June 1944 (1)
1-3 June – on the first of the month, the 7th Indian division overran the Japanese positions in Naga Village, Burma. The USS Herring, a Gato-class submarine was shelled and sunk off Matsuma, Kuril Islands, by Japanese shore-based artillery with the loss of all 60-man crew. The 5th Brigade accomplished outflanking the enemy around Aradura.
5 June – the first mission by B-29 Superfortress bombers occur as 77 of them hit the Japanese railway facilities in [what today is known as] Bangkok, Thailand.
6-8 June – 2 US light carriers were damaged after a Japanese air attacks in the waters off Biak Island. Despite the lack of reinforcements for the enemy, the island would take 8 more weeks to be subdued.
Finding the air now free of enemy planes, American B-25’s dived to the attack, reporting the convoy as 2 light cruisers and 4 destroyers. Initially, it was claimed that 1 destroyer was sunk, 2 were left sinking, and the fourth was damaged. A few days later, destruction was reassessed as 4 destroyers sunk and 2 light cruisers chased to the northwest. These claims were exaggerated.
One destroyer, the IJN Harusame, was holed by a near miss and sank rapidly, the bulk of its crew being saved. Another destroyer was damaged by a bomb and took some water; two others were slightly damaged by strafing. Neither speed nor navigation was impeded for any of the three. The two light cruisers reported by the Allied planes were, of course, the other two destroyers. These two might have taken some evasive action by heading northwest for a short time, but as soon as the Harusame crew had been rescued and the Allied planes had disappeared, the convoy reformed and continued on toward Biak.
On the 8th alone, the submarine, USS Tang sank IJN ships, Tainan Maru, Tamahoko Maru, Kennichi Maru, and the Nasuasan Maru. This was a good day, but such sinkings were becoming quite common. The American subs were taking a grievous toll on the enemy’s merchant and military shipping. [ U. S. submarines sank 468 Japanese ships during the first 11 months of 1944, according to Navy Department communiqués. This total includes four light cruisers and 17 destroyers. Forty‑three tankers, 377 cargo ships and transports were sent to the bottom.]
9-11 June – the Japanese bases at Fangelawa Bay, New Ireland, was bombarded by Pacific Fleet destroyers. Carrier aircraft from TF-58 struck the enemy air-power on Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Pagan and Guam in the Marianas. Installations, defense positions and parked planes were bombed and strafed. Approximately 150 [up to 200 in other resources] Japanese aircraft were destroyed, with an Allied loss of 11. On Bougainville, P-39’s of the 13th Air Force flew 44 sorties against occupied areas at Komai, Kakaura, and Quaga, AA guns at Kangu Hill and plantations at Arigua and Tsirogei. The 868th Bombardment Squadron B-24’s went on a “snooper” bombing mission and hit hit Truk.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Earl Angell – Providence, RI; US Navy, WWII & Korea
Mary Byers – Orangeburg, MO; US Army WAC, PTO
Kenneth Davis – Augusta, GA; US Navy, WWII & Korea
Leo Gray – Boston, MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO 100th Fighter Sq/332nd Fighter Group, Lt. Col. (Ret.), Tuskegee pilot
Sidney Hughes – Rhondda Valley, So. Wales, NZ; RNZ Army # 14201034, WWII, 1st Battalion, CBI
Winston Johnson – Las Cruces, TX;US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, C-47, pilot
Joseph Kursur – Miami, FL; US Army, WWII
Joseph Locke – Hiseville, KY; US Navy, WWII, PTO, minesweeper
Arnold Palmer – Latrobe, PA; US Coast Guard, (pro champion golfer)
Frederick Wiessing – Springfield, IL; US Army, 11th Airborne Division, Sgt.
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Posted on October 3, 2016, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged 1940's, History, Military, Military History, New Guinea, Pacific, Pacific War, PTO, veterans, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 57 Comments.
Sadly, but inevitably, some of those sinkings included troopships with their holds full of Allied POWs.
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Unfortunately, the Japanese never had them marked as such. The ships that were marked as hospital ships usually were warships – it was war and there weren’t any rules.
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We didn’t mark all our ships either. The Arandora Star carrying Italian and German internees to Canada, for example, was sunk.
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Very true, Hilary. Not being a student of the Atlantic portion of the war, I forgot about that one. Thanks for keeping things up to par for me!!
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As always a great post. I am still laughing at the two humor pictures.
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Sometimes it’s tough finding new and funny cartoons for the humor section, and sometimes they you find the ones that makes everyone laugh!! Glad to see a smile from you Don.
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Interesting post as always, GP. Not often I see a female name amongst the farewell salutes – what would her role have been do you know?
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I don’t know her job specifically, but it could have been related to the medical corps.
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That makes sense.
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After an area was secure, the WACS would move in, so it seemed logical.
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Reblogged this on PenneyVanderbilt.
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Thank you for continuing to honor these men and help me to keep their stories in the minds of the world.
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Great post.Very interesting an d a lot i didn’t now.Thank you for history.
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You are welcome, Mary Lou.
