CHAPTER 25

 

FIRE BOMBS!

 

Jimmy Sloan entered the galley complaining of the wind outside. He leaned against the door forcing it closed.

“Bloody wind is blowing everything away!” he yelled, as he latched the door.

This was surely a harbinger of things to come! As the day progressed, the wind changed into gusts. The only excitement of the day was a lone B-29 flying very high across the city. The plane was flying at an altitude of 35,000 to 40,000 feet, and I could see only the ghostly vapor trail that seemed to materialize from nowhere. Without a doubt the B-29 was on a recon mission. By this time, the Jap ack-ack hardly responded to such high flyers.

Close to midnight they came, and it became obvious to everyone that with the high winds still upon us, if the Yanks started any fires, we were going to have a very long night! The sirens began to howl and I sat straight up in my bunk. Sneaking a peek between the boards, bursts of twinkling lights appeared just to the north of the camp.

“Incendiary bombs!” someone gasped loudly, “They’re dropping incendiaries! Fire bombs!”

Everyone was talking at the same time. I could see some of the bombers now!

“They’re flying in single file!” I said to no one in particular. It was true. Through the crack I watched a long line of the big bombers flying due north, just to the east of us. They were so low I could see the four engines, and the big star on each wing! I counted fourteen B-29’s flying one behind the other, and to the east of this formation another group of bombers, slightly higher, were apparently going to fly directly over us.

“Hold onto your hats guys!” I said, “there’s a bunch coming in right over us!”

More men rushed over to the windows, each seeking a crack between the boards. It was no more that ten or fifteen minutes since the sirens sounded, yet already the sky was ablaze from the windswept flames! Other bomber formations created even more fires, and the monstrous flames licked the very sky! A little later I could see nothing, only smoke and fire. It was a lull in the bombing raid, or seemed to be. Fifteen minutes later a new supply of bombers appeared! During one time I could actually see more than fifty of the big planes, just in my field of vision!

Now, the sky was alight with the flames. The fires were growing outward, until they joined the adjacent flames! It almost seemed the flames were feeding upon each other! We were to learn a new, and frightening description, “Fire Storm”! When the fires joined other fires, they became a fire storm! They were feeding on the oxygen. Anyone in the near proximity to these great fires, would be unable to breathe! They would be asphyxiated for lack of oxygen! I would learn later from the documentaries that far more of the civilian population were killed from the lack of oxygen, than from all the bombs! It is unlikely that I will ever forget that night of the great fire raid! It was said later that twenty square miles of the city were destroyed by the fire storms during the night. I’m positive anyone witnessing even part of these fires, would never forget this night! Finally the night passed, as did the terrible bombing raids. When we finally emerged from the barracks, I was almost afraid to look, fearful of what my eyes would behold! The towering silos seemed untouched, and the flour mill appeared intact. But fires still raged in every direction, clouds of smoke filled the sky. As we stood in the galley, exhausted from the long and arduous night, we seem to share the same thoughts.

“I do think Mackey, (Jimmy’s nickname for me at times)  the bloody Yanks are determined to wipe Japan from the face of the earth!” Freddie Harris managed a sickly grin. 

“Now if they can just manage that without disturbing our little island of peace and-uh-I was going to say quiet, but it wasn’t very quiet the past eve, now was it blokes?” a rather solemn Jimmie Sloan muttered.

We carried on with our kitchen chores, the three of us wondering what would be the next act of this great play we found ourselves witnessing from our ringside seats!

For the next two days air activity was nil, but many of the fires continued, fed by scraps of wood and debris that had escaped during the night of what we refer to as “The Great Fire Raid.” It seemed that nothing could be left here in the far reaching industrial areas.

Matsumoto banged through the east door of the galley and informed us we must go for rice! He told us that many roads were closed, and we would have to take the bicycles because the truck could not  come! Looking at our crudely made ‘duty roster’ we discovered that it was Freddie and I who would accompany Matsie to the market. Shortly, we were on our way, pedaling out through the gate and past the flour mill. Less that a quarter of a mile from the camp we encountered our first obstacle. The small bridge that we usually crossed the first canal was blocked by what appeared to be an army truck. The narrow bridge was just wide enough for the truck, but the vehicle had either stalled, or was abandoned during last night’s raid. Matsie waved us on. He directed us past the bridge, and on down the road. We had to pedal almost another half a mile to the next bridge, which was partially blocked by several push carts with wooden wheels. There was one old man there, trying to extract his cart from the jumbled mess. Matsie decided we would help the old man free his cart, which would open an avenue for our bicycles and trailers. It took little time for us to move several of the carts to one side allowing the old man, who was indeed grateful for the aid, to now push and pull his cart, which was the largest of the lot, free of the others and proceed on his way.

