Posted on 05/28/2018 2:39:19 PM PDT by BBell
Not to argue, but in the book they mentioned that the Japanese had special damage control crews whereas the Americans had everyone trained.
It was the codebreakers back at Pearl under Admiral Eddie Layton that broke the code. The fighter pilot who located the Japanese fleet was part-native American and his colleagues believed he had an uncanny sense that enabled him to detect the Japanese fleet. A colleague who was stationed in Alaska at the time, related how everyone stationed there knew that Midway was the turning point ending their further danger and considered it a bloody miracle.
Thanks for all that good information and the good points you make. You are very knowledgeable.
My Dad was a young captain who was Lt. General DeWitt’s aide de camp at the Presidio. Gen. DeWitt was the CO for part of the Aleutian campaign. Dad never made it to Alaska because he was sent to India. He had been in the Cavalry and was needed to transport mules and communication equipment for the CBI build up.
We don’t need that IHR BS here.
Not all Japanese residents were moved temporarily to the camps but only those who were higher risks (one example, with certain ties to the enemy overseas). They and their families were well cared for and comfortable. While training in schools, I’ve slept in some of the buildings used by them, which billets were far better than any of my training accommodations elsewhere.
We’ll do it again when necessary, too. Foreign identity enemies will not be allowed to attack us on our own soil. Americanize. Love it, or leave it. The anti-American revisionism will not prevail here.
As for Americans of German descent during the War, I’ve met many who were never in U.S. camps and none who were. Even the German prisoners of war were well treated in the U.S.A., allowed day release details, and many went on to become American land and business owners.
During World War 2, the Americans were the good ones—not the enemy. The very few remnants of the enemy are obviously trying to get somewhere with laughable feminist victimology, though.
Wow! He was probably on those mule teams to transport stuff over The Hump!
Your dad had some unique mid-Twentieth Century duty there! (of course, the axis powers used more horse and mule transport than we did, of that I am certain)
The Aleutians were a bitch.
He went over the Hump numerous times but it was by plane. He never mentioned mule trains going over the Hump. He liked the Sherpa guides they had.
He was with Gen. Stillwell when the Japs chased them. Then they definitely relied on mules.
Yes, the Germans were very reliant on horses and mules.
I have some neat pictures of hundreds of mules being led down some of the streets of San Francisco on their way to the docks.
One of the transports was torpedoed and they couldn’t save the mules so they went through the stalls and shot as many in the head as possible before the ship went down so they wouldn’t have an agonizing death by drowning.
feint
I was speaking figuratively, I don’t know if anything went over the Himalayas by mule! (that is my ignorance speaking there...:)
Sigh. Terrible story about those mules, but it was the humane thing to do.
Bookmarking this thread.
Dutch Harbor I guess, one sees some pictures of that as well, was not on Attu Island I gather, read about Dutch Harbor here, so that was indeed, separate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dutch_Harbor
The Atlantic had some pictures as well.
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/08/world-war-ii-battle-of-midway-and-the-aleutian-campaign/100137/
How inhospitable and rough and forsaken were the terrains of these places.
Duh! I never suggested anything else.There's no need to try to project such ridiculously extreme sentiments into my opinion on American internment camps. America has saved the entire world's ass from extreme Tyranny at least twice.
Personally, I remain adamantly opposed to internment without a compelling reason. That's a personal opinion based on my assessment, in retrospect, of the available facts I've absorbed. I have no knowledge of this "IHR" you reference...
The Japanese did not have enough tankers to operate as a unified fleet. Their carriers were based in the Home Islands, while much of their battle fleet road at anchor in the Dutch East Indies (where the fuel was). US submarines prevented all that oil from circulating freely withing the Japanese held Pacific areas.
After the loss of the Solomons the Japanese were planning for a major battle in their inner defensive ring where they could bring both wings of their fleet into play along with most of their airpower. In other words, “It was by design”. The IJN was husbanding their strength for a single battle that they hoped would prevent their eventual defeat.
The word is “feint”.
L
Sounds like a fun place to be, but I’m not signing up right away.
I would like to make the drive from northern AB to Alaska sometime, but those islands will likely have to wait til another time.
There is a sidestory to the battles of Attu and Kiska, plus the Japanese bombing of Dutch Harbor and other sites in the Aleutians/Alaskan chain of island.
This is off the top of my head because it has been about 10 years or more since I’ve seen these documents in the National Archives, College Park, Md. There was a husband and wife weather observatory team on one of those islands. Had been there for years but the Japanese invasion surprised them. The husband was captured, sent to Japan, where he died reportedly from maltreatment and/or malnourishment.
His wife was spirited away by some Aleut/natives in canoes during a fog to American lines.
Unfortunately I can’t recall the Record Group in w hich I found those documents. Could have been Army, Army Air Force (RG 18), Navy (BuShips? RG 19), or those for regional commands.
Don’t even know if any archivists there know about this incident but it has got to show up somewhere - best bet would be the “Weather Observation posts” reports for the Air Force and Army as they relied on these observers to report back flying conditions, storms, etc.
Somewhere in history, a brave husband and wife defied the Japanese to the end. An we must no forget the bravery and sacrifice of Alaskan natives who helped our fighters and civilians at great risk to themselves.
From their POV, their ships were the personal property of the emperor. Sort of a big sword hanging over their heads if they lost their command.
The commander of the IJN destroyers that were trying to supply the IJA troops on Guadalcanal was pretty PO'd at being used as little more than a transport/supply group. Especially when he found out "The Tokyo Express" was the US name used to refer to his battle group's operations.
Thank you for that information. Everyone knows of the main events in history, but I find it very interesting to hear stories such as this.
It reminds us what people gave up in the face of extreme hardship and mortal danger.
As I said earlier, we must never forget and we must honour their sacrifices with our dedication to liberty.
“There is an excellent book named The Thousand Mile War by Brian Garfield about the battles in the Aleutian Archipelago.”
I just bought a copy on ebay FOR $3.00.
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