Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

1945 Purple Hearts

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • 1945 Purple Hearts

    I was doing a bit of reading on the planned invasion of Japan in 1945-46. The US had 500,000 Purple Hearts manufactured in anticipation of heavy casualties. So many that the Purple Hearts issued in every US military operation afterwards is from this 1945 stock, and there's still 120,000 left, so many that they're kept on hand for immediate award in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

  • #2
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    I was doing a bit of reading on the planned invasion of Japan in 1945-46. The US had 500,000 Purple Hearts manufactured in anticipation of heavy casualties. So many that the Purple Hearts issued in every US military operation afterwards is from this 1945 stock, and there's still 120,000 left, so many that they're kept on hand for immediate award in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    Good gawd. That's a factoid I'd never heard before. And when one considers what it actually MEANS, in human terms...sobering.

    Comment


    • #3
      Wow. That is unbelievable....

      This can open the door to all those conspiracy theories.

      The U.S. knowing that they would need that many....it's utterly shocking.
      I stand with Israel.

      Comment


      • #4
        I don't know about any conspiracy theories being alluded to, but shocking it most certainly is. That is simply unthinkable, that 1945 America -pre-baby boom, remember - could contemplate absorbing casualties on that scale...

        Now THAT shows COMMITMENT, people.

        Comment


        • #5
          I had heard the story about the Purple Hearts almost twenty years ago. They still have that many left. That is a scale of reckoning no matter how you look at it.
          Reddite igitur quae sunt Caesaris Caesari et quae sunt Dei Deo
          (Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's)

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Bluesman View Post
            I don't know about any conspiracy theories being alluded to, but shocking it most certainly is. That is simply unthinkable, that 1945 America -pre-baby boom, remember - could contemplate absorbing casualties on that scale...

            Now THAT shows COMMITMENT, people.
            It also shows that those leaders and those people knew what fighting a real was like.

            Comment


            • #7
              In April the Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated there would be 446,000 casualties in Operation Olympic -- it was predicted and was indeed the Japanese strategy to target troop transports and not warships in the event of an invasion. It was estimated that 1/3 to 1/2 of troop transports could be lost to kamikaze attacks.
              "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
                In April the Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated there would be 446,000 casualties in Operation Olympic -- it was predicted and was indeed the Japanese strategy to target troop transports and not warships in the event of an invasion. It was estimated that 1/3 to 1/2 of troop transports could be lost to kamikaze attacks.
                Do any of you happen to know what allied Airborne Divisions were available in Pacific/SE Asia Area? Were there any definite plans to shift any from newly available fronts (i.e. Europe)?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Bluesman View Post
                  I don't know about any conspiracy theories being alluded to, but shocking it most certainly is. That is simply unthinkable, that 1945 America -pre-baby boom, remember - could contemplate absorbing casualties on that scale...

                  Now THAT shows COMMITMENT, people.
                  Couldn't that also show incompetence by the commanders?

                  Knowing that the fatality rate would be that hight, couldn't' they come up with a new strategy that would limit those fatalities?
                  I stand with Israel.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by RamHammer View Post
                    Couldn't that also show incompetence by the commanders?

                    Knowing that the fatality rate would be that hight, couldn't' they come up with a new strategy that would limit those fatalities?
                    My god man, you left yourself wide open.

                    They did come up with a new strategy. Two atom bombs.
                    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
                      My god man, you left yourself wide open.

                      They did come up with a new strategy. Two atom bombs.
                      3 atomic bombs. One just didn't work and was stolen by zombie Nazi's!!!

                      Who said all conspiracy theories are rubbish!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
                        My god man, you left yourself wide open.

                        They did come up with a new strategy. Two atom bombs.
                        Right on time, m'lord. Good shot.:))

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Cactus View Post
                          Do any of you happen to know what allied Airborne Divisions were available in Pacific/SE Asia Area? Were there any definite plans to shift any from newly available fronts (i.e. Europe)?
                          The US Army's 11th Airborne Division was in the Philippines in that time frame, and if I recall correctly the 17th and 101st were tagged to be redeployed from europe for Operation Olympic.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Ironbar View Post
                            The US Army's 11th Airborne Division was in the Philippines in that time frame, and if I recall correctly the 17th and 101st were tagged to be redeployed from europe for Operation Olympic.
                            Thanks! That is about all the airborne assets US already had, isn't it? What about other Allied armies?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Cactus

                              Originally posted by Cactus View Post
                              Thanks! That is about all the airborne assets US already had, isn't it? What about other Allied armies?
                              Cactus

                              US Airborne elements in Pacific theater were the 11 Airborne Divisiion as well as the 503 Regimental Combat Team (Airborne)...the took Corregidor.

                              This was the total US Army Airborne Organization, late 1944:

                              European Theater of Operations
                              First (Allied) Airborne Army
                              XVIII Airborne Corps
                              517th Parachute RCT
                              517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              460th Parachute FA Battalion
                              596th Parachute Engineer Company
                              1st/551st Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              509th Parachute Infantry Battalion
                              463rd Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              13th Airborne Division
                              515th Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              189th Glider Infantry Regiment
                              190th Glider Infantry Regiment
                              676th Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
                              677th Glider FA battalion (75mm)
                              458th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              153rd Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
                              129th Airborne Engineer Battalion
                              17th Airborne Division
                              507th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
                              513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              193rd Glider Infantry Regiment
                              194th Glider Infantry Regiment
                              550th Glider Infantry Battalion (attached)
                              680th Glider FA Battalion (105mm)
                              681st Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
                              466th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              155th Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
                              139th Airborne Engineer Battalion
                              82nd Airborne Division
                              504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
                              508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
                              325th Glider Infantry Regiment
                              2/401st Glider Infantry (attached)
                              319th Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
                              320th Glider FA Battalion (105mm)
                              376th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              456th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              80th Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
                              307th Airborne Engineer Battalion
                              101st Airborne Division
                              501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
                              502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
                              327th Glider Infantry Regiment
                              1/401st Glider Infantry (attached)
                              321st Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
                              907th Glider FA Battalion (105mm)
                              377th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              81st Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
                              326th Airborne Engineer Battalion

                              Pacific Theater of Operations
                              11th Airborne Division
                              511th Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              187th Glider Infantry Regiment
                              188th Glider Infantry Regiment
                              472nd Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
                              675th Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
                              457th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              674th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
                              152nd Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
                              127th Airborne Engineer Battalion
                              503rd Parachute RCT
                              503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              462nd Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)

                              In the US:

                              541st Parachute Infantry Regiment
                              542nd Parachute Infantry Battalion
                              555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, Colored
                              464th Parachute FA Battalion


                              The British also had 2 airborne divisions (with some attached Canadian forces) and 1 airborne commando.

                              Not sure of much beyond that.
                              “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                              Mark Twain

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X