Posted on 01/13/2012 5:01:48 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/jan42/f13jan42.htm
U-boats hunting off east coast of America
Tuesday, January 13, 1943 www.onwar.com
A surfaced U-boat on patrol in the North AtlanticFrom Germany... Admiral Donitz despite opposition begins Operation Drumroll, the use of U-boats in the waters off the eastern coast of the United States. They are surprised to find peacetime conditions on the coast, with lighthouses and marker buoys still lit. In addition there is no radio silence and positions of merchant ships are frequently given away in radio communications. These conditions and the inexperience of the escort vessels lead to a loss of 150,000 tons in the first month.
In the Philippines... Japanese attacks on the Bataan peninsula continue with successes on the eastern side, the west side of the area is still holding.
From London... Allied representatives announce that Axis war criminals will be punished after the war.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/13.htm
January 13th, 1942
UNITED KINGDOM: London: The perpetrators of atrocities in Nazi-occupied Europe were publicly warned today that they will be called to account after the war and punished. The warning was issued by representatives of nine countries under German occupation, meeting in St James’s Palace. This is the first joint Allied decision on trials for war crimes, although the three main Allies have made similar statements individually. Today’s action was initiated by General Sikorski of Poland. Other countries represented were Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France (that is, de Gaulle’s French National Committee), Greece, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway and Yugoslavia.
GERMANY: An He-280 V2 pilot (Fritz Schaefer) is the first airman to safely use an ejection seat to escape a crash. The He-280 uses a compressed air ejection seat. (Ron Babuka)
POLAND: Lodz: 700 Jews are deported to Chelmno death camp, the first of 10,000 down for “resettlement”.
U.S.S.R. : The Soviet Army has driven deep a salient between the German 2d Panzer and 4th Armies on the central front southwest of Kaluga; the salient deepens with the capture of Kirov. (Jack McKillop)
BORNEO: The Dutch commander on Tarakan Island surrenders to the Japanese and they complete mopping up the island. The Japanese assault force boards ships tomorrow for the assault on Balikpapan. (Jack McKillop)
BURMA: The Joint Military Council recommends the construction of the Ledo and Imphal roads. (Jack McKillop)
MALAYA: General Archibald Lord Wavell, Commander in Chief Australian-British-Dutch-American (ABDA) Command, South West Pacific, again visits the front and confers with commanding officers. The withdrawal of the Indian 3 Corps into Johore State reaches its final stage; all vehicles are being moved through Segamat. (Jack McKillop)
A convoy with badly needed reinforcements reaches Singapore and unloads the first echelon of the British 18th Division (the 53d Brigade Group), antiaircraft units, and 51 crated Hawker Hurricane fighters with crews. (Jack McKillop)
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: On the east flank of the II Corps on Bataan, the 21st Infantry, Philippine Army (PA), counterattacks at 0600 hours after an artillery preparation and reduces part of the Japanese salient on the left flank of the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts. The Japanese are thus prevented from launching a planned offensive in that area, but make progress to the west against the 51st Division, PA, forcing it back to the main line of resistance along the Balantay River. The Japanese column driving south in central Bataan, with the task of turning the corps’ left flank, is not yet in position for an attack. (Jack McKillop)
CANADA: Corvette HMCS Shawinigan arrived St John’s for Newfoundland Command. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: Charles Lindbergh meets with Hap Arnold and Lovett; Lovett said there were many ways that he could help the government but they were afraid of the public and press reaction which was double talk for, “We don’t want you.” Lindbergh asked if the administration would oppose his working for private industry and Lovett said “that as far as the War Department was concerned he thought they would support such a move.” Note that Lovett said the War Department, not the entire administration. Hap Arnold told him, “I think you can find some way to straighten all this out.”
