Podcasts about Kimura

This was an extra special time with the legendary Japanese bass hammer, Kenta Kimura, and Bassmaster Opens Pro, Brad Leuthner. As a fisherman and tackle junkie, I've always wanted to pick Kenta's brain. He's been a major influence in the industry, designing tackle, and being a bridge for many techniques we now know today. It's really cool when you get 3 fishing/tackle crackheads in a room together and mix cultures and perspectives. Brad Leuthner is a master chef in the kitchen when it comes to tackle, especially hair jigs. Not only that, he lines this whole podcast up (knowing I'm a huge Kenta & JDM fan!) Thank you Brad & thank you Kenta! Enjoy as we talk everything bass fishing, including JDM vs. US fishing culture, JDM techniques like the Hideup Coike Field Side Dice and more...hair jigs, crawfish, steak, and eating horse. This one was extra juicy. Enjoy!Get your Kenta approved JDM tackle today at Thorne BrosLooking to up your game in a certain area? Check out the specialized rod lineup from Vocelka Fishing & Customs, or have one completely custom built.Use the code: T3ALBIRD15 to save 15% on your next rod

木村拓哉「TAKUYA KIMURA Live Tour 2024 SEE YOU THERE」 ティザー映像第3弾公開本日、木村拓哉最新ライブ映像作品のティザー映像第3弾が公開された今回公開となった歌唱シーンの1曲目は、明石家さんまが大人の恋愛をイメージした作詞を手がけた「メニュー」ライブ中盤、リフターの上で全力で歌う木村が印象的な映像となっている

Hosts Mitsuaki Sawano, MD, and Nobuhiro Ikemura, MD, welcome Yoshitaka Kimura, MD, PhD, of Leiden University Medical Center, to discuss proactive ablation strategies in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Dr. Kimura presents data from a long-term, single-center study evaluating electroanatomical mapping and preventive ablation of slow-conducting anatomical isthmuses (SCAI) in rTOF patients without prior ventricular tachycardia (VT). The findings show that identifying and successfully ablating SCAI significantly reduced VT incidence, with all VT events occurring in patients where ablation failed. Moreover, this approach reduced the proportion of patients qualifying for ICD implantation from 25–51% under current guidelines to just 11%. Dr. Kimura underscores a paradigm shift in congenital heart disease management—from treating VT reactively to preventing it proactively—highlighting the value of data-driven, tailored care strategies that avoid unnecessary device implantation and better target high-risk individuals.

J'ai mangé le sukiyaki chez Kimura qui est dans la rue Teramachi. C'est un vieux restaurant. Le plat sukiyaki est le plat qu'on mange en famille à la maison. Il y a des légumes et des bœufs dedans.

Contact Scott from Bonsai MatsuWhat an experience! I was fortunate enough to spend some one on one time with the Italian bonsai master Salvatore Liporace in Milan in the north of Italy at his property. Salvatore, who originally studied under Mr Kimura in Japan, has travelled the world extensively demonstrating and presenting and is renowned for his work on conifers. While the visit focussed on advanced grafting techniques it offered me so much more. We were just two bonsai professionals chewing the fat. Not only is he a world class bonsai professional but he is one of the nicest people I've ever met.Support the showBecome a podcast supporter and show the Bonsai Love (it's really appreciated) ❤️https://www.buzzsprout.com/263290/supportWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

This episode of amplify features a conversation and improvisation by violinist Cora Venus Lunny and pianist Izumi Kimura, recorded live at the Contemporary Music Centre's Creative Space as part of New Music Dublin Exchange. Presented by Jonathan GrimesShow NotesCora Venus LunnyIzumi KimuraInvisible Resistances (Farpoint Recordings, 2022)Folding (with Anthony Kelly) (Farpoint Recordings, 2021)CMC's New Music Dublin ExchangeMusic recorded at CMC's Creative Space, Fishamble Street, Dublin, 2 April 2025. Sound: Keith Fennell

木村拓哉「TAKUYA KIMURA Live Tour 2024 SEE YOU THERE」 7月2日発売決定 商品詳細発表&予約スタート自身三度目となるワンマンライブツアーを2024年9月からスタートし、12月までの５都市、８公演を完遂した木村のワンマンライブツアーがついに映像化されることが発表となり、本日、商品詳細やジャケット写真、新アーティスト写真、オリジナル特典の画像も特設サイトにて公開となった

Send us a textEp 269 Gene LeBell Tribute Gene LeBell is hard to describe in a few words 2x National Judo Champion, Pro Wrestler,  Shoot Fighter and internationally respected stuntman are just a few of the things that you can mention. Lebell Black Belts John Perretti and John Donehue reminisce about their training and life experiences about a man that made a profound impact on their lives. This is a must listen for true historians of combat sports Ep 269 Gene LeBell Tribute 0:00 plugs/ promotions 0:42 Lytes out intro 1:14 Joey Venti's guest introduction1:55 interview start 2:18 John Donahue meeting Gene LeBell 3:55 John Perretti meeting Gene LeBell 6:42 Gene LeBell dismissed as a martial artist 8:21 invitation to train at the “cabin” 10:11 training at Mark Lions garage 12:29 phone calls with Gene LeBell 15:20 Gene LeBell having special attributes 17:35 Lineage of Gene LeBell 18:49 2 sides of Gene LeBell 20:23 Gene LeBell vs Milo Savage23:04 difficulty training in Gene LeBell's class 28:00 Refereed Muhammad Ali vs Antonio Inoki32:43 John Donahue watching UFC 1 33:23 charged with accessory to murder38:31 judging at UFC 17 41:26 issues with Rorion Gracie 45:51 John Donahue favorite memory 50:01 John Perretti favorite memory 53:21 Mother Aileen Goldstein Eaton56:33 Kimura origin 58:20 John Perretti grappling language 1:00:20 thoughts on colligent wrestlers1:01:53 Gene LeBell's influence 1:04:13 credit stolen from Gene LeBell 1:06:27 finding daughter later in life 1:07:45 Gene LeBell knowing people were using him 1:09:10 black belts under Gene LeBell 1:17:13 Josh Barnett comment about Gene LeBell1:19:29 training with Chuck Norris1:21:35 choking out Steven Seagal1:23:25 hired as a Stunt coordinator 1:27:25 Gene LeBell black belt Silverado 1:30:26 training with Mondo Guererro1:31:39 push back for John Donahue reffing UFC1:34:42 Ronda Rousey tribute to Gene LeBell1:35:16 Gene LeBell hired for Fear factor show1:36:17 thoughts on Joe Charles 1:37:16 Gene LeBell's grip 1:41:33 saying good bye to Gene LeBell 1:46:17 wrestling bears 1:47:13 Donald Zuckerman story 1:49:36 why there was only 4 black belts 1:51:31 referring to a takedown as “tackle”1:55:03 John Perretti plugs/promotions 1:56:48 interview wrap up 2:04:24 outro/closing thoughts  Subscribe to the Lytes Out Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/@MMAHistoryPodcastDiscord:https://discord.gg/s3mV6wyNgvSocials: Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/groups/1027449255187255/?mibextid=oMANbwInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lytesoutpodcast/iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lytes-out-podcast/id1568575809 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3q8KsfqrSQSjkdPLkdtNWb Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 Cash App - $mikedavis1231Venmo - Mike-Davis-63ZELLE: Cutthroatmma@gmail.com / ph#: 773-491-5052 Follow the #LOP team on Instagram: Chris Lytle - Founder/Owner - @chrislightsoutlytle Mike Davis - MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 Joey Venti - Assistant - @aj_ventitreTyson Green - Producer - @ty.green.weldingAndrew Mendoza - Timestamps - @ambidexstressAndy Campbell - Social Media Manager - @martial_mindset_Josh Campbell - ContributerJohn Perretti - Historical ContributerOutro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power#MMA #UFC #NHB #LytesOutPodcast #LytesOut #MixedMartialArts #ChrisLytle #MMADetSupport the show

パタゴニアは2025年春、木村大志 Hiroshi KIMURA さんを新たなトレイルランニング・アンバサダーに迎えることを発表しました。日本のトレイルランニング・カテゴリーでは石川弘樹さん以来となるパタゴニアのアンバサダーの就任は、トレイルランニングコミュニティにとって大きなニュースです。ハセツネCUP4位、信越五岳3位など国内レースでの活躍に加え、信越トレイルや上高地から親不知までの長距離冒険プロジェクトに挑戦してきた木村さんに、アンバサダー就任を機にインタビューしました。#トレイルランニング #Patagonia #木村大志00:00 イントロ00:25 パタゴニア・アンバサダー就任02:30 出身地の秋田県鹿角市花輪05:04 自然探検と冒険の原点06:17 学生時代とスキー競技07:13 トレイルランニングとパタゴニアとの出会い09:23 長距離プロジェクトと自らのチャレンジ10:44 山での冒険と恐怖心14:00 長距離走破プロジェクトを通じて感じたこと16:00 トレイルランニングと冒険の両立19:28 木島平を拠点とする現在の生活21:49 子育てとともに変化したトレーニング環境23:04 アンバサダーとしての今後の活動と抱負24:47 登山道整備の重要性と持続可能なフィールド作り26:55 今夏の新しいチャレンジと東北の山への興味29:34 お気に入りのパタゴニア製品35:20 雨の日の過ごし方と筋トレの話【このエピソードで話題となったパタゴニア製品のアフィリエイトリンク】パタゴニア Patagonia メンズ・ナノエア・ライト・ベスト UTB XLhttps://linksynergy.jrs5.com/link?id=sOmrl5aov5A&offerid=1118788.38061316121253&type=15&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patagonia.jp%2Fproduct%2Fmens-nano-air-light-insulated-vest%2F196924797680.htmlパタゴニア Patagonia メンズ・ナノ・パフ・ベスト BLK XLhttps://linksynergy.jrs5.com/link?id=sOmrl5aov5A&offerid=1118788.380611314783597&type=15&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patagonia.jp%2Fproduct%2Fmens-nano-puff-insulated-vest%2F889833303775.htmlパタゴニア Patagonia メンズ・R1 ベスト GRZG Shttps://linksynergy.jrs5.com/link?id=sOmrl5aov5A&offerid=1118788.38061363065556&type=15&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patagonia.jp%2Fproduct%2Fmens-r1-fleece-vest%2F198077026822.htmlパタゴニア Patagonia メンズ・キャプリーン・サーマル・フーディ BLK Mhttps://linksynergy.jrs5.com/link?id=sOmrl5aov5A&offerid=1118788.3806181508331&type=15&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patagonia.jp%2Fproduct%2Fmens-capilene-thermal-baselayer-hoody%2F195699968424.htmlポッドキャスト「Run the World, by DogsorCaravan」はSpotifyで公開し、Apple PodcastやYouTube Podcastなどの各種プラットフォームで配信しています。⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dogsorcaravan⁠⁠このポッドキャストへのメッセージ、感想、リクエストをお待ちしています。エピソードやウェブサイトの中でご紹介します。⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/E8iyHEMLLmyCtSEn6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DogsorCaravanのライブ配信イベントの予定はGoogleカレンダーで公開しています。登録すると見逃しを防げます。⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/dcliveschedule

On today's episode of UFC Unfiltered, Matt Serra and Jim Norton are joined by two exciting fighters fresh off major wins! First, undefeated Irish boxing sensation Callum Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) stops by to talk about his statement-making first-round KO on St. Patrick's Day weekend. As if his rising stardom wasn't already clear, fans on the street interrupt his interview just to get a moment with him — proving he's quickly becoming one of boxing's must-watch prospects. After outlining his goals inside the ring, the Freddie Roach protégé iterates his desire to step into the Octagon one day. Then, Da'Mon Blackshear joins the show fresh off a submission victory over Cody Gibson. When he breaks down his second-round Kimura finish, Matt (aka the “Kimura Savage”) can't contain his excitement! A BJJ black belt himself, Blackshear uses his Unfiltered debut to introduce himself to listeners as a surfing fighter ready to take on any challengers in the UFC's bantamweight top-15. Plus, Jim and Matt recap the action from this past Saturday's explosive card filled with NINE stoppages.

Russ Kimura is a Girl Dad Coach who's helping High Capacity Girl Dads win with their daughters. Today we talk about FWD, a brotherhood of high-impact fathers committed to building unbreakable bonds with their daughters while leading with vision, purpose, and faith.Learn more about FWD here: https://fwd.fatherswithdaughters.com/Connect with Russ here: https://www.instagram.com/russ_kimura/Follow FWD here: https://www.instagram.com/fathers_with_daughters/--Interested in joining our Kinetic Man weekly online Zoom call? Get more info here: https://thekineticman.com/Join our Kinetic Man Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thekineticman ⁠⁠⁠Know someone who would make a great guest on our podcast? Let us know! ⁠⁠Email: takeaction@thekineticman.com⁠

Shizuka Kimura has been active since her junior high school days. From performing in idol groups to launching a solo career to writing her own songs, she's had an extensive musical career. Join Kuzey and Brinton as we take a look at her music from the beginning to her most recent releases!---Scripted & QAed by: MilesHosted by: Kuzey & BrintonAudio Edited & Uploaded by: FredSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/japan-top-10-ri-ben-nototsupu10-jpop-hits/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Last time we spoke about the Fall of Manila. General LeMay's B-29 bombers wreaked havoc on Japan, targeting key factories at a high cost. On February 19, US Marines landed on Iwo Jima, facing fierce Japanese resistance and heavy casualties. By February 23, after relentless fighting and harsh conditions, they raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi, marking a hard-won victory. This moment inspired a legacy for the Marine Corps, as battles raged on in the Pacific. Meanwhile troops attacked General Kobayashi's defenses at Mounts Pacawagan and Mataba, struggling to gain ground. Reinforcements arrived, leading to coordinated assaults, but progress was slow. Meanwhile, General Yamashita reorganized his forces in response to increased guerrilla activity. As American divisions advanced, they faced fierce resistance but gradually secured key positions. Guerrilla leader Volckmann disrupted Japanese supply lines, significantly impacting their operations. Amidst the chaos, a daring rescue mission freed over 2,000 internees, though it provoked brutal reprisals against civilians. This episode is the Great Tokyo Air Raid Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Today we are continuing with the ongoing battle over Iwo Jima. By the end of February, Colonel Liversedge's 28th Marines had successfully secured Mount Suribachi, while the other regiments from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions advanced toward the O-2 Line, situated beyond Airfield No. 2. This location was where General Kuribayashi maintained his primary defensive positions, which were heavily fortified with caves, tunnels, and traps. On March 1, General Rockey continued his offensive on the left flank as the fresh 28th Marines moved through the weary 27th Marines, led by Colonel Wornham, and launched an assault on Hill 362A and its adjacent positions. The corps' 155mm howitzers and 5th Division artillery commenced firing a preparation at K-minus 45 minutes. One battleship and two cruisers from the gunfire and covering force added their heavy fires from 08:00 to 08:30. Aircraft from the support carrier group delivered strikes throughout the day, but did not participate in preparation for the attack. This proved one of the busiest days for Task Force 54 since D-Day as fire support ships dueled with enemy shore batteries until late afternoon. Shortly after dawn enemy guns in the northern part of the island opened up, and at 07:25 the destroyer Terry took a direct hit by a 6-inch shell, suffering heavy casualties. The battleship Nevada immediately engaged these hostile installations, and after completing their mission in support of the landing force, the cruisers Indianapolis and Pensacola shifted to counter battery fire. At 10:25 the destroyer Colhoun was hit by a major-caliber projectile, and soon after this enemy shells straddled the destroyer Stembel. Counter Battery fire continued throughout the day with the Nevada destroying one casemated gun and starting a fire in another emplacement, while the Pensacola's batteries accounted for a third Japanese gun. Following the robust aerial, naval, and artillery bombardment, Liversedge's forces achieved some initial success, including capturing the hilltop, but were ultimately halted by intense machine-gun fire from Nishi Ridge to the north. However, the 3rd Battalion along the coast managed to advance approximately 350 yards against lighter resistance. In the center, General Erskine also pressed forward beyond Airfield No. 2, with Colonel Withers' 21st Marines advancing north and northeast about 500 yards into the incomplete Airfield No. 3. At the same time, General Cates continued to send his troops into the fray. Colonel Jordan's 24th Marines replaced Colonel Wensinger's exhausted 23rd Marines on the left and fought to dislodge the enemy from Hill 382. They succeeded in advancing about 100 yards along the division's left boundary and 50 yards on the right, establishing a foothold on elevated terrain overlooking Minami village. Further south, Colonel Lanigan committed only his 1st Battalion to eliminate the salient around the Amphitheater and Turkey Knob, but this assault was again met with fierce Japanese gunfire. This relief enabled Erskine to initiate a late two-regiment offensive, with the 21st Marines on the left and Colonel Kenyon's 9th Marines on the right, although this effort did not achieve any significant progress. The following day, the assault persisted, but the 9th Marines made minimal headway against a strong enemy position on the right, while the 21st Marines advanced toward the base of Hill 362B and the southern edge of Airfield No. 3. Concurrently, Liversedge's 28th Marines successfully cleared Hill 362A and moved toward Nishi Ridge, where they repelled a fierce counterattack by 150 Japanese soldiers. Colonel Graham's 26th Marines were once again deployed to fill the gap between the 3rd and 5th Marine Divisions, managing to gain approximately 500 yards to the north. Jordan's 24th Marines finally captured Hill 382 and advanced about 300 yards on the left flank. Meanwhile, Lanigan's 1st Battalion made another unsuccessful attempt to infiltrate and take the high ground north of Turkey Knob. As described by an intelligence officer with the 4th Marine Division “As a result of a close study of the enemy's recent defensive action, aided by observation from OP's and air reconnaissance, the following explanation is suggested of the enemy's defense in this Div's Z of A. The enemy remains below ground in his maze of communicating tunnels throughout our preliminary arty fires. When the fire ceases he pushed OP's out of entrances not demolished by our fires. Then choosing a suitable exit he moves as many men and weapons to the surface as he can, depending on the cover and concealment of that area, often as close as 75 yards from our front. As our troops advance toward this point he delivers all the fire at his disposal, rifle, machine-gun, and mortar. When he has inflicted sufficient casualties to pin down our advance he then withdraws through his underground tunnels most of his forces, possibly leaving a few machine gunners and mortars. Meanwhile our Bn CO has coordinated his direct support weapons and delivers a concentration of rockets, mortars and artillery. Our tanks then push in, supported by infantry. When the hot spot is overrun we find a handful of dead Japs and few if any enemy weapons. While this is happening, the enemy has repeated the process and another sector of our advance is engaged in a vicious fire fight, and the cycle continues.”  Meanwhile the remainder of the 25th Marines managed to advance 300 yards along the coast without facing any opposition. On March 3, the capture of Hill 362A enabled flame-thrower tanks to assist in the advance northward. The 5th Marine Division prepared to press on with its assaults through Nishi Ridge and Hill 362B. The majority of the 28th Marines faced strong resistance as they moved forward over 200 yards. Liversedge's 1st Battalion and Graham's 1st Battalion executed a coordinated attack to take the main enemy positions ahead of them. Meanwhile, the remainder of the 26th Marines surged forward, achieving a gain of over 500 yards, which allowed them to relieve Kenyon's 3rd Battalion and secure the summit of Hill 362B. In the center, the 9th Marines remained in a stalemate, while the 21st Marines launched a vigorous attack to the northeast, successfully capturing the summit of Hill 357 at the eastern edge of the Motoyama Plateau. They then attempted another assault southeast toward Hill 362C, which resulted in a modest gain of about 250 yards. Meanwhile, in the 4th Marine Division's sector, Wensinger's 23rd Marines were deployed in the center, where determined Japanese defenders continued to thwart intense American assaults, despite the partial reduction of the Turkey Knob blockhouse. To the left, the 24th Marines resumed their offensive southeast, advancing up to 350 yards in the center. During the eight days of deadlock and fierce conflict in the Hill 382 and Turkey Knob areas, the weather had been generally favorable. Mild temperatures and fair skies predominated, although early in the morning ground haze combined with smoke to limit observation, and on a few days light showers fell in the afternoon. Night temperatures sometimes went below 60°F, and it was then that tired Marines were grateful for the characteristic subterranean heat of the island that warmed their foxholes. The next day, March 4, dawned gray and sullen, and intermittent showers fell from the overcast skies. Visibility was so limited that all air strikes were canceled and aerial observation seriously curtailed. On the right, Cates' Marines pressed the attack southeast but could only gain 150 yards against the defenders' fierce resistance. To the left, after a failed Japanese infiltration attempt overnight to gather food and water, both the 9th and 21st Marines made no progress with their costly eastward assaults. Finally, supported closely by flame-throwing tanks and combat engineers, Rockey's Marines fought fiercely but achieved only minor advances, prompting Wornham's 27th Marines to be thrown back into the battle to reinforce the two battered assault regiments. March 5 was then dedicated to reorganizing and resupplying the three Marine Divisions in preparation for a renewed effort the next day. Additionally, the reserve 3rd Marines, led by Colonel James Stuart, were sent back to Guam without having landed on Iwo Jima. The three divisions accordingly resumed the offensive on March 6 after a terrific artillery and naval gunfire bombardment. First, on the left, Erskine attacked with his three regiments abreast yet failed to make any significant advance. Then, in the center, the 9th and 21st Marines likewise unsuccessfully attacked towards Hill 362C, though the latter managed to clear the entire Hill 357 area. Lastly, Wensinger's 23rd Marines passed through the 24th on the division left and pressed on forward against heavy opposition, successfully gaining between 150 and 350 yards while Jordan's battalions gained up to 150 yards in their front. Additionally, the 25th Marines mopped up in its area and Cates' Provisional Battalion kept hammering against the Amphitheater-Turkey Knob area. In the knowledge that the battle was swinging irrevocably in favor of the Americans, General Kuribayashi radioed Tokyo: "Our strongpoints might be able to fight delaying actions for several more days. I comfort myself a little seeing my officers and men die without regret after struggling in this inch-by-inch battle against an overwhelming enemy...". The General's predictions were, if anything, on the pessimistic side as his garrison would prolong the battle for another three weeks. Although the fighting was dragging terribly, on this day Brigadier-General Ernest Moore successfully landed on Airfield No. 1 alongside 28 P-51s and 12 P-61s of the 15th Fighter Group to take over control of island air activities. The following day, the Island Commander, Major-General James Chaney, assumed responsibility for base development, air defense, and operation of the airfields. Meanwhile, Schmidt was continuing his coordinated offensive, with the 28th Marines meeting only scattered resistance as it pushed 500 yards north; the 26th Marines overrunning the enemy defenses and gaining about 150 yards before resistance stiffened once again; the 27th Marines attacking on a narrow front but likewise gaining only 150 yards; the 21st Marines achieving tactical surprise to reach Hill 331 and then pushing 250 yards more to Hill 362C, which was ultimately seized as well; the 9th Marines ferociously attacking east but gaining only 200 yards before a rain of fire stopped them; the 23rd Marines recovering from a savage Japanese night counterattack and then pushing around 150 yards against strong resistance; the 24th Marines only progressing over 50 yards as it neutralized a number of enemy defenses; and the 25th Marines and the Provisional Battalion continuing secondary operations against the Amphitheater-Turkey Knob area. On March 8, Rockey pressed on toward the northeast coast, with the 28th Marines advancing against minimal resistance, gaining between 300 and 500 yards along the shoreline. Meanwhile, the 26th Marines faced a complete stalemate against the intricate network of pillboxes and interconnected caves that had once comprised the village of Kita. The 27th Marines managed to advance approximately 150 yards with tank support. In the center, the 21st Marines shifted northeast again, successfully gaining 300 yards through the last organized resistance in the area, while the 9th Marines captured Hill 362C and continued their eastward assault, reaching the edge of the plateau overlooking the beach and initiating a flanking maneuver south of Hill 331. On the right flank, the 23rd and 24th Marines continued their attacks but made little headway against the enemy's formidable defenses. That night, General Senda launched a strong counterattack that caught the Americans off guard. Two of Senda's orderlies would survive and report what occurred during the daring counterattack. Many of his troops believed that Inoue was a superior leader who inspired his men to perform outstanding feats of bravery; others thought he was a maniac. The sight of the Stars and Stripes flying on top of Mount Suribachi had filled him with increasing rage. He is quoted as saying: "We shall destroy their banner, we shall replace it with ours in the name of the great Emperor and the great people of Japan." Inoue was in charge of the Naval Guard Force who manned the shore guns that sank and damaged many of the US warships and landing craft, and was described as a bombastic and temperamental character, a fine swordsman, heavy drinker, and womanizer. His bizarre plan almost beggars belief. The Captain was certain that the airfields would be lightly defended by service troops. He and his men would move southward, destroying B29 bombers as they passed; climb Mount Suribachi and tear down the Stars and Stripes; and replace it with the Rising Sun as an inspiration to all Japanese troops on the island.  However this never came to be. The determined defenders, bolstered by heavy artillery and machine-gun fire, repelled the assault, resulting in approximately 800 Japanese casualties. Under relentless pressure in a shrinking area where most critical terrain features had been seized, the disorganized Japanese forces saw a fleeting opportunity to escape destruction, raid American-controlled airfields, and reclaim Mount Suribachi with this counterattack. However, its failure effectively depleted Senda's remaining strength and chances for continued resistance. The following day, Cates resumed the offensive, with the 23rd Marines making minor gains along their front, while Jordan's 3rd Battalion achieved a notable breakthrough of 300 yards. Furthermore, the Provisional Battalion was disbanded, and Lanigan's 2nd Battalion assumed control of the Amphitheater-Turkey Knob region. In the center, Erskine persisted in his advance toward the sea, with patrols from the 9th and 21st Marines successfully reaching the beach as American forces continued to secure the area. Meanwhile, to the left, Rockey faced significant resistance, with his troops soon coming under intense and precise fire from elevated positions extending southeast from Kitano Point. Consequently, the 26th and 27th Marines remained in a stalemate while the 28th Marines moved forward. On March 10, Liversedge's men advanced approximately 40 yards across extremely challenging terrain and against fierce opposition, while Graham's 2nd Battalion gained an additional 75 yards, with the rest of the 26th and 27th Marines still held in place. Over the past 14 days, Rockey's 5th Marine Division advanced 3,000 yards along the west coast, ultimately pushing Kuribayashi's forces into a final pocket at the northern tip of the island.  In a dispatch to Tokyo on March 10, General Kuribayashi summed up the Japanese situation in this manner: “Although the attacks of the enemy against our Northern districts are continuing day and night, our troops are still fighting bravely and holding their positions thoroughly… 200 or 300 American infantrymen with several tanks attacked "Tenzan" all day. The enemy's bombardments from one battleship (or cruiser), 11 destroyers, and aircraft are very severe, especially the bombing and machine-gun fire against Divisional Headquarters from 30 fighters and bombers are so fierce that I cannot express nor write here.” Not until 15 bloody days later did Marines eliminate the last pocket of organized enemy resistance in the northern end of the island. By D+19 all that remained for the enemy force was to fight and die for the Emperor. This advance came at a significant cost, with Rockey suffering 1,098 men killed and 2,974 wounded during this time. In the center, the 21st Marines reported that all organized resistance in their area had been eliminated, while the 9th Marines moved toward the beach, facing harassment from enemy fire from a resisting pocket on their right. Nevertheless, Erskine's 3rd Marine Division successfully secured the airfield areas and only needed to eliminate this last remaining pocket in their zone. However, personnel losses during this 14-day campaign were substantial, with Erskine losing 831 men killed and 2,241 wounded. Finally, Cates took over from the 24th Marines as he initiated his final offensive eastward. Consequently, the 23rd Marines advanced southeast with minimal resistance, covering approximately 700 yards before stopping at a strategic high ground about 500 yards from the beach, while patrols moved toward the coast near Tachiiwa Point. Simultaneously, Lanigan's 1st and 3rd Battalions pushed 600 yards southeast against stronger opposition and successfully occupied the key terrain southwest of Higashi. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion advanced northeast to join them, effectively driving the remaining enemy forces into a small pocket in that area. Over the last 14 days, Cates' 4th Marine Division engaged in relentless assaults, fighting fiercely from Charlie-Dog Ridge past Hill 382, the Amphitheater, Turkey Knob, through Minami, and the formidable defenses northeast of Hill 382, nearly reaching the coast.  The Japanese conducted an astute defense in this sector. General Kuribayashi had planned well, but much credit for execution of the plan in the 4th Marine Division zone must go to General Senda, who commanded the 2nd Mixed Brigade and exercised tactical control during the battle. Enemy weapons and minefields were well placed to take maximum advantage of terrain features, fire control was excellent when judged by Japanese standards, and camouflage discipline outstanding. Machine-gun positions controlled draws, while mortars were disposed to deliver fire on routes of approach, including the crests, forward, and reverse slopes of ridges. The one obvious mistake made by the Japanese in this long, grueling defense to the death was the night counterattack of March 8. This action cost them many lives and gained no advantage. Even this rather hopeless plunge can be somewhat justified, however, when the situation that existed then is seen from the Japanese point of view. By March 8, the enemy was under heavy, constant pressure in an ever-shrinking area where most of the critical terrain features had been captured. He was quickly becoming dispossessed and disorganized, with few courses of action remaining. Because communications were undoubtedly badly disrupted, it is possible that the Japanese facing the 4th Division did not realize just how hopeless his cause appeared and therefore harbored some hope that the counterattack might not be in vain. The cost was significant, with Cates suffering 848 men killed and 2,836 wounded.  While the battle raged on Iwo Jima, General LeMay was also preparing for a major raid on Tokyo, known as Operation Meetinghouse. After a precision strike by 192 B-29 bombers against Musashi on March 4, which resulted in minimal damage due to heavy cloud cover, a decision was made to move away from the 21st Bomber Command's traditional focus on precision bombing. This eighth fiasco at Musashi marked the end of a well-defined phase of 21st Bomber Command's operations. The effort to knock out the Japanese aircraft industry by high-altitude, daylight precision bombing of carefully selected targets had failed. Production of aircraft engines, not grossly off scheduled programs when 21st Bomber Command came to the Marianas, fell off sharply during the last two months of 1944 and production of aircraft declined slightly during the same period. In neither case, however, could the shortages be accounted for by destruction wrought by the B-29's; indeed, the output of Franks at Ota had decreased from 300 a month to 100 before the first air strike. Not one of the nine high-priority targets had been destroyed, although Akashi had been effectively crippled and production had been slowed down at Mitsubishi's engine and assembly plants at Nagoya and at Nakajima-Ota. Musashi had suffered only 4% damage after 835 B-29 sorties had been sent against it; Navy planes had done more harm in a single strike. Probably the indirect effects of the B-29 raids were most important: with the fall of Saipan, Japanese industrialists had begun to lose confidence in their supposed immunity from air attack. Although under governmental pressure for increased production, they began, with the first attacks on Nakajima and Mitsubishi, to hunt for underground or forest cover, and the official directive for dispersal issued in mid-January merely served to quicken a process already well under way. This radical change in manufacturing techniques, never as efficiently conducted as the similar movement in Germany had been, explains in part the slowdown in production in late 1944 and early 1945.  In 22 missions comprising 2,148 sorties, the command dropped 5,398 tons of bombs on Japan targeting the Imperial aircraft industry, but only about half of the bombers hit primary targets. Losses were substantial, largely due to fierce enemy interceptors and the lengthy overwater journey from the Marianas to Japan, which lacked any friendly bases for refueling or repairs. As a result of the high costs associated with unescorted daylight missions, the susceptibility of Japanese cities to incendiary attacks, and the minimal impact of precision bombing with high explosives, General Arnold ultimately opted for a comprehensive incendiary campaign. In preparation for the forthcoming assault on Okinawa, LeMay was tasked with initiating a series of intensive incendiary strikes from low altitudes. This lower bombing altitude would enhance accuracy, increase bomb load, and prolong the lifespan of B-29 engines. Although this approach carried risks, LeMay believed that the intense Japanese anti-aircraft fire was not overly threatening, as only two B-29s had been lost due to flak alone. He also decided to conduct these missions at night, which would decrease the likelihood of heavy cloud cover and strong winds, simplify navigation, and enable the bombers to reach the two new emergency airstrips at Iwo Jima by dawn. The first mission was set to commence immediately, with 334 B-29s from the 73rd, 313th, and 314th Bombardment Wings taking off in the late afternoon of March 9, carrying approximately 2,000 tons of bombs. The target was a rectangular area in northeastern Tokyo known as Zone I, measuring about 4 by 3 miles and encompassing most of Asakusa, Honjo, and Fukagawa Wards. After a turbulent journey, the initial pathfinders successfully identified their targets under favorable weather conditions and marked them shortly after midnight with fires However LeMay's decision came late. With the first mission set for the night of March 9, the field orders were not cut until the 8th. Although operational details would vary significantly from normal practice, there was no time to consult Washington as was so frequently done. Arnold was not even informed of the revolutionary plans until the day before the mission. The decision to attack at night ruled out the command's standard technique of lead-crew bombing. Formation flying at night was not feasible, and with flak rather than enemy fighters the chief danger, a tight formation would be a handicap rather than a source of defensive strength. With planes bombing individually from low altitudes, bomb loads could be sharply increased, to an average of about six tons per plane. Lead squadron B-29s carried 180 x 70-pound M47s, napalm-filled bombs calculated to start "appliance fires," that is, fires requiring attention of motorized fire-fighting equipment. Other planes, bombing on these pathfinders, were loaded with 24 x 500-pound clusters of M69s. Intervalometers were set at 100 feet for the pathfinders, 50 feet for the other planes. The latter setting was supposed to give a minimum density of 25 tons (8333 M69s) per square mile. Late reports indicated widespread fires that forced formations to search extensively for targets, with visibility severely hampered by smoke and bomb runs complicated by turbulence from intense heat waves. During the three-hour assault, a total of 279 B-29 bombers targeted Tokyo, successfully dropping 1,665 short tons of bombs on the primary objective. Additionally, 19 Superfortresses, unable to reach Tokyo, attacked alternative or last-resort targets. The Japanese were taken completely by surprise by this tactical shift, resulting in only moderate resistance; intense anti-aircraft fire destroyed 14 B-29s and damaged another 42, while enemy interceptors had no significant effect. The fires were so intense that they nearly extinguished themselves by mid-morning, only halted by wide gaps like rivers. Subsequent photographs revealed that 15.8 square miles had been devastated, including 18% of the industrial sector, 63% of the commercial area, and the core of the densely populated residential district. Tokyo's highly effective firefighting system was also caught off guard, leading to the destruction of 95 fire engines and the deaths of 125 firefighters, while lightweight buildings were completely consumed along with their contents. Little rubble remained; only a few fire-resistant structures, marked by heat damage, stood in the devastated areas. In total, 267,171 buildings were destroyed, 83,793 people lost their lives, 40,918 were injured, and 1,008,005 were left homeless. Moreover, it took 25 days to recover all the bodies from the debris. Radio Tokyo referred to the raid as “slaughter bombing,” with one broadcast stating that “the sea of flames engulfing the residential and commercial districts of Tokyo was reminiscent of the holocaust of Rome, caused by Emperor Nero.” The attack significantly undermined the morale of Japanese civilians, and along with other firebombing raids in March, it led many to believe that the war situation was worse than their government had acknowledged. In response, the Japanese government implemented a mix of repression, including severe penalties for those accused of disloyalty or spreading rumors, and launched an ineffective propaganda campaign aimed at restoring confidence in the nation's air and civil defense efforts. Meanwhile, LeMay and Arnold viewed the operation as a considerable success. As Tokyo mourned its losses, another 313 B-29s were sent on the afternoon of March 11 to execute a similar strike on Nagoya; however, due to minimal wind to spread the fires from the widely dispersed bombs, the results were less impressive. Nonetheless, only one B-29 was lost during the raid, with another 20 sustaining damage. It became evident, as LeMay had predicted, that the Japanese lacked effective tactics for nighttime interception. Now, attention shifts to Burma to report on the ongoing Chinese-British-Indian offensives. On General Slim's primary front, General Stopford's 33rd Corps continued its vigorous advance toward Mandalay, while General Cowan's 17th Indian Division successfully made its way to the Meiktila area in the Japanese rear. In response, Generals Kimura and Katamura sent several reinforcements to this crucial area, but only the 1st Battalion, 168th Regiment, led by Colonel Yoshida, managed to arrive in time to establish some defenses in the town, quickly transforming buildings in Meiktila into bunkers and strongpoints. On February 28, Cowan dispatched the 63rd Brigade to launch an attack from the west and the 48th Brigade to advance from the north along the Mahlaing-Meiktila road, while the 255th Tank Brigade executed a wide flanking maneuver to approach from the east. As a result, the 63rd Brigade secured Kyaukpyugon and set up a roadblock southwest of Meiktila; the 48th Brigade advanced to a bridge over a chaung approximately a mile from the town; and the 255th Brigade fought its way to Kyigon and Khanda, successfully destroying several bunkers near Point 860. On March 1, following a heavy air and artillery bombardment, Cowan's three brigades began to push into Meiktila despite fierce resistance. The 48th Brigade, bolstered by a tank squadron, advanced down the Mandalay-Meiktila road, quickly clearing Kyigon before entering the town, where they reached within 100 yards of the railroad line before the attack was halted in the late afternoon. To the east, the majority of the 255th Tank Brigade captured Point 860 and began clearing the camouflaged bunkers along the ridgeline, while a combined force of tanks and grenadiers advanced to within 200 yards of the railroad station before being recalled. Meanwhile, the 63rd Brigade, supported by a tank squadron, cleared the village of Kanna and continued past it to secure the railroad line and the main Kyaukpadaung-Meiktila road. The following day, the 17th Indian Division tightened the encirclement around Meiktila, inflicting significant casualties on the outnumbered defenders and destroying numerous enemy bunkers. On March 3, the three brigades commenced the task of eliminating the last remaining Japanese forces in and around Meiktila. They faced intense sniper and machine-gun fire from every building. However, due to the tanks' superior firepower, the Japanese strongholds were systematically taken down one by one. By the end of the day, the town was cleared, with an estimated 2,000 Japanese troops killed, including Colonel Yoshida. Additionally, 47 field pieces and anti-tank guns were captured, and the supply dumps surrounding Meiktila were secured. Cowan now needed to organize the town's defenses, anticipating a swift and fierce Japanese counterattack. Immediately after the town's capture, Kimura ordered the 18th Division to work with the weakened 49th Division to reclaim Meiktila, while Katamura reinforced General Naka with the majority of the 119th and 214th Regiments, a strong artillery unit, and the battered 14th Tank Regiment. Following the capture of Meiktila, Cowan's forces spent the next few days clearing the area of any remaining snipers and stragglers. For the town's defense, Cowan assigned each brigade and the divisional infantry to four sectors, each featuring a heavily fortified redoubt. He also tasked the 99th Brigade with defending Kyigon and Meiktila's airfield. To maintain the initiative for the 17th Division, Cowan aggressively deployed strong mobile columns of tanks, mechanized artillery, and infantry to disrupt the Japanese formations as they approached Meiktila. Consequently, while the 18th and 49th Divisions advanced, Ywadan and Nyaungaing were secured on March 5. In the following days, the main roads leading to Mahlaing, Kyaukpadaung, Pyawbwe, Thazi, and Mandalay were cleared, and the enemy units of the 214th Regiment at Thangongyi and Yego were successfully repelled on March 8. General Naka was now prepared to initiate his primary assault on Meiktila, instructing his units to concentrate their efforts north of the town, while the 214th Regiment made an unsuccessful attempt to move southwest to connect with the 49th Division. In response to these movements, on March 10, Cowan sent a robust tank-infantry force along the Mahlaing road to escort a previously dispatched column back to Meiktila, successfully inflicting significant casualties on the 56th Regiment as the British-Indians secured the Leindaw-Kyanngyagon area. However, the troops faced harassment from artillery fire originating from south of Myindawgan Lake, prompting Cowan to launch another armored sweep on March 14 to eliminate this threat. Although the 55th Regiment managed to capture the hill north of Meiktila after Cowan's tanks and infantry withdrew, the Japanese forces were unable to prevent their return, which resulted in further heavy losses. Concurrently, other tank-infantry units disrupted the advance of the 49th Division, effectively delaying the assembly of Japanese forces to the south and east of Meiktila until March 18. Additionally, a strong raid by the Komatsubara Unit was successfully repelled on March 14. In Stopford's sector, the 19th Division was preparing to launch its final offensive southward toward Mandalay, while the 2nd and 20th Divisions, after fierce fighting to expand their bridgeheads, were advancing east to assault the southern approaches to Mandalay. With close support from artillery and aircraft, General Rees' forces successfully breached the primary defenses of Lieutenant-General Yamamoto Kiyoe's 15th Division, reaching the northern outskirts of Mandalay by March 7. As the assault continued, British-Indian forces were set to enter the city on March 9. However, the determined defenders clung to Mandalay Hill and Fort Dufferin, aiming to extend the conflict and fight to the death. While Mandalay was under siege, the 62nd Brigade stealthily advanced east to Maymyo on March 11, catching the garrison off guard. The next day, Mandalay Hill ultimately fell while Fort Dufferin was being heavily bombarded within the city. By mid-March, the 2nd Division was nearing the capture of Ava, and the 20th Division was steadily advancing east to sever the supply routes from Mandalay to the south. In northern Burma, General Sultan was also pursuing his offensive. After establishing a bridgehead at Myitson, General Festing's 36th British Division faced minimal resistance and successfully took Mongmit on March 9 before continuing southward to Mogok. To the east, the 38th Chinese Division encountered only weak delaying positions as it moved towards Lashio, which was successfully occupied by March 7. At this point, the 56th Division, now independently commanding this area, was gradually retreating towards Hsipaw and Kyaukme. Although General Sun paused his advance until the Generalissimo granted permission to resume the offensive later in the month. Mountbatten feared that if more Chinese troops were withdrawn from Burma it might not be possible to take Rangoon before the monsoon rains began. This was an unpleasant prospect, so Mountbatten went to Chungking on March 8 for two days of conference with the Generalissimo. When the conference of March 9 concluded, the Generalissimo, according to the American minutes, said that he would recapitulate his decision of halting the Chinese advance at Lashio. In so doing, he remarked that the details of withdrawal would be settled later and that no final decisions would be made before General Wedemeyer was able to take part in them. Then he stated that unless there was a simultaneous amphibious attack on Rangoon, operations would stop at Lashio and Mandalay and the Allies would assume the defensive. The Chinese would stop at Lashio, but details of their operations between Lashio and Mandalay would be settled later between the staffs. The misunderstanding became quite apparent in mid-March when General Sultan, under whose command the Chinese were, received conflicting orders. Mountbatten ordered Sultan to move his forces southwestward toward Mandalay, yet the Generalissimo directed that the Chinese divisions stay in the Lashio area. As a compromise and to avoid having the Chinese wait idly around Lashio, Sultan suggested that a smaller task force be directed to proceed south. But the Generalissimo and his American advisers stood firm, lest the shift of troops to China be delayed. This in turn caused the British to believe that if the Chinese were not going to advance they should be withdrawn forthwith and end the burden on the line of communications. The 50th Chinese Division began to push south after securing the Namtu region and by mid-March reached Hsipaw. Meanwhile, in South Burma, the 82nd West African Division had taken Dalet, while the 25th Indian Division engaged in a struggle for control of the Ruywa-Tamandu area. Additionally, the 2nd West African Brigade was advancing inland toward An, posing a significant threat to the Japanese rear areas. Due to the rapid advancement of Slim's offensive, Admiral Mountbatten had to prioritize air supply for the 14th Army. This situation soon compelled General Christison to send the 25th Indian Division back to India, as his logistical support was becoming increasingly strained. Capturing Tamandu and establishing a Forward Maintenance Area there became essential. After successfully clearing Dokekan, the 74th Indian Brigade crossed the Me Chaung on March 4 to circumvent the main enemy defenses. The British-Indians pressed on, launching attacks on Tamandu in the following days, but the determined defenders put up strong resistance. Eventually, General Miyazaki withdrew most of the 111th Regiment and ordered it to attack the 2nd West African Brigade from the rear, which was finally contained by March 17. With the 25th Division scheduled to withdraw to Akyab by the end of the month, the 74th was reassigned to the 82nd West African Division and launched a final assault on Tamandu on March 11, successfully capturing the abandoned objective. The British-Indians then began to advance towards Kolan, reaching the vicinity of the town by mid-March. Simultaneously, the 154th Regiment counterattacked the West Africans at Dalet, successfully halting the enemy's advance beyond the river. Meanwhile, the 4th Indian Brigade landed at Mae near Letpan on March 13 from Ramree Island and established a roadblock to prevent enemy escape. In response, the 121st Regiment sent several companies to conduct a delaying action aimed at slowing the enemy's southward advance. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The battle for Iwo Jima intensified as the Marines advanced against fortified Japanese positions, facing heavy resistance and suffering significant casualties while capturing key terrain over several weeks of fierce combat. Meanwhile General LeMay shifted from precision bombing to incendiary raids on Tokyo, resulting in significant destruction and civilian casualties, while Japanese morale plummeted amid military setbacks.  

