"Carlson said in our interview that he learned most from their guerrilla tactics how to keep men in good health, how to move across territory at high speed without tiring, how to involve the men in discussions and make sure officers and the ranks exchange ideas in order to understand why they are fighting. Carlson said he learned from Chinese Red Army guerrilla units the tactics he used to train his raiders battalion. This was a remarkably exciting event for me to talk to this guy. As I was walking him back to the St. Francis Hotel in the middle of San Francisco, and as we walked down Market Street, I could see people stopping and staring at this magnificent tall handsome marine general with all those medals. I don't think many people knew who he was, but they recognized somebody special. I was so pleased to be with him."
"He was strongly opposed to America's Far Eastern policy—especially Truman's sending arms to Chiang Kai-shek, which he was sure would only lead to all-out civil war and deny the Chinese people an opportunity to form a coalition government. A quote from Carlson in May, 1947, said, "We are backing the wrong horse. Chiang Kai-shek's troops cannot lick the Chinese Communist armies because they do not have a base in the people." History has verified his prediction. "
Great FF, thanks. I was privileged to personally interview Louis Zamperini in front of a high school audience of well over 1,500 about two years before he died. Both his books, "Devil at My Heels," and "Unbroken" are classics - not only for their portrayal of human character during war, but for the detailed historical content. Laura Hillebrand wrote Unbroken after she learned of Zamperini only due to her research while writing "Seabiscuit." She ran across a newspaper account with the reference to Seabiscuit as "the only thing faster than runner Louis Zamperini." She noted the reference as something 'she would look int'o after finishing Seabiscuit. If not for that, Unbroken may never have been written. Fun stuff.
Many Fullbore elements of this audacious raid - including the XO of the 2nd Raider Battalion who just happened to be the son of POTUS. My how far we’ve come from FDR’s kids to the current generation: https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/8339
Great article! But I thought VADM Hirokai Abe was relieved by Yamamoto and retired from the IJN in 1943. Wasn't it VADM Kōsō Abe who was held to account in this instance and executed in 1947? I defer to your wiser insights.
Not to be Debbie Downer, but the Japanese decided to reinforce several islands after the raid. So it probably increased casualties in at least one campaign.
Market Commons is a mixed use real estate development on the site of the former Myrtle Beach Air Base. The entrance is Farrow Parkway. I wonder how many tourists know Farrow’s story. Billy Farrow was one of Doolittle’s Raiders. He was captured in China, taken to Japan and executed. Farrow was from Darlington County SC. The folks in Darlington spent the war not knowing Farrow’s fate, that included my mom.
General Peatross was one of my High ranking commanders back in the day at PI, I saw him once while doing the Third phase Mess and Maintenance at HQ. Me and Vega were buffing the floor and got complimented on the shine! We Gave him a four square Marine recruit salute! Without covers or duty belts, he just smile and saluted back.
"We find that the Marine Corps is made up of 99 percent Marines and 1 percent bullshitters. In peacetime, the bullshitters tend to be the ones you hear from. But I waded ashore on Guadalcanal in '42. I looked all the way down the beach to my right and all the way up the beach to my left. There wasn't a bullshitter in sight
Unusually, Commander Salamander omits the BAD impacts of the raid. The Japanese DID NOT fortify the Pacific Islands (which indeed it had agreed not to do in mandated territories) UNTIL AFTER the raid demonstrated their vulnerability. That is, perhaps, another sense in which things can go wrong. In an operational or tactical simulation, I try NOT to use a tactic until a moment in which it may offer a decisive advantage. BECAUSE the enemy will learn from a good tactic - and probably devise ways to mitigate or utterly defeat it.
Great to read after finishing my CPO initiation and pinning. NAUTLIUS and AROGNAUT were mammoth boats for that period, approaching the size of a modern fast attack boat, but with much less draft. In some ways, the limitations of the period were part of the problems the raid. Still, it was a job well done.
Great post of an amazing story, Unbroken is truly a great read as well.
Interesting that Carlson has three pictures on the President Truman Library page.
