The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Japanese Hell Ships - May 2nd, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

.........

Hellships were unmarked Japanese freighters used to transport American POWs during WWII. Because these ships were unmarked, Allied forces frequently targeted and torpedoed them. We had no way of knowing that our troops were packed like sardines in the holds of these freighters with no chance of escape, if the ship were hit. The result was that thousands of Allied troops lost their lives. America's finest young men who had already endured many months of torture in disease ridden POW camps without decent food or water, were being transported to Japan, China, Manchuria, Korea, etc. where they would work as slave laborers for the Japanese war effort.



On September 18, 1944 - during WWII - the Japanese cargo ship "Junyo Maru" traveling from Java to Sumatra (Indonesia) was - at position: lat. 02 degs. 52 mins. S. & long. 101 degs. 12 mins. E. in the Indian Ocean, West off Sumatra near Mukomuko - torpedoed by the British submarine H.M.S Tradewind. There was no way that the submarine commander could have known what cargo this Japanese ship was carrying .....

On board the 5065 ton vessel were cramped, apart from the crew and Japanese guards, 2300 Dutch, British, American and Australian POWs and 4200 Javanese slave labourers (romushas). They were all bound for work on the 220km long Sumatra Railway Line between Pakan Baru and Muaro.

Of the 6500 reluctant passengers, some 5620 perished in the waters off southwest Sumatra - making this the largest maritime disaster of the war - if not of all time!

The 'price for survival' for the 880 that made the shore was employment on the railway line. Many of them did not see the end of the war. The overall survival rate for this "death-railway" was about 66% for POWs and only about 20% for romushas. About 100 Dutch nationals survived the sinking of the Junyo Maru, and 10 of these died on the railway.

The Arisan Maru was torpedoed by an American submarine on October 24, 1944. There were 1800 POWs aboard - 1795 died. This Hell Ship sank in the South China Sea making it the worst naval disaster in the history of the United States. Two days later, five of the survivors were rescued by a Chinese fishing junk. The Chinese helped them reach American Air Corps forces. Other survivors were recaptured by a Japanese destroyer and taken to Formosa.



The Shinyo Maru was torpedoed on September 7, 1944 by the USS Paddle off the coast of Mindanao. There were 750 American POWs aboard - 668 died.

The Oryoku Maru left Manila on December 14, 1944, with 1619 American POWs packed in the holds. U.S. Navy planes from the "Hornet" attacked, causing the Hell Ship to sink the following day. 286 were killed or shot in the water as they tried to escape. The survivors were loaded on the Enoura Maru and the Brazil Maru, two other Japanese Freighters.



The Enoura Maru took a direct hit by a U.S. Navy bomber, killing over half of the 500 POWs; the survivors were put aboard the Brazil Maru and they arrived in Moji, Japan on January 29, 1945. Only 490 of the original 1619 were still alive. Enoura Maru was sunk in Takao Harbor on January 9, 1945, by U.S. Navy aircraft from the USS Hornet.

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

http://harrisonheritage.com/adbc/hellship.htm
http://members.aol.com/bcmfofnm2/hellships.html
www.oryokumaruonline.org/ hellships.html

[snippy_about_it]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Sunday Morning Everyone.


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[snippy_about_it]

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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Tribute to a Generation - The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004.

Thanks to CholeraJoe for providing this link.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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Iraq Homecoming Tips

~ Thanks to our Veterans still serving, at home and abroad. ~ Freepmail to Ragtime Cowgirl | 2/09/04 | FRiend in the USAF

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The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

[snippy_about_it]

Hi Sam. Looks like we are having a little trouble with our graphics host fotki. Hopefully by morning it will clear up. Goodnight for now. See you in the morning.

[SAMWolf]

Good Night Snippy. :-)

[Don W]

The Arisan Maru was torpedoed by an American submarine on October 24, 1944. There were 1800 POWs aboard - 1795 died. This Hell Ship sank in the South China Sea making it the worst naval disaster in the history of the United States. Two days later, five of the survivors were rescued by a Chinese fishing junk. The Chinese helped them reach American Air Corps forces. Other survivors were recaptured by a Japanese destroyer and taken to Formosa.

