- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
75th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:11 am
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:11 am
quote:
At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and drew the United States irrevocably into World War II.
quote:
military personnel had been given passes to attend religious services off base. At 7:02 a.m., two radar operators spotted large groups of aircraft in flight toward the island from the north, but, with a flight of B-17s expected from the United States at the time, they were told to sound no alarm. Thus, the Japanese air assault came as a devastating surprise to the naval base.
Much of the Pacific fleet was rendered useless: Five of eight battleships, three destroyers, and seven other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than 200 aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,200 were wounded, many while valiantly attempting to repulse the attack. Japan’s losses were some 30 planes, five midget submarines, and fewer than 100 men. Fortunately for the United States, all three Pacific fleet carriers were out at sea on training maneuvers. These giant aircraft carriers would have their revenge against Japan six months later at the Battle of Midway, reversing the tide against the previously invincible Japanese navy in a spectacular victory.
The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941–a date which will live in infamy–the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” After a brief and forceful speech, he asked Congress to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan. The Senate voted for war against Japan by 82 to 0, and the House of Representatives approved the resolution by a vote of 388 to 1. The sole dissenter was Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana, a devout pacifist who had also cast a dissenting vote against the U.S. entrance into World War I. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States, and the U.S. government responded in kind.
The American contribution to the successful Allied war effort spanned four long years and cost more than 400,000 American livesfu.
Tl;dr version: Japanese fricked with us, Germans and Italians declared war on us as well. We put our American foot up their candy asses.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:13 am to Vols&Shaft83
Don't wake the Sleeping Giant.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:13 am to Vols&Shaft83
I'm visiting the USS Arizona memorial in the spring. It's sad and infuriating that hundreds of sailors are still down there
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:19 am to LordSaintly
quote:
I'm visiting the USS Arizona memorial in the spring. It's sad and infuriating that hundreds of sailors are still down there
Since both my grandfathers served in WWII, this is on my bucket list.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:25 am to Vols&Shaft83
quote:
At 7:02 a.m., two radar operators spotted large groups of aircraft in flight toward the island from the north, but, with a flight of B-17s expected from the United States at the time, they were told to sound no alarm.
Some of the best parts of the movie "Tora Tora Tora" are the parts with the B-17's.
B-17 crash landing
One of the Forts was being flown out to Hawaii to participate in the film. The right main gear wouldn't come down. The film guys said, "just circle for a little bit."
The real crash landing was in the final film.
"Tora Tora Tora" has a detailed account of the months before the attack also. It is worth a look.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:26 am to Vols&Shaft83
My great-aunt's husband was in the Navy and on duty the morning of the attack. He had some great stories about that and the rest of the war, and absolutely HATED the Japanese throughout his entire life.
He rode motorcycles into his 70s, but would never ride, or even touch, a Honda or Kawasaki
He rode motorcycles into his 70s, but would never ride, or even touch, a Honda or Kawasaki
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:32 am to WhiskeyPapa
If you don't know "Victory At Sea" it is, for want of better superlatives, fricking awesome.
The Pacific Boils Over
This episode of "Victory" details the attack on PH. Clips are used both from the film the Japs made of their great success and also the film the US government made.
The Pacific Boils Over
This episode of "Victory" details the attack on PH. Clips are used both from the film the Japs made of their great success and also the film the US government made.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:37 am to Vols&Shaft83
it was the 9/11 of its day
difference being, we really had the nads to react and do something about it...
difference being, we really had the nads to react and do something about it...
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:38 am to King Teal
quote:
My great-aunt's husband was in the Navy and on duty the morning of the attack. He had some great stories about that and the rest of the war, and absolutely HATED the Japanese throughout his entire life.
We had the commander of my unit, Item Company 3/24 from Iwo Jima for the guest of honor at our Marine Corps Ball in Nashville. He was wounded twice -- had machine gun bullets go through the sleeve of his utility jacket -- and won a Navy Cross.
He wanted to visit Andrew Jackson's home, the Hermitage. We agreed we didn't much care for the Japs and they didn't like us either, really. Even in 1989.
So we are watching this little film/slide show they have before you go in the mansion. At the end it said: "Brought to you by Nissan."
We just looked at each other.
This post was edited on 12/7/16 at 6:39 am
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:41 am to King Teal
My godfather fought at Guadalcanal among other battles. Actually got shot in the head by a Jap, but the bullet got lodged in his helmet webbing. He brought the bullet home and gave it to his wife to wear on a charm bracelet.
He never really spoke a lot about the war, but he definitely hated the Japanese for the majority of his lifetime. Finally broke down and bought a civic in the 90's though lol.
As much as i want to understand what that generation went through and the sacrifices that were made to save the world from fascism/imperialism, I know i will never be able to. Truly the greatest generation that ever lived.
He never really spoke a lot about the war, but he definitely hated the Japanese for the majority of his lifetime. Finally broke down and bought a civic in the 90's though lol.
As much as i want to understand what that generation went through and the sacrifices that were made to save the world from fascism/imperialism, I know i will never be able to. Truly the greatest generation that ever lived.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:50 am to dcbl
Aft of Arizona in blue is Nevada; she did sortie but was beached after several hits. Forward of Arizona are Tennessee (inboard) and West Virginia. Next are Maryland and Oklahoma.
tanker Neosho is visible. She was sunk 5/7/42 in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Beyond Neosho is USS California.
USS California listing before settling to the bottom. USS Neosho beyond. If you look carefully aft of Neosho, you can see the hull of USS Oklahoma, already capsized.
