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Post by EXO on Jul 22, 2009 18:37:16 GMT 8
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Post by The Phantom on Jul 22, 2009 22:34:14 GMT 8
Very nice, Jagger Armstongler, Lances' great grandfather in the lead?
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Post by okla on Jul 22, 2009 23:15:34 GMT 8
EXO....great pic. to me, german infantry mounted on bicycles doesnt seem to fit my stereotype of hitler's legions. they seem out of place if not mounted on or in tiger tanks,etc. i guess mobility was and is the name of the game whether it be panzers or cycles. we all know how the japanese, in malaya, put bicycles to great use in their race down the peninsula to singapore. as i remember the australians ambushed one of the emperor's bicycle columns to great effect on one occasion, but otherwise the nipponese attackers were always one jump ahead of the british/australian defenderes.
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Post by The Phantom on Jul 23, 2009 9:49:58 GMT 8
From "THE FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES"
January 1st 1942
To strengthen the river line ( Bamban River) Company C, 23rd Infantry, was posted on the high ground north of the Bamban River and west of Route 3, in position to dominate the road and the railroad south of the town. The wisdom of placing Company C in this position was soon confirmed. At about 0130 New Years day a Japanese force, mounted on Bicycles, and estimated as of Company size was observed peddling from Bamban toward the destroyed bridges between 2nd and 3rd Battallion, 21st Infantry. The enemy were part of the Kanno Detactment,which had been caught in the open by Amerincan tanks at Zaragoza two days earlier. Their reception at Bamban was no less warm. As the Japanese cyclists advanced along the short stretch of road that paralleled the river east of the destroyed bridges, Company C delivered a punishing fire into their midst. After some minutes of confusion and milling about, the surprised and badly hit Japanese force retreated, having suffered 35 casualties. Company C gained an assortment of bicycles, swords and misc. equipment."
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Post by okla on Jul 24, 2009 10:56:10 GMT 8
hey phantom....i seems safe to say that the lads from the kanno detachment had a bad week. methinks they should have been cycling back home on the ginza rather than the back roads of luzon. the new year, 1942, i imagine at this point, seemed a bit bleak for the visitors from the north.
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Post by The Phantom on Jul 25, 2009 4:56:40 GMT 8
You're right okla.
A lot is said about how the Army Air Corps got caught on the ground and destroyed. Yeah it did.
How untrained armies broke and ran. That happened.
How supplies were left behind and not brought into Bataan. Huge rice supplies left to the Japanese in the North, just one example.
But there are also stores of well planned and executed holding operations allowing both North and South armies time to get to Bataan.
There are stories of bravery all over, done by individuals not willing to give up.
Those men deserve all the credit they can get for fighting so long with little prospect of relief.
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Post by okla on Jul 25, 2009 5:47:08 GMT 8
hey phantom....one of these long forgotten little skirmishes/actions,etc that hardly anybody is aware of (other than us bataan/corregidor geeks) is the armored holding action at the plaridel area. if we hadnt held the enemy that day the south luzon force would have been unable to sideslip into bataan. i am sure you and the other geeks know all about plaridel, but methinks it wouldnt do any harm to bring it up again. just one of several "actions" that the filipino/american defenders can be justly proud.
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