Today in WW II: 9 Jul 1940 Battle of Calabria [Battle of Punta Stilo, the toe of Italy] fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British/Australian Royal Navies, 30 miles [48km] east of Punta Stilo.  More ↓
9 Jul 1943 US-British invasion of Sicily begins [night of 9-10 Jul].
9 Jul 1944 British and Canadian forces capture Caen from the Germans, a critical post-D-Day objective in Normandy, France.
9 Jul 1944 US forces reach the northern end of Saipan, finding thousands of Japanese civilian men, women, and children who commit suicide by leaping off the cliffs rather than be captured.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

M1249 MRAP Recovery Vehicle (MRV Wrecker)

The M1249 MRAP Recovery Vehicles (MRV) is a heavy-duty wrecker, developed for use in the recovery of damaged or disabled Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles, the heaviest vehicles in the US inventory, as well as any other military vehicle. The first M1249 MRAP Recovery Vehicles were deployed to Afghanistan, arriving in March 2011. 250 M1249 MRVs have been ordered to replace existing heavy wreckers.

The M1249 is designed to be very efficient for recovering MRAPs, with a large capacity boom that can perform rear, front and side recovery operations in places where other recovery vehicles would not be able to maneuver efficiently. 10th Platoon, 1221st Engineer Clearance Company, South Carolina National Guard received the first M1249 MRV dispatched. An 80-hour Operator's Training Course (which awards H8 Recovery Operations Additional Skill Identifier) was provided to Soldiers and contractors who will be using the new equipment.

M1249 MRAP Recovery Vehicle (MRV Wrecker) on display during its debut at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, 14 March 2011
M1249 MRAP Recovery Vehicle (MRV Wrecker) on display during its debut at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, 14 March 2011..

M1249 Military Recovery Vehicle rolls a derelict vehicle during new operator equipment training, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, 9 April 2011
M1249 Military Recovery Vehicle rolls a derelict vehicle during new operator equipment training, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, 9 April 2011..