January 1944 (3)
22-26 January – the fresh men of the Australian 15th and 18th Brigades captured Kankiryo Saddle on the western tip of the New Guinea Finesterre Range. This important enemy position placed the men only 20 miles from the coast.
8-31 January – a US Navy communiqué reported that American submarines had sunk 10 Japanese vessels, including an oil tanker on the 8th alone. The enemy cruiser IJN Kuma was sunk by the British sub, HMS Tally Ho on the 11th, in Solomon Island waters. And the US Marines were continuing to battle the enemy on Bougainville.
Click on images to enlarge.
31 January – Operation Flintlock, a well-planned and very large action started off with shells from the battleships and aircraft from Tarawa and Makin. They knocked out the airstrips on Jaluit and Mili. Adm. Spruance’s 4 carrier groups hit Wotje and Maloelap.
The leadership of this huge operation: Adm. K. Turner had the overall command of the amphibious operation; MGen. C. Corbett led the Kwajalein Southern Force; RAdm. R. Conolly commanded the Northern Force of the newly formed 4th Marine Division for the twin islets of Roi-Namur; Adm. Hill led the assault on Majuro Atoll with one Battalion of the US Army 27th Division, 2 Marine battalions and one regular Corps and then on to Eniwetok.
Adm. Mitscher’s Task Force 58 included 12 carriers, 8 fast battleships, 6 cruisers and 36 destroyers. They had sailed from Pearl Harbor on the 22nd to meet and destroy any Japanese vessel that dared to leave Truk in defense.
Adm. Spruance had overall command of the 5th Fleet (“The Big Blue Fleet), with 375 ships at his disposal, 700 carrier-based and 475 land-based aircraft. His mission was to get 53,000 assault troops on shore at 3 islands that were separated by over 300 miles of open Pacific.
At 0950 hours, Adm. Hill signally that Majro Atoll was secure. Kwajalein, after 3 days of bombing, one sailor said, “…it looked as if it had been picked up 20,000 feet and then dropped.” But 5,000 fanatical Japanese troops survived and this would cause casualties to the 4th Marine Division, despite the enemy’s lack of organization.
More on these battles in February 1944.
9-30 January – in the CBI, the British 14th Army took the port of Maungdaw on the Bay of Bengal. Although, despite their success, the troops were left exposed on their left flank. The Japanese just happened to be amassing right there.
Stilwell’s Chinese troops continued to advance and by the end of the month, the Chinese 22 Division had captured Taro, Burma.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Japanese Propaganda – used in attempts to demoralize the Australian troops and divide the Allies
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Farewell Salutes –
Edwin ‘Bud’ Bosshart – Silverton, OR; US Navy, WWII, PTO, SeaBee
Johnny Cambell – Hutto, TX; Korea, 187th RCT
Joseph Druke – Buffalo, NY; US Army, Korea
John Goble – Brighton, AUS; RA Navy (Ret. 51 yrs.), WWII, PTO & ETO, Commodore
Michael Korenko – Mentor, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, CBI
Donald Marks, Boca Raton, FL; US Army, WWII
Michael Monsoor – Long Beach, CA; US Navy SEAL, Iraq, Petty Officer, KIA, Medal of Honor
Frank Petersen Jr. – Topeka, KS; USMC, Korea, Vietnam, Lt.General (Ret. 38 yrs.), pilot
John Tasso Sr. – Saugus, MA; US Navy, WWII
Frederick Walker Jr. – Decatur, GA; US Army, WWII, ETO, 3rd Army antiaircraft
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Posted on June 20, 2016, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged 1940's, family history, History, Military, Military History, New Guinea, USA, veterans, war, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 52 Comments.
Great post gp, incredible to imagine the composition of the 5th Fleet,
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I know my eyes would bug out of my head if I saw them sailing toward me as the enemy !!!!
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Another great post and I found the propaganda posters fascinating…
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I thought it might go over well. Japan hit the old propaganda trail like every other country did!
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You are always spot-on with your facts and your ability to weave everything together makes for an interesting and entertaining read [even if that read can be painful at times. Thank you for being a lasting history book for not only our younger generation but for those reading and sharing today and the students reading 50 years from now.
