Subject: WWII-L Digest - 10 Sep 1994 to 11 Sep 1994

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 00:00:14 -0400

There are 14 messages totalling 781 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. WEAP: torpedoes (2)
  2. INF: USN Chronology 09-11-94
  3. MASSACHUSSETTS part of "INDIANA" class ? Nooooooo. :-)
  4. JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS OF WORLD WAR II:  Source
  5. Buzz Bombs
  6. Behavior of Red Army in Eastern Europe, by Burt Knight
  7. INF: 50 Years Ago - 12-SEP-1944
  8. INF: Eastern Front Red Army
  9. [INF] USAAF 11 SEP 44
 10. [INF] USAAF 12 SEP 44
 11. Japanese sailors (2)
 12. Japanese sailors -- Fanatical too?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 01:08:39 EDT
From:    Thomas Nephew <[email-masked]>
Subject: WEAP: torpedoes

What were the speeds and ranges of the major American and Japanese torpedoes
(Mark-14,-18,Long Lance)?  Were air-dropped torpedoes different in these or
other respects from destroyer- or sub-launched ones?

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 01:13:57 PDT
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 09-11-94

UNITED STATES NAVY CHRONOLOGY
from:
//byrd.mu.wvnet.edu/pub/history/military/wwii/naval_chronology/chr4(4,5).txt

1944
09/11 Mon.  Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Submarine chaser NO. 165, by submarine ALBACORE
              (SS-218), off Kyushu, Japan,
              32 d. 20'N., 131 d.  50'E.

Theron P. Keller
Logicon, Inc.
Dahlgren, VA  22448 USA
[email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 01:12:15 EST
From:    "CARL WERNKE (TCWERNC@VCCSCENT)" <[email-masked]>
Subject: MASSACHUSSETTS part of "INDIANA" class ? Nooooooo. :-)

 To: Multiple recipients of list WWII-L([email-masked])
 In-Reply-To: "Louis R.Coatney" at Sep 10, 94  18:43:26  -0500

 Lou,

 Thanks for your five credible sources ref. MASSACHUSSETTS being a unit of the
 SOUTH DAKOTA class. An excellent source is my favorite, _JANE'S FIGHTING
 SHIPS OF WORLD WAR II_,and excerpts of the various JANE'S. This source was
 always available when I was on board ship (which was almost continuous).
 I sure could use one to make my personal library complete, of course, at a
 nominal price. Do you have any suggestions ?

 Carl Wernke
 [email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 14:11:07 -0500
From:    "Louis R. Coatney" <[email-masked]>
Subject: JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS OF WORLD WAR II:  Source

Carl (et al?):

Item 5480P, Scholar's Bookshelf, 110 Melrich Rd, Cranbury NJ
  08512.  $29.95 plus $4.00 postage.

Also -- :-) -- Paul H. Silverstone's little handbook, U.S. WARSHIPS
  OF WORLD WAR II, lists "South Dakota class" (p. 28).

Regarding J'S:  Enjoy!

Lou

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 15:06:48 -0500
From:    Bob Milan <[email-masked]>
Subject: Buzz Bombs

Today my father-in-law was telling me about his "buzz bomb" experiences in
London during the war. Several questions arose such as what did they sound
like, what kind of engines did they have, their explosive power, etc. I
would appreciate any information regarding the above questions. Thanks.

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 15:45:01 -0500
From:    "Louis R. Coatney" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Behavior of Red Army in Eastern Europe, by Burt Knight

Forwarded message:
>From [email-masked] Sat Sep 10 20:01 CDT 1994
Date: 10 Sep 94 21:00:35 EDT
From: Burt Knight <[email-masked]>
To: "\"Louis R. Coatney\"" <[email-masked]>
Subject: *Other* Holocausts, Mr. Weber
Message-Id: <[email-masked]>
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 2778

