Chivarly in the Pacific War

[Kim Sung]

I've found a story of unusual chivalry between the Japanese Navy and the US Navy. I didn't know that there was any chivalrous act in the Pacific War filled with ruthless atrocities and barbaric acts. Is there any other story of chivarly in other battles during the Pacific War?

From 'Sea of Thunder' by Evan Thomas, a new book about the sea battle of Leyte Gulf

A Japanese destroyer slowly moved in amongst the ship's survivors. About sixty of the crew had been killed in battle and gone down with the ship. Some 270 survivors, many badly wounded, drifted in the oil slicks amidst the flotsam. At first, the men of the Johnston were convinced that they would be machine-gunned or depth-charged as they floated helplessly. Both sides in the bloody Pacific War were known to shoot survivors in the water.

The Japanese warship, flying an enormous Rising Sun battle flag, drew within a hundred yards of the swimmers. Japanese sailors lined the rail. They were not holding guns. Some clapped and laughed, or made a "number one" sign, as if they were mocking the Americans. One tossed a can of tomatoes. Then several of the Johnston's sailors noticed the destroyer captain, in his white uniform, standing on the wing of the bridge. The officer, honoring the Americans' courage, gravely saluted.

The Japanese steamed away. Hagen recalled a sudden silence. Guns were no longer crashing, machinery was no longer roaring, wounded were no longer screaming. They were alone on a vast ocean. Commander Evans was nowhere to be seen. No one had seen him leave the ship. He had simply vanished beneath the waves.

[alf]

Another instance of chivarly from the IJN was during the Battle of Milne Bay (1942) . The Australian Hospital ship Manunda packed with wounded and sick Australians sailed unmolested past the Japanese Fleet blocking the bay. She was lit up by Japanese searchlights but that was all.

The story is recounted in the book "Bluey Truscott" by Ivan Southall, its long out of print.

[Benoit Douville]

Kim,

Great story, Chivalry was indeed pretty rare during World War II.

Regards

[Kim Sung]

Both sides in the bloody Pacific War were known to shoot survivors in the water.

Is this true?

[mars]

Both sides in the bloody Pacific War were known to shoot survivors in the water.

Is this true?

Sadly, Kim, it was true

[alf]

Both sides in the bloody Pacific War were known to shoot survivors in the water.

Is this true?

The Battle of the Bismark Sea in March 1943, American and Australian aircraft spent some days strafing Japanese surviors . Eight Troop transports and eight destroyers were sent from Rabual to New Guniea to reinforce the Japanese garrison. All eight transports and four of the escorting destroyers were sunk in the battle.

Through 4 and into 5 March Allied aircraft were despatched to strafe Japanese life rafts and rescue vessels to prevent the large number of Japanese who had escaped their sinking transports from being rescued and arriving in Lae to be rearmed and sent to the front. There was a deadly race for the survivors between Japanese submarines and Allied aircraft. It was a horrible task and one that haunted several of the aircrews for years to come. It is one of the realities of war that they had to be prevented from getting to the fighting in New Guinea. 2 890 Japanese soldiers and sailors were killed in the battle or drowned trapped in their sinking ships or drifting in the wreckage spread. Only 850 reached Lae. Few were battle ready and most had lost their weapons and equipment.

http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/remembering ... /index.htm

[ChristopherPerrien]

I've found a story of unusual chivalry between the Japanese Navy and the US Navy. I didn't know that there was any chivalrous act in the Pacific War filled with ruthless atrocities and barbaric acts. Is there any other story of chivarly in other battles during the Pacific War?

From 'Sea of Thunder' by Evan Thomas, a new book about the sea battle of Leyte Gulf

A Japanese destroyer slowly moved in amongst the ship's survivors. About sixty of the crew had been killed in battle and gone down with the ship. Some 270 survivors, many badly wounded, drifted in the oil slicks amidst the flotsam. At first, the men of the Johnston were convinced that they would be machine-gunned or depth-charged as they floated helplessly. Both sides in the bloody Pacific War were known to shoot survivors in the water.

The Japanese warship, flying an enormous Rising Sun battle flag, drew within a hundred yards of the swimmers. Japanese sailors lined the rail. They were not holding guns. Some clapped and laughed, or made a "number one" sign, as if they were mocking the Americans. One tossed a can of tomatoes. Then several of the Johnston's sailors noticed the destroyer captain, in his white uniform, standing on the wing of the bridge. The officer, honoring the Americans' courage, gravely saluted.

