Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Japanese Type 7 305mm gun, National Museum of Military Vehicles.



Last edition:

M103 Heavy Tank, National Museum of Military Vehicles.

Sunday, March 18, 1945 Landings in the Philippines, the largest air attack on Berlin.


"First wave U.S. troops from the Americal Division's 3rd Battalion, 132nd Infantry during the landing on Talisay beach, Cebu. Alligator LVTs are visible rolling up in the background. View facing south, Signal Corps photograph SC 204236."

The Battle of the Visayas began in the Philippines, commencing with amphibious landings. The campaign would continue until the end of the war.

Japan closed its schools in Tokyo and ordered everyone over the age of six to report for war work.

The largest Allied bombing raid on Berlin during World War Two took place.  1,329 Allied bombers and 700 fighters were countered by the Luftwaffe using the new Me 262s and air-to-air rockets. 

The U.S. Eighth Air Force lost six Mustangs and 13 bombers while the Luftwaffe only lost two planes.  3,000 tons of bombs were dropped on the city.

The US 3d Army took Bingen and Bad Kreuznach.

The Battle of Kolberg ended in Soviet and Red Polish victory.

The Battle of the Ligurian Sea was fought between British and German naval forces in the Gulf of Genoa.

The U-866 was sunk by the U.S. Navy.

Last edition:

Saturday, March 17, 1945. The Ludendorff Bridge collapse.

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Saturday, March 13, 1915. Worries over Japan.

United States Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan issued a letter revealing the American government's concerns over Japan's rejection of the Open Door Policy and further encroachments on Chinese sovereignty.

Last edition:

Thursday, March 11, 1915. The Bluff War ends. Carranza promises protection to foreigners.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Wednesday, March 7, 1945. The Bridge at Remagen taken.

The United States Army took the bridge over the Rhine at Remagen intact, and by surprise.


The Battle of Remagen commenced.

The failure of the Germans to have destroyed the heavy railroad bridge, last used by U.S. forces in 1918, was a major failure and the bridge's capture a major event in the advance of the U.S. Army into Germany.

Romania declared war on Japan.

The U-1302 was sunk in the St. George's Channel by the Canadian frigates Strathadam and Thefford Mines.

Related thread:

December 13, 1918. Crossing the Rhine

Last edition:

Tuesday, March 6, 1945. Soviet murders in Poland and Eagle 7.

Saturday, March 1, 2025

March 1, 1945. Iran declares war on Japan.

 

9th Armored Division, 1 March 1945, Germany
Signal Corps Photo.  This appears to be a M26 with its turret pointing to the rear for travel.  The M26 was just coming into service at this time.

Iran declared war on Japan.

Franklin Roosevelt reported on the Yalta Conference.  He was unable to stand.

The Wehrmacht launched an offensive around Lauban.

The Ninth Army took Mönchengladbach.

"Infantrymen of the U.S. Third Army move through war-torn city of Prum, Germany, of which little is left but blasted buildings and debris-littered streets. 1 March, 1945. 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division."


"After the town of Disternich, Germany, fell to units of the 9th Armored Division, civilians are gathered to be interrogated by military authorities. 1 March, 1945. Company A, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, 9th Armored Division."  This is an interesting photograph for a variety of reasons, one of which simply is to note what's occurring, the interrogation of  civilians in the Westphalian town of Disternich.    Note the peasant like appearance of the German civilians.  Peasantry is probably exactly what they are. Note also the medic.  This was for an interrogation, but there must have been a concern that the civilians would be sick or injured. The soldier on the right with the M1 Garand provides us with a really good example of Maine Hunting Shoes in use by the U.S. Army.  Note also his armored division shoulder patch.
 
"Children of parents left destitute in wake of German retreat from Manheim, Germany, receive milk after civilians were able to round up food for themselves. Scene in sector held by 3rd Armored Division of 1st U.S. Army. 1 March, 1945. Photographer: W. B. Allen, 165th Signal Photo Co."  Note that the boy in the foreground is wearing a classic German mutze with some sort of cap device.

Michael Strank, one of the Marines photographed raising the flag on Iwo Jima, lost his life in the battle.


He was born in Czechoslovakia to a Rusyn family, and had immigrated to the US as a child with his family.

Last edition:

    Sunday, February 23, 2025

    Monday, February 23, 1925. Puyi moves.

    Deposed Chinese Emperor Puyi accepted a Japanese offer of projection and moved to the  moved to the Japanese concession of Tianjin.

    An item from Reddit's 100 Years Ago Today sub:


    Truly awful.