The russian front line troops were 'not bad' according to German, Polish,
Estonian, Russian and other sources. The rear echelon troops 'were pigs'
according to a statement made by a Soviet Lieutenant to Erich Marseille.  The
same treatment the Russians gave Germans at the end of the war was also visited
upon all other peoples they 'liberated'.  As to the extreme cruelty of rapes,
murders, etc.,  that was not the result of the russians having seen holocausts
but of the most effective propaganda machine ever devised, the Soviet propaganda
machine.  The exhortations of Ilya Ehrenberg to destroy the german male and take
the german female were repeated daily over broadcasts to troops.  The front-line
troops did not hear them regularly but the rear echelon troops were subjected to
it daily and came to believe that rape, looting and murder were their privelege
and were permitted by the higher command as a form of revenge for what had
happened to 'mother Russia under the Fascist invaders'.  It wasn't until several
weeks after the fall of Berlin that Ehrenberg was taken 'off the air' and a more
moderate line was taken.  Troops that were caught committing excesses afterwards
were summarily punished.

In 1944-45, the Red Army was essentially out of control.  High command would
make decisions on which way to attack but units operated very 'free-bootingly'
(if that is a word.)  J.E. Johnson describes encountering a Guards Fighter unit
over Berlin in April 1945- 'Their formation was more like a flock of starlings,
constantly changing.  Occasionally small sections would break off and attack
something on the ground.' (paraphrased- I haven't read 'Wing Leader' in 15
years)

In Odessa and Kiev, Red Army troops acquired a reputation for raping even
russian women.  What wasn't destroyed in Warsaw by battle was destroyed by the
Red Army after liberation.  That Germany itself suffered the same destruction is
understandable-  the desire for revenge was drilled into every soldier.

As a final note on the Red Army rear echelon troops, there are a number of cases
of allied POWs being killed by the rear echelon troops after the camps were
liberated.  RRS Tuck was believed to have been killed by the Soviets and his
family notified.  He, fortunately, turned up alive.  The Soviets weren't going
to let him out of the country and he was held with a front line unit as it
attacked until he 'escaped' again.  My uncle, Lt., USAAF, was a POW at Sagan.
When the Red Army liberated the camp, he was subjected to some intense pressure
for a month before he finally got in touch with other Americans.  They thought
he was either a Russian traitor masquerading as an American or a German trying
to avoid captivity.  He's of Czech ancestry, speaks German and Czech fluently.

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 14:44:53 -0700
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 12-SEP-1944

On 12-SEP-1944, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - The Germans surrender in Le Havre to the British I Corps and
12,000 men are taken prisoner. Additional US 1st Army units reach the German
border between Aachen and Trier.

Italian Front - The second battle for the capture of the Coriano hill-top
begins.

Palau Islands - US battleships, cruisers and carriers begin an intensive
bombardment of the Palaus in advance of the landing.

Naval Dispatches
----------------
Destroyer FULLAM (DD-474) damaged by collision, Palau Islands.

Japanese destroyer SHIKINAMI sunk by submarine GROWLER (SS-215), South China
Sea.

Japanese frigate HIRATO sunk by submarine GROWLER (SS-215), South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs
---------------
Rumania - An armistice between Rumania, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and
the United States is signed in Moscow. Rumania will take part in the war
against Germany and Hungary. The frontier between the USSR and Rumania will be
that fixed by the Soviet-Rumanian agreement of June 29, 1940. The USSR
promises that Transyvania will be restored to Rumania.

The Homefront
-------------
Nimitz and Bradley Promoted - President Roosevelt has nominated Lt. Gen. Omar
N. Bradley for the permanent rank of major general and Admirals Chester W.
Nimitz and Royal Ingersoll, Pacific and Atlantic Fleet commanders to the
temporary rank of admiral. They hold permanent rank as rear admirals but are
temporary admirals by virtue of their present commands.

=============================================================================

Sources: "2194 Days of War" by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo Pallavisimi, "The
World Almanac Book Of WW II" by Peter Young, "United States Naval Chronology,
World War II" by Naval Historical Division - United States Navy, "Facts On
File Yearbook 1944, Person's Index Of World Events" edited by R.L. Lapica.

