Bamboo?

This is coolbert:

Yet one more instance of Japanese troops, their troop transport sunk, men shipwrecked but continuing to come under attack even while floating in the water. This NOT being a war crime? Troops in the water still continuing to be fair game, as opposed to sailors? Sailors whose ship has been sunk obviously hors de combat, troops not?

Again - - an instance of allied atrocity? The killing of shipwrecked men in the water strictly forbidden, the torpedoing of rescue vehicles also deemed unnecessary and perhaps illegal as well.

"The Take Ichi (???) ('Bamboo No. 1') convoy was a Japanese convoy of World War II. The convoy left Shanghai on 17 April 1944, carrying two infantry divisions to reinforce Japan's defensive positions in the Philippines and western New Guinea. United States Navy (USN) submarines attacked the convoy on 26 April and 6 May, sinking four transports and killing more than 4,000 soldiers"

Reinforcements en route to New Guinea, coming under repeated submarine attack, merciless and unremitting, no let to American chastisement!!

1. First attack by the American submarine USS Jack [26 April].

"These attacks sank the 5,425-ton freighter Yoshida Maru, which was carrying an entire regiment of the 32nd Division. All 3,000 soldiers onboard drowned when the ship sank quickly."

AN ENTIRE REGIMENT OF ABOUT 3,000 TROOPS SENT TO THE BOTTOM, OBLITERATED IN A FEW MINUTES.

[this figure of 3,000 dead is approximately equal to the number of Americans killed at Pearl Harbor, 7 December!!]

2. A second further attack [6 May] by another American submarine, the USS Gurnard - - rescue vessels and men in the water blown to bits while survivors being plucked from the water. Shipwrecked troops stricken but still fair game!

"Gurnard rose to periscope depth two hours later and found that a major effort to rescue troops and equipment from the torpedoed transports was under way. That night the submarine torpedoed one of the crippled transports which was still afloat. Gurnard's attack sank transports Aden Maru (5,825 tons) and Taijima Maru (6,995 tons) as well as the cargo ship Tenshinzan Maru (6,886 tons). While the rescue effort was relatively successful, 1,290 troops were killed and much of their equipment was lost."

"Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka, who was a veteran of several previous operations including the Battle of Wake Island, was appointed to command the convoy"

Admiral Kajioka did not have a very good war record! Both at Wake Island [1941] and during Take Ichi troops under his command suffering badly, taking a lot of casualties, losses severe and catastrophic!

During that second attack [6 May], NO MERCY was shown to the Japanese, and none need have been shown? "War is hell" and sometimes is very much so!!

coolbert.