Interesting information on war in the Pacific

Chinese money tricks.

http://www.psywarrior.com/WWIIAlliedBanknotes2.html

Hidden U, S, A & C

The Central Reserve Bank of China 200 yuan note of 1944 bears the hidden letters "USAC" on the front and back. Those letters allegedly stand for "United States Army Coming."

 

" The Baby vet"

Calvin Leon Graham (April 3, 1930 - November 6, 1992) was youngest person ever to enlist in the United States Navy, and the youngest U.S. serviceman during World War II. He enlisted in the Navy at age 12 following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

He was wounded at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, while serving aboard the USS South Dakota. During the battle, he helped in the fire control efforts aboard the South Dakota, but suffered shrapnel wounds in the process. For his actions he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. However, his mother later revealed his age, and after spending months in a brig (he was not released until after his sister threatened to contact the newspapers), he was dishonorably discharged for lying about his age and lost his disability benefits.

Graham later joined the Marines at age 17, but his service ended about three years later when he fell from a pier and broke his back.

In 1978, he was finally awarded an honorable discharge, and after writing to Congress and with the approval of President Jimmy Carter, all medals but his Purple Heart were reinstated.

His Purple Heart was finally reinstated and presented to his widow, Mary, nearly two years after his death.

His story came to public attention in 1988, when his story was told in the TV movie, Too Young the Hero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Graham

 

Love day

U.S. Marine Corps euphemism for the assault on Okinawa on Easter Sunday, April 1 1945. It had been designated L-day and because of the initial lack of Japanese opposition, was called Love by the marines.

From " Interesting facts of WW2..." McCombs et al

 

April 16th 1945

USS Laffey

...sustained heavy damage from six kamikaze strikes and four bomb explosions in 80 minutes. Despite being under such relentless attack, the Laffey, later known as “The Ship That Would Not Die,” managed to shoot down at least nine Japanese aircraft.

http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,NH_0305_Okinawa-P2,00.html

 

August Storm: Soviet
Tactical and Operational
Combat in Manchuria, 1945


by LTC David M. Glantz

http://www.cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/glantz4/glantz4.asp#131

 

"On May 30, as the Yorktown eased out of Pearl Harbor for the last time, our band played 'California, Here I come' as a spoof and a delight to the crew. We all knew better."
--USS Yorktown at Midway By Stanford E. Linzey



The USS Yorktown at Pearl the day before leaving for Midway.

 

"Love" was phonetic alphabet for letter L . . .
As in (for the US Naval services anyway):
A=Affirm
B=Baker
C=Cast
D=Dog
E=Easy
F=Fox
G=George
H=Hypo
I=Interrog
J=Jig
K=King
L=Love
M=Mike
N=Negat
O=Option
P=Prep
Q=Queen
R=Roger
S=Sail
T=Tare
U=Unit
V=Victor
W=William
X=X-Ray
Y=Yoke
Z=Zed

There was no particular significance to L-Day also being referred to Love Day and it certainly had nothing to do with Japanese resistance or lack thereof. You've been had.

 

The famous American Flag that was raised over Mount Suribachi, captured in Joe Rosenthal's famous photograph, was rescued from a sinking ship on December 7th 1941. It was found in a salvage yard by Lieutenant JG Alan Wood of LST-779 who brought it along to Iwo Jima. When Chandler Johnson, CO of the 2nd Battalion of the 28th Regiment, found out James Forrestal, the Secretary of the Navy, wanted the first flag that was raised over Suribachi, he sent out Lt. Tuttle to look for a replacement flag so he could keep the original for the battalion. Tuttle "borrowed" the 96 X 56 inch flag from LST-779 and gave it to Johnson who gave it Rene Gagnon who raised it atop Mount Suribachi along with Mike Strank, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, and John "Doc" Bradley.



First flag comming down and the second going up.

Further Reading:
http://www.historynet.com/historical_conflicts/3024966.html

 

Afterward, someone with a mind for statistics totaled up the amount of ammunition the 1st Marine Divison expended on PeleliU:

13,319,488 rounds of .30 caliber (carbine, rifle, BAR),
1,524,300 rounds of .45 caliber (pistol, submachine gun),
693, 657 rounds of .50 caliber (machine gun),
97,596 rounds of 60 mm mortar,
55,264 rounds of 81 mm mortar,
13,500 rifle grenades,
116,262 hand grenades,
65,000 rounds of 75mm pack howitzer,
55,000 rounds of 105 mm howitzer,
8,000 rounds of 155 mm howitzer
5,000 rounds of 155 mm gun.