----------
John Davis  [email-masked]
Cary, N.C.
----------

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 19:10:22 EDT
From:    Burt Knight <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: Eastern Front Red Army

To settle a tempest in a teapot and as a general note of info for the list, I've
prepared the following monograph.  This is from memory but I believe it is
accurate.  I though I had lost the original and Lou Coatney was kind enough
to retransmit it but, after reading it over, I saw a few flaws and
inaccuracies (after working 15 hours, you'd make some mistakes too!) so
I've corrected the errors, added more detail when I could and listed some source
s.

The Red Army front line troops were 'not bad' according to German, Polish,
Estonian, Russian and other sources. The rear echelon troops 'were pigs'
according to a statement made by a Soviet Lieutenant to Erich Marseille.  The
same treatment the Russians gave Germans at the end of the war was also visited
upon all other peoples they 'liberated'.  As to the extreme cruelty of rapes,
murders, etc.,  that was not the result of the russians having seen holocausts
or death camps but of the most effective disinformation system ever devised, the
Soviet propaganda machine. The exhortations of Ilya Ehrenberg to destroy the
german male and take the german female were repeated daily over broadcasts to
troops and in all the print media.  The front-line troops did not hear them
regularly but the rear echelon troops were subjected to it daily and came to
believe that rape, looting and murder were their privilege and were permitted
and sanctioned by the higher command as a form of revenge for what had happened
to 'mother Russia under the Fascist invaders'.  It wasn't until several weeks
after the fall of Berlin that Ehrenberg was taken 'off the air' and a more
moderate line was taken.  Troops that were caught committing excesses afterwards
were summarily punished.

In 1944-45, the Red Army was essentially out of control.  High command would
make decisions on which way to attack but units operated very 'free-bootingly'
(if that is a word.)  J.E. Johnson describes encountering a Guards Fighter unit
over Berlin in April 1945- 'Their formation was more like a flock of starlings,
constantly changing.  Occasionally small sections would break off and attack
something on the ground.  In this way, the Russians worked over the dying city.'
(paraphrased- I haven't read 'Wing Leader' in 15 years).  Red Army Tank Rider
units had 'a supply system which seemed to be based on looting but, then,
somehow, they continued to get ammunition so they must have had some supply
organization...' (Infantry Weapons of WW2, Ballentine's Illustrated History of
the Violent Century).

In Odessa and Kiev, Red Army troops acquired a reputation for raping even
Russian women who lived in towns that had been occupied by the Germans.  What
wasn't destroyed in many eastern european cities by battle was destroyed by the
Red Army after liberation.  That Germany itself suffered the same destruction is
understandable-  the desire for revenge was drilled into every soldier.  The
front line troops were too busy attacking to be destructive for the sake of
destruction but the rear echelon....

Additionally, the 'brutish' asians, as Goebbels called them, were coming from a
rural agrarian society (many of them, anyway) and were unfamiliar with western
'luxuries'.  Cornelius Ryan has commentary on Red Army troops carefully
unscrewing lightbulbs to take back to their villages, believing that the light
was totally self contained and would light for them when they got home. Another
russian was washing his potatoes in a fancy porcelain bowl containing water when
he wondered what the chain was hanging by the back of the device so he pulled it
and flushed his dinner right down the toilet.

As a final note on the Red Army rear echelon troops, there are a number of cases
of allied POWs being killed by the rear echelon troops after the POW camps were
liberated.  RRS Tuck was believed to have been killed by the Soviets and his
family notified.  He, fortunately, turned up alive but was only allowed the
leave the USSR after diplomatic circles made a lot of noise.  The Soviets
weren't going to let him out of the country and he was held with a front line
unit as it attacked until he 'escaped' again.  My uncle, Lt., USAAF, was a POW
at Sagan.  When the Red Army liberated the camp, he was subjected to some
intense pressure for a month before he finally got in touch with other
Americans.  They thought he was either a Russian traitor masquerading as an
American or a German trying to avoid captivity.  He's of Czech ancestry, speaks
German and Czech fluently.

BWK, ZiffDavis Interactive Shareware Library, Cambridge, Ma.

