[FONT="]CHAPTER ONE
[/FONT]
[FONT="]EXCERPTS FROM[/FONT]
[FONT="]BRITIAN IN THE PACIFIC WAR[1][/FONT]
[FONT="]By Field Marshal Jan Niemczyk, 1st Viscount Niemczyk of Caracas, KBE, DSO and 2 bars, Legion of Merit[/FONT]
[FONT="]Aberdeen Press[/FONT]
[FONT="]1984
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The British Far Eastern Command was not prepared for a major war in 1941. The fight against Germany and Italy had siphoned off the best troops and equipment back to Europe. Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Broke-Popham was Commander-in-Chief of the Far Eastern Command. His command included Hong Kong, Burma and Malaysia. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Burma[/FONT]
[FONT="]The grandiosely named British Burma Army was anything but an army. Commanded by Major General Donald McLeod, his forces consisted of one battalion of British Indian Army infantry, three battalions of Burmese police, eight battalions of Burmese conscripts, very little artillery and no air support. They were primarily expected to defend Rangoon.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Hong Kong[/FONT]
[FONT="]Hong Kong[/FONT][FONT="]’s garrison was commanded by Major General Christopher Maltby. He had a force of 1 British, 1 Royal Marine and 2 Canadian Infantry battalions, 2 artillery battalions, and a reduced battalion of Royal Engineers. He had one (No. 113) Gladiator Squadron for air defense. Maltby was a realist; he knew that he would not be able to hold out for long against the Japanese.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Malaysia[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Malaysia Command was commanded by General Sir Arthur Percival who had assumed command in January 1940. Upon assuming command he had ordered that all jungle training be halted as “the Japanese will not come through the jungle, they will come by road, sea or air.” General Percival was primarily a staff officer; his last command had been an infantry battalion in 1933. With the war raging in Europe, the vast majority of Percival’s best troops had been sent back to England and had not been replaced. Most of his remaining troops were inexperienced and overworked. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The land component of the British garrison consisted of the British Indian Army’s III Corps (11th Indian Division, 20th Indian Division, and the 7th Indian Cavalry Brigade), and the British 10th Infantry Division. An Australian Corps Headquarters and an Australian infantry division were in the process of being transferred when the war broke out. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Vice Admiral Ernest Spooner was the Naval Commander of the Malaysia Command; his primary goal was the defense of the Singapore Naval Base. He, like Percival, had many responsibilities and few assets. The Far East Squadron, comprising of 1 aircraft carrier (which Spooner fully expected to be transferred to the Atlantic at any time), 1 older battleship, 1 heavy cruiser, and 8 destroyers plus a few squadrons of patrol aircraft and 1 fighter squadron for the defense of the Naval Base.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Air Vice Marshall John Babington was the Air Officer Commanding of the RAF’s Far Eastern Command. His command consisted of the following units:[/FONT]
[FONT="]No. 9 Group – [/FONT]
[FONT="]No. 11 Squadron (Gladiator), No. 20 Squadron, No. 27 Squadron (Battle), No. 28 Squadron (Lysander), No. 34 Squadron (Hurricane), No. 42 Squadron, No. 100 Squadron ( Vickers Vildabeasts).[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Vildabeasts were obsolescent torpedo bombers dating from the 1920s and were not suitable for modern warfare. The Battles, while more modern, had fared badly against the Germans, but were expected to do well against the “inferior” Japanese. The Lysanders were army communications aircraft more suitable for dropping agents and supplies behind the lines than anything else. The 2 fighter squadrons had the obsolete bi-wing Gladiators and the more modern Hurricanes.[/FONT]
[FONT="]At 4am, January 1, 1941, the Japanese invasion force crossed the Malaya-Thailand border and quickly took the city Kangar. Japanese forces also landed at Kota Bharu. The 5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters held Kota Bharu for eighteen hours before being forced to retreat due to dwindling ammunition supplies. They were continually strafed and bombed during their retreat to the town of Tanah Merah when nightfall grounded the Japanese planes. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Singapore[/FONT][FONT="] received their first air raid by Japanese planes flying from Thailand. Sixty four Nakajima Ki-49 “Helen” medium bombers made an appearance over Singapore. Their original target was the Navy base, but at the last minute, the Japanese commander decided to bomb the docks in Singapore harbor. Dropping their bombs over the city, the bombs killed 233 civilians, wounding about 1,000 more. The defenders had been caught by surprise and the defending Hurricanes managed to shoot down four bombers and seriously damage another twelve. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Shortly after noon, January 1st, a Japanese invasion force sailed from Cam Ranh Bay bound for Borneo.[/FONT]
[FONT="]ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Field Marshal the Viscount Niemczyk of Caracus was the senior surviving British Field Marshal, at the age of 103 when he passed away in 2002. The Honorary Colonel-in-Chief, he felt it was his duty to stand guard with the soldiers of the Black Watch over the Queen Mother’s remains after she passed away in March 2002. The Field Marshal stumbled and fell while taking part in the changing of the ceremonial guard, breaking his hip in the process. Pneumonia set in and the Field Marshal died at home three weeks later. The Viscount fought in Europe and the Far East during World War II. He was the commander of the British forces during the Venezuela incursion in 1966 (and with the death of the American commanding general, commander of the Allied forces) and became Army Chief of Staff in 1972 and Chief of the Defense Staff in 1974 before stepping down from active duty in 1978 after 40 years of active duty. [/FONT]
[FONT="]EXCERPTS FROM[/FONT]
[FONT="] WORLD WAR II[/FONT]
[FONT="]IN THE PACIFIC – BUILDUP TO WAR[2][/FONT]
[FONT="]SHANGHAI[/FONT]
[FONT="]By Dr. Christopher Hall[/FONT]
[FONT="]Louisville Press[/FONT]
[FONT="]1985
[/FONT]
[FONT="]At the same time the Japanese crossed the Thai-Malaya border, the American gunboat USS Wake was moored in Shanghai Harbor. The Captain and Executive Officer were ashore at the US Consulate when the Japanese demanded the surrender of the ship. In command of the Wake at the time was Ensign Mark L. Bucher. Ensign Bucher had only been on board 3 weeks when the war broke out. He was woken up by one of the ship’s Chinese mess boys sent from the Bridge. The Wake was surrounded by 3 Japanese Torpedo Boats who were demanding their surrender. In command on the Bridge was Boatswain’s Mate Chief Robert Earl “Bobby Earl” Lewis, a veteran of 20 years of China gunboat duty with the US Navy. He had managed to get away from the docks when he saw the approaching gunboats and had managed to get the crew to their battle stations. Ensign Bucher arrived on the Bridge within minutes of being summoned. Upon being appraised of the situation, he later claimed that he had ordered the surrender of the USS Wake. What happened next is a matter of conjecture. What is known is that the Japanese Navy fished Ensign Bucher from Shanghai harbor after he appeared to have fallen off the ship. Post-war, former POW Bucher demanded that BMC Lewis be court-martialed for mutiny and striking a superior officer. Of the five men on the Bridge at that time, the Helmsman and the Messenger died in a POW camp. Both BMC Lewis and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Richard Blosser stated that the Ensign gave no orders to surrender and fell off the ship after the Japanese opened fire.