Subject: WWII-L Digest - 25 Mar 1995 to 26 Mar 1995

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 00:01:47 -0500

There are 12 messages totalling 476 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. MEDIA: Official German Statement on WWII
  2. Raid on Cabanatuan - #2
  3. INF: USN Chronology 03-26-95
  4. Dudley Morton (2)
  5. Dudley Morton redux
  6. Questions for Jim A., (2)
  7. INF: 50 Years Ago - 26-MAR-1945
  8. Raid on Cabanatuan Installment 3
  9. THUNDERBOLT
 10. SHIPS: Sea Otter

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Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 02:14:18 -0600
From:    "Robert J. Granvin" <[email-masked]>
Subject: MEDIA: Official German Statement on WWII

Well, OK.  I admit that this article is just a LITTLE bit dated as it came
from the Minneapolis Star Journal dated THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1941.

I found it interesting for the archives, though not intended to start any
discussions.  I'm sure others have the complete article (I didn't have the
full paper available to me).  If someone has the full article, especially
if it's online, I'd love to see it.

Front Page (capitalizations, etc. as printed in the article):

--GERMANY AND ITALY--

HITLER CHARGES AMERICA "ATTACKED" JAPAN, SAYS GERMANY AND ITALY ARE "FORCED"
TO HONOR AXIS PACT

By Associated Press

     Germany and Italy declared war against the United States today.

     After nearly one hour of speechmaking before his reichstag sounding
board, in which he pictured Germany as invincible and at the same time
victim of "war plotters" in the United States, Britain and Russia, Nazi
Dictator Adolf Hitler announced the war declaration.

     Hitler told his cheering audience in Berlin's Kroll opera house that
Germany and Italy were honoring the three-power pact with Japan on the
grounds, AS THE AXIS PUTS IT, that the United States had attacked Japan.

     "Italy and Germany are forced in agreement with the stipulation of
the tri-partite pact, to associate themselves with Japan," Hitler said.
The declaration of war concluded his speech.

     *  *  *

     Hitler declared President Roosevelt had practiced "instigation" with
other countries and now with Japan.

     "I think all of you have heard with eagerness that at last one state,
a first class power, has risen against this violation of the rules of
decency.

     "Not only Germany but all the decent people in Europe are DEEPLY
SATISFIED WITH THIS JAPANESE CHALLENGE AGAINST THIS AMERICAN POWER."

     "Hitler announced at the same time that Japan, Germany and Italy had
concluded a supplementary military agreement "in their unshakable
determination not to lay down arms before the war against Britain and the
United States has come to a successful conclusion."

     *  *  *

     The three-power agreement, he said, provided:

     "ARTICLE ONE:  Japan, Germany and Italy shall prosecute the war forced
on them by the United States of America and the British empire with all the
forceful means at their command until it ends in their victory.

     "ARTICLE TWO:  Japan, Germany and Italy pledge that without complete
understanding between themselves they will not conclude an armistice or
peace with the United States of America or the British empire.

     "ARTICLE THREE:  Japan, Italy and Germany, after the victorious end of
the war, will co-operate most closely ........

[At this point, the article goes to another page which is long since gone.
Unfortunately, other than the amusing twist of facts only 4 days after Pearl
Harbor, this is where the article starts to get more interesting... Early
statements on the war as a whole and the plans for the conclusion of it.
Would be very interesting to see again what those major issues were...]

--
Robert J. Granvin
Southern Minnesota Wing Confederate Air Force

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 02:40:46 -0800
From:    James Wilson <[email-masked]>
Subject: Raid on Cabanatuan - #2

INSTALLMENT TWO IN A SERIES

Raid on Cabanatuan
a scenario of the published book
"Raid on Cabanatuan"
by Forrest Bryant Johnson
(C) 1988 A Thousand Autumns Press
all rights reserved
REPRODUCED ELECTRONICALLY WITH PERMISSION
3/26/95

First of April, 1942.  Summer on Luzon Island, the Philippines.
---------------------------------------------------------------
General Douglas MacArthur's United States Forces Far East (USAFFE)
have stubbornly held part of the Bataan peninsula and the tiny island
fortress of Corregidor from the invading Imperial Army of Japan for four
months.

No help is coming from America. We are now involved in a World War
and will turn our backs on our troops in the Philippines. Short of
ammunition, long out of food and medicines, and racked with malaria,
these American and Filipino soldiers know their surrender is near.

