Forging of an Alliance, 2006, etc.) sagely notes, the war in Italy cost as many Allied troops as the campaign in northwestern Europe; it also lasted until the bitter end of World War II. Yet it is comparatively little known. Everyone has heard of D-Day, but Anzio, Cassino and Salerno are less iconic. The peninsula's geography was a ferocious enemy all its own, split by tall mountains and narrow, easily defended valleys. Holland ventures that flaws in the supply chain and the shortage of amphibious craft that would have allowed for more extensive beach invasions had their part in extending the war, too, as did the withdrawal of seven divisions and thousands of aircraft for the Normandy landings. "These were decisions made outside the theatre," writes Holland, "and caused by difficult and often divisive strategic quandaries in Washington and London." Both Germans and Allies had strong leadership on the ground. Interviewing and profiling veterans on both sides, Holland offers vivid portraits of such commanders as Kesselring, Almond and Alexander, some little or only partially known even to readers versed in the history of the Italian campaign. Holland peppers his text with stirring vignettes of life under fire: a partisan bomb attack against an SS police company in the heart of Rome, a desperate defense of a German paratrooper line against advancing Indian and South African troops. The author does not shy away from the big picture in doing so, writing well of the disagreements in strategy and tactics that dividedthe United States and Britain, each suspicious of the motives of the other and yet willing to shed blood for its allies. Less engaging than Rick Atkinson's The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (2007), but still of much value to WWII buffs and generalists.
Italy's Sorrow: A Year of War: 1944--1945 5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 1 reviews.
Welcome ~Jack
book by frank mclynn
book by eric burns
book by alan stewart
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Well-told story of a life dedicated to scholarship, with great adventures and derring-do an unexpected ...
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Love is in the air…quite literally! Soaring towards the skies by balloon has been recognized as one of the most romantic activities in New Mexico. With awe-inspiring views as far as the eye can see, a Santa Fe hot air balloon ride is the perfect setting for a memorable date, anniversary celebration, or even a proposal! If you and your sweetheart are planning a trip to northern New Mexico, you won't want to miss the opportunity to surprise them with a sky-high adventure they'll never forget.
Looking for more date ideas or local activities to enjoy during your getaway? You'll find plenty of options for Santa Fe hot air balloon rides, delicious dining, unique shopping, and more in our handy Chimayo Vacation Guide. Download yours for free today!
Johnny Lewis the Balloon Pilot has flown balloons all over the world is one of the most experienced pilots in the country! He also owns his own flight company in the incredibly beautiful of Las Barrancas. Lewis will send you and your sweetie airborne as you take in the stunning views of the ravine. The flight is approximately one hour and ends with a complimentary champagne toast and light brunch once you return to Earth.
This Taos hot air balloon company boasts some of the most experienced Rio Grande Gorge pilots in northern New Mexico! Eske's Paradise Balloons prides itself in granting customers with first-class experiences they'll be talking about for years to come. Your ride will begin 45 minutes before sunrise with a balloon safety and flight lesson. At sunrise, your beautiful balloon takes off and rides the gentle winds towards the skies. You'll fly over and down into the Rio Grande Gorge while following the river downstream for a possible "splash and dash." Keep your eyes open for golden eagles and other wildlife as you explore the canyon. Upon landing, enjoy a traditional champagne and brunch celebration.
If you're willing to make the drive to New Mexico's largest city, the fun that awaits will be worth it! As the first company to provide hot air balloon rides in Albuquerque, World Balloon is a northern New Mexico must! As they say, "Missing a balloon flight in Albuquerque would be like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower!" You may choose from a variety of flight experiences, each offering its own perks and amenities. Adventures begin at sunrise and continue with a peaceful journey down the Rio Grande Valley.
The International Balloon Fiesta attracts thousands of balloon fans and tourists each year for an outstanding 9-day celebration. It is the world's largest balloon event and also the most photographed event on the planet! You won't want to miss the famous Dawn Patrol shows, mass ascensions of hundreds of balloons, a magic night glow, and so much more! If you wish to enjoy the balloons from the ground, there's no better opportunity than this fun-filled festival.
Our charming bed and breakfast in peaceful and secluded Chimayo provides you with the best of both worlds. Along with convenience to historic Santa Fe and Taos, our guests also enjoy inspiring countryside landscapes, intimate guestrooms, and a traditional New Mexican breakfast. The romantic setting also makes us an ideal destination for couples on a romantic getaway. Treat your sweetheart to a one-of-a-kind vacation and book with Casa Escondida today!


text:
using System;
using System.Reflection;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Utilities;
using System.Globalization;

namespace Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization
{
  /// <summary>
  /// Get and set values for a <see cref="MemberInfo"/> using reflection.
  /// </summary>
  public class ReflectionValueProvider : IValueProvider
  {
    private readonly MemberInfo _memberInfo;