Now we began to see effects of the air raids! Before us was a vast area of desolation, a pall of smoke hung low above the expanse of ruin stretched as far as we could see! Only structures of concrete, bricks and mortar were left standing! It was almost as if  a giant scythe had swept everything away, leaving a smoking ruin! My first thought was, “Where were the people?” Only a handful could be seen, some picking through the rubble, probably seeking any piece of wood, which would now be at a premium, since the people used wood for cooking, and practically everything else. Some of those visible just seemed to be staring, perhaps at the place where their homes had stood only yesterday!

We managed to wend our bicycles, often walking them, through debris strewn everywhere! The fires had formed incandescent vortices that drew anything and everything into the maelstrom and continued to feed upon the tiny, wooden homes of the workers that filled this huge plain, sandwiched among all of the industrial complexes. I think Freddie and I were both appalled at the ghastly sight. We continued on our way.

Well ahead of us was a cluster of trucks, the beds covered by canvas canopies. There was a large number of people pressing in close to the vehicles. We could see little else because of the tightly packed mob surrounding the trucks. A Japanese man in uniform was standing on the high running board of one of the trucks, and he was shouting something to the people. He yelled several “questions” above the noise, and suddenly Matsumoto held up a piece of paper and waved it. We learned these trucks were being dispatched to the various places where houses had existed in each neighborhood, and personnel manning the trucks would ration out food, such as rice and fish, or whatever that particular truck contained.

It seemed that our camp commander, Lt. Sato, had received orders to send Matsie to this specific area to receive food for the camp. At the time, the thought crossed my mind that when the people saw us getting food ahead of them, we might face an angry mob! Nothing of the sort happened.  A way was cleared for two men to carry a sack of rice, and some greens to our bike trailers, and we were quickly urged away from the place by Matsumoto, who was, I thought, rather nervous and anxious to evacuate the area!

Our return trip to the camp was slow, and we were often forced to work our bicycles around those places piled high with debris. Freddie and I were dragging when we reached the camp. On previous trips to the market, the roads were usually clean, and clear of any trash. Today had been a nightmare trying to guide the bicycles around, and through the sheet metal, and the old pipes, plus other objects not recognizable to either of us. After the gate opened, we pushed our bikes forward to the south door of the galley. Together we unloaded the rice and the greens, and carried all into the galley. Jimmie stared as we both dropped into chairs.

“What ails ye?” he said in the vernacular. Freddie chose to answer first.

“It’s a bloody long tale James, and I’m too tired to tell you!”

Now we both knew that James Mac K Sloan really would never accept any such excuse as that! Between us, we managed to relate to Jimmie the trip, its difficulties, and the frightful scenes that we had witnessed. After we finished our description, Jimmie whistled.

“It’s really as bad as that out there?” 

We nodded and relaxed.

 

--o-o-0-o-o--

 

On March 18 another massive carrier strike materialized from the east and again the far reaching industrial area and the airfields felt the brunt of their attack! It was estimated that more than 1200 carrier planes swooped in and unleashed their fury on Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama! A repeat of this raid would occur on the 19th of March. Matsumoto wondered just where were the Japanese skokies? Why were they not shooting the Americans down?

Captain Cant passed on the news the Yanks were attacking Okinawa. Unfortunately we were totally unaware of what, and where, “Okinawa” might be, therefore little enthusiasm surfaced and we continued with our dull chores. Our informant passed on to us the location of ‘Okinawa’, and the significance of the island to the Japanese Empire! Now we were enthusiastic! Okinawa was close, as the crow flies, that is. Tough swim, but close for those beautiful airplanes owned by the Yanks and Tanks.

The underground news flowing in to Captain Cant from the German Embassy now furnished the camp with a bombshell! I had just finished describing to Jimmie and Freddie, the details of the capitulation of Corregidor on May 6th 1942, when  John Kelly, the young Scottish fellow that served as a part time dog robber (orderly) for the Japs burst in. His face was alight with excitement, and he could hardly stand still!

“The bloody Huns have surrendered!” he shouted, “The bastards have thrown it in!”