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You flatter me, Sheri. What you have done, both in life and on-line is immeasurable! Thank you for your support; I just know my sudden influx of new followers must due to something you’ve done lately!!
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Face it, when you’re good, you’re good.
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Thank you, my friend.
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Reblogged this on KCJones.
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I appreciate your close attention to my site and your respect for that generation, Penny.
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i don’t know a seaplane is so big.
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A lot of people say that, Mary Lou. And many don’t realize how versatile they are. Perhaps I should do another post on PBY Catalina’s or reblog one?
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Thany you Freund liebe Grüße Gislinde
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Commodore Goble commanded the HMAS Vampire, the last of what we call our big gun ships; (they relied on guns not the rockets like todays ships) and is the only ship of that type kept as a memorial at the Australian National Maritime Museum, here in Sydney.
He was a pilot in our Fleet Air Arm this link has a photo taken of a Lt Cmdr as he then was in 1949 ‘working up ‘ on HMAS Sydney
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P03993.004
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I did read his biography and where I usually list the ship a Navy man was on, Cmdr. Goble impressively commanded too many to list. I’m glad you’ve added this information here.
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The Japanese propaganda was quite interesting, G. –Curt
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Something different for a change anyway.
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I found it interesting, G, in what the Japanese thought would work. They could hardly take a poll…
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So true, Curt.
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Another interesting post, Everett. I also haven’t seen those propaganda posters!
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That’s not so bad, Kathy, many people had no idea that Australia did so much in the Pacific!! The Japanese used propaganda, just like every other country.
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I am seeing that and it’s good to learn!
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🙂
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Terrific.
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Thanks.
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Great post! Fascinating to read. But I especially love the pictures from my artistic point of view – hope you don´t mind? Wish you a wonderful day!
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Why would I mind? All this is way before your time and we all look at things differently. Thanks for stopping in.
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Thank you! 🙂
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That seaplane picture is gripping. I can’t believe it’s all in one piece.
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I think it kind of surprises people to discover just how much the seaplane was used for; versatile and durable.
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A piece of history
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Thank you, Mary Lou.
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There can’t have been many places worse than New Guinea to be a soldier. I love that flying boat, it looks almost like a downed dinosaur in a science fiction film.
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It was an island forgotten in time, but the war woke them up. I think that is actually a shame. I wondered just how long those men stood looking at that dinosaur.
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This blog is such a treasure trove for those years. Wonderful work.
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Thank you so much, Adrian!!
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I love the post and the propaganda pix. I think that was a clever strategy of the Japanese, to try to pit the Australians against the Americans. But apparently it fell flat.
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There was rivalry going on, but nothing the Japanese started! It would have been a catastrophe if it had worked, eh?
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Oh yeah, just what we needed at the time, war with Australia also.
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A war wouldn’t have broken out, but if taken seriously, they might have pulled their support – which may have been just as bad.
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Interesting article! The photo of the 5th Fleet presents an intimidating sight.
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And that’s only part of the fleet in the picture! Could you imagine being the enewmy and seeing that coming at you? Phew!!
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I find the information about Stillwells “Chinese” Guerilla Troops fascinating! I am planning on diving into a bio about Stillwell and all the early work that was done regarding Guerilla Warfare in the Pacific Theater of WW2.
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Sounds very interesting. You’ll have to tell me about it when you finish. I just bought 3 more books myself, so I’m a bit full up at the moment.
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Operation Flintlock was massive indeed, GP.
As for the Japanese propaganda, I believe that most found it amusing, rather than upsetting. Listening to ‘Tokyo Rose’ on the radio was very popular, despite her ‘message.’
Best wishes, Pete.
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Very true, Pete. But being that the two culture did not understand each other, what we found humorous was not to them and visa versa. Glad you liked the post.
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Another great history course GP.
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Thanks, Pierre, that means a lot.
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Excellent work GP, fantastic post. I hadn’t seen those propaganda posters before – pretty amusing. The idea of our continent being carried off while the boys were away was clearly a popular one.
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The enemy seemed to think it would work! haha Thanks for the compliment.
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Thank you very much for including me on your list.
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