On this day seventy years ago, American and Filipino forces defending the Bataan peninsula on the Philippine island of Luzon surrendered to the invading Japanese forces. Within days, the 70,000 surviving prisoners would be subjected to the Bataan "death march."
At Pearl Harbor, the US carrier Enterprise, escorted by two cruisers and four destroyers and accompanied by a fleet oiler, steamed past Ford Island and into the Pacific. Vice Admiral William F. Halsey was embarked and commanded the task force. The ships set battle readiness condition three, with guns manned and most watertight doors and hatches either closed or ready to close at a moment's notice. Lookouts scanned the water for hostile periscopes and the sky for enemy aircraft. Enterprises fighters were spotted on the flight deck, ready for quick takeoff if needed.
The crews shared rumors (scuttlebutt) about their destination, but no one seemed to have a definitive answer.
Enterprise hadn't been exactly quiescent up until this point. On December 7, Enterprise, then located about 215 miles west of Pearl Harbor, had launched eighteen aircraft at dawn to run a scouting patrol to the east and northeast and then recover at Ford Island landing field. The commanding officer of the Enterprise air group flew into the attacking Japanese aircraft. Thirteen of the planes landed safely, despite Japanese air attacks and friendly anti-aircraft fire. Nine planes were sent out to search 30 degrees either side of north, out to a distance of 175 miles. Had Admiral Nagumo decided to launch a third attack wave, it is possible that the Enterprise air group might have located the Japanese force. But he had already decided to leave the area.
Weeks later, on January 23, 1942, Enterprise provided air support for a landing of about 5,000 marines at Pago Pago in Samoa, then proceeded to the first US attack on Japanese-held territory. On February 1, Enterprise and her embarked air group attacked Japanese bases in the Northern Marianas, including Kwajalein. Meantime, Yorktown struck targets in the Southern Marianas and Gilberts. It had not quite been two months since Pearl Harbor.
Three weeks later, Enterprise attacked Japanese fortifications and the airfield on Wake Island. It had been two and a half months since Pearl Harbor. On the 4th of March, Enterprise attacked Japanese forces on Marcus Island. It was three months since Pearl Harbor and Enterprise had four times engaged Japanese military forces in hostile action.
On the 8th of April, 1942, when Bataan fell, the outgunned American and Filipino defenders had held out against an experienced Japanese Army for four months. Enterprise was on her way to another attack on Japanese forces. This would make five times in four months.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Get Out And Register - Then Get Out And Vote
Is voting a right or a privilege?
By law, it is a right. Every American citizen has the right to vote. One can also view it as a privilege, but it is a privilege that belongs to every citizen.
More importantly, it is a duty. In a democracy, if you don't take the trouble to vote, you are arguably a freeloader.
Don't be a freeloader. Do your duty and vote.
The first step in voting is to make sure you are registered and that the information is up to date.
How to register? You can do it when you get a driver's license or at any public service agency. But in Pamlico County, it is most convenient to drop by the Board of Elections office the next time you are in Bayboro.
The next election is the May 8 primary. Voter registration for that election closes at 5:00 PM April 13. If you miss that deadline, you can still vote using same-day registration during one-stop, but you can't change any previous party registration after April 13.
If you have questions, call the Board of Elections and ask our Elections Director, Ms. Lisa Bennett. She'll walk you through it.
By law, it is a right. Every American citizen has the right to vote. One can also view it as a privilege, but it is a privilege that belongs to every citizen.
More importantly, it is a duty. In a democracy, if you don't take the trouble to vote, you are arguably a freeloader.
Don't be a freeloader. Do your duty and vote.
The first step in voting is to make sure you are registered and that the information is up to date.
How to register? You can do it when you get a driver's license or at any public service agency. But in Pamlico County, it is most convenient to drop by the Board of Elections office the next time you are in Bayboro.
The next election is the May 8 primary. Voter registration for that election closes at 5:00 PM April 13. If you miss that deadline, you can still vote using same-day registration during one-stop, but you can't change any previous party registration after April 13.
If you have questions, call the Board of Elections and ask our Elections Director, Ms. Lisa Bennett. She'll walk you through it.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Seventy Years Ago - Army And Navy In Phillipines
While US Army pilots were training at Eglin Field in Florida for the Doolittle raid, US Army and Navy units were fighting a rear guard action in the Phillipines. On March 11, US Navy motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Squadron 3, commanded by the Navy Lieutenant J.D. Bulkeley, transported General Douglas MacArthur from the island of Corregidor to Mindanao in the southern Phillipines.
The MTB squadron remained in the Phillipines after MacArthur went on to establish his headquarters in Australia. The squadron's exploits were described in a book and film by the title of They Were Expendable.
The film, directed by John Ford, is one of my favorite WWII movies. Ford, who served in the navy during the war, captured the feel of military service with a high degree of technical and dramatic accuracy (though with some embellishment). Robert Montgomery, who played the Lieutenant Bulkeley figure in the movie, had commanded a PT boat during the war. Three other actors playing MTB squadron personnel also had served in the war (Marion Morrison -AKA John Wayne- not among them. He never wore his country's uniform except in make-believe.)
