Doc's Facts
Tis' a Fact reported by Doc - That:
Fact Note #1: THE SECOND MARINE CORPS GENERAL OFFICER TO COMMAND A U.S. ARMY IN THE FIELD!
The war in the Ryukyu Islands began in the early hours of 23 March 1945 (as the first advance Allied naval force arrived on station), in the East China Sea area, west of the Kerama Islands. A few miles due west of Okinawa Gunto's port of Naha. The Ryukyu Retto assault would open Operation Iceberg. The termination of the war on Okinawa, was upon 23 June, when General Joseph Stilwell, USA, assuming command of the Xth U.S. Army, relieving Lt. General Roy S. Geiger, USMC, Commander, 3rd Amphibious Corps (the second U.S. Marine Corps General Officer to command a U.S. Army in the field).
Fact Note #2: THE LAST MAJOR CAMPAIGN OF THE GREAT PACIFIC WAR!
Approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in mid June 1945, was the plan for the Allied thrust, south to first liberate the British and Dutch oil fields on Borneo, and secondly, engage Field Marshall Hisaichi Teruchi's, Imperial Japanese Army, Southern Area Command of 150,000 scattered and isolated troops in Borneo, the Celebes.
The Royal Australian Commonwealth Forces, under Field Marshall Sir Thomas Blamey RACA, were joined by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur's ground and naval South West Pacific Forces (SWPF). This large Southward Allied Amphibious Force Operation in the South China Sea, was the last MAJOR combat operation, WW II's Great Pacific War.
Fact Note #3: A NON-COMBAT LEADER!
Recently a rash of International News paper editorials, think-tank academics, correspondents in distant foreign capital havens (far from the Partied Act grip?), and front-line journalist often reporting on the number of War-hawks clamoring for military action, who never served overseas, or experienced a battle field stomach, or saw the swarms of jumbo flies, or thundering gun fire around the clock.
A fact is recalled in The Great Pacific War, there was a U.S. Army commander about to order a landing force of four Infantry Divisions (182,112 troops) to conduct a frontal amphibious assault, against a fully entrenched enemy army. Also, on the Pacific Ocean side, to the extreme south, a supporting Infantry Division was poised afloat, off the landing beach, awaiting to coordinate a two-day diversionary feint.
The general had a splendid record as a defense planner, in an isolated region. In a short span of time, he had been elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General. Now, commanding a U. S. Army, preparing for its' first Pacific landing on the morrow. The general, snug in a VIP cabin, aboard the U. S. Navy's Expeditionary Force Command ship
El Dorado opened his diary, and scribbled: "Tomorrow will be my first battle. I hope I do well".
Reference Source: Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., Lieutenant General. Diary entry aboard the El Dorado, March 31, 1945.
Fact Note #4: MAINTENANCE IS A VERY VITAL REQUIRMENT!
The (U. S.) Army Service Command, established in October 1944, had the responsibility for selecting the location, construction, and logistical support of bases in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). By far the largest supply installation (Manila) was Base X, formally activated April 1945.
A problem began on Cape Torokina's landing beaches, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, and continued, resulting in a crisis effect, during the Okinawa Gunto campaign. Example of the vital problem, that was never resolved.
When the 7th U.S. Army Infantry Division relieved the 3rd Marine Division, an unforeseen problem shortly surfaced. The Army Quartermaster, had mustered all the vehicles assigned to artillery units, and detached troops from Infantry regiments, for its' organization of a provisional truck company, acquiring a total of ninety-six, 22 ton trucks.
These trucks were employed around-the-clock, hauling heavy loads on the sand beaches, volcanic ash roads; add salt water. In less than 10 days every truck came to a grinding halt. The accumulation of the three elements eroded brake shoes, with other related breakdown factors. Reasons for the breakdowns, were a shortage of mechanics, lack of spare parts, with no replacement of un-serviceable equipment.