Relação da Inteligência Artificial com a Educação.

Relação da Inteligência Artificial com a Educação.

Last time we spoke about the battle of Manila. In early February, General Iwanaka's 2nd Tank Division faced encirclement as American forces advanced. General Griswold's 14th Corps captured Clark Field, while the 8th Cavalry liberated 4,000 internees at Santo Tomas University. Amid fierce fighting, Japanese defenses crumbled, and by February 9, American troops secured key districts in Manila. Despite heavy resistance, they pressed on, clearing areas and establishing a foothold across the Pasig River. In the wake of Pearl Ridge's capture, Australian brigades advanced through Bougainville, engaging Japanese forces along the Jaba and Tavera rivers. Brigadier Monaghan's troops secured strategic positions, while the 2/8th Commandos aided local guerrillas. In January, significant battles unfolded at Tsimba Ridge, where fierce resistance led to an encirclement of Japanese troops. Meanwhile, in Burma, Allied forces executed deceptive maneuvers and launched offensives, as General Aung San's Burma National Army prepared to switch sides, signaling a shift in the war's momentum. This episode is the Liberation of Bataan and Corregidor Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  As we previously noted, General Griswold had three divisions stationed in Manila, which had achieved significant advancements by February 10. Estimating the strength of the Americans in the Manila area at little more than a regiment, General Yokoyama apparently felt that he had a good opportunity to cut off and isolate the Allied force. Conversely, he was also interested in getting the Manila Naval Defense Force out of the city quickly, either by opening a line of retreat or by having Iwabuchi co-ordinate a breakthrough effort with a Shimbu Group counterattack, scheduled for the night of February 16. Not knowing how far the situation in Manila had deteriorated--communications were faulty and Admiral Iwabuchi had supplied Yokoyama with little information--Yokoyama at first directed the Manila Naval Defense Force to hold fast. The question of a general withdrawal, he told Iwabuchi, would be held in abeyance pending the outcome of the counterattack. There is no indication that the Shimbu Group commander intended to reinforce or retake Manila. Rather, his primary interest was to gain time for the Shimbu Group to strengthen its defenses north and northeast of the city and to move more supplies out of the city to its mountain strongholds, simultaneously creating a good opportunity for the Manila Naval Defense Force to withdraw intact. However, the commander of the Shimbu Group was simultaneously orchestrating a large-scale, coordinated raid on northern Manila, intending to weaken the enemy's offensive capability by targeting their vulnerable eastern flank before they could solidify their positions. Therefore, on the night of February 16, the majority of the 31st Regiment was set to assault Caloocan Airfield, while three provisional battalions of the Kobayashi Force would attack Quezon, Banlat Airfield, and the surrounding areas of Rosario. This meant that Iwabuchi's forces would need to withstand the unyielding American assaults for another week before receiving support. Meanwhile, Griswold was strategizing to cut off the last remaining routes for withdrawal and reinforcement available to Iwabuchi. To achieve this, the 5th and 8th Cavalry Regiments were tasked with advancing southwest toward Manila Bay to make contact with the 11th Airborne Division, effectively encircling the city. Thus, Griswold continued his offensive on February 11, with Company E of the 129th Regiment successfully clearing Provisor Island without resistance and further establishing a presence on the mainland, west across Estero Provisor. Other elements of the 37th Division were gradually advancing across the Estero de Paco despite heavy enemy fire, while the 5th Cavalry made limited progress at Nielson Field. The 8th Cavalry pushed nearly to the Estero de Paco along the division boundary against scattered opposition, the 511th Parachute Regiment advanced north toward Libertad Avenue, and the 187th Glider Regiment secured the southeast corner and southern runway of Nichols Field. The next day, to complete the encirclement of Manila, the 5th Cavalry swiftly advanced across Nielson Field, facing sporadic rifle fire, and successfully connected with the 511th at Libertad Avenue before reaching the shores of Manila Bay. Simultaneously, the 12th Cavalry Regiment relieved the 8th and rapidly moved westward to establish contact with the 5th at Villarruel Street. Further south, following intense artillery and air bombardment, the 187th and 188th Glider Regiments finally breached the Japanese defenses at Nichols Field. The attack was preceded by artillery and mortar concentrations and by an air strike executed by Marine Corps SBD's from the Lingayen Gulf fields, support that succeeded in knocking out many Japanese artillery positions. The 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry, attacked generally east from the northwest corner of the field; the 188th Infantry and the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry, drove in from the south and southeast. By dusk the two regiments had cleared most of the field and finished mopping up the next day. The field was, however, by no means ready to receive Allied Air Force planes. Runways and taxiways were heavily mined, the runways were pitted by air and artillery bombardments, and the field was still subjected to intermittent artillery and mortar fire from the Fort McKinley area. With the seizure of Nichols Field, the 11th Airborne Division substantially completed its share in the battle for Manila. Since its landing at Nasugbu the division had suffered over 900 casualties. Of this number the 511th Infantry lost approximately 70 men killed and 240 wounded; the 187th and 188th Infantry Regiments had together lost about 100 men killed and 510 wounded, the vast majority in the action at Nichols Field. The division and its air and artillery support had killed perhaps 3,000 Japanese in the metropolitan area, destroying the 3d Naval Battalion and isolating the Abe Battalion. From then on the division's activities in the Manila area would be directed toward securing the Cavite region, destroying the Abe Battalion, and, in co-operation with the 1st Cavalry Division, assuring the severance of the Manila Naval Defense Force's routes of escape and reinforcement by clearing Fort McKinley and environs.  Meanwhile, at ZigZag Pass, General Chase's 38th Division had begun to make headway against the strong defenses of the Nagayoshi Detachment, with the 152nd and 149th Regiments set to launch a coordinated attack from the east and west on February 12. It wasn't until the afternoon of February 13 that the 149th and 152nd made their first brief contact from their respective sides of ZigZag. The 149th then captured the last organized Japanese stronghold on February 14, and the following day both regiments completed their mopping-up operations. Nearly 2,400 Japanese soldiers were killed at the pass during this battle, though about 300 men under Colonel Nagayoshi managed to escape south into Bataan. The 38th Division and the 34th Regiment, in turn, suffered around 1,400 casualties, including 250 killed. Meanwhile, General Brush's 40th Division continued its offensive against the Kembu Group. By February 12, the 185th Regiment had successfully secured Snake Hill North with minimal resistance, while also capturing Hills 810 and 1000. Meanwhile, the 160th Regiment made significant advances against Snake Hill West and Scattered Trees Ridge. The 108th Regiment, after neutralizing the Japanese strongholds on the hill, began attacking the remnants of the Eguchi and Yanagimoto Detachments at Hill 7. On February 15, the 185th captured Hill 1500, coinciding with the 160th clearing Snake Hill West and preparing to advance toward Object Hill. The next day, Hill 7 fell to the 108th, while the 160th reached the summit of Object Hill and broke through Scattered Trees Ridge. By February 20, the 160th had cleared the rest of Object Hill and established a foothold on Sacobia Ridge. Whatever the costs, the 40th Division's advances to February 20 marked the end of the Kembu Group as a threat to 6th Army and 14th Corps. Clark Field, Route 3, and the army and corps right were now secure beyond all shadow of doubt. The Kembu Group had defended its ground well since January 24, when 14th Corps had first gained contact, and had inflicted nearly 1500 casualties upon 14th Corps units--roughly 285 men killed and 1180 wounded--but had itself lost around 10000 men killed. The 20000 troops General Tsukada still commanded were hardly in good shape. Supplies of all kinds were dwindling rapidly, morale was cracking, and centralized control was breaking down. The only defenses still intact were those held by the naval 13th and 17th Combat Sectors, and those had been heavily damaged by air and artillery bombardments. Troops of the 6th Army would continue to fight the Kembu Group, but after February 20 operations in the Kembu area were essentially mop-ups. 11th Corps, not 14th, would be in charge of the final mop-up operations in the Kembu area. Under General Hall's leadership, the 40th Division resumed the mop-up operation on February 23, but was replaced by elements of the 43rd Division just five days later. In the following ten days, this division would ultimately eliminate General Tsukada's last defensive position, pushing the Kembu Group further into the Zambales Range. Back in Manila, on February 13, chaos erupted as Iwabuchi's forces prepared for their final stand in the Filipino capital. After February 12th the 14th Corps troops found themselves in a steady war of attrition. Street-to-street, building-to-building, and room-to-room fighting characterized each day's activity. Progress was sometimes measured only in feet; many days saw no progress at all. The fighting became really "dirty." The Japanese, looking forward only to death, started committing all sorts of excesses, both against the city itself and against Filipinos unlucky enough to remain under Japanese control. As time went on, Japanese command disintegrated. Then, viciousness became uncontrolled and uncontrollable; horror mounted upon horror. The men of the 37th Division and the 1st Cavalry Division witnessed the rape, sack, pillage, and destruction of a large part of Manila and became reluctant parties to much of the destruction. Although the 14th Corps placed heavy dependence upon artillery, tank, tank destroyer, mortar, and bazooka fire for all advances, cleaning out individual buildings ultimately fell to individual riflemen. To accomplish this work, the infantry brought to fruition a system initiated north of the Pasig River. Small units worked their way from one building to the next, usually trying to secure the roof and top floor first, often by coming through the upper floors of an adjoining structure. Using stairways as axes of advance, lines of supply, and routes of evacuation, troops then began working their way down through the building. For the most part, squads broke up into small assault teams, one holding entrances and perhaps the ground floor--when that was where entrance had been gained--while the other fought through the building. In many cases, where the Japanese blocked stairways and corridors, the American troops found it necessary to chop or blow holes through walls and floors. Under such circumstances, hand grenades, flame throwers, and demolitions usually proved requisites to progress. In response to the encirclement of Manila, Yokoyama concluded that the situation in the city was irreparable and ordered Iwabuchi to relocate to Fort McKinley and begin withdrawing his troops immediately, without waiting for the Shimbu Group's counterattack. However, Iwabuchi did not receive this order until two days later, by which time he and his troops were determined to fight to the death, taking as many enemies with them as possible. The 129th Regiment made an unsuccessful attempt to assault the New Police Station and the Manila Club. Meanwhile, the 148th Regiment reached Taft Avenue but could not launch an attack on the Philippine General Hospital and the University of the Philippines. The 5th and 12th Cavalry Regiments turned north, taking two days to fight through the Pasay suburb to Vito Cruz Street. On February 14, although the 148th Regiment struggled to make any headway against Iwabuchi's strong defenses, the 129th, supported by tanks, managed to break through to the Manila Club and the New Police Station. However, the Japanese quickly regrouped at the latter location and began throwing hand grenades from the second floor, forcing the Americans to retreat. Simultaneously, a battalion-sized guerrilla force led by Major John Vanderpool was dispatched to contain the Abe Provisional Battalion at Mabato Point, while elements of the 11th Airborne Division and the 1st Cavalry Division began clearing the routes to Fort McKinley. On February 15 and 16, the 129th conducted probing attacks on the New Police Station, the shoe factory, and Santa Teresita College, while tanks and artillery maintained consistent fire on all buildings still held by the Japanese. The 3rd Battalion of the 148th Regiment reached Manila Bay via Herran Street and then turned to assault the hospital from the south, while the 2nd Battalion made limited progress against the main hospital structures. The 12th Cavalry successfully entered La Salle University and the Japanese Club, and the 5th Cavalry pushed through Harrison Park, clearing Rizal Stadium, with the entire area being secured by February 18. In the early hours of February 16, Yokoyama initiated his limited offensive, with the 31st Regiment advancing toward Novaliches while General Kobayashi's three battalions attacked Marikina.The 112th Cavalry RCT, which had replaced the 12th Cavalry along the 1st Cavalry Division's line of communications, broke up the northern wing's counterattack between 15 and 18 February. In the Novaliches-Novaliches Dam area, and in a series of skirmishes further west and northwest, the 112th Cavalry RCT dispatched some 300 Japanese, losing only 2 men killed and 32 wounded. Un-co-ordinated from the start, the northern counterattack turned into a shambles, and the northern attack force withdrew in a disorganized manner before it accomplished anything. The Kobayashi Force's effort was turned back on the morning of the 16th, when American artillery caught this southern wing as it attempted to cross the Marikina River. During the next three days all Japanese attacks were piecemeal in nature and were thrown back with little difficulty by the 7th and 8th Cavalry Regiments, operating east and northeast of Manila. By 19 February, when the southern counterattack force also withdrew, the 2d Cavalry Brigade and support artillery had killed about 650 Japanese in the area west of the Marikina from Novaliches Dam south to the Pasig. The brigade lost about 15 men killed and 50 wounded. Consequently, Yokoyama's only achievement was the escape of the remnants of the 3rd and 4th Naval Battalions from the Fort McKinley area, which was later occupied by American forces. Additionally, from February 15 to 20, the 511th Parachute Regiment thoroughly searched the Cavite Peninsula and the adjacent mainland but encountered only a few Japanese stragglers. Meanwhile, to secure the Bataan Peninsula, Hall divided his forces into two groups: East Force and South Force. The East Force, consisting of the recently arrived 1st Regiment and led by Brigadier-General William Spence, was tasked with advancing down the east coast to divert Japanese attention from the Mariveles landing, which was to be executed by Chase's 151st Regiment. Accordingly, the 151st Regiment boarded Admiral Struble's Task Group 78.3 vessels at Olongapo just as the 1st Regiment was passing through Orani and beginning its southward advance, reaching Pilar by the end of February 14. The following day, after conducting minesweeping and bombardment operations—during which the destroyers La Vallette and Radford were unfortunately disabled by mines—Struble successfully landed the 151st at Mariveles under machine-gun and rifle fire. The Americans found no Japanese forces before sunset, but during the night, they had to fend off a counterattack by approximately 100 enemy troops. During the night of 15-16 February an estimated 300 Japanese attacked the 1st Infantry's perimeter near Orion, but the U.S. regiment, losing 11 killed and 15 wounded, beat off the Japanese and killed 80 of them in a melee of confused, sometimes hand-to-hand fighting. The incident marked the end of organized Japanese resistance in southern Bataan. The 151st spent the following days securing the Mariveles area while simultaneously sending patrols northward along both sides of the Bataan Peninsula. They connected with the 1st Regiment at Limay on February 18. By February 21, the Americans had advanced across Bataan to Bagac, encountering only abandoned defensive positions and a few Japanese stragglers. However, Nagayoshi's remaining 1,000 troops managed to take refuge in the jungled slopes of Mount Natib, where elements of the 38th Division, the 6th Division, and Filipino guerrillas systematically hunted them down. While Bataan was being cleared, Generals MacArthur and Krueger were also planning the invasion of Corregidor Island. The assault plan involved Colonel George Jones' 503rd Parachute Regiment airdropping onto the island, supported by a nearly simultaneous shore-to-shore operation conducted by the reinforced 3rd Battalion, 34th Regiment, from the recently secured Mariveles.  The decision to employ paratroopers to make the principal assault against an objective of Corregidor's size and terrain merits attention. Shaped like a tadpole, with its bulbous head pointing west toward the South China Sea, Corregidor is but three and a half miles long and one and a half miles across at its point of greatest width. The prospective cost of amphibious assault was, indeed, one of the chief factors that led to a decision to use paratroopers. Planners saw the obvious risks in sending parachute troops against such a small and rough target, but in view of the GHQ SWPA estimate that the Japanese garrison numbered only 850 men, the cost of the airborne operation promised to be less than that involved in an amphibious attack. Krueger intended to land almost 3,000 troops on Corregidor on 16 February, over 2,000 of them by parachute. Another 1,000 men or more would come in by parachute or landing craft the next day. Planners hoped that such preponderant strength, combined with intensive air and naval bombardment, might render the seizure of the island nearly bloodless. An equally important (if not even more decisive) factor leading to the decision to employ paratroops was the desire to achieve surprise. GHQ SWPA and Sixth Army planners hoped that the Japanese on Corregidor would judge that no one in his right mind would even consider dropping a regiment of parachutists on such a target. The defenses, the planners thought, would probably be oriented entirely toward amphibious attack. The attack was scheduled for February 16, with paratroopers set to land on a parade ground and a golf course at Topside. They would then immediately assault Malinta Hill before the Japanese garrison could recover from the shock of the preparatory air and naval bombardment and the surprise of the parachute drop, with the amphibious troops launching their attack two hours after the paratroopers began jumping. Although Corregidor had been under attack by Allied Air Forces since January 22, General Kenney's forces intensified their assaults at the start of February. By February 16, the 5th and 13th Air Force planes had dropped approximately 3,125 tons of bombs on the island. Naval bombardment also commenced on February 13, in conjunction with the bombardment and minesweeping in preparation for the capture of Mariveles. On the morning of February 16, air and surface forces conducted their final preliminary bombardment before the paradrop. Launching from Mindoro, the 317th Troop Carrier Group transported the first wave of the 503rd Parachute Regiment in two columns of C-47s, swiftly dropping them over Corregidor at 08:30. Encountering only sporadic Japanese rifle and machine-gun fire, the paratroopers successfully secured the Topside drop zones by 09:45. However, approximately 25% of the paratroopers were injured, and many others failed to land on Topside. One unexpected blessing resulted from the scattered drop of paratroopers in the 0830 lift. Captain Itagaki, having been informed that landing craft were assembling off Mariveles, had hurried with a small guard to an observation post near Breakwater Point, obviously more concerned with the imminent amphibious assault than with the possibility that paratroopers might drop out of the C-47's already in sight of Corregidor. Suddenly, his attention was rudely diverted as twenty-five to thirty paratroopers who had been blown over the cliffs near the point began pelting down around the observation post. Fired on by the Japanese, the small American group quickly assembled and attacked. In the ensuing skirmish eight Japanese, including Captain Itagaki, were killed. Effective control among the Japanese units, already rendered practically impossible by the destruction of the communications center during the preassault air and naval bombardment, now ceased altogether. Leaderless, the remaining Japanese were no longer capable of coordinated offensive or defensive efforts. Each group would fight on its own from isolated and widely separated strongpoints. Meanwhile, the 3rd Battalion, 34th Regiment departed Mariveles Harbor on 25 LCMs and made their way to the western end of Corregidor, landing on the south beach at 10:28. Contrary to expectations, the first four waves faced no opposition as they came ashore. However, as the fifth wave arrived, Japanese machine-guns opened fire from Ramsay Ravine, Breakwater Point, and the cliffs at San Jose Point. Despite this, Companies K and L advanced quickly and established a strong position on top of Malinta Hill by 11:00. This ensured total surprise, as the paradrop effectively drew Japanese attention away from the amphibious craft approaching Corregidor. At 12:40, the second wave of the 503rd began to land successfully on the drop zones, facing only limited fire from Japanese automatic weapons. With these reinforcements, the paratroopers were positioned to secure the remainder of Topside by the end of the day. However, during the night, the infantrymen would need to fend off a series of small but determined Japanese counterattacks along the northern side of Malinta Hill. For eight consecutive days leading up to February 23, the 3rd Battalion, 34th Regiment successfully defended against relentless banzai charges, mortar assaults, and a suicide squad of soldiers equipped with explosives, resulting in approximately 300 Japanese casualties. On the afternoon of 17 February the 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry, and other reinforcements reached Bottomside by landing craft. Japanese rifle and machine gun fire, most of which passed overhead, "expedited" the movement ashore, and the battalion soon joined the rest of the regiment on Topside. The troops already on Topside had spent the day expanding their hold, systematically reducing the first of the many Japanese bunkers, pillboxes, and underground defenses they were to encounter, and had developed a pattern for the destruction of the Japanese installations. First, aircraft or naval fire support ships--the air arm using napalm extensively--were called upon to strike positions accessible to these types of bombardment; then the infantry attacked almost as the last shell or bomb burst. When this method failed, the 503d's own 75-mm. pack howitzers and lesser weapons were brought forward for direct fire. Next, having stationed men with submachine guns and rifles at advantageous points to cover approaches to a Japanese position, infantry assault teams moved forward behind white phosphorus hand grenades and the extremely close support of flame thrower teams. To avoid backflash and assure the deepest possible penetration of cave defenses, flame thrower operators often projected their fuel unignited, and then used white phosphorus grenades to fire it. If the Japanese within the caves still could not be induced to give up the fight, engineer demolition experts blocked the cave entrances. One Japanese tactic was both advantageous and disadvantageous to the 503d Infantry. Each night small groups of Japanese would attempt to reoccupy positions cleared during the previous day. To the 503d, this often meant some dirty, repetitive work, and additional casualties. On the other hand, the Japanese sometimes reoccupied tactically indefensible positions that proved easy to take out. The 503d Infantry seems to have been happy to let the Japanese occasionally return to such positions, secure in the knowledge that the only result would be more Japanese killed at no cost to the attackers. The only way to keep the Japanese from reoccupying less vulnerable positions was to stop night infiltration, a process that in turn required the blocking of the underground passageways that abounded on Topside. By these methods Japanese casualties began to mount rapidly. On the 17th, for example, over 300 Japanese were killed; nearly 775 were killed the next day. In the same two days Rock Force's casualties were approximately 30 killed and 110 wounded. The Japanese resistance at Topside finally crumbled two days later after the Americans effectively repelled a fierce counterattack. The last significant opposition, concentrated at Wheeler Point, concluded with a small-scale banzai charge on the morning of February 23. By the end of that day, the 503rd had largely cleared the western section of Corregidor. Following intense air and naval bombardments, the paratroopers launched a final assault on the eastern end of the island on February 24, systematically destroying several strongholds over the next two days. Shortly after 1100 on 26 February the Japanese on Corregidor executed their final, suicidal tour de force, blowing an underground arsenal at Monkey Point amid scenes of carnage on both sides. As the dust from terrific explosions settled, a hollow appeared where a small knoll had previously stood. Debris had flown as far as Topside where one man, almost a mile from the explosion, was injured by flying rock. Other debris hit a destroyer 2,000 yards offshore. A medium tank was hurled 50 yards through the air, most of its crew killed. Bits and pieces of American and Japanese troops splattered the ground; rock slides buried alive other men of both forces. Over 200 Japanese were killed outright, while Rock Force lost some 50 men killed and 150 wounded. This explosion signified the end of organized resistance on Corregidor, and by 16:00, elements of the 503rd Parachute Regiment had reached the island's eastern tip. Mopping-up operations continued until March 2, when Hall and Jones determined that the island was secure. Ultimately, by the conclusion of the battle, the Americans had suffered approximately 215 killed and 790 wounded, while the Japanese losses were estimated at 5,200 killed and 20 captured. On February 17, in Manila, the 129th Regiment secured the damaged shoe factory and cleared several buildings along the south bank of the Pasig River before being relieved by the 145th Regiment. During 17 February, with the aid of support fires from the 1st Battalion, now on the south side of Herran Street, the 2d Battalion smashed its way into the two most easterly of the hospital's four wings and overran the last resistance in the Nurses' Dormitory and the Science Building. The advance might have gone faster had it not been necessary to evacuate patients and other Filipino civilians from the hospital. By dusk over 2,000 civilians had come out of the buildings; the 148th Infantry conducted 5,000 more to safety that night. At the end of the 17th the 148th had overcome almost all opposition except that at the Medical School and in a small group of buildings facing Padre Faura Street at the northwestern corner of the hospital grounds. The next day, the 145th cleared Santa Teresita College but could not establish a presence inside the New Police Station. Meanwhile, the 148th consolidated its gains before being relieved by the 5th Cavalry. The 11th Airborne Division began besieging the Abe Provisional Battalion at Mabato Point, ultimately destroying this unit by February 23. On February 19, the 5th Cavalry launched an assault on and cleared the Medical School and Assumption College, while the 1st Squadron of the 12th Cavalry advanced north along the bay, facing strong opposition, and successfully reached Padre Faura Street. At the same time, the police station and San Pablo Church underwent intense artillery and tank bombardment, with the church eventually falling to the 145th by nightfall. After further artillery and tank fire nearly leveled the police station, American forces secured its ruins on February 20. The 145th also began attacking City Hall and the General Post Office, making minimal progress in the initial days. Supported by heavy bombardment, the 5th Cavalry managed to capture Rizal Hall and the Administration Building but was eventually forced to withdraw after the Japanese detonated significant explosives. The 12th Cavalry overcame the last resistance at the High Commissioner's residence and pressed onward to San Luis Street. The next day, the 12th swiftly entered the Manila Hotel and successfully took control of the area after a fierce battle. Meanwhile, the 5th Cavalry captured the Administration Building with minimal resistance, but they did not secure Rizal Hall and University Hall until February 24. During this time, the 145th Regiment continued its assault on City Hall and the General Post Office, which ultimately fell by February 22. As a result, Griswold's forces had effectively confined the remnants of Iwabuchi's troops to Intramuros, the South Port Area, and the Philippine Commonwealth Government buildings at the southeastern edge of the Walled City, leaving behind a trail of destroyed and damaged public and private structures. The fall of Manila was imminent; however, we must now shift our focus away from the Philippines to cover the Burma offensives. As we last reported, by mid-February, General Messervy's 4th Corps had successfully established a bridgehead over the Irrawaddy River at Nyaungu, while General Stopford's 33rd Corps continued to advance towards Mandalay, with the 19th Indian Division moving toward Madaya by the end of the month. Concerned about the bridgehead established by the 20th Indian Division, General Kimura decided to withdraw the main force of the 18th Division, which was engaged with the 36th British Division at Myitson. Consequently, after leaving the 114th Regiment at Mongmit, General Naka began relocating the majority of his division to Hsumhsai and then to Mandalay. In addition to the 18th Division, Kimura assigned the Kanjo Force to the 15th Army, further instructing General Katamura to prepare a general offensive aimed at destroying Stopford's bridgeheads while the reinforced 31st Division continued its counterattacks against the 20th Division. As attention turned to Nyaungu, a flurry of activity ensued to transport supplies to the 255th Indian Tank Brigade and the 48th and 63rd Indian Motorized Brigades across the river using boats and barges. General Cowan devised a plan for these units to gather at Mahlaing, capture the Thabutkon airstrip, where the air-transportable 99th Indian Brigade would land, and ultimately encircle and take Meiktila. With all his units successfully across by February 21, Cowan launched his advance towards Meiktila, quickly taking Seywa and Ngathayauk with minimal resistance. The following day, British-Indian forces attacked Taungtha from two fronts, with the southern group facing some opposition at the village of Oyin. Despite the Japanese putting up fierce and determined resistance, they were ultimately overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the British tanks. Upon realizing this new threat to his rear, Kimura halted his previous offensive and swiftly redirected the 53rd Division to Taungtha to block the enemy's advance towards Meiktila. Meanwhile, to bolster Kimura's focus on Mandalay, the 2nd British Division crossed the Irrawaddy near Ngazun on the night of February 24, encountering heavy opposition but managing to secure a bridgehead two days later. Nonetheless, by February 24, the 48th Brigade reached Taungtha ahead of Kimura's reinforcements and captured the town with light resistance. In the afternoon, the 63rd Brigade and the tanks moved through and continued towards Mahlaing, arriving on February 25. The next day, the Mahlaing area was completely cleared, and the Thabutkon airstrip was successfully captured. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Kimura quickly dispatched the 18th and 49th Divisions along with the remaining forces of the 53rd Division towards Meiktila,  but only the 1st Battalion, 168th Regiment under Colonel Yoshida would arrive in time. At Meiktila, Major-General Kasuya Tomekichi, commander of No. 2 Field Transport, which had responsibility for all the transport units supporting the 15th and 33rd Armies, was put in charge of the defense of the town. Kasuya had approximately 2500 administrative and line of communications troops available, and another 2000 from various Japanese Army Air Force units, including the 52nd and 84th Airfield Battalions and the 36th Anti-Aircraft Battalion. The administrative and line of communications troops were hastily organized into three emergency infantry companies and a mobile reserve force. Any hospital patient who could walk or shoot was sent out to man a bunker. Kasuya set up a western and eastern sector for the defense of the town, with the dividing line being Meiktila's northern and southern artificial lakes. The troops in Meiktila hurriedly prepared bunkers throughout the town and laid mines and booby traps along the approaches. Kasuya opened up the ordnance depots around the town and ensured that all units were well supplied with medium and light machine-guns, and had plenty of ammunition. Cowan quickly began airlifting troops from the 99th Brigade to Thabutkon on February 27, with the operation expected to conclude by March 2. During the airlift, armored car patrols advanced along the main road to Meiktila, where they encountered a formidable Japanese roadblock that the 63rd Brigade later destroyed. That evening, advance patrols observed fires in Meiktila as the Japanese started to destroy their supply depots. The Battle for Meiktila was imminent; however, while General Slim's 14th Army continued its Extended Capital offensive, new developments were also occurring in northern and southern Burma. In the north, the 36th Division finally secured Myitson following the withdrawal of the 18th Division and began moving toward Mongmit. The 50th Chinese Division, bolstered by the 1st Chinese Separate Regiment, crossed the Myitnge River at Namtu but encountered fierce resistance, with the 113th Regiment launching nine separate counterattacks before relinquishing the bridgehead. Meanwhile, the 30th Chinese Division advanced toward Lashio, supported by Kachin guerrillas. However, General Wedemeyer and the Generalissimo decided to withdraw all Chinese-American troops back to China once Lashio was captured, allowing them to prepare for a potential offensive toward Canton and Hong Kong. In the south, the 82nd West African Division continued its push toward An, facing strong opposition from General Koba's forces at the Dalet River, while the 63rd Indian Brigade readied for an amphibious assault on Ruywa. Additionally, with a robust garrison in the Tamandu sector, General Miyazaki planned to gather his remaining units at An and launch a counteroffensive to eliminate all enemy forces west of the pass. Before he could proceed, the 53rd successfully landed at Ruywa on February 16 with minimal opposition. In the following days, British-Indian forces quickly secured the area. By February 22, the 2nd West African Brigade had also arrived at the beachhead and immediately began a swift advance eastward toward An, while the 74th Indian Brigade was being deployed. The 74th then launched an attack toward Tamandu and, on February 28, began assaulting the main defenses of the 111th Regiment. However, upon learning of the enemy's approach to Meiktila, General Sakurai ordered the 72nd Independent Mixed Brigade to attack the Nyaungu bridgehead after some earlier probing attacks had failed. He also instructed Miyazaki to send the Koba Detachment, primarily composed of the 154th Regiment, to reinforce Yenangyaung. Consequently, facing less resistance in the north, Dalet would ultimately fall to the West Africans by the end of the month. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In Manila, General Yokoyama planned a counterattack to isolate Allied forces, but chaos ensued as American troops advanced. Fierce street fighting within Manila led to significant casualties, marking a brutal struggle for control. Paratroopers launched a surprise assault on Corregidor, overwhelming Japanese defenses, but taking significant losses in the process. Despite injuries and challenges, they secured the island, leading to significant enemy casualties and the end of organized resistance.

