Bobthehatchit
Posts: 1478
Joined: 4/27/2003 From: GREAT BRITAIN Status: offline
|
Something i stumbled across, whilst reading a CIC post on http://www.strategypage.com/ "Hirohito Honors His German Allies During World War II, Japanese Emperor Hirohito honored three Germans by awarding them fine samurai swords. What is nteresting about these awards is who received them. One sword went to Reichsmarshal Herman Goring. This would seem appropriate. After all, Goring was the head of the German Air Force, not to mention the fact that he had been Hitler’s right-hand-man for many years. A second sword went to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Once again, certainly a approriate award. After all, Rommel was one of the most distinguished field commanders in the war, with many spectacular victories to his credit. The third sword went to Bernhard Rogge. Who was Bernhard Rogge? Well, he was the skipper of the famous surface raider Atlantis, which terrorised the shipping lanes for some time early in the war. A distinguished enough record. Still, what had he done to deserve such personal recognition from the Japanese emperor? The short answer is, that he had greatly facilitated the capture of Singapore. It seems that on November 11, 1940, Rogge’s Atlantis catpured the Blue Funnel Liner Automedon, near the Nicobar Islands, in the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Bound from Britain to Singapore, the ship carried a varied cargo. It also carried some interesting documents. Captured aboard Automedon were the minutes of a meeting of the British War Cabinet held on August 8, 1940, plus an 87-page secret report by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Both documents dealt with British defensive arrangements for Malaya and Singapore. Recognizing the enormous importance of these documents, Rogge passed them on to his superiors. And they very thoughtfully passed them on to Japanese intelligence, who found them of graet interest. Thus, Rogge contributed materially to the Japanese capture of Malaya and Singapore, which they overran in only about 60 days in Decemebr and January of 1941-1942. And thus did Rogge merit his samurai sword."
< Message edited by Bobthehatchit -- 4/12/2007 5:26:03 PM >
_____________________________
"Look at yours before laughing at mine". Garfield 1984. Wanted: ISDII Low millage in Imperial gray. Just my 2 pence worth. I might not be right. Hell I am probaby wrong. But thats my opinion for what its worth!
|