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Apart from anything else, GP, your posts are improving my geography
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You and me both, Derrick – so many islands scattered everywhere!! I wish I had room to hand a large scale map up here to keep my head straight!! If it wasn’t for my other-half, I’d stretch one right over the desk.
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Have you tried the ceiling? 🙂
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Good idea!!
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PS. I’ll bring that up at the next “family meeting” when I’m told exactly how I feel about that by my other-half!!! lol
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This link has nothing to do with the post GP I have no other way of sending this to you and I know you’ll find it interesting.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-01/australia-wide-billy-young-recounts-his-time-as-a-pow/7893504
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I have done posts on the POWs of the CBI, Fepows and Changi camp, but only one other first-hand account — this is great Beari! Maybe I should make an Intermission post story out of it, eh?
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World War II history has always interested me. My father and uncle served in the Navy. Thank you also for reading and following my blog.
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I have more interests other than war and your site fits into that niche. Are you father and uncle still with us?
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No, sadly they aren’t. They both have passed, my uncle was actually on leave from the Navy and was killed in a car accident, so he was quite young. My grandmother never got over that accident, such a tragedy and shows how unpredictable life is.
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So sorry for your loss, it is an experience relived every day to lose a child.
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Thank you, that is very true.
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I presume that very soon we will all be made to feel really old when teams of archaeologists start diving down to all of those sunken Japanese ships.
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And many have already been located. I guess feeling old goes with the territory.
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Great post, Everett! I have to agree that we didn’t learn half of this in school and imagine it is worse now. Loved reading the comments. Humor was good especially the graduating from basic training and knowing everything 🙂
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I believe I first said that in the 4th grade – one time or another we all think we know what it’s all about! Joke’s on us, eh?! 🙂
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It sure is looking back..lol
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GP Cox,
Now, after immersing myself into these letters, and as an retired teacher, I have begun to wonder if teaching WWII would be the history lessons of choice. They would teach honor humility, pride, sacrifice, suffering, faith, order, fear, struggle, hostility, conquest discipline, the value of life, and so many more concepts. The Geography lesson would be gigantic. When our family visited Normandy we all cried and hugged and bent down in prayers.I can think of no other event to give such unequalled lessons for our future generations to immolate.
Sincerely and with appreciation,
Sheila
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I’ve said this to so many readers – the more I learn about this generation, the more absolutely in awe I am!! Growing up in the Great Depression, trying to survive and slamming smack into a world-wide war that still affects us today – we will never see people like this again I’m afraid. I wish I had been taught more about it when I was still in school.
I wish more teachers felt as you do today.
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The mentoring is not there. Kids are growing up in an ivory tower vacuum. They have no idea. And I also really believe that stopping the Draft was a very serious mistake in the US. It helped a great many kids become useful, proud, self sufficient while providing a valuable and viable career should they choose so.
It’s interesting that the Brit Royals still make all their boys go into the forces for a while. Prince William was in for 7 years – helicopter pilot. Why do they insist on this tenure? Because it changes these boys into men – worthy of leading. When they come out they are changed for the better.
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Exactly, I completely agree – BUT – at the moment, we’re so busy tripping over ourselves trying to be so very careful of everyone’s rights, being politically correct, etc, etc – we can’t get anything done!!
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I don’t know they are teaching there today. I know my generation was taught very little of this and I too believe it would be valuable. There are still people alive who could go to the schools and give first hand accounts of what happened there. They are a valuable and important resource that is not being taken advantage of.
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It is amazing how quick things happened and the amount of resources used to achieve various goals. Funny cartoon that. 😃 Allthe best. Chris.
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I appreciate you coming by and reading this post, Chris. Glad you got a chuckle out of the humor!
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A hectic time as always, GP. The photo of the devastation at Naga Village really brings home the concept of ‘total war’, and its aftermath.
Best wishes, Pete.
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It’s difficult to not show a hard time during this era – from the Great Depression right into a world-wide war.
Have a terrific evening and stay warm.
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…and I was surprised by the effectiveness of a shore battery against a submarine. But the subs definitely did a fantastic job.
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I agree. That caught me off-guard as well.
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The scale of this event (WW2) becomes more obvious with every post you make.
Do do the honours for many silent voices, Sir.
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Thank you. This war was so large, it actually still affects us today in ways we don’t even realize.
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This was interesting. I didn’t realize that our submarines had been that effective. I remember hearing about torpedo problems early on in the war, but not much about successes. Thanks!
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Sure thing – that’s why I bring these tidbits up; so these men can get the recognition they deserve. I appreciate you stopping in, Dan!!
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I really got a kick from today’s humor ! Pun intended!:)
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And a good one at that!!
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It is important to remind folks that June 1944 was not only an important date in the European Theater of Operations but also in the Pacific. As I tell friends all the time, it was not called a WORLD War for nothing. Thanks for a great article.
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This is about the Pacific and CBI.
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One more hard fight for yet another Pacific Island, with brothers-in-arms assaulting Normandy at the same time. Amazing stuff from US services.
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It was the power of team work!
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Thank you, sir.
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Much appreciated, my friend!
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