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Old 1st January 2018, 22:27
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Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

As a relatively new member I hope this topic is not taboo, if so I can delete it if inappropriate.

As with most war crimes and atrocities committed by the Nazis, Imperial Japan or "others" Chichi-Jima is not a very pretty picture and a horrendous story of unbridled brutality that was the Japanese military and perhaps their civilian population as a whole from the 1930s to late-1945. Another self adjudicated "superior" race determined to impose their will on neighboring countries and territories by armed force.

Last week I was contacted by my friend Don Farrell, resident Tinian Island Historian. Don had been contacted by another friend about this topic which was new to Don and me too initially. The initial introduction from Don's friend was from this source

https://www.factinate.com/things/42-...sting-facts/4/ specifically 27. Cannibalized airmen but extremely lacking in detail.

A simple Google search for Chi Chi Jima yields a plethora of results including President H W Bush narrowly escaping being on the Chichi-Jima menu. Some of those initial search results here

http://www.rockymountainwingcaf.org/...=7~7~8~8~10~10

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...se-pow-guards/

Even Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichijima_incident with a couple of documents.

Searching a little deeper this page was found which named some of the victims

https://blog.togetherweserved.com/20...jima-incident/

It was only later found that Pacific Wrecks had nearly the same aircrew "menu" casualties but in better chronological order here

https://www.pacificwrecks.com/provin...-chi-jima.html

However initially to aid Don I started with the "together we served" airman list later augmented with some Pacific Wrecks content. So off down this Chi Chi Jima trail we go where my goal is to remember and honor these airman who gave their last full measure under most brutal conditions before and after death.

Navy Aviation Radioman Jimmy Dye, from Mount Ephraim, New Jersey; ARM3c James Wesley Dye, Jr., crew of TBM-3 Avenger Bu No. 22904 of VT-82, from USS Bennington (CV-20) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9207275 & http://www.dvrbs.com/Monuments/mte/M...esleyDyeJr.htm

Navy Pilot Floyd Hall from Sedalia, Missouri; Ensign Floyd Ewing Hall, flying TBM-3 Avenger Bu No. 23637 of VT-12, from USS Randolph (CV-15) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...oyd-ewing-hall “Sorties Into Hell: The Hidden War on Chichi Jima” by Chester G. Hearn; Ens. Hall excerpt: https://books.google.com/books?id=2W...page&q&f=false

Navy Aviation Radioman Marve Mershon from Los Angeles, California; ARM3c Marvelle "Marvie" William Mershon, crew of TBM-3, Avenger Bu No. 23637 of VT-12, from USS Randolph (CV-15) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9206627

Marine Pilot Warren Earl Vaughn from Childress, Texas; 2nd Lt Warren Earl Vaughn, USMC S/N 0-029620, flying F4U-1D Corsair Bu No. 82356 of VMF-123, from USS Bennington (CV-20) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...en-earl-vaughn

Navy Aviation Radioman Dick Woellhof from Clay Center, Kansas; ARM2c Lloyd Richard “Dick” Woellhof, USNR S/N 6286511, crew of SB2C-1 Helldiver Bu No. 01169 of VB-1 from USS Yorktown (CV-10) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9204905

Aviation Gunners Grady York from Jacksonville, Florida; AOM3c Grady Alvah York, Jr., USN S/N 5568232, crew of TBM-3 Avenger Bu No. 22904 of VT-82 from USS Bennington CV-20 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...ady-alvah-york

Navy Aviation Gunner Glenn Frazier from Athol, Kansas; AOM2c Glenn Chester Frazier, Jr. crew of TBM-3 Avenger Bu No. 23637 of VT-12, from USS Randolph (CV-15) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...lenn-c-frazier - there are some errors here; have requested edits by F-A-G page contributor.

Navy Pilot Warren Hindenlang of Foxboro, Massachusetts. [This one is a little more different to track] Ensign Warren A “Hindy” Hindenlang USN S/N 306200. It appears he was the co-pilot aboard a US Navy Liberator (PB4Y-1) downed at Chichi Jima 5 August 1944 operating with Patrol Bombing Squadron (VPB-109) [unknown what happened to the rest of this crew, likely 9 other crew members]; during this period (apparently?) operating from Isley Field, Saipan; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...ren-hindenlang , http://www.naval-history.net/WW2USca...NBPbyNameH.htm & https://foxboroughmemorialsquares.wo...lang-warren-a/

The Pacific Wrecks Chi Chi Jima registry is slightly different; for those who did not visit the link provided earlier but worth recording again here:

ARM2c Lloyd Richard Woellhof, gunner SB2C 01169 POW 7-4-44, executed 8-7-44
Unknown, radioman POW 7-4-44, executed 8-7-44
AOM3c Grady Alvan York, gunner TBM Avenger 22904 POW 2-18-45, executed 2-23-45
ARM3c James Wesley Dye, Jr., radio TBM Avenger 22904 POW 2-18-45, executed 2-25-45
AOM2c Glenn J. Frazier, Jr. gunner TBM 23637 POW 2-18-45, executed 2-18-45
ARM3c Marvelle "Marvie" William Mershon radio TBM 23637 POW 2-18-45, executed 2-22-45
Ensign Floyd Ewing Hall, pilot TBM 23637 POW 2-18-45, executed 3-9-45
2nd Lt Warren Earl Vaughn, pilot F4U 82356 POW 2-23-45, executed 3-15-45

The War Crimes trial record of Yoshio Tachibana et al., 1946 (154578) starts here on fold3 for those with access https://www.fold3.com/image/1/27437847 821 pages (many in Japanese) if one has the stomach to read them all. The consumption of Ensign Hall, and ARM3c Mershon is detailed “vividly” early on Page 6 (attached).