He hualono kēia e hoʻolaha ana i nā moʻolelo o nā kānaka a me nā ʻohana i hānai a e hānai nei paha i kā lākou poʻe keiki ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. ʻO ka hoa kipa hanohano o kēia pukana ʻo ia ʻo Larry Lindsey Kimura ka makua o ke aukahi hoʻōla #ʻōleloHawaiʻi.

Last time we spoke about the invasion of Mindoro. Ormoc fell on December the 10th. The 149th Regiment cleared the airstrip at Buri, while the Japanese launched a desperate attack on airfields, only to be repelled by American forces. Amid chaotic battles, the Japanese attempted maritime reinforcements, but their vessels were met with devastating American fire, sinking transports and crippling their efforts. By December 13, the American advance continued through heavy resistance, leading to intense skirmishes, showcasing bravery and the struggles faced on both sides during the conflict. On December 14, US troops of the 2d Squadron, 7th Cavalry, advanced against stubborn Japanese defenses near Limon. While under fire, they strategically pushed forward, capturing enemy positions and equipment. Despite heavy artillery, Troop G utilized flamethrowers and close combat, overcoming formidable foxholes, helping to secure vital ground. Meanwhile, Admiral Nimitz prepared for future invasions, and General MacArthur postponed operations to protect his forces. The successful landings on Mindoro marked a pivotal moment, signaling the approaching assault on Luzon. This episode is the Third Arakan Offensive  Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  As we left off last week, General Bruce's 77th Division had effectively advanced to Linao and Cogon, securing Ormoc. Meanwhile, General Sibert's 10th Corps had pushed the weary Japanese forces in the north back to the Lonoy area, with both divisions preparing to continue their assaults through the Ormoc Valley toward Valencia, in line with General Krueger's strategy. To address the emerging situation, the 68th Brigade was mobilizing to support the 1st Division, while the 5th and 77th Regiments were making their way to Huaton to participate in a counteroffensive against Ormoc; however, only the 77th Regiment would reach its destination in time. Concurrently, the isolated 16th Division in the central Leyte mountains was gradually withdrawing from the Burauen front, losing strength with each passing day, and the 26th Division was gathering north of Talisanyan to prepare for the final retreat to Ormoc. On December 16, with the port secured, Bruce's forces were poised for the next stage of their advance north along the Ormoc corridor. Given that his patrols reported minimal enemy resistance west of Highway 2, Bruce aimed to encircle the Japanese forces from the east with the 306th and 307th Regiments, while the 305th would advance along the highway. Following this plan, the 305th Regiment quickly eliminated the remaining enemy positions in Cogon and proceeded 400 yards north of the road junction toward Tambuco. Meanwhile, the 307th swiftly moved through the neighborhoods of Jalubon, Liloan, Bao, and Catayom to San Jose, where they encountered and defeated two platoons of paratroopers. The 306th Regiment also advanced to Jalubon but then shifted north toward Tipic to bypass Huaton and directly assault Valencia. Looking north, while the 126th and 127th Regiments fought bravely against an enemy that restricted the division's progress to just a few dozen yards each day, the 12th Cavalry Regiment continued its advance toward Lonoy. Ultimately, the successful American assault on December 16 left the Japanese defenses exposed, prompting General Suzuki to alter his offensive strategy once more, immediately directing his forces to conduct a delaying action to facilitate a final retreat toward Libongao. Meanwhile, Bruce intensified his attack on December 17. As a result, the 305th Regiment encountered stiff resistance while attempting to reach Tambuco. The Japanese had constructed defensive positions along Highway 2 in the southern part of Ormoc Valley. At the road junction of Highway 2 with the road to Liloan were many trenches three to four feet deep and parallel to the highway. Trenches had also been dug along the sides of a machine gun emplacement that occupied a slight elevation commanding Highway 2 both to the north and to the south. On both sides of the road from Cogon to Catayom foxholes lined Highway 2, in the ditches and under the shacks. Some of these positions were dug on a slant and were six to seven feet deep. At Tambuco the foxholes extended along the highway for 400 yards, with machine gun emplacements on the sides of the foxholes. Other positions along Highway 2 consisted of poorly integrated foxholes and machine guns that covered the road. The field artillery pieces between Tambuco and Catayom were placed along the highway, with the exception of a 75-mm. gun that guarded a bridge and was well concealed inside a roadside shack. At 0830 on 17 December the 305th Infantry moved out along Highway 2. At 1000 the 1st Battalion reported that it was advancing at the rate of 100 yards every ten minutes against light opposition. By 1145 the 305th Infantry was fighting through Tambuco. At a road junction just north of Tambuco, it eliminated some enemy resistance and the advance slowed down. The regiment moved forward to a point about 300 yards north of the road junction and established its night perimeter, which extended 300 yards to the northeast along the Tambuco-Dolores road in order to forestall any Japanese counterattacks from that direction. On the same day the 306th Infantry pushed its attack northeast at 0800. The advancing troops almost immediately encountered Japanese who, apparently taken by surprise, were unable to offer organized resistance. At 1040, when the forward elements were 1,000 yards southwest of Cabulihan, the opposition stiffened and the regimental commander therefore committed the 3d Battalion on the left of the 2d Battalion. The advance continued. As the regiment neared Highway 2, resistance became more intense. The 306th Infantry encountered the Japanese who were fleeing northwest from the assault of the 305th Infantry and the heavy artillery that accompanied it. (Unknown to the Americans, General Suzuki and his staff were among the retreating Japanese. Suzuki succeeded in escaping to Libongao, where he established a new headquarters for the 35th Army.) At 1440 the 306th Infantry reached Highway 2 between Catayom and Cabulihan and proceeded north toward Cabulihan, its objective. Advance elements of the 3d Battalion reached the outskirts of the town but withdrew three or four hundred yards to take advantage of more commanding terrain. After combat patrols had cleared the area, the 306th Infantry established its night perimeter five hundred yards south of Cabulihan at 1600.  General Bruce had ordered the 307th Infantry to remain in San Jose until further notice. Since the guerrilla forces had reported a large number of Japanese in the area, General Bruce had made arrangements to soften the sector with an aerial bombardment and artillery fire before the infantry attack. In response to Bruce's request, fifteen P-40's from the V Fighter Command had been made available by General Whitehead for an air strike against the Valencia area. The 155-mm. guns of the 226th Field Artillery Battalion at Daro began firing on Valencia and the airstrip on the morning of 17 December and hit a Japanese ammunition dump. At 1245 the artillery fire was halted for the air strike, and for fifty minutes the area was bombed and strafed. With the conclusion of the air attack, at 1335, the artillery began anew to pound the area. "The medium artillery . . . reached out from Ormoc and the 'Long Toms' . . . from Daro joined in the fighting." In the meantime the 902d Field Artillery Battalion moved forward to a point from which it could support the advance of the 307th Infantry. At 1415 the artillery fire stopped and the 307th Infantry moved out astride the San Jose-Valencia road toward Valencia. Though the artillery fire and aerial bombardment had driven some of the Japanese from the area, a strong well-equipped force, including a number of paratroopers, remained to oppose the 307th Infantry. The regiment pushed forward, however, and at 1640 its leading elements were on the southwestern edge of the airstrip and within 1,000 yards of Valencia. The 307th Infantry formed its night perimeter on the edge of the airfield and made preparations to continue the attack on 18 December. During 17 December, despite the disorganization of the Japanese forces, Colonel Imahori of the 12th Independent Infantry Regiment tried to reach Ormoc, but he was unsuccessful. A few enemy artillery shells landed in the Ormoc area but that was all. General Bruce wrote later: "The men got a laugh because the General's latrine, unoccupied, was struck. He wished about that time that he had remained up front which he had reached by landing in a cub plane on an unimproved jungle road." The following morning, as supplies and ammunition for the 306th and 307th Regiments were running dangerously low, Bruce dispatched an armored column through the 305th's lines, which bypassed enemy strongholds and successfully delivered supplies to both regiments. The 305th Regiment then faced minimal resistance as it advanced toward Huaton, with its 3rd Battalion decisively eliminating all enemy opposition along the Dolores road. Simultaneously, the 306th Regiment steadily pushed toward Valencia, successfully reaching the southern edge of the town, while the 307th secured the airstrip without any resistance. As General Gill directed his forces northward, the 126th Regiment successfully seized a ridge east of the road, advancing closer to the main enemy defensive line located north of Lonoy. On the morning of December 19, the 126th launched another offensive, overrunning numerous enemy positions and advancing 200 yards before being replaced by fresh troops the following day. Meanwhile, the 12th Cavalry encountered only light and sporadic resistance in its efforts to secure Lonoy, although its 2nd Squadron faced tougher opposition while assaulting a knoll southeast of the barrio. To the south, following the fall of Valencia, the 5th Regiment reached Libongao just as Bruce prepared to press forward in the northern campaign. Thus, the 307th Regiment steadily advanced north along Highway 2, engaging an advanced battalion from the Takahashi Detachment, while the 306th moved successfully northwest across the terrain to a position 300 yards south of the Palompon road. On this day, Suzuki received news of the enemy's invasion of Mindoro, along with General Yamashita's orders to conduct a strategic delay on Leyte. In response, he commanded all his forces to begin a gradual withdrawal towards Palompon, leaving Libongao for Matag-ob. On December 20, the 306th Regiment reached the Palompon road and dispatched its 1st Battalion west towards the Togbong River, while the 3rd Battalion turned east towards Highway 2. At the same time, the 307th Regiment launched an assault on the Libongao positions and successfully defeated the 5th Regiment, compelling the Takahashi Detachment to retreat towards Matag-ob, where they established Suzuki's final delaying position. Additionally, as the exhausted 126th Regiment was relieved, the 12th Cavalry began moving south from Lonoy to intercept the enemy's retreat route at Kananga. On December 21, as the 1st and 102nd Divisions began their withdrawal towards Palompon, the 12th Cavalry successfully captured Kananga and established contact with patrols from the 77th Division. Consequently, Highway 2 was finally open from Ormoc to Pinamopoan, and the Ormoc Valley, where the Japanese had fiercely resisted the American advance, was now firmly under the control of the 6th Army. General Mudge, commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division, said of the 12th Cavalry: “As a result of the stout-hearted efforts of the 12th Cavalry Regiment, elements of the Division are within 2500 yards of making contact with forward elements of the 77th Division. Considering the fact that the regiment has been reduced to 50% strength by the rigors and deprivations of 40 days in the mountains, the display of courage, stamina, and drive on the part of the 12th Cavalry is a credit to the best traditions of the United States Cavalry.” However, we must now shift our focus from the Philippines to Burma to follow the progress of Operation Capital.  Previously, while General Sultan's offensive in the north was advancing well, General Slim's eastern push, led by General Rees' 19th Indian Division, encountered less resistance than anticipated. This indicated that the enemy was rapidly retreating to stronger defensive positions behind the Irrawaddy River. As a result, Slim's strategy to encircle General Katamura's 15th Army on the Shwebo Plain was compromised, necessitating a significant adjustment to his offensive. His forces, stretched from Tamu, were at risk of counterattack while attempting to cross one of the most formidable river barriers. Therefore, Slim aimed to find a way to not only cross his troops over the Irrawaddy without major issues or interference but also to gain the decisive advantage needed to engage the Japanese on his terms, targeting them where their defenses were weakest. In just a few days, Slim and his team devised a new strategy known as Operation Extended Capital. The objective was to convince the Japanese that nothing had altered and that the 14th Army's advance was still primarily directed toward Mandalay, with its two corps crossing the Irrawaddy to the northwest of the city. The core of Slim's revised plan involved General Stopford's 33rd Corps, which, bolstered by the 19th Division and the 268th Tank Brigade, would maintain its planned crossing of the Irrawaddy north of Mandalay. Meanwhile, General Messervy's restructured 4th Corps would tactically cross the river much farther south in Pakokku, allowing them to launch attacks on Meiktila and Thazi, crucial points along General Kimura's communication lines that supported both the 33rd and 15th Armies. The towns of Meiktila and Thazi represented ground that was vital to the enemy defense, a concept 14th Army had first learned painfully in Arakan. The railway and main road from Rangoon ran through Meiktila before bending north on their way to Mandalay, and the town formed a natural location for supply and ammunition dumps, airfields and hospitals. If Slim could cut off both Honda and Katamura's corps from this vital logistical center, the Japanese ability to resist General Stopford's inexorable pressure in the north around Mandalay would be fatally weakened. Slim recognized that without Meiktila, Kimura could not hope to sustain a prolonged battle for Mandalay. Indeed, it might even prove to be the decisive act in the destruction of the whole of Kimura's army. Thus, the northern advance by 33rd Corps would be a deception to hide the decisive strike by 4th Corps to the south. If Slim could attract the greatest possible number of enemy divisions towards the northern crossing points (where, after all, Kimura expected him to strike), he could minimize opposition to the real focus of his attack in the south. This would provide Slim with, as he put it, ‘not only the major battle I desired, but the chance to repeat our old hammer and anvil tactics: 33rd Corps the hammer from the north against the anvil of 4th Corps at Meiktila – and the Japanese between.' Simultaneously, a new offensive was gearing up in the south. Unable to execute Operation Dracula, an intended amphibious assault on Rangoon, Admiral Mountbatten was resolved to initiate an offensive in the Arakan region. Codenamed Operation Romulus, it aimed for General Christison's 15th Corps to again attack Akyab, marking the third attempt to regain Arakan since the war began. Christison's strategy involved a three-pronged attack into northern Arakan, with Major-General George Wood's 25th Indian Division advancing on the right along the coast, Major-General George Bruce's 82nd West African Division in the center within the valley of the Mayu river, and Major-General Frederick Loftus-Tottenham's 81st West African Division on the left in the Kaladan river valley. Expecting heightened Japanese resistance along the Donbaik-Rathedaung-Myohaung line, Christison suggested that while his three frontline divisions engaged the Japanese forces with aggressive attacks, Brigadier Peter Young's 3rd Commando Brigade would land in the Japanese rear on the Myebon peninsula, followed closely by Major-General Cyril Lomax's 26th Indian Division, in a bid to finally capture Akyab. Facing them was General Sakurai's 28th Army, which included the Sakura Detachment, organized around three infantry battalions from the 55th Division along with the 55th Reconnaissance Regiment, stationed along the Godusara-Buthidaung-Kindaung line and the Kaladan Valley. Lieutenant-General Miyazaki Shigesaburo's 54th Division was responsible for defending the remainder of the Mayu Peninsula and the coastal area extending to Taungup. Meanwhile, Lieutenant-General Sakuma Ryozo's diminished 55th Division occupied the Irrawaddy Delta region, and Major-General Yamamoto Tsunoru's 72nd Independent Mixed Brigade was positioned near the oilfields at Yenangyaung. Additionally, the Katsu Force, centered around the 153rd Regiment, was near Yenangyaung, while the Rangoon Defense Unit, which included the Rangoon Anti-Aircraft Unit and various logistical elements, was tasked with protecting Burma's primary port. Sakurai's strategy, known as Operation Kan, entailed a defensive stance on the Mayu Peninsula and Yenangyaung, along with safeguarding the southwestern coast near Bassein against potential amphibious assaults. As the defenders slowed the enemy's progress towards their fortified positions, the 54th Division would be promptly sent to launch a counteroffensive. Depending on the nature of the attack, units from the 55th Division and Katsu Force would also participate in this counterattack. If a significant battle erupted near Rangoon, the reserve 2nd and 49th Divisions would be deployed without delay. Meanwhile, with the 26th Division being withdrawn for rest, the 25th Division preparing to move towards Rathedaung, and the 82nd Division advancing into the Kalapanzin Valley, the 81st Division was dispatched on October 1 to progress through the Mowdok Mountain Range toward Kyauktaw. As they moved southward across challenging and nearly impassable terrain, the West Africans expected to capture Mowdok by October 18, effectively eliminating the last Japanese forces from Indian territory before progressing through the Kaladan Valley. The 55th Reconnaissance Regiment stationed at Paletwa endured multiple assaults until early November, at which point they received orders to retreat to the Kaladan line. On December 15 the Japanese launched a strong attack with artillery support against the 6th (West African) Brigade. Private Kweku Pong, number two on a Bren, was wounded and separated from his section. Well armed with 12 magazines, he engaged the Japanese with short bursts for hours as they searched for him, until he eventually lost consciousness from loss of blood. Havildar Umrao Singh's gun section of the 30th Mountain Regiment was supporting the brigade when it was overrun and his officer badly wounded. With two other men he defended the position with rifles, bayonets and grenades until they were rushed and he defended it by swinging a rammer until borne down and bayoneted. The Japanese were eventually driven off when both men were found; Singh was awarded a VC and Pong an MM. Slim never changed his view that Africans would be ‘lost' without British guidance; but he probably never heard of Kweku Pong, who found himself alone, badly wounded in the middle of the night with Japanese rampaging through the bush around him and a battle going on behind. No white man was there to tell him what to do, no African NCO nor any other African for that matter. Nobody would have blamed him for lying doggo, but instead he showed considerable courage and good tactical sense. For this action, the 5th Gold Coast Regiment was awarded the unique honor ‘Tinma'.  Meanwhile, by late November, Wood had sent the 51st Indian Brigade to assist the African offensive in the Kalapanzin Valley. After successfully completing this mission, the 25th and 82nd Divisions launched their assault on Buthidaung on December 12. Wood's strategy involved a series of coordinated moves, with units leapfrogging one another, while the pace of the advance depended on how fast the sappers could repair the routes for the subsequent vehicles. Significantly outnumbered, Major-General Sakurai Tokutaro's troops were ultimately forced to evacuate Buthidaung on December 14. In response to the escalating enemy pressure in both the Kaladan and Mayu regions, the 28th Army ordered the Matsu Detachment, consisting of three battalions from the 54th Division, to take over control of the Kaladan front, while Major-General Koba Tomotoki's forces advanced toward Tinma. However, Loftus-Tottenham wisely decided to outflank this position, compelling the recently arrived detachment to withdraw, while other African units successfully made their way to Kyauktaw by the month's end. At the same time, the 53rd Indian Brigade progressed along the Kalapanzin River, and the 82nd Division managed to overcome strong resistance at Kindaung village in late December. On the night of December 21, the 6th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Regiment undertook a night march exceeding 20 miles to capture Donbaik, which was taken without resistance. It was only at this point that the remains of the Valentine tanks and crews lost two years prior were discovered. The Sakura Detachment, having reached its limit, had no option but to retreat towards Myohaung, where they would be supported by the Matsu Detachment during their final withdrawal to Prome. With no opposition encountered, the two West African divisions successfully made contact on January 4, resulting in the complete clearance of the Kalapanzin valley. Meanwhile, looking north, Slim had initiated Operation Extended Capital on December 19. In line with this, Stopford instructed the 19th Division to advance along the west bank of the Irrawaddy to launch an attack on Shwebo from the east, while the 2nd British Division, having crossed the Chindwin at Kalewa, approached Shwebo from the west. After capturing Shwebo, the 19th Division was to pivot eastward to secure bridgeheads across the Irrawaddy north of Mandalay, while the 2nd Division continued south towards the Irrawaddy bend near Sagaing. Slim aimed to create the impression that the entire 14th Army was advancing on Mandalay by associating the 19th Division with the 4th Corps. Additionally, the 20th Indian Division was tasked with crossing the Chindwin at Kalewa and moving downstream to capture Monywa. Meanwhile, Messervy was organizing his dispersed divisions to commence their advance down the Gangaw valley, from Tamu to Pakokku. In the lead would be the Lushai Brigade and the 28th East African Brigade, tasked with clearing the enemy from Gangaw and subsequently advancing to Pakokku. The tour de force of deceptions against the Japanese would aid the crossing of the Irrawaddy. Slim's intention behind the plan, known as Cloak, was to conceal the main crossing until the last possible moment by persuading the Japanese to believe that the force preparing to move down the Gangaw valley to cross the river near Pakokku and seize Meiktila was merely making a feint to distract attention from the attack on Mandalay by 33rd Corps from the north. Until now 14th Army's commanders had been reluctant to use any but the simplest signals deceptions, but now they were enthusiastic even to the detriment of operational communications. Thus, three schemes were adopted: Pippin, which covered the withdrawal of the 5th Indian and 11th East African Divisions; Stencil, which created a dummy 4th Corps Headquarters that appeared to control formations under 33rd Corps; and Cloak, which was designed to give a false impression of the forces operating – that the forcing of the Irrawaddy would take place away from the real main effort, and that any movement the Japanese saw in the Gangaw valley was itself only a diversion. There is no doubt the speed the advance into central Burma achieved was in no small measure due to this deception scheme, which also used political channels, displays and deception devices dropped by Mosquitos and Beaufighters. Following them, the 7th Indian Division aimed to capture Pakokku, secure the west bank of the Irrawaddy, and establish a bridgehead across the river. Once this bridgehead was established, the 17th Indian Division and the 255th Tank Brigade would cross the Irrawaddy and race towards Meiktila. However, before initiating this advance, Messervy needed to enhance the pathway through the valley to facilitate the movement of his artillery and armored units. The Lushai Brigade, already forward, also needed artillery support before launching their assault on Gangaw. Therefore, while Messervy's engineers promptly began upgrading the road and track south of Kalemyo, only Stopford's units would engage in combat in late December. Moving swiftly, the advance elements of the 2nd Division, along with the tanks from the 254th Brigade, passed through Pyingaing on December 23 and continued towards Paga, successfully overcoming several rearguard positions held by elements of the retreating 33rd Division, which eventually reached Monywa in early January. At the same time, the 19th Division captured Wuntho and began its advance southward towards Shwebo. In the meantime, Messervy's engineers worked diligently for two weeks to prepare the track, and by the end of the month, his field artillery was en route to Gangaw. The 28th East African Brigade departed Imphal on December 22, followed by the 7th Division four days later. However, in the northeast, Sultan continued his northern offensive with minimal success. With the Ledo Road now extended from Kamaing to connect with the Myitkyina-Bhamo road, the 112th and 113th Chinese Regiments received orders to eliminate the Japanese rear guards along the final segment of the road to China. In the period between the split of the CBI Theater in October 1944 and the fall of Bhamo on 15 December, the Ledo Road engineers under General Pick brought the survey of the Ledo Road from a point just below and east of Kamaing, 211 miles from Ledo, to a juncture with the Myitkyina-Bhamo road. The Ledo Road was to bypass Myitkyina, for there was no point to running heavy traffic through an inhabited place, and Myitkyina's supply needs could be served by an access road. Metaling and grading were complete almost to Mogaung. The Mogaung River had been bridged near Kamaing, and a temporary bridge placed across the Irrawaddy. Tonnage carried on the road for use within Burma was steadily rising. In early October it had carried 275 tons a day; by the latter part of the month the rate was twice that. Immediately after Bhamo's capture, the advance headquarters of the road engineers was moved to that town. A combat supply road was made from Mogaung, below Myitkyina, to a point just ten miles west of Namhkam. The 113th Regiment advanced up the valley along the established road from Panghkam, while the 112th proceeded through the hills. The primary assault was to be led by the 30th Chinese Division, with its 90th Regiment advancing straight along the road toward Namhkam, while the 88th and 89th Regiments executed a shallow envelopment to the south of the road. Although conditions were favorable for a rapid advance into the Shweli valley, the commander of the 90th Regiment hesitated, causing delays along the flanks, as they formed the center of the Chinese line. Concurrently, Sultan ordered the Mars Task Force to embark on a challenging march through the hill country to the Mong Wi area, aiming to cut off the Burma Road near Hosi and effectively encircle the enemy 33rd Army. The 50th Chinese Division, which had been following the 36th British Division down the Railway Corridor, was set to occupy the vacated positions at Tonkwa and Si-u. Its objective was to cross the Shweli near Molo and proceed southeast to capture Lashio. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Amidst fierce battles, General Bruce's troops advanced against Japanese forces in Leyte, securing key positions and paving the way for further assaults amid strategic retreats. In a strategic deception, Slim's forces advanced on multiple fronts, aiming to outmaneuver the Japanese, ultimately leading to decisive victories in Burma and weakening enemy defenses.

EnvironMental Podcast is about the intersection of business and sustainability. See how all of our guests are flipping the script in their industry: https://dandelionbranding.com/environmental-podcast/ In this episode we interview Ben Kimura, founder of Negotiating with Goliath, about the importance of relationship building in getting business investors. ⌛⌛TIMESTAMPS 00:45 Key Misconceptions in Fundraising 02:17 Importance of Research and Alignment 03:13 Example of Successful Fundraising 04:25 Investors as People 09:00 The Role of Lived Experience 11:54 Ben's Role in Sustainable Impact 15:32 Power of Compassionate Negotiation 18:10 Body Language in Negotiation 23:02 Building Engagement through Advice 24:40 Changing Perceptions of Negotiation 25:07 The Role of Storytelling 28:55 Connect with Ben & Join his Upcoming Mastermind Group #impactinvestors #businessinvestors #startup ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dandelion Branding is a digital marketing agency that specializes in telling sustainability stories. Here's where you can find Dandelion: Our Website: https://dandelionbranding.com/hello Instagram: https://instagram.com/dandelion_branding Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dandelion-branding/

It's been almost two years since we first explored the timeless mix of Campari, American whiskey, and sweet vermouth, so now felt like an opportune moment to revisit — and reconsider — the Boulevardier. Joining us to do so is jet-setting Japan-based bartender Holly Graham, founder of Tokyo Confidential, which opened in late 2023. Listen on (or read below) to learn Holly's Boulevardier recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Holly Graham's Boulevardier Recipe Ingredients - 45 milliliters rye whiskey, such as Woodford Reserve - 22.5 milliliters Scarlet Bitter Liqueur (or split base Campari and Aperol) - 22.5 milliliters Mancino sweet vermouth - Garnish: orange coin Directions 1. Add all ingredients to a Kimura rocks glass with one large cube. 2. Stir until well chilled. 3. Garnish with orange coin.