    /// <summary>
    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="ReflectionValueProvider"/> class.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="memberInfo">The member info.</param>
    public ReflectionValueProvider(MemberInfo memberInfo)
    {
      ValidationUtils.ArgumentNotNull(memberInfo, "memberInfo");
      _memberInfo = memberInfo;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Sets the value.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="target">The target to set the value on.</param>
    /// <param name="value">The value to set on the target.</param>
    public void SetValue(object target, object value)
    {
      try
      {
        ReflectionUtils.SetMemberValue(_memberInfo, target, value);
      }
      catch (Exception ex)
      {
        throw new JsonSerializationException("Error setting value to '{0}' on '{1}'.".FormatWith(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, _memberInfo.Name, target.GetType()), ex);
      }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the value.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="target">The target to get the value from.</param>
    /// <returns>The value.</returns>
    public object GetValue(object target)
    {
      try
      {
        return ReflectionUtils.GetMemberValue(_memberInfo, target);
      }
      catch (Exception ex)
      {
        throw new JsonSerializationException("Error getting value from '{0}' on '{1}'.".FormatWith(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, _memberInfo.Name, target.GetType()), ex);
      }
    }
  }
}
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
require 'spec_helper'

# Chef 12 fixed resource inheritance issues
if Chef::VERSION.to_f < 12.0
  module ChefSpec
    module Extensions
      describe :LWRPBase do
        describe '#remove_existing_lwrp' do
          before do
            Chef::Provider::MysqlDatabase = nil
            Chef::Resource::MysqlDatabase = Class.new(Chef::Resource)
          end

          after do
            [Chef::Provider, Chef::Resource].each do |mod|
              next unless mod.const_defined?(:MysqlDatabase, false)
              mod.send(:remove_const, :MysqlDatabase)
            end
          end

          context Chef::Provider do
            before do
              Chef::Provider::LWRPBase.remove_existing_lwrp('MysqlDatabase')
            end

            it 'removes the provider if it already exists' do
              expect(Chef::Provider.constants).to_not include(:MysqlDatabase)
            end

            it 'does not remove resource'  do
              expect(Chef::Resource.constants).to include(:MysqlDatabase)
            end

            it 'does not throw an error if the resource does not already exist' do
              expect {
                Chef::Provider::LWRPBase.remove_existing_lwrp 'Human'
              }.to_not raise_error
            end
          end

          context Chef::Resource do
            let!(:resource_class) { Chef::Resource::MysqlDatabase }

            before do
              Chef::Resource::LWRPBase.remove_existing_lwrp('MysqlDatabase')
            end

            it 'removes the resource if it already exists' do
              expect(Chef::Resource.constants).to_not include(:MysqlDatabase)
            end

            if Chef::Resource.respond_to?(:resource_classes)
              it 'removes the resource from Chef::Resource.resource_classes' do
                expect(Chef::Resource.resource_classes).to_not include(resource_class)
              end
            end

            it 'does not remove the provider'  do
              Chef::Resource::LWRPBase.remove_existing_lwrp('MysqlDatabase')
              expect(Chef::Provider.constants).to include(:MysqlDatabase)
            end

            it 'does not throw an error if the resource does not already exist' do
              expect {
                Chef::Resource::LWRPBase.remove_existing_lwrp 'Human'
              }.to_not raise_error
            end
          end
        end
      end

      describe '#build_from_file' do
        let(:args){ %w{mycookbook thisfile context} }

        shared_context "wrapping" do
          it 'wraps the existing chef build_from_file method' do
            klass = mod::LWRPBase
            allow(klass).to receive(:build_from_file_without_removal)
            expect(klass).to receive(:build_from_file_without_removal).with(*args)
            klass.build_from_file(*args)
          end
        end

        context Chef::Provider do
          let(:mod){ Chef::Provider }
          include_context "wrapping"
        end

        context Chef::Resource do
          let(:mod){ Chef::Resource }
          include_context "wrapping"
        end
      end
    end
  end
end


Covering suttas 31-40. Suttas in which The Buddha interacts with Devas of various sorts in various ways.
Covering Suttas 41-81. Short suttas in verse in which The Buddha interacts with Devas in the form of 'riddle and response'.