Sources:  'The Last Battle', Cornelius Ryan
        'Reach For the Sky', Paul Brickhill
        'Fly For Your Life', Larry Forrester
        'Wing Leader', JE Johnson
        'I Attack' Ilya Ehrenberg
        'The Black March', Peter Neumann
        'Vlasov', Sven Stenburg
        'The Blond Knight of Germany' Raymond Tolliver
        Several other books and papers whose names escape me at this time

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 20:16:00 EDT
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: [INF] USAAF 11 SEP 44

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
MONDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 1944
FTP SITES
  1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf
  2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/
     wwii_chronology

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  A-20, Douglas Havoc
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  C-47, Douglas Skytrain
  F-6, North American Mustang
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  P-51, North American Mustang
  P-61, Northrop Black Widow

NOTE: A number in parenthesis after a target name indicates the number of
bombers attacking.

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 4 B-25s on a shipping search sink a small
craft off Shimushu Island, Kurile Islands; 2 other B-25s fly a search mission
for a B-25 (which force-landed in USSR on 9 Sep but is still reported as
missing).

  CANADA: The second Quebec conference opens; President Franklin D Roosevelt
and Prime Minister Winston S Churchill discuss Pacific war plans and
completion of the European war.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 12 P-47s hit roads, towns, and general
targets of opportunity in the Bhamo, Burma and Tengchung and Lungling, China
areas; 23 B-24s fly fuel to Kunming, China; numerous other transport flights
throughout the CBI continue. Detachments of the 2d and 4th Combat Cargo
Squadrons, 1st Combat Cargo Group, based at Sylhet, India, begin operating
from Yunnani, China with C-47s.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 18 B-24s blast a storage area at
Manling; 30 B-25s bomb Tunganhsien and Kiaotow and hit targets of opportunity
in the Lingling area; 12 P-40s blast trucks along Burma Road and around
Lungling; 59 P-40s and P-51s hit river shipping, railroad targets, troop
concentrations, supply dumps, and other targets of opportunity in the Canton-
Tungting Lake area.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 440th Troop Carrier
Group moves from Exeter, England to Reims.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Two missions are flown.
  Mission 623: 1,131 bombers and 440 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic
oil plants and refineries in Germany; AAF encounters an estimated 525
Luftwaffe fighters; 40 bombers and 17 fighters are lost; AAF claim 115-7-23
aircraft in the air and 42-0-43 on the ground:
  1. 384 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil refineries at Bohlen (75), Chemnitz
(75), Brux (39) and Ruhland (22); the Chemnitz force is an Operation FRANTIC
force that along with 64 P-51s, continues on and lands in the USSR; targets
of opportunity are a tire plant at Fulda (66), a marshalling yard at Fulda
(40) and 16 others; they claim 12-16-1 aircraft; 16 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged
beyond repair and 94 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 153 MIA. Escort is
provided by 252 of 275 P-51s; they claim 57-2-12 aircraft in the air and
26-0-25 on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 5
damaged; 4 pilots are MIA.
  2. 351 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil refineries at Merseburg (111) and
Lutzkendorf (96); targets of opportunity hit are Eisennach (71), Labejum
(12), Rossla (6) and 25 others; they claim 1-1-2 aircraft; 13 B-17s are lost,
2 damaged beyond repair and 106 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 21 WIA and 120
MIA. Escort is provided by 247 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 13-0-1 aircraft in
the air and 4-0-2 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair
and 2 P-47s and 4 P-51s damaged; 3 pilots are MIA.
  3. 396 B-24s are dispatched to hit an engine factory at Hannover (88), oil
refineries at Misburg (87) and Magdeburg (33) and an ordinance depot at
Magdeburg (27); targets of opportunity hit are Magdeburg (70), Stendal (45),
Diepholz (9) and 3 others; they claim 4-8-1 aircraft; 10 B-24s are lost, 2
damaged beyond repair and 179 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 13 WIA and 102 MIA.
Escort is provided by 164 P-38s and P-51s; they claim 45-5-10 aircraft in the
air and 12-0-16 on the ground; 10 P-51s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and
7 damaged; 14 pilots are MIA.
  Mission 625: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets on France and Germany during the
night.
  38 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, 358 B-26s and A-20s,
escorted by fighters, in support of the US Third Army, hit gun positions and
strongpoints in the Metz area; in Germany, fighters fly armed reconnaissance
over the Lissendorf and Duren areas, and support Third Army ground forces in
the Metz area; armored reconnaissance elements of this Army cross into
Germany, the first Allied unit to do so; fighters also support ground forces
in the Brest, France area; HQ IX Tactical Air Command moves from Versailles
to Janoulx, Belgium; HQ 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group and the 161st
Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron move from Azeville to Le Mans and Montrevil
respectively with F-6s; HQ 368th Fighter Group and the 395th, 396th and 397th
Fighter Squadrons move from Chartres to Laon/Athies with P-47s; HQ 370th
Fighter Group and the 402d and 485th Fighter Squadrons move from Lonray to
Roye/Amy with P-38s; HQ 397th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Gorges to
Dreux; the 386th and 388th Fighter Squadrons, 365th Fighter Group, move from
Bretigny to Juvincourt with P-47s; the 394th Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter
Group, moves from Pera to Clastres with P-38s; the 425th Night Fighter
Squadron, IX Air Defense Command, moves from Le Moustoiris to Coulommiers
with P-61s; the 506th Fighter Squadron, 404th Fighter Group, moves from
Bretigny to Juvincourt with P-47s; and the 510th Fighter Squadron, 405th
Fighter Group, moves from Picauville to St Dizier with P-47s.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Bad weather limits operations
to supply mission by 54 B-24s to France.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s hit defensive
positions as US Fifth Army elements push through N Italian mountain passes
toward Gothic Line defenses; B-25s bomb railroad bridges at Vigevano and
Canneto sull'Oglio and supply areas; fighter-bombers and fighters attack
roads, railroads, guns, supply areas, bridges, and other targets at Vernio,
and in the Alessandria, Turin, Piacenza, and Milan areas; and the 65th and
66th Fighter Squadrons, 57th Fighter Group, move from Alto, Corsica to
Ombrone, Italy with P-47s. The 522d Fighter Squadron, 27th Fighter Group,
moves from Salon to Loyettes, France with P-47s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA)

  AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Saipan Island-based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima Island
and hit shipping off Chici Jima Island. P-47s pound Pagan Island with
strafing attacks and rockets.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s hit airfields
at Galela and Miti on Halmahera Island. B-25s bomb Kairatoe Airfield and
village on Celebes Island and Boela Airfield on Ceram Island while P-38s hit
airfields at Namlea on Buru Island and Amahai and oil tanks at Boela, Ceram
Island. A-20s and B-25s hit Kaoe Airfield on Halmahera Island and scattered
targets of opportunity. In New Guinea, A-20s strike Otawiri, Sagan, Nabire,
and Urarom Airfields while fighter-bombers hit airfields and AA guns at
Manokwari and Ransiki; the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st
Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Tadji to Biak Island with P-40s.

SOURCES:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
  Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
  History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
  Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2

Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59

-------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop         |  Those who have long enjoyed such      |
|  Bellcore              |  privileges as we enjoy forget in      |
|  Piscataway, NJ USA    |  time that men have died to win them.  |
|  [email-masked]  |                       FDR              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

12/0019Z SEP

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 20:32:00 EDT
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: [INF] USAAF 12 SEP 44

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
TUESDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 1944
FTP SITES
  1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf
  2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/
     wwii_chronology

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  A-20, Douglas Havoc
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  Beaufighter, Bristol
  C-47, Douglas Skytrain
  F-3, Douglas Havoc
  F-5, Lockheed Lightning
  F-6, North American Mustang
  L-5, Stinson Sentinel
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  P-51, North American Mustang

NOTE: A number in parenthesis after a target name indicates the number of
bombers attacking.