We need to take a deep look into our character and ask ourselves how challenging is to apologize. An act so simple, but yet so difficult for most. Take a listen as Dijon tackles the subject using personal and professional sources to state the case. Take a moment to engage with the poll as well. Do you apologize when you need to? Listen. Enjoy. Share. Fund. Repeat. Notes: A Good Apology: Four Steps to Make Things Right by Molly Howes Article: Why Apologies Are So Hard, and So Necessary. by Devon Frye Psychology Today July 28, 2020 Article: The Art and Science of Apologizing by Jacoba Urist. The Atlantic February 23, 2016 Article: Sorry, Not Sorry: Effects of Different Types of Apologies and Self-Monitoring on Non-verbal Behaviors. Yamamoto, Kimura, Osaka Frontiers in Psychology Provided by The National Library of Medicine of The National Institute of Health Article: He's Not Sorry. Why Men Won't Apologize by Dr. Amanda Rose Psychology Today. Posted November 2, 2019 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nos4dads/support

Last time we spoke about the advance to Ormoc Valley. As October 1944 unfolded in the Leyte campaign, American forces steadily pushed Japanese troops inland. Despite fierce resistance, they captured key positions, like Dagami, Catmon Hill, and multiple airstrips. While the Japanese reinforced areas like Ormoc, American regiments advanced through challenging conditions, relying on artillery amid minimal air support due to weather and resource constraints. By month's end, American forces had inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese, securing vital beachheads and pushing closer to full control of Leyte. After suffering losses at Leyte Gulf, the 7th Fleet withdrew, leaving Kenney's P-38s to defend Tacloban airfields amid Japanese air raids. As kamikaze attacks grew, USS Franklin sustained heavy casualties, while the Americans pressed forward, capturing Carigara on Leyte. Meanwhile, Australian forces began reclaiming New Britain, pushing Japanese forces back through guerilla warfare. Facing tough jungle conditions, Australian and native troops gradually secured strategic positions by December, reinforcing the Allied grip in the Pacific. This episode is the Battle of Ormoc Bay Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  As we have seen over the past few weeks, the Battle of Leyte Gulf saw Generals MacArthur's forces land and successfully defeat the 16th Division of Leyte Island as well as seized Carigara and Pinamopoan over the northern coast. The 24th Division also engaged the enemy's reinforcements, centred around the elite 1st Division during the battle for the northern entrance into the Ormoc Valley. Meanwhile Admiral Okawachi and General Yamashita aimed to bring more reinforcements to Leyte which would lead to another air-naval battle. The previous week, Colonel Verbeck's 21st Regiment was engaged in a mission to capture Breakneck Ridge, fiercely defended by Colonel Miyauchi's 57th Regiment. Simultaneously, General Kataoka mobilized his remaining two regiments to initiate a broad, four-pronged assault on the Pinamopoan perimeter. However, the rugged terrain slowed their movement toward assembly areas. On the morning of November 8 a typhoon, moving in from the west, swept over the entire island of Leyte. Jan Valtin, a member of the 24th Division, graphically describes it: "From the angry immensity of the heavens floods raced in almost horizontal sheets. Palms bent low under the storm, their fronds flattened like streamers of wet silk. Trees crashed to earth. In the expanse of… [cogon] grass the howling of the wind was like a thousand-fold plaint of the unburied dead. The trickle of supplies was at a standstill. On Carigara Bay the obscured headlands moaned under the onslaught of the… seas. Planes were grounded and ships became haunted things looking for refuge. Massed artillery… barrages to the summit of Breakneck Ridge sounded dim and hollow in the tempest. Trails were obliterated by the rain. The sky was black." In the midst of the storm, the 21st's infantry attacked. As the typhoon swept across the island, Verbeck's forces launched a three-pronged assault on Breakneck Ridge and Hill 1525, facing staunch resistance from Miyauchi's defenders but making considerable progress toward Hill 1525. Notably, plans for General Suzuki's offensive were found on a deceased Japanese officer, enabling General Krueger to redeploy his forces effectively. On 10 November General Mudge sent elements of the 1st Cavalry Division to patrol the area of the mountains of central Leyte extensively. From 5 November through 2 December, elements of the 1st Cavalry Division extensively patrolled the central mountain area and had many encounters with small forces of the enemy. At all times the supply situation was precarious. The 12th Cavalry established high in the foothills, at the entrance to the passes through the mountains, a supply base that was also a native camp, a hospital, and a rest camp. About 300 Filipino carriers were kept here under the protection of the guerrillas. The carriers had been hired for six days at a time and were not allowed to leave without a pass from their Filipino leader. This precaution was necessary, since the ration-carrying assignment was extremely arduous. The cavalrymen would frequently skirmish with the 41st Regiment and the 169th and 171st Independent Battalions during this period. Brigadier-General Julian Cunningham's 112th Cavalry Regiment, expected by November 14, was tasked with relieving General Mudge's 1st Cavalry Division in the Carigara-Barugo area to enable a southwest advance from the central mountains and ease pressure on General Irving's 24th Division.  General Bradley's 96th Division was directed to capture the high ground between Jaro and Dagami, with the 382nd Regiment remaining at Dagami to inflict significant losses on the 16th Division while securing Bloody Ridge. By November 4, the 382nd Regiment had made some progress into Bloody Ridge. The night of 4-5 November was not quiet. The Japanese delivered harassing fire on the 1st Battalion, and at 2205 elements of the 16th Division launched a heavy assault against the perimeter of the 2d Battalion. An artillery concentration immediately stopped the attack, and the Japanese fled, leaving 254 dead and wounded behind them. The following morning, after the artillery had fired a preparation in front of the 1st and 2d Battalions, the two battalions renewed the attack at 0900 and two companies from the 3d Battalion protected the regimental left (south) flank. The battalions advanced about 1,000 yards before they encountered any strong resistance. The defenses of the 16th Division consisted of a great many concrete emplacements, concealed spider holes, and connecting trenches. By nightfall, at 1700, the two battalions, assisted by the tanks from Company A, 763d Tank Battalion, successfully reduced the enemy to their front and captured the ridge. Each battalion formed its own perimeter and made plans to renew the attack on 6 November. At 0830 the 1st Battalion, with light tanks in support, moved out in the attack westward against a strong enemy force that was well entrenched in foxholes and pillboxes. Each of these defensive positions had to be reduced before the advance could continue. At 1300 the 2d Battalion moved to the high ground on the right flank of the 1st. The 1st Battalion encountered a strong concrete enemy pillbox which was believed to be a command post, since there were no firing apertures. As grenades had no effect it became necessary finally to neutralize the pillbox by pouring gasoline down the ventilation pipes and setting it afire. Two officers and nineteen enlisted men of the enemy were killed in the pillbox. The Japanese continued to fight tenaciously. There was no withdrawal, but by the end of the day only isolated pockets of enemy resistance remained. The Japanese 16th Division was taking a bad beating. Its supply of provisions had run out. All the battalion commanders, most of the company commanders, and half the artillery battalion and battery commanders had been killed. On the night of 6 November the 16th Division contracted its battle lines and on the following day took up a new position in the Dagami area. The new position ranged from a hill about four and a half miles northwest of Dagami to a point about three and three-fourths miles northwest of Burauen. On 7 November all three battalions of the 382d Infantry engaged the enemy and maintained constant pressure against his positions. The 1st and 3d Battalions advanced west, while the 2d Battalion drove north and west. The 3d Battalion encountered -the more determined resistance. Advancing, preceded by tanks, it met heavy enemy machine gun and rifle fire. A large enemy force assaulted the troops at close quarters and tried to destroy the tanks, but when the 382d Infantry introduced flamethrowers and supporting machine guns, the attackers fell back in disorder. The regiment overran the Japanese defensive positions and killed an estimated 474 of the enemy. Company E of the 2d Battalion had remained in the Patok area, engaged in patrolling and wiping out isolated pockets of enemy resistance. On 8 November strong patrols from the 1st and 2d Battalions probed west into the hills. They encountered the left flank of the enemy supporting position at a point about 2,600 yards west of Patok. A very heavy rainfall on the night of 8-9 November made an assault against the position impossible on 9 November. After all-night artillery fire, the 1st and 3d Battalions moved out at 0900 on 10 November. They met no resistance, but progress was slow because of the swamps. By 1225 the two battalions, supported by a platoon of light tanks, occupied the ridge formerly held by elements of the 16th Division. The 1st Battalion had advanced 2,500 yards. The 382d Infantry had destroyed all organized enemy resistance in its sector and removed the threat to Dagami.  Meanwhile, General Arnold's 7th Division stationed at the Burauen-Abuyog area began sending patrols from Baybay toward Ormoc to prepare for a larger advance, while the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Regiment moved to Baybay, successfully ambushing the Japanese unit advancing to Abuyog. Concurrently, Okawachi sent his fourth convoy from Manila, consisting of three transports, four frigates, and six destroyers under Admiral Kimura. This convoy carried the bulk of General Yamagata's 26th Division and approximately 3,500 tons of supplies, followed by another echelon of three transports with the remainder of the 1st Division. The echelon reached Ormoc the next day, unloaded successfully, and departed without issue. However, the main convoy encountered air attacks as it approached Ormoc Bay, beginning its debarkation by nightfall. On 10 November the 38th Bomb Group, based on Morotai, sent 32 B-25 Mitchells escorted by 37 P-47 Thunderbolts to attack TA-4 near Ponson Island. Reaching the convoy just before noon, the B-25s attacked at minimum altitude in pairs, sinking the two largest transports, Takatsu Maru and Kashii Maru, disabling a third, and sinking two of the patrol craft escorts at a cost of seven bombers, for which the group was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation. Although Yamagata's troops were finally ashore by November 10, most of the supplies couldn't be unloaded due to ongoing enemy air attacks. Shortly after leaving Ormoc, American planes intercepted the convoy, destroying two transports and one frigate, while further damaging another frigate and a destroyer. Meanwhile, Okawachi dispatched a third convoy, consisting of five transports, a submarine chaser, and five destroyers under Rear Admiral Hayakawa Mikio, transporting special troops and heavy equipment of the 26th Division. When one transport ran aground on Luzon's Bondoc Peninsula, Kimura sent two frigates and three destroyers to transfer its cargo to Ormoc. As a result, Hayakawa's convoy arrived at Ormoc Bay on November 11 and began unloading. However, ULTRA intercepts had detected the enemy convoy departing Manila, prompting Admiral Halsey to redeploy Task Force 38 under Admiral McCain. While under repair at Manila on 29 October, Nachi and Kumano were attacked by aircraft from USN Task Force 38. Nachi was hit by a single bomb to her aircraft deck, and this, as well as strafing attacks, killed 53 crewmen and further delayed repairs. On 5 November, again in Manila Bay, Nachi was attacked by three waves of U.S. planes from the aircraft carriers USS Lexington and Ticonderoga. She escaped the first wave undamaged, but was hit by five bombs and two or three torpedoes in the second wave while attempting to get underway. During the third wave, Nachi was hit by five torpedoes in her port side, which severed her bow and stern, and by an additional 20 bombs and 16 rockets. Nachi's flag commander, Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima, was ashore for a conference at the time of the attack, but arrived at dockside in time to see his flagship blown apart. The central portion of the vessel sank in 102 feet (31 m) of water about 12 nautical miles (22 km) northeast of Corregidor. McCain launched an attack on Kimura's convoy. Just as unloading began, 347 planes struck, sinking all four transports and four destroyers, including the flagship Shimakaze, on which Hayakawa lost his life. This costly reinforcement operation thus ended in partial failure, with most equipment lost and over 1,500 casualties. Nevertheless, elements of the 1st Division moved immediately toward the Limon area, while Yamagata's units, though short on weaponry, were ordered to assemble at Dolores to prepare for joining the Imahori Detachment at Daro. At the same time, noticing the rapid advance of the enemy into the Carigara area, Yamashita concluded that Suzuki's proposed offensive toward Tacloban was destined for failure. He ordered the main force of the 35th Army to join the 16th Division in the advantageous mountainous positions of the Burauen-Dagami area to regain control of the recently captured airstrips, thereby limiting operations in the Carigara area to a holding action. Concurrently, as this adjustment to the tactical plan was made, Yamashita communicated his growing belief that the overall situation offered little hope for victory on Leyte and unsuccessfully tried to persuade General Terauchi to shift the decisive battle to Luzon. As a result of Terauchi's decision, the 68th Brigade was still to be sent to Leyte; the 23rd Division was scheduled to go to Manila in mid-November before returning to Leyte; and the 10th and 19th Divisions were planned for movement to the island by the end of the year. With the plans finalized for continuing the decisive battle on Leyte, Terauchi's headquarters departed Manila for Saigon on November 17. Back on Leyte, on November 9, the weary, mud-stained troops of the 21st Regiment launched another attack, with the 3rd Battalion assaulting the center of Breakneck Ridge and the 2nd Battalion targeting OP Hill, though they made only minor gains. Additionally, Verbeck's 1st Battalion attacked Limon but was repelled by heavy enemy fire, and fresh Japanese troops subsequently counterattacked the Hill 1525 position, forcing the Americans to retreat. Finally, Colonel Chapman's 2nd Battalion reached the western slopes of Hill 1525 in the afternoon, but it was too late for them to take part in the battle. On November 10, Verbeck continued his assault, successfully capturing OP Hill and making significant headway in the area. At the same time, Chapman's 2nd Battalion began advancing westward to establish a roadblock on Highway 2, approximately 2000 yards south of Limon. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Clifford's 1st Battalion of the 34th Regiment landed on the western shore of Carigara Bay and initiated a wide envelopment around the western flank of the 57th Regiment to secure the high ground known as Kilay Ridge. Additionally, Mudge's cavalrymen pressed forward toward Mount Minoro. On this day, Yamashita's adjustments to the tactical plan finally reached Suzuki's headquarters. As a result, Suzuki abandoned his initial strategy and directed Yamagata to move his troops quickly to Albuera to prepare for an offensive eastward, dubbed Operation Wa. To replace the 26th Division in upcoming operations on the Jaro front, Suzuki decided to deploy the 30th Division, which had not yet departed Mindanao, instructing them to land at Ipil and prepare to support the Imahori Detachment, already skirmishing with Bradley's patrols. On November 11, following a heavy artillery barrage, Verbeck resumed his assault, although the 2nd Battalion quickly found itself pinned down, while the 1st Battalion successfully secured a ridge 300 yards southwest of OP Hill. The next morning, the 1st and 3rd Battalions advanced against the crest of Breakneck Ridge, successfully capturing the objective before being halted by Japanese artillery fire. At the same time, Chapman's 2nd Battalion reached Highway 2, and Clifford's 1st Battalion, supported by elements of the guerrilla 96th Regiment, arrived in the Cabiranan area. By November 13, Verbeck's 1st and 2nd Battalions advanced 600 and 400 yards, respectively, without encountering opposition. Breakneck Ridge was secured, although the Japanese maintained control over several nearby spurs, particularly Corkscrew Ridge. Nonetheless, the 21st Regiment reported approximately 1,779 Japanese soldiers killed, suffering 630 casualties in the process. Additionally, Clifford's 1st Battalion successfully reached Kilay Ridge undetected and quickly established defensive positions. At 0855 on 13 November a column of Filipino men, women, and children entered the perimeter and brought approximately thirty-five boxes of rations from Consuegra. The battalion left the area at 0930 and reached the ridge without opposition. Trenches and prepared gun positions without a man in them honeycombed the ridge from one end to the other. It was evident that elements of the 1st Division had intended to occupy the area in the latter stages of the battle for Limon. On 14 November Colonel Clifford ordered his battalion to entrench itself along the ridge in positions that would afford the best tactical advantage. The battalion established strong points and observation posts on the knolls, placed blocks on the trails leading through the area, and sent out reconnaissance patrols to locate enemy positions. Colonel Clifford made arrangements to utilize the Filipinos as carriers. These men were to use a trail on the north end of the ridge and bring supplies to the battalion from a supply dump at Consuegra. The first human pack train arrived in the area at 1010 with twenty-eight cases of rations and a supply of batteries for the radios. At 1125 enemy artillery shelled the southern end of the ridge and twenty minutes later shifted its fire to the Limon area. The battalion did not succeed in establishing physical contact with the 2d Battalion, 19th Infantry, which was operating east of the road, but it was able to make radio contact. Throughout the day, patrols of the battalion were active in searching out enemy positions. Meanwhile the 112th Cavalry was landed at Carigara and attached to the 1st Cavalry Division to strengthen the assault on the central Leyte mountains. Meanwhile, the reserve 32nd Division, led by Major-General William Gill, was also dispatched to the island to relieve the fatigued 24th Division. This newly arrived division was assigned the mission of capturing Limon and advancing down the Ormoc Valley toward Ormoc. On the Japanese side, after receiving the rest of his division, Kataoka chose to move the 1st Regiment to the left flank to assist the 57th, which had also been bolstered by two fresh battalions. This combined force aimed to launch an attack along the main road toward Pinamopoan while the 49th Regiment and the 171st Independent Battalion sought to envelop the enemy's left flank toward Colasian. By mid-November, the headquarters of the 102nd Division and most of the 364th Independent Battalion had also arrived in Ormoc, with Lieutenant-General Fukei Shinpei taking command of the 41st Regiment and his other battalions on the island as they advanced toward Mount Pina. Furthermore, despite significant losses to enemy aircraft, five air regiments had reinforced the 4th Air Army, enabling General Tominaga to make the 4th Air Division fully operational, a unit that had previously focused solely on base activities and anti-submarine patrols. The replenishment of naval air strength was progressing well, with replacement aircraft for the 1st Combined Base Air Force outnumbering losses by 26% in November. On November 15, the Combined Fleet opted to cease training carrier air groups and instead focus on expanding the base air forces. The 3rd Air Fleet, stationed in the homeland, was tasked with training replacement units for deployment to the Philippines. Due to the successful reinforcement of Japanese air forces in the Philippines and General Kenney's ongoing inability to provide close air support, Halsey once again directed Task Force 38 to attack enemy airbases on Luzon. On November 13 and 14, McCain's carriers conducted several strikes against Japanese airfields in Luzon, resulting in a significant decrease in enemy air operations over Leyte. On 13 November 1944, on the threat of American carrier strikes on Luzon, Kiso was ordered to return to Brunei that evening carrying Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima. Before she could leave for Brunei, she was attacked on 13 November while underway in Manila Bay by more than 350 carrier planes of Task Force 38's carrier task groups 38.1's Hornet, Monterey and Cowpens, TG 38.3's Essex, Ticonderoga and Langley and TG 38.4's Enterprise and San Jacinto. Three bombs hit Kiso to starboard - one in the bow, one near her boiler rooms and one near her aft gun mounts. Kiso sank in shallow water 13 kilometres (7.0 nmi; 8.1 mi) west of Cavite. Captain Ryonosuke Imamura and 103 of her crew survived, but 175 crewmen went down with the ship. Akebono, while alongside destroyer Akishimo at Cavite pier near Manila, was attacked in a USAAF air raid. A direct bomb hit set both ships ablaze, and the following day a large explosion on Akishimo blew a hole in Akebono, which sank upright in shallow water, with 48 crewmen killed and 43 wounded. After returning to Manila, Hatsuharu was caught in an air raid in Manila Bay. A series of near misses buckled plates and set fires, causing the ship to sink in shallow water. The attack killed 12 crewmen and injured 60 more, but 218 survived. Several other vessels were also sunk. Meanwhile, on November 14, the Hi-81 convoy, comprising the escort carriers Shinyo and Akitsu Maru, destroyer Kashi, seaplane tender Kiyokawa Maru, submarine chaser No. 156, seven escort ships, five oilers, and three transports, left Imari Bay under Rear-Admiral Sato Tsutomu. The convoy carried most of Lieutenant-General Nishiyama Fukutaro's 23rd Division and headed into the Yellow Sea, wary of enemy submarines. After stopping for the night in Ukishima Channel near the Gotō Islands, Sato's convoy resumed its journey on November 15 but was soon ambushed by two submarine wolfpacks. Commander Charles Loughlin's submarines were the first to strike, successfully hitting the Akitsu Maru with two torpedoes, which later sank, resulting in the loss of 2,046 lives, including most of the 64th Regiment. After the attack, Sato withdrew to Strange Island, located off the coast of Korea, to take refuge for the day. On the morning of November 17, the convoy resumed its journey but was soon detected by a B-29 Superfortress as it made its way toward the Shushan Islands. By late afternoon, Commander Gordon Underwood's submarines launched an assault on the Japanese ships, successfully striking the transport vessel Mayasan Maru, which sank quickly, resulting in the loss of 3,437 men, including most of the 72nd Regiment. Almost twelve hours later 200 kilometers off Saishu Island, Spadefish surfaced and attacked the Shinyo with six torpedoes. Four struck the carrier on the starboard at 11:03 pm, and it caught fire. At least 1,130 Japanese sailors went down with their ship; only about seventy survived, including Ishii. Kashi immediately dropped several depth charges where the Spadefish was thought to be. An oil slick and other debris eventually made the Japanese believe they had sunk Spadefish so the Kashi broke off the engagement, but Spadefish had escaped apparently without serious damage. Only minor cracks were reported to have appeared on the submarine after the alleged "sinking" by Kashi. Underwood's final strike was against the submarine chaser No. 156, which sustained three torpedo hits and sank rapidly. Following some rescue efforts, Sato continued his advance on November 21, eventually arriving in Kaohsiung five days later. Half of the convoy then proceeded to San Fernando, where the remaining members of the 23rd Division disembarked on December 2.  Yet thats it for today for the Philippines as we now need to shift over to Morotai.With Japanese reinforcements pushed back into the interior of the secured island, General Persons directed the 31st Division to capture several islands off New Guinea that served as observation points for Japanese outposts monitoring Allied movements. On November 15, the 2nd Battalion of the 167th Regiment landed on Pegun Island, followed by a successful attack on Bras Island the next day. By November 18, with the Mapia Islands secured, Company F of the 124th Regiment was sent to occupy the unguarded Asia Islands on November 19. In the Aitape region, Major-General Jack Stevens' 6th Australian Division was assigned to relieve American forces, similar to the Australian efforts on New Britain and Bougainville, in order to free up troops for the Philippines Campaign. By late October, a base had been successfully set up, allowing the 19th Brigade to arrive by mid-November, with the 17th Brigade scheduled for early December, and the 16th by year-end. Under General Blamey's orders, the new Australian garrisons were to adopt a more active approach than the American units had, so Stevens planned not only to secure the airfield and radar installations in the Aitape-Tadji area, but also to carry out extensive patrols in support of intelligence and guerrilla operations aimed at weakening the enemy in Wewak.  One of General Stevens' tasks was to give maximum help to AIB. and Angau units in the area in their tasks of gaining Intelligence, establishing patrol bases and protecting the native population. These AIB. and Angau units had been active in the Sepik-Aitape triangle since the time of the landing of American forces at Aitape in April 1944, and the 6th Division came into an area where, from the outset, practically all the deep patrolling had been done by groups of Australians. In the Aitape area, prior to the arrival of the Division (said the report of the 6th Division), Angau long-range patrols operated without troop support and, for their own protection, inaugurated a type of guerilla warfare. Selected village natives called "sentries" were taught to use grenades and Japanese rifles. The sentries, besides furnishing Intelligence, accounted for large numbers of enemy. This system was continued. As each area was freed the sentries were rewarded and returned to their villages. By early November, the 2/10th Commando Squadron had established a patrol base at Babiang, conducting numerous patrols throughout the month. Intelligence gathered suggested the Japanese forces were weakened, poorly nourished, and mainly focused on sourcing food. In response, Stevens planned two significant December operations: to sever the enemy's communication line along the Malin-Walum-Womisis-Amam axis and to neutralize enemy positions east of the Danmap River. By November 25, the seasoned 2/7th Commando Squadron had arrived at Babiang, and by month-end, the 19th Brigade took over the area. The commandos then advanced southward, setting up a base at Tong on December 4 and establishing an outpost at Kumbum three days later. Now to finish this week's episode let's explore the B-29 Superfortress operations during this time. After the Formosa Air Battle and the Omura raid on October 25, General LeMay's 20th Bomber Command conducted four missions in November. Three of these supported Southeast Asia operations as part of “PAC-AID,” while the fourth targeted the Omura Aircraft Factory, a key focus for the command. On November 3, 44 B-29s from India effectively bombed the Malegon Railway Yards at Rangoon. Two days later, 53 bombers hit Singapore's King George VI Graving Dock, the largest of several dry docks at Singapore and one of the world's best. The first of 53 Superforts attacking was over target at 0644, and the bombardier, Lt. Frank McKinney, put a I,ooo-pound bomb into the target within 50 feet of the aiming point, the caisson gate; Lt. Bolish McIntyre, 2 planes back, laid another alongside. This was the sort of pickle-barrel bombing the Air Corps had talked about before the war. Strike photos showed a rush of water into the dock, presumptive evidence that the gate had been strained, and subsequent reconnaissance photos indicated that the dock was out of use (A-2's estimate of three months of unserviceability was to prove quite accurate). There were other hits on the dock, on a 465-foot freighter in it, and on adjacent shops. For “baksheesh,” as the boys had learned to say in India, seven B-29's bombed the secondary target, Pangkalanbrandan refinery in Sumatra, and reported direct hits on the cracking plant. The Japanese, evidently relying on the inaccessibility of Singapore, put up a feeble defense, but the long trip took a toll of two planes and twelve crewmen, including Col. Ted L. Faulkner, commander of the 468th Group. On November 11, 96 B-29s launched from China to strike Omura under difficult weather; only 29 reached the aircraft factory unsuccessfully, while 24 more bombed Nanking with limited results. The month's final mission on November 27 saw 55 B-29s severely damage the Bang Soe marshaling yards in Bangkok. Meanwhile, in the Marianas, General Hansell's 21st Bomber Command prepared for strikes on the Japanese Home Islands. In order to properly plan missions to Japan, up-to-date reconnaissance photos of the proposed targets were needed. Other than information which was used during the Doolittle Raid in 1942, there was scant information about the locations of Japanese industry, especially the aircraft industry. On November 1, two days after arriving on Saipan, a 3rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron F-13A Superfortress (photo reconnaissance-configured B-29) took off bound for Tokyo. The aircraft flew over Tokyo at 32000 feet for 35 minutes taking picture after picture. A few fighters made it up to the camera plane's altitude but did not attack. These photos, along with other intelligence, gave the 21st Bomber Command the locations of the Japanese aircraft manufacturing plants and enabled mission planners to plan missions for the combat crews to attack. In honor of his mission, the aircraft was named "Tokyo Rose". In response, about ten G4Ms launched from Iwo Jima attacked Isley Field on Saipan the next day, scoring five bomb hits but losing three bombers. Hansell responded with a practice strike on Iwo Jima on November 5, though results were again limited. On November 7, the Japanese launched a follow-up attack, but it again resulted in minimal damage and cost them three bombers. A retaliatory strike by 17 B-29s the next day also fell short: one squadron had to jettison its bombs into the ocean, while another dropped its load through a gap in the undercast. Between Japanese attacks, American aircrew inexperience, delays in constructing airfields in the Marianas, and the slow movement of B-29s to Saipan, the 21st Bomber Command was behind schedule in its planned offensive against Japan. By November 15, only half of the 73rd Bombardment Wing's authorized 180 B-29s had arrived, but by November 22, around 118 bombers were finally in place. At this point, General Arnold ordered Hansell to begin Operation San Antonio I, marking the first strike against Tokyo. The chosen target was Nakajima's Musashi Aircraft Engine Plant, which supplied 27% of Japan's combat aircraft engines. On November 24, 111 B-29s took off for Japan, collectively carrying 277.5 tons of bombs. However, 17 bombers aborted mid-flight, and six others couldn't bomb due to mechanical issues. For the first time, the B-29s encountered the Jet stream, which was a high-speed wind coming out of the west at speeds as high as 200 mph at precisely the altitudes at which the bombers were operating. This caused the bomber formations to be disrupted and made accurate bombing impossible. As a result, only 24 B-29s bombed the Musashi plant, while 64 hit nearby dock and urban areas instead. The Japanese fighter response was less intense than expected, with the Americans claiming to have downed seven fighters, likely destroyed 18 more, and damaged nine, losing just one bomber in return. Another B-29 was lost on the return trip after running out of fuel and ditching. Despite disappointing bombing results in the mission—only 48 bombs struck the factory area, causing damage to just 1% of the building area and 2.4% of the machinery, with 57 killed and 75 injured—the raid exposed the weaknesses in Japan's air defense and showed the six million residents of Tokyo that they were vulnerable to attack. Given the limited impact of the November 24 mission, Hansell decided to launch a second major strike, dubbed San Antonio II, targeting Musashi once more. However, in the early hours of November 27, two G4M bombers from Iwo Jima carried out a low-altitude raid on Isley Field, escaping after destroying one B-29 and damaging eleven others.  Later that day, twelve bomb-equipped Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters from the IJN's 252 Kōkūtai (252 Air Group) accompanied by two Nakajima C6N "Myrt" reconnaissance aircraft for navigation purposes departed Iwo Jima for Saipan. The attackers flew just above sea level to avoid US radar, and one of the A6Ms was forced to divert to Pagan after its propeller struck a wave; this aircraft was shot down by a USAAF Thunderbolt while attempting to land. The remaining eleven A6Ms arrived over Saipan at noon, shortly after XXI Bomber Command's second raid on Tokyo had departed. These aircraft strafed Isley Field destroying three or four B-29s and damaging up to two others. One of the Japanese pilots landed his fighter on Isley Field and fired on airfield personnel with his pistol until he was killed by rifle fire; this incident was witnessed by Brigadier General Haywood S. Hansell, the commander of XXI Bomber Command. None of the ten other A6Ms survived; four were shot down by USAAF fighters and six by anti-aircraft guns. The U.S. gunners also downed a USAAF Thunderbolt in circumstances which an official assessment later described as "inexcusable". Of the 81 bombers launched, 19 aborted, and those that reached Tokyo found the target covered by clouds, forcing them to drop bombs by radar over Tokyo's docks, urban areas, and the cities of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Numazu, and Osaka. Ultimately, for the loss of one Superfortress, the damage caused by this second strike was minimal. However, the strong Japanese response led Hansell to relocate some B-29s from Isley to safer Guam, strengthen Saipan's defenses and radar, and plan coordinated air-sea operations to neutralize Iwo Jima's staging fields. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Americans pressed through Leyte's treacherous terrain and fierce resistance, aiming to secure strategic positions. Typhoons, enemy reinforcements, and brutal battles tested them harshly, but they advanced steadily. Despite heavy losses and airstrikes from both sides, American forces captured Breakneck Ridge and pushed onward, inching closer to victory.

みなさんこんにちは、かなこです！今日のシャドーイングは「AのにB」。今回のPodcastは、ニコールさんの提供でお送りします。 Hi everyone, it's Kanako. Today's shadowing is “B, despite the fact A”, “A, but contrary to expectations, B. “のに” is used when connecting two facts, A and B, which hold despite the expectation that if A is the case, B is not the case. For instance, if you walked a lot you would expect to be tired, however, you are not tired. In this case, you can say something like this.「たくさん歩いたのに、全然疲れていません。」   Before we get started, I want to thank Nicole for supporting my show. ありがとうございます!   それでは はじめていきましょう！ Let's get started！ ***************************************************** ▼Subscribe to my YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKOYOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▼Buy me a coffee  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKO-Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▼Get your Genki 2 textbook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3VIRHKP⁠ ***************************************************** It's spring, but the cherry blossoms haven't bloomed yet. 春なのに、まだ桜が咲いていません。 It's winter, but it's warm. 冬なのに、暖かいです。 It is summer, but it is not hot at all. 夏なのに、全然暑くないです。 It's Korean food, but it's not spicy. 韓国料理なのに、辛くないです。 He's a senior but doesn't teach me how to do my job. 先輩なのに、仕事を教えてくれません。 That man is new, but he gets the job done fast. あの人は新人なのに、仕事が速いです。 Kimura is a student, but he doesn't study at all. 木村さんは学生なのに、全然勉強しません。 I ate a lot but I'm already hungry. たくさん食べたのに、もうお腹が空きました。 I went to bed early last night, but I'm sleepy. 昨日早く寝たのに、眠いです。 I memorized the words yesterday, but now I've forgotten them. 昨日単語を覚えたのに、もう忘れてしまいました。 I practiced a lot, but I couldn't participate in the games. たくさん練習したのに、試合に出られませんでした。 I worked overtime but could not finish the job. 残業したのに、仕事が終わりませんでした。 I exercise every day, but I am not losing weight. 毎日運動しているのに、痩せません。 I made dinner, but no one ate it. 晩ごはんを作ったのに、誰も食べてくれませんでした。   ***************************************************** では もう 一度、最初から 全部 いってみましょう。 Let's try shadowing the whole thing again from the beginning.