    It's really the early 1920s, not the 1970s, that gave rise to a really powerful "women's liberation" movement, although you can find it building in the decades prior to that.  The 20s, however, saw it really blossom in much the same way that it would later, with much of the same goals.  As with the movement in the 70s, it met with some pretty nasty counter reactions.

    Coeds themselves, meaning women in college, was a fairly new thing in this form.  It wasn't really until the post war economic boom of the 1920s that a lot of women began to leave home to attend college for a secondary education.  

    I'm not a feminist, of course, but part of the horror of the Trump years is watching these sorts of attitudes creep back in and begin to be expressed openly.

    Last edition:

    Saturday, February 21, 1925. A Republican President declares American Forest Week.

    Saturday, February 22, 2025

    Thursday, February 22, 1945. Waiting.

    Drivers of senior officers.  22 February 1945.

    Turkey declared war on Germany and Japan.

    This may be scoffed at a bit, but Turkey is traditionally an enemy of Russia, and at this point was watching the Soviet Union enter into areas bordering it.  It likely feared a Soviet intervention, and by throwing in with the Allies, albeit late, hoped to avoid that.

    Uruguay also declared war on Germany and Japan.

    Fighting continued on Iwo Jima.  Most, but not all, of the northern portion of the island was now in the hands of the Marines.

    Last edition:

    Wednesday, February 21, 1945. Sinking of the Bismark Sea.

    Sunday, February 16, 2025

    Friday, February 16, 1945. Corregidor.

    The U.S. Navy launched its first carrier raid against Japan itself.

    The US launches an airborne and seaborn attack on Corregidor.

    Lloyd G. McCarter performed the actions which caused him to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

    He was a scout with the regiment which seized the fortress of Corregidor, Philippine Islands. Shortly after the initial parachute assault on 16 February 1945, he crossed 30 yards of open ground under intense enemy fire, and at pointblank range silenced a machinegun with hand grenades. On the afternoon of 18 February he killed 6 snipers. That evening, when a large force attempted to bypass his company, he voluntarily moved to an exposed area and opened fire. The enemy attacked his position repeatedly throughout the night and was each time repulsed. By 2 o'clock in the morning, all the men about him had been wounded; but shouting encouragement to his comrades and defiance at the enemy, he continued to bear the brunt of the attack, fearlessly exposing himself to locate enemy soldiers and then pouring heavy fire on them. He repeatedly crawled back to the American line to secure more ammunition. When his submachine gun would no longer operate, he seized an automatic rifle and continued to inflict heavy casualties. This weapon, in turn, became too hot to use and, discarding it, he continued with an M-1 rifle. At dawn the enemy attacked with renewed intensity. Completely exposing himself to hostile fire, he stood erect to locate the most dangerous enemy positions. He was seriously wounded; but, though he had already killed more than 30 of the enemy, he refused to evacuate until he had pointed out immediate objectives for attack. Through his sustained and outstanding heroism in the face of grave and obvious danger, Pvt. McCarter made outstanding contributions to the success of his company and to the recapture of Corregidor."

    The U.S. Navy begins pre landing bombardment of Iwo Jima.

    The Red Army captured Żagań.

    The U-309 was sunk by the HMCS Saint John.

    Last edition:

    Thursday, February 15, 1945. Operation Solstice.

    Wednesday, February 12, 2025

    Monday, February 12, 1945. Peru enters the war.

    The Treaty of Varkiza was signed in which Greek resistance agreed to disarm and relinquish control of all the territory it occupied in exchange for legal recognition, free elections, and the removal of Nazi collaborators from the armed forces and police, which seems reasonable enough.

    Greek politics had been a mess for years, and would continue to be for many more years.

    The Japanese executed Antonio Villa-Real, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in the Philippines.

    Peru declared war on Germany and Japan.

    A tornado outbreak in Mississippi and Alabama killed 45 people.

    Himmler appeared on the cover of Time magazine, in an illustration depicting him as a death's head.

    Last edition:

    Sunday, February 11, 1945. Yalta winds up.

    Wednesday, February 5, 2025

    Monday, February 5, 1945. French SOE agents Denise Bloch, Lilian Rolfe, and Violette Szabo were executed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.

    "British 61st Heavy Regt., 31 Btry., "A" Sub. 7.2 howitzer firing. Gabbiano area, Italy. 5 February, 1945. Photographer: Schmidt, 3131st Signal Service Co."

    It was Monday, and news magazines were out.  Stalin was on the cover of Time.  German POWs were featured on Newsweek.  A smiling young woman in a swimsuit was on the cover of Life, which had an article on Florida.

    Ecuador declared war on Japan.

    The Red Army crossed the Oder at Brzeg.

    The US 7th Army and linked up with French forces splitting the Colmar pocket.

