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WCU - World War II in Southern Appalachia

The Canopus

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  • wcu_ww2-925.jp2
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Item 1 - The Canopus
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The Canopus

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Item 2 - The Canopus
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The Canopus

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Item 20 - The Canopus
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The Canopus

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Item
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Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • Figuratively thumbing their manuals, they hastily deployed in accordance with the best traditions of the book, and advanced in line of skirmishers. Contact was established as might be expected, and the maneuver described as "The Assault" in the next chapter, drove in the advance patrols of the surprised Nipponese. The strength of the main forces next encountered convinced our boys that they had a "bear by the tail", and since the book failed to provide the proper procedure in such a contingency, they threw it away. Five days of what was probably the weirdest jungle fighting in the annals of warfare ensued, with all accepted principles violated, and no holds barred. Adjacent units were unable to maintain contact with each other during the night, so, of course, the Japs took advantage of their famous infiltration tactics. However, this did not have the expected results, because our boys, not having been indoctrinated into the ancient Army principle that it is fatal to be outflanked, simply held their ground and sent back detachments to clear out the annoying intruders behind their lines. Another essential item which had somehow been overlooked in the plans was the service of supply. In the excitement, nobody thought much about that until nature' began to assert itself as night came on, and. the boys began to get hungry and tired. A hurry call was sent back to the Canopus to "send plenty of everything", and trucks were rushed to the new front with food, ammunition, blankets, and stretchers for the wounded. For days, all other work was dropped, and all hands were pressed into service to make sure the fighting men lacked nothing that would help. The Jap landing party was made up of picked men, larger and stronger than the average, and well equipped, for jungle fighting. Had they made a determined assault, they could undoubtedly have wiped, out completely our whole ragged ' battalion. But they knew the business of war, and were sure our front lines must be backed up by powerful reserves somewhere. If they could only find out where, these reserves were located, they would know where best to make their drive. The big push was held up while their scouts frantically searched for the elusive reserve forces. How could they guess that the crazy Americans were so ignorant of the art of war as to blithely ignore the necessity for reserves Sixty more Marines with trench mortars were brought over from Corregidor to counteract the advantage the Japs had enjoyed with similar weapons, but they were also used in the front lines, and could hardly be called reserves, A diary- later found on the body of a Japanese officer testified to their complete, bewilderment, describing the strange conduct of the "new type of suicide squads, which thrashed about in the jungle, wearing bright colored uniforms, and making plenty of noise. Whenever these apparitions reached an open space, they would attempt to draw Japanese fire by sitting down, talking loudly, and lighting cigarettes." Bataan may well have been saved from a premature fall by the reckless bravado of those sailors, because if the Japs had succeeded in cutting off supplies to the western Army front, a general retreat from those prepared" positions might have been necessary. The lives lost in that timely effort could hardly have been sacrificed in a better cause.
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).

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World War II in Southern Appalachia

World War II affected the residents of WNC both home and abroad. This collection highlights some of these experiences, including Carr and Ruth Hooper who were interred at the Sant...

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