Last time we spoke about the Battle of Leyte Gulf. General MacArthur's forces landed on Leyte, prompting a response from Admiral Toyoda. Kurita's 1st Striking Force was sent to attack Leyte Gulf, while Shima's force faced confusion and delays. Japanese naval forces were hit hard by American submarines, with significant losses including the sinking of the Atago and Maya. Despite efforts, Japanese counterattacks faltered. On October 24, American forces secured key positions, and MacArthur announced the re-establishment of the Philippine government amidst ongoing naval battles and air attacks. During the fierce Battle of Leyte Gulf, Musashi endured multiple torpedo and bomb hits from American aircraft but continued to fight as it took on severe flooding. Despite efforts from Kurita's fleet, Musashi was eventually abandoned and sank, marking the largest ship ever sunk by air attack. Nishimura's force faced relentless torpedo strikes and a decisive night battle, with the battleship Fuso and cruiser Mogami being heavily damaged or sunk. Ultimately, Nishimura's forces retreated, and the Americans achieved a significant victory. This episode is the Last Carrier Battle  Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Where we last left off during the Battle of Leyte Fulg, the 10th and 24th Corps had established successful beachheads at Palo-Tacloban and Dulag. In response, Admiral Toyoda launched Operation Sho-Go, mobilizing the full strength of the Imperial Japanese Navy to eliminate enemy warships and transports at sea. However, after losing three heavy cruisers to submarines, Admiral Kurita's 1st Striking Force faced severe damage from Admiral Mitscher's Task Force 38, culminating in the sinking of the battleship Musashi by the end of October 24. Shortly after the Sibuyan Sea engagement, Admiral Nishimura's Force C was annihilated by Admiral Kinkaid's 7th Fleet at the Surigao Strait. Despite these setbacks, Admiral Shima's 2nd Striking Force was approaching the area. Meanwhile, the Americans had identified Admiral Ozawa's decoy force by the end of the day. In response, the aggressive Admiral Halsey chose to leave San Bernardino Strait unguarded and pursue the depleted Japanese carrier force to the north, aiming to finish off the IJN. Unknown to him, Kurita, with four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and several destroyers, was advancing towards San Bernardino Strait to attack Kinkaid's transports and escort carriers from the rear. This set the stage for one of the final and largest naval battles of the Pacific War. To the north, as the Battle of Surigao Strait was in progress, radar-equipped aircraft from the Independence detected Admiral Matsuda's battleship carriers and later Ozawa's carriers in the early hours of October 25. However, due to a transmission error, the location of the Japanese forces was reported inaccurately. After the rendezvous of three of Halsey's four carrier task groups just before midnight on October 24, TF 38 headed north with every expectation of achieving a great victory. At 0100hrs on October 25, five radar-equipped aircraft flew off Independence to search out to a distance of 350NM. Contact was gained at 0205hrs on Force A and at 0235hrs on the Main Body. Because of a transmission error, the position of the Japanese forces was given incorrectly. The wrong position was plotted out some 120NM nearer to TF 38 than it actually was. In fact, TF 38 and Ozawa were actually about 210NM apart.  Despite this, Mitscher's carrier was readying for morning strikes while Admiral Lee's Task Force 34 was being reorganized. Meanwhile, Kurita's 1st Striking Force surprisingly navigated through San Bernardino Strait during the night without encountering resistance, proceeding towards Leyte Gulf and a confrontation with Rear-Admiral Thomas Sprague's escort carriers near Samar. However, the movement of Shima's force was not coordinated with Nishimura's. Shima designed his advance so he could attack separately from Nishimura's force. The gap between the forces was originally five hours, but Shima reduced this to two hours by the time his force began entering the strait. As he entered Surigao Strait on the night of October 24/25, Nishimura issued reports during the early part of his transit, which Shima received, but when he met serious resistance, the reports stopped. Shima was therefore unaware of the virtual annihilation of Nishimura's force. The only information available was gunfire flashes in the distance and snippets of radio traffic from Nishimura's ships under attack. Oldendorf was aware that a second force was moving to support Nishimura. The first firm indication of this was a contact report from the PT boats on Shima's force at 0038hrs. Oldendorf knew he was dealing with two widely spaced Japanese forces. Just as Nishimura was forced to deal with incessant PT boat attacks, now it was Shima's turn. These turned out to be more than a mere nuisance. Shima's introduction to combat came at about 0315hrs when PT-134 mounted an ineffective attack. One PT boat managed to hit the cruiser Abukuma with a torpedo at 03:25, causing a significant explosion and slowing her to 10 knots, forcing her to exit Shima's formation. As Shima advanced, he observed several ships ablaze and saw the destroyer Shigure retreat before detecting a radar contact 13,000 yards away. Without Shima's approval, his chief of staff ordered the two cruisers to maneuver for a torpedo strike against the distant and indistinct radar contacts. At 0422hrs Nachi and Ashigara each fired eight Type 93 torpedoes at the radar contacts. In fact, these were Oldendorf's flagship Louisville followed by Portland. Despite the element of surprise, the Japanese torpedo attack completely failed. Immediately after firing its torpedo broadside, Nachi faced disaster. The burning Mogami had loomed out of the darkness minutes before. Nachi's skipper failed to grasp that Mogami was underway, not stationary, and he failed to take proper measures to avoid the damaged cruiser. As Nachi was unable to pass forward of Mogami, the two ships side-swiped each other forward at 04:23. Frantic last-second maneuvers lessened the impact of the collision, but the result was still dramatic. Nachi took the worst of it, suffering a large gash in her bow at the waterline on her port side. Damage to the bow reduced her speed to 18 knots. Shima's four destroyers then continued north but failed to locate any targets. Fearing inevitable destruction, Shima decided to retreat south at 04:35. Although Oldendorf had dispatched his cruisers and destroyers to pursue the fleeing Japanese, his forces did not aggressively pursue, allowing Shima to escape. In the end, Oldendorf's pursuing cruisers only managed to catch the damaged Mogami and Asagumo, which they unsuccessfully attacked at 05:29. Despite sustaining additional hits, the Mogami continued to fight, escorted southwest by the destroyer Akebomo. The Asagumo, however, came under attack again at 07:02 and sank 19 minutes later. As Asagumo slipped under the waves, all that was left of Nishimura's force were hundreds of survivors in the water. Rescue efforts by at least four American destroyers resulted in only a handful being picked up. When one of Oldendorf's destroyer skippers asked at 07:35 what to do with the hundreds of men still in the water, Oldendorf simply replied, “Let them sink.” Japanese survivors who reached shore were, in many cases, killed by local inhabitants. While it seemed the Mogami might escape, Sprague's Taffy 1 group carriers launched their first strikes before 06:00. Four Avengers attacked the cruiser at 07:41 but failed to score any hits. Around 08:40, 21 aircraft also targeted Shima's force, but only inflicted minor strafing damage on the destroyer Shiranuhi. Before Sprague could continue his air attacks, new developments were occurring off Samar as Kurita's warships approached Rear-Admiral Clifton Sprague's Taffy 3 group. At 06:44, a lookout from the Yamato made visual contact, though he mistakenly identified the escorting destroyers as heavy cruisers and battleships.  Kurita's initial orders increased the confusion generated by the first contact at 06:44. He ordered “General Attack” at 07:03, meaning that each ship or division proceeded on its own against the Americans. This tactic abandoned any pretense of coordination between the various elements of the 1st Striking Force. Battleships Yamato and Nagato remained together, but Kongo and Haruna operated individually. For most of the engagement, the six heavy cruisers operated in three groups of two. The two destroyer flotillas, each led by a light cruiser, were kept to the rear by Kurita. He held his destroyers back to maintain their fuel reserves by not having them maneuver at high speeds, instead sending his heavy cruisers ahead to pursue at full speed. This precluded them from screening the heavy ships and kept them out of position to make a torpedo attack. The General Attack decision was a critical error. It resulted in a loss of control by Kurita and a melee for the next two hours. His rationale for ordering an immediate, but uncoordinated, attack was to close the range as quickly as possible and knock out the carriers' flight decks. Throughout the battle, Kurita maneuvered to keep the weather gauge; by so doing, he could prevent the carriers from turning into the wind to conduct flight operations. Meanwhile, an Avenger from Kadashan Bay sighted Kurita's force at 06:47 following radar contacts. Despite his surprise, Sprague immediately ordered Taffy 3 to head east, increased speed to 17.5 knots, directed every ship to lay smoke, and launched all available aircraft at 06:55. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sprague began sending clear text messages at 07:01 to report his predicament and request assistance. Sprague's main objective was to delay the Japanese forces until reinforcements could arrive. To achieve this, he decided to use smoke screens and continuous air assaults, supported by Taffy 2's aircraft, to hinder Kurita's ships. As Kurita's cruisers advanced north, Sprague opted to maneuver southwest, moving closer to Leyte Gulf and the potential assistance from the 7th Fleet. Starting at 06:59, Kurita's battleships began firing from long range, with their salvos becoming more frequent and accurate. To mitigate this pressure, Sprague directed his forces into a rain squall from 07:06 to 07:15. Once clear of the squall, he changed course southward towards the approaching help from Leyte Gulf. Meanwhile, as Kurita's ships continued east before turning south, the range of Sprague's carriers was extended, and the rain and smoke impaired the accuracy of the Japanese gunners. Sprague also ordered his three destroyers to launch a torpedo counterattack to shield the escort carriers as they emerged from the squall. The Johnston, charging through enemy fire, engaged the cruiser Kumano with gunfire to close the distance for a torpedo attack. At 10,000 yards, the Johnston fired all ten of its torpedoes, scoring a critical hit that slowed the cruiser and forced it to retreat. It was inevitable that Evans would pay a price for approaching so close to a collection of enemy cruisers and battleships. This came at 0730hrs in the form of three large shells (possibly fired from Yamato) and a number of smaller shells that struck Johnston. The armor-piercing shells failed to explode, but damage was extensive. The aft machinery room was destroyed, which reduced speed to 17 knots. Most of the 5in./38 guns were knocked out, but after repairs were made during a providential 10-minute respite as a squall passed over, three were brought back online. The battleship evaded the torpedoes at 07:33 and retaliated with devastating gunfire against the Hoel. By 07:30, all operational aircraft were airborne, prompting Sprague to order the initial attacks on the heavy cruisers approaching his port quarter. Unrelenting American air attacks were the main reason for the Japanese defeat. Taffy aircrews were not highly trained for maritime attack, and torpedoes or armor-piercing bombs were in short supply. Most Avengers were launched with bombs instead of more effective torpedoes for two reasons. Torpedoes took more time and preparation to load, and the deck crews on Taffy 3 did not have the luxury of time. Also, once loaded with a heavy torpedo, the Avengers could only be launched if the escort carrier steamed into the wind. Moving downwind, like Taffy 3 was forced to do for most of the action, did not get enough wind across the flight deck. The first attacks by Taffy 3 aircraft were conducted in groups of two or three with aircraft not properly armed for attacking ships. Because Taffy 3 could not steam into the wind while being pursued by Kurita's force, recovering aircraft during the battle was impossible. When they ran out of ordnance or fuel, they had to land on Taffy 2 or fly 100NM to the newly opened airfield at Tacloban. Even when lightly armed or unevenly unarmed, the aircraft made unceasing strafing runs in the case of the Wildcats or dummy bombing runs in the case of the Avengers. These attacks were poorly coordinated, but the Japanese, on the receiving end of incessant attacks, saw it differently. After the battle, Kurita and others commented that the attacks were well coordinated, skillful, and aggressive. At 07:35, ten Avengers struck the cruiser Suzuya just as Vice-Admiral Shiraishi Kazutaka was boarding, scoring a near miss that reduced her speed to 20 knots and took her out of the battle. The damaged Hoel then attempted a second torpedo attack on the heavy cruiser Haguro at 07:50 but failed to hit the target. However, this attack forced the Superbattleship Yamato to open fire at 0659hrs. Her third salvo straddled White Plains, with one of the shells striking the carrier and causing some underwater damage. Around 0800hrs, to evade torpedoes fired from Hoel aimed at Haguro, Yamato turned due north. This evasive maneuver forced her to the north for almost ten minutes until the torpedo tracks disappeared, placing her at the rear of Kurita's formation and effectively removing her from the battle for a period. Nagato opened fire at 0701hrs at a carrier assessed to be 36,000 yards away. After the three salvos, the battleship stopped firing having hit nothing. At 07:54, the Heermann launched seven torpedoes at Haguro, but they missed. Destroyer escorts Samuel B. Roberts, Raymond, and Dennis also joined in the attack but also failed to score hits, though they managed to escape unharmed. The Heermann subsequently launched a second torpedo attack on the Haruna at 08:00, but once again, none of the torpedoes hit their mark. Despite using smoke and evading shell splashes, the Heermann avoided damage. The first ship to succumb to the barrage of Japanese shellfire was the crippled Hoel. After her run against Haguro, and only able to make 17 knots, she was trapped between Kongo on one side and four heavy cruisers on the other. Using every possible method to evade the storm of shells directed against his ship, Kintberger survived for well over an hour after the first hit was recorded. Hoel took as many as 23 hits, but the actual number will never be known since most passed through the ship without exploding. The final engine was knocked out at 0830hrs, bringing the ship to a halt. As the crew abandoned ship under continued fire, the Hoel finally rolled over at 08:55. Meanwhile, the Japanese cruisers continued to close in on the escort carriers. Under fire from the battleships, Sprague's initial course was to the eastsoutheast at full speed—17.5 knots. As the Japanese heavy cruisers began to pressure his formation's port quarter, Sprague was forced to alter course to the southwest. Kalinin Bay was at the rear of the formation. She took a battleship shell at 0750hrs (probably from Haruna) that went through the hangar deck and out of her unarmored hull. As many as 14 other hits followed, all probably from 8in. shells. Kalinin Bay retaliated against the cruisers at 18,000 yards with her aft 5in./38 gun. The smoke generated from all six carriers and from the destroyers and destroyer escorts on their starboard quarter succeeded in hiding the carriers from direct Japanese observation for much of the battle. The Japanese shot slowly and methodically with four-gun salvos, allowing the escort carriers to chase salvos. The smoke and evasive maneuvering kept damage to a minimum, but of the six escort carriers, four were eventually hit. Fanshaw Bay took six 8in. hits, all forward, that killed three and wounded 20. White Plains took a probable 6in. hit and suffered light damage. Kitkun Bay was not hit but suffered several personnel casualties from near misses. St. Lo suffered no damage during the battle. The Gambier Bay bore the brunt of enemy fire, with an initial shell igniting a fire at 08:10. Ten minutes later, a devastating hit reduced her speed to 11 knots and forced the carrier to lag behind the rest of the formation. At 08:22, Yamato reentered the fray, intensifying the assault on the carrier. Heermann closed on the carrier at 0841hrs to find her burning and listing 20°. Continued Japanese fire resulted in more hits, with most of the armor-piercing shells passing through the ship. Hit by as many as 26 shells from Yamato, Haruna, and several cruisers, Gambier Bay went dead in the water at 0845hrs; five minutes later, the captain gave the order to abandon ship. Gambier Bay capsized at 0907hrs, one of only two carriers sunk by gunfire during the entire war. Meanwhile, at 08:26, Sprague ordered the destroyer escorts on the starboard side of the formation to position themselves between the carriers and the Japanese heavy cruisers on their port side. As John C. Butler and Dennis engaged the enemy cruisers, the latter sustained minor damage from two hits. Samuel B. Roberts also was struck at 0850hrs. At 0900hrs, the destroyer escort was hit by two or three 14in. shells from Kongo. The large shells tore a huge hole in the side of the ship and knocked out all power. A total of six shells hit the ship. This prompted an order to abandon ship at 0910hrs for the crew of 178. Half (89 of them) did not survive. Samuel B. Roberts sank at 1005hrs. During this time, Rear-Admiral Kimura Masatomi instructed his destroyers to launch a torpedo attack at 08:45, targeting Kalinin Bay. Fortunately, Johnston detected the new threat and made a daring suicide charge through the smoke. Evans engaged Yahagi with gunfire at 7,000 yards, and several hits were gained. Then Evans engaged the next destroyer in column, again claiming several hits. Kimura ordered his torpedoes fired from about 10,500 yards—not an ideal range for even the formidable Type 93. Yahagi launched seven torpedoes at 0905hrs, followed by three destroyers beginning at 0915hrs, Urakaze fired four, Isokaze eight, and Yukikaze four. Evans may have been responsible for Kimura's premature torpedo attack, but now his ship was about to pay the ultimate price. The Japanese destroyers and Yahagi took Johnston under fire, joined by as many as three heavy cruisers. The hits began to pile up. By 0920hrs, Evans was reduced to conning the ship by yelling orders through an open hatch on the fantail to men below turning the rudder manually. At 0945hrs, Evans finally gave the order to abandon ship. The Japanese destroyers closed in and continued to pound the wreck. After an epic fight, Johnston rolled over and sank at 1010hrs. Most of the crew of 327 got into the water, but 186, including Evans, were lost. Meanwhile, Rear-Admiral Felix Stump's Taffy 2 group began their strikes against Kurita's fleet, with 15 Avengers and 20 Wildcats successfully hitting the Haguro with a bomb at 08:25. Five minutes later, six Avengers and 20 Wildcats from Taffy 3 joined forces with 16 Avengers and 8 Wildcats from Taffy 2 to launch a major assault on the enemy cruisers. At 08:50, the Chokai was attacked, and by 09:05, it had sustained severe damage from a bomb hit. The destroyer Fujinami arrived to assist at 10:18, but by then, the cruiser was immobilized. The destroyer evacuated the crew and sank the Chokai with torpedoes. At 08:54, four Avengers targeted the Chikuma, landing a critical torpedo hit that caused significant flooding. With American aircraft focusing on the Japanese warships, Kurita decided to withdraw at 09:11, planning to regroup and return to Leyte Gulf. Another attack against Suzuya was mounted at 1050hrs by as many as 30 aircraft. This time, a near miss amidships turned deadly. Shrapnel from the bomb ignited the torpedoes in the starboard forward mount, igniting a fire that caused other torpedoes to explode at 1100hrs. The explosion caused extensive damage to the secondary battery and the machinery, which left the ship unmaneuverable. For a second time in the morning, Vice Admiral Shiraishi had to transfer, this time to Tone. The fires reached the remaining torpedoes, with a large explosion resulting at 1200hrs. In turn, this caused the magazine of the secondary battery to explode, and soon the entire ship was an inferno. Surviving crewmen were taken off by destroyer Okinami after the order to abandon ship was given at 1300hrs, and at 1320hrs Suzuya sank. Twohundred forty-seven men were lost. The Tone suffered a bomb hit at 12:40, and three minutes later, Noshiro experienced minor damage from near misses. The destroyer Nowaki was tasked with rescuing Chikuma's crew and then scuttling the crippled cruiser, which was completed by 11:00. Due to these air attacks and fearing total destruction if the battle continued, Kurita signaled Toyoda at 12:36 to abandon the attack on Leyte Gulf and began his retreat north. During this withdrawal, Kurita's force faced attacks from 37 Avengers and 19 Wildcats at 12:45, resulting in only minor damage to Nagato and Tone. Subsequent strikes by Stump's carriers were also ineffective, but Sprague's carriers' total of 441 sorties that day was a notable accomplishment. At 13:15, 100 aircraft from Admiral McCain's carrier, which had been recalled on October 24 and were now arriving in the area, launched one of the longest carrier strikes of the war. Despite their efforts, they were unable to inflict additional damage. A follow-up strike at 15:00 with 52 planes also failed, allowing Kurita to escape. Tremendously outgunned, the commander of Taffy 3, Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague, began to plead for help minutes into the battle. As Kurita pressed his advantage, these pleas became more urgent. In response, Oldendorf recalled his advance guard at 0723hrs. Kinkaid ordered Oldendorf to bring his entire force north at 0847hrs to assist the escort carriers. He formed a task force of the battleships California, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania, because they had the most armor-piercing shells remaining. They were escorted by three heavy cruisers and 20 destroyers with 165 torpedoes. The next strike consisting of ten Avengers, each with two 500lb bombs instead of torpedoes, escorted by five Wildcats, all from Ommaney Bay, went after Mogami. The Avenger pilots claimed five hits on the cruiser; in fact, only two bombs struck the ship. By the time the attack concluded at 0910hrs, Mogami was dead in the water after the failure of her last turbine. New fires raged beyond control and the danger of the forward 8in. magazine exploding (the others had been flooded) put the entire crew in danger. After evacuating the remaining crew, the Akebono scuttled Mogami at 13:07, resulting in the loss of 191 men. Additionally, in the morning, Taffy 1 faced Admiral Onishi's first kamikaze attack. The first ship to be attacked was Santee. At 0740hrs, a kamikaze commenced its dive, gained complete surprise, and encountered no antiaircraft fire before hitting the ship forward on the flight deck. Fires from the resulting explosion were quickly put out, but not before 43 men had been killed or wounded. Within five minutes of the fires being extinguished, submarine I-56 slammed a torpedo into the ship. The converted tanker shook it off with no casualties and no loss of capability. The final aircraft also selected Petrof Bay but ended up going after Suwannee after it was damaged by antiaircraft fire. It struck the carrier on the flight deck forward of the aft aircraft elevator. The Zero's 551lb bomb exploded, creating a hole on the hangar deck. The fires were put out within minutes, and within two hours flight operations had resumed. The suicide pilots approached the remaining five escort carriers at low level before popping up to altitude a few miles from their target. At this point they were detected on radar, but no interception by defending Wildcats was possible. At 1049hrs, Kitkun Bay was attacked by a single Zero. The pilot failed to hit the carrier's bridge, but his aircraft hit the port-side catwalk before crashing into the sea. The ship incurred damage when the Zero's bomb exploded close alongside. Two more suicide aircraft were dispatched by antiaircraft fire. The last two Zeros selected White Plains for their attentions. One came in from astern but missed the ship after crashing into the water close aboard the port side. The other was deterred by antiaircraft fire and headed toward St. Lo. The last kamikaze was the most skillful. At 1053hrs, the Zero came in over the stern of St. Lo and dropped his bomb before performing a shallow dive into the flight deck amidships. The aircraft slid off the bow, leaving a trail of fire on the flight deck from its fuel. The fire was no problem to deal with, but the bomb penetrated the flight deck and exploded in the hangar deck, where six aircraft were being fueled and armed. The resulting explosion forced the ship to be abandoned, and 32 minutes after being struck, the ship sank with 114 crewmen after the fires reached its magazines. St. Lo was the first ship sunk by kamikaze attack. At 1110hrs, another four kamikazes appeared and selected Kalinin Bay for attack. Two were shot down by antiaircraft fire. The other pair both scored glancing hits. One Zero was hit by antiaircraft fire, remained in control, and then hit the flight deck at a shallow angle and slid overboard. The second hit the ship with a glancing blow aft. Looking north, despite losing contact with Ozawa's force overnight, Mitscher decided to launch an initial strike of 130 aircraft, led by Commander McCampbell, by 06:00. At the same time, he dispatched search aircraft, which reestablished contact with Ozawa's now reunited Main Body at 07:10. The American strike was then directed toward the enemy, and McCampbell's planes successfully located Ozawa's carriers at 08:10, beginning their assault. Despite encountering 13 Zeros on combat air patrol, the Helldivers struck first at 08:30, targeting the enemy carriers. They were followed by strafing Hellcats and torpedo-armed Avengers. The hour-long attack resulted in significant damage: Zuikaku was hit by three bombs and one torpedo, leading to fires, flooding, and a severe list; Zuiho sustained a single bomb hit causing fires on the hangar deck; Chitose was heavily damaged by three near misses that ruptured its unarmored hull, causing flooding and a severe list, and it sank at 09:37 with 904 casualties; the light cruiser Tama was torpedoed and had to make its way to Okinawa for repairs; the cruiser Oyodo suffered light damage from a bomb hit; and the destroyer Akizuki was hit amidships, caught fire, and broke apart before sinking following a major explosion. As this attack unfolded, Mitscher launched a second wave of 36 aircraft, which arrived at the target area around 09:45. Under McCampbell's coordination, these planes focused on the carrier Chiyoda, which was hit by one bomb and several damaging near misses that caused flooding and a list, ultimately bringing the carrier to a halt. Simultaneously, he deployed search aircraft, which reestablished contact with Ozawa's now reunited Main Body at 07:10. With the American strike directed towards this position, McCampbell's planes successfully located the enemy at 08:10 and began their assault on Ozawa's carriers. The Japanese were aware of the impending arrival of the initial strike, since radar aboard Zuikaku had detected the American aircraft at 08:04 about 110NM to the southwest. Four Zeros were already on CAP; these were joined by the last nine fighters on Zuikaku. Such a meager CAP meant that survival of Ozawa's ships depended on their ability to throw up accurate anti-aircraft fire and maneuver adeptly under dive-bombing and torpedo attack. According to American pilots, Japanese anti-aircraft fire was heavy and began with a display of multi-colored explosions at 15NM out as Ise and Hyuga fired sanshiki-dan incendiary shells from their 14in. main battery. The small Japanese CAP raced toward the approaching American formation, but the escorting Hellcats prevented them from reaching the Helldivers or Avengers. Essex Hellcats claimed nine Zeros, but one Hellcat was shot down and its pilot left in the water to witness the unfolding attack; he was rescued after the battle. The Helldivers launched the initial attack on the enemy carriers at 08:30, followed by strafing runs from Hellcats and then torpedo attacks from Avengers. Zuikaku came under attack from dive-bombers and torpedo bombers from Intrepid, and two light carriers. Five minutes into the attack, Zuikaku was hit by three bombs amidships, which created a fire on the lower and upper hangar decks. Just minutes later, a torpedo launched by an Avenger from either Intrepid or San Jacinto struck the ship on her port side. One of the engine rooms was flooded, and one of the shafts was damaged and had to be shut down. The ensuing flooding caused a severe list, but this was quickly corrected to a manageable 6°. The veteran carrier had an experienced and capable damage-control team. By 0850hrs, the fires were extinguished, and 23 knots were restored using the starboard shafts. However, steering was uneven, and the ship's transmitters were out of commission. Since she was no longer suitable as a flagship, plans were made to transfer Ozawa and his staff to cruiser Oyodo. Before this could happen, the second strike showed up.  Zuiho was caught out of formation launching aircraft when the first attack began. Enterprise's strike group targeted the veteran light carrier known to her crew as a lucky ship, since she had survived three earlier carrier battles. Reports from Enterprise air crew stated that the carrier was left dead in the water and on fire. In exchange, one Enterprise Avenger was seriously damaged by antiaircraft fire and was rolled over the side of the carrier when it landed back onboard. Another Enterprise Hellcat was lost to Zero attack. Intrepid Helldivers also selected Zuiho for attack and claimed hits. In fact, Zuiho suffered three near misses followed by a direct bomb hit at 0835hrs. The explosion caused fires on the hangar deck, but these were out by 0855hrs. After the dive-bombers did their work, torpedo bombers from Essex and Lexington attacked Zuiho, but no hits were gained. Light carrier Chitose was crippled early and was the first of Ozawa's carriers to sink. At 0835hrs, she was attacked by dive-bombers from Essex and Lexington. Helldivers from Essex reported dropping 12 bombs and claimed 8 hits, leaving the carrier burning and listing. In fact, Chitose suffered three near misses along her port side. This was enough to rupture the carrier's unarmored hull. The resulting flooding knocked out two boiler rooms and caused a severe 27° list. Damage-control efforts reduced the list and kept power, but steering was only accomplished by using the engines. At 0915hrs, progressive flooding knocked out the starboard engine room and speed fell below 14 knots. Ten minutes later, flooding caused all power to be lost and the list increased to a dangerous 30°. Hyuga was directed to tow the carrier, but her condition was beyond salvage. Chitose sank at 0937hrs with the loss of 904 officers and men; another 601 were saved. Light cruiser Tama was attacked by torpedo bombers from Belleau Wood and San Jacinto. One torpedo hit the ship in her boiler room. After emergency repairs, the cruiser was ordered to proceed independently to Okinawa at her best speed of 14 knots.  Oyodo was also subjected to attack and was slightly damaged. At 0848hrs, she was struck by a bomb and two rockets and recorded near misses from bombs. The cruiser's speed was unimpaired. Large destroyer Akizuki also came under attack from aircraft in the first strike. At 0842hrs the ship was struck amidships and set afire. The ship lost power and fell out of formation. Within minutes, a large explosion was noted amidships and at 0856hrs Akizuki broke in two and quickly sank. The cause was either a torpedo or a bomb hit that detonated torpedoes in the amidships torpedo mount. The commanding officer and 150 officers and men were pulled out of the water before more air attacks forced destroyer Maki to abandon rescue operations. Meanwhile, as this attack unfolded, Mitscher launched a second strike of 36 aircraft, which reached the target area around 09:45. Coordinated by McCampbell, these planes focused on the carrier Chiyoda, which was hit by one bomb and several near misses, resulting in flooding and a severe list, ultimately bringing the carrier to a halt. The climax of Halsey's battle of annihilation against the Main Body should have been an engagement by Task Force 34 with six of the world's most powerful battleships. But this was never to be. The plight of the escort carriers off Samar brought a flurry of urgent pleas to Halsey for assistance. These began at 07:07 with a plain text message from Kinkaid. In response, Halsey ordered Task Group 38.1 to steam west from Ulithi to support Kinkaid, but otherwise remained focused on crushing Ozawa with the rest of Task Force 38. This changed when Nimitz weighed in at 10:00 with an inquiry on the location of Admiral Lee's battleships, which finally prompted Halsey to order Task Force 34, supported by Task Group 38.2, south at 10:15. At this point, Task Force 34 was some 42NM away from Ozawa's remnants. This order was executed at 11:15 when the battleships turned south, yet the change of orders came too late. Even at their best speed, the battle line could not arrive off San Bernardino Strait until about 01:00 on October 26. At 13:45, Task Force 34 also slowed from 20 to 12 knots to fuel destroyers, something that took until 16:22.  By noon, as Ozawa transferred to the Oyodo, Mitscher launched his third strike. Launched between 1145hrs and1200hrs, the third strike was the largest and most effective of the day. It was active over the target area from about 1310hrs to 1400hrs with some 200 aircraft, 75 percent of which had taken part in the initial strike in the morning. The strike coordinator was Commander T. Hugh Winters from Lexington. By this point, the Main Body's formation was in a shambles. Two carriers were located to the north with a battleship and what was reported as two cruisers. Another carrier was located some 20NM to the south on fire and listing. A second battleship, a cruiser, and a destroyer were nearby the crippled carrier. Winters ordered TG 38.3's 98 aircraft from Essex, Lexington, and Langley, to go after the two operational carriers. Aircraft from Lexington focused on Zuikaku. By 1100hrs, Ozawa had departed his flagship and transferred to Oyodo. The nine surviving Zeros on CAP were forced to ditch around 1030hrs, so for the rest of the day the Americans faced no air opposition. Zuikaku worked up to 24 knots shortly after the third strike was spotted at 1308hrs. The attack by Helldivers and Avengers was well coordinated, with the Avengers coming in from both bows in an anvil attack. In less than ten minutes, Zuikaku was subjected to six torpedo hits—two on the starboard side and four on the port side. The first was a hit at 1315hrs that failed to detonate. The last of the six hit at 1323hrs. Within minutes of the last torpedo hit, the mighty carrier was listing to port by 14° and was dead in the water after all power was lost. In addition to the torpedoes, four bombs hit the ship, which resulted in renewed fires on the hangar decks. At 1327, with the list increasing to 21°, the crew was ordered up to the flight deck. The captain gave a final address and then the ensign was lowered. Finally, after this touch of the dramatic, the crew was ordered to abandon ship at 1358hrs. The ship rolled over at 1414hrs and took the captain, 48 other officers, and 794 enlisted men with her. Essex's strike focused on Zuiho. When aircraft from TG 38.4 arrived, including Enterprise's second strike of six Hellcats, ten Helldivers, and five Avengers, most were also directed at Zuiho at 1310hrs followed by more at 1330hrs. At 1317hrs, the carrier was hit by one torpedo on her starboard quarter. According to Japanese accounts, one small bomb hit the aft elevator, followed by seven very close near misses, and then 60 more near misses. Bomb fragments caused flooding in the starboard engine room and created a 13° list.  Mitscher's fourth strike, launched around 13:15 and reaching the target area by 14:45, involved 40 aircraft but only achieved ten near misses on the Zuiho and four near misses on the battleship Ise. Despite this, the Zuiho ultimately sank at 15:26, with 215 men lost. At 16:10, Mitscher launched his fifth strike, while a strong surface force under Rear-Admiral Laurance DuBose closed in on Chiyoda to finish her off. DuBose's force first encountered Chiyoda dead in the water with light cruiser Isuzu nearby preparing to rescue survivors. Isuzu quickly fled, leaving the heavy cruisers to open fire at Chiyoda at 1624hrs from some 20,000 yards. The carrier responded with her 5in. dual-purpose guns, but against a stationary target the American cruiser scored quickly and often and after 15 minutes the carrier was a mass of flames. A towering column of black smoke marked Chiyoda's final moments. At 1655hrs, the carrier rolled over—there were no survivors from her crew of 970 men.  Between 17:10 and 17:40, the fifth strike, consisting of 85 aircraft, targeted the Ise. However, due to pilot fatigue, only one bomb hit the battleship, with 34 near misses causing minor flooding. The sister ship, Hyuga, which was positioned south of the Main Body, experienced seven near misses but no direct hits. Mitscher then launched a final strike of 36 aircraft at 17:10, which reached the target area about an hour later but failed to cause further damage. Overall, Task Force 38 executed 527 sorties against Ozawa's force that day, marking the most intense effort by fast carriers against naval targets up to that point. Despite the lack of significant air opposition and heavy but largely ineffective anti-aircraft fire, the results were underwhelming. The limited damage can be attributed to heavy anti-aircraft fire, effective ship maneuvering, and pilot fatigue from previous attacks on the Sibuyan Sea. The Battle off Cape Engaño was not over yet. As DuBose's mop-up force continued north, they encountered three destroyers rescuing survivors from Zuikaku and Zuiho. At 18:52, DuBose's light cruisers engaged the Hatsuzuki, which tried to resist but was ultimately destroyed by the intense gunfire, sinking at 20:59. DuBose ceased his pursuit at 21:30. This decision was timely, as Hatsuzuki's distress calls led Ozawa to advance south with three battleships and one destroyer at 20:41. Finding no targets, Ozawa turned back at 23:30, bringing the battle to an end. On his retreat, two wolf packs were lying in wait. Although Ise avoided significant damage from a powerful torpedo attack at 18:44,  the Tama, already damaged, wasn't as fortunate. The cruiser was proceeding independently to Okinawa at 14 knots after taking a torpedo in the first air attack. Jallao's skipper fired three torpedoes from her bow tubes, but they all missed. He quickly lined up another shot with the four stern tubes. Three of the four hit, and two exploded. The damage was catastrophic, causing Tama to break in two and quickly sink. There were no survivors from the crew of some 450 men. Meanwhile, Halsey had dispatched the fastest ships from his battle line at 16:22 in a last-ditch effort to intercept Kurita's force before it could navigate the San Bernardino Strait. However, they arrived too late, as aircraft from Independence detected Kurita's force moving through the strait at 21:40. The only ship that did not make it was the destroyer Nowaki, which, overloaded with survivors from Chikuma, was attacked by the American forces at 00:54 on October 26 and was swiftly sunk by 01:32. During this time, General Krueger's offensive persisted with General Sibert's 10th Corps and General Hodge's 24th Corps making steady progress inland. To the north, cavalry units secured San Juanico Strait, while Colonel Newman's 3rd Battalion captured Hill C and Colonel Chapman's 2nd Battalion took Hill B despite heavy resistance. Additionally, Chapman's 1st Battalion secured Hill 85, and the majority of the 3rd Battalion advanced towards Castilla, 8000 yards southwest of Palo. Further south, a patrol from the 383rd Regiment reached the Binahaan River and linked up with Chapman's Company K; the 382nd Regiment pushed beyond Aslom and Kanmonhag; Colonel May's Company K attempted, but failed, to capture Tabontabon; the 17th and 184th Regiments consolidated their newly captured positions on Burauen while sending patrols towards Dagami; and the 32nd Regiment made some headway toward the Buri airstrip but was still unable to capture it. By October 26, Shima's two heavy cruisers and two destroyers had successfully evaded several PT boat attacks and made their escape. However, the damaged cruiser Abukuma, under the protection of destroyer Ushio, was struck by 43 B-24 heavy bombers in the Sulu Sea. Usually high-altitude attacks on ships were totally ineffective, so the bombers came in at an altitude of about 6,500ft. In the first attack, Abukuma took a direct hit in the area of her bridge at 1006hrs and another aft. The second group of bombers scored a damaging near miss forward, and then a direct hit aft that knocked out one of the shafts and the steering equipment. The resulting fires spread to the engine rooms and the torpedo mounts located aft. When the fires reached the torpedoes, four exploded at 1037hrs. A third attack at 1044hrs brought only near misses. Abukuma was mortally damaged but remained afloat long enough for 284 of the crew to leave the ship. The veteran cruiser, part of the force that attacked Pearl Harbor, sank at 1242hrs with the loss of 220 men (added to the loss of 37 from the torpedo hit from the PT boat). As they came in at a lower altitude, Abukuma and Ushio were able to account for three bombers in this action.  On the same day, kamikaze attacks resumed against Taffy 1. Three Zeros penetrated the CAP and attacked Suwannee, which had completed repairs from the prior day's suicide attack. One Zero hit the flight deck and smashed into a group of ten aircraft parked on the bow. The aircraft were quickly engulfed in flames that spread down into the hangar bay, where another ten fueled aircraft were preparing to be brought up to the flight deck. The resulting fires on the hangar deck were put out, followed two hours later by the fire on the flight deck. The crew paid a high price for saving their ship— 85 dead, 58 missing, and 102 wounded. Other kamikazes selected Sangamon and Petrof Bay for attack; both carriers reported being near-missed. The initial success of the kamikaze attacks, including one carrier sunk and five damaged, gave the Japanese hope that they had found a way to halt the American naval advance. This marked the beginning of the Kamikaze era in the Pacific War. As Kurita's force moved through the Sibuyan Sea, Admirals McCain and Bogan launched a strike at 06:00 with 257 aircraft. Despite this effort, the exhausted pilots managed only three bomb hits on Kumano, causing moderate damage. Aircraft from Wasp and Cowpens also found Kurita's main force. Noshiro was able to evade six torpedoes aimed at her, but at 0852hrs one struck with devastating effect. The ship lost all power and within minutes developed a 26° list to port. The next attack was conducted by aircraft from Hornet. A second torpedo hit the lightly protected cruiser at 1039hrs, and at 1113hrs she sank bow first. By this point, Kurita's destroyers were down to their last few tons of fuel, forcing them to reduce speed. Destroyers had to shift fuel among themselves to reach a tanker positioned at Coron Bay. Hayashimo was forced to temporarily anchor off Semirara Island south of Mindoro. She was attacked by Avengers from 1045hrs to 1050hrs, and had her bow blown off by a torpedo. As a result, she was grounded and sank in shallow water off Semirara Island. Kurita's remaining ships managed to reach Coron Bay or Brunei, except for the destroyers Fujinami and Shiranui, which were sunk by air attacks on October 27, resulting in the loss of their crews, including those from Chokai aboard Fujinami. By the end of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the IJN had been effectively decimated. Despite suffering a severe defeat, Admiral Mikawa assessed that he still had enough resources to carry out Operation TA, which involved transporting reinforcements to Ormoc. On October 24, the cruiser Kinu and the destroyer Uranami escorted five transports through intense strafing fire to Cagayan. After boarding the 41st Regiment, Admiral Sakonju's convoy set sail the next morning and successfully landed the reinforcements at Ormoc early on October 26. Although they faced occasional enemy air attacks, they did not incur significant troop losses. Sakonju then sent three transports to Manila, but these were targeted by aircraft from Sprague's carriers. The attacks resulted in two bomb hits on Uranami and three on Kinu, leading to the sinking of both ships in the Visayan Sea. Another transport proceeded to Bohol, embarked the 169th Independent Battalion, and landed them at Ormoc on October 27. Although the Leyte beachheads were secured against sea-based attacks, the Americans could not control all surrounding waters, allowing Generals Yamashita and Suzuki to continue reinforcing the island. This marks the conclusion of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In exchange for the loss of one light carrier, two escort carriers, two destroyers, one destroyer escort, one submarine, one PT boat, 255 aircraft, and about 2,000 men, the Americans had destroyed approximately 300 enemy planes and sunk 28 warships, including the carrier Zuikaku (the last survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack), three light carriers, three battleships, ten cruisers, and eleven destroyers, with a total of 12,000 Japanese casualties. Despite losing all his carriers, Ozawa fulfilled his expected role and managed to survive the battle with two battleships and two cruisers. After the war, he noted that the final three strikes were not damaging, and his chief of staff remarked that he was unimpressed with the American pilots' quality. In contrast, Halsey faced severe criticism for his controversial decision to leave San Bernardino Strait unguarded while moving his entire force north. If he had employed more strategic thinking and embraced decentralized decision-making, Mitscher's carriers could have engaged and defeated both Ozawa and Kurita. Nishimura also performed his duties effectively; despite losing his life and almost his entire force, he diverted the 7th Fleet's surface forces, leaving Kinkaid's transports and escort carriers vulnerable to Kurita's attack. The Shima force contributed nothing to the mission but survived largely intact. Kurita demonstrated bravery throughout the battle but was occasionally indecisive. Although he was not responsible for the losses at the Sibuyan Sea and was unlucky with his lookouts misidentifying cruisers and battleships among Sprague's escort carriers, he faced American tactics that he perceived as skillful. Sprague's desperate maneuvers to avoid annihilation were seen by the Japanese as tactical excellence. Kurita acknowledged the effective performance of American destroyers, which broke up his formation with torpedo attacks and utilized smoke screens effectively. Both Kurita and his chief of staff found the American air attacks to be relentless, aggressive, skillful, and well-coordinated, considering them the most proficient attacks encountered by the 1st Striking Force throughout the battle. In the end, Toyoda's Sho-Go plan was fundamentally flawed and destined for failure. Although it contained some clever elements that exploited weaknesses in the US Navy's command structure, it was ultimately incapable of success and served only as a means of the IJN's destruction. Even if Kurita had advanced into Leyte Gulf, it would have provided no significant military advantage for the Japanese and would likely have led to the complete destruction of Kurita's forces. The failure of Sho-Go left the Japanese without a fleet and with no realistic hope of defeating the Americans. However, the emergence of Kamikaze attacks allowed Japan to continue the war for a while longer. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Imperial Japanese Navy was virtually annihilated during the battle of Leyte Gulf. Few of her mighty warships remained and now she would cling to desperate measures to try and force the Americans to sue for an early peace to retain pieces of her empire. How long could Japan drag this war on?