Alison Mann is the manager of talent relations for Paramount Animation.
As an artist, Alison Mann always knew she wanted to work in animation. She began her career at Nickelodeon Animation Studio as a finance department intern while attending Columbia College Chicago. After graduating, she was offered the amazing opportunity to continue working with Nickelodeon/MTV as their recruiter and coordinator of talent relations. Through her 12 years in the industry, she gained experience in TV, film, and gaming while working for companies such as Walt Disney Animation Studio, Zynga, and Disney Interactive. Currently, Alison is the manager of talent relations for Paramount Animation, where she is responsible for industry outreach, artistic talent acquisition, and studio enrichment activities.
Alison is a creative, tech-loving talent scout who believes that students should pursue internships to learn about the animation industry and get their foot in the door. Although her main focus is artistic talent acquisitions as a recruiter, she is passionate about guiding students and professionals to become more presentable and better equipped for the job market.
In this interview, Paramount Animation recruiter Alison Mann explains what she looks for when hiring artists and animators. Learn what makes a portfolio stand out to employers and how to use social media to promote your work.


text:
Jason Statham will return for Fast & Furious 8
By George Wales 25 June 2015
Given that Fast & Furious 7 took the box office by storm, it was no surprise to learn that Universal had swiftly given another sequel the green light. And excitingly, Jason Statham will be on villain duties once more as the returning Deckard Shaw.
"We're already talking about doing another one, Part 8," said Statham in a recent interview with Access Hollywood. "I'm a newcomer, I just got invited to the party in this last one, so it's nice to know I'm going to be doing another."
It's unclear whether Statham will be the primary antagonist next time out, or whether his character will be absorbed into the fold in another way. We know Kurt Russell is likely to have his character's involvement beefed-up for the sequel, so it will be interesting to see how the franchise's updated roster begins to evolve…
Co-starring the returning Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and chums, Furious 8 will open in the US on 14 April 2017. A new director has yet to be confirmed.
For more great film and TV news, head to our movie channel or subscribe to Total Film.
George Wales
George is GR's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, I authored the landmark SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 with Committee Chair Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, which would reauthorize the critical Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
When President Reagan signed the law establishing the SBIR program in 1982, he noted that, "Our nation is blessed with two important qualities that are often missing in other societies: our spirit of entrepreneurship and our capacity for invention and innovation. These two elements are combined in the small businesses that dot our land."
This legislation is a profound opportunity for Congress to reaffirm and showcase that our best days are truly ahead of us. So I am pleased to support this year's reauthorization to increase the efficiency of these valuable programs, which have fostered an environment of innovative entrepreneurship in the nation's small firms most likely to create jobs and commercialize their products for nearly thirty years. In fact, valuable advances like the cell phone and LASIK surgery were brought to market as a result of technologies developed through the SBIR program.
In addition, SBIR has helped America's small businesses bring promising new therapies and cures to market. As the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) noted in its letter of support for our legislation, "SBIR funds have helped small biotechnology companies continue lines of medical research that might otherwise go unfunded." With the support of the SBIR and STTR programs, one can only imagine what the next 30 years of small business innovation will bring to bear.
Small businesses are our nation's job generators, employing more than half of all private sector employees and creating 64 percent of the net new jobs over the past 15 years. They also represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. Furthermore, small businesses are our nation's most effective innovators, producing roughly 13 times more patents per employee than large firms — patents which are at least two times as likely to be among the top one percent of high-impact patents. Recipients of SBIR and STTR awards have produced more than 85,000 patents and have generated millions of well-paying jobs across all 50 states. It is crucial, then, that the SBIR and STTR programs — two of the strongest examples of successful public-private partnership � be a key part of our job creation agenda.
With this reauthorization, the Small Business Administration will have the ability to make more awards from its existing research and development budget by maximizing the efficiency and accountability of every dollar in the program. The bill includes a series of data collection provisions to ensure that we have a better base of information to use when considering future policy changes to the programs and engaging in necessary oversight.
This long-term reauthorization will allow more small businesses to access SBIR and STTR funding without the fear of constant interruptions based on the whims of whether or not Congress will extend these programs for an indefinite period of time. Indeed, a company's life cycle in the SBIR or STTR program is by nature a multiyear process — a Phase I award lasts six months, while a Phase II award is for two years. And that time frame doesn't include the time it takes for businesses to apply for funding and await a decision, as well as the time between the phases waiting for new solicitations from agencies.
Our legislation enjoys strong bipartisan support and has the unprecedented backing of a host of key organizations, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, and National Small Business Association, to the Biotechnology Industry Organization and National Venture Capital Association. I look forward to reauthorizing these programs in Congress quickly so we can assist the next generation of America's innovators and entrepreneurs in ensuring that we "out-innovate" the rest of the world.


The Lensbury is delighted to have been chosen as one of the partner hotels for the Future World Symposium of the NMI, the association for the microelectronics industry, to be held at the Twickenham Experience from 29th – 30th April 2014.
We will be offering a relaxing environment in our brand new Foyer that has benefited from a £3.2 million investment since Christmas. Furthermore these guests will be some of the first to stay in the soon to be opened Ascot building. Our most recent renovation project 'The Ascot Suite' has undergone a £1.4 million refurbishment. Finished to a very high standard, this separate accommodation annex offers direct access to the leisure facilities and rooms are available in the following variations: Ascot Queen Double, Ascot King Double and Ascot Twin Room (Twin beds).
Other new features include safes, air conditioning and extensive wifi.
To take advantage of special rates for the symposium, guests can call the reservations team on, 0208 614 6444, or email accommodation@lensbury.com quoting the group code 2804FW.


