Mr. Michel’s war : from Manila to Mukden: an American navy officer’s war with the Japanese

John J. A. Michel FROM MAN I LA TO MUKDEN: AN AMERICAN NA V Y OFFICER'S WAR WITH THE JAPANE SE,

1941-1945

From Manila to Mukden: An American Navy Officer's , War With the Japanese, , 1941-1945

r, IC e S ar

By John

*

PRESIDIO

J. A. Michel

Copyright Š 1998 by JohnJ. A. Michel Published by Presidio Press 505 B San Marin Drive, Suite 300 Novato, CA 94945-1340 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to Presidio Press, 505 B San Marin Drive, Suite 300, Novato, CA 94945-1340.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Michel. John J. A. Mr. Michel's War: from Manila to Mukden, an American Navy officer's war with the Japanese, 1941-1945 / byJohnJ. A. Michel. p. cm.

ISBN 0-89141-643-9 (hardcover) 1. Michel, JohnJ. A. 2. World War, 1939-1945-Naval operations, American. 3. World War, 1939-1945-Campaigns-Pacific Area. 4. World War, 1039-1945-Personal narratives, American.

5. Sailors-United States-Biography. 6. United States. NavyBiography.

I. Title. II Title: Mister Michel's war.

D767.M45 1998 940.54'5973-DC21 97-28805 CIP

My account of Lieutenant Commander Donovan's "marooning" on Christmas Island was first published in SHIPMATE (USNA Alumni Magazine) some years ago and is included here with permission.

Photos from the author's collection unless otherwise noted.

Printed in the United States of America

The Philippine Islands were not the worst place to be in the spring of 1941. As a young naval officer assigned to an old four-piper destroyer of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, I found Manila interesting and enjoyable (between periods of boredom spent training in the southern islands).

Preparations for the 'inevitable war withJapan were underway. Disposition of fleet units well to the south of Luzon reflected the realization that there would be inadequate air cover in the event of enemy attack. The bombing of Pearl Harbor came as a surprise because the conventional wisdom expected the Philippines to be the initial target. But hostilities were not long in coming. On 10 December 1941, Cavite Navyyard was destroyed in a massive raid by Japanese bombers that attacked almost completely unopposed.

From there on it was a delaying action for the US Asiatic Fleeta retreat. It has been said that a retreat is the most difficult operation to accomplish successfully. It calls for aggressive counter attacks in disadvantaged circumstances.

The old four-pipers made those attacks, surprising a better equipped and organized enemy. They hit the Japanese forces in night actions at Balikpapan and near Bali, and finally in the Java Sea. For me "going to the well" for a third time was unlucky. My ship, USS Pope (00225), was sunk on 1 March 1942, (in company with HMS Exeter and Encounter). Mter two and a half days in the (fortunatelywarm) water of the Java Sea the Pope survivors were picked up by aJapanese destroyer. Thus began a captivity that lasted three and a half years.

I was initially taken to camp in Makassar, Celebes. Six months later I was transferred in a group of 1000 POWs to a camp near Nagasaki,

VB

Vlll

MR. MICHEL'S WAR

Kyushu, to work in a shipyard. In April 1945, (with Okinawa under attack) theJapanese transferred large groups of POW officers to Korea and Manchuria. I ended my Japanese sponsored travels in Mukden, Manchuria, where I stayed until war's end.

The war seemed to have ended with the same kind of suddenness with which it began.

An OSS team from the China-Burma Theater parachuted into a field outside Mukden and was brought into the Hoten POW camp.

The camp commandant was informed that the team had come to pick up General Wainwright (who was not held in this camp) and that the war was over, which was news to the commandant. A few days later the Russians arrived in Mukden and officially liberated the camp.

A short while later a repatriation team arrived in camp to begin the ex-POWs on their long way home. While awaiting transportation they were briefed on the various campaigns of the war and given information about the unbelievably powerful atomic bomb.

On the way home I was reunited on Okinawa with friends and shipmates I had left at Camp Fukuoka #2, Nagasaki. There had been no casualties in the camp. Later during a stopover at the fleet hospital on Guam I was informed by a friend who had been planning hospital construction for the scheduled invasion ofKyushu that one million American casualties had been projected.

As I progressed on my travel homeward Hound the three and onehalf years of captivity becoming a detached memory unrelated to what had gone before and the events after liberation. I decided to put the memory of that period in writing while it was still fresh.

This book was written about fifty years ago. It is being published now without any material changes to the original manuscript.

A special debt of gratitude is owed my wife Kathy who with infinite patience transcribed my pencil manuscript into a usable copy those many years ago.

I wish to express thanks to all those friends who offered advice and encouragement along the way. It would be remiss of me, however, not to make particular mention of Nancy Maury whose suggestions and gentle (but persistent) prodding put me on the path to Presidio Press.

ix

F I LIP I N A S

I. I II • A II

AodMIaIJ Mr. MIchel'. _r : from ManIla to Mukden: an AmerIcan JI8I _r with the Japa-, 1941-19451 John J. A.

Y=S

II [ R I TAG [

-.

I I 111111 11111 IDyll! lUll III 111I HIlI Cal. J 1 D 117 ........

above and on the front cover: A wave crashes over the stem of the U.S.S. Grant.

February 20, 1942, off Bali:

The splashes from the shell nre subsided-and the Ford reappeared. A shout went up on the Pope and at the same time nve torpedoes from our starboard battery fanned out toward the [Japanese] cruiser. As soon as the torpedoes were away, we commenced nre with our 4-inch guns. The range was so close that we couldn't miss, but our shells were hitting a bit aft. I spotted the next salvo to the right to bring the forward part of the enemy ship under nre.

Meanwhile the Ford disappeared and reappeared at regular intervals (as fast as the Japanese could nre). The Ford was nring her guns-she must have nred all her remaining torpedoes by this time-and began making smoke to elude the cruiser.

The Pope was not under nre, but everything seemed so bright around us it was impossible for us not to have been seen. As we got off our third salvo-and the proper time for our tin nsh to have reached their target-the searchlight went out on the cruiser; not another salvo was nred at the Ford. I do not think we were unduly optimistic in assuming we'd either sunk or severely damaged the cruiser. The Ford was apparently undamaged, and we fell in astern of her once again and headed in a southerly direction.