Archive for War In The Pacific

Hope, Laughter, Blood and Tears

admin / March 19, 2012 / No comments


America needed good laughs in early 1944 and a host of comedians were there to provide them, none better than 41 year old Bob Hope. Already a star on Broadway, radio and the movies, Hope traveled the globe for the USO to entertain the troops in all theaters of war. The media called him “America’s No. 1 Soldier in Greasepaint,” and he had an almost fanatical popularity among soldiers, sailors and marines. Amazingly, his USO run of entertaining troops continued into the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf war. LIFE astutely selected Danny Kaye, Red Skelton and Danny Thomas as up and comers in 1944. W.C. Fields career was in steep decline and he died two years later from alcohol-related complications. Fields, an avowed atheist, was caught reading the Bible during his last days in the hospital. When asked why, he cracked, “I’m looking for loopholes.”

The “Battle of Arawe” is not one remembered in America’s New Britain Campaign in the South Pacific. It had the objective of serving as a diversion before a larger landing at Cape Gloucester at the very end of 1943. Japanese air raids made life miserable for the Americans on Arawe. The battle went back and forth until Americans reinforced with additional infantry and tanks in mid January 1944. Many historians believe the entire campaign in Arawe and western New Britain was unnecessary, and that forces could have been more effectively deployed elsewhere. However, for the many American and Japanese  casualties on Arawe, the necessity of the battle was not theirs to reason why.

A moment of surpassing emotion in sport shows Sammy Baugh of the Washington Redskins in a tearful state after being injured in the championship football game won by the Chicago Bears. Baugh was an All-American at Texas Christian University in 1936, and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. A year in the minor leagues convinced him that his prospects were better in professional football and he signed with the Redskins where he played for 15 years. A remarkable athlete, he set 13 NFL records in three player positions: quarterback, punter and defensive back. Baugh lived to age 94 and spent most of his years on his beloved 7,600 acre Texas cattle ranch.

Category: The Home Front, War In The Pacific /

Bombs Away!

admin / November 26, 2011 / No comments



LIFE February 2, 1942 was a grim time for Allied Forces on all fronts. The Japanese and Germans were inflicting stunning losses. America’s planes were mostly untested in combat theaters and some U.S. senators were saying, “…that only one out of four U.S. planes can match enemy planes.” In the case of the B-19 pictured above they were correct. The biggest plane ever built, this 80 ton bomber had a cruising speed of 186 mph, was too vulnerable if hit by enemy fire, and never went into production. The B-17 Flying Fortress turned out to be the decisive plane, especially in Europe. It had a maximum speed of 285 mph and it was rugged. Widely circulated photos showed heavily damaged B-17′s returning safely. It is estimated that close to half the bombs dropped on Germany during the war were from this plane. Almost 12,000 of these were produced by the end of the war. Made famous by the documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and piloted by Robert Morgan, the Memphis Belle was the first B-17 heavy bomber to complete 25 missions with her crew intact.

There was no time for extensive testing of these American planes and improvements were often made during production or at the forward bases in order to integrate feedback from the crews. Inside these planes were American young men and boys whose bravery and achievements electrified Americans on the Home Front and raised faltering morale. Butch O’Hare flew the chunky F4F Wildcat and earned The Medal of Honor (MOH) for single-handedly saving the aircraft carrier USS Lexington from serious damage or loss. Pappy Boyington piloted the F4U Corsair and shot down 26 Japanese aircraft and also won the MOH. The P-38, named “fork-tailed devil” by the Luftwaffe and “two planes, one pilot” by the Japanese, was used in a number of different roles and especially as a long range fighter. It was the plane used by America’s top aces, Richard Bong (40 victories) and Thomas McGuire (38 victories).

The B-24 went into mass production in 1943 at Ford’s Willow Run facility where peak production reached 650 per month by 1944. More than 18,400 were eventually built. B-24′s flew higher, faster, had greater range and carried a heavier bomb load than the B-17. However, it was more difficult to fly, with heavy control forces, and more vulnerable to battle damage. Aircrews tended to favor the B-17′s stout qualities above all other considerations.

As Americans read this issue of LIFE in early 1942 all they had was hope that these instruments of war would stem the tide of defeat. The planes and their crews had yet to achieve notoriety in any battles and the planes themselves were not large in number. Eight of America’s battleships had just been sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. By showcasing these planes, LIFE was sending our enemies a message that America had teeth and that, “They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind.”

~John W.Poynton   @JWPoynton

Category: War In Europe, War In The Pacific /

Torpedo Squadron 8, Dieppe and Home Front Training

admin / November 9, 2011 / One comment

LIFE Aug.31,1942 exemplifies the complicated role news media plays during war. The inspiring cover story of Ensign George Gay’s heroics at the crucial Battle of Midway is featured. A following article titled, “Street Fighting in Dieppe” is an incomplete and misleading account of a poorly planned and executed raid on the port of Dieppe that covers up the slaughter of Canadian troops. Part factual and inspiring, part misleading and part “Home Front” cheerleading, this issue of LIFE gives an aroused citizenry information that the government and the editors of LIFE deem appropriate.

Ensign George Gay led a flight of 15 torpedo planes off the carrier Hornet on June 4, 1942 to attack the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway without any fighter escort. Known as Torpedo Squadron 8, the planes hugged the waves as they engaged a Japanese aircraft carrier. All planes but Gay’s were shot down before reaching the carrier. Gay was able to drop his torpedo and flew directly over the deck of the carrier Kaga. As he cleared the carrier his rear gunner was killed and his plane went down into the sea. Gay hid under a seat cushion for the next 30 hours and witnessed the sinking of three Japanese carriers by American dive bombers in one of the war’s most pivotal battles. He was rescued by a Navy PBY and was the only survivor of the 30 pilots and crewmen of Torpedo Squadron 8. After the war, Gay was a pilot for TWA for more than 30 years.

The Allied raid on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in the northern coast of France on Aug. 19, 1942 started at 5 AM. Six thousand infantrymen, mostly Canadian, were supported by the Royal Navy and Air Force. By 9 AM the Allies were in full retreat. Almost 60 % of the raiders were killed, captured or wounded. The Royal Air Force lost 96 planes, 33 landing craft and one destroyer. The objective of the raid is unclear to this day. Many say it was to serve the personal ambitions of Vice-Admiral Louis, Lord Mountbatten then Chief of Combined Operations. He acted without specific authorization and had poor intelligence. This raid reinforced Churchill’s reluctance to invade Europe across the English Channel, much to the chagrin of General George Marshall and President Roosevelt as they planned the run up to D Day in June, 1944.

US High Schools were gearing up to prepare young men for war as the new school year was about to begin. It was expected that 500,000 boys would enroll in the newly minted Air Training Corps of America. The program was supervised by the Civilian Aviation Authority and Army and Navy observers. By 1943 it was hoped that 2,000,000 boys would be in training for aviation careers.

~John W. Poynton  @JWPoynton

Category: The Home Front, War In Europe, War In The Pacific /
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