May 1942 (3)

Japanese Boys Festival

5 May – In Japan, the towns and villages held parades of brightly colored carp banners and painted kites to celebrate the annual “Boys Festival” and the nations military victories. It was also the day then the Imperial Headquarters in Tokyo chose to issue Navy Order No. 18 which specified the details of Yamamoto’s complex Operation MI [Midway].  This directive would ultimately turn the tide of the Japanese Blitzkrieg.

Here’s a traditional song for Tango no Sekku called Koinoburi or Carp Windsocks…

Koinobori
(Japanese Transliteration)

Yane yori takai koinobori.
Okii magoi wa otoosan.
Chisai higoi wa kodomotachi.
Omoshiro soni oyideru.

Carp Windsocks
(English)

Carp windsocks are above the roof.
The biggest carp is the father,
The smaller carp are children,
They’re enjoying swimming in the sky.

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Dutch Harbor, Alaska was Yamamoto’s AL Operation [not to be confused with the AL Plan of 1941], for 2,000 Japanese troops to raid the American bases in the Aleutians on designated N-Day and the AF section to hold synchronized movements on Midway at the beginning of June.  Six separate forces to sail across the Pacific with the mission to separate the United States from Australia and draw the US Naval Fleet out of Pearl Harbor for a showdown.

Admirals Spruance, King, Nimitz & General Jarman

18 May – When Admiral King was turned down for reinforcements to be sent to the Pacific, he humbled himself to go begging to the British in a cable that read: “WILL ADMIRALTY ENTERTAIN REQUEST FOR CARRIER FROM EASTERN FLEET TO JOIN UP WITH LEARY TEMPORARILY, IF SO, MOVE MUST BE MADE AT ONCE.”  This was a true measure of the dire Pacific crisis.  The fact that the Admiralty refused him was something he never forgave them for.  Churchill would later regret his mistake.

Since Adm. Nimitz’s visit to Midway in the beginning of the month, so many reinforcements and matériel had been flown to the Marine 6th Defense Battalion that they joked about the atoll sinking under the weight: 23 Navy PBY seaplanes; 27 Marine fighters; 16 dive bombers; 17 torpedo bombers.  From the Army: 4 B-26 Marauders and 17 B-17 Flying Superfortresses; as well as 17 submarines dispatched as Task Force 7 to patrol the coastline.

Admiral Theobald

21 May – Admiral Robert Theobald and his 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 4 destroyers left Pearl for the Aleutian Islands to face the enemy and their Operation AL.  The admiral was well aware of the fact that his fleet was no match for the Japanese.  At the same time, CINCPAC arranged for the seaplane tender, Tangier, (used as a portable seaplane base), at Efate Island and the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City, in Australian waters northwest of New Zealand, to break their radio silence and release false transmissions – hoping to deceive the Japanese into believing Halseys’s force was still in the SW Pacific.

22 May – As US intelligence deciphered the specific details of the Japanese operations for Midway and Alaska, Adm. Nimitz divided his forces to confront Adm. Nagumo’s Japanese Carrier Striking Force.  Task Force 16 would have the carriers Hornet and Enterprise and Task Force 17 with the Yorktown.

Potrero del Llano

Also on this date, the Mexican government declared war on the Axis powers after German vessels attacked their tankers, Potrero del Llano and the Faja de Oro, enroute to the US with crude oil.  Potrero del Llano was hit by the German submarine, U-564.

German submarine – U-564 resuppling in the Caribbean, 1942

26 May – When Halsey returned to Pearl with the damaged Yorktown and reported to Nimitz, it was obvious that the “Bull” was suffering from exhaustion.  He recommended RAdmiral Raymond Spruance to be his replacement for the forthcoming operations.  The Yorktown took only 4 days to repair and on the 30th of May, her aircraft began boarding.

Commonwealth CA-12 Boomerang

29 May – Australia’s first home-produced wartime aircraft, the Commonwealth CA-12 Boomerang, made its first flight.  Despite being designed in only 5 months, the plane would prove to be tough a maneuverable fighter.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – 

Looks like the men were adjusting to their new surroundings?

Even if this is a booby trap, can you think of a better way to die?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Postcards are courtesy of Chris, over at – Musclehead  a great place to visit!!

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Farewell Salutes – 

Darlynn ‘Andy’ Andrews – Ocala, FL; US Army, Vietnam, Bronze Star

Ernie Banks – Chicago, IL; US Army, MLB player

Joseph Darr, MD – Los Angeles, CA; US Army, Lt.Col. (Ret.), T-28 “Wings of Gold” 3rd Army Special Service Medical Corps, surgeon, 101st A/B Div.

Leland Fuller – Brooklyn, NY; US Coast Guard, WWII, Petty Officer 2nd Class, carpenter’s mate/ USCG Band

Loren Harbert – Canon City, CO; US Army (Ret.), Vietnam, Bronze Star

William Jones – Oklahoma City, OK; US Navy, Korea

Lawrence McManua – Moosejaw, CAN; RC Navy, HMCS Magnificent

Leonard Quintin – St.Alban’s, VT; US Army, WWII & Korea

Robert Rogers – Seattle, WA; US Army, Medical Corps (Ret. 24 years), Korea

G. Ellen Taylor – Midland, MI; US Army WACS, WWII

Anthony Yorio – Corning, NY; US Army, WWII

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