He said the Captain had received the word this morning. It was now revealed to us just how the Captain managed to come by all of his news bulletins! There were three Korean workers that arrived early each morning. I remembered seeing them quite often, but paid little attention. One of them was the courier from the German, to Captain Cant! I was never to learn just how the Korean managed to receive the small pieces of paper from the German. Passing it on to Captain Cant here in our camp would be relatively easy, but how he got it from the German remained a mystery! We attempted to calm John down, but he was so excited that we had to force him to sit down and give us more details. He did not have any more details! Only that the Germans surrendered, and Hitler was dead!

At this time occurred one of the great blunders of all time! Matsumoto waddled in from the east door and stopped when he saw the four of us huddled together behind the rice pots. He stood looking at us questionably.

“Matsumoto-san” James Mac K Sloan said, “ come, come, we have something to talk to you about!”

Jimmie made the Japanese sign to come here, holding his hand out, palm down and repeatedly moving his fingers toward himself. Matsie tentatively moved from the spot where he was standing and approached us. Jimmie smiled sweetly at Matsie and invited him to sit down. Now Matsie was really suspicious! Jimmie, in his attempt to ask Matsie in his most officious pidgeon-Japanese tone, failed miserably, and his question blurted out very bluntly!

Germany is kaput? Oware?”

Matsumoto’s eyes became very wide! “Huh”, he says, “Ka-poot? Oware? Nani?”

Matsie arose from his chair, and he made tracks for the door! Jimmie yelled at him to come back, but Matsumoto was long gone!

“I somehow, don’t think you handled that just right!” Freddie Harris muttered. Jimmie grinned sickly. 

“It’s me forthright, Scottish upbringing it is!” he stated, shuffling his hob-nailed boots.

“Aye,” says John, “perhaps you were a bit direct with your question James!” 

Then together, as if we were mentally linked together, we all got very busy at once! Our busy period lasted approximately two minutes when the door burst open and we had company, lots of company! The Jap 1st Sgt. came through the door first, followed by several soldiers and Matsumoto! Of course we were lined up against the wall in the usual Japanese fashion. The Japs commonly lined people up against walls, sometimes for beatings, and of course for firing squads, and for interrogations! This time seemed to be for one of their famous interrogations, for now that is!

The 1st Sgt. demanded to know where our radio was! We all shook our heads together and assured him that we had no radio! He interrupted the interrogation by slapping Jimmie very hard on the chops! Then, in sequence, he proceeded to slap me, Freddie and John, also on the chops! Since this brought no quick confessions, he slapped each of us harder! Then he did it again! By this time I was seeing stars! Now he turned to the soldiers and screamed in the usual Jap fashion,  “Find the RADIO!” he yelled. The soldiers began scurrying about the galley.

Now it would have indeed required some very heavy magic to secrete a radio of that era, anywhere in our galley, or any galley, of any prison camp, under the jurisdiction of the Japs! First, it is ludicrous to envision we prisoners of war of three years, in possession of a radio, in the spartan confines of any POW camp. Secondly, our galley was devoid of hiding places. This was not the kitchen of a modern home in the city. There were zero cabinets, or closets, or anywhere to hide anything! After ten minutes of intense searching and more slapping, the 1st Sgt. and his henchmen departed, amid much pointing, and threats of murder and dismemberment. This search and destroy group was now headed for the barracks. This left only Matsumoto, who stood staring at the three of us as though we had committed some heinous crime. We each shrugged and went back to work.

Later we learned that the wrecking crew tore every bunk apart in search of the non-existent radio. They proceeded to rip some of the boards out of the raised platform that the bunks rested upon, and that left nowhere to hide anything of any size! The Japs displayed complete astonishment that obviously, there was no radio! Once they reached this conclusion, they departed the barracks and returned to the galley.

“It will be the rack for sure this time!” said Freddie Harris as the Sgt. stormed through the door!

“Well,” I groaned, “It could be tar and feathers!”

On this occasion, the attack group was accompanied by the interpreter. This little man, whose eyes seemed as large as banjoes, was talking so fast that none of us could understand him.

“Where is your radio, and when did you hear this ridiculous story?” he said in a strangled voice.

Jimmie told him that we had no radio, that it would be very difficult for us to make a radio with nothing, and we were not smart enough to make a radio even if we had the things to make one. He thought about this for some time, then rattled off this explanation, or his concept of this explanation to the Sgt. who was having trouble standing still. The 1st Sgt. was obviously thinking of what to do, and how he was going to explain all of this to Lt. Sato when he returned. We of course, did not know these very excited Japanese did not know that Germany had surrendered! We learned the next day from Capt. Cant that probably only the very high ranking Japanese officials knew of this monumental event!