The Japanese steamed away. Hagen recalled a sudden silence. Guns were no longer crashing, machinery was no longer roaring, wounded were no longer screaming. They were alone on a vast ocean. Commander Evans was nowhere to be seen. No one had seen him leave the ship. He had simply vanished beneath the waves.

I fail to see the "chivalry" in this story at all.

Who needs to shoot people in the water when you can laugh at them and leave them to a much nicer death by drowning and getting eaten by sharks?

While this story at least is not a hideous war crime, leaving men to their deaths on the sea is counter to international maritime law to render aid to people in distress. Granted that law can be considered negated in this case by "war". But a simply not committing a war crime, in this instance in not shooting helpless sailors , is not a case of "Chivalry".

Chris

[ChristopherPerrien]

Both sides in the bloody Pacific War were known to shoot survivors in the water.

Is this true?

Sadly, Kim, it was true

It was sad if it was Japanese shooting Allied survivors in the water, because they would have surrendered if offered the opportunity. Shooting Japanese is the water can be considered legal since they woud refuse to surrender they could still be considered combatants and that is exactly how the Japanese viewed themselves. So if this sounds to be one-sided or prejudice in some way, given the "cultures" invovled it was by default true.

[Kim Sung]

Then several of the Johnston's sailors noticed the destroyer captain, in his white uniform, standing on the wing of the bridge. The officer, honoring the Americans' courage, gravely saluted.

I fail to see the "chivalry" in this story at all.

Leaving them on the water doesn't mean that they all will die. If a few soldiers survive, it means that they will fight against the Japanese again. And the Japanese captain's salute itself is a sign of chivarly.

[timotheus]

Quote from up thread:
"Shooting Japanese is the water can be considered legal"

I encourage you to see the war crimes thread of both the allies and the axis units. Shooting survivors of a sunk ship is a war crime.

No ifs or buts about it.

There was a case of one U boat captain strafing allied survivors in the water. Can you guess what happened to him?

http://uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=18&page=2

That article cracks me up as it tries to argue that Eck was not a war criminal - all he did was machine gun the rafts so that the allied seamen would not survive. Or so the article claims. There is no mention if the rafts were occupied at the time that this brave fella ordered his crew to machine gun them....

[Peter H]

Let's keep War crime discussions in the Holocaust & War Crimes Section of the forum.

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea is discussed here:

viewtopic.php?t=34151

viewtopic.php?t=78065

[Peter H]

Saburo Sakai,1942:

http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/sakai/sakai.htm

[Dan W.]

I've found a story of unusual chivalry between the Japanese Navy and the US Navy. I didn't know that there was any chivalrous act in the Pacific War filled with ruthless atrocities and barbaric acts. Is there any other story of chivarly in other battles during the Pacific War?

From 'Sea of Thunder' by Evan Thomas, a new book about the sea battle of Leyte Gulf

A Japanese destroyer slowly moved in amongst the ship's survivors. About sixty of the crew had been killed in battle and gone down with the ship. Some 270 survivors, many badly wounded, drifted in the oil slicks amidst the flotsam. At first, the men of the Johnston were convinced that they would be machine-gunned or depth-charged as they floated helplessly. Both sides in the bloody Pacific War were known to shoot survivors in the water.

The Japanese warship, flying an enormous Rising Sun battle flag, drew within a hundred yards of the swimmers. Japanese sailors lined the rail. They were not holding guns. Some clapped and laughed, or made a "number one" sign, as if they were mocking the Americans. One tossed a can of tomatoes. Then several of the Johnston's sailors noticed the destroyer captain, in his white uniform, standing on the wing of the bridge. The officer, honoring the Americans' courage, gravely saluted.

The Japanese steamed away. Hagen recalled a sudden silence. Guns were no longer crashing, machinery was no longer roaring, wounded were no longer screaming. They were alone on a vast ocean. Commander Evans was nowhere to be seen. No one had seen him leave the ship. He had simply vanished beneath the waves.

I fail to see the "chivalry" in this story at all.

Who needs to shoot people in the water when you can laugh at them and leave them to a much nicer death by drowning and getting eaten by sharks?
Chris

Agreed, however, due to the 'total war' concept of the Pacific I would also say that this would count amongst some of the more chivalrous behavior in the war.

Contrast American survivors of their ship being sunk and Japanese survivors, who often would swim away from enemy warships or, if able to, shoot at them, and then shoot themselves, shows to me that this act can be considered almost chivalrous in comparison.
I wonder what orders the Japanese captain of this destroyer was under in relation to enemy survivors? It may have been to kill them.

-Dan