--- TO BE CONTINUED ---

(For info on obtaining a copy of the Book and/or scenario, E-Mail:
JimWilson :  [email-masked])

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 04:00:18 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 03-26-95

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

1945
03/26 Mon. Army forces are landed on Kerama Retto, Ryukyu Islands, by
           naval attack group (Rear Adm. I. N. Kiland) under cover of
           naval bombardment and carrier aircraft attack.
           Army forces are landed at Talisay Point, Cebu, P. I., by
           naval attack group (Capt. A. T. Sprague) under cover of
           cruiser and destroyer gunfire and air attack.
            United States naval vessel sunk:
             Destroyer HALLIGAN (DD-584), by mine, Okinawa area,
              26 d. 10'N., 127 d. 30'E.
            United States naval vessels damaged:
             Battleship NEVADA (BB-36), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 20'N., 127 d. 18'E.
             Light cruiser BILOXI (CL-80), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 20'N., 127 d. 18'E,
             Destroyer MURRAY (DD-576), by dive bomber,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 20'N., 129 d. 46'E.
             Destroyer PORTERFIELD (DD-682), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 20'N., 127 d. 18'E,
             Destroyer O'BRIEN (DD-725), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 16'N., 127 d. 26'E.
             Destroyer CALLAGHAN (DD-792), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 20'N., 127 d. 43'E.
             Destroyer escort FOREMAN (DE-633), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 20'N., 127 d. 18'E.
             High-speed minesweeper DORSEY (DMS-1), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 20'N., 127 d. 18'E.
             Minelayer SKIRMISH (AM-303), by suicide plane,
              Okinawa area,
              26 d. 25'N., 127 d. 05'E.
             Submarine chaser PC-1133, by grounding,
              Philippine Islands area,
              10 d. 13'N., 123 d. 51'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:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 10:26:57 -0600
From:    "Roddy R. Rupert" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Dudley Morton

On Thu, 23 Mar 1995, John Riegsecker wrote:

> I would think that using the term "nightmarish minutes" would indicate it
> distrurbed Grider some.

John:

I didn't attached any particular significance to the phrase
"nightmarish minutes" for two reasons:

     1. I suspect there are many minutes in every engagement, in every
        battle, of every war, that can be described as 'nightmarish'.

     2. It was a different event that made a lasting impression on
        George Grider. The following quote is from his book 'War Fish':

        "But there was one incident on the sixth war patrol of
the Flasher that I will never forget. We sighted a rather large sampan
and attacked it by gunfire, setting in afire within sight of land, and
after it appeared that all the crew had abandoned her, we went alongside
to finish the job with a hand grenade. Tom McCants went up on the bow of
the Flasher with the grenade, we put the bow almost against the small
burning vessel, and he tossed the grenade aboard, hoping it would go down
in the hold and knock a hole in the bottom.
        When the explosion occurred, a man jumped up out of the
stern. He had been hidden behind the gunwales, a tattered figure with
blood on him, and as he went over the side and splashed into the water,
he looked at me where I was standing on the bridge. He looked at me,
George Grider, and in that brief moment the war was an intolerably
personal thing. I threw off the sensation soon enough, but it sank into
the recess of my mind, and although it took a while to blossom, it is
full grown now. Many a night I think of that poor man, who probably
wasn't even a Japanese, who perhaps wasn't a combatant at all, whose
sampan was doubtless his only livelihood. We had destroyed it, and in so
doing had destroyed him and his friends. He had said it all to me, and
had given me my deepest scar of the entire war, in that one flashing glance."

> I don't understand why we are so uncomfortable with the fact that
> an American could commit a war crime.

I am interested in learning the facts. Whatever the facts show, so be it.

I've beat this subject enough and will revert to a 'lurking on the list'
mode on this issue. I'll continue to try and get a copy of the patrol
report to read what Dudley Morton said about himself and his actions.

-------------------------------------------
Rod Rupert    [email-masked]
Springfield, MO

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 10:44:03 -0600
From:    "Roddy R. Rupert" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Dudley Morton redux

On Thu, 23 Mar 1995, Carlos R Rivera wrote:

> I recall that only one
> person, Lt. William Calley, was convicted of the My Lai operation in 1968.  My
> memory fails me, but several members of his unit took part in the shooting of
> civilians.  I can't recall if they claimed they were under orders, but none
> were convicted, if they were tried at all.  So one wonders if the Morton crew
> would be liable for such acts.

Carlos:

The crew was obviously ordered to fire on the boats. I was referring to
"I was just following orders" not being a defense. I agree that it is
unlikely that crew members would have been charged even if formal charges
were brought against Dudley Morton.

------------------------------------------------
Rod Rupert   [email-masked]
Springfield, MO

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

Date:    Sat, 25 Mar 1995 06:58:00 -0500
From:    Frank Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Questions for Jim A.,

 WWID> WID> On Thu, 23 Mar 1995, Louis R. Coatney wrote:

 WWID> P.S.  To my surprise, there are several AJA men who got stuck in Japan

"AJA"???

 WWID> after the surprise raid at Pearl Harbor and had to serve with the IJN.

"IJN"???

 WWID> P.S.  Trivia:  Which former Axis country built a shrine in remeberance
 WWID> to their military dead and to the American KIA?   This shrine holds the
 WWID> names of every American service person killed-in-action.

I'll bet that they don't use the term "service PERSON [emphasis
mine]" ... heh heh heh ...

... Have you read "Unemployed" by Anita Job?
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 13:02:14 -1000
From:    Jim Adams <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Questions for Jim A.,

On Sat, 25 Mar 1995, Frank Scheidt wrote:

snip and snip and snip
> "AJA"???

Americans of Japanese Ancestory
> "IJN"???