Salvage of USS Oklahoma
USS Tennessee rebuilt
USS Nevada rebuilt
USS California rebuilt
This post was edited on 12/7/16 at 7:06 am
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:51 am to Vols&Shaft83
Really not sure what planet the Japanese leadership were living on when they made this decision. Yes, the embargo was fricking their arse regarding their oil supplies and the United States was driving a hard bargain. But the decision to go to war with the United States and Britain while still fighting the Chinese was idiotic. Their military leadership exemplified hubris to an extreme fault. There was no way they could survive an extended fight with the United States and there was no way the United States would simply settle with them after a sneak attack and then the barbarity they displayed to our troops in the Philippines and Wake Island. And at the time they attacked, there was absolutely no assurance that Germany would declare war on the United States as well (they were not required to do so by their treaty agreements), which would have subjected them to the full attention of the U.S. in a single theater of war.
I've been off and on listening to John Toland's book on the Japanese empire from 1927 through 1945 and their military leaders were some real sons of bitches that pretty much bullied the political leadership into those wars.
I've been off and on listening to John Toland's book on the Japanese empire from 1927 through 1945 and their military leaders were some real sons of bitches that pretty much bullied the political leadership into those wars.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 6:59 am to GumpInLex
Guadalcanal was no joke. The USMC gets a lot of the credit for the Pacific, but the US Army actually bore the brunt of fighting and casualties in the island campaigns.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 7:02 am to ChewyDante
quote:
Really not sure what planet the Japanese leadership were living on when they made this decision.
The Japanese thought we simply wouldn't fight them. A friend of mine pointed out many years ago that the Japanese had enough merchant marine assets to bring back raw materials to Japan to pursue their war aims or -- they had enough to supply their ring of island fortresses that they expected to deter us.
They didn't have the shipping assets to do both. Crazy.
After the battle of the Philippines sea in June, 1944, it was clear the Japanese had no military solution that could favor them. They callously subjected their population to year of immolation by the B-29 force because they couldn't deal with reality.
Japanese Surrender Party on USS Missouri.
See the civilian with a cane? He walked with a cane because militarists tried to blow him up for holding that Japan shouldn't fight the U.S. Years later they sent the poor bastard out to surrender to us.
The young Japanese civilian on the right is extensively interviewed in the "World at War" series done in the 1970's.
This post was edited on 12/7/16 at 7:08 am
Posted on 12/7/16 at 7:08 am to WhiskeyPapa
quote:
He walked with a cane because militarists tried to blow him for holding that Japan shouldn't fight the U.S.
Well that's certainly a way to give him a piece of your mind.
And the strain of militarist extremism within the Japanese armed forces essentially rendered the political leadership superfluous. I had never heard of the February 26 incident until reading Toland's book but it was a perfect exemplification of this. If the political leadership didn't act aggressively enough, they risked being murdered by any number of extreme factions that existed within the Japanese military establishment. The unique culture of death and brutality in Japan at that time is pretty hard for Western minds to understand. Totally unique attitudes.
The fact that there was a clique in the military leadership that attempted to assassinate the emperor in late 1945 for wanting to capitulate with what Japan was being subjected to at that time illustrates the depths to which this attitude reached.
This post was edited on 12/7/16 at 7:17 am
Posted on 12/7/16 at 7:18 am to King Teal
quote:
Guadalcanal was no joke. The USMC gets a lot of the credit for the Pacific, but the US Army actually bore the brunt of fighting and casualties in the island campaigns.
The doctrine of amphibious assault was developed pre-war by the FMF (Fleet Marine Forces) in the Marine Corps, and it has stood the test of many decades. During the war teams of Marines would train Army units on how to hit and secure a beach.
Army doctrine of the era, Tank Destroyers - abandoned. Armored Division organization - abandoned.
The 1940 version of FM-100 "Operations" had large sections copied word for work from the German, as the US Army had no idea what it was doing, as it amply showed in North Africa.
Guadalcanal was secured by the First Marine Division augmented by the 8th Marine Regiment; Army troops came later.
The First MarDiv patch commemorates the fight at Gudalcanal.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 7:21 am to ChewyDante
quote:
The fact that there was a clique in the military leadership that attempted to assassinate the emperor in late 1945 for wanting to capitulate with what Japan was being subjected to at that time illustrates the depths to which this attitude reached.
Just finished reading "The Conquering Tide" by Ian Toll, which deals with a lot of this. Even after the dropping of two atomic bombs, the Japanese government had no idea of surrender. Huge numbers of civilian deaths didn't faze them. It was only after Russian forces entered Manchuria that the Japanese seriously addressed the end of the war.
Posted on 12/7/16 at 7:22 am to WhiskeyPapa
quote:Isn't it interesting how they were all lined up like sitting ducks.
Aft of Arizona in blue is Nevada; she did sortie but was beached after several hits. Forward of Arizona are Tennessee (inboard) and West Virginia. Next are Maryland and Oklahoma.
tanker Neosho is visible.
I wonder why that was and how it came to be?
Posted on 12/7/16 at 7:29 am to WhiskeyPapa
quote:
but the US Army actually bore the brunt of fighting and casualties in the island campaigns.
The Army clearly had the easier time of it, even if it engaged more troops. Marines took the most difficult objectives. Army units fought in the Philippines and Okinawa, assisted at Peleliu and elsewhere, but the Marines -- who were very jealous of their prerogatives -- did the toughest fighting.
For their troubles, the Army tried to have the Marine Corps eliminated entirely after the war.
This post was edited on 12/7/16 at 7:29 am
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News