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/taxonomy/term/5487
Apparently he had no love for the Far East policy executed by the Truman State Department.
https://oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt1000013q;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=d0e18030&toc.id=d0e480&brand=calisphere
"Carlson said in our interview that he learned most from their guerrilla tactics how to keep men in good health, how to move across territory at high speed without tiring, how to involve the men in discussions and make sure officers and the ranks exchange ideas in order to understand why they are fighting. Carlson said he learned from Chinese Red Army guerrilla units the tactics he used to train his raiders battalion. This was a remarkably exciting event for me to talk to this guy. As I was walking him back to the St. Francis Hotel in the middle of San Francisco, and as we walked down Market Street, I could see people stopping and staring at this magnificent tall handsome marine general with all those medals. I don't think many people knew who he was, but they recognized somebody special. I was so pleased to be with him."
"He was strongly opposed to America's Far Eastern policy—especially Truman's sending arms to Chiang Kai-shek, which he was sure would only lead to all-out civil war and deny the Chinese people an opportunity to form a coalition government. A quote from Carlson in May, 1947, said, "We are backing the wrong horse. Chiang Kai-shek's troops cannot lick the Chinese Communist armies because they do not have a base in the people." History has verified his prediction. "
I read history like this and realize just how easy my life has been.
What a crappy two days. We don't often talk about how professional leadership can turn a soup sandwich into some form of success.
"Most know of Doolittle's raid on Tokyo - close to perfect if only a few hundred pounds of fuel off."
As the AAF tells it, the fuel was maxed out and calculations were right on, it was the take-off airfield that was off...
Full Bore Saaa-lute. Great selection to end the week on a high note after the depressing DivThu and Fat Leonard debacle.
Great FF, thanks. I was privileged to personally interview Louis Zamperini in front of a high school audience of well over 1,500 about two years before he died. Both his books, "Devil at My Heels," and "Unbroken" are classics - not only for their portrayal of human character during war, but for the detailed historical content. Laura Hillebrand wrote Unbroken after she learned of Zamperini only due to her research while writing "Seabiscuit." She ran across a newspaper account with the reference to Seabiscuit as "the only thing faster than runner Louis Zamperini." She noted the reference as something 'she would look int'o after finishing Seabiscuit. If not for that, Unbroken may never have been written. Fun stuff.
Many Fullbore elements of this audacious raid - including the XO of the 2nd Raider Battalion who just happened to be the son of POTUS. My how far we’ve come from FDR’s kids to the current generation: https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/8339
They were doing "special" before we put it in the rating or MOS.
Part II of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7qgTgXg_f8
Nice add on one of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jXPA5L9OBc
Sal,
Great article! But I thought VADM Hirokai Abe was relieved by Yamamoto and retired from the IJN in 1943. Wasn't it VADM Kōsō Abe who was held to account in this instance and executed in 1947? I defer to your wiser insights.
V/r, Byrdman
Not to be Debbie Downer, but the Japanese decided to reinforce several islands after the raid. So it probably increased casualties in at least one campaign.
Market Commons is a mixed use real estate development on the site of the former Myrtle Beach Air Base. The entrance is Farrow Parkway. I wonder how many tourists know Farrow’s story. Billy Farrow was one of Doolittle’s Raiders. He was captured in China, taken to Japan and executed. Farrow was from Darlington County SC. The folks in Darlington spent the war not knowing Farrow’s fate, that included my mom.
General Peatross was one of my High ranking commanders back in the day at PI, I saw him once while doing the Third phase Mess and Maintenance at HQ. Me and Vega were buffing the floor and got complimented on the shine! We Gave him a four square Marine recruit salute! Without covers or duty belts, he just smile and saluted back.
This was a Peatross quote.
"We find that the Marine Corps is made up of 99 percent Marines and 1 percent bullshitters. In peacetime, the bullshitters tend to be the ones you hear from. But I waded ashore on Guadalcanal in '42. I looked all the way down the beach to my right and all the way up the beach to my left. There wasn't a bullshitter in sight
Unusually, Commander Salamander omits the BAD impacts of the raid. The Japanese DID NOT fortify the Pacific Islands (which indeed it had agreed not to do in mandated territories) UNTIL AFTER the raid demonstrated their vulnerability. That is, perhaps, another sense in which things can go wrong. In an operational or tactical simulation, I try NOT to use a tactic until a moment in which it may offer a decisive advantage. BECAUSE the enemy will learn from a good tactic - and probably devise ways to mitigate or utterly defeat it.
Great to read after finishing my CPO initiation and pinning. NAUTLIUS and AROGNAUT were mammoth boats for that period, approaching the size of a modern fast attack boat, but with much less draft. In some ways, the limitations of the period were part of the problems the raid. Still, it was a job well done.