More questions and more searching continued, and of course more slapping! Needless to say, lunch was cancelled. That is not to say that work was cancelled, just lunch. In mid afternoon, a staff car entered the camp. This did not bode well for the “kitchen crew” since we were the culprits that detonated this whole mess!

“I think this would be a good time for one of those big air raids,” Freddie Harris mumbled. The Scotchman and I both nodded in unison.

Unfortunately, there was no raid, but, there were many more questions that afternoon! The staff car brought to us two high rankers, both very curious about our ability to learn of such important events as the fall of the German Empire, and the demise of one Adolph Hitler! One of these men did not wear a uniform, but he did speak fair English. He did not want the interpreter! His comment to us was quite direct, “I must know exactly what your answers are! Not what interpreter thinks answers are!” he said.

He proceeded to tell us the story we heard was not true. He demanded to know just who told us such a ridiculous story. Again each of explained to him that no one told us, that we just told Matsumoto that Germany had probably capitulated by now, and that Hitler was probably dead too! He relayed this information to the Jap Army Officer that had accompanied him in the staff car.

The Army Officer was shaking his head and he said something to the civilian, and the civilian turned to us, “Who do you know in Tokyo? Where does he live?” he said loudly. We shook our heads and told him that we knew no one in Tokyo except those men at Omori. The Army Officer’s eyes lit up and he jabbered at our interrogator. The man in civilian clothes wanted to know if one, or more of us had been to Omori within the last few days. We assured him that none of us had been to Omori since we first came to this camp. He passed this on to the officer. The officer yelled at one of the soldiers standing nearby and the soldier rushed out of the galley and shortly returned with the 1st Sgt. The officer jabbered to the Sgt. and he shook his head and replied to the officer. Hopefully he told the officer that none of us had visited Omori, then he stood rigidly by as the questioning continued.

The two Japanese men finally departed much later, having interrogated several others in the camp besides the galley crew. It had been a very long day for all of us, and thankfully, the three of us were permitted to prepare the evening meal without further interruption. We were furnished with far more than our share of ridicule from the men for causing all of the furor in the camp, plus they threatened to force us make up all of the beds that were torn apart during the ‘great radio search.’ Capt. Cant also came down on us for blathering (his word) about the fall of Germany. He wondered what we were thinking of when we mentioned it to Matsie. He strode away in a dither!

Early one morning, during ‘breakfast’, the  roaring, screaming of aircraft engines brought everyone to their feet! Most of us ran outside to investigate. The sky was a deep blue for a change, no clouds were to be seen. I looked up, trying to locate the source of the noise, but I could see nothing.

“There they are!” someone shouted.

I turned and discovered one of the British soldiers pointing upward. I followed his pointing and I finally picked them up. There was a string of planes diving almost vertically! I was able to count eleven or twelve of them. We rushed between the buildings on the bay side and looked down toward Yokohama. Their target now came into view! It was a battleship! Well, it was almost a battleship. There was something missing....ah-yes! Most of the superstructure was missing. As the planes grew closer I recognized them! They were Curtis SB2C2’s!

“Holy cow”! I said, “Those are Curtis dive bombers. Those things have been around since the Pyramids!”

“Maybe so”, someone said, “but they sure look just beautiful!” 

That was for sure, and I hoped there were a lot more where they came from! Each of the planes dropped one bomb, pulled out of their dive and scooted eastward across Tokyo Bay. Some of the bombs were near misses, and several struck the deck of the ship! I couldn’t determine if the ship was moving or anchored, but when that flight of dive bombers departed, the big ship was down at the stern, the right front of the deck canted up at a sharp angle. That big ship was going nowhere! 

The days slowly rolled by offering no news of earth-shattering nature until the twenty-fourth, when the earth was really shattered by the return of the bombers! Tokyo was assaulted by an incredible number of B-29’s! They seemed to come from all directions, formations of nine, and several groups of twenty-seven planes. This giant raid was devastating! Huge fires seemed everywhere! It was estimated by some that at least 500 bombers hit Tokyo. It was a wonder there was anything left to burn!

During the next night, most of the fires were burning themselves out, and we settled into our bunks for some needed sleep. Hardly had any of us drifted off when the sirens began to moan. It was the night of the 25-26 of May. It was not a dry run! The B-29’s returned with a vengeance! This raid was obviously a fire raid! The bombers were spewing incendiary clusters from low altitudes! The fires spread everywhere! Tokyo’s inadequate fire fighting army consisted of many hands, but very meager equipment, and a shortage of  water where it was needed most, had little, or no effect on the fires. Most of the fires were to the west of our camp, and when I went out of the barracks to the benjo, I saw little fire in the direction of Yokohama. Yesterday, and again tonight, the Yanks were after Tokyo! Their intent was surely to burn this huge city to cinders! Hundreds of tons of incendiaries were dropped on the 24th, and hundreds more on the night of the 25th. The incendiary bombing was devastating! It was certain Japan’s sprawling Capital City would be nothing but a smoking ruin!

