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Comprehensive guide to WWII Pacific Wrecks http://www.pacificwrecks.com
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Wreck News & Information - May 31, 2001
EDITORIAL
Hollywood's Pearl Harbor
B-17 "Discovery"
VETERAN
Don Huebner - One Marines AdventuresINTERVIEWS
Dan E. Bailey - Author of WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon
Josh McDade - Reporting from Timor!
VISITS
John Douglas - Papuan Wreck Diary March & April
Stan Gajda - Broome Dornier Do 24 Wrecks
Sean Prizeman - Iwo Jima 1995
Jean-Claude Tranape - SS Coolidge Wreck, Vanuatu
Tom Britton - B-29 "Praying Mantis" crash in China
Phil Bradley - Chapple Beaufighter Wreck
Melvyn Maltz - Adelbert Mountain Visit
REVIEWS
Book - Bailey's WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon
Links - New websites to bookmark!--------------------------------------------------------
1. Hollywood's Pearl Harbor, B-17 Discovery, Surviving Zero
--------------------------------------------------------Worthy of mention was the highly anticipated release of Pearl Harbor, the Hollywood movie. Like all of you, I was anticipating this film, but also wary of the accurate portrayal of history and entertainment. As many of you know, one must only speak to the real Pacific veterans to realize that their stories and legacy is far more interesting than what the writers in Hollywood conjure. Regardless of your feelings about this movie, it will likely spawn a new wave of enthusiasm about the Pacific war, and that is a good thing.
This month update features an 'all-star' cast of collaborators on PWD. As always, thank you to all the veterans, collaborators and friends worldwide! Each section of this new update is equally important. Its getting very hard to list the items linearly, as each contribution is equally amazing.
- Justin
justin@wanpela.comMany people have asked me if there are any surviving Japanese aircraft from the Pearl Harbor attack. For information on a Japanese A6M2 Zero Fighter, one of the only remaining aircraft from the Pearl Harbor attack is featured on the forthcoming Pacific Ghosts CD-ROM. After over two years, the disc is in its final stage production.
Pacific Ghosts
http://www.pacificghosts.com
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2. B-17 Discovery - You heard it hear First!
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aerothentic/b17.htmlMany of you have mentioned to me the USA Today Magazine article about the discovery of a B-17 in Papua New Guinea, reported last week in American press. Longtime subscribers to the newsletter will remember that this wreck, and its full history were first announced last year (October 2000). So, you heard it hear first, and no, this is not a "new" wreck.
Aerothentic Website - MIA Section
http://www.aerothentic.com/MIA/B17wreck.htm
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3. Veterans Speak
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/veterans/Don Huebner - One Marines Adventures in WWII
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/veterans/huebner/Don Huebner has graciously agreed allowed PWD a chance to present his 37 page personal memories about his Pacific service. Included are chapters on overseas, Australia, Goodenough, Finschafen, Cape Glouster, Peleliu and Okinawa. Thank you Mr. Huebner for putting together your recollections about this important history for us to read. Also, a sneak peak at his new painting, titled "Beaching of the Yamasuki Maru"!
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4 Author Interview - Dan E. Bailey
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/authors/bailey.htmlThe author of WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon has just published a this impressive new, and comprehensive edition that culminates over eight years of new research, painstaking accuracy in creating maps, and including over 150 color wreck photographs. For anyone interested in Truk, this is the definitive reference. Read an in-depth interview with him about diving the lagoon, some of his personal highlights, discoveries and changes observed in the past 30 years he has explored the victims of the Operation Hailstone strike.
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5. Timor - Josh McDade Seeks WWII Sites
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/mcdade/Aficionados of the PWD will remember McDade's excellent reports and photos from Bougainville when he was stationed there. Now posted in Timor with UN forces, he is exploring sites there - but needs your help! Any information about WWII sites on the island, please help to build this new section of the database, and utilize this unique opportunity to have a corespondent in this location.
Timor - Page in progress
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/timor/Thanks to veterans of the 22nd Bomb Group for sharing their recollections of their B-26 missions to Dili. They were the only USAAC group to fly missions there. Are you a veteran of Timor? Please contact us with your experiences or recollections.
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6. John Douglas - Papuan Wreck Diary
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/collaborators/douglas/
Two months of updates from Douglas in Papua New Guinea. The March update (that I forgot to include last month - sorry!) includes updates on past reports and details of the CILHI conference. The April update includes information on his assistance to CILHI in the Owen Stanleys, and tantalizing photographs of several P-40 and a P-39 crash sites, and some Japanese Army relics!