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Japanese opened fire at 4:20am with the Wake quickly returning fire. This was, however, not the one sided battle, that the Japanese thought it would be. According the post-war report filed by the Wake’s captain, Lieutenant Commander Jacob Liddick, the Wake was able to sink the Otori and damaged the Sagi before being sunk. Of the 60 men onboard the Wake, 36 survived the war. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Postwar, no actions were taken against BMC Lewis; in fact he was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on January 1, 1941. Ensign Bucher received a medical discharge from the US Navy. On February 20, 2001, ten years after his death, the guided missile cruiser USS Robert Lewis was commissioned. Shortly before his death in 2005, Richard Blosser stated that BMC Lewis threw Ensign Bucher off the Wake because he thought the Ensign was a coward and the Wake deserved a better end than a shameful surrender.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The transports carrying the Japanese 2nd Special Naval Landing Force (5,000 men strong) were less than twelve hours away from storming ashore on Guam. The Guam defenders knew that, they like the British defenders at Hong Kong; they would not be able to hold out for very long against the Japanese.[/FONT]
[FONT="]EXCERPT FROM [/FONT]
[FONT="]CHAPTER X - The Last Day[/FONT]
[FONT="]THE LAST STAND OF THE ALMAO[3][/FONT]
[FONT="]By Commander William Hammond, USN[/FONT]
[FONT="]Longhorn Press[/FONT]
[FONT="]2002
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The crews of the Alamo, Flint and the destroyers Hughes, Russell, Sims, and Wainwright went to battle stations after receiving word of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Captain McMasters immediately ordered his crews to start ditching the Army P-40s cluttering his flight deck. Several days before, he had ordered 4 F4F Wildcat fighters to be reassembled. For the past several days, not only had Japanese sea planes been trailing the convoy, but there was also a submarine trailing them as well. Upon hearing of the Pearl Harbor attack, Captain McMasters ordered the Wildcats into the air to attack the Japanese Yokosuka H5Y “Cherry” flying boat. The crew was able to get off a message that they were under attack before they were shot down. One of the Wildcats was slightly damaged and was landed. One other Wildcat was landed, leaving two flying as the CAP. Just after 9:30am, radars on board the Alamo and Flint picked up unknown aircraft heading their way. Below decks, the maintenance crews were working over time, they believed they would have 6 more planes ready (but not flight tested) within the hour. In short, it became a race – would the Japanese arrive first? Or would they be met by at least 8 defending Wildcats? What was known was that the hostiles would be over the convoy by 10am.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Meanwhile, the Japanese submarine I-1 was taking up position to attack the convoy. Unfortunately for her and her crew, there had been a collision with a whale earlier in the cruise which resulted in the bow planes being damaged. Her engineers had repaired the problem, but at inopportune times, the bow planes would malfunction and the boat would porpoise. She was lining up to attack one of the merchant ships when her bow planes malfunctioned and she briefly surfaced. She was spotted by lookouts on several of the merchantmen and the USS Sims. Flashing the signal that a sub had been sighted, the Sims opened fire with her main guns, her first shots bracketing the I-1. The Japanese engineers were struggling to fix the bow planes when her captain launched 4 torpedoes at the convoy, while at the same time; her radio operator was broadcasting their position. The Lady Francine, a twenty year old 6,700 ton merchant ship carrying, among other things, clothing and medical supplies, was unable to get out of the way of the torpedoes and disintegrated leaving only wreckage and fifteen survivors behind. The Sims quickly avenged the loss of the Lady Francine as her forward 5 inch guns found the I-1 destroying her and her entire crew. [/FONT]
[FONT="]At 9:45am, four Wildcats took off from the Alamo and started climbing to join the 2 other Wildcats currently flying at 18,000 feet. The remaining five merchant ships were ordered to close up to make it easier for the warships to defend them. The attacking force turned out to 32 Mitsubishi G4M Bettys flying at 15,000 feet (and unseen at the moment) 12 more flying at 1,000 feet (these were carrying torpedoes).[/FONT]
[FONT="]The six defending fighters were caught in 2 separate groups. The original CAP at 18,000 feet and their reinforcements were at 7,000 feet and still climbing. They were lucky in one aspect – there were no fighters with the attackers.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Lieutenant John Douglas Hurley, the senior Naval Aviator in the air, ordered his wingman to follow him and started diving on the approaching bombers. He also ordered the four other Wildcats to attack as soon as they got into position. Diving from 18,000 feet, the Wildcats soon ran into the defensive fire of the Bettys. Taking some damage in the process, the 2 Americans managed to damage three or four Bettys before they were through the formation. The momentum of their dive carried them past the four climbing Americans when Lieutenant Hurley spotted the approaching torpedo bombers. Ordering his wingman to take on the trailing bomber he went after the leader. His wing man managed to damage his target before the Betty’s 20mm aft cannon was able to shoot him down. Over a period of five minutes, Lt. Hurley shot down 3 Bettys and damaged another before his Wildcat was dealt a fatal blow and he was killed. He would be awarded a posthumous Navy Cross. [/FONT]
[FONT="]In this first attack, six Bettys were shot down, nine more were damaged. But they managed to inflict severe damage on the Americans. Two merchant ships were hit by torpedoes and sunk. The cruiser Flint was hit on her aft 6 in turret which was destroyed. The Alamo was hit five times by bombs and once by torpedo. Two of her five inch turrets were completely destroyed, her forward flight deck was badly damaged, most of her still partially assembled air group were destroyed or damaged, 132 of her crew were killed and her speed was reduced to 18 knots. Captain McMasters ordered the Flint’s Captain to take command of the convoy; the Alamo would make her way to the Philippines with the destroyer Hughes as escort.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Japanese second wave passed the stragglers of the first wave 40 nautical miles from the now splitting convoy. Ignoring the merchantmen, the 24 Bettys homed in on the Alamo like bees to honey. The Flint and the remaining destroyers had fired on the attackers as they flew over head, damaging three bombers. Next on the scene were the remaining four fighters, their pilots hoping they could beat off this attack and somehow land on their crippled carrier before they ran out of fuel. The Wildcats split into two elements. The first element went after the leading bombers; the second element went after the stragglers. Alamo’s black gang had managed to get her speed up to 23 knots. Four more Bettys died and another seven were damaged. Two of the Bettys concentrated on the Hughes, but the Hughes was lucky and managed to avoid being hit. The Alamo was not so lucky. She was hit another three times, crippling the ship. Her flight deck in ruins and unable to land the fighters, Captain McMasters ordered the pilots to provide CAP until they ran out of gas (they were too far to from Mindanao to make it there) and then they were to ditch alongside the Hughes. After consulting with his XO and Chief Engineer, Captain McMasters decided that they would not survive another attack and it would be best to scuttle the ship. However, after several radio messages between Admiral Hart, C-in-C Asiatic Fleet and McMasters, the Alamo (now under tow) and Hughes would try to make Darwin. Admiral Hart was also hoping that the Alamo would be a magnet and draw as much Japanese air power away from the convoy as possible.