Not your fault, but somebody needs an arithmetic tutorial. 1800-1795=5! WHAT "other" survivors?

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[WaterDragon]

I think we can safely say that if even the Japanese were finally civilized, then undoubtedly the terrorists Muslims can be.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

[The Mayor]

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Romans 10:13

Now is the time to choose the Lord—later may never come.

[The Mayor]

May 2, 2004

So Near And Yet So Far

Read: Numbers 14:26-35

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Romans 10:13

Bible In One Year: 1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22:1-20

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Back in Canada's early days, pioneers were taking shelter in Fort Babine. When supplies were nearly exhausted, Victor Clark and a young guide left the fort and walked to the town of Hazelton to get food.

On their way back to the fort, snow began to fall. Soon the two travelers were chilled to the bone by a stinging wind and were unable to follow the trail in the darkness. Forced to stop, they built a fire and spent a miserable night. Then as light slowly dawned, they saw the fort with its warmth and comfort—only a few hundred yards away from where they had stopped. So near and yet so far!

The Israelites were at the very border of the Promised Land (Numbers 13). Caleb and Joshua, the two courageous spies, had brought back the lush foods of Canaan and encouraged the people to take possession of the land (vv.26,30). But the people doubted and condemned themselves to 40 years of wandering and death in the desert (14:28-30). They too were so near and yet so far away!

Have you heard many times about Jesus' love for you but remain uncommitted to Him? Are you near yet so far away? Choose now to cross over into the "promised land" of salvation found in Jesus. —Vernon Grounds

A Prayer
Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness.
I believe that You died and took my punishment.
I trust You as my Savior and Lord.

Now is the time to choose the Lord—later may never come.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on May 02:
1551 William Camden English historian (Brittania, Annales)
1601 Athanasius Kircher German Jesuit/inventor (magic lantern)
1660 Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti Palermo Italy, composer (Tigrane)
1729 Catherine II (the Great) empress of Russia (1762-96)
1740 Elias Boudinot lawyer/patriot, found American Biblical Society
1779 John Galt Scotland, novelist (Ayrshire Legatees, Lawrie Todd)
1810 Leo XIII 257th Roman Catholic pope (1878-1903)
1821 Abram Sanders Piatt Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1908
1837 General Henry Martyn Robert parliamentarian (Robert's Rules of Order)
1844 Elijah McCoy black inventor, held over 50 patents including a lubricator for steam engines ("the Real McCoy")
1860 Sir D'Arcy Thompson zoologist/classicist (On Growth & Form)
1860 Theodor Herzl Austria, journalist/founder (Zionist movement)
1885 Hedda Hopper [Elda Furry] Hollidaysburg PA, gossip columnist (From Under My Hat)
1890 E[dward] E[lmer] "Doc" Smith US, sci-fi author (Triplanetary)
1892 Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen [the Red Baron], German WWI ace
1900 Helen Morgan singer/actress (Applause, Frankie & Johnny)
1903 Benjamin Spock New Haven CT, pediatrician/author (Common Sense Book of Baby Care)
1918 Frederick Archibauld Warner diplomat
1924 Theodore Bikel Austrian/US folk singer/actor (The Russians Are Coming)
1925 Roscoe Lee Browne Woodbury NJ, actor (McCoy, Saunders-Soap)
1930 Morris Courtright manned spaceflight pioneer and Arizona State legislator
1933 Bunk Gardner rocker (Mothers Of Invention)
1935 Faisal II King of Iraq (1939-58)/son of Ghasi I
1935 Hussain ibn Talal King of Jordan (1952-99)
1938 Constantine Bereng Seeiso king Moshushoe II of Lesotho
1940 Bryan Davis cricketer (brother of Charlie; West Indies batsman vs Australia 1965)
1946 Lesley Gore Tenafly NJ, singer (It's My Party)
1948 Larry Gatlin Seminole TX, country singer (Gatlin Brothers-Broken Lady)
1955 Jay Osmond rocker (Osmond Brothers)
1957 Domonic L Pudwill Gorie Lake Charles LA, USN/astronaut (STS-91)
1970 Vania Thomas Miss US Virgin Islands Universe (1997)
1975 Mark Johnson Dayton OH, baseball pitcher (Olympics-bronze-96)

