Subject: WWII-L Digest - 19 Nov 1993 to 20 Nov 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1993 00:00:36 -0500

There are 4 messages totalling 193 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. NAV: Battle of Tarawa
  2. Immorality of aggressive war -- at Nuremberg (??)
  3. ARCH: USN/USMC WWII Articles at byrd.
  4. Weap: Re: Long Lance Torpedo

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Date:    Sat, 20 Nov 1993 01:30:47 CST
From:    Steve Alvin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: NAV: Battle of Tarawa

Even today it is frightening to think about the hell of Tarawa.
The U. S. came very close to being defeated during that first
24 hours.  The crisis was definetly the first night.  The Marines
had taken horrible losses, the 2nd Battalion/2nd Marines had
taken roughly 60% casulties.  Ammunition was short and command
control was all but non-exsistant.  A strong counter attack by
the defenders might have succeded in over running the Marines.
The Japanese had approx. 600 SNLF soldiers in good control on
the Marine's east flank.  Fortunately for the Marines, the order
for the counter-attack wasn't given.  The one mistake the commander
of the garrison had made in planning the atoll's defenses was
stringing most communication lines above ground.  The naval
bombardment and air attacks severed most of these lines.  The
Marines survived the night and with the arrival of the 1/6
Marines the next day sealed the defenders' fate.

--
Steve Alvin
[email-masked]

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Date:    Sat, 20 Nov 1993 15:58:12 +0700
From:    "Peter E. Beal" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Immorality of aggressive war -- at Nuremberg (??)

On Fri, 19 Nov 1993, Lou Coatney wrote:

> John,
>
>      When the German/Nazi defendants were accused of planning/executing
> aggressive war, they broke into derisive laughter.
>
>      The Soviets had been full partners in the war-starting invasion of
> Poland in 1939, had conquered/subjugated Poland themselves in 1944-45, and
> were now sitting in prosecuting judgement of the Germans!  The abortive
> and Allies-EMBARRASSING attempt by the Soviets to blame Katyn on the Germans
> highlighted this underlying hypocrisy.
>
>      Justice and morality would have been better served by putting the
> Soviets in the dock too, possibly.  Comments?
>
> Lou Coatney, WIU
>
It was said (by whom, I do not know) that "The victors write history".
Perhaps that also means that "The victors write the judgements" as well.

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Date:    Sat, 20 Nov 1993 13:29:18 EST
From:    Larry & Kim Jewell <[email-masked]>
Subject: ARCH: USN/USMC WWII Articles at byrd.

The files listed below are available by anonymous ftp from:
byrd.mu.wvnet.edu
/pub/history/military/wwii/USN_wwii

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NAVY & MARINE CORPS WORLD WAR II COMMEMORATIVE COMMITTEE
A service of Navy Chief of Information Office
(703)695-3161/DSN 225-3161
-----------------------------------------------------------------

INDEX OF WORLD WAR II FILES
(Includes subdirectory name, file name and short description of file contents.

     wwii_usn.txt   All the text files below in one file.
     wwii_usn.txt   Above file in .zip format.

News

     Taranews.txt   Nov. 20-23 is 50th anniversary of Battle for
                    Tarawa, the Japanese stronghold in the
                    Gilbert Islands.  2nd Marine Division victory
                    in the face of great odds.  At Tarawa, the
                    Navy-Marine Corps team developed the methods
                    of amphibious assault used thereafter to
                    defeat Japan.

Commemorative Events

     WW2event.txt   Lists reunions, exhibits, airshows, etc. in
                    commemoration of World War II.

Commemorative Community Program

     WhatItIs.txt   A description of the World War II
                    Commemorative Community Program and how to
                    qualify for its benefits.

     Aplicatn.txt   The form that must be completed and mailed to
                    the Navy-Marine Corps World War II
                    Commemorative Committee.

     Ideas.txt      A list (not all-inclusive) of the kinds of
                    events that qualify a group to be a
                    Commemorative Community.

Fact Sheets

     63rdBees.txt   Unit history of 63rd Seabee battalion. Served
                    at Guadalcanal and Emirau islands.

     ArmGuard.txt   Sailors assigned to man guns on merchant
                    vessels.

     Blimps.txt     Lighter-than-air contribution to anit-sub,
                    minesweeping and rescue operations.

     Bougnvil.txt   Battle of Bougainville (Nov. 1943) isolates
                    Japanese at Rabaul; wins the Solomon Islands.

     Convoys.txt    North Russia convoy runs during Battle of the
                    Atlantic. Severe weather and U-boat threats.

     CVE.txt        Escort carriers' anti-submarine missions,
                    battle group and amphibious landing support.

     Kamikaze.txt   Development and effectiveness of the Japanese
                    suicide pilot force.

     Lantbttl.txt   Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945). U.S. and
                    Brittain beat the German U-boats.

     Magic.txt      Navy intel cracks the Japanese naval code,
                    assisting Pacific wins at Midway, Tarawa.
                    Sidebar on death of Yamamoto, due to Magic.

     MCinWW2.txt    Personnel strength, combat losses, aces,
                    weapons, boats, aircraft, events and more.

     MCLant.txt     Summary of Marine service in the Atlantic,
     (Coming Soon)  Europe and Africa.

     MCRaider.txt   Development, operations of the Marine Raider
     (Coming Soon)  battalions (special missions forces).

     MCWomen.txt    Women in the Marine Corps  -- founding,
                    rates, leaders.

     Navajos.txt    The story of Marine Navajo Code Talkers, who
                    created a code that was never broken.

     NavinWW2.txt   Overview of Navy's two-ocean victory. Info on
     (Coming Soon)  battles, hardware, personnel strength.

     Seabee.txt     History of WWII Naval Construction Battalions
                    with founding, duties, some demographics.

     Subs.txt       Exploits of "the Silent Service," conditions
                    aboard submarines, sub triumphs and losses.

     Tarawa.txt     Nov. 20-23, 1943.  2nd Div. Marines prevail
                    in the Gilbert Islands.

     V12Prgm.txt    Navy's officer training program, designed to
                    increase the ranks. Prominent participants.

     WAVES.txt      Brief history of women's service; info on
                    numbers, training, jobs, uniforms, housing.

     YamaDies.txt   Sidebar to American Magic. Navy intel causes
                    death of Japanese fleet commander Yamamoto.

[email-masked]; Listowner: WWII-L; Moderator: BYRD.MU.WVNET.EDU
"Sunday's horoscope is note worthy because of its strange, sudden and wholly
unpredictable and inexplicable occurrences, affecting all phases of life."
Your Horoscope" L.A. Evening Herald Express, Sat, 12/06/41

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Date:    Sat, 20 Nov 1993 13:50:28 EST
From:    Charles Reace <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Weap: Re: Long Lance Torpedo

> QUESTION: Who gave the Long Lance its name, and why ?

Perhaps you should check British sources.  Don't forget they were involved
in the Pacific theater, especially early in the war; and they had a
penchant for nick-naming all kinds of military hardware.  (As per our
previous discussion on US tank naming.)

  __|  __|  __|  |  Charles Reace <[email-masked]>
_|   _|   _|     |
 |       | |     |  Computer Sciences Corp., Integrated Systems Div.
 ___|____/ ___|  |  304 W. Rte. 38, Moorestown, NJ 08057

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End of WWII-L Digest - 19 Nov 1993 to 20 Nov 1993
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