Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Things They Carried-Tim O'Brien Book Portfolio Qtr. 4
Type of Casualty
Number of Records
Hostile, Killed in Action 38,502
Hostile, Died of Wounds 5,264
Hostile, Died While Missing 3,524
Hostile, Died While Captured 116
Non-Hostile, Died from Other Causes 7,458
Non-Hostile, Died of Illness or Injury 1,978
Non-Hostile, Died While Missing 1,351
Total
58,193
Friday, May 8, 2009
SAT QUESTIONS Carissa, Brittany, and Kourtney
Axis Power's.
The axis powers also known as the Axis Alliance, Axis Nations, and Axis Countries. These were the country's that were opposed to the Allies during World War 2. The Allies were Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Germany, was the most deadly army to march across Europe. No other could match tactical expertise or vehicle quality of Germany, they produced nearly 80.000 armored vehicles, but Russia built some 70.000 T-34 tanks alone, and Allied tanks came from all fronts to defeat Germany. From 1939 to 1940 (Pz-II, Pz-III, and Pz-38's) lightly armored was enough for beating Polen or Holland. From 1941 to 1943 (Pz-IV's) were better armor and armament, dealing with T-34's and Shermans, but were still vulnerable to most Allied tanks. From 1943 the Panthers and Tigers gives Germans a technical edge over the Allies, but they were outnumbered by the growing numbers of Allied tanks. German infantry well-equipped could stand up to almost anything the Allies throw at them. From 1943 to end 1944 skill level as a whole declines. The German Army throughout the war has adequate support from its artillery, the changing roles of the Luftwaffe from ground support to that of fighter defense against air raids over Germany, slowly declines German artillery.
Italy, A combination of over-eagerness and bad timing had Italy join the Axis. Poor military leadership and equipment handicapped Italy's efforts in the war, but the Italian Army made valuable contributions to the Axis. From the desert of North Africa to the snow-covered plains of Russia. The Italian infantry soldier was a man with no morale and lackluster. The whole Italian tank production during WW II was nearly 3.500 tanks, under gunned with poor armor. The artillery was perhaps the best troops fielded in the war, well-trained, using 100+ guns, most 75mm field gun or 80mm mortar.
Japan, The Japanese Army in WW II was most part an infantry-based army. Mid 1930's the Japanese began to expand their tank program. They built about 6.000 armored vehicles of all types. There was a wasteful rivalry (hate) in the army between the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), so that the war industry produced separate models planes, tanks and ships for each branch. With limited industrial resources and capacity, the Japanese had to win the war quickly, or not at all. The Japanese were the best light infantrymen in the war, with an incredible devotion to duty, high morale, absolute refusal to surrender and for all deadly enemies. They believed in the all-out charge attack with bayonets and taking positions by pure force. The infantry had not enough automatic weapons (and anti-tank weapons), only armed with rifles and grenades, so they began to field suicide. The Japanese tanks fought mostly in dense, heavily wooded terrain. Japanese opponents in the Pacific and Asian had little or no armor, so Japanese tanks being lightly armored and under gunned in the war. The Japanese artillery had an odd mix of guns calibers and limited available, few recent designs guns, some from WW I and old guns from the early 1900's.No self-propelled artillery, most horse-drawn or towed by truck. Japanese some use the massive bombardment, so as the Allies did, due to doctrine and limited ammunition.
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http://www.scenery.org/posters_axis_directory.htm
| Leadership | Equipment | Where They Fought | Troop Morale | Industrial Production | |
| Germany | No other could match tactical expertise | -80.000 armored vehicles - 70.000 T-34 tanks | Polen or Holland | The German Army throughout the war has adequate support from its artillery | 100 million military personnel |
| Italy | Italy, A combination of over-eagerness and bad timing had Italy join the Axis. Poor military leadership and equipment handicapped Italy's efforts in the war, but the Italian Army made valuable contributions to the Axis. | The Italian infantry soldier was a man with no morale and lackluster. | |||
| Japan |
1939 Germany invades Poland and annexes Danzig; Britain and France give Hitler ultimatum (Sept. 1), declare war (Sept. 3). Disabled German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee blown up off Montevideo, Uruguay, on Hitler's orders (Dec. 17). Limited activity (“Sitzkrieg”) on Western Front. 1940 Nazis invade Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg (May 10). Chamberlain resigns as Britain's prime minister; Churchill takes over (May 10). Germans cross French frontier (May 12) using air/tank/infantry “Blitzkrieg” tactics. Dunkerque evacuation > about 335,000 out of 400,000 Allied soldiers rescued from Belgium by British civilian and naval craft (May 26–June 3). Italy declares war on France and Britain; invades France (June 10). Germans enter Paris; city undefended (June 14). France and Germany sign armistice at Compiègne (June 22). Nazis bomb Coventry, England (Nov. 14).