The housemates wake up to the old melody I am a disco artist. Rochelle and Rishab moves to melody, Prince and Kishwar appears to be tragic.
Rochelle says to Rishab that numerous individuals gave me counsel that by what means if i play are presently gone, Rishab says thats why i dont offer exhortation to anybody, the person who gives guidance get to be washout, do what you need thats best equation, you can just trust Keith.
mandana says to Priya that you individuals are cheap to the point that you listen my discussion with my sweetheart and examine it, Priya says i didnt listen however Rochelle listened it as it was on speaker, your beau said that he is not glad for you, Mandana says talk was that he said i am pleased with you then i inquired as to whether my family watches appear? he said that they watch it on and off and appreciate it, Priya says everything is examined in house, you additionally do that, Mandana says who the hellfire would you say you are to talk about and say that my family is not glad for me? Priya says you are that Mandana who remarked about my marriage, you said that i ought to give lap move to Rishab, not me but rather your family is not glad for you, i am not turning anything, Rochelle says let me examine it, Priya says Rochelle it would you say you was who begun this theme, you let me know about Mandana's sweetheart's remark, Rochelle says i never talk about group of anybody, Priya says you have twofold principles, you and Keith consented to me, you and Keith were examining Mandana's family and now you need to wind up devi infront of Mandana, Mandana says Keith and Rochelle ought not discuss me, Keith says i recently said that i have same sentiment and left, i didnt talk about it however in the event that somebody asks me that Mandana eats more chicken then i will say that yes, she does, you are nobody to prevent me from giving supposition, Mandana says yet why talk about my gang? Rochelle says Priya needed to light battle by talking about your family with me, its her thought, Mandana says why you get in her trap then? Priya says Rochelle need to spare her ***, Rochelle says atleast i am not warrior cockerel, Priya says yes you are something else, Rochelle says i am miss india, i am wonderful.
Rochelle says to Keith that when battle was going on, you recently said that you had sentiment and left, Keith says i simply said what i needed, Rochelle says dont yell, Keith brings down his voice, Rochelle says when Priya was battling with me, why you didnt talk up? at the point when Kishwar battles, all stand behind her however when Priya is battling with me, all are chuckling at me and nobody arrives to remain with me, Keith says you are incorrect, Rochelle says you never took stand for me infront of Priya, Keith says i was not included in that dialog, Rochelle says you arrived just, Keith says i pondered Mandana's family with Priya, Rochelle says i never examined it, i only consented to her and you were with me around then yet you didnt even notice in the event that i talked about it or not, she begins to leave, Keith tries to stop her yet Rochelle request that he abandon her, its great i go out this week, she leaves, Keith gets dismal.
Sovereign offers discipline to Mandana and Priya, he makes them stand opposite one another with their hands on alternate's shoulders. Priya finds the discipline amusing, Prince says you both ought to rehash "you both are fools to the point that talking in english in a weeks ago of appear", Priya and Mandana rehashes it, Priya says Mandana is not putting hand on right spot, she says her spit is going ahead my face, they stand and rehash words, Prince request that mandana leave and request that Priya proceed with discipline as she is not genuine about discipline, Priya says i am making the most of my discipline, why should you let me know how to tolerate it? Sovereign says i am skipper and i am instructing you to quit fooling around, Priya says you are being unreasonable, i didnt talk in enligh more than Mandana and still you are giving me more discipline, now i wont do any work of house, Rishab says to Priya that her stuff will be taken, Priya doesnt tune in.
Keith says sorry to learn, Rochelle says you suspected that i will pass remarks on somebody's crew? Keith says i thought you talked about it, Rochelle says that implies you ponder individuals? keith says i wasn't right, i am sad, i won't yell at you, he embraces her.
Priya says to Prince that in the event that you think i am conflicting with standards then here is my stuff, take my make up as well and place me in store room as well and if thats insufficient then put me too there, Rishab ask Priya to not overcompensate, Priya says Prince is constantly inclination when he gets to be commander, she abandons her baggage there.
