Interesting information on war in the Pacific - Page 7

Carl W Schwamberger · #**151** (**permalink**) June 2nd, 2008, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skunk works

Okinawa
The Imperial Japanese Army provided four battalion-size sea-raiding regiments each with 100 Kamikaze boats in the Kerama Retto. They were to launch night attacks on the invading fleet. It was a tactic first used in the Philippines, and considerable faith was misplaced in it.
Kamikaze Boats at Naha
Q-boats, also known as Renraku-tei (liason boats) as a cover designation, were 18 ft long and 5 ft wide. Their 85 hp six-cylinder Chevrolet engine gave them a 20-knot speed, which was not particularly fast, and a 3 1/2 hour range. The cheaply constructed plywood boats carried a 551 lb explosive charge in the bow. Some had a rack on either side of the cockpit for a 264 lb depth charge intended for dropping within 5 yds of a ship after making a U-turn to allow an escape.
Battalion-size sea raiding regiments, code-named Akatsuki (dawn), consisted of an 11 man headquarters and 31-man companies, each with 3 nine-man platoons and nine boats. A 900 man base battalion with mechanics and service personnel supported each regiment. The boats were hidden in caves or other camouflaged shelters and moved to launching ramps on a two-wheeled cart.
The 16-17 year old volunteers were 2nd and 3rd year officer cadets in the five year officer academy. If one failed to return from his mission, he was presumed successful and posthumously promoted to Lieutenant. The hoped for, "blasting to pieces" of the American fleet by "Whirlwind" Q-boat attacks never materialized.
Numerous boats sortied, but were intercepted by "Flycatcher" patrols of PT boats and an alert shipboard watch.
They only managed to sink an LCI(G) and damage two destroyers and an LCS(L).

Back in 1983 I was invited to drinks by some young LTs of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force. The bartender of the establishment we repaired to was a aging gent in his late 50s or perhaps early 60s. My companions introduced him to me as a kamikaze boat pilot. This man did not speak English and my inhebriated companions were not the best translators, but I was led to belive he had piloted explosive laden boat into the side of a US ship. His cargo failed to explode and he was snatched from the water by a generous American crew. The bartenders pantomine of a terrified seventeen year old surrendering was most convincing.

Kai-Petri · #**152** (**permalink**) June 2nd, 2008, 10:41 AM

Sad info but knowing is important in my opinion

Eddie Leonski - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edward Joseph Leonski (December 12, 1917 – November 9, 1942) was an American serial killer who committed his crimes in Australia. Leonski was hanged at Pentridge Prison on November 9, 1942, only the second American serviceman to be executed during World War II.

Kai-Petri · #**153** (**permalink**) June 12th, 2008, 10:27 AM

The first German ship able to break through the Allied blockade was the Weserland (6,500 tons), under commander Krage who on December 28th, 1940 sailed from Kobe with a load of rubber, wolfram, felt, vegetable oil, tea, coffee and pharmaceutical products. The Waserland crossed the Pacific, Cape Horn, the Atlantic and arrived in Bordeaux on April 4th, 1941 after 98 days at sea.

After Italian surrender 1943:

Despite the awful Japanese behavior, many Italian submariners in the Indian Ocean kept fighting for several months. The Italian boats were transferred to the German U-Boat command in Penang and continued operating with a mixed Italian-German crew. After the German surrender, on May 8th 1945, about 20 sailors kept fighting along the Japanese (5).. For the record, the Torelli operated in Japanese waters until August 30th, 1945 and was even able to shoot down an American B-25 Mitchell, the last success of a "Japanese" naval vessel in War World Two.

Comando Supremo: Italian submarines and surface vessels in the far east: 1940-1945

Poppy · #**154** (**permalink**) June 26th, 2008, 11:49 PM

I will be back!....to read all seven pages. There is some gold in thar.

bf109 emil · #**155** (**permalink**) June 27th, 2008, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kai-Petri

The Japanese midget subs and Pearl Harbor

None of the 10 crew members of the attacking midget submarines expected to return. To his shame, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki was captured, and the remaining nine crewmen were declared "hero gods" by Japanese propagandists.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News

Mr Sakamaki and the sub he used later on

From left above, is the crew of midget submarine I-16tou, Masaji Yokoyama and Sadamu Uyeda; I-18tou, Shigemi Furuno and Shigenori Yokoyama; I-20tou, Akira Hiro-o and Yoshio Katayama; I-22tou, Naoji Iwasa and Naokichi Sasaki; and I-24tou, Kazuo Sakamaki and Kiyoshi Inagaki.