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Japanese submarine I-21, on her way to attack shipping in southern Philippine waters was 20 nautical miles away when the war broke out. Picking up the I-1’s contact report, she diverted course towards the Americans. He intercepted the convoy, but let it pass since sinking carrier would bring more honor and glory to him and his crew (besides, they could sink the convoy later). He was getting into position to attack when he watched with some interest as the four Wildcats crash landed into the ocean alongside the Hughes. Knowing that the Hughes would be distracted rescuing the pilots, the I-21’s captain gave orders that put his boat into the ideal firing position. The Hughes had just picked up the third Wildcat pilot when lookouts on board the Alamo spotted the wakes of four torpedoes heading towards the crippled carrier. The Hughes, going to full emergency power, raced to intercept them but failed. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Alamo was dealt a fatal blow when three of the torpedoes exploded against her hull. Captain McMasters ordered his crew to abandon ship. Of the 1,788 men known to be on board when she sank (some of her wounded had been transferred to the Flint); 1,422 were fished out of the water, and Captain McMasters was not one of those. He would later be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. The guided missile cruiser USS Edward McMasters is named after him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]RADIO BERLIN BROADCAST[4][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 2, 1941
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The German Army is currently moving into the areas of Poland that is being evacuated by Russian forces. This is to protect neutral citizens and prevent the breakdown of law and order.[/FONT]
[FONT="]In Berlin, Grand Duke Vladimir was greeted by the Fuehrer and will be a guest of his for the next few weeks.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Once again the Luftwaffe carried out successful air raids against British and American targets in the United Kingdom. Once again they have rejected our generous offers of peace.[/FONT]
[FONT="]German troops successfully destroyed a French invasion force attempting to land on Corsica.[/FONT]
[FONT="]BRIEFING FOR GENERAL DANIEL[/FONT]
[FONT="]VAN VORHIS, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF[/FONT]
[FONT="]FAR EASTERN COMMAND[5][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 2. 1941
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Major General Lewis Breteton, Commanding General, US Far Eastern Air Force[/FONT]
[FONT="]General, the Japanese attacked both Clark and Nichols Fields yesterday. Fortunately we had managed to disperse most of our aircraft before the attack. Nichols Field was badly damaged. We lost 2 B-17s, 7 B-18s, and 5 P-40s. The PAAC lost all of their Falcon A-3 and B-6 bombers. Unfortunately the Japanese severely damaged the facilities at the navy base at Subic Bay. I am sorry about General Sutherland, have you decided on his replacement yet?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Van Voorhis:[/FONT][FONT="] I am thinking about Max Lough. When will you be attacking the Jap bases on Formosa?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Breteton: [/FONT][FONT="]Our recon B-17s ran into heavy flak and some fighter opposition over Formosa, but they were able to get their photos. We are going to send the B-17s after their air fields and the B-18s after their troop transports and harbors.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Van Voorhis: [/FONT][FONT="]Keep me informed. General Lim, you wanted to talk to me?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Major General Vincente Lim:[/FONT][FONT="] General, the President has asked me if you would reconsider your plan to abandon most of the country to the Japs?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Van Voorhis:[/FONT][FONT="] No sir, we don’t have the manpower and you know it. Your Government called up the reserves and they are still coming in, but in case you didn’t get the reports, and I know you did, 2/3 of your 1st Cavalry Regiment have either not reported for duty or have gone AWOL. We are going to carry out the war plans as we planned.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Lim: [/FONT][FONT="]General, can we attempt to at least hold on to Manila?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Van Voorhis: [/FONT][FONT="]General Lim, as long as we hold Bataan and Corregidor, Manila is useless to the enemy.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Lim: [/FONT][FONT="]General, the President will no doubt talk to you and President Roosevelt about this![/FONT]
[FONT="]Van Voorhis:[/FONT][FONT="] I’ll expect his call. General Wainwright, what is the status of your command?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Major General Jonathan Wainwright, Commanding General Northern Luzon Force:[/FONT][FONT="] Sir, the Northern Luzon Force is ready for whatever you order us to do. As per the war plans, the transfer of supplies to Bataan is underway The American and Philippine Scouts units are all on war footing and have moved out into the field. The Philippine 1st& 6th Infantry Regiments are in the process of moving to their war time stations.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Van Voorhis: [/FONT][FONT="]General Davis, my apologies, I know you were going to retire next week, I’m afraid that will have to wait. What is the status of your force?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis, Commanding General Batangas Force: [/FONT][FONT="]General, things are moving slower than I would like, but we should be in place by the time the Japanese land. Is there any word on when that might happen?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Van Voorhis: [/FONT][FONT="]We aren’t sure yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was within the next week or so. We are [/FONT][FONT="]expecting a convoy in later today; this is the one where the Navy lost their carrier. It will probably be the last one for awhile. I have been assured by General Marshall and the President that we can expect some more supply convoys, but we are to hold out until the Navy gets in here in a few months.[/FONT]
[FONT="]US ARMY/PHILIPPINE[/FONT]
[FONT="]ARMY ORDER OF BATTLE[6][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 2, 1941
[/FONT]
[FONT="]US FAR EAST COMMAND[/FONT]
[FONT="]General Daniel Van Voorhis, Commander-in-Chief[/FONT]
[FONT="]Northern Luzon Force (Wainwright)[/FONT]
[FONT="] 1st Brigade (1st Philippine Infantry Regiment, 6th Phil Infantry Regiment; 31st US Infantry Regiment); 2nd Brigade (43rd Philippine Scouts Infantry Regiment; 45th PS Infantry Regiment); 5 artillery battalions[/FONT]
[FONT="]Southern Luzon Force (Major General Edward King)[/FONT]
[FONT="] 3rd Brigade (2nd Phil Infantry Regiment, 9th Phil Infantry Regiment (2 battalions), 26th PS Cavalry Regiment), 2 PS artillery battalions[/FONT]
[FONT="]Batangas Force (Brigadier General Oliver Davis)[/FONT]