Mandana cries, Kishwar ask what was the deal? Mandana i am drained here, individuals discuss my life, my family and my beau, i dont say that its set in stone yet i was clear i clear from begin of show to not get individual life battles, same thing happened with Nora with that zero remark, Rishab says i called myself zero, Mandana says i am not talking in regards to you, on the off chance that you dont wanna listen then go out, Rishab says why should you let me know this? Mandana says you are stating same crap as Priya, Rishab says you are poop, Rochelle sys Rishab what's going on with you? cant you see she is crying? Rishab says fine, Mandana says i am tired of individuals such as Priya, Rishab and this house, Rishab says it doesnt matter to me, Mandana says they hurt alot, Rochelle says to Rishab that you are carrying on frightful, he says OK, Mandana says rishab is creature, Kishwar says you called us creature as well, Mandana says as much what? around then, i thought you individuals are creatures now i think Priya is creature.
Rishab comes to Priya and says Mandana called us creatures, i was snickering on her, Priya ask who was with her? Rishab says Rochelle and Kishwar, Priya says nor i am amazed neither hurt, Rishab says its to support us just, Priya says let them play.
Mandana says to Kishwar that did you see Rishab? Kishwar says dont get influenced by his words, its his style to chafe others, dont give him consideration, Rochelle says he is fake, he tries to be somebody who he is most certainly not.
All are remaining in garden.Bigg Boss then declares that there will be open assignments. The front entryway of the house is opened for the second time this season, every housemate is required to select two candidates by composing the craved names on footballs and tossing them out of the house. Priya says its energizing, house entryway is opened, Kishwar jokes if Suyyash is still outside? bigg supervisor request that Kishwar begin selections.
KISHWAR: she designates PRIYA and says i am her opposition and now she is my opposition, you know methodology, she composes name of Priya on ball and kicks it of entryway, she chooses ROCHELLE and inquire as to whether she is upbeat at this point? she shows ball out in the wake of composing her name.
RISHAB: Rishab says cool gathering's driving force is Kishwar and she ought to go out, he chooses KISHWAR, Kishwar says i wont go out, Rishab says Prince is my opposition, he selects PRINCE.
ROCHELLE: Rochelle says Priya is irritating so on the off chance that she goes out then it will be tranquil for us and she is my opposition, she chooses PRIYA. she selects RISHAB and says he doesnt appear to much have much backing from outside.
MANDANA: Mandana says Rishab may be great from heart yet he says he is individual yet he is juggling between individuals, Priya even said that Rishab utilizes her brain rather than his, she names RISHAB. Mandana says i wanna assign Priya, Priya says she remarks in regards to my family, Mandana says on the off chance that you quit talking then i can choose you, Mandana says she is nasty to the point that she passes remarks on my family, Priya says as though my family is not my gang? Mandana names Priya and tries to give reason yet Priya intrudes on her and says i dont use slangs, i speck get physical, i.. Mandana says she is not permitting me talk, she says Bigg manager sad i cannot do complete this designation, she returns ball, Mandana holds up, Priya says i have give my point so you can proceed with now, Mandana chooses PRIYA, Priya says all know you are fake.
PRIYA: she assigns KISHWAR, and says she is my opposition, she considers second selection, Kishwar says you are supposing whom to choose? (indicating at Mandana), Priya says i am choosing ROCHELLE, she juggle between individuals such as football, Mandana calls her psycho, she sings minimal, fat psycho, Kishwar giggles at Mandana's shenanigans.
KEITH: he assigns PRIYA and says she said as much excellent things to Priya furthermore she is my opposition. He designates KISHWAR and says she has given me assignment trophy so now giving her support back.
Sovereign: Prince says to Priya i have recorded your name upside like your brain is upside down, you attempt to include in all matters which is not right, you attempt to make arrangements and get caught in it just, he chooses PRIYA, Rishab says it doesnt matter, Kishwar says it makes a difference to you most thats why continue saying doesnt matter to you, Rishab says alright close relative, Kishwar says OK grandpa. Sovereign designates RISHAB and says one and only lion can make due in wilderness and he acts like child by wearing fiend's top.
Bigg supervisor says KEITH, RISHAB, PRIYA, ROCHELLE and KISHWAR, are selected during the current week.
Rishab that to Rochelle that Keith committed error by not naming Mandana, on the off chance that you had named Mandana then Prince would have assigned her as well, Keith says i figured that Prince wont select Mandana, Kishwar comes and inquire as to why you both didnt designate Mandana? we dont have any hostility however you assigned me, Rishab says why you named me? Kishwar says i didnt select you.
Mandana tells Rochelle that i have concealed Priya's stole, Rochelle says give it back to her as its er spouse's blessing, they come in washroom territory, Mandana demonstrates her place where she has shrouded it, its behind blurb on garments rack.