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Last time we spoke about the battles for Peleliu and Angaur. Following the amphibious assaults on Peleliu and Anguar, US Marines under General Rupertus intensified their offensive. On September 17, Colonel Hanneken's 7th Marines advanced in Peleliu's southern sector, as the 1st and 5th Marines pushed north, confronting the fortified Umurbrogol Mountains, where Colonel Nakagawa's defenses stalled their progress. Despite reaching key positions by mid-morning, intense Japanese counterattacks continued, causing heavy casualties. On September 18, the 7th Marines, aided by armor, resumed their slow advance, securing the southern part of Peleliu by day's end. Meanwhile, the 1st and 5th Marines faced brutal combat in the central ridges, suffering significant losses. By September 21, the capture of nearby Ulithi Atoll provided a strategic base for future operations. Despite securing important positions, the Marines encountered severe resistance in the Umurbrogol Mountains, leading to high casualties and necessitating reinforcements. By September 23, the Americans secured footholds on Peleliu and Anguar, yet fierce fighting persisted in Nakagawa's fortified positions. This episode is the Japanese Triumph in China Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  This week we are picking up back over on Peleliu and Anguar where the Japanese are still providing stiff resistance. On September 23, Colonel Venable's 322nd Regiment had made little progress breaking into the Lake Salome bowl. With their commanding officer severely injured, a change in tactics was imminent. On the morning of September 24, propaganda broadcasts over a public address system were used to try and persuade the remaining Japanese to surrender. However, only two Japanese soldiers surrendered, reporting that over 300 defenders remained in the bowl under Major Goto. This accurate estimate was disregarded by the American command, who believed only about 150 defenders remained. Following this failed attempt, all available artillery bombarded the bowl in preparation for an attack from the north, altering the appearance of the bowl's interior and rims to aid the upcoming assault. Back at Peleliu, after heavy bombardment, Colonel Dark's 321st Regiment resumed its advance north along the coast on September 24, despite continued harassment from Japanese fire from the central ridges. By noon, they had secured the trail-road junction south of Garekoru. Some troops explored the trail to the east, encountering heavy resistance, while Company G advanced rapidly north through Garekoru, reaching the O-4 Line. Behind them, Dark's 3rd Battalion and Colonel Hanneken's 3rd Battalion also pushed northwards. Further east, the 7th Marines pressed against Colonel Nakagawa's main defenses on the Umurbrogol Mountains. By nightfall, having successfully resisted Japanese counterattacks on O-4, General Rupertus' northward drive had proven to be a significant success. He next planned to cut across the island on September 25 through the eastern trail to completely isolate the Japanese forces in the Umurbrogol ridges. At 07:00, Dark's troops began moving eastward, with Company E successfully reaching the edge of East Road against light opposition. They halted in front of Hill B, which dominated the eastern area. However, the 3rd Battalion encountered heavier resistance from pillboxes and emplacements protected by steep walls and sheer cliffs guarding the northern approaches to the Umurbrogol defense system, making little progress. Meanwhile, to the north, a strong tank-infantry patrol advanced about 1,200 yards, killing 30 Japanese and destroying four pillboxes and two large supply dumps before reaching the O-5 Line. The weak resistance encountered by the patrol suggested that remaining Japanese strength was concentrated in the Umurbrogol Pocket. Thus, at 10:30, Rupertus decided to commit the 5th Marines for a drive to the northern tip of Peleliu. Rapidly relieved by the 1st Marines on eastern Peleliu. Orders to move to the western portion of Peleliu found the 5th Marines in static positions on Eastern Peleliu, where the regimental mission had been to prevent enemy counterlandings. The 1st Battalion was deployed in the vicinity of the radio direction finding station near Ngardololok, the 2d Battalion was holding the islands north of the northeastern peninsula, while the 3d Battalion, less one company, occupied defensive positions along Purple Beach. The 1st Marines completed the relief of the 5th shortly after noon and assumed command of the 5th Marines sector at that time. In order to expedite movement of the regiment to the West Road, the battalions moved out on trucks at 1300, with 1/5 in the lead, followed by 3/5 and 2/5.  By 1600, the 5th Marines had executed the passage of the lines, and the regiment passed through Phase Line O-4 near Garekoru. As 1/5 continued its advance up the West Road, it encountered erratic resistance from what appeared to be Japanese holdouts. The level terrain was devoid of the dense jungle growth abounding elsewhere on Peleliu and offered ideal conditions for the movement of tanks and LVT flamethrowers accompanying the advance battalion. Aside from occasional Japanese sniper and mortar fire, the advance continued for about 500 yards without interruption to Road Junction 15, where the West and East Roads met. This vital point was defended by a small Japanese force, which had installed itself on a ridge dominating the road forks. Around 1700, as the Marines approached this point, the enemy opened fire, which served only to delay the Marines. When the firefight ended the Japanese had lost 20 killed. The battalion continued its advance for another 100 yards and seized the Japanese radio station, whose towers the forward elements of RCT 321 had spotted on the previous day. Having secured this objective, the battalion established night defenses north of the radio station from the beach to the high ground east of the West Road. Upon reaching Road Junction 15 in the wake of the advance of 1/5, the 3d Battalion pivoted to the southeast and headed down East Road, where it established night defenses on the road and along the western slopes of Hill 80. The latter hill, in itself an isolated terrain feature, owed its importance to its location, for it was the only link separating the Kamilianlul ridges to the south from the Amiangal ridges, which formed the northernmost hill mass on Peleliu.   Throughout the evening and night, the forward elements at the radio station were continuously and heavily attacked and bombed but managed to hold against the enemy onslaught. Meanwhile, at Angaur, after a heavy and prolonged artillery bombardment, the 3rd Battalion, 322nd Regiment pushed forward to launch its assault from the north. Finding no route south over the cliffs, they assembled near the northern end of the Milwaukee Railroad for an attack west the following day. At 07:30 on September 26, the infantry launched their assault on Lake Salome, quickly taking control of the eastern rim with minimal resistance. Facing increasing enemy fire, the Americans made their way down the eastern rim to the bowl floor. However, by the end of the day, they were halted by Goto's positions on the northern cliffs and "The Island," a gap between an overgrown coral mound and the eastern rim. To the south, the 2nd Battalion supported the attack by advancing north, capturing the southeast rim and clearing out several enemy cave positions.  Back over on Peleliu the Marines had a very rough night full of Japanese infiltrator harassment. In fact our old friend Eugene Sledge wrote about the night of September 25th and what his unit of K Company, 3rd battalion, 5th marines went through. The Japanese who had come across the road in front of me were probably members of what the enemy called a “close-quarter combat unit.” The enemy soldier shot by Sam was not dressed or equipped like their typical infantryman. Rather he wore only tropical khaki shorts, short-sleeved shirt, and tabi footwear (splittoed, rubber-soled canvas shoes). He carried only his bayonet. Why he entered our line where he did may have been pure accident, or he may have had an eye on our mortar. His comrade angled off toward the right near a machine gun on our flank. Mortars and machine guns were favorite targets for infiltrators on the front lines. To the rear, they went after heavy mortars, communications, and artillery. Before Company K moved out, I went down the road to the next company to see what had happened during the night. I learned that those blood-chilling screams had come from the Japanese I had seen run to the right. He had jumped into a foxhole where he met an alert Marine. In the ensuing struggle each had lost his weapon. The desperate Marine had jammed his forefinger into his enemy's eye socket and killed him. Such was the physical horror and brutish reality of war for us. The 1/5 spent the early hours of 26 September in consolidating its positions around the radio station and preparing for continuation of its attack later in the day to the northern tip of Peleliu. Shortly after 0600, 3/5 jumped off for an attack against Hill 80 with Company K on the left and Company I on the right. The attack carried the hill and by 0830 the assault force reached a swamp bordering the east coast of Peleliu. This advance of the 3d Battalion was of major importance because it effectively cut the island in two. Late in the afternoon most of the battalion moved back from Hill 80 to a reserve position near the junction of East and West Roads. The unit's southern flank extended south from the junction along East Road to Hill 80, where Company I was stationed for the night. Between Company I, 5th Marines, and the 2d Battalion, 321st Infantry, at Hill B, lay a gap approximately 1,800 yards long through which only the 321st Infantry's Neal Task Force had passed. In this gap lay 1,500-yard-long Kamilianlul Mountain, held by an unknown number of Japanese and as yet not even reconnoitered by American units. The 5th Marines consolidated their positions and resumed their assault. The 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, ran into stiff opposition from the Amiangal ridges dominating northern Peleliu. The northern portion of the L-shaped hill system consisted of ridges running generally from northeast to southwest for about 1,000 yards; the southern leg extended from northwest to southeast. The southern leg of the ridges was not continuous but broken into four separate hills or knobs, designated from northwest to southeast as Hill 1, Hill 2, Hill 3, and Radar Hill, so named because it had at one time served as an enemy radar installation. These four knobs were to gain ill repute as Hill Row. The entire Amiangal ridge system was held in strength by the Japanese, particularly the portion paralleling the route of advance of 1/5. This part contained some of the most elaborate caves and tunnels on Peleliu. The battalion had barely started out along the West Road when the enemy in and on Hill 1 opened up on the Marines with 37mm and 75mm guns as well as automatic weapons and mortars. This curtain of fire from the Amiangal ridges was reinforced by heavy fire from Ngesebus Island. All forward movement soon halted. Attacking eastward from the West Road, Company B assaulted the second knob, Hill 2, but also encountered opposition. Through sheer determination the company was able to gain a firm foothold on the hill by early afternoon. This accomplishment in effect served to outflank the Japanese on Hill 1, but Japanese resistance on the last mentioned hill continued throughout the day. An attempt by Company C to seize all of Hill 1 during the remaining hours of daylight was unsuccessful, and continuation of the assault had to await the following day. During the bitter fighting in which 1/5 engaged during the night of 25-26 September and for most of the following day, 2/5 remained stationary on the southern flank of the regiment. At 1600 on 26 September, when it had become apparent that 1/5 could make no further progress, 2/5 was ordered to attack. The battalion advanced northward through the left wing of 1/5, carefully bypassing embattled Hill 1. In the course of its advance, the battalion drew heavy fire from Japanese emplacements in the plain, from the ridges on its right, as well as from Ngesebus. Enemy mortars proved especially troublesome. As a result of the heavy fire, Company F lost four of its supporting tanks before it had advanced very far beyond Hill 1. Attempts by the artillery to give all possible support to the battalion were largely ineffectual. "We fired frequent missions throughout the day on these mortars; the reported effect was that the mortars were neutralized while we fired but that they were not destroyed. The enemy apparently withdrew into the caves during the period of our fire." As evening approached, the 5th Marines occupied a jagged front line. The 1st Battalion, though out of contact with the 2d, was tied in with the 3d on the right. The mission of the 3d Battalion was to support either the 1st or 2d Battalion in the event of a major Japanese counterattack. Further progress of the 2d Battalion was impeded by a large antitank ditch, which blocked the approach to the remnants of the Peleliu phosphate plant. The Japanese had converted the reinforced concrete foundation of the otherwise demolished structure into a major defensive installation. Exposed to the enemy fire from Ngesebus Island and plunging fire from caves and defensive positions from the hills, 2/5 found itself in a very unenviable situation. Further south, after some necessary adjustments, Dark's forces assaulted Hill B with two battalions. Initially repelled, Dark then sent a task force led by Captain George Neal to attack from the north. After a complex maneuver north and then south, the Neal Task Force attacked Hill B just as other elements of the 321st fought their way to the top through challenging terrain. The hill eventually fell to the Americans, completing the isolation of the Umurbrogol Pocket. By the end of the day, the island was divided in two places, leaving Nakagawa's determined defenders isolated in two major pockets. On September 27, with the Umurbrogol Pocket now contained, the 5th Marines continued their operations against Amiangal Mountain. At the same time, the 1st Battalion, 321st Regiment advanced north from the Hill B area to close the long gap along East Road up to Hill 80. Dark's infantrymen secured Kamilianlul Mountain with minimal resistance and then moved towards the Marines' road junction.  The 2d Battalion was to find progress extremely rough for the remainder of the day. First, the erstwhile phosphate plant, which the Japanese had turned into a blockhouse, had to be secured in an area that bristled with snipers. The problem confronting Colonel Harris was a formidable one. The blockhouse in front of 2/5 could not be taken until the antitank ditch blocking the approaches to it had been seized. This was a job that the infantry could not tackle without armored support. The regimental commander decided to utilize all arms available in reducing these obstacles. First of all, Colonel Harris called naval gunfire and artillery in on Ngesebus and any other targets suspected of harboring artillery or mortar positions. A medium tank, equipped with a bulldozer blade, was pressed into service to level the antitank ditch, and filled it by 0830. A LVT flamethrower then was able to come within effective range of the Japanese fortification. Moments later, when the flame and smoke had cleared, all resistance from this stronghold had ceased and more than 60 dead Japanese remained in the rubble. While this action was in progress, patrols from Company E seized a small, weakly defended ridge abutting the road from the east. The 2d Battalion thereafter resumed its advance northward along the road as well as over the adjacent ridge. Company F, at the head of the column, soon found itself embroiled in some of the most bitter and frustrating action of the entire campaign. Aside from receiving heavy Japanese artillery and mortar fire, the company faced a series of pillboxes and field fortifications on level ground, and layer upon layer of caves in the hillsides. Even though they were not aware of it at the time, the men of the 5th Marines had come upon the most skillfully constructed defenses on Peleliu. The Japanese Army had utilized all of the many natural caves possessing tactical value, adapting them for the emplacement of heavier weapons with great ingenuity. On the other hand, Japanese naval troops had preferred to construct their own caves with the help of the 214th Naval Construction Battalion, composed of men who had been professional miners and tunnel workers in civilian life. Since most of these Navy caves were located near the northern end of Peleliu, they proved a serious obstacle to the advance of the 5th Marines. Eugene Sledge faced these obstacles and saw firsthand the effectiveness of flamethrowers. Here is a passage from him: Burgin's order to us to continue firing into the opening interrupted my musings. We kept up a steady fire into the pillbox to keep the Japanese pinned down while the flamethrower came up, carried by Corporal Womack from Mississippi. He was a brave, good-natured guy and popular with the troops, but he was one of the fiercest-looking Marines I ever saw. He was big and husky with a fiery red beard well powdered with white coral dust. He reminded me of some wild Viking. I was glad we were on the same side. Stooped under the heavy tanks on his back, Womack approached the pillbox with his assistant just out of the line of our fire. When they got about fifteen yards from the target, we ceased firing. The assistant reached up and turned a valve on the flamethrower. Womack then aimed the nozzle at the opening made by the 75mm gun. He pressed the trigger. With a whoooooooosh the flame leaped at the opening. Some muffled screams, then all quiet. Even the stoic Japanese couldn't suppress the agony of death by fire and suffocation. But they were no more likely to surrender to us than we would have been to them had we ever been confronted with the possibility of surrender. In fighting the Japanese, surrender was not one of our options.  Sheer courage and heroism in themselves proved inadequate for the task. In the course of the morning of 27 September, Company F seized the two ridges forming the northwestern anchor of the Amiangal system and established observation posts on the crests. But this did not solve the problem of what to do about the Japanese occupying the caves about half way up the hill. Marine casualties mounted steadily, and evacuation of the wounded became more and more difficult. Since the cave openings completely dominated the road leading past the northernmost ridge of Peleliu, the advance of the entire 2d Battalion ground to a halt. The first tank attempting to squeeze through the narrow gap between the hill and the northwestern shore was hit, and the Marines occupying the crest of the hill were powerless to cope with the caves underneath. Although the Americans now controlled the northern shore and blocked further enemy reinforcements, skilled Japanese miners continued their resistance underground. What the Marines did not know was that they were facing the most comprehensive cave system on Peleliu which was the underground home of the Japanese naval construction units who were, luckily for the Marines, better miners than infantrymen. The Japanese Army had utilized all of the many natural caves possessing tactical value, adapting them for the emplacement of heavier weapons with great ingenuity. On the other hand, Japanese naval troops had preferred to construct their own caves with the help of the 214th Naval Construction Battalion, composed of men who had been professional miners and tunnel workers in civilian life. Since most of these Navy caves were located near the northern end of Peleliu, they proved a serious obstacle to the advance of the 5th Marines. In the end, it would take weeks for the Marines to finally quash all resistance on Akarakoro Point, then only by blasting closed all the tunnel entrances, sealing the Japanese defenders inside to their fate. To the south, Harris' 1st Battalion pressed on with their attack on the mountain's southern leg, successfully capturing Hill 1. Meanwhile, the 322nd Regiment resumed its assault on the Lake Salome bowl, fighting to secure the base of the north rim but encountering less resistance in the south as most Japanese defenders had been evacuated towards Romauldo. The following day, despite a successful enemy mortar barrage that initially forced a temporary withdrawal and reorganization, the Americans cleared the entire bowl floor of Japanese troops, isolating Goto's remaining forces in the Romauldo area. This progress enabled the 322nd to launch a final coordinated attack on October 1, with its three battalions trapping the enemy in the Romauldo Pocket, though they were unable to penetrate Goto's final defenses. On September 28 at Peleliu, while Dark's 1st Battalion engaged Japanese infiltrators while mopping up the Kamilianlul Mountain area, Harris' 1st and 2nd Battalions continued their assault on Amiangal and successfully captured Hill 3. This action isolated the remaining Japanese forces at Radar Hill. Meanwhile, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines executed a successful landing on Ngesebus Island with minimal resistance after a comprehensive artillery, air, and naval bombardment.  The curtain on the drama of Ngesebus opened on the morning of September 28, when the massed fire of five artillery battalions from Peleliu, as well as heavy fire from warships and aircraft, blanketed the island. Near the northwestern shore of Peleliu, an impressive gathering of high-ranking officers had assembled to witness the operation. The group included such notables as Admiral Fort, and Generals Julian C. Smith, Geiger, Rupertus, Mueller, Oliver P. Smith, and Bell. The weather was cool and cloudy and interspersed with frequent rain squalls. For the Corsair pilots of VMF-114, air support for the Ngesebus landings represented a very interesting and original assignment. The operation marked the beginning of combat work for the squadron, which had reached Peleliu only two days earlier. At 06:30, the Corsairs hit the airstrip on Ngesebus with 500-pound bombs and strafed the entire island as well as Kongauru to the northeast. "Strafing runs were made just a few feet off the deck and a hail of lead laid all over the island." At 08:40, 20 Corsairs preceded the landing craft and gave the island another heavy strafing. In the course of this attack, Japanese mortar positions were spotted and one especially prominent square blockhouse with an iron door was fired on and neutralized. Whenever aircraft were not directly over the island, the artillery on Peleliu and naval guns offshore gave Ngesebus a heavy going over, starting at 07:00 and concluding at 09:05. Both quick and delay fuzes were used. Observers reported that the island was completely covered with fire. In the course of the preliminary bombardment, naval gunfire ships pounded the northern portion of Ngesebus and continued to fire on that part of the island throughout the landing. The Marines advanced inland, swiftly securing the airstrip and the eastern portion of Ngesebus. One platoon then landed on Kongauru and Murphy islands to secure them against light opposition. However, the attack to the northwest encountered strong resistance from Japanese forces entrenched in caves and dugouts, prompting the deployment of tanks to support the Marine assault. By 5:00 PM, nearly all of Ngesebus was under American control, with only a few hundred yards at the extreme northwestern tip remaining in Japanese hands and some caves on the ridges still needing to be cleared.  The 3d Battalion spent a relatively quiet night on Ngesebus. On the morning of 29 September, Companies I and K resumed the attack. Progress was normal until the two companies had nearly reached the northern tip of Ngesebus, when a 75mm gun opened up at point blank range. The Marines quickly destroyed this weapon and went on to overcome the rest of the resistance on the island. At 1500, 29 September, Ngesebus was declared secure. An hour later, 2/321 relieved the Marines and completed mopping up. Having accomplished the mission on the island, 3/5 returned to Peleliu. The battalion had secured the island at a cost of 15 killed and 33 wounded. In return, the Marines killed or captured 470 Japanese. Infantrymen of 2/321 were to account for another hundred of the enemy during the ensuing mop-up. Eugene Sledge wrote this about the final capture of Ngesebus: The next morning, again with the help of tanks and am-tracs, our battalion took most of the remainder of Ngesebus. Our casualties were remarkably low for the number of Japanese we killed.* In midafternoon we learned that an army unit would relieve us shortly and complete the job on the northern end of Ngesebus. Our mortar section halted to await orders and dispersed among some open bushes. In our midst was the wreckage of a Japanese heavy machine gun and the remains of the squad that had been wiped out by Company K. The squad members had been killed in the exact positions to be occupied by such a squad “according to the book.” At first glance the dead gunner appeared about to fire his deadly weapon. He still sat bolt upright in the proper firing position behind the breech of his machine gun. Even in death his eyes stared widely along the gun sights. Despite the vacant look of his dilated pupils, I couldn't believe he was dead. Cold chills ran along my spine. Gooseflesh tickled my back. It seemed as though he was looking through me into all eternity, that at any instant he would raise his hands—which rested in a relaxed manner on his thighs—grip the handles on the breech, and press the thumb trigger. The bright shiny brass slugs in the strip clip appeared as ready as the gunner, anxious to speed out, to kill, and to maim more of the “American devils.” But he would rot, and they would corrode. Neither he nor his ammo could do any more for the emperor.  The rest of the 5th Marines continued their operations on September 29, launching a full-scale assault on Radar Hill using flamethrowers, bazookas, and demolition charges, finally capturing the position by the morning of September 30. Following the completion of operations in northern Peleliu, the 5th Marines were relieved by the 321st Regiment. However, as the Army troops took over, the remaining Japanese, who had been hiding underground, reoccupied some positions, requiring two additional days of fighting to fully secure northern Peleliu. Nonetheless, the Japanese presence in Peleliu had now been reduced to Nakagawa's Umurbrogol Pocket, so Peleliu was officially secured. Total losses during this battle so far included 843 killed, 3845 wounded and 356 missing of the 1st Marine Division; 46 killed, 226 wounded and 7 missing from the 321st Regiment; and an estimated 9076 Japanese dead plus 180 prisoners of war. Yet that is all for today with Peleliu and Anguar as we now need to travel to China where the Japanese are still carrying out Operation Ichi-Go in an effort to capture Guilin and Liuzhou. As we last observed, General Yokoyama's 11th Army had taken control of Lingling Airdrome and Quanzhou by September 14. Following this, they reorganized their units in preparation for resuming their offensive in October. Meanwhile, the 34th Division was deployed towards Changning, and the 37th Division moved to capture Shaoyang, which fell by the end of the month. The 23rd Army also made final preparations for their offensive in early September. General Tanaka directed the Kawakami Raiding Unit in a wide flanking maneuver along the Zhukeng-Huaiji road towards Wuzhou, while the 23rd Independent Mixed Brigade embarked on a long march north to Guiping. On September 13, the 22nd Independent Mixed Brigade and the 22nd and 104th Divisions began their main advance towards Wuzhou. However, the Kawakami Raiding Unit successfully captured Wuzhou on September 22 and seized the Danzhuzhen airfield six days later. Each unit then continued its advance westward to Guiping, which fell to the 23rd Brigade on October 11. So far, Tanaka's forces had encountered little to no resistance, but this was about to change. After the war, in discussing the performance of the Chinese divisions supposed to defend Guilin and Liuzhou, the political situation in east China, and the attitudes of the east China commanders, Marshal Hata remarked that in his opinion Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi had kept their forces out of serious fighting in order to conserve them "for the future." At the time, there were rumors that these men were planning a coup against Chiang Kai-Shek. Chinese resistance was light, but with its supply situation improved the 14th Air Force again did its best on the Salween as well as in east China. In all September the force dropped 1897.6 tons of bombs and fired 1281382 rounds of machine-gun ammunition, some of the latter of course at aerial targets. In early September, Japanese fighter reinforcements from the homeland also entered combat. The Japanese were pleased at the performance of the latemodel fighters with one of the air regiments they sent to China. Thanks to the air cover thus supplied, for the first time in the east China campaign they found themselves able to move supplies regularly on the Xiang Jiang, which paralleled their line of advance, and so thought their prospects "brightened."  At the beginning of the month, Yokoyama renewed his offensive, with the 58th Division successfully taking Xing'An and the 34th Division capturing Changning. The 37th Division was then deployed to Dao, and the 34th Division was sent to Xing'An in preparation for the final push toward Guilin. On October 20, this attack commenced as Yokoyama directed the 216th Regiment to advance to Lehecun, the 58th Division to assault the area north of Guilin, the 40th Division to move to Gaoshangzhen, the 13th Division to advance to Quanhuicun, and the 3rd Division to push toward Fuchuan. With minimal resistance from the retreating Japanese forces, most of these movements were completed by the end of the month. The 3rd Division pushed further to Pingle, while the 37th Division occupied Gongchengzhen and Yanshan to approach Guilin from the south. On November 3, the 3rd Division captured Lipu and began preparations for the advance towards Liuzhen, encircling Guilin and opening the route to Liuzhen. Meanwhile, on October 22, Tanaka ordered the reinforced 23rd Brigade to continue its advance toward Guigang, with the 104th and 22nd Divisions pushing toward Wuxuan. Their progress, previously unopposed, was now challenged by the Chinese 46th and 64th Armies, which launched daily attacks against Guiping with substantial air support. As a result, the 22nd Division was redirected to counter the Chinese forces, successfully forcing their withdrawal by October 29. Following this victory, the 23rd Brigade captured Guigang on November 3, and the 104th Division seized Wuxuan the following day. This allowed Tanaka's forces to begin a northern pursuit to support Yokoyama's assaults on Guilin and Liuzhen. After the third Anshan strike, General LeMay began implementing reforms within the 20th Bomber Command. These changes included reorganizing the command, enhancing the logistics system, adjusting target priorities, and improving coordination with Pacific operations. As a result, the frequency of missions increased each month, with each mission becoming more substantial and effective. Concurrently, following the successful completion of the newly renamed Isley Field on Saipan, the 73rd Bombardment Wing was redirected to the Marianas instead of the CBI Theater. There, it would join Major-General Haywood Hansell's 21st Bomber Command, tasked with executing high-altitude, daylight precision attacks to cripple Japan's aircraft industry.  The XXI Bomber Command arrived on Saipan on October 12, 1944, and from the start General Hansell was beset by a host of serious command problems, the worst of which were continued teething problems with the B-29, tardy delivery of aircraft, aircrews untrained in high altitude formation flying, primitive airfield conditions, lack of an air service command for logistical support, no repair depots, a total absence of target intelligence, stubborn internal resistance to daylight operations by his sole combat wing, subordinates in the XXI Bomber Command who lobbied for his removal, and Hansell's inferiority in rank in dealing with other AAF commanders in the theater. Furthermore, Hansell was soon prohibited from flying combat missions with his command, possibly because of limited knowledge of the atomic bomb or the perception that he knew the existence of Ultra. As plans for a sustained bomber offensive against Honshu progressed, the strategic focus of Operation Matterhorn diminished. The 20th Bomber Command shifted to flying missions in direct support of other Pacific operations, with target priorities moving from coke ovens to the aircraft industry. In preparation for the upcoming invasion of the Philippines, the command was tasked with two closely spaced maximum missions against Okayama in Formosa, totaling 170 sorties, along with very-long-range reconnaissance missions. Yet now we have to travel over to the India-Burma theater. As the advance towards the Chindwin continued and the resilient 33rd Division finally crossed the river in late November, General Katamura was finalizing his plans for a withdrawal to the Mandalay sector, scheduled for December. This decision was driven by the intense pressure the British 36th Division was putting on General Takeda's defensive positions at Pinwe, forcing the defenders to prepare for a final retreat by the end of November. Meanwhile, General Slim was preparing for Operation Capital. He planned to stretch airpower to its limits to move four and two-thirds divisions across the Chindwin, along with two tank brigades. After establishing bridgeheads at Sittang, Mawlaik, and Kalewa, he intended to cross the Chindwin and confront General Kimura's forces between the Chindwin and the Irrawaddy. The 4th Corps, now under the experienced General Messervy, would break out from the Sittang bridgehead, advance east through the mountains, capture Pinlebu, and then approach the Shwebo plain from the north. Simultaneously, General Stopford's 33rd Corps would move from Kalewa, following the Chindwin southeast to Yeu and Monywa. Once the Japanese forces were pushed onto the open plain, Slim planned to exploit his overwhelming advantage in airpower and tanks to decisively defeat them, anticipating that the enemy would fiercely defend Mandalay. The combination of the defeats at Kohima, Imphal, Mogaung and Myitkyina meant that by the autumn of 1944, Kimura's role was reduced to defending southern Burma as the northern flank of their new ‘South-East Asia defense zone'. With few reinforcements or supplies to look forward to, Kimura had grim prospects. On paper he had ten divisions (2nd, 15th, 18th, 31st, 33rd, 49th, 53rd, 54th, 55th, & 56th), though this was really seven, since little remained of the three divisions that had been devastated at Kohima-Imphal. He also had the dubious support of Bose's INA and Aung San's seven-battalion Burma National Army, but the civilian population was increasingly going over to the side of the likely winners. Unexpectedly, Kimura received 30000 fresh troops in the period June–October, but his problem was more commissariat than raw numbers, since he was rapidly running out of supplies. Even those he had (45000 tons of food, 500 lorries and 2000 pack animals) were difficult to get to the front, and Kimura was painfully aware that the situation could only get worse. The South-East Asia zone was slowly being throttled by the Allied naval blockade, all approaches to Rangoon were mined, and in 1944 total Japanese shipping losses amounted to 2.3 million tons. Even those ships that ran the blockade would proceed no farther than Penang in Malaya. Kimura chose to deploy smaller units to delay the British-Indian forces while the main body of the 15th Army retreated across the Irrawaddy River. His strategy was to launch a counterattack once the British crossed the river, aiming to replicate a reverse Imphal by wearing down the British-Indian forces through attrition and then destroying them during their retreat in the May 1945 monsoon. Meanwhile, Admiral Mountbatten was also seeking a victory of his own. On November 8, he ordered an assault on Japanese positions in Arakan, with a deadline set for the end of January. This operation was assigned to General Christison's 15th Corps.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The fighting on Peleliu and Angaur raged asAmerican forces struggled against resilient Japanese defenses. Significant advances were made, including the isolation of the Umurbrogol Pocket and the capture of Ngesebus Island. Despite heavy casualties, Peleliu was eventually secured, leaving a small pocket of Japanese resistance.

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! In the longest MIFV episode ever (of all time), Nate is joined by Daniel DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project (no surprise why it's long) to discuss the most underestimated of G-films: Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island). They discuss every possible aspect of this film, from its under-funded production to its quirky yet iconic dub and everything in between—and we do mean everything. But the most surprising part of this epic episode is Nate and Danny's discussion of the historical context in which it was made—a time of market penetration by foreign corporations and the explosion of the popularity of theme parks—the fascinating unmade drafts of its script written by both Shinichi Sekizawa and Takeshi Kimura, and the brilliant meta commentary it makes on Godzilla as a pop culture icon. “There's something funny going on” in today's episode of MIFV! Here's the Sekizawa and Kimura panel Danny and I hosted at G-Fest 2019: https://youtu.be/D3fROnC-Sso?si=SJjlQ5kie_XYuDRA. Jimmy's Notes on this episode COMING SOON!  For full show notes, including a bibliography of sources, visit this episode's blog on the MIFV website: https://monsterislandfilmvault.com/index.php/2024/09/17/episode-97-godzilla-vs-gigan-ft-daniel-dimanna-godzilla-redux/.  Additional Music: “Godzilla March - G. Vs. Gigan (PEACEFUL COVER)” by Alyssa Charpentier (https://youtu.be/AeQdHBUgQFs?si=zOhCOC5K-j4D6q1G) Check out Nathan's spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3! We'd like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support! You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault) Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE! This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors. Timestamps: Introduction: 0:00-19:15 Main Discussion – Production History and More: 19:15-1:48:27 Main Discussion – Film Analysis and Appreciation: 1:48:27-3:40:12 Outro (listener feedback and housekeeping): 3:40:12-4:02:41 Credits: 4:02:41-end Podcast Social Media: MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault Nate's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/) MIFV is one of Feedspot's top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/) MIFV is one of Feedspot's top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/) www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com #JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault    #GodzillaRedux                       #Godzilla        #GodzillaVsGigan      #kaiju              © 2024 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Continued from Part 2: Hello, Kaiju Lovers! In the longest MIFV episode ever (of all time), Nate is joined by Daniel DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project (no surprise why it's long) to discuss the most underestimated of G-films: Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island). They discuss every possible aspect of this film, from its under-funded production to its quirky yet iconic dub and everything in between—and we do mean everything. But the most surprising part of this epic episode is Nate and Danny's discussion of the historical context in which it was made—a time of market penetration by foreign corporations and the explosion of the popularity of theme parks—the fascinating unmade drafts of its script written by both Shinichi Sekizawa and Takeshi Kimura, and the brilliant meta commentary it makes on Godzilla as a pop culture icon. “There's something funny going on” in today's episode of MIFV! Here's the Sekizawa and Kimura panel Danny and I hosted at G-Fest 2019: https://youtu.be/D3fROnC-Sso?si=SJjlQ5kie_XYuDRA. Jimmy's Notes on this episode COMING SOON!  For full show notes, including a bibliography of sources, visit this episode's blog on the MIFV website: https://monsterislandfilmvault.com/index.php/2024/09/17/episode-97-godzilla-vs-gigan-ft-daniel-dimanna-godzilla-redux/.  Additional Music: “Godzilla March - G. Vs. Gigan (PEACEFUL COVER)” by Alyssa Charpentier (https://youtu.be/AeQdHBUgQFs?si=zOhCOC5K-j4D6q1G) Check out Nathan's spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3! We'd like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support! You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault) Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE! This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors. Podcast Social Media: MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault Nate's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/) MIFV is one of Feedspot's top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/) MIFV is one of Feedspot's top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/) www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com #JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault    #GodzillaRedux                       #Godzilla        #GodzillaVsGigan      #kaiju              © 2024 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! In the longest MIFV episode ever (of all time), Nate is joined by Daniel DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project (no surprise why it's long) to discuss the most underestimated of G-films: Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island). They discuss every possible aspect of this film, from its under-funded production to its quirky yet iconic dub and everything in between—and we do mean everything. But the most surprising part of this epic episode is Nate and Danny's discussion of the historical context in which it was made—a time of market penetration by foreign corporations and the explosion of the popularity of theme parks—the fascinating unmade drafts of its script written by both Shinichi Sekizawa and Takeshi Kimura, and the brilliant meta commentary it makes on Godzilla as a pop culture icon. “There's something funny going on” in today's episode of MIFV! Continued in Part 2. Here's the Sekizawa and Kimura panel Danny and I hosted at G-Fest 2019: https://youtu.be/D3fROnC-Sso?si=SJjlQ5kie_XYuDRA. Jimmy's Notes on this episode COMING SOON!  For full show notes, including a bibliography of sources, visit this episode's blog on the MIFV website: https://monsterislandfilmvault.com/index.php/2024/09/17/episode-97-godzilla-vs-gigan-ft-daniel-dimanna-godzilla-redux/.  Additional Music: “Godzilla March - G. Vs. Gigan (PEACEFUL COVER)” by Alyssa Charpentier (https://youtu.be/AeQdHBUgQFs?si=zOhCOC5K-j4D6q1G) Check out Nathan's spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3! We'd like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support! You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault) Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE! This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors. Podcast Social Media: MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault Nate's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/) MIFV is one of Feedspot's top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/) MIFV is one of Feedspot's top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/) www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com #JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault    #GodzillaRedux                       #Godzilla        #GodzillaVsGigan      #kaiju              © 2024 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

This week on the show, Maine and Miranda discuss Mikey Musumeci being stripped of his One Championship Flyweight ttle, after a complicated series, events involving a weight cut a change of opponent, and the One Championship hydration rules. We talk about his hospitalization and him being stripped of the belt, and potentially some of the financial drivers that are taking place at One Championship. In the recap section of the show, we break down all of the main card matches on Polaris 29, including some of the controversial scoring in the number of the matches. In Diego Pato Oliveira vs Ashley Williams we talk about the top passing from Pato and in his Decision win over Ash and how it was great to see Ash in the Gi. In Jacob Rodriguez vs Mohammed Avtarhanov we discussed some of the potentially controversial scoring that led to the split decision win for Mo and talk about the 10 point must system versus the straight round system in scoring.  In Tainan Dalpra vs Tarik Hopstock we discussed Tainan week of change of opponent, and how Tainan and seemed hell-bent on the Tarikolplata even continuing to go for it after hop stock tapped to the Kimura.In Cole Abate vs Sam McNally we talked about how great it was to see Cole again after a long layoff due to injury and how it was nice to see him shake the rust off. In Davis Asare vs George Pearse we talked again about the scoring system at Polaris, and how, although Davis looked good at the beginning, he seemingly completely gassed in the last period of the match, allowing for a phenomenal amount of offense and sub attempts from George late in the match that Davis weathered to win the decision. In Jed Hue vs Julian Espinosa  we talked about Jed, finally being the bigger guy in a match, potentially allowing him to work on some wrestling and stand up in the early part of the match, and then playing a great counter game late in the match to take a decision. We also talk about a few upcoming Keith Krikorian matches this coming week. Recorded 9-8-2024

In this episode, we look at Taro Miyake's challenge matches in England and review one of the few double-crosses after the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance.