[FONT="] 17th US Cavalry Brigade, 4th Brigade (5th Phil Infantry Regiment, 11th Phil Infantry Regiment, 12th Phil Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)), 2 Phil artillery battalions[/FONT]
[FONT="]Visyan-Mindanao Force (Brigadier General Edward Sharp)[/FONT]
[FONT="]3rd Phil Infantry Regiment (Panay), 4th Phil Infantry Regiment (Mindanao), 10th Phil Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) (Cebu), 12th Phil Engineer Regiment (Infantry) (Cebu), 57th PS Infantry Regiment (Mindanao), 1 Phil artillery battalion.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Far East Command Reserves[/FONT]
[FONT="]1st Provisional Tank Group (3 battalions), 4th Marine Regiment[/FONT]
[FONT="]ANC News Report[7][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 2, 1941
[/FONT]
E[FONT="]arlier today, Army Air Force B-17 and B-25 bombers began attacking Argentine forces inside Brazil. The Argentine Government has been informed that if they do not withdraw from Brazil that their cities will be attacked from the air.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Meanwhile, in the Far East, US Army Air Force B-17 and B-18 bombers attacked Jap targets in and around Formosa. All of our bombers returned after hitting their targets.[/FONT]
[FONT="]President Roosevelt signed last week the States Admittance Bill , which allows elections to be held in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and “other American territories” on the issue of statehood.[/FONT]
[FONT="]According to reports from the Swedish Government, fighting has broken out in the port city of Gdansk between arriving German occupying forces and Polish resistance groups.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The last Italian forces in Albania have laid down their arms and surrendered to Greek forces. Germany has informed the Greek Government that if Greece doesn’t withdraw from Albania, there will be dire consequences.[/FONT]
[FONT="]CLASSIFIED MEMO TO PRIME MINISTER CHURCHILL[/FONT]
[FONT="]FROM MI5[8][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 3, 1941
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Prime Minister, sources inside Germany have informed us that German forces will be attacking Greece within 48 hours. The forces will attack through Albania and Yugoslavia. The Germans have just secured permission to allow the passage of German forces through Yugoslavia.[/FONT]
[FONT="]We have contacted our contacts inside Greece; Prime Minister Metaxes has ordered all Greece forces to withdraw from Albania. He does not want a war with Germany. We have unofficially approached him and he wants nothing to do with us.[/FONT]
[FONT="]EXCERPTS FROM [/FONT]
[FONT="]THE FIGHTING 93RD - [/FONT]
[FONT="]A HISTORY OF THE 93RD BOMBER SQUADRON[/FONT]
[FONT="]1917-2007[9][/FONT]
[FONT="]Chapter Five: Operations in the Philippines[/FONT]
[FONT="]By GL Shaffer[/FONT]
[FONT="]Aviation Press 2009
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The orders were simple (they always were): Take off from Clark Air Base, refuel at the Su-Ao Municipal airport in the north, then find Vidrica Harbor on Formosa and attack all shipping in the harbor. The B-17s attacking the Japanese air fields would draw all the attention away from the harbor. At least that is what the brass said. The 93rd was a unique organization. It was the first partially desegregated unit in the US Army. About one third of the flight crews were Negros, there were however, no desegregated flight crews. They would be followed by the 96th Bombardment (Light) Squadron (also flying B-18 Bolos) thirty minutes later. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The first B-18 was in the air at 6:05am, January 3, 1941, with the other eleven planes following one by one. The B-17s were already halfway to their targets – the Japanese airfields around Taipei. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Two hours later, the last of the Bolos were being filled at Su-Ao when word came that radar had picked up incoming bombers from Formosa. Orders were to scramble and reform out at sea. The Japanese Zeros flying in over the tree tops caught everyone[/FONT] [FONT="]by surprise. The first B-18 shot down was the squadron commander’s plane, three other Bolos never made it off the ground. By the time the Zeros left, Su-Ao airport was in flames. The good news was the fuel farm was still intact as was the runway. The rest of the squadron would carry out the raid.[/FONT]
[FONT="]With the squadron commander dead and the executive officer missing, command of the squadron fell to Captain Jonathan Benjamin Brown, grandson of a Medal of Honor winning Buffalo Soldier and son of a cavalryman killed in the Third Mexican War.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The eight remaining Bolos were approaching Vidrica Harbor when they were spotted by a Japanese patrol boat which radioed an air raid warning. Coming in at less than a thousand feet, the Bolos were met by anti-aircraft fire from both shore batteries and the warships in the harbor. The Bolos were also fired upon by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army’s 41st Infantry Division waiting to board their transports. The Bolos quickly lost their tight formation in the chaos of the situation. Four of the bombers were downed by the intense anti-aircraft fire. The remaining four, led by Captain Brown, aimed their bombers at two merchant ships anchored near the breakwater. The bombers missed the first ship but hit the second one, giving the 41st Division’s commander a much unwanted bath. All four planes made it back to Su-Ao before crashing due to battle damage. Of the twenty-four airmen in the four planes; only six were unhurt. Captain Brown was awarded the DFC by General Breterton the next day.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The 96th Squadron was wiped out over Vidrica, the surviving crews were executed by soldiers of the 41st Division.[/FONT]
[FONT="]EXCERPTS FROM THE UNPUBLISHED DIARY OF SERGEANT GEORGE WASHINGTON BOLLING,[/FONT]
[FONT="] 9TH US CAVALRY[10][/FONT]
[FONT="]January 3, 1941. This not a dream or nightmare that I’ve been having, I’ve been praying to God on what to do. I promised God when I retired here back in ’38 that I would kill no more men. Now, if the rumors are true and the Japs are coming, I may have to fight again. But will God forgive me?[/FONT]
[FONT="]I’m going to send Imelda and the kids to live with her mother in Manila. I have a feeling George is going to join up though. I plan to go and see if the boys in 17th Cavalry Brigade can use an old soldier like me.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Still got the uniform and the experience, I wonder if General Davis can use another old war horse. General Davis? A Negro general? Who would have thought it?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Editor’s note: Sergeant Bolling retired from the US Army in 1938 in the Philippines. He opened a bar/general store outside of Batangas City and settled down fully expecting to live out the remainder of his life. Having been there a number of years on active duty, he had married a local girl and started a family.[/FONT]
THE 9TH BATTALION, GORDON HIGHLANDERS
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR -
University of Aberdeen Press, 1977
The 9th Battalion was formed in 1938 just after the Munich Crisis. The battalion fought in Southern France and North Africa and had been shipped to Malaya in September 1940. General Percival had asked London for experienced units for his command and to date he had received just the 9th Battalion. Upon the outbreak of war, the 9th Battalion; as part of the 2nd Brigade, British 10th Infantry Division; was ordered north to Taiping to act as the reserve force for the Indian forces defending the border.