What Lindbergh did not realize was that his enemies were attacking him with memos to FDR. Harold Ickes wrote that he should not be accepted for service and Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox stated that Lindbergh should enlist as an aviation cadet. Stimson reported to FDR that he was unwilling to place such a man in a position of command. At a meeting with several U.S. Senators, FDR said, “I’ll clip that young man’s wings.” (Jack McKillop)
The Combined Chiefs of Staff attending the ARCADIA conference in Washington, D.C., agree to move USAAF units and contingents to bases in the U.K. as soon as possible. (Jack McKillop)
The Ford Motor Company patents a plastic-bodied automobile which was 30 percent lighter than ordinary cars. Plastic, a relatively new material in 1942, was revolutionizing industry after industry in the United States. (Jack McKillop)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the U.S. War Production Board, with business executive Donald M. Nelson as its chairman. The War Production Board, created to establish order out of the chaos of meeting extraordinary wartime demands and needs, replaced the Supply Priorities and Allocations Board. As chairman, Nelson oversaw the largest war production in history, often clashing with civilian factories over the most efficient means of converting to wartime use and butting heads with the armed forces over priorities. Despite early success, Nelson made a major judgement error in June 1944, on the eve of the Normandy invasion, when he allowed certain plants that had reached the end of their government/military production contracts to reconvert to civilian use. The military knew the war was far from over and feared a sudden shortage of vital supplies. A political battle ensued, and Nelson was eased out of his office and reassigned by the President to be his personal representative to Chiang Kai-shek in China. (Jack McKillop)
Nineteen West Coast shipyards adopt around-the-clock, seven-day-a-week work schedules. (Jack McKillop)
Destroyer USS Forrest commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Despite opposition, Admiral Karl Donitz, Flag Officer U-Boats, begins Operation “Drum Roll” (Paukenschlag), the use of U-boats in the waters off the eastern coast of North America. The submariners are surprised to find peacetime conditions on the U.S. coast, with lighthouses and marker buoys still lit. In addition there is no radio silence and positions of merchant ships are frequently given away in radio communications. These conditions and the inexperience of the USN escort vessels lead to a loss of 150,000 tons in the first month of the operation. (Jack McKillop) The fact that “Drum Roll” could not begin until some weeks after the German declaration of war on the US indicates how unprepared the Navy was for this sudden development. (Alex Gordon) Six new Type IX U-boats will be involved.
At 0118, SS Frisco was hit by two torpedoes from U-130 off Long Island and sank. The master, the first mate, the second mate/radio operator and an ordinary seaman were killed. In the afternoon of the Danish merchant Mjoanes picked up three survivors in a lifeboat in 46°24N/57°20W and taken to North Sydney, arriving two days later. Another lifeboat with 9 men was never seen again.
At 0948, the unescorted and unarmed SS Friar Rock was sunk by U-130 about 110 miles SW of Cape Race. Two of three torpedoes fired by U-130 had hit the vessel, which sank later in 45.51N/50.52W. A ship rescued only seven survivors. One of them, the second mate, died ashore. (Dave Shirlaw)
LOL...I dont know what to make of the short article on page 5 concerning Hideo Hama wanting his wife to join him. :
“Japanese Enjoy Internment”
I imagine receiving those 15 fully intact Spitfires was interesting to the Japanese. I wonder what ultimately became of them?
One thing that really surprised German U-Boat crews was the fact that the cities along the east coast continued to be brightly lit causing ships traveling along the coast to be clearly highlighted from the ocean.
Oh that thing about Hama had to be crap made up at the time. Not that they were not treated well, but I really doubt the guy made such a statement. Remember, our media was also under media censorship at the time. They withheld timely information on some Japanese attacks on the West Coast, for fear of a) tipping off the Imperial “Japs” on the success of some of their attacks, and b) creating a panic within populations out there.
You’re probably right, the story was probably made up or at least greatly exaggerated.
I cant imagine enjoying internment life in Anchorage, Alaska - especially in January.
I wonder why the wife wasnt included to begin with? I know it wasnt the norm, but I wonder if the wife wasnt of Japanese descent?
That's a bit of a misleading headline isn't it or at the very least it gives the wrong perception. This is an example of the "hero building" I was just talking about.
Found one interesting piece in the library today, but the other thing I wanted to get I couldn't get to because the archives are closed. It may take me a couple weeks to get to it. I will go into detail after I get home from work, but we can now mark the earliest mention of "Dugout Doug" that we have been able to find to September 22, 1943.
That's a bit of a misleading headline isn't it or at the very least it gives the wrong perception. This is an example of the "hero building" I was just talking about.
Agreed.
