Subject: WWII-L Digest - 13 Jan 1995 to 14 Jan 1995

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 00:02:13 -0500

There are 19 messages totalling 518 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. <No subject given> (2)
  2. 50TH: SMITHSONIAN (2)
  3. INF: USN Chronology 01-14-95
  4. 50TH: A LETTER HOME ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS (3)
  5. INF: 50 Years Ago - 15-JAN-1945
  6. "Barbarossa" (4)
  7. Japanese Military Attempt at Coup
  8. GEN: EXECUTIONS OF US SOLDIERS DURING WWII (3)
  9. TRV: B-29 Auxiliary Power
 10. Flames Over Tokyo

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Date:    Fri, 13 Jan 1995 22:51:22 -0700
From:    Anwar Kassam <[email-masked]>
Subject: <No subject given>

unsubscribe Anwar Kassam

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 03:22:36 -0600
From:    Bill Smith <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: 50TH: SMITHSONIAN

Dupuy and Dupuy, page 1196:
"1945, March 9-10:  The Tokyo Raid.  A night attack by 334 B-29's flying
at about 7,000 feet, initiated the new tactics.  A total of 1,667 tons of
incendiary bombs were dropped in the most destructive single air raid in
history.  Widespread fires created a fire storm similar to those which
had devastated Hamburg, Dresden, and Darmstadt in Germany.  Fifteen
square miles of the city were destroyed; more than 83,000 people were
killed, nearly 100,000 injured."

BTW -- My favorite question put to undergraduates on my old tests:
Which of the following air raids resulted in the most immediate
destruction of property and loss of life:  A) Hiroshima, B) Dresden, C)
Tokyo, D) Nagasaki, E) London

You better believe that question separated the A students from the B/C/D
crowd in a hurry.

I think you can also find support for that quotation in the SBS, as well
as other works such as Wings of Judgment, Rise of American Air Power,
etc.  It just was the one I had handy.

On Fri, 13 Jan 1995, Ben Frank wrote:

> With respect to your statement that the fire bombings were doing more damage
> than the A-bomb, please provide your sources, citations. Ben Frank
>

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 04:00:12 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 01-14-95

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

1945
01/14 Sun.  United States naval vessel lost:
             PT-73, by  rounding, Philippine Islands area,
              13 d. 50'N., 120 d. 10'E.;
              beached and abandoned.
            Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Minelayer YURISHIMA, by submarine COBIA (SS-145), off
              Sumatra,
              05 d. 51'N., 103 d. 16'E.

Information compiled by U.S. Navy Historians.  For more information,
contact the Naval Historical Center at (202) 433-3940.
Archived by: "Larry W. Jewell" <[email-masked]>
Posted by:
Theron P. Keller
Logicon, Inc.
Dahlgren, VA  22448 USA
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 09:49:31 +0100
From:    JOHN AUSLAND <[email-masked]>
Subject: 50TH: A LETTER HOME ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS

  With the 4th Division still relatively inactive in Luxembourg, I had
time to write a letter on various matters to my parents:

          Dear Folks, January 15, 1945, Luxembourg

          Wanted to send you the enclosed newsprint. It's the division
          news bulletin, which comes out every day. In addition to
          this, we receive the Stars and Stripes only a day after it is
          published in Paris. My Time reaches me about eight days
          after printing. Thus, I am pretty well able to keep up on the
          situation.

          Saw a good GI stage show last night. A bunch of men from
          an aviation engineer regiment put it on. I've been seeing
          several movies lately. None particularly good, but who am I
          to be particular?

          The news about the world sounds better than it did this
          time last month. We've got to work on the Bulge, and it
          shouldn't be too long before things are going a bit more our
          way.

          The Burmese campaign seems to be progressing. The Luzon
          landing begins a long, difficult fight there, and no one
          should expect it to go fast. However, we're back where we
          started and much better set in materiel than several years
          ago. General Marshall visited us about four days before the
          Leyte landing and told us a landing was coming up there
          that could cut off many Japanese troops in the Indies, and
          it surely did.

          All goes well. My love to all of you.