The small British Army hospital had been evacuated on the first day of the war, all of the patients being sent to safety in Singapore. Most of the medical staff had volunteered to stay (their services would be needed.)
The tin mines of Taiping were important to the British war effort, therefore Lieutenant Colonel Jason Hohman was ordered to defend the mines and the town for as long as possible. The mine entrances had been rigged with explosives to prevent their use by the Japanese.
The testimony of the two senior officers was taken from personal interviews and court documents.
18”The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Day One - January, 3, 1941. Taiping, Malaya.
Major Jan Niemczyk: My day had started off badly. For the past year and half, I had commanded the finest company of men in the entire British Army. The previous night, the Battalion’s Adjutant had gone for a walk and unfortunately he had wandered into a minefield and lost his life. I was the senior company commander, and Colonel Hohman had promoted me (over my objections) and given the job.
The 9th Battalion was responsible for the defense of Taiping. A company of British Indian Army Royal Engineers had been on hand for the past several days helping the battalion dig in. Already Indian troops from the retreating 5th Battalion, 2/16th Punjab Regiment and the 321st Anti-Tank Battery were streaming though his lines. The Sergeant Major had rounded up those soldiers with weapons and put them into the line, the rest (that he could nab), were given picks and shovels and put to work strengthening the defense. The four two pounder anti-tank guns were a welcome addition to their forces. Just before the arrival of the main Japanese force, the engineers pulled out, they were needed elsewhere.
The defenders of Taiping numbered slightly over 1,100 men in 8 companies. After consulting with his senior officers, Colonel Hohman laid out his defenses as follows (Right to left):
E Company, 9th Battalion (Kamuntung expanding out towards Kampung Perak)
D Company, 9th Battalion (Kamuntung)
“G” Company (composite unit of the 5th Battalion, 2/16th Punjab Regiment) (forward deployed along the headwaters of the Sungai Septang River – will fall back on Taiping when ordered).
F Company, 9th Battalion (covering the Number 1 Highway from the A2 road to Kampung Baru Aulong village)
“H” Company (composite unit of the 5th Battalion, 2/16th Punjab Regiment) (Covering the No.1 Highway from Kampung Baru Aulong village to Simpang)
HQ Company, 9th Battalion (located at the airport)
Support Company, 9th Battalion (Taiping)
“Reserve Platoon” (located at the airport)
The British had ten 3 inch mortars, four 2lber anti-tank guns and three 18lber field artillery guns. However, there was an acute shortage of ammunition for the 18lbers.
In addition, for a short time, there was an RAF Fairey Battle Squadron operating out of the airport. On the first day of the war, Japanese bombers had paid a surprise visit and destroyed half of the bombers on the ground. The remaining bombers had been flying in support of the British Indian Army units on the border and were now down to four operational planes.
One of the more colorful men in the battalion was Battalion Sergeant Major Mark Ripley. The Sergeant Major had always been an odd duck. During the retreat to Marseilles the previous year, the Sergeant Major had discovered God, and while he could still swear like the Sergeant Major he had been for the last five years, he had taken to attempting to convert his men into “God fearing Christians”. Major Niemczyk had decided he was the best man to command the reserve, despite wondering about the Sergeant Major’s sanity – he had given up drinking with his new found religion (and how could any man who gave up drinking call himself a Scot?). He wore his kilt when he could get away with it and his claymore was never far from him. He had used it during the battles in France. More than a few Germans had run away in fear when they had encountered him. He had organized the platoon sized reserve after he had been placed in command (The platoon was mounted in Bren Gun carriers and had three obsolete Mark II Lancaster Armored Cars.)
When his scouts reported the first Japanese troops marching up the Kota Road, Colonel Hohman ordered the mines destroyed and the two bridges (rail and road) over the Sungai Septang destroyed and the defending G Company to fall back to their prepared positions along the A2 in front of the Kampung Jana Sambungan village. Approaching Taiping was the 4th Battalion, 2nd Guards Brigade. These were some of Japan’s toughest troops and the British were in for a fight. The 4th Battalion had pushed far ahead of the rest of the 2nd Brigade which was involved in mopping up the last defenders of Parit Buntar. Most of the 5th Battalion, 2/16th Punjab Regiment died defending the town or were executed after surrendering. They would be in position to support the 4th Battalion within 48 hours.
The British artillery opened up on the Guardsmen, scattering them and telling them that this was where the British were going to make their stand. Following the artillery were the last four Battles, which dropped their loads and then flew south towards Singapore. Hohman was promised more air support, but he had a hard time believing it. (Squadron Leader Harold Lesser was relieved of command of his squadron after they arrived in Singapore for cowardice in the face of the enemy).
Lieutenant Colonel Nishizo Genda (Commander, 4th Guards Battalion): My battalion was pushing up the Kota Road towards Taiping. We were pursing the retreating Indians, my orders were to a) secure the bridges, b) secure the airfield and c) secure the tin mines. We were within 2 miles of the mines, when we heard explosions. My scouts reported back that the enemy had blown the mine entrances and both bridges. I was determined even more to grab the air strip. That was when we hit the enemy’s front lines! They were going to make a stand here, which was fine with me since it enabled me to kill them sooner.
I ordered the engineers to start laying a bridge and at the same time, I ordered probing attacks and my company commanders later informed me that we were facing Indians and mad Englishmen! These men were wearing skirts! I gave my men orders that they were to conduct nighttime probes.