みなさんこんにちは、かなこです！今日のシャドーイングは「お＋verb stem＋になる」。今回のPodcastは、オードリーさんの提供でお送りします。 Hi everyone, it's Kanako. Today's shadowing is “Flanking a verb stem with お and になる”. If the verb doesn't have the special verb, most verbs can be turned into honorific verbs using the form of "お＋verb stem＋になる". For instance, the professor reads the newspaper every day, you can say「教授は毎日新聞をお読みになります」.   Before we get started, I want to thank Audrey for supporting my show. ありがとうございます!   それでは はじめていきましょう！ Let's get started！ ***************************************************** ▼Subscribe to my YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKOYOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠ ▼Buy me a coffee  ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKO-Coffee⁠⁠⁠ ▼Get your Genki 2 textbook ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3VIRHKP ***************************************************** Professor Yamashita has already left. 山下先生はもうお帰りになりました。 What time will the principal be back? 校長先生は何時にお戻りになりますか。 Dr. Suzuki got into a cab. 鈴木先生はタクシーにお乗りになりました。 The president smokes cigarettes. 社長はタバコをお吸いになります。 Have you ever met that person? あの人にお会いになったことがありますか。 Have you read this article? この記事をお読みになったことがありますか。 Please use this one. こちらお使いになってください。 Dr. Yamada wrote a recommendation letter. 山田先生は推薦状をお書きになりました。 Dr. Kimura often sings traditional Japanese folk songs. 木村先生はよく演歌をお歌いになります。 The president will take that seat. 社長はあの席にお座りになります。 ***************************************************** では もういちど、さいしょから ぜんぶ いってみましょう。 Let's try shadowing the whole thing again from the beginning. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/japanese-with-kanako/message

みなさんこんにちは、かなこです！今日のシャドーイングは「～ていらっしゃいます」。今回のPodcastは、マイケルさんの提供でお送りします。 Hi everyone, it's Kanako. Today's shadowing is “Honorific verbs – present continuous”. Use 「～ていらっしゃいます」instead of 「～ています」if you are describing the actions of people whom you respect. However, the special honorific verbs generally take priority over「～ていらっしゃいます」. For instance, the special honorific verb “召し上がる” which means “to eat”, “Dr. Kimura is eating lunch.” would be 「木村先生は昼食を召し上がっています」.   Before we get started, I want to thank Michael for supporting my show. ありがとうございます!   それでは はじめていきましょう！ Let's get started！ ***************************************************** Follow me on Instagram→ ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKOIG⁠⁠ Subscribe to my YouTube channel→ ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKOYOUTUBE⁠⁠ Buy me a coffee→  ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKO-Coffee⁠⁠  Get your Genki textbook→ ⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3Z5ShSz ***************************************************** Professor Yamashita is speaking. 山下先生が話していらっしゃいます。 The principal is speaking on the phone. 校長先生は電話で話していらっしゃいます。 Dr. Suzuki seems to be tired. 鈴木先生は疲れていらっしゃるみたいです。 The president is listening to the radio. 社長はラジオを聞いていらっしゃいます。 The president is out of the office. 社長は出かけていらっしゃいます。 Classroom A is used by teachers.　A教室は先生たちが使っていらっしゃいます。 The president is used to business trips abroad. 社長は海外出張に慣れていらっしゃいます。 The teacher is reading a book. 先生は本を読んでいらっしゃいます。 Dr. Yamada is writing a report. 山田先生はレポートを書いていらっしゃいます。 The teacher is planning a class. 先生は授業の計画を立てていらっしゃいます。 The president is in a hurry. 社長は急いでいらっしゃいます。 ***************************************************** では もういちど、さいしょから ぜんぶ いってみましょう。 Let's try shadowing the whole thing again from the beginning. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/japanese-with-kanako/message

Gen Kimura is a YouTube creator and documentary filmmaker tackling controversial political topics via on-the-ground reporting with average citizens and inquisitive interviews with relevant experts.Gen's YouTube ChannelBridging the Bias newsletterSquatters Invaded America. Here's How. - YouTubeIf You Liked This Conversation, You'll Probably Like These Episodes of Where We Go Next:105: Religious Cults, Fringe Science, and the Need for Belief, with Ross Blocher & Carrie Poppy 101: Uncovering the Hidden Truths in Political Memoirs, with Carlos Lozada69: Creating a Space for Empathy on YouTube, with Gen Kimura65: Untangling Partisan Narratives and Fixing Political News, with Isaac Saul45: Filming the News as It Happens, with Ford FischerFollow Gen: linktr.ee/genkimura----------If you liked this episode, consider sharing it with someone you think might like it too.Email: michael@wherewegonext.comInstagram: @wwgnpodcast

Islam Makhachev Defends, Dustin Poirier Impresses, UFC 302 Was Boring | Kiiyon Kimura Podcast Join me on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/kiiyonkimura Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiiyon.ig TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kiiyonkimura Website: https://www.kiiyonkimura.com/ Kiiyon Kimura Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/kiiyon-kimura/id1518270429 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2hSIoydlGWuROWBdM8VaXn?si=STBgvDmPSZK3SkAXMNJX8Q&nd=1 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kiiyon-kimura

Bonnie starts us off by learning about the controversial actress Komako Kimura. This gal managed two theaters in Toyoko, performed in nearly 500 plays, and created a movement. Komako was all about women's suffrage and Japan tried to shut it down. So she came to America to walk in the 1917 Women's Suffrage Parade in New York...and perform at Carnegie Hall...and on Broadway

Trade finance is the lifeblood of the commodity sector. Liquidity shrank throughout the last decade in the wake of regulatory changes. Now deglobalization and sanctions, environmental pressures and volatility threaten this key resource. How have the banks responded and what of alternative providers? What does this mean for commodity traders and the markets themselves? Kristofer is the founder of Kimura, an asset management business dedicated to the commodities sector, with a central focus on private credit trade finance.Kimura host a stable of successful podcasts which you can visit here: https://www.kimuraperformance.com/category/podcasts/ 

Embrace the heartwarming complexities of being a 'girl dad' with myself, Thaddeus, and my special guest, Russell Kimura, as we share our personal experiences and celebrate the father-daughter bond. Prepare to be moved by tales of daddy daughter experiences, father-daughter proms, and the poignant growth milestones that punctuate this unique journey. Our candid dialogue unfolds the art of connection, as we tackle the delicate dance of guiding our daughters through the nuanced stages of life, from the whimsy of Disneyland adventures to the introspective depths of daddy-daughter journals.Navigating the stereotypes of teenage angst, we venture into the misunderstood territory that fathers and their adolescent daughters often traverse, sharing strategies for maintaining open lines of communication. Our exchange reveals the transformative power behind a father's sincere apology and the courage to break free from generational cycles of reactive parenting. As we reflect on the bittersweet nature of watching our daughters blossom into independence, I recount an unforgettable heart-to-heart at the 'happiest place on earth' and the graceful balance between guiding and letting go.As we gear up for the enchanting father-daughter prom, a celebration that has evolved from a virtual affair to an anticipated gala, feel the palpable excitement that this event brings. It's more than just a night of dancing—it's a symbol of the lasting impressions fathers can leave and the standard of respect daughters deserve. And as we touch on the foundational role of faith within the family, the upcoming prom stands as a testament to the profound and subtle influence it holds. Join us in this episode for a journey through the joys and revelations of fatherhood, all in the company of an uplifting community of fellow dads who cherish every step of the path with their daughters.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Here is the third episode of Memories From Toronto. This week, Red speaks to striker Omar Cummings. We discuss how he the born and raised Jamaican ended up at the University of Cincinnati and the Colorado Rapids Reserves (Colorado Cobras). We learn about his relationships with Kosuke Kimura and Conor Casey. He's got thoughts on why he and Casey worked so well as a forward tandem and what made Gary Smith's style perfectly for that team. Get ready to go inside the grumpy mind of Casey, courtesy of the one person who could read his thoughts. The Reggae Boy shares his perspective on that fishing boat Kosuke bought. We discuss big regular season wins and how he and Mac Kandji got along and weren't really competing with each other(?). Then we discuss that playoff run. What was that series with Columbus Crew like? Why didn't he take a penalty at the end of that second leg? Was he really penalty shy? How was it playing San Jose in the Conference Final? And once and for all, we find out who should have gotten credit for the only goal in that game that saw Kimura cross the ball into the box and Cummings make a run to the ball. Then we discuss the final against FC Dallas. What was that game like? What plays stand out for him? Wait, he was playing that final with an ankle injury?! How did he feel watching the team get the win with him on the bench and Mac getting hurt? The we discuss the fallout over the next two years that saw him leave the club. What did he make of the Aston Villa rumor and did a move almost happen? Oh, and we discuss what he's doing now with FC Cincinnati. Photo Credit: Colorado Rapids

Into The Great Wide Opens - Ep.13 - with Bassmaster Elite angler Kenta Kimura - 4/10/2024 #podcast #fishing #bassmaster

Check out Kersten's website at: https://kerstenkimura.com/ Find her on IG at @KerstenKimura This episode is brought to you by Jeannie Kulwin Coaching! Listen to Jeannie's healing journey here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mind-and-fitness-podcast/id1291091376?i=1000532375002 Learn more about her 1:1 coaching program here www.jeanniekulwin.com  Follow Jeannie Kulwin on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/jeanniekulwincoaching/ This Podcast is also brought to you by Pain Free Comeback.  This is the first Chronic Pain Program, to my knowledge, based entirely on Athletes and their Comeback.  Check them out here: https://www.painfreecomeback.com/ Become a Patron of the Show!  You can support the show with as little as a few dollars per month - show your support and get a shoutout every single week to thousands of people across the world: https://www.patreon.com/themindandfitnesspodcast Join the Facebook Group to participate in show topics: The Deleters of Pain Give us a Like on Facebook: The Mind and Fitness Podcast If you are interested in advertising your online service or business, email me at eddy@themindandfitnesspodcast.com

Jess Kimura's life has never been easy. Yeah, she's a pro snowboarder who travels the world to ride, which sounds like a dream - But, hearing about the path that led Jess to snowboard superstardom, I doubt many people would trade places with her. What she has achieved is incredible. On the podcast, we talk about life lessons of the skatepark, leaving home at 16, being broke, snowboarding, mental health issues, losing snowboarding, love, losing love; oh, there is so much in this must-listen episode. Marie-France Roy asks the Inappropriate Questions Jess Kimura Show Notes: 3:00:  Alpenglow Speaker Series, Flipping her truck, early life of gymnastics and team sports, and skiing at Silverstar 12:00:  Skateboarding, bad stuff at the skatepark, leaving home at 16 and getting a place with a boyfriend, alternative school, and societies stereotypes   21:00:  Stanley:  Get up 60% off at Stanley1913.com Best Day Brewing:  All of the flavor of your favorite IPA or Kolsch, without the alcohol, the calories and sugar. Elan Skis:  Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better. 24:00:  Snowboard culture, inspiration, her contest mentality, traveling on Wendy's paychecks, Nationals, her attitude and look, traveling to Switzerland for her first World Cup, and the start of mental health battles 40:00:  Peter Glenn Ski and Sports:  Over 60 years of getting you out there.  Outdoor Research:  Click here for 25% off Outdoor Research products (not valid on sale items or pro products) 43:00:  Getting on powerful meds, getting put in a group home for kids with psychosis, losing snowboarding, getting off meds, and getting her life back 50:00:  Picking up hitchhikers, trying to go to SuperPark with a lacerated liver, moving to Whistler, concussions, and cameramen not shooting her because she's a girl 61:00:  Sexismin the mountains, sponsorship, finding love, finding inspiration, losing love, and The Uninvited 72:00:  Inappropriate Questions with Marie-France Roy

In this episode, we talk about the Kimura. Following up on the episode about what submission Josh should try to add to his arsenal, we decided to go deeper into the Kimura and discuss what games might be good to start with to learn this new grip and submission. Hope you enjoy!To support the show and take your jiu jitsu to the next level, check out submeta.io and use the code "BJJHELP" to get $16 off your first month. Hope you enjoy!Follow us on InstagramUse code “BJJHELP” at submeta.io to try your first month for only $8!Use the code "HELP" to get 10% off Jake's "Less Impressed More Half Guard Passing" instructional. Thanks for supporting the show! Check out Jake's Outlier Database to study match footage, get links to resources, and more.Use code “SISUhelp” for 10% off our favorite mouthguards.

Check out my Tronic Radio on your favorite streaming platforms here: https://ssyncc.com/tronic-podcast 01.Simenga - Bombedom 02.Nautik - To The Beat 03.Mandragora, Beltran (BR) - Moonlight 04.Marc Romboy, C.A.R. - I Am a Dancer (Sinisa Tamamovic & Marc Romboy Mix) 05.DZR - Muzik 06.The Reactivitz - Never Stop (Iglesias Remix) 07.Kid Cut - White Noise (Extended Mix) 08.Tita Lau, James Hype - On The Ground (Extended Mix) 09.Adrian Hour - Hi Its Me 10.KYSSA - All Talk (Extended Mix) 11.DJ Dextro - Burn On The Dancefloor 12.Alessandro Grops - Neptune 13.Lewis Fautzi - Danger Or Threat 14.Hemka - Fragrance 15.Hertz - Integer 16.Ramon Tapia - Funk Robot 17.Christian Smith - Right Now! 18.Weska - Depot 19.Mayro - Colorful World This show is syndicated & distributed exclusively by Syndicast. If you are a radio station interested in airing the show or would like to distribute your podcast / radio show please register here: https://syndicast.co.uk/distribution/registration

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Here is the second episode of Memories From Toronto. This week, Red speaks to right back Kosuke Kimura. We discuss his soccer origins growing up in Japan. Get ready for a wild story of how he annoyed an embassy and gamed the SAT to get into college soccer at Western Illinois. We learn about his style of play as one of the first modern fullbacks in MLS and how he won his individual matchups. There's that story, rumor, myth(?) how he and Quincy Amarikwa bought a fishing boat and hid at DSGP. Kosuke has some interesting and stoic takes on his teammates from that 2010 team. He talks about so many matchups against quality wingers that he got the best of. His #27 has special meaning related to that. We get to the bottom of that goal in the Eastern Conference Final. Then of course there's extra time of the final where he had to play two positions with the Rapids down a man. Get ready for more Jair Benítez hate. Then we discuss the fallout from 2011, the end of his playing career, and how he reunited with Gary Smith in Nashville.

Ever received an offer that made you do a double-take? That's how I kicked things off this week, recounting a laugh-out-loud encounter with an OnlyFans recruiter and contemplating the 'what ifs' of online modeling. My sidekick in this whirlwind of banter, John "Manimal" Beneduce, and I didn't hold back, stretching from tales of Norse gods to the practicalities of martial arts training.As our conversation zigzagged through the realms of ancient knowledge and modern-day applications, John  and I uncovered the mystical underpinnings in everyday life. Ever wonder how Odin could inspire your daily grind or what jiu-jitsu has to do with the art of connection? We've got you covered, spinning stories of personal transformation that might just motivate you to reconsider how you approach the world—whether you're wearing a Gi or a Kimura savage shirt.Wrapping things up, we didn't shy away from getting real about the blood, sweat, and tears in the dojo, pondering the possibilities of exclusive gyms, and peeking into the minds of deities. If you're ready for a dose of the unexpected, peppered with laughs and a few philosophical gems, then clear your schedule—you've got a podcast episode that refuses to fit any conventional mold.https://www.instagram.com/manimaljohn/Support the showYouTubeInstagram Tik Tok

Let's talk about world famous duo's. We've got Batman and Robin, Scooby Doo and Shaggy, and arguably the most iconic of all, Jess Kimura and Darrah Reid. On this week's episode we bring to you the first ever duo episode where we dive into funny stories, trips, and get an inside look as to how these two snowboarders do everything it is that they do. We talk dong. We talk mental health. We talk Adam's apples. And we talk everything in between. So sit down, listen up, and join Jess and Darrah in the booth as they walk us through just what exactly it means to be the most iconic snowboard duo in the industry on this week's episode of The Bomb Hole!Show Notes:Darrah's prom date, Andrew Geeves | https://www.instagram.com/andrew_geeves/Jess' roommate Ben Bilocq | https://www.instagram.com/benbilocq/Jess Kimura's "Learning to Drown" | https://youtu.be/kIecauyp8n8?si=dTcoKCt-01HunhPnJess' meme friend Jason Momoa | https://www.instagram.com/prideofgypsies/"The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael A. SingerYlfa Rúnarsdóttir in Burton Snowboards' BLOOOM | https://www.redbull.com/int-en/films/blooomWatch Darrah in 686's ATLAS | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiwwvJcVF-8&t=30sFollow Jess & DarrahInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess.kimura/https://www.instagram.com/darrahreidm/Follow Chris & JulesChris Grenier: https://www.instagram.com/grendiesel/Jules Spadaro: https://www.instagram.com/jjuice__box/For all things Bomb HoleWebsite | https://thebombhole.com/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thebombhole/Listen on Apple Podcast | https://apple.co/3UEm0l5Listen on Spotify | https://sptfy.com/BombHoleSpotifyThis episode is sponsored byBubs Naturals: https://www.bubsnaturals.comWoodward Park City: https://www.woodwardparkcity.comIkon Pass: https://www.ikonpass.comCapita: https://capitasnowboarding.comUnion: https://unionbindingcompany.comPub Beer: https://10barrel.com/beer/pub-beer/Oakley: https://www.oakley.com/en-usHippeas: https://hippeas.com (Use BOMBHOLE at checkout for 20% off)Dragon: https://www.dragonalliance.com (Use BOMBHOLE20 at checkout)Special thank you to our Patreon Members for making our show possible! Ask us questions and suggest topics for Group Chat when you become a member. Learn more and sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/thebombholeChapters:0:00 Intro7:57 Pushing Through Discouragement22:21 Ads: Hippeas & Bubs Naturals24:10 Speed Round31:42 Jess Kimura Barrier to Entry Program34:17 Ads: Woodward & Dragon Alliance36:47 Dong Talk42:49 World Famous Snowboard Duo46:42 Differences in The Space59:24 Fielding Your Questions1:18:36 Ads: Ikon & Yeti1:20:45 Motivation1:35:20 Prize Money / The UnInvited Invitational2:00:07 Pub Beer Crap Shoot2:02:00 OutroCopyright Bomb Hole Media Inc. 2023#TheBombHole #Snowboarding #JessKimura #DarrahReid #TheUnInvited