Another WWII movie among my favorites is Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. Both movies were based on actual events and depicted with a high degree of accuracy.
The MTB squadron remained in the Phillipines after MacArthur went on to establish his headquarters in Australia. The squadron's exploits were described in a book and film by the title of They Were Expendable.
The film, directed by John Ford, is one of my favorite WWII movies. Ford, who served in the navy during the war, captured the feel of military service with a high degree of technical and dramatic accuracy (though with some embellishment). Robert Montgomery, who played the Lieutenant Bulkeley figure in the movie, had commanded a PT boat during the war. Three other actors playing MTB squadron personnel also had served in the war (Marion Morrison -AKA John Wayne- not among them. He never wore his country's uniform except in make-believe.)
Another WWII movie among my favorites is Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. Both movies were based on actual events and depicted with a high degree of accuracy.
Rights And Obligations
Our public discourse might be greatly improved if each of us were to give greater effort and support to the rights of others than to our own. And if we were to give greater emphasis to our own duties and obligations than to those of others; that would also be a good thing.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
2012 Elections
Just returned from two days of training in Durham on Board of Elections matters.
We reviewed a number of matters concerning the responsibilities of county boards of elections to insure the fairness, honesty and integrity of the election process. The training emphasized the goal of increasing voter participation and of making elections voter friendly.
I'll share some of the information we received over the coming weeks.
We reviewed a number of matters concerning the responsibilities of county boards of elections to insure the fairness, honesty and integrity of the election process. The training emphasized the goal of increasing voter participation and of making elections voter friendly.
I'll share some of the information we received over the coming weeks.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
US Navy Carrier Launches Army Airplanes
We have been following the planning and execution of one of the most remarkable operations during WWII, the launch of 16 US Army B-25's to attack Japan.
This was neither the first nor the last time that US Army aircraft took off from Navy aircraft carriers.
In October 1940, soon after USS Wasp (CV-7) completed her sea trials, she loaded 24 Curtiss P-40 fighters from the Army Air Corps' 8th Pursuit Group and nine North American O-47A reconnaissance aircraft from the 2nd Observation Squadron. Proceeding to sea on October 12, Wasp flew off the Army planes in a test designed to compare the take-off runs of standard Navy and Army aircraft. That experiment, the first time that Army planes had flown from a Navy carrier, foreshadowed the use of the ship in the ferry role later in World War II.
In 1941, as the US became more involved in shipping war materials to Great Britain, the Navy started so-called "Neutrality Patrols" to protect shipping. That June, as the United States became more heavily involved and the situation in Britain became more difficult, the United States made plans to occupy Iceland. Wasp played an important role in the move.
That July, while Wasp lay alongside Pier 7, NOB Norfolk, 32 Army Air Forces (AAF) pilots reported on board "for temporary duty". At 06:30 the following day, the ship's cranes hoisted on board 30 P-40Cs and three PT-17 trainers from the AAF 33rd Pursuit Squadron, 8th Air Group, Air Force Combat Command, home-based at Mitchel Field, New York.
The carrier's assignment was to ferry the army planes to Iceland because of a lack of British aircraft to cover the American landings. The American P-40s would provide the defensive fighter cover necessary to watch over the initial American occupying forces. Wasp slipped out to sea on 28 July, and joined Task Force 16—consisting of the battleship Mississippi, the heavy cruisers Quincy and Wichita, and five destroyers, bound for Iceland. On August 6, Wasp launched the P-40s and three trainers.
In April and May, 1942, Wasp carried Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfires to within about a hundred miles of the island of Malta, then under German attack and launched the planes to reinforce Malta's defenses. On the second delivery run, one Spitfire had a fuel problem and had to return to Wasp for a landing.
Meantime, on May 10, 1942, the carrier USS Ranger launched 68 US Army P-40's to fly to Accra, on the African Gold Coast, on the initial leg of their voyage to China to reinforce the Flying Tigers. In July, she launched another 72 P-40's at Accra for the same purpose.
In these operations as well as others during the early months of WWII, Army and Navy forces worked well together. Even before the war, coordination between the two services was close and effective, including collaboration on the most sensitive US communications intelligence effort.
This was neither the first nor the last time that US Army aircraft took off from Navy aircraft carriers.
In October 1940, soon after USS Wasp (CV-7) completed her sea trials, she loaded 24 Curtiss P-40 fighters from the Army Air Corps' 8th Pursuit Group and nine North American O-47A reconnaissance aircraft from the 2nd Observation Squadron. Proceeding to sea on October 12, Wasp flew off the Army planes in a test designed to compare the take-off runs of standard Navy and Army aircraft. That experiment, the first time that Army planes had flown from a Navy carrier, foreshadowed the use of the ship in the ferry role later in World War II.
In 1941, as the US became more involved in shipping war materials to Great Britain, the Navy started so-called "Neutrality Patrols" to protect shipping. That June, as the United States became more heavily involved and the situation in Britain became more difficult, the United States made plans to occupy Iceland. Wasp played an important role in the move.