          John

          EXCERPT FROM LETTERS HOME: A WAR MEMOIR

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 04:09:18 -0800
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 15-JAN-1945

On 15-JAN-1945, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - In the British 2nd Army sector, units of the 7th Armoured
Division capture Bakenhoven about a mile northwest of Susteren. This is in
preparation for Operation Blackcock, an offensive to clear the German
salient between the Meuse and Roer-Wurm Rivers from Roermond southward. In
the U.S. 1st Army sector, the 2nd Armoured Division takes Achouffe, Mont
and Tavernaux and send patrols to the Ourthe River and into Houffalize,
which the Germans have already vacated. The 3rd Armoured Division takes
Vaux. The 75th Division attacks across the Salm in the early morning and
captures Salmchateau. The 30th Division takes Beaumont, Francheville,
Houvegnez and Pont. In the 3rd Army sector, units of the 11th Armoured
Division capture Compogne and Tastadt. Units of the 6th Armoured Division
fight house-to-house in Oubourcy. Units of the 90th Division meet
unexpectedly strong resistance as it resumes its attack to the northeast.
In the 7th Army sector, the 14th Armoured Division continues its fight for
Rittershoffen and Hatten.

Eastern Front - The Soviet offenisve is extended southward in Poland as the
4th Ukraine Front begins to drive in the Carpathian Mountains from the
vicinity of Sanok, southwest of Cracow. To the north, the 1st Ukraine Front
takes Kielce.

Philippines - In the XIV Corps area, units of the 40th Division begin
probing in the Dasol Bay-Balinao Peninsula area. Other units of the
Division take San Clemente, forcing the Japanese back toward Camiling. In
the I Corps sector, the 6th Division extends its left flank to Cabanbanan.
On Mindoro, units of the 21st Infantry pushing towards Calapan, run tino
Japanese resistance along Gusay Creek.

Camotes - Protected by planes from the 5th Air Force and PT boats, the 7th
Division lands unopposed on the north and south ends of Ponson Island.

South China Sea - TF 38, handicapped by severe weather, launches air
strikes against shipping, airfields and ground installations on Formosa.

Burma - The Chinese 30th Division takes Namhkam, gaining control of the
lower end of the Shweli Valley. In the British XXX Corps area, the Indian
19th Division secures another bridghead across the Irrawaddy, at
Kyaukmyaung.

China - The Japanese launch an offensive for the Suichwan airfields,
driving along the Chaling-Lienhwa road.

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

Sources: "United States Army in World War II, Chronology 1941-1945" compiled
by Mary H. Williams, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of
the Army, "2194 Days of War" by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo Pallavisimi,
"Facts On File Yearbook 1945, Person's Index Of World Events" edited by R.L.
Lapica.

Copyright 1995 by John B Davis, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Previous articles are archived at ftp.webcom.com in directory /pub/jbd/www
and can be accessed via the WWW by URL: http://www.webcom.com/~jbd/ww2.html.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Davis                Cary, North Carolina                 [email-masked]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 04:22:53 -0800
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: 50TH: A LETTER HOME ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS

On Sat, 14 Jan 1995, JOHN AUSLAND wrote:

>   With the 4th Division still relatively inactive in Luxembourg, I had
> time to write a letter on various matters to my parents:
>
>           Dear Folks, January 15, 1945, Luxembourg
>
...
>           The news about the world sounds better than it did this
>           time last month. We've got to work on the Bulge, and it
>           shouldn't be too long before things are going a bit more our
>           way.
>

Hi John -

I'm just curious, at this point in the war (January 1944) -

1) Did you have any idea that the war would be over in Germany within 4
months? How much longer did you think Germany would hold out?

2) Correspondingly, that the war with Japan would end in August?

3) Also, when the war ended in Europe were you expecting to be moved to the
Pacific?

I'm just wondering how optimistic the service man was for an end of the war
in 1945?

Thanks, John Davis  [email-masked]

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 04:27:28 -0800
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: 50TH: A LETTER HOME ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS

On Sat, 14 Jan 1995, John Davis wrote:

>
> I'm just curious, at this point in the war (January 1944) -

Excuse me, I meant that to be January 1945. My hands are still asleep <g>.