[ 28. March 2003, 04:29 AM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]

My daughter went to Japan on a student exchange 3 years ago...I know there has been many incidents or ill will about Japanese atrocities committed towards the Chinese now being omitted from school texts...Now not to get into a heated dispute, and cause any ill-will i relay what a number of Japaneses kids knew, or believe was fact...that the sinking of Japanese midget subs was the actual start of WW2 and because of this unwarranted attack, the USA had in fact attacked Japan first and where to blame for WW2....I was out raged,,,not by the kids, but by historians/teachers/and whom taught these kids to believe this

Devilsadvocate · #**156** (**permalink**) June 27th, 2008, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bf109 emil

My daughter went to Japan on a student exchange 3 years ago...I know there has been many incidents or ill will about Japanese atrocities committed towards the Chinese now being omitted from school texts...Now not to get into a heated dispute, and cause any ill-will i relay what a number of Japaneses kids knew, or believe was fact...that the sinking of Japanese midget subs was the actual start of WW2 and because of this unwarranted attack, the USA had in fact attacked Japan first and where to blame for WW2....I was out raged,,,not by the kids, but by historians/teachers/and whom taught these kids to believe this

That's an interesting attitude. Pearl Harbor was the US Navy's Pacific Fleet base and Japanese subs had no business being anywhere near it. Had US subs been lurking around the IJN's fleet bases in the Inland Sea, the Japanese would have felt quite justified in sinking them without warning. The Japanese midget subs were all sunk in, or very near, the US Navy anchorage at Pearl Harbor and, even if there had not been a simultaneous air attack, these sinkings cannot accurately be called "unwarranted".

It's a pathetic commentary on history, as taught in Japan, that a few years ago, when my wife and I were visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum at Pearl Harbor of all places, we met a Japanese family who had no idea what the museum was all about until, midway through the tour, they were horrified to learn it commemorated the Japanese sneak attack that began the Pacific war. They insisted that such a thing could not be, and that there must have been a terrible mistake. They were bewildered and overwhelmed by the angry reaction that provoked in some of the other visitors. My wife, who is Chinese, assured them there was no mistake, and that her parents and older siblings had endured the brutal Japanese occupation of Borneo. The poor Japanese were astounded to learn that what they thought they knew about WW II was badly flawed.

Poppy · #**157** (**permalink**) June 28th, 2008, 02:55 AM

All nations behave badly when at war, no?... All nations control their media. ....(Which nation first flew a powered airplane?, Who invented radio?)....I've tried (not too hard) to find some info on Japan and it's religions up to 1945. 'Cause I couldn't understand everyone being so uptight about the "Emperor of Japan" and their loyalty to someone who is ...what? A god? And to hurl yourself to certain death for what?Why was the Emperor divine?

Kai-Petri · #**158** (**permalink**) July 22nd, 2008, 01:18 PM

April 5, 1945 Sadao Munemori saves the lives of two other American soldiers by diving on a German grenade. He is the only Japanese American awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II.

Japanese American National Museum: Hirasaki National Resource Center

Kai-Petri · #**159** (**permalink**) August 10th, 2008, 10:50 AM

Gregory Michno draws on American, British, Australian, and Dutch POW accounts as well as Japanese convoy histories, recently declassified radio intelligence reports, and a wealth of archival sources to present for the first time a detailed picture of what happened and the extent of the prisoners involved. His findings are startling. More than 150,000 Allied prisoners were transported in the hellships with more than 21,000 fatalities. While many of the deaths were attributable to beatings, starvation, disease, and lack of food and water, the most, Michno reports, were caused by Allied bombs, bullets, and torpedoes.

Amazon.com: Death on the Hellships: Prisoners at Sea in the Pacific War: Gregory F. Michno: Books

TA152 · #**160** (**permalink**) August 10th, 2008, 07:18 PM

That sounds like an interesting book to read. I wish I had an extra $35 laying around !

Kai-Petri · #**161** (**permalink**) August 12th, 2008, 02:16 PM

In October 1944, the Japanese circulated bulletins claiming that most of the ships in America's Third Fleet had been sunk or were retiring. "Our ships have been salvaged," Admiral Halsey drily replied, "and are retiring at high speed toward the Japanese fleet."

Anecdotage.Com - Thousands of true funny stories about famous people. Anecdotes from Gates to Yeats

mikebatzel · #**162** (**permalink**) August 12th, 2008, 06:03 PM

Thanks Kai. I think he said that after the raid on Formosa? It is my favorite Halsey quote and was my Signature when I first joined the forum.

wtid45 · #**163** (**permalink**) August 12th, 2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bf109 emil

My daughter went to Japan on a student exchange 3 years ago...I know there has been many incidents or ill will about Japanese atrocities committed towards the Chinese now being omitted from school texts...Now not to get into a heated dispute, and cause any ill-will i relay what a number of Japaneses kids knew, or believe was fact...that the sinking of Japanese midget subs was the actual start of WW2 and because of this unwarranted attack, the USA had in fact attacked Japan first and where to blame for WW2....I was out raged,,,not by the kids, but by historians/teachers/and whom taught these kids to believe this

1st september 1939 germany invades poland,3rd september great britain, france, australia, new zealand and british india declares war on germany ww2 begins. September 6th 1939 south africa declares war on germany september 10th 1939 canada declares war on germany ring any bells

John Dudek · #**164** (**permalink**) August 13th, 2008, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kai-Petri

In October 1944, the Japanese circulated bulletins claiming that most of the ships in America's Third Fleet had been sunk or were retiring. "Our ships have been salvaged," Admiral Halsey drily replied, "and are retiring at high speed toward the Japanese fleet."