The rest of the day brought probing attacks against the British lines. By the end of the day; E, D, G, & F Companies had reported contact with Japanese soldiers.
Day Two – January 4. During the night, there had been multiple attempts by the Japanese to penetrate the British lines, but none had been successful. British artillery had caused some delays but was unable to prevent the bridge from being built. Japanese artillery had been brought up and was now shelling the town and British positions. Major Niemczyk was inspecting G Company’s positions when the Japanese attacked. The company commander was badly wounded when a grenade landed in front of him and exploded. For the next hour, Major Niemczyk and the men of G Company fought a fierce battle with the Japanese Guardsmen.
Major Niemczyk: After G Company’s CO was killed; I took command of the unit. They were composed of British Indian Army lads who had taken a beating at the border and were still skittish and they needed a firm hand guiding them. I had a platoon from the Battalion Support Company come up and give these Indian lads a hand. I gave the bagpiper orders to play “Cock o’ the North” and continue playing the pipes until the enemy withdrew. Naturally within minutes of the Japanese attack, it started to rain. We were well into Malaya’s Monsoon season.
Colonel Genda: My men were good men, not afraid to die or fight the enemy, but when they heard the wailing coming from the British lines, they were nervous and reluctant to move forward. After executing a private, their sergeants pushed them forward into combat. For the next hour we fought the enemy. When we withdrew, No.1 Company was completely destroyed as a fighting unit. I didn’t know what casualties the enemy had taken, but the rain was helping them. Our bombers and fighters were unable to support us and we couldn’t find their artillery. I ordered No. 4 Company to move off to the right, to see if they could cut off the British from Singapore by taking Kampong Jebong Kanan and the highway.
Major Niemczyk: G Company had performed well. The company had 22 dead and 34 wounded out of 177 men. Most of the wounded were quickly patched up and sent right back into the company lines. Thank God the engineers had built us some fine defenses. This damn rain was helping the Japanese since our planes were having a rough time finding the enemy. I received word from the Colonel that General Percival wanted us to hold the town for as long as possible in order for a defense line to be built further south. They were going to send us air support and supplies. The rain was coming down harder now, making flying that much harder. I ordered out my scouts, they were to find the Japanese artillery and headquarters positions. I really didn’t expect to see them again.
Around 1400 hours Lieutenant Bernard Jansen, B Company’s Executive Officer came up and relieved me. I was to report back to Battalion HQ. I conferred with the Colonel once I got back. Over some tea and biscuits we discussed our options. According to the Colonel, we had enough supplies on hand for 3 or 4 days of hard fighting. If we actually got more supplies and men, we could hold out longer. The more it rained, the less we would see of the Jap Air Force. He wanted my opinions on how well the Indians were holding up. These were good lads is what I told him. We were both of the opinion that we would not surrender to the Japs.
We agreed that one of us would get some rest while the other stood watch. He took the first watch. I would try to get four hours of rest. I was woken up rather rudely three hours later by Japanese artillery landing on our positions. They must have infiltrated our positions because the Aid Station, Battalion HQ and one of the 2 signals tents were hit.
Our artillery was returning firer as our first aide lads were sorting out the wounded from the dead. We had lost five dead and sixteen wounded. Among the wounded was the Colonel, he had lost his left leg.
I assumed command of the battalion (I was never going to get my company back.). I quickly gathered the battalion staff (those who had survived the barrage) and got an update. We had heard from Singapore, the rest of the 2nd Brigade was on its way, we only needed to hold out for another 3 days. A supply train was due in tomorrow. We were in a good situation.
Colonel Genda: It had been a hard fought day. We had inflicted much damaged on the enemy and we were going to finish him off within the next few days. We received a radio message from the Brigade Commander saying that the rest of the brigade would be here tomorrow morning and if my men couldn’t finish off the enemy, perhaps we needed help.
I was saddened to lose my Executive Officer. He was killed by an enemy sniper; unfortunately the dog was able to escape my troops. Had I not moved a moment earlier, the sniper would have killed me.
By 1100 hours that night, I had heard from my scouts. The weakest point in their lines was an Indian company (H Company) defending along the highway. I ordered my men out for a dawn attack before the rest of the brigade arrived. We would overrun the Indians and take the enemy supplies and the airport before they could react.
Major Niemczyk: Just after midnight, I was woken up by the Sergeant Major who informed me that a company of Malaysian Volunteers was coming into our lines. He had verified who they were (they had 2 British officers) and he wanted to know where I wanted them. After thinking it over, I ordered them to the Kampung Baru Aulong village where they would be in a position to reinforce F, G or H companies very quickly. I had also been getting reports of Japanese infiltrators inside Taiping itself. I ordered increased patrols and more guards around the HQ, hospital and other vital areas.
I had checked with the Quartermaster earlier, we were down to two days of food and water and a day and half of ammunition at a current usage. While I was glad of the reinforcements, they only added to our supply problems. Just after I finished talking with the Quartermaster, I had a word with the British doctor in charge of the hospital. He wanted to send the more badly wounded men south in the trucks that had just delivered the Malaysians. I told him that the only security I could provide were some of the more lightly injured lads. He agreed and they would leave around 3am. Among the wounded being evacuated was Colonel Hohman. I never should have agreed to the doctor’s request. The convoy of five trucks and one staff car left at 3:30am. That was the last time they were seen alive.
The Japanese noose was slowly tightening around the British defenses. Off to the east, Hula Perak and Marang had fallen to the Japanese. The ever indecisive General Percival had halted the advance of the 10th Division’s 2nd Brigade to Taiping, instead they were ordered to dig in around Batang Padang. Major Niemczyk was ordered to hold until the evening of January 5, then to fall back in good order to Batang Padang. Unfortunately, the 9th Battalion could not count on any air support or resupply convoys as they were needed elsewhere.
Day Three – January 5, 1940
Major Niemczyk: The first Japanese attacks came in about 4am along D & E Companies positions. This was a massive artillery barrage followed by an infantry assault which was barely beaten back. I ordered Sergeant Major Ripley’s support platoon to back the two companies up.
Just after his platoon left, I received word from the F Company commander that his men were being fired upon, but there was no general attack. Pretty soon, I was getting reports from G & H companies that they were receiving probing attacks as well. The eight remaining 3 inch mortars and the sole 18lber were firing in front of our positions as fast as they could.
Colonel Genda: 0445 - My diversionary attacks on the enemy’s lines in front of Taiping succeeded in drawing their attention away from their left flank. I gave the orders to attack their left flank.