    SOE agents Denise Bloch, Lilian Rolfe, and Violette Szabo were executed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.  All three women were heroic.

    Szabo.

    High ranking SOE figure, Vera Atkins, dedicated her immediate post war efforts to detecting who was responsible for all three agents deaths.  A woman of great mystery herself, she was Romanian and Jewish, but easily passed for English.

    Bloch, who was as French Jewish refugee.

    Violette Szabo is particularly well remembered and was the topic of at least one movie.

    Rolfe.

    The SOE tends to be well remembered, but it had been penetrated causing some agents, such as Szabo, to be picked up nearly as soon as they were left on the ground.  Who the leak was, was never detected.

    The U-41 was sunk by the HMS Antelope off of Lands End.


    Hard fighting occured near Manila, where Lt. Robert M. Vale would perform the actions that would lead to a posthumous Medal of Honor being conveyed to him.
    He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Forced by the enemy's detonation of prepared demolitions to shift the course of his advance through the city, he led the 1st platoon toward a small bridge, where heavy fire from 3 enemy pillboxes halted the unit. With 2 men he crossed the bridge behind screening grenade smoke to attack the pillboxes. The first he knocked out himself while covered by his men's protecting fire; the other 2 were silenced by 1 of his companions and a bazooka team which he had called up. He suffered a painful wound in the right arm during the action. After his entire platoon had joined him, he pushed ahead through mortar fire and encircling flames. Blocked from the only escape route by an enemy machinegun placed at a street corner, he entered a nearby building with his men to explore possible means of reducing the emplacement. In 1 room he found civilians huddled together, in another, a small window placed high in the wall and reached by a ladder. Because of the relative positions of the window, ladder, and enemy emplacement, he decided that he, being left-handed, could better hurl a grenade than 1 of his men who had made an unsuccessful attempt. Grasping an armed grenade, he started up the ladder. His wounded right arm weakened, and, as he tried to steady himself, the grenade fell to the floor. In the 5 seconds before the grenade would explode, he dropped down, recovered the grenade and looked for a place to dispose of it safely. Finding no way to get rid of the grenade without exposing his own men or the civilians to injury or death, he turned to the wall, held it close to his body and bent over it as it exploded. 2d Lt. Viale died in a few minutes, but his heroic act saved the lives of others.
    In the same battle, then TSgt Donald E. Rudolph would perform the actions that would lead to the same award.
    Second Lt. Rudolph (then TSgt.) was acting as platoon leader at Munoz, Luzon, Philippine Islands. While administering first aid on the battlefield, he observed enemy fire issuing from a nearby culvert. Crawling to the culvert with rifle and grenades, he killed three of the enemy concealed there. He then worked his way across open terrain toward a line of enemy pillboxes which had immobilized his company. Nearing the first pillbox, he hurled a grenade through its embrasure and charged the position. With his bare hands he tore away the wood and tin covering, then dropped a grenade through the opening, killing the enemy gunners and destroying their machine gun. Ordering several riflemen to cover his further advance, 2d Lt. Rudolph seized a pick mattock and made his way to a second pillbox. Piercing its top with the mattock, he dropped a grenade through the hole, firing several rounds from his rifle into it, and smothered any surviving enemy by sealing the hole and the embrasure with earth. In quick succession he attacked and neutralized six more pillboxes. Later, when his platoon was attacked by an enemy tank, he advanced under covering fire, climbed to the top of the tank, and dropped a white phosphorus grenade through the turret, destroying the crew. Through his outstanding heroism, superb courage, and leadership, and complete disregard for his own safety, 2d Lt. Rudolph cleared a path for an advance which culminated in one of the most decisive victories of the Philippine campaign.
    Rudolph survived the war and completed a career in the Army, retiring in 1963.

    The RAF Balloon Command was disbanded.

    The Japanese carrier-battleship Ise, was damaged by a mine off Indochina.

    The USAAF hit Iwo Jima again.

    The Greek Communist Party accepted the governments terms for amnesty.

    The US-bred filly Big Racket set the world record for fastest average speed set by a racehorse at the Clasico Dia del Charro held at Mexicos Hipodromo de las Americas.

    Last edition:

    Tuesday, January 28, 2025

    Tuesday, January 28, 1975. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.

    Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, premiered.

    Japan and the Soviet Union signed an agreement for a joint venture of drilling for oil on Sakhalin Island in which Japan was to receive "a significant discount on half of the pumped oil" for ten years in exchange for funding the project.

    Last edition:

    Thursday, January 23, 1975. Failed tariff.