>
> 1) Did you have any idea that the war would be over in Germany within 4
> months? How much longer did you think Germany would hold out?
>
> 2) Correspondingly, that the war with Japan would end in August?
>
> 3) Also, when the war ended in Europe were you expecting to be moved to the
> Pacific?
>
> I'm just wondering how optimistic the service man was for an end of the war
> in 1945?
>
> Thanks, John Davis  [email-masked]
>
>

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 08:57:00 -0600
From:    Joseph Alexander Kutch Jr <[email-masked]>
Subject: "Barbarossa"

To all:

For whatever reason, the Nazi invasion of the USSR began on 22 June 1941.
One year earlier, the invasion of France and the low countries began on
10 May 1940.  The latter date seems to have taken into account a desire,
on the Germans part, to begin operations at the first opportunity for
good fighting weather.  I have no doubt that "Barbarossa" was concieved
with a similar early May genesis--the June start having occurred as a
result of events in south central Europe.

My question is this: would the extra six weeks afforded by an early May
start date have made any difference?  It is known that the Germans were
slowed and eventually halted outside Moscow just as the famed Russian
winter set in.  Could Hitler have taken Moscow given six extra weeks of
good weather?

Would the capture of Moscow meant anything in this struggle or would
Stalin have effectively continued the war from some base behind the Urals?
The capture of Paris seemed to spell the doom for France.  What about
the Russians after losing Moscow?

I look forward to your commentary on this matter.

J. Alexander Kutch, Jr.
History Department
Webster Intermediate, Webster TX
[email-masked]

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 10:06:12 -0600
From:    Brian Begy <[email-masked]>
Subject: <No subject given>

unsubscribe Brian Begy
Brian Begy
1163 East 54th Street #1
Chicago, IL 60615
312.752.1617
Fax c/o
Center for Middle East Studies
312.702.2587
University of Chicago
"Where fun comes to die."

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 23:31:31 +0700
From:    "Peter E. Beal" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: "Barbarossa"

1.      The French were beaten at the end of the first campaign (which
ended with Dunkirk).  I am sure any thoughtful French military leader
would have admitted as such.  The capture of Paris just confirmed what
they already knew.

2.      I believe that the Russians would have retreated to a new line
east of Moscow (the government had already moved to Kuibhyshev) and
fought on.  Crippled by the loss of the industrial base of Moscow,
(effectively) Leningrad and in the Ukraine, this resistance would have
continued at a low level for years bolstered by aid from the UK and,
indirectly, the U.S.  The German Army would have gone into winter
quarters and try to seal off the front with minimum forces but it would
have been a running sore.

A plausible scenario?

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 10:56:13 -0600
From:    Mark Parillo <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Japanese Military Attempt at Coup

   E. Bruce Reynolds has kindly pointed out to me an error in information
I previously posted. The Japanese soldier captured on Guam was captured
in 1972, *not* 1976 as I had reported. I was working from memory (seldom
a good idea in my case), and checking confirmed the mistake. The
soldier's name was Yokoi, who was a tailor by trade and a loner by
nature. Unlike Onoda, who carried on with what he believed to be his duty,
Yokoi simply lived a solitary life in a hole he dug for himself, within
sight of some houses and within earshot of other people. He learned in
1952 that the war had ended but chose to live as a hermit, resisting his
capture in 1972. (Source: Asahi Shimbun Correspondents, _28 Years in the
Guam Jungle: Sergeant Yokoi Home from World War II_ (1972).

   My thanks to Bruce Reynolds for the correction, and my apologies to the
group for the error.

     - Mark Parillo
       Department of History
       Kansas State University

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 11:45:41 -0800
From:    Sidney Allinson <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: GEN: EXECUTIONS OF US SOLDIERS DURING WWII

The most detailed account I know of is in:

        THE EXECUTION OF PRIVATE SLOVIK,
                by William Bradford Huie.

Sidney.

(response to John Ausland)

--

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 11:53:43 -0800
From:    Sidney Allinson <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: GEN: EXECUTIONS OF US SOLDIERS DURING WWII

John Ausland...

        Details of American soldiers executed in Europe during WW2
and their trials,are in:

                THE (US) JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL
                        WITH THE
                EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS

A good precis of several such cases is in:
                AFTER THE BATTLE, Number 85.
\
Regards -- Sidney Allinson.