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Deaths which occurred on May 02:
0649 Maruta of Tagrit theology/1st mafriaan Jakobitische church, dies
1250 Toeransa sultan of Egypt, murdered
1459 Pierozzi Antoninus Italian archbishop of Florence/saint, dies
1519 Leonardo Da Vinci artist/scientist, dies at 67
1727 Paul Aler French jesuit/poet (Gradus ad Parnassum), dies at 70
1849 David H Chassé Baron/General (fought Napoleon at Waterloo), dies at 84
1945 Martin Bormann propoganda minister for Hitler, dies
1957 Joseph McCarthy senator (R-WI), dies at 47
1960 Caryl Chessman rapist executed after 12 years of appeals at 39
1968 Donald L Hall airplane designer (Spirit of St Louis), dies at 69
1972 J Edgar Hoover head of FBI (1924-72)dies at 77
1984 Jack Barry game show emcee (Joker's Wild), dies at 66
1985 Milton S Eisenhower US diplomat, dies at 85
1990 Oleg Anatolyevich Yakovlev Russian cosmonaut, dies at 49
1992 Lee Salk baby doctor/author, dies of cardiac arrest at 65
1992 Wilbur Mills (Representative-D-AR)/involved with Fanne Foxe, dies at 82
1993 Julio Gallo wine maker (Gallo), dies in a car accident at 82