Sure, Microsoft gets a lot of flak for their Internet Explorer browser (commonly refered to as Internet Exploder). They get some good press at first, then it all goes downhill as the haters find more tiny reasons to dislike the once innovative browser that knocked Netscape Navigator off the map. Well, Internet Explorer 9 is getting closer to release, and apparently has some good things to report already.


Today, with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the importance of venture start-up companies that develop and apply new innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet and mobile has been emphasized once again and the investment of venture capital in these related technology start-ups is expanding rapidly with tremendous growth. In 2016, the global venture capital market was estimated at $127 billion. Over the past three years, the annual market size has been more than $100 billion, about double the amount invested between 2010-2013. The countries that make up the largest share are the US and China, reaching $71.8 billion and $31 billion, respectively.
엑스탁(XTX) 순 매수왕 및 에어드롭 이벤트 공지!!
XTX 100% 에어드롭, 특별 이벤트 공지드립니다.
중요!!!! 이벤트 참여 방법 요약입니다.


text:
Q: Node function not executing some lines in lambda I have written a lambda function to copy a file to another s3 bucket and delete the object from current bucket, but it is stooped at some line and not executed after that. I tried below two options, first one stops at a line second one finishes but response is not coming to API gateway proxy
    var AWS = require("aws-sdk");

    // Main Lambda entry point
    exports.handler = async (event) => {
          await getUploadURL(event);

            var responseBody = {
            "status": "success",
            "message": "The file was successfully moved"
        };
            const response = {
            "statusCode": 200,
            "headers": {
                "Content-Type": "application/json",
                "Access-Control-Allow-Headers": "Content-Type",
                "Access-Control-Allow-Origin": "*",
                "Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "OPTIONS,POST,GET,DELETE"
            },
            "body": JSON.stringify(responseBody),
            "isBase64Encoded": false
        };
        return response;
      };

    const getUploadURL = async function(event) {
        console.log("invoking lambda starting");
        var s3 = new AWS.S3();
        var sourceBucket = "sourcebucket";
        var destinationBucket = "destbucket";
        var objectKey = event.queryStringParameters.fileName;
        console.log("Object Key", objectKey);
        //Only execute till here after that no execution log
        var copySource = encodeURI(sourceBucket + "/" + objectKey);
        var copyParams = {
            Bucket: destinationBucket,
            CopySource: copySource,
            Key: objectKey
        };
        var deleteParams = {
            Bucket: sourceBucket,
            Key: objectKey
        };
       /** var responseBody = {
            "status": "success",
            "message": "The file was successfully marked as read"
        };
        var failedResponseBody = {
            "status": "Failed",
            "message": "The file was not copied"
        };**/
      await s3.copyObject(copyParams, function (err, data) {
            console.log("Starting Copying function");
            if (err) {
                console.log("error occured during copy", err, err.stack);
            } else {
                console.log("The copy was successful, response");
            }
        });

        await s3.deleteObject(deleteParams, function (err, data) {
            console.log("Deleting the file from S3");
            if (err)
                console.log(err, err.stack); // error
            else
                console.log("Deleted the File from S3"); // deleted

        });

    };

I tried another option with call back, it is working but the lambda is not returning proper response. The file is moved but the response to API gateway is coming as null. The API is complaining with 502 for invalid response
 var AWS = require("aws-sdk");
exports.handler = (event, context, callback) => {
    console.log("invoking lambda starting")
    var s3 = new AWS.S3();
    var sourceBucket = "source";
    var destinationBucket = "destination";
    var objectKey = event.queryStringParameters.fileName
    console.log("Object Key", objectKey)
    var copySource = encodeURI(sourceBucket + "/" + objectKey);
    var copyParams = {
        Bucket: destinationBucket,
        CopySource: copySource,
        Key: objectKey
    };
    var deleteParams = {
        Bucket: sourceBucket,
        Key: objectKey
    }
    var responseBody = {
        "status": "success",
        "message": "The file was successfully marked as read"
    };
    var failedResponseBody = {
        "status": "Failed",
        "message": "The file was not copied"
    };
   s3.copyObject(copyParams, function (err, data) {
        console.log("Starting Copying function");
        if (err) {
            console.log("error occured during copy", err, err.stack);
        } else {
            console.log("The copy was successful, response", response);
        }
    });

    s3.deleteObject(deleteParams, function (err, data) {
        console.log("Deleting the file from S3");
        if (err)
            console.log(err, err.stack); // error
        else
            console.log("Deleted the File from S3"); // deleted
    });

    const response = {
        "statusCode": 200,
        "headers": {
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
            "Access-Control-Allow-Headers": "Content-Type",
            "Access-Control-Allow-Origin": "*",
            "Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "OPTIONS,POST,GET,DELETE"
        },
        "body": JSON.stringify(responseBody),
        "isBase64Encoded": false
    };
    return callback(response);
};

A: Just a quick check right now but I can see the following problems:
Example code 1: You are mixing callback and await/async style. If you want to use async/await, use this pattern:
const copyResult = await s3.copyObject(props).promise();
const deleteResult = await s3.deleteObject(props2).promise();
// ...