As always, John never fails to impress with his discoveries, photos and wrec tec friends!March Update
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/collaborators/Douglas/news/03news01.htmlApril Update
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/collaborators/Douglas/news/04news01.html
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7. Stan Gajda - Broome Dornier Do 24 Wrecks
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/gajda/broome.htmlGajda expands his coverage of the Dornier Wrecks off Broome. See photos and read his commentary about Do 24 serial numbers X-1, X-20, X-23 and the X-36. And, marvel at Stan's work these most amazing aircraft, and their unique roll in Pacific and Australian history. Look for new sections from Stan over the next months about his other discoveries. I am very please to have Stan as a part of the site, and am sure you will marvel at his experience.
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8. Sean Prizeman - Iwo Jima 1995
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/prizeman.html
Read an interview with Prizeman who visited Iwo Jima with the 50th Anniversary remembrances. He hopes the memory of what the Marines did on Iwo never fade. It's up to us, the younger generations, to keep those memories alive. See photographs and read his commentary on some of the most historic places on this infamous battlefield. Also, his chance meeting with veteran Jim Scales, Third Battalion of the 23rd Regiment US Marines and his story of action on Hill 382.-------------------------------------------------------
9. Jean-Claude Tranape - SS President Coolidge
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/tranape.htmlFifty photos from the SS President Coolidge wreck in Vanuatu. Jean-Claude and his sons contribute extensive photographs of the wreck's exterior, interior, and artifacts. Including, the famous mantelpiece know as "The Lady" and the multitude of military and personal artifacts still aboard this massive ship.
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10. Tom Britton - B-29 "Praying Mantis"
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/britton.htmlTom Britton, a new collaborator to the PWD, is assembling a database on all B-29 aircraft that served in the XX and XXI Bomber Commands in both CBI and Marianas in WWII with the 20th Air Force for a forthcoming book. He contributes an interesting story about a B-29 "Praying Mantis" wreck in China.
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11. Phil Bradley - The Chapple Beaufighter
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/bradley/chapple.htmlTwo Beaufighters from 30th Squadron RAAF departed from Kiriwina Island on 25th November 1943 to carry out a sweep for barge traffic around the coast of New Britain from Rangandol Point to Cape Hoskins. After passing Bangula Bay, heading for home at 800 feet, Beaufighter A19-139 was seen to roll over on its back and dive into the jungle at a 45 degree angle. The two crew, pilot officer Charles Hilton Chapple and flying officer Percy John Coates were posted as missing.
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12. Walt Deas' Madang Trip
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/deas.htmlDiver and videographer Walt Deas has just returned from a trip to Madang. Read his article to learn about his trip, and current project "Bomber Reef"
http://www.scubahistory.com/bomber_reef/png/jaisaben.html
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13. Melvyn Maltz - Adelbert Mountain Visit
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Plans to visit the Adelbert Mountains in Papua New Guinea this June / July, and revisit the Wirraway site. Anyone in the area interesting going email him about the arrangements. He would be walking to the site with help of locals.http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/png_adelbert.html
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14. Reviews
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/reviews/WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/reviews/truk.htmlDan Bailey's impressive, color hardcover book that is arguably the best volume ever released on Truk Lagoon. The release of the beautiful hardcover edition of WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon is a volume that anyone interested in Truk should acquire and add to their book collection. This book builds on the 1989 version. With new research, discoveries and photography this book is an entirely new and expanded volume over 500 pages long! The book includes sections on Truk Today, Island Installations, Air Campaign Histories. The last 200 plus pages of this volume cover the ship and aircraft wrecks in the lagoon from WWII. The authors treatment is painstaking and arguably the most complete research available on each of these ships.
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14. Links of the Month
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Great links for your pleasure and bookmark listRemembering Pearl Harbor
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor
Thanks to Cézanne Huq for reporting this linkPearl Harbor: The Corporatization Of History
http://www.webactive.com/pacifica/demnow/dn20010530.html
Thanks to Tamar Gordon for this link.MHG Malaya Historical Group
http://www.geocities.com/shaharome_my/home.htm
Shaharom Ahmad, Sager Ahmad and Goh Keng Loon's new websiteBEAR's Peleliu Island Photo's page
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/xBEAR/Peleliu.htmAustralian National Shipwreck Database
http://dbase.mm.wa.gov.au/WEBFM/Shipwrecks/shipsearch.html
Thanks to Silvano Jung for this linkB-24 Liberator Squadrons of Australia
http://www.rnc.com.au/b-24/B-29 Superfortress: Then & Now
http://www.b-29.orgUSS Mississinewa AO-59
http://www.ussmississinewa.com/Tragedy at Sea: The Story of PT 347
http://home.earthlink.net/~ptboat347/Ginger's Diary 12/7/41
http://www.gingersdiary.com/index.html
Thanks to Peter Flahavin for this linkZenos Warbird Videos
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/USS Relief AH-1 Wartime Chronicle of a USN Hospital Ship
http://patriot.net/~eastlnd2/rj/alt/rc/chronicle.htm
# # # End of Wreck News May 31, 2001 # # #
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