Several of the big bombers were hit by the ack-ack. Some had one or more engines afire, and when they were hit the planes turned east and made for the ocean. I was to learn, after the war, American submarines patrolled the waters off Japan and they managed to rescue large numbers of the airmen down in the water. It seemed incredible far more of the great Superforts were not downed due to the low levels of their bombing runs.

Three or four days after this massive night raid, Yokohama was almost destroyed by the incredible sum of 500  B-29’s, and 100 fighters from  the south! The intensity of this ferocious attack was unequaled! The two cities took on the appearance of endless, black deserts. The homeless surely numbered millions! Homeless and hungry, nowhere to hide or to rest. We could only wonder how long Japan could endure, how long before the Americans would land and continue this destruction on the ground, and perhaps also from the air. We knew nothing of the other major cities in Japan. Most of us felt that the other cities were receiving similar attention from the Yanks and Tanks!

The following day we learned one of the POW Camps in the vicinity had taken some bombs or incendiaries and there were injuries and losses. No details were forthcoming, and we could only guess at the degree of injuries and damage. It seemed unbelievable our camp had escaped the fires and high explosives!

The following day brought new surprises! With the bombers came land based fighter planes! The fighters were apparently flying escort for the B-29’s! Unlike the large radial engines on the navy shipboard fighters, these planes wore in-line engines somewhat like our P-40’s, but much more sleek and seemingly faster than the P-40’s. These long nosed fighters were flying very low and very fast! Under their wings were mounted strange looking tubes, which were spewing fire as they flew over our camp just above the roof tops. These amazingly fast planes were after the small islands that sat out in the bay! These islands were equipped with heavy caliber anti-aircraft guns, and these were the targets of the American fighters flying low, and single file over our heads at tree top level. They proceeded to blast the guns, and associated equipment, right off of the low, sandy islands!

It was very exciting to see these beautiful machines zooming over us, just above the roof tops, and firing at the gun islands! And even more exciting was the fact that these pilots knew where we were! More than one of the pilots waggled their wings as they streaked over our camp! Now we thought, would come the dogfights! We would see our guys after the Zeke’s and Tony’s. I think we all wanted revenge for the past years of degradation and starvation, for the beatings and the murdering of helpless Americans and Filipino people!

But, there were no dogfights! The American fighters flew about the city unchallenged! Small flights of Jap planes were often evident, but at no time did we see the Jap planes attempt to drive the Yank fighters away! It became obvious that the Japanese were saving their fighters for the great battles yet to come, the landings! The Japanese realized that their inexperienced pilots would have little chance attacking the Americans. The Jap Navy and Army had long ago lost their seasoned pilots, and the Americans had grown stronger and more experienced as they defeated the Japs during the retaking of the South Pacific. At the beginning of this war, the Americans were poorly  equipped, but now the shoe was on the other foot! The American planes were superior, and the pilots were the best! The fighters pounded the small islands until little remained but the sand bars where the guns formerly stood. The fire power generated by the fighter planes was incredible!

We were informed by Captain Cant that Okinawa was now in American hands, and it was a reasonable assumption the sleek fighters were coming from there. He said the pilots, with exterior gas tanks, could drop the tanks when nearing the target area, spend the allotted time over Tokyo, and still return to their base.

 

 

CHAPTER 26

Preface | Frontispiece | The Road to Adventure | Angel Island | Across the Pacific | Corregidor April 22, 1941 | Duty Assignment | Battery Hartford | To The Field | War | Surrendered!| 92nd Garage | The Spoils | Goodbye Corregidor | Bilibid | Cabanatuan Camp III | Pasay School | Nichols Field | Feet on Fire | Survival | Goodbye Pasay | Noto Maru | Moji Japan to Omori | Kawasaki, Nishin Flour Mill | Air Raid | Fire Bombs! | Out of Kawasaki | Suwa in the Mountains | The War is Over | The Yanks and Tanks | In The Air To Where? | Luzon? Again! 29th Replacement | Gray Cruise Ship to Home | Madigan General Hospital, Seattle | Last Leg to Home | Fletcher General Hospital, Cambridge Ohio |

 

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