'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 12, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

Great review Rowan. Thanks for sharing with the group. I will have to go look for a copy I think :)

Liz V. wrote: "Great escape news
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7..."

A good bit of news!

Thanks for that link Liz! The wreck looks almost intact.

Good point Mike! :)

That's good to hear Bob! I have that trilogy waiting to be read.

Have to agree with you there MR9! 😀

"Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II" - American Naval aircraft softening up Saipan prior to the landings:

"An Avenger crew from Torpedo Squadron 10 (VT-10) flying off the Enterprise had a scare when their so-called 'flying pig' took two antiaircraft hists over Saipan - one smashed the flaps on the starboard wing, while the other blew off the portside horizontal stabilizer and elevator. Thinking they were going down, pilot Ernie Lawton radioed his two crewmen to bail out. He rescinded that order seconds later as he regained control, but radioman Jim Geyton had unplugged his headset in the scramble and was already going out the hatch. Turret gunner George Hamilton reached for Geyton at the last second. 'I grabbed him and pulled him back in, damn near went out with him.' said Hamilton. Lawton got the badly damaged aircraft back to Enterprise, 'relying more on ballistics than aeronautics,' recalled Hamilton. 'Ernie for the Distinguished Flying Cross for that - Jimmy and I got a change of shorts'."

Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II by James H. Hallas

"Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II" - The author mentioned the terrible disaster at West Loch involving naval elements slotted for the invasion of Saipan. I can't recall reading about this incident previously:

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-b...

https://www.stripes.com/history/2024-...

Dipanjan wrote: "I have selected the following book on the siege of Kohima for the theme on 1944 campaign in Asia.

"

Sounds like a real interesting book Dipanjan, enjoy!

That should be an interesting account carl!

Thanks for that link, Liz!

"Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II" - The invasion of Saipan was given the code name Forager. Here are some details on the effort required:

"Forager would involve 166,000 troops; 71,000 of that total were assigned to the Saipan assault. The operation would involve 535 ships, including battleships (7), heavy cruisers (6), light cruisers (5), carriers (11), destroyers (86), destroyer escorts (16), minesweepers (44), attack transports (43), attack cargo ships (13), fast transports (13), transports (17), cargo ships (10), merchant transports (9), merchant cargo ships (12), landing ships, dock (8), landing ships, tank (91), landing craft, infantry (50), landing craft, tank (36), auxiliary transport-hospital (1), auxiliary coastal transport (1), as well as a variety of repair ships, patrol craft, net layers, sixteen submarine chasers, and six tugs. Crucial to the landing were the amphibious tractors needed to get the assault Marines over Saipan's fringing reef. At Saipan, more than 700 amtracs from eight Marine and U.S. Army amphibious tractor battalions - the 2nd, 5th, 10t, 534th, 715th, 773rd, 2nd Armored, and 708th Armored - would help ensure there would be no repeat of the bloodbath at Tarawa."

Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II by James H. Hallas

Jonny wrote: ""The Battle For Shaggy Ridge" - Philip Bradley describes the basic makeup of Australian forces in New Guinea in 1943/44:"An Australian independent company was a hard-hitting force of commandos comp..."

That's a lot of firepower!

"Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II" - The author discussed the reorganisation of the Marine units prior to the Saipan campaign:

"As they approached combat on Saipan, Marine units were more lethal than ever. A reorganization of rifle squads into three four-man fire teams headed by a squad leader provided a more flexible assault element. It also upped the number of Browning Automatic Rifles (BARs) per squad from one to three - increasing the number in a division from 558 to 853. Special assault squads were armed with bazookas and flamethrowers - with the number of flamethrowers in a division increased tenfold from twenty-four to 243. Experimental Canadian flamethrowers made by Ronson were also fitted to a company of light tanks, which the Marines promptly dubbed 'Zippo tanks' in honor of the fames cigarette lighter."

WW2 US Flamethrower Tanks:
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/catego...

Jonny wrote: "I'll wrap in with The Battle for Shaggy Ridge: The extraordinary story of the Australian campaign against the Japanese in New Guinea's Finisterre mountains in 1943-44
[bookcover:The..."

I hope it's a good account Jonny as I am sure I have an unread copy somewhere in my library!

Marc wrote: "I'm starting the group read with this one:

[book:Devil Dogs: King Company, Thir..."

I hope "Devil Dogs" is a good read as I have a copy waiting to be read, keep us all posted Marc :)

"Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II" - From the Introduction:

"The D-Day landings on the coast of France were conducted over 20 miles of water separating England from Continent. The assault on Saipan moved 535 ships and over 70,000 men some 3,200 nautical miles across the vast Pacific to land on a hostile shore only 1,250 nautical miles from Tokyo.

Saipan was also the first multidivisional amphibious assault in Marine Corps history; the first to tackle a limited land mass; the first to encounter Japanese civilians in substantial numbers; and the first where Marines had to deal with street-to-street fighting in an urban area. It was the setting for the largest carrier battle in history; scene of the largest enemy tank assault of the Pacific War; the largest mass 'banzai' attack; and one of the great tragedies of the war as hundreds of civilians chose to leap to their deaths from Saipan's towering cliffs rather than accept capture by the hated Americans."

Operation Forager: The Battle of Saipan:
https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-b...

Rowan wrote: "I'm grateful to my friend who gifted me a copy of [book:Buckham's Bombers: The Australian airm..."

Great to hear you are enjoying the book, Rowan. Keep us all posted on your progress.

Some excellent books there Perato! They should see you through the year with some great reads :)

Pierce wrote: "I will be reading Bitter Peleliu by Joseph Wheelan for this months group read. really enjoyed his book bloody Okinawa as well."

Pierce, I hope it's a good account as I have that book plus his one on Okinawa waiting to be read. I really enjoyed his book on General Phil Sheridan.

Bitter Peleliu: The Forgotten Struggle on the Pacific War's Worst Battlefield by Joseph Wheelan