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kurile Islands, 6 bombers fly a
negative shipping sweep over Shimushu Island; 3 more attack Suribachi
Airfield and offshore shipping targets; 1 B-24 flies negative reconnaissance.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 4 B-25s pound buildings in the
Katha area; 25 B-24s haul fuel to Kunming, China; 8 P-47s sweep a river from
Bhamo to Katha, 3 strafe official buildings at Bhamo, and 16 hit targets of
opportunity on the Burma Road from Lungling, China to Wanling to Namhkam and
blast gun positions N of Loiwing Airfield.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 10 B-25s and 6 P-40s pound
Lungling; 14 B-25s hit the town area and destroy 2 bridges and damage another
at Sungpai; 22 others bomb Kaochishih, Tunghsiangchiao, and the area E of
Kiyang; 27 P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance over Hunan and other areas
of inland SE China attack road and river traffic and general targets of
opportunity around Lingling, Hengyang, Kiyang, Yangtien, and Patpo; and 15
P-40s hit coastal and river shipping in S China and in Indochina on the S
China Sea, in Chikhom Bay, and along the Red River; the flight of the 21st
Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Fourteenth Air Force, operating from
Kweilin with F-5s since Jul 43, returns to base at Kunming; and the 74th
Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, moves from Kweilin and Liuchow to
Luliang with P-40s and P-51s.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): 400+ C-47s complete supply
and evacuation missions.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Two missions are flown.
  Mission 626: For the second day, 888 bombers and 662 fighters are
dispatched on a major assault on the German oil industry; they are
intercepted by 400-450 Luftwaffe fighters; AAF claims 81-16-20 aircraft in
the air; 35 bombers and 12 fighters are lost:
  1. 299 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil refineries at Brux (79) and Ruhland
(59); targets of opportunity are Lauta (48), Plauen (30), Etterwinden (12),
Karlsbad (11), Kitzingen (11) and others (21); PFF methods are used for all
targets; they claim 14-9-7 aircraft; 19 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond
repair and 94 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 11 WIA and 171 MIA. Escort is
provided by 238 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 29-2-4 aircraft in the air and
21-0-16 on the ground; 10 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged beyond
repair.
  2. 348 B-17s are dispatched to hit Magdeburg/Rothensee (144), Magdeburg/
Friedrichstadt (73) and Bohlen (35); targets of opportunity are Fulda (46),
Molbis (11) and other (8); they bomb visually; they claim 13-5-5 aircraft; 12
B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 161 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 9
WIA and 109 MIA. Escort is provided by 236 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 25-0-4
aircraft in the air and 5-0-15 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
  3. 241 B-24s are dispatched to hit Hemmingstedt (66), Kiel (58) and Misburg
(34); targets of opportunity are Laharte (38), marshalling yard at Northeim
(12), Hannover (11), Hemmingstedt (3) and other (3); PFF was used for
bombing; 4 B-24s are lost and 49 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 37 MIA.
Escort is provided by 105 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s without loss.
  Mission 627: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflet in France, the Netherlands and
Germany during the night.
  36 B-24s and C-47s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions during the
night.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, B-26s and A-20s hit
Westwall fortifications, Sankt Wendel station, where an armored division and
important technicians are to entrain, and fortifications around Nancy,
France; fighters continue ground support in the French/German border area. In
France, HQ 84th Fighter Wing moves from Aillieres to St Quentin; HQ 10th
Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) and the 12th Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron and the 31st, 34th and 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadrons
move from Chateaudun to St-Dizier/Robinson with A-20s, F-3s F-6s and F-5s;
the 389th Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, moves from Dreux to Laon/
Couvron with P-47s; the 393d Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group moves from
Peray to Clastres with P-38s; and the 401st Fighter Squadron, 370th Fighter
Group, moves from Lonray to Roye/Amy with P-38s; the 405th Fighter Squadron,
371st Fighter Group moves from Beuzeville to Perthes with P-47s; the 428th,
429th and 430th Fighter Squadrons, 474th Fighter Squadron, move from St
Marceau to Peronne with P-38s. In Belgium, the 153d Liaison Squadron, IX
Tactical Air Command (attached to First Army) moves from Vuel to Ham with
L-5s.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Germany, nearly 330 B-17s
and B-24s supported by P-38s and P-51s bomb Lechfeld Airfield, Munich/Allach
engine works, and Wasserburg jet aircraft factory. 50+ B-24s fly supply mission to S France.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Brigadier General Benjamin W
Chidlaw assumes command of the XII Fighter Command.
  In Italy, B-26s blast defended positions in the C battle sector of the
Gothic Line; B-25s pound Po River railroad bridges and attack guns and
strongpoints in the battle zone as the enemy falls back to prepared Gothic
Line defenses and the rapid Allied advance halts; fighter-bombers strike at
guns, troop concentrations, strongpoints, and flak positions in the Genoa and
Milan areas; and HQ 57th Fighter Group and the 64th Fighter Squadron move
from Alto, Corsica to Ombrone Airfield with P-47s. In France, French-based
fighter-bombers cut tracks in the Belfort, Basel, and Freiburg areas; and the
417th Night Fighter Squadron, 63d Fighter Wing, arrives at La Valon from
Borgo, Corsica with Beaufighters; and the 523d and 524th Fighter Squadrons,
27th Fighter Group, move from Salon to Loyettes with P-47s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA)

  AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): P-47s from Saipan Island hit AA positions on
Pagan Island with a rocket and bombing attack. A lone B-24 on armed
reconnaissance bombs the building area on Marcus Island. B-25s from the
Gilbert Islands bomb Nauru Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound 3
airfields in the Menado area on Celebes Island. B-24s and B-25s bomb Kaoe and
Galela Airfields on Halmahera Island, and radar facilities on Morotai Island.
B-24s hit Lautem on Timor Island. P-38s dive-bomb Namlea runways on Buru
Island while P-47s hit Boela on Ceram Island. In New Guinea, A-20s, B-25s,
and fighter-bombers hit airfields, AA guns, and other targets at Babo,
Mongosah, Manokwari, Sagan, Moemi, and Samate; and the 39th Fighter Squadron,
35th Fighter Group, move from Noemfoor Island to Owi, Schouten Islands with
P-47s.

SOURCES:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
  Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
  History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
  Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2

Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59

-------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop         |  Those who have long enjoyed such      |
|  Bellcore              |  privileges as we enjoy forget in      |
|  Piscataway, NJ USA    |  time that men have died to win them.  |
|  [email-masked]  |                       FDR              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

12/0034Z SEP

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 20:54:00 EDT
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: Japanese sailors

We have all heard about Japanese soldiers and marines participating in
banzai charges and committing suicide rather than surrendereing.  Same goes
for the kamazais.  But what about the Japanaese sailor?  If his ship was
hit and going down was he expected to "go down with the ship?"  Or did he
have a life preserver, lifeboats, rafts, etc. and was expected to try and
save himself to fight another day?

-------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop              |  Those who have long enjoyed such |
|  Bellcore                   |  privileges as we enjoy forget in |
|  Piscataway, NJ USA         |  time that men have died to win   |
|  [email-masked]  |  them.                     FDR    |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 21:15:15 EST
From:    "CARL WERNKE (TCWERNC@VCCSCENT)" <[email-masked]>
Subject: WEAP: torpedoes

 To: Multiple recipients of list WWII-L([email-masked])
 In-Reply-To: Thomas Nephew  at Sun,11 Sep 1994 01:08:39 EDT

 Thomas,

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Comparative Table: Torpedoes
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Size           Speed     Range      Powder charge
               (Torpedo tubes)  (Knots)   (Yards)     (Pounds)

Japan           24-inch           49       24,000       225
                                  36       43,600       225
U.S.            21-inch           48        4,360       135
                                  32        8,720       135

  G.B.           21-inch          46        3,270       144
                                  30       10,900       144

           GENERAL INFORMATION ON JAPANESE AIRCRAFT TORPEDOES

 Japanese aircraft torpedoes were not designed to meet requirements of specific
 airplanes but instead, the aircraft were modified to suit the torpedo.

 Eight tail fins were tried on some of the Type 91 torpedoes, but experiments
 showed that recovery from the initial dive was too slow. The eight-fin
 torpedo exhibited steadier water travel characteristics than the four-fin
 torpedo, but it took 800 yards to reach a steady depth level. The four-fin
 torpedo took only 380 yards to assume its proper depth level. As a result of
 the experiments, eight fins were abandoned for aircraft torpedoes.