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 WOOD WALTER S.---FORT BRAGG NC.
1968 ENGLANDER LAWRENCE J.---VAN NUYS CA.
1969 MASCARI PHILLIP L.---CALDWELL NJ.
1970 CROWSON FREDERICK H.---PENSACOLA FL.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG INJURED, ALIVE IN 98]
1970 GRIFFIN RODNEY L.---CENTRALIA MO.
1970 MASLOWSKI DANIEL L.---CHICAGO IL.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1970 PRICE BUNYAN D. JR.---BELMONT NC.
1970 RICHARDSON DALE W.---CASHTON WI.
1970 VARNADO MICHAEL B.---FERRIDAY LA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 07/25/89]
1970 YOUNG ROBERT M.---NEW ALEXANDRIA PA.
1972 BERKSON JOSEPH MIKE---CHICAGO IL.
[07/72 REMAINS RECOVERED]
1972 JESSE WILLIAM CLIFTON---LAWTON OK.
[07/72 REMAINS RECOVERED]
1972 MORGAN CHARLES VERNON---WARSAW KY.
[07/72 REMAINS RECOVERED]
1972 PETRILLA JOHN JOSEPH JR.---PHILADELPHIA PA.
[07/72 REMAINS RECOVERED]
1972 PORTERFIELD DALE KYETTE---LOS ANGELES CA.
[07/72 REMAINS RECOVERED]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
1497 John Cabot departs to North-America
1526 German evangelical monarchy joins Schmalkaldische League
1536 King Henry VIII accused Anna Boleyn of adultery & incest
1595 King Philip II names Albrecht of Austria land guardian of Netherlands
1598 France & Spain signs Peace of Vervins
1668 1st peace of Aken: ends French-Spanish war in The Netherlands
1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, ends War of Devolution
1670 King Charles II charters Hudson Bay Company
1749 Empress Maria Theresa signs "Haugwitzschen State reform"
1776 France & Spain agree to donate arms to American rebels
1780 William Herschel discovers 1st binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris
1833 Czar Nicolas bans public sale of serfs
1863 Stonewall Jackson attacks Chancellorsville VA, wounded by his own men; South defeats North
1865 President Johnson offers $100,000 reward for capture of Jefferson Davis
1876 Ross Barnes hit 1st homerun in the National League
1878 US stops minting 20¢ coin
1885 "Good Housekeeping" magazine is 1st published
1885 Congo Free State established by King Leopold II of Belgium
1887 Hannibal W Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film
1890 Territory of Oklahoma created
1902 The 1st science fiction film, "A Trip To The Moon", is released
1903 29th Kentucky Derby: Hal Booker aboard Judge Himes wins in 2:09
1904 30th Kentucky Derby: Shorty Prior aboard Elwood wins in 2:08½
1906 32nd Kentucky Derby: Roscoe Troxler aboard Sir Huon wins in 2:08.8
1909 Honus Wagner steals his way around bases in 1st inning against Cubs
1916 US President Wilson signs Harrison Drug Act
1919 1st US air passenger service starts
1920 1st game of National Negro Baseball League played in Indianapolis
1922 WBAP-AM begins broadcasting from Fort Worth TX
1923 Senator Walter Johnson pitches his 100th shutout, beats Yankees 3-0
1924 Netherlands refuses to recognize USSR
1926 US military intervenes in Nicaragua
1927 International Economic Conference (52 countries including USSR) opens
1928 KPQ-AM in Wenatchee WA begins radio transmissions
1930 Des Moines (Western League) defeats Wichita 13-6 to open 1st ballpark with permanently installed lights
1932 Jack Benny's 1st radio show premieres (NBC Blue Network)
1932 Pulitzer prize awarded to Pearl S Buck (The Good Earth)
1933 In Germany, Adolf Hitler bans trade unions
1934 Nazi-Germany begins People's court
1936 "Peter & the Wolf" premieres in Moscow
1936 62nd Kentucky Derby: Ira Hanford aboard Bold Venture wins in 2:03.6
1936 Emperor Haile Selassie & family flee Abyssinia
1938 Ella Fitzgerald records "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"
1938 Pulitzer prize awarded to Thornton Wilder (Our Town)
1939 Lou Gehrig ends 2,130 consecutive game streak, Yankees beat Tigers 22-2
1941 FCC approves regular scheduled commercial TV broadcasts to begin July 1
1941 Martin Bormann succeeds Rudolf Hess as Hitler's deputy
1941 Ted Williams lowest average (.308) in the year he hit over .400
1942 68th Kentucky Derby: Wayne D Wright aboard Shut Out wins in 2:04.4
1944 WABD (WNEW, now WNYW) TV channel 5 in New York NY (DUM/MET/FOX) 1st broadcast
1945 Dutch Queen Wilhelmina & Princess Juliana reach Gilze-Rijen
1945 German Army in Italy surrenders
1945 Russia takes Berlin; General Weidling surrenders
1945 Yugoslav troops occupy Trieste
1946 Prisoners revolt at Alcatraz, 5 die
1947 Eugene O'Neill's "Moon for the Misbegotten" premieres in NYC
1949 Arthur Miller wins Pulitzer Prize for "Death of a Salesman"
1952 1st performance of John Cage's "Water Music"
1952 1st scheduled jet airliner passenger service begins with a BOAC Comet
1953 79th Kentucky Derby: Hank Moreno aboard Dark Star wins in 2:02
1953 Feisal II installed as king of Iraq
1953 Hussein I installed as king of Jordan
1954 Stan Musial hits 5 homeruns in a doubleheader
1955 Pulitzer prize awarded Tennessee Williams for (Cat on Hot Tin Roof)
1956 US Lab detects high-temperature microwave radiation from Venus
1956 US Methodist church disallows race separation
1958 Yankees threaten to broadcast games nationwide if National League goes ahead with plans to broadcast, games into NYC
1959 85th Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker aboard Tomy Lee wins in 2:02.2
1960 House investigating committee, looking into payola questions
1962 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
1964 90th Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack aboard Northern Dancer wins in 2:00
1964 Beatles' "Second Album" goes #1 & stays #1 for for 5 weeks
1964 Mad Dog Vachon beats Verne Gagne in Omaha, to become NWA champion
1965 Early Bird satellite goes into commercial service
1968 Gold reaches then record high ($39.35 per ounce) in London
1968 Israeli television begins transmitting
1969 British liner Queen Elizabeth II leaves on maiden voyage to New York
1970 1st woman jockey at Kentucky Derby (Diane Crump)
1970 96th Kentucky Derby: Mike Manganello on Dust Commander wins 2:03.4
1972 Electrical fire in Sunshine Silver mine - 126 die (Kellogg Idaho)
1972 Lieutenant General Vernon A Walters, USA, becomes deputy director of CIA
1974 Former Vice President Spiro Agnew is disbarred
1975 Apple records closes down
1979 "Quadrophenia" premieres in London
1980 Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in Wall (Part II)" is banned in South Africa
1980 Pope John Paul II begins African tour
1981 107th Kentucky Derby: Jorge Velasquez on Pleasant Colony wins in 2:02
1981 Radio Shack re-releases Model III TRSDOS 1.3 with 2 fixes
1982 Falklands War: Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by British submarine Conqueror, killing more than 350 men
1983 6.7 earthquake injures 487 in Coalinga CA
1987 113th Kentucky Derby: Chris McCarron aboard Alysheba wins in 2:03.4
1988 Jackson Pollock's "Search" sold for $4,800,000
1988 Reds manager Pete Rose is suspended for 30 days for pushing an umpire
1990 South Africa & African National Congress open talks to end apartheid
1991 Pope John Paul II's encyclical on Centesimus annus
1992 118th Kentucky Derby: Pat Day aboard Lil E Tee wins in 2:03
1992 Yugoslav Army seize Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic
1994 Dr Kevokian found innocent on assisting suicides
1994 Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the South African elections held in late April.
1995 Serb missiles exploded in the heart of Zagreb, killing six
1997 Police arrest transsexual hooker Atisone Seiuli with Eddie Murphy
1997 Republic of Texas security chief Robert Scheidt surrenders
1998 124th Kentucky Derby: Kent Desormeaux aboard Real Quiet wins in 2:02.4