Imperial Japanese Navy
>
>
>
> ... Have you read "Unemployed" by Anita Job?
> ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
>

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 18:51:09 EST
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 26-MAR-1945

On 26-MAR-1945, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - In the U.S. 9th Army sector, the offensive of the XVI Corps
continues, with gains of 2-3 miles per day. In the 3rd Army sector, the 6th
Armoured Division reaches the south bank of the river Main near Franfurt
and prepares to enter the city. In the 7th Army sector, the XV Corps crosses
the Rhine near Hamm and also Worms.

Eastern Front - The 3rd White Russian Front completes mopping up in East
Prussia. The 2nd White Russian front continues the fight for Danzig and
Gdynia.  In Czechoslavakia, the 2nd Ukraine Front takes Banska Bystrica.
Continuing west from Hungary towards Austria, the 3rd Ukraine Front takes
Papa and Devecser.

Philippines - In the 8th Army sector, the Americal Division lands on Cebu
near Talisay. Japanese opposition consists of scattered fire.

Iwo Jima - The Japanese make a final attack on Iwo in the early morning.
200 or more attempt to infiltrate a bivouac acrea and at least 196 are
killed. This ends the campaign on Iwo Jima.

Ryukyu Islands - Preliminary landings by the 77th Division occur on the
Kerama Islands group to secure a seaplane base and fleet ancohorage in
preparation for the main invasion of Okinawa. Air and long-range naval
gunfire bombardment of Okinawa continues.

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

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                           |                      [email-masked]
Cary, North Carolina                 |            http://www.webcom.com/~jbd/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 16:35:30 -0800
From:    James Wilson <[email-masked]>
Subject: Raid on Cabanatuan Installment 3

INSTALLMENT THREE IN A SERIES

Raid on Cabanatuan
a scenario of the published book
"Raid on Cabanatuan"
by Forrest Bryant Johnson
(C) 1988 A Thousand Autumns Press
all rights reserved
REPRODUCED ELECTRONICALLY WITH PERMISSION
3/26/95

April 9, 1942.
--------------
Bataan has surrendered! The Japanese plan to march their "captives" to
the first POW camp, O'Donnell. They son discover that they have over
75,000 POW's, not 36,000 as expected. A brutal, unorganized
extermination begins along the march route. The eighty-five mile "Bataan
Death March" to POW camp O'Donnell leaves thousands of Allied soldiers
dead.  After arriving at Camp O'Donnell, five hundred Allied soldiers a
day will die of disease and starvation.

Not far away, at Cabanatuan City, Lieutenant Juan Pajota, a Filipino
member of USAFFE who escaped Bataan, organizes a guerrilla unit composed
of old army buddies who also avoided capture. Pajota links up with an
American Officer, Major Bob Lapham, who promotes the lieutenant to
Captain.

Lapham, a slim blonde man of 27,  resembles Alan Ladd.

They discuss plans to unify their guerrilla units into an effective
fighting force even though they have only a few weapons. Ambushes on
small Japanese units produce more guns and supplies.

--- TO BE CONTINUED ---
(For info on obtaining a copy of the Book and/or scenario, E-Mail:
JimWilson :  [email-masked])

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 17:43:37 -0800
From:    John Riegsecker <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Dudley Morton

>From:         "Roddy R. Rupert" <[email-masked]>
>Subject:      Re: Dudley Morton

[...]

>I've beat this subject enough and will revert to a 'lurking on the list'
>mode on this issue. I'll continue to try and get a copy of the patrol
>report to read what Dudley Morton said about himself and his actions.

If you do, would you post the relevant parts?  I agree it would be best
to let Morton speak for himself.

John Riegsecker
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
University of Puget Sound

[email-masked]

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 21:30:35 -0500
From:    "Paul C. Perkins, M.D." <[email-masked]>
Subject: THUNDERBOLT

Well, it's official. I'm tasked with doing a manuscript for a P-47 photo
book. I'm looking for good sources of the design and development of the P-47.
Also - I'd like (LOVE) to talk with anyone who flew, operated, maintained, or
built any of these big birds.

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

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 23:05:23 -0500
From:    Jodi Berls <[email-masked]>
Subject: SHIPS: Sea Otter

Local lore in the Galveston, Texas, area has it that a hull still visible at
low tide is the wreck of the *Sea Otter*, an unusual design for a
 concrete-hulled liberty ship that had propeller shafts extending vertically
through the hull and then turning at a 90-degree angle. The idea was for the
propeller shafts to be lifted up onto the deck of the ship (beats me how this
would work), which was intended to have a very shallow draft, so that
torpedoes would pass harmlessly underneath.

The local legend says that she was constructed by Brown Shipbuilders (later
to become Brown & Root Inc.), and so likely would have been launched
somewhere along the Gulf Coast (Orange, Texas?). This may or may not be true.

Apparently the idea didn't work out very well, and I think only the prototype
was built. Morison, in his Vol. I, describes the *Sea Otter* and calls her
"dangerously crank." But he never says what happened to her.

Does anybody know if/when/where the *Sea Otter* went down? Any information
would be appreciated.

Jodi Berls
[email-masked]

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

End of WWII-L Digest - 25 Mar 1995 to 26 Mar 1995
*************************************************