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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2012 9:45:44 GMT 12
That is one of the reasons there were so few Japanese POW's taken in the Pacific War, the USMC had an unwritten policy to shoot anyone who surrendered or was wounded. There is even graphic footage of this happening. I often wondered if the notion of the Japanese never wanting to bring shame on themselves by surrendering was perpetuated by the US media to cover themselves a bit.
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Post by phil82 on Dec 13, 2012 10:01:36 GMT 12
No Dave, I think you'll find the Japanese attitude prevailed long before WW2, as witnessed by their attitude in China before the war, where the atrocities inflicted on the Chinese were legendary, and well documented. The Rape of Nanking being just one episode.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2012 10:20:13 GMT 12
But that has nothing to do with what I said. The Japs were hardly surrendering at Nanking!
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Post by scrooge on Dec 13, 2012 13:19:54 GMT 12
And if you go back a little further in time, who were the Japanese copying? (not defending, but noting that there's always another layer to history and another point of view).
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Post by The Red Baron on Dec 13, 2012 13:26:44 GMT 12
I think chivallry in WW2 would have been being out of ammo,otherwise he would have hosed the bomber down,after all they were bombing towns where familkies lived.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2012 13:38:24 GMT 12
If you were out of ammo would you park your fighter next to an enemy bomber with guns brislting that has just been shot up to hell and its gunners probably seeking revenge if not simply to defend itself? The whole story, no matter how often it does the rounds, is pretty bizzare.
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Post by John L on Dec 13, 2012 14:06:11 GMT 12
The old man used to say "if you respect your enemy, you give him an advantage he's not entitiled to"
He didn't!
And nor did his mates!
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Post by Luther Moore on Dec 13, 2012 17:36:04 GMT 12
Sorry Luther, but that is typical Daily Wail regurgitating a story which has been around for years and was first published at least ten years ago. Yes, but it is on the subject of this thread. |
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Post by corsair5517 on Dec 13, 2012 18:14:04 GMT 12
That is one of the reasons there were so few Japanese POW's taken in the Pacific War, the USMC had an unwritten policy to shoot anyone who surrendered or was wounded. There is even graphic footage of this happening. I often wondered if the notion of the Japanese never wanting to bring shame on themselves by surrendering was perpetuated by the US media to cover themselves a bit. I think the US Marines learned at Alligator Creek and in the Philippines early on that policing the battlefield after the action was liable to cause casualties because the Japs didn't quit and that taking prisoners, even wounded ones, was fraught with all kinds of danger... hence the shooting of seemingly unarmed soldiers. That's what the diggers told Dad whenever he went out to the perimeter; they didn't take prisoners often either... I wouldn't like to make any comment or judgement on this as I've never had to make those kinds of choices... |
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Post by flyjoe180 on Dec 14, 2012 11:03:42 GMT 12
This quote sums it all up I think.
Civilization is a thin veneer over barbarianism . John M. Shanahan
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