 The Japanese considered the small anti-roll flippers on each side of the
 torpedo as one of the most important feature. The use of these roll
 stabilizers enabled them to carry a full charge of explosive in the warhead,
 and they also were responsible for eliminating the hook when the torpedo
 entered the water.

 The term TYPE is used to designate a particular design of torpedo and
 corresponds to the American and British term "MARK". The type number refers
 to the year in which the design was started. Thus, Type 91 refers to the
 Japanese year 2591 or 1931 A.D.

 The term MODEL is sometimes used in connection with aircraft torpedoes, and
 refer only to the method of propulsion.
       Model 1   -Ordinary type of aircraft torpedo
       Models 2-3- Jet-propelled torpedoes
       Models 4-8- Bomb-torpedoes with no propulsion

 Type 91, Modif. 1 = Total weight, 1728 lbs. ---Speed 42 knots

  Ship and KAITEN Torpedoes--- General: Japanese ship torpedoes can be divided
  into three classes, the first being 100% oxygen, the second air, and the
  third electricity.

  Oxygen Torpedoes:

                   Type 93, Model 1, Modification 1 (destroyers)

 Speed and Range   Knots               Meters               Yards
                    49                 20,000               22,000
                    40                 32,000               35,000
                    36                 40,000               44,000

                    Explosive charge ........490 kg (1078 lbs)

  During the First Phase of Battle of the Java Sea, 27 February 1942, the
  Japanese began using their favorite weapons---the "Long Lance", their
  24-inch torpedoes, which because they were oxygen-propelled, made almost no
  wake. The HARUGO (CA) launched eight torpedoes at 1622 at 12 1/2 miles, one
  torpedo hit the Dutch destroyer KORTENAER, which blew up and sank
  immediately at 1640.

  The NAKAJIMA B5N1 Navy Type Carrier Attack Bomber,Model 1,of the Yokosuka
  Kokutai bomb load was : 800 kg (1,764 lb)of bombs or one 800 kg (1,764 lb)
  torpedo. 144 aircraft of this type hit Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.

  Thomas, I hope the above information will be of some help. This info was
  obtained from: JAPANESE TORPEDOES AND TUBES, ARTICLE 2, AIRCRAFT TORPEDOES,
  "Intelligence Targets Japan" (DNI) Of 4 Sept 1945, Fascicle O-1, Target
  O-01, March 1946, U.S. Technical Mission To Japan. Also, some material was
  obtained from A BATTLE HISTORY OF THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY (1941-1945),
  p.78, author, Paul S. Dull.-------Smooth Sailing !

  Carl Wernke
  [email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 20:59:07 -0500
From:    Drew Halevy <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Japanese sailors

Drew Halevy
Department of History
University of Arkansas
[email-masked]

But what about the Japanaese sailor?  If his ship was
> hit and going down was he expected to "go down with the ship?"  Or did he
> have a life preserver, lifeboats, rafts, etc. and was expected to try and
> save himself to fight another day?
>

My understanding is that many Japanese sailors who ships were sunk would
refused to be saved when an American ship came onto the scene. They would
choose to rather drown. (I can't remember where I read that, I will have
to look)-Drew

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 11 Sep 1994 21:02:59 -0500
From:    "Louis R. Coatney" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Japanese sailors -- Fanatical too?

Jack,

1. The American flight crew the Japanese pulled from the
  water at Midway were all -- to my knowledge -- murdered.

2. The Japanese who defended Manila's Old City to the death,
  taking as many innocent Filipinos with them as they could,
  were rear-echelon Japanese *Navy* personnel.  (The Imperial
  Army was retreating to the hills.)

Supposedly, Yamamoto liked Americans, but he certainly didn't
  look after them when he was alive.

It's not a pretty picture.

Lou Coatney

------------------------------

End of WWII-L Digest - 10 Sep 1994 to 11 Sep 1994
*************************************************