The Keesler field news., 1942-05-20
Life
Views
Pvt. Jap

The tspsnsts are using 1900
ION carrier which dssHoTgct a total
q l5s small craft from in sides
rolling out Ike baggage from .
luxury liner. hey shoot down
baby weather parachuief that
Rys wind drift and velocity
10 onc0mlng bombera. hey have
= thrse-ton "tankeite" hat would
/ ~ INTO . hall bedroom but has
speed Of 80 mph. carries three
men. tWo machine guns; hey have
/ = 74hn arm0red car which takes
Ten minutes 10 change from rub
Der wheels 70 steel rims and be-
come a 81 mph fsll car, they bring
along prefabricaisd nuts, fuel, and
spare parA right down 70 search
llEhis. during invasion operations
50 states Cecil Brown In . sps-
rially written report In The current
issue Of LIFE.
JAPs SHOW 40 MERCY
In final assault" Brown de-
ciaros, the Japanese soldier Is
unc0nirollable, shows no mercy
and takes no prisoners Ia FAM
atlcal, irenzled murderer whose
objective 10 10 wipe out everyone
who opposes him 10 the last nan.
lie continues. "one OF Japan's vital
War weapons Ia the mental vita
mln'-contempt FOR white man
constantly Injected into the jap
auesa soialarH
In a section devoted 70 the per
s9nailiy and makeup Of Japan's
lighting man." Brown says.
Every Jap soldier has been Or
derod never 70 surrender and ls
constantly warned that he will be I
summarily executed when caught /
by the enemy.
rs CAPABLE TROOPER
The japanese soldier is cap
able trooper. lie is easy to com I.
mand, very good a. looking after
himself, his arms, his uniform and |
equipment Physically. he Is hard /
and well tralnid. lie has remark |
ably good powers OF endurance. |
japanese peasants make up the .
rugged backbone OF the infantry, |
but soldiers from the cities also
have good physiqucs.
The warrant officers and nom
commissioned officers have a loyal |
and correct attitude toward their |
supcriors and they treat their men
we'll. fairly and without harshness.
The weakness Of the japanese NCOl
and warrant officer lies In the fact
that he lacks mature experience.
The present average period OF
service OF these noncommissioned
classes Is about four years.
The majority OF the rcglmental
officers come from the middle I
classes OF Japan. From tho age Of
IL, most Of them have lived, breath !
cd and eaten militarism. They are
tenacious and thorough on detail. /
Foreign military observers con-
slider them unlmaRinatve and |
rather slow mentally.
NEED OFFICERS
Military observers believe that
this reorganization Indicated a
serious shortage OF officers In
son1e branches OF the Japanese
military machine, probably in the
tank and air corps units, Expan- |
sion OF these branches had reached /
a substantial extent by December
7, as a result Of visits by Japanese
missions TO other countries. These
plucked the best develop
ments from Germany, as well as
other countries Just before war
broke out IN December, a British
officer said 10 me at Singapore,
you know, the japanese Army
has a habit OF doing tomorrow
what the German army did yester-
day"
The japanese have shown and
are still showing an ability not
only TO initiate other countries
equipment and technique but to
improve on H.
Their attack by torpedo bomb
ers on the "Repulsc" and Prince
Of Wales was carried out with !
. skin and organization not at