1941 Germans launch attacks in Balkans. Yugoslavia surrenders—General Mihajlovic continues guerrilla warfare; Tito leads left-wing guerrillas (April 17). Nazi tanks enter Athens; remnants of British Army quit Greece (April 27). Hitler attacks Russia (June 22). Atlantic Charter—FDR and Churchill agree on war aims (Aug. 14). Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, Philippines, Guam force U.S. into war; U.S. Pacific fleet crippled (Dec. 7). U.S. and Britain declare war on Japan. Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.; Congress declares war on those countries (Dec. 11).
1942 British surrender Singapore to Japanese (Feb. 15). Roosevelt orders Japanese and Japanese Americans in western U.S. to be exiled to “relocation centers,” many for the remainder of the war (Feb. 19). U.S. forces on Bataan peninsula in Philippines surrender (April 9). U.S. and Filipino troops on Corregidor island in Manila Bay surrender to Japanese (May 6). Village of Lidice in Czechoslovakia razed by Nazis (June 10). U.S. and Britain land in French North Africa (Nov. 8).
1943 Casablanca Conference—Churchill and FDR agree on unconditional surrender goal (Jan. 14–24). German 6th Army surrenders at Stalingrad—turning point of war in Russia (Feb. 1–2). Remnants of Nazis trapped on Cape Bon, ending war in Africa (May 12). Mussolini deposed; Badoglio named premier (July 25). Allied troops land on Italian mainland after conquest of Sicily (Sept. 3). Italy surrenders (Sept. 8). Nazis seize Rome (Sept. 10). Cairo Conference: FDR, Churchill, Chiang Kai-shek pledge defeat of Japan, free Korea (Nov. 22–26). Tehran Conference: FDR, Churchill, Stalin agree on invasion plans (Nov. 28–Dec. 1).
1944 U.S. and British troops land at Anzio on west Italian coast and hold beachhead (Jan. 22). U.S. and British troops enter Rome (June 4). D-Day—Allies launch Normandy invasion (June 6). Hitler wounded in bomb plot (July 20). Paris liberated (Aug. 25). Athens freed by Allies (Oct. 13). Americans invade Philippines (Oct. 20). Germans launch counteroffensive in Belgium—Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16).
1945 Yalta Agreement signed by FDR, Churchill, Stalin—establishes basis for occupation of Germany, returns to Soviet Union lands taken by Germany and Japan; USSR agrees to friendship pact with China (Feb. 11). Mussolini killed at Lake Como (April 28). Admiral Doenitz takes command in Germany; suicide of Hitler announced (May 1). Berlin falls (May 2). Germany signs unconditional surrender terms at Rheims (May 7). Allies declare V-E Day (May 8). Potsdam Conference—Truman, Churchill, Atlee (after July 28), Stalin establish council of foreign ministers to prepare peace treaties; plan German postwar government and reparations (July 17–Aug. 2). A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima by U.S. (Aug. 6). USSR declares war on Japan (Aug. 8). Nagasaki hit by A-bomb (Aug. 9). Japan agrees to surrender (Aug. 14). V-J Day—Japanese sign surrender terms aboard battleship Missouri (Sept. 2).
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Ray Bauml recounts the Long Patrol.
Ray Bauml recounts the Long Patrol.
You dragged your ass all the way. With our training using rope and pulling up hills and all that, it sure came in handy there. Christ, it was raining, of course. When didn't it rain in the hills? We climbed up on this hill; well, you couldn't walk up it, it was almost perpendicular. We'd tie the rope to a small tree, boost the guys -- we got over. You can imagine the time involved.I'd been the point man four or five hours. That puts a strain on you. A native was leading us and said, "I smell'm Jap." I forgot his name, but let's call him Tonto for now. We worked on hand signals, and his hand went up to signal everybody to stop. You'd look back and everyone else's hand went up down the line, motioning the people behind them to stop.