    Monday, January 20, 2025

    Tuesday, January 20, 1925. The Soviet–Japanese Basic Convention

    The Soviet–Japanese Basic Convention between the Soviet Union and Japan was signed.  It provided:

    JAPAN and the UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS, desiring to promote relations of good neighbourhood and economic co-operation between them, have resolved to conclude a Convention embodying basic rules in regulation of such relations and, to that end, have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say :

    His MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN :

    Kenkichi YOSHIZAWA, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of China, Jushii, a member of the First Class of the Imperial Order of the Sacred Treasure ;

    THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS :

    Lev Mikhailovitch KARAKHAN, Ambassador to the Republic of China ;

    Who, having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed as follows :

    Article I.

    The High Contracting Parties agree that, with the coming into force of the present Convention, diplomatic and consular relations shall be established between them.

    Article II.

    The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics agrees that the Treaty of Portsmouth of September 5th, 1905, shall remain in full force.

    It is agreed that the Treaties, Conventions and Agreements, other than the said Treaty of Portsmouth, which were concluded between Japan and Russia prior to November 7, 1917, shall be re-examined at a Conference to be subsequently held between the Governments of the High Contracting Parties and are liable to revision or annulment as altered circumstances may require.

    Article III.

    The Governments of the High Contracting Parties agree that, upon the coming into force of the present Convention, they shall proceed to the revision of the Fishery Convention of 1907, taking into consideration such changes as may have taken place in the general conditions since the conclusion of the said Fishery Convention.

    Pending the conclusion of a convention so revised, the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall maintain the practices established in 1924 relating to the lease of fishery lots to Japanese subjects.

    Article IV.

    The Governments of the High Contracting Parties agree that, upon the coming into force of the present Convention, they shall proceed to the conclusion of a treaty of commerce and navigation in conformity with the principles hereunder mentioned, and that, pending the conclusion of such a treaty, the general intercourse between the two countries shall be regulated by those principles.

             (1) The subjects or citizens of each of the High Contracting Parties shall, in accordance with the laws of the country : (a) have full liberty to enter, travel and reside in the territories of the other, and (b) enjoy constant and complete protection for the safety of their lives and property.

             (2) Each of the High Contracting Parties shall, in accordance with the laws of the country, accord in its territories to the subjects or citizens of the other, to the widest possible extent and on condition of reciprocity, the right of private ownership and the liberty to engage in commerce, navigation, industries and other peaceful pursuits.

             (3) Without prejudice to the right of each Contracting Party to regulate by its own laws the system of international trade in that country, it is understood that neither Contracting Party shall apply in discrimination against the other Party any measures of prohibition, restriction or impost which may serve to hamper the growth of the intercourse, economic or otherwise, between the two countries, it being the intention of both Parties to place the commerce, navigation and industry of each country, as far as possible, on the footing of the most-favoured nation.

    The Governments of the High Contracting Parties further agree that they shall enter into negotiations, from time to tune as circumstances may require, for the conclusion of special arrangements relative to commerce and navigation to adjust and to promote economic relations between the two countries.

    Article V.

    The High Contracting Parties solemnly affirm their desire and intention to live in peace and amity with each other, scrupulously to respect the undoubted right of a State to order its own life within its own jurisdiction in its own way, to refrain and restrain all persons in any govern mental service for them, and all organisations in receipt of any financial assistance from them, from any act overt or covert liable in any way whatever to endanger the order and security in any part of the territories of Japan or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

    It is further agreed that neither Contracting Party shall permit the presence in the territories under its jurisdiction :

         (a) of organisations or groups pretending to be the Government for any part of the territories of the other Party, or

          (b) of alien subjects or citizens who may be found to be actually carrying on political activities for such organisations or groups.

    Article VI.

    In the interest of promoting economic relations between the two countries, and taking into consideration the needs of Japan with regard to natural resources, the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is willing to grant to Japanese subjects, companies and associations concessions for the exploitation of minerals, forests and other natural resources in all the territories of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

    Article VII.

    The present Convention shall be ratified.

    Such ratification by each of the High Contracting Parties shall, with as little delay as possible, be communicated, through its diplomatic representative at Peking, to the Government of the other Party, and from the date of the later of such communications this Convention shall come into full force.

    The formal exchange of the ratifications shall take place at Peking as soon as possible.

    In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Convention, in duplicate in the English language, and have affixed thereto their seals.

    Done at Peking, this twentieth day of January, One thousand nine-hundred and twenty-five.

                        (L. S.) K. YOSHIZAWA.

                        (L. S.) L. KARAKHAN.

    Japan and Russia, and then Japan and the Soviet Union, never got along well.  They had fought the Russo Japanese War some twenty years prior, and Japan had heavily intervened in Siberia during the Russian Civil War.  There remains tension between them over the the Sakhalin.

    Last edition:

    I had no idea Sanka was this old.