That July, while Wasp lay alongside Pier 7, NOB Norfolk, 32 Army Air Forces (AAF) pilots reported on board "for temporary duty". At 06:30 the following day, the ship's cranes hoisted on board 30 P-40Cs and three PT-17 trainers from the AAF 33rd Pursuit Squadron, 8th Air Group, Air Force Combat Command, home-based at Mitchel Field, New York.
The carrier's assignment was to ferry the army planes to Iceland because of a lack of British aircraft to cover the American landings. The American P-40s would provide the defensive fighter cover necessary to watch over the initial American occupying forces. Wasp slipped out to sea on 28 July, and joined Task Force 16—consisting of the battleship Mississippi, the heavy cruisers Quincy and Wichita, and five destroyers, bound for Iceland. On August 6, Wasp launched the P-40s and three trainers.
In April and May, 1942, Wasp carried Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfires to within about a hundred miles of the island of Malta, then under German attack and launched the planes to reinforce Malta's defenses. On the second delivery run, one Spitfire had a fuel problem and had to return to Wasp for a landing.
Meantime, on May 10, 1942, the carrier USS Ranger launched 68 US Army P-40's to fly to Accra, on the African Gold Coast, on the initial leg of their voyage to China to reinforce the Flying Tigers. In July, she launched another 72 P-40's at Accra for the same purpose.
In these operations as well as others during the early months of WWII, Army and Navy forces worked well together. Even before the war, coordination between the two services was close and effective, including collaboration on the most sensitive US communications intelligence effort.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Drug Overdose
Did you know that death from prescription drug overdose now exceeds all other accidental deaths, including automobile accident?
We learned that bit of information at last night's meeting of Pamlico County's Board of Commissioners. Ms. Tanya Roberts of ACT Now NC briefed the commissioners on Project Lazarus, which among other measures, is establishing a safe procedure for citizens to dispose of unneeded or out of date prescription medicine. The Pamlico County Sheriff has agreed to establish a medication drop box in the Sheriff's office.
The box, which will be under 24-hour surveillance, will solve the problem of disposal. The procedure will be described by pharmacists in a notice provided to everyone picking up a prescription.
We learned that bit of information at last night's meeting of Pamlico County's Board of Commissioners. Ms. Tanya Roberts of ACT Now NC briefed the commissioners on Project Lazarus, which among other measures, is establishing a safe procedure for citizens to dispose of unneeded or out of date prescription medicine. The Pamlico County Sheriff has agreed to establish a medication drop box in the Sheriff's office.
The box, which will be under 24-hour surveillance, will solve the problem of disposal. The procedure will be described by pharmacists in a notice provided to everyone picking up a prescription.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Courage, WWII Style
Seventy years ago today, on April 2, 1942, USS Hornet (CV-8) got underway from San Francisco, enroute to a planned launch point 450 miles from Tokyo. At that point, some six thousand miles west of the Golden Gate, the ship intended to launch sixteen Army B-25 twin-engine bombers to attack Japan.
The plan was to launch the aircraft before dawn on April 19, drop bombs on the targets early that morning, and proceed to air strips in China ten hours after launch. The targets selected to be bombed were in Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya, Kobe and Osaka.
By today's standards, the B-25 was a primitive aircraft. It had a very crude radio navigation system dependent on a homing transmitter at an airfield. Otherwise, it would navigate over water with a bubble sextant and printed air navigation tables. The planes did not have any autopilot. The pilot and co-pilot would fly the plane by hand the entire distance of the mission, over 2,000 miles.
They expected to encounter antiaircraft fire and enemy fighter aircraft. To increase the plane's range, two defensive machine guns had been removed, including the tail gun.
Each plane had a five-man crew.
It was not a suicide mission, but every man knew he might not return.
The leader of the mission, LCol Jimmy Doolittle, was an aeronautical engineer with a doctorate in engineering, and one of the most experienced and valuable staff officers in the Army Air Corps. He had to fight for the right to lead the aircraft into combat.
The mission didn't proceed exactly as planned.
More about this later.
The plan was to launch the aircraft before dawn on April 19, drop bombs on the targets early that morning, and proceed to air strips in China ten hours after launch. The targets selected to be bombed were in Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya, Kobe and Osaka.
By today's standards, the B-25 was a primitive aircraft. It had a very crude radio navigation system dependent on a homing transmitter at an airfield. Otherwise, it would navigate over water with a bubble sextant and printed air navigation tables. The planes did not have any autopilot. The pilot and co-pilot would fly the plane by hand the entire distance of the mission, over 2,000 miles.
They expected to encounter antiaircraft fire and enemy fighter aircraft. To increase the plane's range, two defensive machine guns had been removed, including the tail gun.
Each plane had a five-man crew.
It was not a suicide mission, but every man knew he might not return.
The leader of the mission, LCol Jimmy Doolittle, was an aeronautical engineer with a doctorate in engineering, and one of the most experienced and valuable staff officers in the Army Air Corps. He had to fight for the right to lead the aircraft into combat.
The mission didn't proceed exactly as planned.
More about this later.
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