Example code 2: Your code is using callbacks but you're continuing with your code without waiting for the callback to happen. Use this pattern:
exports.handler = (event, context, callback) => {
  const props = { ... };
  s3.copyObject(props, (err, data) => {
    if (err) {
      // ...
    } else {
      const props2 = { ... };
      s3.deleteObject(props2, (err2, data2) => {
        if (err2) {
          // ...
        } else {
          callback(response);
        }
      });
    }
  });
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Doctor of the hydrofluric sciences (Bronze): Create five combinations of fluro and liquid types.
Factory line repair (Bronze): Fix all broken machines in the factory.
Going spelunky (Bronze): Descend into the mines without using the elevator.
Grand Professor of the hydrofluric sciences (Bronze): Create every possible combination of fluro and liquid types.
Handle with care (Bronze): Create a fluro with both blue goo and red goo.
Internal rejection (Bronze): Create a fluro that is it's own worst enemy.
It's Darwinian (Bronze): Fix the accelerator in the workshop.
Liquid propellant rocketman (Bronze): Repurpose the farm's watering system to fly higher than the trees.
Master mechanist (Silver): Fix every broken machine, windmill and extractor in the game.
Mine machinery specialist (Bronze): Fix all broken extractors in the mines.
Perfect dry run (Bronze): Traverse the caves back to the workshop without water touching your light.
Protoplasm survey complete (Silver): Collect every protoplasm blob in the game.
Protoplasm survey: the factory (Bronze): Collect every protoplasm blob in the factory.
Protoplasm survey: the mines (Bronze): Collect every protoplasm blob in the mines.
Protoplasm survey: the orchard (Bronze): Collect every protoplasm blob in the orchard.
Research Fellow of the hydrofluric sciences (Bronze): Create ten combinations of fluro and liquid types.
Running with water (Bronze): Find a use for the waterfall under the workshop.
Water recycling (Bronze): Stomp a fluro into the turbine that created it.
Windmill repair consultant (Bronze): Fix all broken windmills in the orchard.


