39battalion
Posts: 247
Joined: 7/27/2004 From: Adelaide, South Australia Status: offline
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Not sure if these have been mentioned before but two great books on aspects of the WITP are: 1. Midway: the Japanese story by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya ( published by Cassel 2002). Fuchida was on Akagi, Okumiya was on Ryujo and they give an interesting perspective of the battle. The book has some very interesting vignettes such as : " Captain Yanagimoto ( captain of Soryu ) had remained on the bridge of the blazing carrier. No ship commander in the Japanese Navy was more beloved by his men...Now they were determined to rescue him at all costs. Chief Petty Officer Abe, a Navy wrestling champion, was chosen to return and rescue the Captain, because it had been decided to bring him to safety by force if he refused to come willingly. When Abe climbed to the Soryu's bridge he found Captain Yanagimoto standing there motionless, sword in hand, gazing resolutely towards the ships bow. Stepping forward, Abe said ' Captain, I have come on behalf of all your men to take you to safety. They are waiting for you.Please come with me to the destroyer Sir.' When this entreaty met with silence, Abe guessed the Captain's thoughts and started toward him with the intention of carrying him bodily to the waiting boat. But the sheer strength of will and determination of his grim-faced commander stopped him short. He turned tearfully away, and as he left the bridge he heard Captain Yanagimoto calmly singing 'Kimigayo' the national anthem. " 2. Another terrific book is A Bastard of A Place by Peter Brune (Allen & Unwin 2004). The place is New Guinea in 1942-43. The book covers the struggle for Kokoda, Milne Bay ( Gili Gili ), Gona, Buna and Sananda. And, of course, it records the heroic work of the Aussie 39 Battalion boys in blunting the IJA advance along the Kokoda Trail.
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