According to those figures, to kill each of the over 10,000 Japanese soldiers on Peleliu require approximately:

1,331 rounds of .30 caliber,
152 rounds of .45 caliber,
69 rounds of .50 caliber,
9 rounds of 60 mm mortar,
5 rounds of 81 mm mortar,
1 rifle grenade,
10 hand grenades,
6 rounds of 75 mm pack howitzer,
5 rounds of 105 mm howitzer,
1 round of 155 mm howitzer,
1/2 round of 155 mm gun...

or a statistical average of 1,589 1/2 rounds of heavy and light ammunition.

The Devil's Anvil: The Assault on Peleliu by James H. Hallas

 

First Lt. Annie G. Fox, Army Nurse Corps, was on duty at Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack. For her outstanding performance, she was recommended for and awarded the Purple Heart.

Although generally awarded to service members wounded in action, it was also awarded for any "singularly meritorious act of extraordinary fidelity or essential service." Later in the war, the requirements for award of the Purple Heart were limited to wounds received as a result of enemy action.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/a_people_at_war/women_who_served/annie_g_fox.html

 

Richard O' Kane

Commander of the USS Tang in South Pacific

Rear Admiral who was awarded the Medal of Honor as submarine commander in World War II.

During one patrol in Formosa Strait on October 24-25, 1944, the Tang sank 110,000 tons of Japanese shipping, including a destroyer. The submarine then fell victim to her 24th and last torpedo when it malfunctioned, circled back and hit the Tang, killing all but 9 of her 87-man crew.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/rokane.htm

 

Rear Admiral Eugene Bennett Fluckey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_B._Fluckey

As commanding officer of Barb, he established himself as one of the greatest submarine skippers, credited with the most tonnage sunk by a U.S. skipper during World War II: 17 ships including a carrier, cruiser, and frigate.

In one of the stranger incidents in the war, Fluckey sent a landing party ashore to set demolition charges on a coastal railway line, which destroyed a 16-car train. This was the sole landing by U.S. military forces on the Japanese Home Islands during World War II.

 

Seems to me the Japanese got the Dornier do 335 papers from the Germans...

I always thought they were closer to making the Me 163 plane ready for action?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcoxrRWiJk4&mode=related&search=

 

Okinawa

There were about 66,000 Japanese combatants killed and 7,000 captured. This was also the only battle in the war in which the Japanese surrendered by the thousands.


Battle of Okinawa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Just read the article, never realized that 548,000 US and allied troops took part in the battle, is this true?


Also how and why did so many Japanese soldiers surrender? As mentioned above, this was usually not the case

 

Hell´s bells

The piece of technology VADM Lockwood credited with breaking Japan's back was FM sonar. This device, developed by J.N.A. Hawkins, was mounted on the bottom of the bow in such a way as to give an upward looking angle of 12 degrees. The FM sonar, officially called QLA, was a short range set. Using frequencies above the audible range, small objects such as mines could be discerned. This gave the sonar a short range measures in hundreds of yards instead of miles. Introduced on Spadefish in July 1944, the early sets were reliable out to 600 yards. By 1945, the reliable range was on the order of 750 yards. The common name of FM sonar given by crews came from the electronic gong noise the set gave when it picked up a return. Passage through a dense minefield made continual ringing the crews dubbed "Hell's Bells."

Technology

 

James E. Swett

Ace on his first mission

MOH Citation for James Swett

USMC Aces of World War Two

On April 7 1943, Admiral Yamamoto ordered a major Japanese strike at Guadalcanal, involving almost 400 planes from both the Japanese Army and Naval air forces, a larger force than that used at Pearl Harbor.

On this morning, Jim Swett was flying a standard defensive dawn patrol with 3 other Wildcats. Gaining altitude, they flew out over the Russells, patrolled uneventfully for two hours. With fuel running down, they landed back on Guadalcanal, only to receive word from the coastwatchers that a major Jap offensive was on its way. All available fighters, including the four Wildcats that had just landed, were readied and launched, 76 in all. Ships and ground forces also prepare; "Condition very red." was announced.