I feel somebody tap my shoulder, and it's the guy next to me. He points to me and he points up: "You go and check." I looked at him incredulously and said, "What?" I'm thinking to myself, "Here are all these Navy Cross tough guys I'm with. Why aren't they doing it?" So I'm crawling up. I get near the base [of a ridge]. I motioned the rest of the squad to move along and spread out. We start crawling up the hill on our bellies. There was a bunch of dead leaves, and every leaf would crackle when you moved across it. Ten feet from the top were the remains of a Jap bivouac.
I slipped the muzzle of my weapon into my helmet and raise it expecting a burst of fire. Nothing happened, so I crawled up and began exploring about six or seven foxholes. They were there not too long before, because in the jungle meat doesn't last too long, and there was fresh meat just starting to rot, which has an intense smell. I'm looking around, I'm the only one, there's no one backing me, no one protecting my butt -- that's what bothered me. I'm looking around at all these foxholes, stepping lightly. My weapon went into the foxhole first, and I'm thinking, "Why the hell am I doing this?"
I was about to go back to tell them I couldn't find anything, and behind us our officer [Miller] and his runner must have walked up along the trail, come around, and crashed through like a herd of elephants. I almost shot him. I said, "Holy Christ!" He was pissed off. He said, "Where the hell is everyone? What is taking so long?" I said, "They're laying over here about fifteen yards, I'm guessing."
Then I was going to step in front of them to lead them, but they train the officers to go first, so I stepped right behind them. I was about a step behind him. We took two steps, and a Jap machine gun went off and almost blew his entire head off. All his teeth were knocked out, and his tongue was like strips of liver; his whole lower jaw was almost missing. I said, "Lay low." It's amazing how you react, and I said, "Lay low, lieutenant." If I was in a situation like that I'd probably faint. Seeing someone's teeth, tounge, and jaw get all messed up like that would make me sick. -Carissa Parkins 4/2/09 6:47 PM
I started backing up, and Putnam said, "Cover me. I'll get him." He was about five, ten feet behind me. I said, "Okay." So I raised my rifle and I'm thinking to myself, "Who the hell am I covering? I don't see anybody. Where the hell is everybody else? Why aren't they firing?" [The firing] came out of a tree. I raised my weapon. [The runner] left, and another burst came. I'll tell ya, they were so damn close that machine-gun smoke was enveloping us. I patted Miller's leg. "Lay still." I don't know if he heard me or not.
What saved my butt were these ironwood trees in the jungle. They are so tough that you take the sharpest machete, swing all you've got, and barely put a crease in there. Above my belly, near my chest, were two slugs that would have got me if the ironwood tree hadn't stopped them. Then a few minutes later -- Christ, I thought ten years had passed -- I heard a shot and it turned out that [the runner] got shot in the arm going back to the group and lost his arm. [One other man] was the one who saved our ass. He said, "I see them." He was being smart because despite all this training, a lot of these bastards are trigger-happy. He said, "I see them." He opened up with his BAR, stops, opens up again, and he said, "I got them, I got them." I'm guessing there were two.
The next day Miller died. He suffocated from his own phlegm. It wasn't a pretty sight.This is a really intense part. That guy went through a lot and the guy [MILLER] died in the end anyways. That is insane. -Carissa Parkins 4/2/09 6:48 PM
- the second part that i highlighted really made me think wow i dont even know what the heck i would do in this situation, what would you do??
=]
The Descision to Use Atomic Weapons
A People's War?
Howard Zinn
Still, the vast bulk of the American population was mobilized, in the army, and in civilian life, to fight the war, and the atmosphere of war enveloped more and more Americans. Public opinion polls show large majorities of soldiers favoring the draft for the postwar period. Hatred against the enemy, against the Japanese particularly, became widespread. Racism was clearly at work. Time magazine, reporting the battle of Iwo Jima, said: "The ordinary unreasoning Jap is ignorant. Perhaps he is human. Nothing .. . indicates it." ....
The bombing of Japanese cities continued the strategy of saturation bombing to destroy civilian morale; one nighttime fire-bombing of Tokyo took 80,000 lives. And then, on August 6, 1945, came the lone American plane in the sky over Hiroshima, dropping the first atomic bomb, leaving perhaps 100,000 Japanese dead, and tens of thousands more slowly dying from radiation poisoning. We left 100,000 dead and more were dying of poisoning. How did this solve anything, because most these people were civillians. -Carissa Parkins 4/3/09 10:58 AM Twelve U.S. navy fliers in the Hiroshima city jail were killed in the bombing, a fact that the U.S. government has never officially acknowledged, according to historian Martin Sherwin (A World Destroyed). Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, with perhaps 50,000 killed.