Anecdotage.Com - Thousands of true funny stories about famous people. Anecdotes from Gates to Yeats

Halsey could be quite the trickster. During a wargame in the 1920's against a US Battleship Agressor Force, Halsey ordered his own destroyer flotilla to perform the desparate and suicidal manuver of deliberately sailing squarely between the twin columns of oncoming, aggresor battleships, firing torpedoes at them simultaneously from both port and starboard sides, as they came to bear. The Umpires ruled that Halsey's force was completely destroyed by BB counterbattery fire, but not before causing crippling damage to the majority of battleships present.

In reality, so many of Halsey's practice torpdedos struck the battleships, that they actually caused damage to their hull's watertight integrity, putting a number of them in the repair yards for weeks afterwards.

Needless to say, Halsey was hauled onto the carpet over this affair, but suffered no damage to his career.
__________________

Kai-Petri · #**165** (**permalink**) August 13th, 2008, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Dudek

Needless to say, Halsey was hauled onto the carpet over this affair, but suffered no damage to his career.
__________________

Interesting that commanders who show initiative and are capable of using new tactics in warfare are first punished and then perhaps later on given credit for their capability.

Kai-Petri · #**166** (**permalink**) August 14th, 2008, 01:01 PM

During World War II, future-president Richard Nixon served as a Navy supply officer ("sort of a Sergeant Bilko character," as one biographer described him). Nixon set up a hamburger stand called Nick's - the only such concession in the South Pacific - to dispense free burgers and Australian beer to flight crews.

Despite his low army salary, Nixon found the post remarkably lucrative. He was so successful at poker that he came home from the war with $10,000 (in 1945 currency).

Anecdotage.Com - Thousands of true funny stories about famous people. Anecdotes from Gates to Yeats

Kai-Petri · #**167** (**permalink**) August 21st, 2008, 01:06 PM

During the Battle of Iwo Jima, for example, American forces retrieved examples of the following Iwo Jima Garrison Song:

"Iwo Jima Garrison Song"
When dark tides billow in the ocean
A wink shaped isle of mighty fame
Guards the gateway to our empire:
IWO JIMA is its name.
... From dawn to dusk we train with zeal
At our Emperor's command
We'll bring the enemy to heel.
Oh, for Emperor and homeland
There's no burden we won't bear.
Disease, hardship, and foul, water;
These are less to us than air.
In the lonely mid-Pacific,
Our sweat a fortress will prepare.
If the enemy attacks us
Let him come, we will not care.

(Provided from a Japanese document captured at Iwo Jima by J. S. Harris, LT 1/27, Engineers.)

Japanese Military Propaganda (WWII - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

ProudPapa · #**168** (**permalink**) August 25th, 2008, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kai-Petri

Okinawa

...

Among the nearly 35,000 American casualties were General Buckner, who was killed on June 18....
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Sidebar to this: My father was in the 2nd MarDiv at Okinawa. He related the story to me that Buckner (and several others) was killed by shrapnel from an artillery round that impacted a near-by rock outcropping by his HQ.

Kai-Petri · #**169** (**permalink**) September 4th, 2008, 01:05 PM

The Avalon Project : Nuremberg Trial Proceedings Vol. 3 - Sixteenth Day

Top-secret notes of a conference between Hitler and Japanese Ambassador Oshima on 14 December 1941, from 1300 to 1400 hours, in the presence of the Reich Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. The immediate subject matter is the Pearl Harbor attack, but the expressions therein typify Nazi technique. I quote from the second paragraph of the English translation which has not been previously read:

"First the Fuehrer presents Ambassador Oshima with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle in gold. With cordial words he acknowledges his services in the achievement of German-Japanese co-operation, which has now obtained its culmination in a close brotherhood of arms. "General Oshima expresses his thanks for the great honor and emphasizes how glad he is that this brotherhood of arms has now come about between Germany and Japan.

"The Fuehrer continues: 'You gave the right declaration of war.' This method is the only proper one. Japan pursued it formerly and it corresponds with his own system, that is, to negotiate as long as possible. But if one sees the other is interested only in putting one oft, in shamming and humiliating one, and is not willing to come to an agreement, then one should strike as hard as possible, indeed, and not waste time declaring war. It was heart-warming to him to hear of the first operations of the Japanese. He himself negotiated with infinite patience at times, for example, with Poland and also with Russia. When he then realized that the other did not want to come to an agreement, he struck suddenly and without formality. He would continue to go on this way in the future."