Join us on today's riveting episode of 'The Adams Archive,' where host Austin Adams delves into a medley of current, hard-hitting topics. We begin with an extraordinary event in the political arena: Senator MarkWayne Mullins' open challenge to fist fight a Teamster boss during a Senate hearing. Austin provides a unique analysis of this rare display of raw emotion in politics, examining the intricate backstory of these two figures and the implications of their confrontation. Shifting gears, we explore Elon Musk's bold stance against the 'woke mind virus.' Austin breaks down Musk's recent comments and actions, discussing their broader impact on cultural and corporate landscapes. This segment promises to provide an insightful look into the intersection of technology, culture, and free speech. The episode then navigates the complexities of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Austin offers a nuanced perspective on the recent developments in this longstanding geopolitical struggle. Listen in as he dissects the intricacies of this conflict, including the global reactions and the profound consequences on regional stability. In addition to these thought-provoking discussions, Austin will share his personal experience of being confronted and harassed for his views, offering a candid reflection on the current state of public discourse. Don't miss this episode packed with deep dives into politics, technology, and international affairs. Subscribe now, leave a five-star review, and join Austin Adams on this journey through some of today's most pressing issues in 'The Adams Archive.' All the links: https://linktr.ee/theaustinjadams Substack: https://austinadams.substack.com ----more---- Full Transcription  Adam's Archive.   Hello, you beautiful people, and welcome to the Adam's Archive. My name is Austin Adams, and thank you so much for listening today. On today's episode, we have a lot to catch up on. There's been some wild stuff that's happened over the last week and a half or two weeks since our previous episode, and I'll catch you up on... All of it, at least all of it that I'm interested in. And the very first thing I'm interested in this week is going to be that there was a Senator, Senator Mark Wayne Mullins, who actually challenged a Teamster boss to a fist fight on a Senate hearing of the Senate floor during a hearing. Um, and personally, I think this should probably happen more often as it did.  A long time ago. Uh, so we'll dive into what actually happened in that exchange. The bad blood between this Senator and the Teamster boss, as well as diving into Markway Mullins previous history. Cause this man was actually a MMA fighter. Uh, so probably not the guy that.  You would want to mess with if you were some fat, bald, uh, bald old dude like this Teamster boss was. Uh, so, my money is on Senator Mullins. That's all I gotta say. So we'll dive into that. We'll actually break down some of his MMA fights, um, and dive deeper into the bad blood because it goes back months and months ago where this exchange originally happened that got brought to The Senate floor just a couple days ago,  after we address that, we will also jump into the next topic, which is going to be that there is a overwhelming well, and I guess, yeah, the next article after that, we'll have a few small quick ones. First of all, apparently some people think that white people that are generated by AI look more real than photographs. Uh, so there was a, basically this, um,  statistical study that showed that if people were generated, like if there was images generated by AI and they were white, according to white people, it was harder to decide who was real and who was AI. Which is interesting. So we'll talk about that and how they tried to spin this into somehow AI is now racist, I guess? Hmm. Anyways,  after that, we will dive into another article, which is all about, uh, the majority of Americans taking notice in the rise of tipflation across industries.  And it's all about when you go to every single place ever now, whether they give you service or not, or you're just. paying for gas. It seems like everybody's asking you for a tip, asking you for a handout. I don't think that's how this works. And it drives me nuts. So we'll talk about that. After that, we will go into the police arresting the ex  arresting the  hockey player. I believe this was in the  ECHL, not the East Coast Hockey League, but the European League, I believe we talked about it in the last podcast, but they actually arrested the guy who ended up having his Gate hit the guy's throat and ended up in the death of Adam Johnson.  So we will discuss that, and I still hold true to my thoughts on that. So, uh, I, I don't believe that that was rightful for them to do So. Uh, there was a California team who was suspended from school for wearing, uh, the black, uh, paint on his face during a football game, which everybody all knows what I'm talking about, right under your eyes.  was suspended from school for wearing that because the principal says he was wearing blackface.  After that, we will dive into some of the conversation that was had between Elon Musk and Lex Friedman, including his thoughts on the Israel and Hamas war, leading us into a conversation about a poll that was done around people's support or lack thereof of what is happening by Israel. Then we'll jump into a discussion of, uh, between Theo Vaughn and Dana White. So all of that and more. And at the very end, I have a little interesting tidbit about, uh, the interstellar movie that I thought was interesting. Let's jump into it. But first, go ahead and hit that subscribe button, leave a five star review. I appreciate you being here from the bottom of my heart. I love, love, love doing this for you guys. And I don't ask for much. I don't even give you advertisements.  I'm making nothing off of this conversation right now other than the joy of knowing that you're about to hit that subscribe button. You're about to leave a five star review. And I'll even tell you a story about how I was chased down, harassed after being noticed by some liberal in a bar recently last night, to be exact.  And we'll talk about that. So,  uh, all of that more hit the five star review button, subscribe. That's all I got. And let's jump into it.  The Adams archive.  All right. So the very first thing that we're going to talk about today is that there was a senator who challenged a teamster boss to a fist fight on the Senate floor, only to be stopped by the one and only Bernie Sanders, who would have thought that that man would be the voice of reason,  but let's go ahead and watch this clip. And then I will give my opinion on what happened because.  You probably know my stance. I think they should have thought it out.  First for you here, here is the article. Let's go ahead or the video actually. Let's go ahead and take a look and watch this. Clip together. Um,  and here we  go. So actually I'll read you a little bit about the article because Bernie Sanders is going off here in the background, but it says that a Congress, a congressional hearing devolved into an angry confrontation between Senator and a witness on Tuesday after Republican Senator Markway Mullen of Oklahoma challenged Sean O'Brien, the president of the international brotherhood of Teamsters, otherwise known as unionized mob boss. Uh, To stand your butt up and settle ongoing differences right there  in the room.  Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, uh, the chairman of the Senate panel that was holding the hearing yielded at Mullen to sit down as he challenged O'Brien to a fight. Mullen had stood up from his seat at the dais and appeared to start taking his ring off.  Might be a good move to leave it on, actually, I'm, you know, cut him up a little bit. This is the time, this is the place, Moen told O'Brien, after reading a series of critical tweets O'Brien had sent out about him in the past. If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults and we can finish it right here.  And here is...  Video for you.  It's quite different, but after you left here, you got pretty excited about the keyboard. In fact, you  tweeted at me  one, two,  three, four.  Five times. And let me read what the last one said. Um, it said, greedy CEO who pretends like he's self made.  Sir, I wish you was in the truck with me when I was building my plumbing company myself and my wife was running the office because I sure remember working pretty hard and long hours.  Pretends like he's self made. What a clown. Fraud. Always has been, always will be.  Quit the tough guy act and these Senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, anytime, cowboy.  Sir this is a time, this is a place. If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here. Okay, that's fine. Perfect. You want to do it now? I'd love to do it right now. Well, stand your butt up then. You stand your butt up. Oh, hold on. Oh, stop it. Is that your solution every poll? No, no, sit down. You  know, you're a United States Senator. Actively. Okay, sit down, please. All right. Can I respond? Hold it. Hold it.  If we can't, no, I have the mic. I'm sorry. This is what he said. You'll have your time. Okay. Can I respond? Oh, no, you can't.  This is a hearing,  and God knows the American people have enough of contempt for Congress. Let's not make it worse. I don't like thugs and bullies. I don't like you, because you just described yourself.  Hold it.  You have the mic. You have time. Make your statement. And let's do this, because I did challenge you, and I accepted your challenge.  And you went quiet. No, I didn't go quiet. was... No, hold on. You challenged me to a cage match acting like a 12 year old schoolyard bully. Hold it. Hold it. No, excuse me. I will say, I will say exactly what you said. Senator Mullen, I have the mic.  You have questions on any economic issues, anything that's said, go for it. We're not here to talk about physical abuse. You brought him here. We're not talking about... Of course I did. And let me tell you, let me show you his hearing, because I want to, I want to expose this thug. To who he is and you're not pointing me. That's disrespectful. All right. I don't care about respecting you at all. I don't respect you at all So hold it. Hold it. No  You don't want to hold it the most all day. Please act it please. All right  This is a excuse me. Mm hmm. This is a hearing to discuss Economic issues. All right, if you have questions for mr. O'Brien or anybody else on what  He has said, go for it, but we're not here to talk about fights or anything else. I'm quoting exactly what he said and say what you want. This is, this is your, this is your witness. You brought it. Let me, I'm, I'm exposing him. You can talk anything you want. So in 2013,  in 2013, O'Brien was suspended by the Teamsters for intimidating your own members. In 2014,  uh, you were, um. Uh,  part of, what would you say, organizing the harassment and intimidation of the top shelf crew? Chef, not chef.  Oh, top, oh, top, top chef, okay. And then, uh, and I think in the reports it says sexual racist and homophobic slurs and death threats. Fourteen tires were sliced and five teamsters were arrested and you said, well, I had nothing to do with it. But however, in that same statement, you said, but if I get called to test file, plead the fifth. This is, this is what, this is a witness you brought in here.  In 2017, you were removed as lead negotiator by then president Hoffa for UPS for your actions. And then in 22, when this guy was elected, what he said after he got elected was he wanted to bring the mob mentality back to the teamsters. This is your guy. And you're obviously going to give him a chance to respond to your questions. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Because this is my question. Because you called me out. I didn't call you out. You said any time, any place. That's that. Let's get the record straight. Miss, hold it. No, hold on. Senator Mullen. Do you have a question for the witness? Yeah. Okay, let's let's hear it. And there  you go. Absolutely hilarious  that that's what just went on. But honestly, I like it. I think that, I think that we should probably have more fist fights in the Senate. Just like, If you go back 100 years, 150 years ago, senators were literally dueling in the streets, killing each other. Go back and look at Andrew Jackson. How many duels did that man win? How many fistfights did he get in for arguing about politics, which is should be passionate like that, right? So if this mobs boss, this teamster boss wants to run his mouth on Twitter, and then all of a sudden hide behind Bernie Sanders, when this guy actually wants to do something about it face to face,  that's what we call a coward, right? You want to run your mouth until you're face to face with somebody. Maybe just don't run your mouth. Right? If you're not the big, tough guy that you think you are, maybe don't say anything to somebody who you know nothing about because what it turned out is that this man  was actually an ex MMA fighter. And you're really not an ex MMA fighter, you know, to me is like, you still can fight. Maybe you don't actively engage because the guy's probably like 45, 50, maybe, but he's an MMA fighter, right? You see a little bit collier on this end of there. Right? So, I think this is awesome. I think there should be more fistfights in Senate. I think that the reason that it's shaped like a circle is for everybody to watch as two Senators fistfight or a Senator and a Teamster mob boss who are talking shit on Twitter get together face to face and actually do something about it. Because imagine how much shit would be, how much less shit would be talked on Twitter if you had more people Like Senator Mullins out there willing to actually confront people when they're seeing them face to face.  So speaking of, I'll take a little sidetrack here. Speaking of seeing people face to face, I was at last night, I was at a, uh, business, uh, networking event. Um, I, I do have a life outside of this podcast guys. I do have a family and children to feed. So I do, I am in a professional environment and. In that professional environment, I have to go out and speak to people and promote my business and, uh, build the business and have connections with other people. Now I don't talk about my business very much here because I don't see much of a need to yet. But  in this case, I was walking around doing some networking at a nice bar, had a beer in my hand, and all of a sudden I have this guy out of nowhere go, Austin Adams, the far right. Podcaster didn't expect to see you here. Why are you here, Austin? This is a blue state. You don't belong here. You hate gay people. You hate transgenders. You, you don't agree with this and that, and just. heart straight up harassing me loudly belligerently drunk man who could barely string a sentence together, uh, let alone formulate a proper argument to back up his criticisms of my alleged positions, which he seemed to have wrong more than right, but he also seemed to have followed my stuff for a fairly long time, which is really interesting. Um, if you ever see me out and about, come say hi, uh, I'll shake your hand. I'd love to talk to people. I've had several, several, several people come up to me and notice me just walking around, whether it's an event or, you know, I had somebody come up to me and I talked to for a long time at Jordan Peterson. You know, it's, there's, there's some, I love interacting with you guys. So  if you want to get belligerent and you don't like me, that's fine too. Cause Guess what, bitch? Just like Senator Mullins, I ain't scared. Come up and say hi. Tell me what you disagree with. I'd love to have a conversation with you. So anyways, this guy comes up to me belligerently drunk, starts yelling across this bar at a nice, nice bar  at a nice,  well put together networking event. And, uh, And so this guy follows me around the bar because I just go are you here for business or are you here for politics? I'm confused and Just just tried to walk away from the guy and he follows me follows me follows me and start keeps Yelling belligerent shit at me And so finally I set my beer down and I just turn and face him because this guy wasn't going anywhere and I obviously wasn't in any physical danger with this belligerent  out of shape older man  So, I put my beard down, and I faced the guy, and I go, Okay, what do you want to talk about, man? What is it? What is it? What am I, what do you think about my positions, since you know them so well? First of all, he starts off with the fact that I hate gay people, and don't think gay people should get married. I don't agree with gay marriage. Which...  It is not my opinion. I think gay people should be able to do whatever they want. I think they should get married. I think that the marriage that we have today is essentially a tax write off. And they should be able to have just as much of a tax write off depending on their sexual orientation as anybody else. And honestly, the gays are the homies now.  You have the trans agenda that I think everybody, whether you're straight or gay, can agree with is the problem, not sexuality, right? And this is, you know,  you look at the,  uh, you go into animalistic, uh, Parallels, right? Animal kingdoms. And you look at, okay, there's absolutely, uh, homosexual tendencies within the animal kingdom. But I don't think you see anywhere a hippopotamus throwing on a tutu and putting lipstick on its face and calling itself a rhino.  I don't think that's directly comparable. Um, but essentially that's what it's doing, right? Um,  So, you know, to me, the, the, the gay agenda, the gay whatever, I don't care. Do what you want to do. I totally think that you should have every right that straight people have. I don't think there should be any, I don't know, I think basically, literally, everybody agrees with that, unless you're a super evangelical, you know. Very, very right conservative. Hyper old school conservative. I think basically everybody agrees that gay people should be able to do whatever they want, whenever they want, as long as it's not shoving your education about sexual tendencies down my child's throat in school, which you haven't done at all, so nobody's saying shit about that.  Then he goes into about the trans agenda. Right, he starts talking about, oh, you hate trans people, and again, how many times will I say this? I don't hate trans people. I, in fact, think there's probably a certain portion of trans people that I'm empathetic to. I think it's an obvious mental illness that I couldn't imagine dealing with, where you feel stuck in this body that isn't yours. And, and, Again, I think that's maybe a 30, 20 percent of, it probably gets smaller and smaller percentages the day, that actually have legitimate gender dysphoria, where they live in the wrong body according to them. And I can't imagine being stuck in that frame of mind. And I'm sure it's mental torture every day to wake up thinking that you should be this when you're that. I'm empathetic to that.  But I also think that they're being taken advantage of for medical pharmaceutical profits. I also think that, you know, we talk about the 20 percent of actually having gender dysphoria. I think there's about 80, 70, I don't know. I'm throwing fucking numbers out there for you guys. But I do think there's a, there's a larger percentage than not that is doing it for attention. That is doing it because That's the new thing. It makes them important. It gives them a reason to wake up every day and be better than you. That, that makes them feel special on the inside.  And that I have no empathy for you. I, I, I, I don't hate you. I don't have a reason to hate you, but I don't have empathy for you. And I, and then I think there's a smaller subsection of that. That's looking, both looking for attention and then also trying to peddle a pedophilia. Uh, agenda down the throat of children, which is, you know, maybe it's not the majority of that percentage, but who knows, you know, but we see it consistently every day. You see a new thing come out about that. So yeah, those are the people I don't like is the people who think that you should shove the trans agenda, hyper sexualization of children down the throats of, of young children  at a very early age. At really any age, you shouldn't talk to my child about sexual orientation, or gender binary, or this or that, or how to give a blowjob, at all. Because guess what? That makes you a pedophile creep.  And I don't like pedophile creeps. Whether you think you're a boy and you're a girl, or you think that you're a rhinoceros when you're a hippopotamus. I, I just, that's where I stand on the trans agenda, so let's be very clear on that.  And then next he gets into, you know, uh, all these other things that he just assumes my position on and I've said this before, I, I'm much more, more, uh, when it comes to political affiliation, probably more on the side of libertarian than I am on the side of, you know, extreme conservatism. And I think that the government is essentially bad at almost everything that it does. And the more that you give the government, the more that they're going to want to take and that. Most of the government shouldn't exist. That's my position. Um,  but with that comes not intervening in people's lives, including gay people, including, you know,  I just don't think the government should have their hand in things that aren't about  eliminating the golden, or, you know, uh, people from trespassing on other people's body and property. That's essentially where I stand. I, you know, everything else is inflated. There should be some social programs for people who are disabled. There should be some social programs for people who make a lower income, um, who are intellectually incapable of earning a better living. I think there's some of that to be had. Uh, but I don't think that the government is essentially very good at anything that it's ever done, almost ever as a whole. And I think it's comprised of traditionally. And and historically corrupt individuals who are very bad at what they do and only align their positions with where the money That funded them came from  so it's a flawed  system to begin with  so that doesn't really put me on the side of Extreme far right, you know like it's just not where I land and if you think that you'd probably just don't listen enough And you know if you think that are you know? And then this is the thing too because we've seen my opposing opinion several times irk people who think I am And this or I am that  And it's like, I am me. I have my own opinions on basically every topic. I don't align with a political affiliation in the way that I view most things as non political. I don't think trans is a political issue. It doesn't have to do with the government or politics. It's a social issue, and it's, it's a dangerous one, and it's a part of this woke mind virus that we'll listen to Elon Musk talk about in a little bit, and I don't think that's a political affiliation to have a problem with the, the, the mind virus that is Woke ideology, which is permeating across the entire consciousness of American culture, which is killing the once great nation that we were.  That's where I stand on that. So anyways, this guy follows me around and all of a sudden, you know, I'm, I'm, you know, not being hyper aggressive back and I just ask him, are you here for business or are you here for politics? Do you actually know my positions or are you assuming? Because I think... You're wrong on this. I don't think that. I do think this. I, I, you know, something that we talked about abortion and I said, yeah, absolutely. I don't think that the government, I think the government should because he, I said, I'm more libertarian than I am  traditional conservative and he goes, Oh, well, then you must think that, uh, you know, you probably voted this on that about abortion. And, uh, you know, I said, I think that the government should have a place in stopping the ending of human life. And I do believe that a baby in the womb is a baby and is of value and shouldn't be murdered senselessly for your own, statistically speaking, comfort. Or, uh,  lack of maturity.  Again, that's my position. So anyways, that was my, and by the end of this conversation, this drunk man standing next to me, thinking he was gonna come, I don't know what he was thinking he was gonna do, um,  demeaned me personally for having opinions and sharing them and people finding value in them.  Eventually was like, you know what? I actually kind of like you. I'm sorry that I came up to you and did this and that and you seem like a nice guy and you know,  Maybe you'll find that too if you come up to me whether you like me or not But always come up and say hi. I would love to talk to you guys if you ever see me out and about but anyways,  the next part of this topic on Senator  is that,  uh, this feud goes back several months. So let's see if we can find the video here because, um, this feud goes back all the way to, uh, a time where the original contact that they had together. And give me a second. Cause I'm, uh, delaying this because my  connection with my other screen wasn't working properly. Um, there we go. So. The the what essentially happened four months prior to this. There's a there was a video that came out But after this in engagement, so let's watch this one first and then we'll go back to that after this engagement the news crew Caught up to him and had some questions for him in which they asked him about this Engagement and what his thoughts were on it. So let's go ahead and take a look At this,  here's the video.  Well, you should probably ask him that. I mean, he's the one that kept tweeting at us. Uh, we didn't respond until the fifth tweet. And when he said, any place or any time, any place, and you know where to find me, cowboy, I thought, well, this is the time, this is the place, and you don't do that in Oklahoma. You don't run your mouth unless you're gonna answer the call. Well, that might be the question. Was that the place? Was the Senate hearing the right place to challenge someone to a physical confrontation? Well, I'd already challenged him to September 30th. He could have done it then for charity. Um, I said April. They're the, the, um... What's it called? The smoking guns charity for the firefighters and police force. We could have done it then. I've been happy to, but he said, stand up. And so I stood up. Yeah. But what about, I mean, just the idea that fighting as a way to solve a problem, is that  kind of, are you concerned the way the conversation is happening here on Capitol Hill? People's been fighting for a long time. I canings. It was legal to do duels. Um, if you have a difference, you have a difference. I didn't start it. I didn't tweet at him. I didn't go after him. I have no beef with a guy. I mean,  I don't even know the last time I've gotten a street fight. I used to get paid to fight. I'm not, I'm not looking. What do I have? What victory is it for me to beat up O'Brien? That would be a shock, right? Uh, but he said it and I just simply responded. If he wants to call it off and we just go have a cup of coffee, fine. Let's go have a cup of coffee. I have no hard feelings. It's not personal to me. He just challenged me, and I accepted the challenge. Do you regret it? Regret this moment at all? You should probably ask him. I mean, he's the one that said it. I don't regret asking him. You know, he said any time, any place, so. And has leadership talked to you at all about this? No. No, not at all. Have you done any outreach to him at all, or has he reached out to you? O'Brien, meaning, reached out to you afterwards. No, no, no. You know, I ended it and said, if you want to end it here, that's fine. If you want to sit down and have a cup of coffee, I'll sit down and have a cup of coffee. It's not personal, you guys. This is not personal. Nothing personal. It's just he made the challenge, and I accepted it. It's just that simple. What about just the general tension right now on Capitol Hill? Do you feel as though things are, there's more angst than there has been at other times? And is it preventing you from getting things done? I don't, you know, I can only speak for my time here, right? Uh, ever since I've been here, there's always been a little bit of tension. This is a total separate issue. You know, this doesn't have to do with that. This has nothing to do with policy. This doesn't have to do with politics. This had to do with a guy calling me out and I simply responded to it. Uh, that, that's, so I don't think the two are really  comparable. This has nothing to do with me against unions either. I have nothing against unions. I made that very clear at the end of the hearing. I have nothing against unions. A lot of good friends and family are, are union members. This has to do with just his thug mentality. I mean, look at his background, look at his history. The guy has a history of this constantly. Um, I mean, he was the one, after he got, became president, he was the one to bring back the mob mentality. What the heck is a mob mentality? And then you're gonna bring that mob mentality to me? Okay, well... You can't run your mouth against me. I'm just not that guy. If you want to run your mouth, then we can settle it a different way.  Literally, if you were to run your mouth to anybody in politics at all, this was the wrong guy to run your mouth to a former pro MMA fighter and Oklahoma state wrestler. Like. Literally the worst person you could have thrown a dart at the board and probably fought 90 percent of these old hacks sitting in on Capitol Hill, but you picked the absolute wrong Motherfucker to pick the only guy who is an ex professional MMA fighter  So what I want to do next is just watch a little bit of his one of his MMA fights because there actually is a couple of them that is up on, uh, that is up on YouTube that I found. So let's go ahead and I will pull this up for you.  But man, I totally agree. Bring it back. Bring back duels. I don't care if you really want to be tough. I'm pretty sure there would be no Democrats left if there was still duels or fistfights in politics.  They would probably just all be dead.  Um, but let's go ahead and see if we can pull this up again. Um,  And get this MMA fight pulled up for you because, um, I'm sure, uh, if he's from Oklahoma and he wrestled, I'm sure he's, uh, not, not a bad MMA fighter. Um, so here we  go.  Maybe not.  Here it is.  Director Rick.  I now recognize, uh, Mr. Pflueger, the gentleman from Texas and the chair. Is that what we're looking for?  There was an MMA fight posted from one of his...  Here we go from, uh, March, may,  and it's only three  minutes long.  Your fight Psych com trading cards  get noticed with these high quality, full color trading cars.  So let's see if we can get the order your background today and get noticed some of the moments here. These  high quality.  Notice.  Somebody just went for a takedown, bad shot, and immediately to the UTI. Oh my god.  Problems holding against him. He's a little bit too long. He looks like he's about to give up. Um, which is just not a good thing. He's a rapper. He's got a bad side of his shoulder. You know, he's a rapper. He's got a bad wrist. He's a rapper. You know, he can actually create a terrible spine fracture on his shoulders. Um, it gets on top of that. It gets on top of that. Um, Okay, I'm not sure which one's which, I guess it's supposed to be. I'm going to have to go back to the, uh, organization to figure out who. But I would assume the guy on top is probably the one on top. So keep, safe to assume. Uh,  they're up against the cage.  And,  looks like he's about to take his back. Oh no, he's in full mount.  And...  Still looking for what looks like that.  Kimura.  Transitions.  As the guy tries to get up to his back a little bit.  Arms stuck behind his hip. Flattens him out. Has his back. Has his arm trapped. You're pretty much done there. Because you can't even defend with one hand.  And man, that would have just been so refreshing to watch a fist fight in Senate. Where. Uh, you know, a Republican Senator just  demolishes a shit talking mobster, and he's on full mount now, just raining down  haymakers on this dude's face. Guy gives his back up, transitions to the back,  and that's probably all she wrote right there, huh?  We're just dominating. Dominating.  And, that's you.  Has his hooks in.  Yeah, that's it. I'm gonna tap. Took his back. Rear naked choke. Few shots thrown.  Uh, not sure if we can get a verification that this is actually the right guy here, but, uh,  we'll assume so. Um, but it looked like it, you know, looked like his wrestling was, was pretty decent and, uh, has the same exact name, so we'll assume.  Alright, moving on. Outside of this.  Let's talk about some other stuff, which is not nearly as interesting or exciting as watching a senator beat up a mob boss on the Senate floor. Uh, but hey, there's not too much that you can do to,  uh, get that. Um, looks like Markway Mullins is really enjoying this guy's ground game. Uh,  yeah, a lot of people have been seeing that. Um...  Let's see, it looks like Mark Wayne Mullins is really enjoying this guy's groggy. Uh, the big question is, nine months after this fight, who is going to get custody of the baby? What? I'm so confused.  Um,  Interesting. So it was him who, it looks like,  uh,  Yeah, he, he was actually the loser here. So his wrestling didn't look all that good for coming out of Oklahoma. If somebody takes your back so easily and you don't really have much of an answer to it. Um, but anyways, I digress.  Either way, he's still beating the shit out of that teamster boss. Um, all right, the very next article that we're going to discuss here is going to be  that the  If you didn't know, AI is now racist, according to some news articles who claim so after,  uh, white people seem to be able to get more confused by pictures of people who are AI thinking they're real more than they think.  Real white people are real. And where this gets, uh, pretty funny is that this was white on white racism, not even, you know.  They're saying by definition, because white people are confused by other white people, that the language learning models, the, the, the AI algorithms,  are biased because they're being fed more white people photos and they are being fed other races. Um, so let's read this article. It comes from, uh, popular science and it says, as technology evolves,  AI generated images of human faces are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from real photos.  But our ability to separate the real from the artificial may come down to a personal biases, both our own as well as that of AI's underlying algorithms. According to a new study recently published in the Journal of Psychological Science, certain humans may misidentify AI generated white faces as real more often than they can accurately identify actual photos of Caucasians.  More specifically, it's white people who can't distinguish between real and AI generated white faces.  In a series of trials conducted by researchers collaborating across universities in Australia, the Netherlands, and the UK, 124 white adults were tasked with classifying a series of faces as artificial or real,  then rating their confidence for each decision on a 100 point scale. The team decided to match white participants with Caucasian images. examples in an attempt to mitigate potential own racial or race recognition bias, the tendency for racial and cultural populations to more poorly remember unfamiliar faces from different demographics. And then remarkably white AI faces can convincingly pass as more real than human faces and people do not realize they are being fooled. Research is right. In their paper, this is a no slim margin. Either participants mistakenly classified a full 66 percent of AI images as photographed humans versus barely half as many as the real photos. Meanwhile, the same white participants ability to discern real from artificial people of color was roughly 50, 50 in a second experiment, 610 participants. You could also say, it's like, how do you take this and go, Oh, AI is racist. Because you could also say that white people are just bad at distinguishing. What's real and not real, in which case, now you're the racist one.  How's that for the UNO reverse card? Um, in a second experiment, 610 participants rated the same images using 14 attributes, contributing to what made them look human, without knowing some photos were fake.  Of those attributes, the faces proportionality,  familiarity, memorability, and the perception of lifelike eyes ranked highest for test subjects. They have a beautiful little... Graph here  has qualitative. Uh, it says the team dubbed this newly identified or identified tendency to overly misattribute artificially generated faces, specifically white faces as AI hyper realism. The starts to stark statistical differences are believed to stem from well documented algorithmic biases within AI development. AI systems are trained on far more white subjects than POCs. According to who?  Leading to a greater ability to both generate convincing white faces as well as accurately identify them using facial recognition techniques. This disparity ramifications can cripple through countless scientific, social, and psychological situations from identity theft to racial profiling to basic privacy concerns.  Our results explain why AI hyperrealism occurs and shows that not all AI faces appear equally realistic, with implications for proliferating social bias and for public misidentification of AI. The team writes in their paper adding that the AI hyperrealism phenomenon implies there must be some visual differences between AI and human faces, which people misinterpret.  It says, it's worth noting that the new studies test pool was both small and extremely limited. Oh, it's worth noting that everything that we just wrote about really has no scientific basis and extremely limited. And some research is undoubtedly necessary to further understand the extent and effects of such biases.  Hmm.  Interesting. So AI is racist because what? Because it's generating more real white faces according to white people.  Because there's no grading system other than this hundred or sixty whatever people that they just had take this survey But now all of a sudden AI is racist  who would have thought  although when working out is you know when working out is a sign of white nationalism and Eating healthy is now also classified as you being a racist or whatever  I guess it's no surprise.  Now, the next thing that we're going to talk about is that, uh, that's something that, you know, you probably heard about is they all look alike. Um, this comes from a foreign book, four vertical, it's called the other race effect, where, um, people who are white or people who are Indian or people who are black or Hispanic or whatever have a much easier time distinguishing the differentiation between somebody of their own race than other races. Um, so that's actually contradictory to what you would kind of expect here, where you would think that.  And I wonder if they did, how well will white people  rate other colors, other races, right? Um, and vice versa, right? Did they only do white with white people and black with black people and Hispanics with Hispanic people and Mexicans with Mexicans and Indians with, I don't know. They really gave us very little information to go off scientifically. Um, but I die. Grass.  All right. The very next article that we're going to discuss here is going to be about, Oh, you know what? Let's hold that thought right there because I appreciate you because I know earlier when I asked you that you hit that subscribe button. I also know that you probably left a five star review, but I also know that maybe there's one of you out there, one of you that unlike all of the other people who are listening to this, maybe didn't. Leave a five star review. Maybe you're the one person. Maybe you think I'm talking to you right now because I am. I'm talking directly at you because you still haven't left a five star review and it takes five seconds and all you have to do is click the button, press the five stars. If you're on Apple Podcasts, all you do is scroll down just a little bit.  Hit the fifth star and then type something nice. I don't know. Maybe act like that blurs and guide the bar and tell me what you hate about me, but just leave you as long as it's a five star review. It's cool. Right.  Anyways, um, go ahead, leave a five star review. Tell me what you liked about the episode. What you like about the podcast in general. Um, love feedback. So anything that I can do for you guys to improve, I would be happy to. All right. And.  Back to the thing. The next thing we're going to talk about is that majority of Americans are now taking notice to the rise of tipflation is what this is being coined across industries. It says around seven and 10 us adults say tipping is expected in more places today than it was five years ago. And I. Completely agree. If you are in a regular business establishment, if you are not actively serving me, nothing drives me crazier is when you flip around your little card reader and you go, Hey, could you just.  You know, just, just tap one of those buttons right there and it says, Hey, do I want to give you seven dollars for me? Swiping my own debit card and you doing your job and nothing more or nothing less, right? There's very little that you could do to make me want to tip some person that works at 7 eleven  I don't know the last time I was in a 7 Eleven, but, uh, I, it's just so wild to me  how confident people in restaurant industries, and this, it's really comes down to the point of sales. And you have to understand that the psychology around this is it's just a, it's just a sales technique. You know, it's like 90 percent of people, uh, don't even ask for the sale when it comes to sales. And that's why most people suck at selling stuff, but they just integrated into the point of sale systems, a way to say, Hey, do you want to give me more money? Then what, you know, inflation has already caused us to increase our prices for, right? Because who knows where this money is actually going? Is it actually being distributed amongst the, the, the staff at  a coffee place? Like when all they did was make the coffee when they're getting paid to. Make the coffee, right? Like I get if you're a bartender, I get if you're waiting on somebody, I get a few, you know, like I have a rule,  everybody basically gets 2025 percent unless you do something terrible or you never check in on me or my drinks completely empty the whole time and you get 40 percent or more. If you, wiping the table in front of me, getting the crumbs off the table, like taking it that extra step that you would expect when you go to a really nice restaurant, um, so it's like if you are going above and beyond, you deserve a tip if you're in a service industry and your wage depends on it, but you do not deserve a tip for literally Um, almost any industry you're getting paid for a service,  right? There's no reason that I should have to pay you above and beyond what that amount is. And even in the service industry, tipping should go away overnight and the restaurants should just start paying fair wages to their employees. Not working through this loophole to where you have to beg people to work. And again, I'm for commission. I'm for incentivizing people to do their job well. When you're selling and there's a transaction and I guess maybe that's kind of what it is. That'd be a counter argument or a devil's advocate to my position, which is that  you want to incentivize your weight staff to work. And be better at servicing people that are at your restaurant and the way to do that is to allow a capitalistic form of that, which is if you give good service, then you get more money.  But this probably doesn't work generally out that way. I just think that the restaurant should pay the people like everybody else in the entire world and just pay them what they should get paid for doing their job.  Would make more sense to me.  Anyways, nothing drives me crazier than going through a drive thru and then having them  turn around. their point of sale system and then look me dead in the eye like their puppy just died, hoping that I give them 3 off of, or for as a tip for my 3 coffee. Like, no, thank you. But this article says, and I'll just skim it for you. Cause we just talked about it for Probably too long as it is. Americans are realizing the tips for servers aren't just for restaurants and bars anymore. Pew Research surveyed 12, 000 adults almost in August 2023 using the center's nationally represented American Trends. Don't care. Um, they feel about the practice across a variety of different services from takeout to haircuts. That's another one. If you're giving me food, you charge me for the food, not for making it. That's inherently built into the price. A broad majority of Americans say they're being asked to tip service workers more frequently than in the past around seven and 10 us. Adults say tipping is expected in more places today than it was five years ago. Finding that tracks with anecdotal reporting has never been dubbed deflation and I guess. All that you're realizing is that the new point of sale systems have integrated this completely because why wouldn't you just ask for more money?  This appears to be true  across demographics and is partially due to changing technology as the adaptation of the point of sale tablets, apps, and digital kiosks have made it easier for businesses to provide customers with tip prompts and suggestions. Yeah,  exactly what I said. The report noted that even as Americans are increasingly asked for paid tips, relatively few have a great deal of confidence about what and how or when and how to do so. Only about a third say it's extremely or very easy to know whether or To know whether or how much to tip for different types of services. How about zero for all of them? Unless you're waiting on me and bringing me beer consistently. There's also not a consensus on whether tipping is a voluntary choice or an expected obligation. Around two in 10 Americans say it's more of a choice. While 30 percent say it's more of an obligation. Ew. The largest share of 50 percent says it depends on the situation, underscoring the lack of a single set of rules of expectations.  Okay. More Americans oppose than favor businesses suggesting tip amounts to their customers. For example, on the bill or on a checkout screen, another 32 percent neither favor nor oppose the practice.  Interesting. Who cares? Let's move on.  Anyways. Hmm.  It has some percentages as to which, you know, what people think about certain industries asking, which, you know,  who cares? Anyways, uh, the next thing that we're going to talk about here is going to be that what is this one? Um, yeah, so  we talked about this last week, but, um, the individual. Let me see if I can pull his name back up.  Police in England have arrested a suspect in connection with the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, who tragically died last month when his neck was slashed by the skate of an opposing player. The South Yorkshire Police released a statement Tuesday confirming an arrest in their investigation into the death of 29 year old Johnson. The suspect, who was not identified by law enforcement, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.  Police said the suspect remains in custody. Teammate of ex player... NHL player calls tragic deaths the most traumatizing thing that I've seen in my entire life. Yeah, definitely. The former Pittsburgh Penguin forward was playing in the challenging or a challenge cup between the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers on October 28th when, during the second period, he suffered a fatal neck wound. Matt Peckgrave  collided with another player causing a skate to go up in the air. Um, so basically they  Uh, the police said on Thursday that an autopsy revealed his official cause of death was the result of a fatal neck injury. Yeah, he bled to death on the ice, guys. That's, you're not finding anything new. And it's exactly what these like, witch hunt that we saw with all these conservative voices, including the people that I mentioned last time.  You know, the DC draino, the, uh, libs of TikTok, the, all of these, you know, gross attempts at trying to act like you actually know what was going on in the ice. But what you find is when you look at that footage a little bit slower, you'll see that the skate basically traveled up the, the stick of another player as this guy was in a weird, like, hip check position and his leg went up the, the skate or the stick and hit the guy's neck, which is like, again.  It's just, it's tragic what happened. But should this guy get, go to jail? No, he shouldn't go to jail. Like, if a cleat hit a guy's throat on accident, and again, I absolutely believe this was an accident. I don't think it was a... You know, in Dominic and Sue's situation where he jabbed his cleat into the guy's throat purposefully to try and hurt him. And then yeah, if that's the case, but there's just nothing that indicates intent here. There's nothing that indicates that this guy should go to jail for anything other than playing the sport that he loved and having inherent risks. Because where does this stop now? Because guys literally fist fight each other on the ice. Right? And granted, that doesn't generally end in death. I don't think there's been a single case of that that I can recall. Um...  Besides maybe one where the guy fell on his head in the ice like a long long time ago  But  to me, there's just there's there's no true reason that this guy should be arrested. I Completely disagree with this. I Absolutely believe that this was an accident But I just wanted to tie that loose end for you guys that that guy was arrested and is currently incarcerated for suspicion of manslaughter. Now, it'll be interesting to see this case go to trial and to actually listen and then see what's being said and what the argument is, because I just do not see an argument for this man going to jail for playing a sport that is inherently dangerous and having something happen. Like what happened, which again is tragic. Um,  just wanted to tie that loose end for you guys.  Now that leads us to the next sporting event, which is that there was a California teen who was suspended following a blackface allegation on the football field for literally wearing eye black.  You know, the thing that you've seen every football player almost ever have on their face  was suspended from school and told that he cannot return to his sport because he was wearing blackface.  This article coming from Toronto Sun says that an 8th grade student of Loyola  California has reportedly been suspended for allegedly wearing blackface to a local football game.  However, a national civil rights group called the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression claims the boy identified as J. A. was wearing black eye paint to reflect any glare as many football players do.  You should. According to the New York Post, the student was photographed on October 13th attending a high school football game between the Lowell High School and Morse High School, with dark face paint covering his cheeks and chin. We had a fun, great night without any trouble. This is literally a, what, a 13  year old  that wore eye black on his face to a football game?  And probably put a little bit too, it's not, it's so silly, I guess, kind of need to see a picture of it to make a real distinction, but it can't be worse than what Justin Trudeau did, you know, literally wearing the turban on his head and wore blackface acting like a, I don't know, a snake charmer or something, the most racist thing that you'll ever see if you want to talk about blackface, right? Go look at Justin Trudeau, not some 13 year old going to a football game wearing paint under his eyes.  Like, this is where we've gotten to where AI is racist and wearing eye black under your 13 year old's eyes is now blackface. Like, let's find real demons to slay here. I think that's where we've gone as a society now is like,  there's always been,  there's always been eyes in the bushes. Right? And our amygdala is constantly surveying our surroundings, looking for something to jump out and attack us. And obviously that's not the case with what we're talking about here. But I think that we've been so conditioned to find... Uh, to find problems with our surroundings that now there's, we're in such a cushy, soft environment where very little violence actually occurs, you know, unless you're on the Senate floor next to Bernie Sanders,  um, but  very little violence occurs, very little real confrontation occurs, and, and In a world where that happens, we seek it because we are biologically wired to engage in confrontation, to have real demons, the, the, the, the monsters that have been around for years and years and thousands of years, as we know it, the raping, the pillaging, the war, the, this, the, that, and obviously war is still going on, and we'll talk about that in our next subject, but in the day to day life, people are so removed from real violence. People are so removed from, from what it meant to be a human a hundred years ago.  Right? And so you have a principal going off of a social media picture, suspending a student for literally wearing  sport eye black under his eyes.  looking for to make a monster out of a child who literally just went to a football game.  This is the first amendment projects J. A. 's non disruptive expression of team spirit via style commonly used by athletes and fans notwithstanding your inaccurate description of it as blackface. Fire calls upon the school to remove the infraction from J. A. 's disciplinary record and lift the ban on his attendance at future athletic events.  Tear said J. A. 's appearance emulated the style of iBlackWarm by many athletes.  Noting that such use of eye black began as a way to reduce glare during games, which is different from blackface, as is dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a black person and especially to mock or ridicule black people.  Yeah, there's some horrific actual instances of that. Go look at Howard Stern's, uh, old, um, I don't know what you call it, bit. Where he did, uh, blackface,  pretending to be talking to Whoopi Goldberg, I think it was. And he said the actual N word, like, seven times, thinking he was being funny. And then,  what is it? The Prime Minister of Canada! Wearing blackface. I'm pretty sure like multiple times for Halloween. Um, all right now, speaking of war, let's go into this transition. Elon Musk was on Lex Friedman's podcast and during this conversation together,  uh, Elon Musk, um,  had a really interesting and similar opinion to what I have when it comes to the Israel Hamas situation, which is it. What I will play for here you hear in just a second But I would say something that I've noticed more recently is that Lex Friedman his podcast if you don't listen to this podcast It's it's it's one of my favorites. I definitely think there's  Is probably the best most tactful well done podcast that is out there today Above even Joe Rogan. You go listen to the podcast with Joe Rogan and Elon Musk. It's not half of as insightful and empathetic and interesting as the conversation that was had with Lex Friedman. Um, so just a side note, but let's listen to this conversation and see what he had to say about the Israel and Hamas war.  All right. And here it is. He wants to do that. So like I said, somehow controversial. You've been a proponent of peace. A little bit of technical difficulties here. I'm having a problem with my other screen is freezing every single time I go  to use the screen. So just give me one second here. But while that happens, I'll kind of give you the.  TLDR of what Elon Musk says, which is essentially that if he had to give advice to Israel in his position today, what would he say to the leadership there? How do you get out of this and have it,  uh, is there a winning side? Is there a possibility to even win this war? And  what, what would you say to Israel in order to  to, to  come out of this better than you went into it, right? Because they're quickly, as we'll find in the next, the next situation, they're quickly losing favor by the American people. Um, so when, when that's happening and you're, you're seeing it in real time, them start to have, you know,  coming out with propaganda campaigns just today saying that, Oh, look, we found these weapon caches and in this hospital that we just bombed and raided. It's like, uh, okay.  Because you could have just as easily planted those weapons to justify your war, which would be one of the least  bad things that has ever happened in war as a false flag. But anyways, I digress. Here is this clip, Lex Friedman and  Elon Musk.  Or maybe it's not, because my computer is freezing again. Um, so let's see, one last time here, and then  we'll move on to the next one if we can't get it here.  Uh, so  we will jump out. We will jump  back in and share that screen one last time.  The  path to peace could be, how do you hope the current war in Israel and Gaza comes to an end? Uh, what path do you see that can minimize human suffering in the longterm in that part of the world?  Well, I think that part of the world is definitely, like, if you look up the, there is no easy answer in the dictionary, it'll be that, like, the picture of, uh, the Middle East, um, and Israel especially. So there is no easy answer.  Um,  what my,  this is strictly my opinion of, uh, you know, uh, is that, uh,  the, the goal of Hamas was to provoke an overreaction from Israel.  Um, they obviously did not expect to, uh, you know, have a military victory. Um, but they, they expect, they really wanted to  commit the worst atrocities that they could in order to provoke the,  the most aggressive response possible from Israel. Um, and then leverage that, uh, aggressive response to Um, rally Muslims worldwide, uh, for the cause of, uh, Gaza and Palestine, which they have succeeded in doing.  Um, so the, the, the  counterintuitive thing here, I think that the, the thing that I think should be done, even though it is very difficult, uh, is that, um, I, I would recommend that Israel engage in the most conspicuous acts of kindness possible, every part, everything.  That is the actual thing that would towards the goal of the mosque.  So in some sense, the degree that makes sense in geopolitics, turn the other cheek, implemented. It's not exactly turn the other cheek, um, because I do think that there's, um,  you know, I think it is appropriate for Israel to  find the Hamas members and, you know, um,  either, either kill them or incarcerate them. Um, like that's something that's something has to be done because they're just going to keep, keep, keep coming otherwise. Um, but.  In addition to that, they need to. Do whatever they can. Um, there's some talk of...  So I do like what he said there. Conspicuous acts of kindness. Right? And then he gets into the philosophical reason as to why he believes that, you know, those conspicuous, you know, obvious acts of kindness that everybody sees should be happening as a way to  gain public, uh, uh, gain public,  I don't know if, um... What the right word would be there to gain public popularity, and I don't even know if it's popularity, but acceptance of this war and the acts that they're committing, right? And he's saying that because the way that people are viewing this right now, we're going to find, find out that almost 70 percent of people in the US today believe that Israel is going overboard in its reaction against Palestine in Hamas,  right? Bombing the, the Um, safe zones, like hitting ambulances with rockets and all of these things are, are war crimes. That's exactly what they are. They're war crimes. And as a established nation state that is, uh, uh, uh, a,  a agreed upon nation.  By all the other countries in the world, you don't get to commit acts of terrorism. And I see constantly, constantly people are arguing me saying that Israel is justified in committing acts of terrorism because they're dealing with terrorists. Well, guess what? You know what that makes you? A terrorist, regardless of your reasoning, because if you look to Hamas, they have their reasons too. But the way that they act is not within the confines of what's allowable in order for them to be an agreed upon nation, to be a part of the Geneva Convention, to be, uh, to be somebody that is recognized on a world stage, right? That makes you a terrorist organization, right? And so when everybody says, Oh, well, how are you supposed to deal with this? You deal with it with a scalpel. Not with Roman candles,  right? You didn't see the United States bombing hospitals. You didn't see them bombing ambulances. You didn't see them killing unbelievable amounts of women and children, which to be fair is not completely true. There was lots of women and children killed by the United States command during our war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are, again, I totally disagree with, you know, and I have other people going, well, you know,  casualties have to be made in war. It's like, to what extent? Or are you just perpetuating sickness and, and, and, and murder and, and hate that is going to be generational now, because even if I knew that my grandparent was killed by Israel or whoever, fill in the blank, because they hated them or to, to, in response or revenge for whatever silly act, it's never about the reasoning. It's just about who did what to who, when, and if you're related to me and. or if you kill somebody who's related to me, I will spend my life coming after you,  right? I absolutely will dedicate my life to hunting you down  as any sane man in protector should.  So you mitigate that by  inconspicuous acts of kindness, which I like the way that he phrased that by, by showing compassion and showing empathy and showing love. For, for this, the civilians that are on the other side of this, that are truly the victims of both sides, whether it's Hamas or Palestine or Israel, the, the Palestinian civilians are, are literally the, the, the worst off of anybody,  right? Cause they're getting it from Hamas. They're getting it from Israel, and they have nothing to do with either side of it. They're just stuck in the middle.  And so,  he goes on to explain the philosophical reasons why, and I won't ruin it, because he will probably explain it maybe the high level better than me, and I might have a little bit to add to it. So establishing, for example, a mobile hospital. I'd recommend doing that, um,  just making sure that, uh, you know, there's food, water, uh, medical necessities,  um,  and, and just be over the top about it and be very transparent. So it's, it's, so that it can't, people can't claim it's a trick. Like just put a webcam on the thing,  you know, all 24 7.  Deploy acts of kindness.  Yeah, conspicuous acts of kindness  that, that with, that are unequivocal, meaning that can't be.  Somehow, because Hamas will then, their response will be, oh, it's a trick, therefore you have to counter how, how it's not a trick.  This ultimately fights the broader force of hatred in the, in the region. Yes, and I'm not sure who said it, it's an apocryphal saying, but an eye for an eye makes everyone blind.  Now that next to the words, they really  believe in the whole eye for an eye thing. Um,  but.  I mean, you really have,  if you're not going to just outright  commit genocide, like it against an entire people, which obviously would not be acceptable to, to, to really shouldn't be acceptable to anyone, um, then you're, you're going to leave basically a lot of people alive who subsequently, you know, hate Israel. So really the question is like,  how,  for every Hamas member that you kill, how many did you create?  And if you. Create more than you killed. You've not succeeded. That's the you know, the real situation there  and it's safe to say that if  you know  If you know if you kill somebody's child in Gaza  If you've made at least a few  Hamas members  who will die  just, just to kill an Israeli.  That's the situation. So,  but, but I mean, this is one of the most contentious subjects one could possibly discuss, but, but I think if, if the, if the goal ultimate is some sort of long term peace, one has to be, look at this from standpoint of over time, are there more or fewer, um, terrorists being created?  Which is the pe

Masahiko Kimura (木村 政彦, Kimura Masahiko, September 10, 1917 – April 18, 1993) was a Japanese judoka and professional wrestler who is widely considered one of the greatest judoka of all time.[1][2][3] He won the All-Japan Judo Championships three times in a row for the first time in history and had never lost a judo match from 1936 to 1950. An author said," In the history of judo, no one is the strongest before Kimura and no one is the strongest after Kimura."[4] He has often been described as the strongest judoka in history.[5] In submission grappling, the reverse ude-garami arm lock is often called the "Kimura",[6] due to his famous victory over Gracie jiu-jitsu founder Hélio Gracie. In the Japanese professional wrestling world, he is known for the controversial match he had with Rikidōzan.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jocko-podcast/exclusive-content