The justification for these atrocities was that this would end the war quickly, making unnecessary an invasion of Japan. Such an invasion would cost a huge number of lives, the government said-a million, according to Secretary of State Byrnes; half a million, Truman claimed was the figure given him by General George Marshall. (When the papers of the Manhattan Project-the project to build the atom bomb- were released years later, they showed that Marshall urged a warning to the Japanese about the bomb, so people could be removed and only military targets hit.) These estimates of invasion losses were not realistic, and seem to have been pulled out of the air to justify bombings which, as their effects became known, horrified more and more people. Japan, by August 1945, was in desperate shape and ready to surrender. New York Times military analyst Hanson Baldwin wrote, shortly after the war:
The United States Strategic Bombing Survey, set up by the War Department in 1944 to study the results of aerial attacks in the war, interviewed hundreds of Japanese civilian and military leaders after Japan surrendered, and reported just after the war:The enemy, in a military sense, was in a hopeless strategic position by the time the Potsdam demand for unconditional surrender was made on July 26.
Such then, was the situation when we wiped out Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Need we have done it? No one can, of course, be positive, but the answer is almost certainly negative.I completely agree with Zinn right here, because I think that both the bombs were unnecessary. -Carissa Parkins 4/3/09 10:32 AM
Based on a detailed investigation of all the facts and supported by the testimony of the surviving Japanese leaders involved, it is the Survey's opinion that certainly prior to 31 December 1945, and in all probability prior to 1 November 1945, Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war, and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated.
If only the Americans had not insisted on unconditional surrender- that is, if they were willing to accept one condition to the surrender, that the Emperor, a holy figure to the Japanese, remain in place-the Japanese would have agreed to stop the war.
Why did the United States not take that small step to save both American and Japanese lives? Was it because too much money and effort had been invested in the atomic bomb not to drop it? This statement is probably true. I bet they didn't want to waste the atom bomb, so instead of saving lives on both sides of the totem pole, they just dropped it to get rid of it. I also agree that they wanted to drop it because they have too much money invested and effort into it. -Carissa Parkins 4/3/09 11:02 AMGeneral Leslie Groves, head of the Manhattan Project, described Truman as a man on a toboggan, the momentum too great to stop it. Or was it, as British scientist P. M. S. Blackett suggested (Fear, War, and the Bomb), that the United States was anxious to drop the bomb before the Russians entered the war against Japan?
The Russians had secretly agreed (they were officially not at war with Japan) they would come into the war ninety days after the end of the European war. That turned out to be May 8, and so, on August 8, the Russians were due to declare war on Japan, But by then the big bomb had been dropped, and the next day a second one would be dropped on Nagasaki; the Japanese would surrender to the United States, not the Russians, and the United States would be the occupier of postwar Japan. In other words, Blackett says, the dropping of the bomb was "the first major operation of the cold diplomatic war with Russia.. .." Blackett is supported by American historian Gar Alperovitz (Atomic Diplomacy), who notes a diary entry for July 28, 1945, by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, describing Secretary of State James F. Byrnes as "most anxious to get the Japanese affair over with before the Russians got in."
Truman had said, "The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians." In my opinion this is completely wrong. Even though Zinn didn't say this it is worth a comment because he is saying they didn't want to kill civillians. If you don't want to kill civillians why DROP AN ATOMIC BOMB?-Carissa Parkins 4/3/09 10:39 AM It was a preposterous statement. I completely agree. -Carissa Parkins 4/3/09 10:48 AM Those 100,000 killed in Hiroshima were almost all civilians. The U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey said in its official report: "Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chosen as targets because of their concentration of activities and population."
The dropping of the second bomb on Nagasaki seems to have been scheduled in advance, and no one has ever been able to explain why it was dropped. Was it because this was a plutonium bomb whereas the Hiroshima bomb was a uranium bomb? Were the dead and irradiated of Nagasaki victims of a scientific experiment? Martin Shenvin says that among the Nagasaki dead were probably American prisoners of war. He notes a message of July 31 from Headquarters, U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces, Guam, to the War Department:
Reports prisoner of war sources, not verified by photos, give location of Allied prisoner of war camp one mile north of center of city of Nagasaki. Does this influence the choice of this target for initial Centerboard operation? Request immediate reply.
True, the war then ended quickly. Italy had been defeated a year earlier. Germany had recently surrendered, crushed primarily by the armies of the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front, aided by the Allied armies on the West. Now Japan surrendered.