Major Niemczyk: 0500 – I had gone forward to D Company to see the situation for myself. I had just gotten there when there was a breakthrough along the seams of D & E Companies. I saw the Sergeant Major lead a counter attack. It was unusual to see a 5’10” bear of a man running into an oncoming enemy force swinging a claymore sword and shouting the 23rd Psalm at the top of his voice. For some odd reason, the Japs didn’t come near him of they could help it..
We were being pressed on two sides; it was only a matter of time before our positions collapsed. I ordered the Malayan Volunteers broken up and their platoons inserted into F, G, & H Companies. One of those platoons broke the minute they came under fire.
I knew we wouldn’t be able to hold this position until nightfall. I ordered the Support Company commander to fall back upon Matang (Three miles south of Taiping) and hold until the rest of the battalion arrived. I also ordered that the runways at the airport and the fuel tanks be destroyed. I was able to grab the Sergeant Major and gave him command of the rear guard which consisted of D Company (all of their officers were dead or missing) and the remnants of his support platoon.
I ordered the mortars to start laying smoke so that the companies could disengage and retreat in an orderly fashion to Matang. The Quartermaster had managed to scrounge up enough transport to move two companies; the rest would have to walk. As I was talking to him, I received a report that a patrol had encountered the wreckage of the medical convoy that had departed that morning. From all appearances, they had run into a Japanese ambush and never had a chance.
Colonel Genda: The enemy was collapsing! Even though they were still holding on to the No. 1 Highway, he was falling back in front of Kamuntung. Taiping was about to fall. I sent out orders to the reconnaissance unit to punch through the enemy’s lines and take the air field. They were actually able to slip around the enemy’s folding lines and race through Taiping to the air field. They were able to catch the enemy’s artillery in the open and destroy it. While they were able to prevent the runways from being destroyed the repair shops and small fuel farm were destroyed.
Major Niemczyk: I received a garbled report from the control tower at the air field. The Japs had taken the artillery and were in the process of taking the rest of the field. F Company had just left and H Company was in the process of loading up. I hadn’t heard from E Company for quite some time and I was afraid they were gone (They had been overrun). I was talking with the Support Company’s XO, Captain McDaniels, when there was a sound of incoming artillery and then blackness. I woke up a week later under arrest in Singapore.
Colonel Genda: The British lines crumbled shortly before 10am. The British units either fell apart (as in the case of the British Indian Army companies) or fell back in good order. Their rear guard held us up on the other side of Taiping for four hours before they were destroyed.
The British stand at Taiping slowed the Japanese offensive down the coast of Malaya for three days. The stand cost the British a fine unit and men they could not afford to lose.
The Aftermath: Of the 1100 defending troops at the start of the battle, 433 made it back to British lines, another 121 were captured (of those men – 32 survived the war), 546 men were missing or believed killed. Japanese losses were 811 men dead or wounded, 6 were taken prisoner.
Among the missing was Sergeant Major Mark Ripley. According to the few D Company survivors, Ripley was seen on the turret of the sole remaining armored car near the airport, directing the armored car’s fire. His remains remained undiscovered until 1952. At that time, the Taiping Airport’s runways were being expanded. The remains of five soldiers were discovered. Four were Japanese; the fifth was later identified as Ripley. Beside him were an empty rifle and his claymore. He was buried in the British Military Cemetery in Singapore. Major General Niemczyk was at his funeral. Ripley’s Victoria Cross and his claymore are on display at the Gordon Highlander’s Museum in Aberdeen.
Major Niemczyk: Was evacuated to Singapore where he was placed under arrest by order of General Percival. Percival held Niemczyk responsible for the death of his friend Lt. Colonel Hohman. Several years before, the Colonel had been on Percival’s staff. Major Niemczyk was court-martialed and found guilty of dereliction of duty and cowardice in the face of the enemy. He was flown out of Singapore on February 2, 1940 on orders from the Provost Marshal of the Malayan Command to Calcutta. The verdict of the court martial was overturned and Niemczyk was returned to active duty. In spite of his best efforts, he was unable to return to Malaya to fight with the remains of his unit. He ended the war as a Brigadier as a liaison officer on the staff of General Joseph Stillwell.
Colonel Genda: His unit took part in the conquest of Malaya and Singapore. He and his unit were later transferred to the Philippines to help defeat the American-Filipino forces. His unit was well known for its cruelty to captured American soldiers. The war ended with Major General Genda in command of the Japanese forces on Truk. He was tried and convicted and executed in 1948.
[FONT="]
CLASSIFIED RADIO MESSAGE[/FONT]
[FONT="]FROM CAPTAIN GJ MCMILLIAN USN, GUAM GOVERNOR[/FONT]
[FONT="]TO COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF US PACIFIC FLEET[11][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 4, 1940
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Please inform the President and the country that the US Forces on Guam conducted themselves with honor and professionalism. It is with deep regret that, with our ammunition and medical supplies running out, that I am forced to order the surrender of the American garrison to the invading Japanese forces.[/FONT]
[FONT="]God bless America![/FONT]
[FONT="]Capt GJ McMillan, USN [/FONT]
[FONT="]Classified radio message [/FONT]
[FONT="]from CTF 17 to C-in-C US Pacific Fleet[12] [/FONT]
[FONT="]January 4, 1940[/FONT]
T[FONT="]o: Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet[/FONT]
[FONT="]From: Commander Task Force 17[/FONT]
[FONT="]cc: Chief of Naval Operations[/FONT]
[FONT="]I have the duty to inform you that the battleships USS Montana and USS North Carolina have completed their acceptance trials and en route to Pearl Harbor. The aircraft carriers Bon Homme Richard and Intrepid and the light carrier Reprisal have joined this command and are in the process of working up[/FONT].
