Intelligence Bulletin: February, 1943

by Military Intelligence Service

Volume 1, No. 6

Genres: World War II

102 pages, Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Ted]

Each Intelligence Bulletin asks "Have You Learned a Lesson About the Enemy?" and seeks contributions from military personnel articles that present lessons about enemy tactics, techniques, and materiel. Produced throughout WWII by the U.S. Military Intelligence Service, you will find no "political correctness" here. In this particular issue we hear from Leyte veterans that "Japs were as tricky as ever" followed by a discussion of various booby traps encountered. Don't pick up any coconuts lying on ground near Jap foxholes! (There may be a wired hand grenade inside).

We learn how to throw a German Panzerwufmine (an antitank hand grenade) and what to expect if captured by Germans and interrogated. Offer Name, rank, and serial number only. "Don't attempt to give any answers at all!" Perhaps the most "insightful"(?!) article of all is the one that discusses how you can tell a Jap from a Chinese, in other words, "can you tell your enemy from your ally?" Among the most "helpful" tips are:

1.The Jap is shorter with a long torso and short, thick arms and legs.
2. The Japs "slant eye" is less pronounced.
3. The Jap is hairier.
4. The Jap has poor posture and is "inclined to hunch and shuffle along while walking," while Chinese have good posture and "walk like us."
5. The Jap has poorer teeth and has a fondness for gold fillings.
6. The Jap will have a wide space between his great and second toe because "at home he is used to wearing a geta - a wooden clog held to his foot by leather thongs between his great and second toe." However, we then learn that Southern Chinese- "from rice paddy country - wear similar clogs and therefore have similar feet deformities."

If still in doubt as to the nationality of an "oriental" ask him to repeat "Robin left the lousy rug." The Jap will respond "Robin reft the rous-sy rug." A South Chinese will say, "Lobin left the lousy lug," while a Chinese from North or Central China will repeat the sentence pretty much as you do."

[Ted]

Intelligence Bulletins were published on a monthly basis throughout WWII by the U.S. Army to serve as a vehicle for the dissemination of information regarding issues and events encountered during the conduct of the war against Germany and Japan received by Military Intelligence services.

In this October, 1943 publication we learn about winter use of infantry weapons, how defense of a position is best achieved, and "despite their fanaticism and willingness to fight until killed, Japanese soldiers are apparently still human." Apparently?

There was certainly no political correctness to be found in these publications, particularly to articles relating to the Japanese.

Merged review:

The first of Intelligence Bulletins published monthly through WWII to assure "that the American soldier as well as the junior officer may be fully informed as to the enemy's methods and practices so that in an emergency he may be able to make an accurate estimate as possible of a situation."

[Ted]

Among other things I learned the most common patterns the Germans employed when laying mine fields, that Moroccan soldiers are born warriors who possess in the highest degree the characteristics of a perfect infantry soldier, and that at night, Jap soldiers can be detected by a characteristic odor, which resembles the "gamy odor of animals".

The world was at war in 1943. You'll find no political correctness here.

[Ted]

Diary entries by a Japanese soldier:

13 August 1942 Natives brought us nine Australian prisoners. Five men, three women, and one child.

14 August 1942 About 0800 we decapitated or shot all nine prisoners.

[Ted]

To Japanese troops starving in New Guinea these words of encouragement from their commanding officer: "We are all thin from lack of food... There is a saying that the Samurai (warrior) displays a toothpick even when he hasn't eaten. This is an example worth emulating at the present time."