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

Mon May 5 12:07:34 UTC 2025

I've never seen a WW2 "J day" either.

As you know, the date of the invasion of Okinawa (Apr. 1, 1945) was
designated "L day," allegedly for "landing day."   Just why isn't clear to
me.

JL

On Mon, May 5, 2025 at 7:23 AM dave at wilton.net <dave at wilton.net> wrote:

>
> I've seen some web articles saying J-day was used during WWII, but no
> actual evidence provided.
>
> As for how widespread the AEF usage was, I also was unaware of its
> existence. I stumbled upon it while looking for D-day/H-hour examples. As
> far as I know, the usage was restricted to operations orders/plans. (I
> tried various newspaper databases, but OCR errors made searches
> impractical.)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2025 5:46pm
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] "H-Hour" and "J-Day", 21 Feb 1918
>
>
>
> 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.)
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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