I am not certain there is a proper epitaph for this type of war atrocities accounting beyond "Know the Past....Shape the Future" in hopes of prevention in generations to come, following the adage "history does not repeat itself but it often rhymes".
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Last edited by 25Kingman49; 28th July 2021 at 01:19.
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Old 1st January 2018, 23:13
Frank Olynyk Frank Olynyk is offline
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

Hintz and Woellhof were the only crew of SB2c 01169. The Helldiver had a crew of 2, the Avenger geneally 3.

Enjoy!

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Old 1st January 2018, 23:46
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

Thank you, Frank.

Concur Ensign Owen M. Hintz, O-290489, USNR was the pilot and his enlisted RO/Gunner was Woellhof

Sources (for those interested in such mundane detail)

https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/sb2c/01169.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...-marsten-hintz

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...-marsten-hintz

Owen M Hintz may have received a posthumous promotion to Lt (jg).

Enjoy and Cheers
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Old 2nd January 2018, 00:10
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

Scott, the crew associated with Warren Hindenlang from VBP-109 can be found starting on this page and continuing on the next:

https://www.fold3.com/image/302040440

Hindenlang was the copilot and Elmer H Kasperson was the pilot. There was a crew of 11. All are still missing and listed in Honolulu except for Frye who is buried in Honolulu.
For some reason Frye does not come up on the abmc website, but is on findagrave here:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...ard-dewey-frye

The plane was lost the night of August 4/5 1944.

There is a book by Norman M Miller and and Hugh B Cave called "I took the Sky Road". Miller was the commanding officer of VBP-109. The crew is mentioned in the appendix but unfortunately the Google preview does not show the pages when the incident occurred. Click the blue "Page 212" to see the entire crew list on this link:

https://books.google.com/books?id=vG...q=frye&f=false
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Old 2nd January 2018, 00:24
twocee twocee is offline
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

According to US Navy records Hintz was flying SB2C-1C BuNo 18547. BuNo 01169 was another VB-1 loss that same day (Wright/Pryor).
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Old 2nd January 2018, 00:24
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25Kingman49 25Kingman49 is offline
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

Thank you, Rolland.

The USN war diaries are still new territory for me on fold3, your aid is much appreciated. It is sad however that this content is sorely lacking compared to the detail that can be found in "some" AAF MACRs offering much more specific crew and event content.
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Old 2nd January 2018, 00:33
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

Quote:
Originally Posted by twocee View Post
According to US Navy records Hintz was flying SB2C-1C BuNo 18547. BuNo 01169 was another VB-1 loss that same day (Wright/Pryor).
Thank you, George.

Might you offer a specific source reference for this content beyond "Navy Records"

Hmmm, is this a contrary record here

https://books.google.com/books?id=s1...0Hintz&f=false

Or is this reference in error?

Respectfully,
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Old 2nd January 2018, 02:28
Frank Olynyk Frank Olynyk is offline
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

VB-1 lost 3 SB2C-1c Helldivers in the morning mission at Chi Chi Jima. The losses are covered in VB-1 ACA-1 report #23 which does not give the aircraft BuNos. Crew losses were Hintz/Woellhof, Wright/Pryor, and Drysdale/Dalton. Two sources give further information, including BuNos. In Record Group 24, Bureau of Naval Personnel (I do not know the Entry Number), in Box 45 and 46 are four folders of losses by name, mostly covering 1944-45, but incomplete for that period. In addition, in box 46 there are four folders of aircraft losses by aircraft type and date. Both of these RG 24 sources give the BuNos, respectively 01169, 18547, and 18548 (to match the above names). Finally, Yorktown's Deck Log for July 4, 1944 lists these losses with BuNos, which agrees with the above.

Campbell's three World War 2 loss books are basically a copy of the aircraft losses in Box 46 (Naval Aircraft Losses Outside the Zone of the Interior). No additional research in the losses was done for the books, so errors in the Box 46 material are duplicated in Campbell's books.

Enjoy!

Frank.
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Old 2nd January 2018, 05:30
R Leonard R Leonard is offline
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

An error rate sufficiently high to make the data a source of absolute last resort in my opinion.
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Old 2nd January 2018, 13:19
twocee twocee is offline
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Re: Chi Chi Jima incident, Japanese War Crimes

My source for the statement that Hintz was flying 18547 is a loss list obtained form the National Archives Record Group 24. Wright was in 01169 and Drysdale in 18548.

I have lists for most USN WWII types and have found them to be generally accurate, when used in conjunction with other sources such as diaries and action reports. However, they appear to be less trustworthy for the Solomons campaign era.

Going back to the main topic, a good book on the subject is James Bradley's FLYBOYS.
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