This article, “Pacific Theatre Part 10: Operation Hailstone & other Strange Tales,” by Lestrade aka Unpopular Opinion, questions the conventional historical narrative of World War II in the Pacific theatre. The author scrutinizes Operation Hailstone against Truk Lagoon, arguing that the supposed heavily fortified Japanese base was likely exaggerated and poorly defended, questioning the validity of photographic evidence and historical accounts. The article then delves into the phenomenon of Japanese holdouts after the war, suggesting these stories were fabricated for political and tourism purposes. Finally, it examines claims of Japanese cannibalism and American desecration of corpses, again asserting that the evidence is flimsy and often based on hearsay and fabricated imagery. The author concludes by questioning the accuracy of World War II casualty figures and population statistics for Japan, suggesting inconsistencies that undermine the accepted historical record.
Here’s a list of subjects, names, references, locations, companies, etc., marked with double square brackets:
The article critiques the official account of World War II in the Pacific theatre, focusing on Operation Hailstone and the importance of Truk Lagoon as a Japanese base. The author, Lestrade aka Unpopular Opinion, uses Wikipedia and other sources to question the evidence presented for these events.
Regarding Truk Lagoon, the author notes it was referred to as Truk, Truuk, Chuk, or Chuuk and was considered a top-secret elite Japanese base in the South Pacific. It was allegedly heavily fortified with roads, trenches, bunkers, caves, five airstrips, seaplane bases, a torpedo boat station, submarine repair shops, a communications center, and a radar station, protected by coastal defense guns and mortar emplacements. The Japanese garrison was reportedly around 45,000 IJN and IJA men under Vice Admiral Masami Kobayashi, Vice Admiral Chuichi Hara, and Major General Kanenobu Ishuin. It was known to Allied forces as “the Gibraltar of the Pacific.”
Operation Hailstone is described as a three-day American raid that began on February 17, 1944, launched from the Marshall Islands after their capture. The operation allegedly sank twelve smaller Japanese warships and thirty-two merchant ships, destroying 275 aircraft. The author questions the effectiveness and scale of this operation, pointing out that the Japanese had withdrawn their larger warships, including heavy cruisers and aircraft carriers, to Palau a week prior, having begun the withdrawal in October 1943. The article mentions USS Intrepid aircraft and the Caroline Islands in relation to photos of the attack. It also notes subsequent attacks by the British Pacific Fleet during Operation Inmate in June 1945.
The author expresses skepticism about the existence and scale of the Japanese military presence at Truk, citing the historical occupation by Spanish and Germans before World War I and Japanese seizure. They question the photographic evidence, suggesting it might be doctored or depict normal island life.
The article also discusses the alleged Japanese holdouts after the war, including:
- Private Teruo Nakamura on Morotai Island in Indonesia, who surrendered in December 1974.
- Masashi Ito, who hid on Guam for 16 years and wrote a book titled “The Emperor’s Last Soldiers.”
- Shoichi Yokoi, who allegedly survived on Guam for 28 years, with a replica of “Yokoi’s Cave” now a tourist attraction.
- Hiroo Onoda, who remained in the Philippines for 29 years, eventually surrendering after being found by Norio Suzuki. Onoda was pardoned by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
The author also touches upon the alleged Japanese cannibalism, citing accounts from Lord Russell of Liverpool’s book “The Knights of Bushido” and Yuki Tanaka’s research. Specific incidents mentioned include alleged atrocities at Khandok, Canangay, and Manila, as well as claims of Japanese soldiers eating Allied prisoners in New Guinea. The author dismisses these claims as hearsay and fabricated, pointing to the lack of physical evidence and logical inconsistencies. The Chichijima incident is mentioned in relation to former U.S. President George H. W. Bush’s wartime experiences and allegations of cannibalism.
Furthermore, the article discusses the American desecration of Japanese corpses, citing instances of taking body parts as “war souvenirs” and “war trophies.” The author scrutinizes photographic evidence from Life magazine and other sources, deeming them staged or faked.
Finally, the article analyzes World War II casualty figures and population statistics for Japan, highlighting discrepancies between various sources like statista.com and Toyo Keizaishinbunnsha’s “Census Tables of the Showa Era”. The author questions how Japan’s population could increase during and after the war despite heavy bombardments and significant military losses. They also mention casualty data from worldatlas.com and an IJA page, questioning the reported numbers and the overall narrative of Japanese defeat.
