Tuesday - April 24, 2012

t’was not a gentleman’s war

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1942

When was the last time an American car was spoken of with such devotion and pride?

I haven’t posted one of these in a long time.  The Telegraph runs a block on a page daily, reporting on the war as if it were happening now, with articles taken from the pages of the paper then.  Makes for interesting reading.

If I live long enough to ever get home again, one of the things I will greatly miss are Brit newspapers.  And Tesco and Waitrose and Sainsbury and Morrisons markets. If only they could divorce this political correctness they’re married to ......

AMERICAN TANKS THERE

American tanks have been in action in Burma for weeks past.
A young captain who brought some of them through seven road blocks under machine-gun fire and shell-fire, said: “They are the best in the world.”

They have all the fire power one can want, and are mechanically perfect.  They are just like American cars: you put in the petrol and they go.
We blew up two enemy tanks 400 yards beyond what we consider the effective range of our guns, said the captain.

HEAVY ENEMY ATTACKS ON ALL BURMA FRONTS

“First trick by treachery”

A British general on the front summed up his view of the Burma situation in the words: “The enemy has taken the first tricks by treachery and surprise; we will take the last.”
“Japanese sneak tactics made it impossible to hold the line in the jungle.  Japanese wearing Burmese clothing would slip from tree to tree, calling to the Indian troops in Hindustani, ‘Don’t shoot. friend,’ until they infiltrated behind lines, laid ambushes and built road blocks.
We are definitely superior when we meet the enemy face to face, although he is good when up a tree or sniping from ambush and built road blocks.”

Reading this here in 2012 and with a few other wars behind and one ongoing, that general seemed upset that the Japanese were not fighting a gentleman’s war. 
It would be comic except for what the troops actually had to endure for so long. And who also learned a few tricks of their own when it came to ambush and sniping etc.

Something else found while looking for things.
This really surprised me as I had always been under the impression that Burma was primarily a jungle war.  Not so, apparently. Ya live and learn.
Take a look.

SOME JAPANESE TACTICS OBSERVED IN BURMA
The Japanese apparently make a practice of using various types of defensive positions, according to the terrain, the time available for construction, and the strength of the enemy. On Guadalcanal and parts of New Guinea, they frequently established their defenses on low, jungle-covered ground, in preference to high ground. In Burma, where less jungle is encountered, the Japanese usually established their positions on terrain heights and near the crests of heights.

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/jp-tactics-burma/index.html

Posted by peiper     on 04/24/2012 at 05:59 AM   
Filed Under: • War-Stories •  
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