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
Antigua, Montserrat, St Christopher, USSR : Labor Day
Bhutan : 3rd King's Birthday
Burma : Peasants' Day
Lesotho : King's Birthday
Zambia : Labour Day (Monday)
New Orleans : McDonogh Day (1850) (Friday)
Be Kind to Animals Week Begins
National Raisin Week Begins
Take a Baby to Lunch Day
Foot Health Month

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Religious Observances
Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican : Memorial of St Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria/doctor
Bahá'í : 12th day of Ridván (festival); Jamál 5, 20

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Religious History
1507 Two years after entering the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt, future German reformer Martin Luther, 23, was consecrated a priest. (Luther remained in the order until 1521, when he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.)
1872 A lectureship was established at Yale Divinity School in memory of American clergyman Lyman Beecher (1775-1863). The lectures were to cover topics on preaching and the work of the Christian ministry.
1922 Birth of missions pioneer Bob Finley. In 1953 he chartered the Christian Aid Mission in Washington, D.C. Today, this evangelical group works in over 40 countries, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia.
1949 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'The man who will not act until he knows all will never act at all.'
1956 The General Conference of the Methodist Church, held in Minneapolis, demanded abolishment of racial segregation in all Methodist churches.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"In order to be a realist you must believe in miracles."

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Actual Newspaper Headlines...
Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents

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Why did the Chicken cross the Road...
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What do you mean by chicken"? Could you define "chicken" please?

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Stocks To Watch In 2004 Watch for these consolidations in 2004 and make yourself a bundle...
Polygram Records, Warner Bros. and Zesta Crackers join forces and become...Polly, Warner Cracker.

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Guide to Minnesota driving...
Turn signals will give away your next move.
A real Minnesota driver never uses them.

[SAMWolf]

Asama Maru

[SAMWolf]

Morning Don W. Good catch.

It seems there is a difference in the number of survivors depending on the source. I have seen some that claim 9 survived. The following article claims 8.

1800 Americans were on their way to Japan onboard the Japanese freighter Arisan Maru when it was torpedoed in the China Sea on 24th October 1944. Only eight among the 1800 survived. The submarine was either the USS Snook (USS 279 lost on 4th Aug 45) or the Shark II (USS 314. depth charged on 24 Oct 44 between Hainan and Bashi Channel).

[SAMWolf]

Morning WaterDragon.

Remember though, it took the nuking of two of their cities to do it. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Aeronaut.

[Aeronaut]

Hey Sam. Good Sunday to you.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Mayor.