The addendum discusses an article about Marine CPL Jack Shelton Brown and the MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which the author finds nonsensical and overly sentimental, suggesting it might be a response to their series. The author also mentions Miles, who provided an article and discussed Japanese military insignias resembling those of the Phoenicians. The article also references Admiral Marc Mitscher, his involvement in the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal, and Tarawa, and his post-war role in the “Revolt of the Admirals,” as well as his death and burial in Arlington National Cemetery. It also mentions the American propaganda film “Yanks Smash Truk.” References are made to Guam, Palau, Iwo Jima, Leyte Gulf, Saipan, Wake Island, Rabaul, Kiska, Solomon Islands, New Guinea, China, Burma Campaign, Australian Combat Zone, French Indochina, Manchuria, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Bonin Islands, and Chichi Jima. Other entities mentioned include Fiji, Imperial Japanese Fleet, Japanese Civil Engineering Department, Naval Construction Department, Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), US Navy, Grumman F6F Hellcats, Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, British Pacific Fleet, HMS Implacable, Canadian cruisers, United States military, Franklin Roosevelt, Francis E. Walter, US Representative, George H. W. Bush, Lt Gen. Yoshio Tachibana, Nuremberg trials, Judge Webb, George H. W. Bush, James Bradley, Mt. Suribachi, Toshiyuki Tanaka, Ferdinand Marcos, Yasuhiro Nakasone, Emperor Hirohito, Toei Motion Picture Company, Time Magazine, Imperial Army, Australian army, Australian War Memorial (AWM), Republican candidate, George H. W. Bush, US Representative Francis E. Walter, Life Magazine, Franklin Roosevelt, Sgt. Pepper, Toshikazu Nagayama, George H. W. Bush, Toshikazu Tanaka, Toshiyuki Tanaka, George H. W. Bush, James Bradley, Mt. Suribachi, Flyboys: a True Story of Courage, Yoshio Tachibana, The Knights of Bushido, Lord Russell of Liverpool, Yuki Tanaka, Hidden Horrors: Japanese war crimes in World War 2, Judge Webb, Hatam Ali, S Unit, Australian forces, Rabi Lohar, T.T., N.Y., Yuki Tanaka (now Toshiyuki Tanaka), Australian archives, University of Melbourne, Mainichi newspaper, Australian War Memorial (AWM), Nuremberg trials, George H. W. Bush, Toshiyuki, Chichijima incident, Ogasawara incident, Lloyd Woellhof, Grady York, James “Jimmy” Dye, Glenn Frazier Jr., Marvell “Marve” Mershon, Floyd Hall, Warren Earl Vaughn, Warren Hindenlang, George H. W. Bush, Lt Gen. Yoshio Tachibana, Guam, James Bradley, Iwo Jima, Mt. Suribachi, Flyboys: a True Story of Courage, George H. W. Bush, Toshiyuki, Miles, Japanese, Phoenicians, Admiral Marc Mitscher, Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Revolt of the Admirals, Arlington National Cemetery, Yanks Smash Truk, Fiji, Imperial Japanese Fleet, Japanese Civil Engineering Department, Naval Construction Department, Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), US Navy, Grumman F6F Hellcats, Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, British Pacific Fleet, HMS Implacable, Canadian cruisers, United States military, Franklin Roosevelt, Francis E. Walter, US Representative, George H. W. Bush, Lt Gen. Yoshio Tachibana, Nuremberg trials, Judge Webb, George H. W. Bush, James Bradley, Mt. Suribachi, Flyboys: a True Story of Courage, Yoshio Tachibana, The Knights of Bushido, Lord Russell of Liverpool, Yuki Tanaka, Hidden Horrors: Japanese war crimes in World War 2, Judge Webb, Hatam Ali, S Unit, Australian forces, Rabi Lohar, T.T., N.Y., Yuki Tanaka (now Toshiyuki Tanaka), Australian archives, University of Melbourne, Mainichi newspaper, Australian War Memorial (AWM), Nuremberg trials, George H. W. Bush, Toshiyuki, Chichijima incident, Ogasawara incident, Lloyd Woellhof, Grady York, James “Jimmy” Dye, Glenn Frazier Jr., Marvell “Marve” Mershon, Floyd Hall, Warren Earl Vaughn, Warren Hindenlang, George H. W. Bush, Lt Gen. Yoshio Tachibana, Guam, James Bradley, Mt. Suribachi, Flyboys: a True Story of Courage, Marine CPL Jack Shelton Brown, MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), Miles, Japanese, Phoenicians, Admiral Marc Mitscher, Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Revolt of the Admirals, Arlington National Cemetery, Yanks Smash Truk, USS Intrepid, Caroline Islands, Gibraltar, South Pacific, Marshall Islands, Palau, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Bonin Islands, Chichi Jima, Truk, Truuk, Chuk, Chuuk, World War I, World War II, Pacific theatre, Japan, United States, United Kingdom, China, Burma Campaign, Australian Combat Zone, French Indochina, Manchuria, vietnam.