text:
1998 Annual Meetings Boards of Governors OCTOBER 1998
Schedule of Press Events
Press Accreditation and Registration
Press Room and Communications Arrangements
Hotel Accommodation and Local Transportation
Official and Press Events
The 53rd Joint Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (Fund) and the World Bank Group (Bank) will be held in Washington, D.C., October 6–8. The main official events that start on September 30 and a provisional list of press conferences are listed below. Other press events will be announced at the time of the Meetings.
The Fund and Bank welcome journalists at their Meetings. To obtain accreditation, journalists should fill in a "Request for Press Accreditation" form and return it no later than September 18, 1998 to:
By mail: Press Registration
By facsimile: [1] (202) 623-4100
The telephone number for the Facsimile Center
for operational questions is: [1] (202) 623-6262
To be accredited, you must hold press credentials.
Journalists in the Washington, D.C. area must have press credentials issued by either the White House, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or the U.S. Department of Defense. (U.S. Congressional press passes are not accepted.) Please give your credential details on the accreditation form.
Other journalists should send with the accreditation form either: 1) a copy of press credentials issued by national or local authorities, or by a professional association of journalists; or 2) an assignment letter from their Editor, along with a copy of the publication, where applicable.
Requests for accreditation are accepted unless the applicant cannot show he or she is a journalist; unless you hear otherwise, you can assume your accreditation is in order. If you have questions about your accreditation, please contact Graham Newman or David Hawley of the IMF's Information Division (see below for contact details).
Journalists who have applied for accreditation can register for the Meetings from 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29 at the press registration desk in the IMF Building, 700 19th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431, or, after October 6, at the Press Room at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Washington Hotel), 2660 Woodley Park Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008). Press registration is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the Meetings. You must come in person to register and present press credentials bearing a photograph. When you register you will receive a press badge giving you access to the Press Room, press conferences and briefings, press seminars and some official events.
We strongly urge you to apply for accreditation before the Meetings, because you may face lengthy delays if you apply during the Meetings. Journalists who do not have any of the credentials described above may be subject to delay in accreditation.
The Meetings up to and including the Development Committee Meeting on October 5 will be held at the IMF Building, at 700 19th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431, and from October 6–8 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Washington Hotel), 2660 Woodley Park Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008.
The Press Room at the Fund is on the red level and will open at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29 and close on the evening of Monday, October 5. It will have approximately 130 work spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis, and each desk will be equipped with power outlets and a telephone from which local calls can be made free of charge. Long distance calls can be made using telephone cards that will be on sale in the Press Room. Press Room telephones can also be used for data transmission. Self-service facsimile machines will be available in the Press Room, using telephone cards that will be on sale in the Press Room.
The Press Room at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel will open on Tuesday, October 6 and close on the afternoon of Thursday, October 8. It will have approximately 350 work spaces and the same facilities as the Press Room in the Fund building.
If you need help finding hotel accommodation, or are having difficulty making hotel reservations for the Meetings, please contact the Fund's Media Relations Division, telephone (202) 623-7100, facsimile (202) 623-6772, e-mail info@imf.org. Hotel reservations cannot be made until a "Request for Press Accreditation" has been received. Where possible, journalists will be offered accommodation at the hotel of their choice. If you would prefer us to make the arrangements for you, you are urged to submit your request as soon as possible, but not later than September 4, 1998.
The Annual Meetings offer a number of official and press events that are of interest to journalists. The most important are:
The Interim Committee, which meets on October 4, is known officially as the "Interim Committee of the Board of Governors on the International Monetary System," and was established in October 1974 to advise the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund on supervising the management and adaptation of the international monetary system as well as dealing with disturbances that might threaten the system. The Committee, whose members are Governors of the Fund, Ministers, or others of comparable rank, reflects the composition of the Fund's Executive Board: each member country that appoints, and each group of countries that elects, an Executive Director, appoints a member of the Committee, which currently has 24 members.
The Development Committee, which meets on October 5, is known officially as the "Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors of the Bank and the Fund on the transfer of real resources to Developing Countries, and was also formed in October 1974. It consists of 24 members, generally Ministers of Finance, appointed in turn to successive periods of two years by one of the countries or groups of countries that designates a member of the Bank's or the Fund's Executive Board. The Committee advises and reports to the Board of Governors of the Bank and the Fund on all aspects of the broad question of the transfer of real resources to developing countries, and makes suggestions for their implementation. The Chairman is Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda, Finance Minister of Thailand.
The Group of 24 Ministers, which meets on October 3, was formed at the 1972 Lima meeting of the Group of 77 to represent the interests of the developing countries in negotiations on international monetary matters. The Group, which is officially known as the "Intergovernmental Group of 24 on International Monetary Affairs", is not an organ of the Fund. However, the Fund provides secretariat services for the Group, whose meetings usually take place in conjunction with those of the Interim and Development Committees to enable developing members to discuss agenda items before the meetings of the two Committees. The Group of 24 comprises eight members each from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Group's members are: Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. China attends as an invitee. The Chairman of the Ministers is Abdelkrim Harchaoui, Minister of Finance of Algeria; the Chairman of the Deputies is Mohamed Terbéche, Advisor, Ministry of Finance of Algeria.
The Group of 10 Ministers, which meets on October 4, was formed in 1962 in conjunction with the establishment of the General Arrangements to Borrow (GAB), under which the Governments of nine members, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the central banks of two others, Germany and Sweden make financial resources available to the IMF for lending to participants, and, under certain circumstances, finance borrowing by nonparticipants. The Chairman of the Ministers is Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, and the Chairman of the Deputies is Mario Draghi, Director-General of the Italian Treasury Ministry's General Directorate of the Treasury.
Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the Group of Seven major industrial countries generally hold a meeting at the time of the Annual Meetings. The members are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The press conferences of Fund's Managing Director Michel Camdessus on October 1 and of the Bank's President James Wolfensohn, also on October 1, provide an opportunity for journalists to enquire about issues of current interest on the world economy and the work of the Fund and the Bank.
The World Economic Outlook (WEO) press conference, given by Fund Economic Counsellor and Director of Research Michael Mussa on September 30 at 9:00 a.m, is devoted to the latest developments in the global economy. Published twice a year, the WEO contains projections and analysis that are an integral part of the Fund's surveillance of economic developments and policies in its member countries and of the global economic system. Copies of the WEO will be available to the press on September 29; these, together with the contents of the press conference will be under a wire transmission embargo until 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 30.
The Bank's Development Economics Vice Presidency will launch the 1998 World Development Report (WDR) on the theme "Knowledge and Information for Development" on Friday, October 2 at 10:00 a.m. Contents of the WDR and the press conference will be embargoed until 3:00 p.m., Sunday, October 4. This will allow news coverage of the WDR on the same day that The Knowledge Economy will be featured in the Program of Seminars.
The 1998 Annual Meetings Program of Seminars will take place from October 3–6. It is designed to create a forum for international business and financial leaders and high-ranking government officials to discuss market developments and investment opportunities. The theme this year will be The Knowledge Economy with a special focus on Managing Financial Crises. Sessions will focus on the changing dynamics of global investment flows, implications for the financial architecture of the global economy, and the challenges of harnessing knowledge and information technology for development in the next millennium. The Program will feature country, regional, and thematic seminars; workshops; keynote sessions; and information kiosks. All seminars will be on-the-record and open to the press registered for the Annual Meetings. Seats will be reserved for the press at each session and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The schedule for the Program of seminars is published separately.
For further information on Annual Meetings events and press arrangements, please contact:
International Monetary Fund Press Office
Telephone Fax E-mail
Graham Newman 623-7063 623-6772 GNewman@imf.org
David Hawley 623-7074 623-6772 Dhawley@imf.org
Kathleen White 623-4387 623-6772 Kwhite@imf.org
World Bank Group Press Office
Klas Bergman 473-3798 522-2632 KBergman@worldbank.org
Merrell Tuck 473-9516 522-2632 MTuckprimdahl@worldbank.org
David Theis 473-1955 522-2616 DTheis@worldbank.org
All telephone and fax numbers are country code 1, area code 202
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