Found one interesting piece in the library today, but the other thing I wanted to get I couldn't get to because the archives are closed. It may take me a couple weeks to get to it. I will go into detail after I get home from work, but we can now mark the earliest mention of "Dugout Doug" that we have been able to find to September 22, 1943.
Now that is very interesting!
Now for a bit of what I found on the term “Dugout Doug”.
First let me say, I didn’t find an origin, but I did find an earlier reference to the term and a suggestion that at the very least, it was perceived by the journalists who were defending him that it was being used more at “home”.
The article in question is a report in the New York Times from September 22nd, 1943. This report is written by a familiar Times reporter to us, Frank L.Kluckhorn. Up to this point for us, Kluckhorn has been one of our Washington corespondents but by this time he will be reporting from “Somewhere in new Guinea”.
The title of the article is M’ARTHUR ASSAILS ‘HOPPING’ STRATEGY. The first impression you get from this article is that it is a “pro” MacArthur article. Kluckhorn refers to Mac as the “hero of Bataan” tries to temper the criticism levied by MacArthur on his superiors strategy of island hopping by calling it “carefully worded”, and using a “guarded tone”.
A quote of MacArthur in this article captures his critique of his commanders:
“Island hopping, with its extravagant losses and slow progress - some press reports indicating victory as late as 1949 - is not my idea of how to end the war as soon as and as cheaply as possible”
That last bit is a dig on statements made by Roosevelt and Churchill at the First Quebec Conference the previous month.
After the critical quote by MacArthur, Kluckhorn spends the next 5 paragraphs praising MacArthur’s support (accept in this instance) of his superior’s strategy and suggests that a “whisper” campaign against him is why he is relegated to a secondary roll now in the Pacific.
He then brings up the Dugout Doug moniker:
“To these observers [Australians and Correspondents who have been with MacArthur for a long time] home rumors branding him as “Dugout Doug” seem ridiculous in view of the many facts including his accompanying of paratroopers on their combat jump at Nadzab some two weeks ago”
For those who are not familiar, the jump at Nadzab was the first airborne drop in the Pacific theater. It was a small airfield outside of Lae. MacArthur as well as General Kenney watched the drop from a B-17 above the transports. It was expected that the small airfield was abandoned and they were right. The drop was pretty textbook without any opposition on the way down.
So there is the earliest reference I’ve found (so far) on the term Dugout Doug. Two things I get out of this article are:
1. The term is being batted around the States.
2. The term is also well known in theater.
Whatever the origins of the term, it is at least well known across all points by late 1943.
I will have my eye peeled for that one. I had better make a reminder for myself in my time line. That is about 40 trips to the library from now.
It’s a front page story so I’m sure you’ll remember it when you see it.
“To these observers [Australians and Correspondents who have been with MacArthur for a long time] home rumors branding him as “Dugout Doug” seem ridiculous in view of the many facts including his accompanying of paratroopers on their combat jump at Nadzab some two weeks ago”
So there is the earliest reference I’ve found (so far) on the term Dugout Doug. Two things I get out of this article are:
1. The term is being batted around the States.
2. The term is also well known in theater.
From the above paragraph mentioning home rumors of "Dugout Doug", I'm not sure we can surmise how well the term is known in theater. The cited Aussie and American correspondents may never have heard the term until Kluckhorn told them. Hence their surprise.
Because Australian correspondents were mentioned, a search of Australian newspapers would be extremely interesting. If they haven't mentioned it prior to Sept, 1943 but do make mention of it later, one might surmise that Kluckhorn introduced them to it.
Whatever the origins of the term, it is at least well known across all points by late 1943.
Again, based on what you have provided, I'm not sure we can say any more than "Dugout Doug" is a rumor known Stateside and by some correspondents in theater.
This is very interesting.
You've got that right!! Excellent find you made there!
I’d be pretty confident that it has been making its rounds there in theater if the author felt there was a need to address it. I’m comfortable with my assessment.
In which case, we haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet.
Assuming the nickname has been circulating in theater, my inclination would be to expand the search to include mention somewhere in the archives of Australian media.
No we certainly haven’t. It being in theater in 1943 doesn’t establish origin.
simply amazing the scope of the conflict in the pacific. I never had any idea that we were fighting so many places at the same time...
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