General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Italian subs machinegun survivors
Posted by:
ROBERT M.
()
Date: July 07, 2003 03:12AM
<HTML>Alan, Kenn:
When USS WAHOO sunk the Japanese transport BUYO MARU, thousands of
soldiers aboard her "commenced jumping over the side like ants off a hot plate."
When WAHOO surfaced, Morton ordered all deck guns manned. He found himself in a "sea of Japanese." The survivors of the transport were hanging on the
flotsam and jetsam or huddling in about twenty boats, ranging from scows to little
rowboats. Grider wrote: "The water was so thick with enemy soldiers that it was
literally impossible to cruise through them without pushing them aside like driftwood." These were troops we knew had been bound for New Guinea, to fight
and kill our own men, and Mush (Morton). whose overwhelming biological hatredd of
the enemy we were only now beginning to sense, looked about him with exultation at the carnage." Sterling remembered, roughly, an exchange between Roger Paine
and Mush Morton: "There must be close to ten thousand of them in the water,"
said Roger Paine's voice. "I figure about nine thousand five hundred of the sons-
a-bitches." Mortom calculated.
Whatever the number, Morton was determined to kill every single one. He ordered the deck guns to open fire. Some of the Japanese, Morton said later, returned fire
with pistol shots. To Morton, that signalled "fair game." What followed, Girder wrote, were "nightmarish minutes." Later, Morton replied tersely, "After about an
hour of this, we destroyed all the boats and most of the troops."
Source: 'SILENT VICTORY: The U.S.Submarine War Against Japan - Clay Blair
Pages 357/358.
Later,
ROBERT M.</HTML>
When USS WAHOO sunk the Japanese transport BUYO MARU, thousands of
soldiers aboard her "commenced jumping over the side like ants off a hot plate."
When WAHOO surfaced, Morton ordered all deck guns manned. He found himself in a "sea of Japanese." The survivors of the transport were hanging on the
flotsam and jetsam or huddling in about twenty boats, ranging from scows to little
rowboats. Grider wrote: "The water was so thick with enemy soldiers that it was
literally impossible to cruise through them without pushing them aside like driftwood." These were troops we knew had been bound for New Guinea, to fight
and kill our own men, and Mush (Morton). whose overwhelming biological hatredd of
the enemy we were only now beginning to sense, looked about him with exultation at the carnage." Sterling remembered, roughly, an exchange between Roger Paine
and Mush Morton: "There must be close to ten thousand of them in the water,"
said Roger Paine's voice. "I figure about nine thousand five hundred of the sons-
a-bitches." Mortom calculated.
Whatever the number, Morton was determined to kill every single one. He ordered the deck guns to open fire. Some of the Japanese, Morton said later, returned fire
with pistol shots. To Morton, that signalled "fair game." What followed, Girder wrote, were "nightmarish minutes." Later, Morton replied tersely, "After about an
hour of this, we destroyed all the boats and most of the troops."
Source: 'SILENT VICTORY: The U.S.Submarine War Against Japan - Clay Blair
Pages 357/358.
Later,
ROBERT M.</HTML>
