[Ads-l] "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918

Sun May 4 21:46:08 UTC 2025

More interesting would be whether the U.S. army ever used "J day" again.
Long ago I read a countless number of AEF sources (admittedly mostly
unofficial) and don't recall ever noticing it.

JL

On Sun, May 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM dave at wilton.net <dave at wilton.net> wrote:

>
> I had thought of "jump off," but didn't want to bias the suggestions.
>
> But I think "jour" is more likely, and from the emails to the list,
> somewhat better evidenced. It makes sense that the AEF would have initially
> adopted French terms (J = jour / H = heure), and then later translated them
> into English. But the conclusion is speculative.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Peter Reitan" <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2025 11:47am
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
>
>
> Typo. Le jour J - le jour de l'attaque.
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> Peter Reitan <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2025 7:59:25 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Peter Reitan <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> In HathiTrust archive, a 1918 French military publication uses "le hour j
> -=
>  le jour de l'attaque".
>
> D'un poste de commandement. (P.C. du 21e C.A.) Bataille de l'Ailette (23
> oc=
> tobre-2 novembre 1917)
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> Peter =
> Reitan <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2025 7:41:15 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -------------------=
> ----
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Peter Reitan <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ----
>
> They are in France, operating and planning alongside French troops, so
> perh=
> =3D
> aps jour?
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> dave at w=
> =3D
> ilton.net <dave at WILTON.NET>
> Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2025 5:55:53 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -------------------=
> =3D
> ----
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: "dave at wilton.net" <dave at WILTON.NET>
> Subject: "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> =3D
> ----
>
> =3D3D0AThe OED has 17 September 1918 for "H-Hour," but I've found this
> from=
>  2=3D
> 1 =3D3D
> February:=3D3D0A =3D3D0AHeadquarters, 16th Infantry.
> =3D3DE2=3D3D80=3D3D9CP=
> lan for Ra=3D
> id on Rich=3D3D
> ecourt Salient.=3D3DE2=3D3D80=3D3D9D 21 February 1918. World War Records
> Fi=
> rst Di=3D
> vision=3D3D
>  A.E.F. Regular, vol. 10. First Division Museum. [
> https://firstdivisionmus=
> =3D
> =3D3D
>
> eum.nmtvault.com/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=3D3D3Dcdf20c52-01e6-47b0-ba0b=
> -6=3D
> <http://eum.nmtvault.com/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=3D3D3Dcdf20c52-01e6-47b0-ba0b=-6=3D>
> 57=3D3D
> 4c9e5437f%2Fiwfd0000%2F20180808%2F00000002 ](
> https://firstdivisionmuseum.n=
> =3D
> =3D3D
>
> mtvault.com/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=3D3D3Dcdf20c52-01e6-47b0-ba0b-6574=
> c9=3D
> <http://mtvault.com/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=3D3D3Dcdf20c52-01e6-47b0-ba0b-6574=c9=3D>
> e5=3D3D
> 437f%2Fiwfd0000%2F20180808%2F00000002 )[ ]( https://firstdivisionmuseum.nm
> =
> =3D
> =3D3D
>
> tvault.com/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=3D3D3Dcdf20c52-01e6-47b0-ba0b-6574c=
> 9e=3D
> <http://tvault.com/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=3D3D3Dcdf20c52-01e6-47b0-ba0b-6574c=9e=3D>
> 54=3D3D
> 37f%2Fiwfd0000%2F20180808%2F00000002 )=3D3D0A =3D3D0A"Artillery: From J
> min=
> us 5=3D
>  day=3D3D
>  to J day=3D3DE2=3D3D80=3D3D94Cutting gaps in the
> enemy=3D3DE2=3D3D80=3D3D9=
> 9s wire at p=3D
> oints other =3D3D
> than that of the real objective, namely, Salient LAHAYVILLE and Salient
> 252=
> =3D
> =3D3D
> 0.=3D3D0A=3D3D0A"[=3D3DE2=3D3D80=3D3DA6]=3D3D0A =3D3D0A"Box Barrage=3D3DE2=
> =3D3D80=3D3D94A box b=3D
> arrage of 45 minutes=3D3D
>  duration will be held at H hour as shown on the sketch. At H plus 25 the
> b=
> =3D
> =3D3D
> ox barrage will close down to the enemy=3D3DE2=3D3D80=3D3D99s first four
> li=
> nes wh=3D
> ich wi=3D3D
> ll be heavily shelled till close of operation."=3D3D0A =3D3D0AI have no
> ide=
> a wh=3D
> at t=3D3D
> he "J" stands for. Any info or guesses are welcome.=3D3D0A =3D3D0AI was
> una=
> ble =3D
> to a=3D3D
> ntedate the OED's 7 September use of "D-Day." I think that the term may
> hav=
> =3D
> =3D3D
> e been introduced for this operation. (I found one relating to the same
> ope=
> =3D
> =3D3D
> ration in a field order of a subordinate unit dated 10 September.)
>
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>
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>
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