Now Swett's division was ordered to Tulagi Harbor, and protected targets there from Japanese dive bombers. As Swett's division climbed to 15,000 feet, another pilot radioed, "Holy Christ! There's millions of 'em!" The Wildcat superchargers cut in, and they continued to climb above 17,000 feet. Now over Tulagi, he spotted the enemy, about 20 planes heading right at his four. The Aichi D3A Val dive bombers began their shallow dives, aiming for the U.S. ships below. Not yet having fired his guns at the enemy, Swett remembered that the armorers crammed in 15 or 20 extra rounds today. Swett's Wildcats closed on the Vals, but suddenly Zeros appeared above. It was a deadly race, to see whether the Wildcats would reach the Vals before the Zeros engaged them.

Swett focused on the nearest dive bomber. When it came within 300 yard range, he opened up with his 6 fifties, hitting the Val which started to smoke, burn, and twist out of control. Bombs exploded amidst American ships in the harbor below, as Swett dove down toward a second Val. He pulled within range, got off another perfect burst; there was an explosion and the Val disintegrated! As he dropped down to 2000 feet, he closed quickly on a third Val. But he had to be careful on the deck; it was no place to be in a Wildcat with over 100 highly maneuverable Zeros. His gunfire hit the Val, but it refused to burn, and it pulled up. As Swett tried to stay close he felt a heavy vibration; a gaping hole in his left wing appeared and the outboard gun went out. Despite this damage, Swett stayed with the Val, and continued to pour shells into it. Finally, the Val caught fire and smacked into the trees. He's down at 500 feet, but Swett had scored victory number 3. He realized now that his own anti-aircraft fire damaged his wing. He checked his instruments, and confirmed that the Wildcat still responded to the controls.

more Vals, presumably returning from dives on Tulagi Harbor, he planned to bounce them from some nearby clouds. He flew into the clouds, and emerged almost in range of the last of the seven Vals. He closed until the Jap filled his gunsight ring, then opened up. Metal fragments flew off, a long streak of flame reached out, and the smoking Val plunged into the water below. Victory no. 4! For the first time this morning, Swett noticed the rear gunners in the Vals. Why hadn't he noticed them before? Miraculously, none of them had hit him.

He shortly found and downed his fifth Val bomber. He was an ace - only minutes after seeing the enemy for the first time! He moved up to the next Val, which soon came into range. Swett's Wildcat was still running smoothly, and there was still some ammo left. When he was directly behind the Val, he fired his five working guns and brought it down. He couldn't quite believe the turn of events, and wondered where the protecting Zeros were. He soon closed in on his seventh intended victim. He fired his five guns, the Val began to trail smoke and dove into the sea. He was contemplating his next move, when ... Whang! His canopy was shattered. One of the Val rear gunners had opened up on him first. He fired back, but a crashing thump told him that the Val gunner had his range. Swett's fire took its toll, and the Val began to smoke, and then his guns cut out. He was out of ammunition.

------

Swett knew he had scored seven kills, but seemed to face some skepticism. An Army Intelligence office interviewed him as well as other witnesses and Swett was awarded the victories.

 

Navy Hero to Earn Medal for 1942 Surgery at Sea

NPR : Navy Hero to Earn Medal for 1942 Surgery at Sea

In Sept. 1942, as the Japanese forces continued to hold the South Pacific, the USS Seadragon entered the enemy waters of the South China Sea. Aboard the Navy submarine, Seaman 1st Class Darrell Rector was suffering from stomach pains, but with no doctor on board, he had turned to Pharmacist's Mate Wheeler B. Lipes for help.

Lipes, whose only medical experience was three years as a hospital lab technician, immediately recognized Rector's symptoms as those of acute appendicitis. If his appendix wasn't removed, Rector would die.

Beneath the sea, Lipes set up a surgical unit. He prepared common kitchen instruments to work as medical equipment -- spoons for retractors and a tea strainer lined with gauze as an anesthesia mask. With no formal surgical training, Lipes performed an emergency appendectomy -- the first major surgery aboard a submarine. Rector survived, but died two years later in the sinking of the USS Tang.

Although the historic surgery became firmly established in Navy lore, Lipes -- now 84 -- never received any official recognition for his feat. But on Sunday, Feb. 20, over 60 years after the submarine surgery, Lipes will be awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for saving a fellow crewman's life.

Also:

Appendectomy on board USS Seadragon: Oral History