[FONT="]TRUE STORIES[/FONT]
[FONT="]OF THE RESISTANCE[13][/FONT]
[FONT="]By JB Hunnicutt[/FONT]
[FONT="]Province Books[/FONT]
[FONT="]January 4, 1940 – Princess Maria Sophia looked out from the train taking her to London and her mother. She had resisted the idea of leaving her country and fleeing to safety in England. What she had seen in Angeren had made her sick. The two Dutch officers who had been sent to bring her out were able to convince her that she needed some rest and after a month or two in England she could come back. As tired and demoralized as she was; she didn’t recognize the lie and didn’t realize that she would not return until her country had been liberated. She had been flown out to Scotland. [/FONT]
[FONT="]An hour after she left, German troops entered Westervoort and conducted a house by house search looking for her. Furious that she had escaped, the Germans executed 200 locals at the railway station (including her protector, Sergeant Brill). The Germans executed all but six members of the Westervoort resistance cell. For now, resistance to the Germans had ceased in the Westervoort area.[/FONT]
[FONT="]NAVY DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE [/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 5, 1940[14]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The President, upon the advice of the Chief of Naval Operations has recommended to Congress the award of the Medal of Honor to the late Admiral Husband Kimmel. Admiral Kimmel, while performing his duties as Commander-in-Chief, US Pacific Fleet, died at his post during the New Year’s Day attack on Pearl Harbor[/FONT]
[FONT="]The President, upon the advice of the Chief of Naval Operations has recommended Admiral Isaac Kidd to be the new Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet. Admiral Kidd has been the acting Commander-in-Chief since the death of Admiral Kimmel.[/FONT]
[FONT="]FRENCH GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE[15][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 6, 1940
[/FONT]
[FONT="]It is with deep regret, the French Government has announced the retirement of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General Henri Giraud. General Giraud has suffered a heart attack and is being replaced with by General Weygand.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
CLASSIFIED RADIO MESSAGE[/FONT]
[FONT="]FROM COMMANDER[/FONT]
[FONT="]SOUTH TASK FORCE TO [/FONT]
[FONT="]GENERAL GEORGE C MARSHALL[16][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 6, 1940
[/FONT]
[FONT="]General Marshall, I have the honor and duty to inform you that as of 0800 local time, the Headquarters of the South Task Force was activated in the city of Recife, Brazil. I was met by Lieutenant General João Baptista Mascarenhas de Morais, Commander of the Brazilian 2nd Corps, Marine Brigadier General Charles Barrett, and Colonel Jason Arnold, senior airman here in Brazil. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The 3rd Marine and 94th Infantry (Colored) Divisions are ashore and formed up. The Navy has promised to have the 33rd Infantry and 49th Armored Divisions ashore tomorrow and the 42nd Infantry in three days. The Navy has done an outstanding job in getting us here intact and sinking or driving off the U-Boats.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Argentinians are claiming to have taken Joinville, a large town in the state of Santa Catarina. General Mascarenhas de Morais claims otherwise. [/FONT]
[FONT="]I expect to have the Southern Task Force in combat against the enemy within three to four days. The good news is that new A-20s are doing an outstanding job against Argentine ground forces. [/FONT]
[FONT="]My original orders were to expel Argentine forces from Brazil. General Mascarenhas de Morais has formally requested our participation in an invasion of Argentina; I request clarification of my orders.[/FONT]
[FONT="]TRUE STORIES[/FONT]
[FONT="]OF THE RESISTANCE[17][/FONT]
[FONT="]By JB Hunnicutt[/FONT]
[FONT="]Province Books[/FONT]
[FONT="]1988
[/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 8, 1940
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Le Mans, France Lieutenant General Charles DeGualle, Commanding General, French Resistance Forces, was not a happy man. He had heard of Giraud’s “heart attack” and knew why he had been replaced. He had told Tunis that the Germans were not going to be kicked out of Corsica by 2 divisions of infantry, but they didn’t listen. Now Giraud was paying the price for the government’s stupidity.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Over the past three weeks, he had been getting reports from resistance cells from the Pas de Calais to Normandy. The Germans were constructing massive coastal artillery positions and laying minefields. After Dieppe, they weren’t taking any chances.[/FONT]
[FONT="]NEW YORK STANDARD[18][/FONT]
[FONT="]OBITUARIES [/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 10, 1940
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Greenglass, David March 2, 1922 – January 8, 1940, died at Bellevue Hospital from injuries sustained when he was involved in a hit and run accident on 5th Avenue January 7. Mr. Greenglass was on his way to enlist in the Army when the accident occurred. He is survived by his parents and older sister Ethel Greenglass.[/FONT]
[FONT="]JAPANESE 14th ARMY[/FONT]
[FONT="]ORDER OF BATTLE[19][/FONT]
[FONT="]JANUARY 10, 1940
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Commanding General: Lt. General Masaharu Homma[/FONT]
[FONT="]Northern Luzon Invasion Force: [/FONT]
[FONT="]16th Infantry Division (Aparri)[/FONT]
[FONT="] 23rd Infantry Division (Vigan)[/FONT]
[FONT="] 65th Infantry Brigade (Vigan)[/FONT]
[FONT="]Southern Luzon Invasion Force: [/FONT]
[FONT="]48th Infantry Division (Legazpi City)[/FONT]
[FONT="] 44th Thai Cavalry Brigade (Legazpi City)[/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="][1][/FONT][/FONT] Britain in the Pacific War, Niemczyk, Field Marshal Viscount, Aberdeen Press 1984
[FONT="][FONT="][2][/FONT][/FONT] World War II in the Pacific- Build up to the War; Hall, Dr. Christopher, Louisville Press, 1985
[FONT="][FONT="][3][/FONT][/FONT] The Last Stand of The Alamo; Hammond, William; Longhorn Press 202
[FONT="][FONT="][4][/FONT][/FONT] Library of Congress
[FONT="][FONT="][5][/FONT][/FONT] US Army archives
[FONT="][FONT="][6][/FONT][/FONT] Ibid
[FONT="][FONT="][7][/FONT][/FONT] ANC January 2, 1941
[FONT="][FONT="][8][/FONT][/FONT] British Government archives
[FONT="][FONT="][9][/FONT][/FONT] The Fighting 93rd; Shaffer, GL; Aviation Press 2009
[FONT="][FONT="][10][/FONT][/FONT] The Unpublished Diaries of Sergeant George Washington Bolling
[FONT="][FONT="][11][/FONT][/FONT] USN archives
[FONT="][FONT="][12][/FONT][/FONT] Ibid
[FONT="][FONT="][13][/FONT][/FONT] [FONT="]True Stories of the Resistance; Hunicutt, JB; Province Books, 1988[/FONT]
[14][FONT="] US Navy archives[/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="][15][/FONT][/FONT] French Government archives
[FONT="][FONT="][16][/FONT][/FONT] US Army archives
[FONT="][FONT="][17][/FONT][/FONT] [FONT="]True Stories of the Resistance; Hunicutt, JB; Province Books, 1988[/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="][18][/FONT][/FONT] New York Standard January 10, 1940
[FONT="][FONT="][19][/FONT][/FONT] Japanese Government archives