Continuing throughout following months of the scattered fighting, eventually to the campaign on the Okinawa Gunto, where coral dust and salt water eroded transportation equipment, artillery pieces, and aircraft. The Quartermaster's and Commanding General's requests to - resolve the need for spare parts As Soon As Possible (ASAP), and additional Service Company personnel's request, that Headquarters, Army Ground Forces in Washington , refused to consider these suggestions - on flimsy requirements.
Reference Source: U. S. Government Printing Office. The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in The War Against Japan. Washington, D.C. 1950., pg. 91, col. 1.
Fact Note #5: Australia's Combat Forces Assigned to A Foreign Command!
In Mid 1962, upon General Douglas MacArthur's arrival in Melbourne, New South Wales, Australia the similarity with today has a parallel - with a great exception.
"... the position of General MacArthur (in) Australia (was) unique. The General (was) a commander of a foreign though friendly power, with his headquarters located in the country of another government, which (has) continued to exercises all its sovereign powers, but assigned to (MacArthur) its combat forces, which for (a) long (time) constituted the great bulk of MacArthur's command."
Reference Source:
Canberra National Archive, Australia. ANGRM file of Major General Charles A. Willoughby, U. S. Army. G-2, SWPA, File 60, First 6 months. Page 4.
(Copy, held in Personal FACT file, Australia!
(Registration and Personal research at the National Archive, Canberra, Australia, 1990).
Fact Note #6: Shrapnel and Shell Fragments vastly Different!
On July 9, 1779, a young lad near London, received a Royal Grant, Commissioning him as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, British Army. By his 18th birthday, our British Army artillerists had conceived the idea of a bullet- showering-projectile. The shell was to consist of a hollow cylindrical body with a conical head; in the interior near the base, there was an explosive charge, and immediately above the charge was an iron disk. ln the space between this disk and the head, the body of the projectile was filled with 341 - 12oz steel balls! The fuse was fixed in the nose of the projectile. Included as a timing system, so devised as to explode the shell in flight, and releasing the mass of steel balls forward, in a cone-shape-shower, with a velocity of 400 feet, or more per-second. The impact of the 341 steel balls carried everything in an awesome path of mass destruction.
This was the period in world history with countries aligned for the overthrow of Napoleon Bonaparte. Young Artillerist Shrapnel was soon with an artillery unit, stationed on Gibraltar. There he noted in one action, batteries firing more than 2,000 - 24 pounders from the Rock, upon a body of advancing Spanish troops. When the smoke cleared, peering through his telescope, he noted that out of the large body of troops, only 26 men fell under the preponderance of British Artillery fire.
Now, the artilleryman, promoted to Colonel of the Royal Artillery. It was at his urging, that Army Ordnance developed a field weapon, to fire shrapnel. The Royal Artillery shortly received a 3.2-inch gun for firing shrapnel shells. The historic date - when shrapnel was first use in combat was the 1804 bombardment of the Batavian settlement in Surinam, the Dutch East Indies. The awesome result of the opening first salvo of a shrapnel round; promptly upon receiving the second round, the garrison surrendered. The impressed Prussians simply began designing and improved the special artillery weapon, and shell. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71 ), Prussian artillery with the new weapon was able to achieved spectacular success against the French infantry.
The shell continues to be identified in all armies as "shrapnel." The term "shell fragment" was ignored by war correspondents covering combat operation casualties in WW II.. The term "Shrapnel" was much smoother wording in such a story as. "... Corporal Smith was struck by shell fragmentation."
Today, the term "Shrapnel" will be quill driven by war correspondents, as in the past. If a person is now in the path of a ballistic missile, most likely the late Colonel Henry Shrapnel, Royal Artillery, British Army Retired, would likely report, at a startling result a battle reported in the London Observer; "On March 21, 2003. Special Forces ...searching the target area, after the ballistic missile hit, there were no remains of Corporal Smith or others, to be found!" "By Jove, indeed."
Reference Source:
Personal Research, Bio data, Henry Shrapnel, Col. Royal Artillery, British Army. Retired.
The Imperial War Museum, Oval Room, London 1990
New York Times. Article, Sunday Magazine, May 30 , 1910.
The French-Prussian War of 1870-71. Berlin 1872