Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
U.S. Forces in that battle missed a golden opportunity to "cross the enemies T" when they turned to port instead of starboard,also,the "even ships fire to port,odd ships fire to starboard" order by him truly defies belief,diluting the firepower of an already outgunned force.JMHO
Lincoln died before the civil war was over so if FDR counted so would he.
Quote:
The legend is that all they found of him was his Annapolis class ring, blast welded to the binnacle.
That is not a legend, but not entirely accurate either. Naval divers indeed found the ring welded to the ship. But they also found clothes of his (not the ones he was wearing when he died, these were in his cabin). They were turned over to his family who later gave them to the memorial.
Admiral Holland was in command of the British force in the Battle of the Denmark Straight with his flag on the Hood, he was of course killed. Hood itself was commanded by Captain Kerr.
The other British capital ship in the battle was Prince of Wales. When the Japanese sunk that ship Admiral Tom Philips was killed.
Admiral Lutjens was killed on the Bismarck when it was sunk.
Among the Japanese admirals killed in action were Yamaguchi, Ukagi, Yamamoto, Goto and Nishimura.
Yamaguchi went down with the ship... Hiryu... honor suicide...Nagumo died on Saipan the disgraced Midway 1st Air Carrier commander...i believe he committed Hari-Kari.
Among the Japanese admirals killed in action were Yamaguchi, Ukagi, Yamamoto, Goto and Nishimura.
First, I would assume you meant Ugaki, Matome, who was at one time chief of staff to Yamamoto himself, and later (after going through several different commands) became head of the Imperial Naval air suicide units on Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main Japanese home islands.
It's probably technically correct to say he was killed in action, but I don't think of it that way. On August 15, 1945, Vice-Admiral Ugaki, having listened to the Emperor's broadcast, decided to commit suicide by making a last suicide flight. Not being a pilot, he got into the observer's seat of a plane. Several planes took off together and were never heard from except for a radio transmission from Ugaki saying they were "making an attack". However, there were no American records of suicide attacks from the air on that afternoon, and it is not known what happened to Ugaki's airplane. It could have crashed into the ocean, ditched in the ocean, it's just not known. But it was apparently not by American action or gunfire that he was killed.
I have read his diary in English translation, which of course ends before the take-off of his suicide flight. One irony is his repeated insistence at the end that the diary must never be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy. He was a fanatical true-believer; reality did not intrude all that much into his calculations. His cluelessness is rather amazing for someone who reached the rank of Vice-Admiral.
Not being a pilot, he got into the observer's seat of a plane. Several planes took off together and were never heard from except for a radio transmission from Ugaki saying they were "making an attack". However, there were no American records of suicide attacks from the air on that afternoon, and it is not known what happened to Ugaki's airplane. It could have crashed into the ocean, ditched in the ocean, it's just not known. But it was apparently not by American action or gunfire that he was killed.
.
Hmmmm...he wants headquarters to think that he is attacking...yet the Allied records indicate that no attack took place.
Sounds to me like he staged his disappearance, kept the family honor intact with the fake suicide, and then went to live on an out of the way Pacific Island where Amelia Earhart became his lover.
Hmmmm...he wants headquarters to think that he is attacking...yet the Allied records indicate that no attack took place. Sounds to me like he staged his disappearance, kept the family honor intact with the fake suicide, and then went to live on an out of the way Pacific Island where Amelia Earhart became his lover.
I got a chuckle out of your idea, which I know you offered as a joke. However, for the hell of it, I will treat it seriously just for the opportunity to discuss the conditions prevailing at the time.
1. The state of mechanical maintenance of Japanese aircraft toward the end of the war was horrible (trained mechanics killed over the years, lack of spare parts, disruptions by U.S. bombing raids, etc.). So the chance of his particular airplane making it any large distance was perhaps not so good. Even the quality of the available aviation fuel was poor, which did not help reliability.
2. Aviation gas (and all other fuels) were in very short supply for the Japanese. Normally suicide missions were given only enough gas for a one-way trip. Of course the counter here would be that Ugaki could pull rank and get a full load of fuel for his airplane. Even then, the range of Japanese warplanes was limited compared to our B-24's and B-17's, not even to mention the longer-legged B-29's.
3. By 1945 the Pacific Ocean was an American lake. Any Japanese plane spotted by U.S. forces would not have much prospect for longevity.
Anyway, the idea of the fanatical, pompous, and dour Ugaki becoming the lover of Amelia Earhardt is really great. You have a fertile imagination, which I very much enjoyed in this case.
I got a chuckle out of your idea, which I know you offered as a joke. However, for the hell of it, I will treat it seriously just for the opportunity to discuss the conditions prevailing at the time.
.
I'll suggest it to the History Channel. Look for a one hour special in about six months.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
