As a followup to the Pearl Harbor raid, The Japanese High Command decides to launch a small scale suicide raid on the US mainland. Idea is to sow panic and to force the US to maintain large naval and land forces on the mainland giving Japan a free hand.
Accordingly the Japanese High Command plans to launch a raid on the US mainland by landing a small commando type unit from a submarine. Think the Makin Island raid. In Early January a Japanese KRS minelaying submarine departs the fleet base at Kwajalein in the Marshal Islands. The submarine has be modified by landing the reload torpedoes, leaving only the 4 in the tubes and other extraneous gear is landed. A 75 man unit of 2 bobtail platoons from the SNLF is assigned to carry out the raid.
The raiding force is broken into 2 platoon of 35 men, composed of 3 10 man squads with a Type Nambu machine gun, a 3 man mortar squad with Type 89 Grenade launcher and command unit of officer and platoon segreant. A 5 man HQ unit with the company commander and , additional machine gun completes the force To increase firepower each man carries a Type 100 submachine gun. Each carries several Type 91 grenades, all having the propellant charge screwed into base to allow it to be fired from the Type 89. Incendiary shells and grenades are issued to each man and the Type 89 to start fires. Rations of 3 days hard tack biscuits and hard candy are issued
The submarine takes a southern route to the US, sailing toward Mexico, then following the coast north until reaches US mainland near San Diego. The journey is uneventful until the last few days where the submarine was forced to stay submerged , The air became foul with humidity and carbon dioxide from the exhaled breath. Temperatures reached 100 deg F (39 C) The sub surfaced at night to recharge its battery and air out the boat. 2 small Mexican fishing boats were encountered and sunk to avoid tipping off the Americans of their presence The landing beaches and tides selected for the raiding force had been scouted before the war by Japanese agents posing as fishermen. The landing force piled into rubber boats on the casing of the sub. By flooding down the rubber landing craft were swept off the boat and into the sea, taking only minutes to complete the operation. Landing on the scouted beaches the landing boats were deflated and buried , the Japanese would not need them to return. The Japanese fanned out to their objectives . One squad set up a road block on the coastal road while others moved inland to attack any civilian targets they came across. Any civilians encountered were ruthlessly slaughter, men, women and even children. Houses and barns were set on fire by the incendiaries. A Fire truck responding to a reported fire was ambushed, 4 of the men onboard were killed, one wounded man managed to escape into the brush and after walking several miles to raise the alarm.
Military units from the US Navy base in San Diego were mobilized , many of them sailors hastily armed and dispatched to locate the raider. An impromptu militia of local citizens formed, arming themselves with hunting rifles and shotguns Improvised grenades were quickly made by placing a quarter stick of dynamite in a tin can full of nails, A length of blasting fuse cut to about 5 seconds was used to set it off,. Some opted to carry sticks of dynamite which they lit the fuse and chucked at the enemy. Most of the men lacked cartridge pouches or belt, instead stuffing their pockets with cartridges and dynamite sticks . The area was in total chaos as reports of Japanese flowed in, many of they erroneous. A pickup truck of these militiamen drove into a Japanese ambush and were cut down The local radio stations began broadcasting news bulletins warning people to arm themselves , stay inside and report any suspicious activity to the local authorities. In turn the local police were overwhelmed by the volume of calls coming , As day broke the local authorities began to get a clearer picture of what was going on Military patrols with assistance of local militiamen began to react to the reports coming in, clashing with several of the Japanese units. Some of the militia fighters had previous military experience, most from the Great War a quarter century before or in the National Guard . One such unit came across a Japanese machine gun position , one group engaged the Japanese with their rifles while another using what cover available worked their way close to the Japanese before launching a volley of dynamite sticks and then finishing then off with their shotguns
To be continued ........
Accordingly the Japanese High Command plans to launch a raid on the US mainland by landing a small commando type unit from a submarine. Think the Makin Island raid. In Early January a Japanese KRS minelaying submarine departs the fleet base at Kwajalein in the Marshal Islands. The submarine has be modified by landing the reload torpedoes, leaving only the 4 in the tubes and other extraneous gear is landed. A 75 man unit of 2 bobtail platoons from the SNLF is assigned to carry out the raid.
The raiding force is broken into 2 platoon of 35 men, composed of 3 10 man squads with a Type Nambu machine gun, a 3 man mortar squad with Type 89 Grenade launcher and command unit of officer and platoon segreant. A 5 man HQ unit with the company commander and , additional machine gun completes the force To increase firepower each man carries a Type 100 submachine gun. Each carries several Type 91 grenades, all having the propellant charge screwed into base to allow it to be fired from the Type 89. Incendiary shells and grenades are issued to each man and the Type 89 to start fires. Rations of 3 days hard tack biscuits and hard candy are issued
The submarine takes a southern route to the US, sailing toward Mexico, then following the coast north until reaches US mainland near San Diego. The journey is uneventful until the last few days where the submarine was forced to stay submerged , The air became foul with humidity and carbon dioxide from the exhaled breath. Temperatures reached 100 deg F (39 C) The sub surfaced at night to recharge its battery and air out the boat. 2 small Mexican fishing boats were encountered and sunk to avoid tipping off the Americans of their presence The landing beaches and tides selected for the raiding force had been scouted before the war by Japanese agents posing as fishermen. The landing force piled into rubber boats on the casing of the sub. By flooding down the rubber landing craft were swept off the boat and into the sea, taking only minutes to complete the operation. Landing on the scouted beaches the landing boats were deflated and buried , the Japanese would not need them to return. The Japanese fanned out to their objectives . One squad set up a road block on the coastal road while others moved inland to attack any civilian targets they came across. Any civilians encountered were ruthlessly slaughter, men, women and even children. Houses and barns were set on fire by the incendiaries. A Fire truck responding to a reported fire was ambushed, 4 of the men onboard were killed, one wounded man managed to escape into the brush and after walking several miles to raise the alarm.
Military units from the US Navy base in San Diego were mobilized , many of them sailors hastily armed and dispatched to locate the raider. An impromptu militia of local citizens formed, arming themselves with hunting rifles and shotguns Improvised grenades were quickly made by placing a quarter stick of dynamite in a tin can full of nails, A length of blasting fuse cut to about 5 seconds was used to set it off,. Some opted to carry sticks of dynamite which they lit the fuse and chucked at the enemy. Most of the men lacked cartridge pouches or belt, instead stuffing their pockets with cartridges and dynamite sticks . The area was in total chaos as reports of Japanese flowed in, many of they erroneous. A pickup truck of these militiamen drove into a Japanese ambush and were cut down The local radio stations began broadcasting news bulletins warning people to arm themselves , stay inside and report any suspicious activity to the local authorities. In turn the local police were overwhelmed by the volume of calls coming , As day broke the local authorities began to get a clearer picture of what was going on Military patrols with assistance of local militiamen began to react to the reports coming in, clashing with several of the Japanese units. Some of the militia fighters had previous military experience, most from the Great War a quarter century before or in the National Guard . One such unit came across a Japanese machine gun position , one group engaged the Japanese with their rifles while another using what cover available worked their way close to the Japanese before launching a volley of dynamite sticks and then finishing then off with their shotguns
To be continued ........
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