--

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 12:00:31 -0800
From:    Sidney Allinson <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: GEN: EXECUTIONS OF US SOLDIERS DURING WWII

John Ausland...

        The only case I know of an American soldier being executed in
the Far East, was that of Private Edward J. Leonski.  In Australia.
        Leonski was tried, convicted, and hanged for strngling three
Australian women in Melbourne, during 1942.

Sidney.

--

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 16:35:00 EST
From:    Chuck McCormick <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: "Barbarossa"

Kutch wrote:

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: "Barbarossa"
Author:  [email-masked] at [email-masked]
Date:    1/14/95 8:57 AM

To all:

For whatever reason, the Nazi invasion of the USSR began on 22 June 1941.
One year earlier, the invasion of France and the low countries began on
10 May 1940.  The latter date seems to have taken into account a desire,
on the Germans part, to begin operations at the first opportunity for
good fighting weather.  I have no doubt that "Barbarossa" was concieved
with a similar early May genesis--the June start having occurred as a
result of events in south central Europe.

My question is this: would the extra six weeks afforded by an early May
start date have made any difference?  It is known that the Germans were
slowed and eventually halted outside Moscow just as the famed Russian
winter set in.  Could Hitler have taken Moscow given six extra weeks of
good weather?

Would the capture of Moscow meant anything in this struggle or would
Stalin have effectively continued the war from some base behind the Urals?
The capture of Paris seemed to spell the doom for France.  What about
the Russians after losing Moscow?

I look forward to your commentary on this matter.

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

There is an excellent book by Nofti called "Hitler's Panzers East".  He
argues that the June 22 start date was sufficent to capture what he
constantly refers to as the "Moscow-Gorki Strategic Space".  The book
is revisionist in nature in that he argues that conventional wisdom about
Barbarossa is wrong and that the major cause of the failure to capture
Moscow was Hitler's meddling with the army's advance.  I still do not
completely understand why the "Moscow-Gorki" space is so important.
The Soviets were able to transport a lot of factories wholesale to
the Urals region--why not the factories in the Moscow-Gorki space?  I
also understand that rail lines in Russia converge in Moscow but I suspect
that losing that rail hub does not end the war either.  Any good
explanations out there?

Chuck
chuckm at arec.umd.edu

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 16:54:46 -0500
From:    Burt Knight <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: TRV: B-29 Auxiliary Power

If no one else knows, I'll have the answer by Monday. My father was a B-29
technician, working on Fire Control systems, for much of the war.

Janes says nothing about an auxiliary engine and none of the books on the plane
say anything. Another option would be to contact Emil Mori, Crew chief of FiFi,
the Confederate Air Force's B-29, though Emil spent hours asking my father
questions about technical specs on the plane.

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 17:29:48 -0500
From:    Ben Frank <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: 50TH: SMITHSONIAN

Thanks for the sources, Bill. Ben Frank

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 17:53:16 -0500
From:    Thoams Wildenberg <[email-masked]>
Subject: Flames Over Tokyo

To Ben Frank, Bill Smith et al:

I don't know if anyone mentioned the it, but the best source on the USAF's
Fire Bombing Raids on Tokyo is:

        Flames Over Tokyo: The U.S. Army Air Force's Incendary
        Campaign Against Japan, 1944-1945
        by Bartlett Kerr
        New York: D.I. Fine, 1991

Its a MUST reading for anyone who wants to know:

        A) Why we had to drop the A-Bomb on Hirosima

        B) The myth about pin-point strategic bombing

Tom Wildenberg

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

Date:    Sat, 14 Jan 1995 20:43:52 -0600
From:    "George Q. Flynn" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: "Barbarossa"

I recall reading several years ago that the spring weather that year was
so wet that the rivers and land of the invasion route were impossible.
In other words, even if the move into the Balkans had not taken place,
it seems unlikely that Barbarossa could have been launched much earlier.
The sources for this escapes me now, but I will try to check it out.

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

End of WWII-L Digest - 13 Jan 1995 to 14 Jan 1995
*************************************************