Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr.


Author - Historian - Professor



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CRUSHING THE JAPANESE SURFACE FLEET



In late 1944, the Second World War in the Pacific was going badly for Japan. The Japanese strategy was to entrap the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet by its naval forces from the north in the Sibuyan Sea, and with assault from the south from Surigao Strait. On the afternoon of October 24, 1944, 7th Fleet torpedo-boats moved through Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait into the Mindanao Sea south of Leyte, and by dusk were in position on their patrol-lines. Covering the northern part of the strait, were posted the destroyer squadrons, cruisers, and battleships to form the horizontal bar to a "T" of vast fire power which the enemy would be forced to approach vertically as he moved forward.





beyond duty



Accounts of brutality fill the history of warfare. The behavior of any human being is, of course, a very complex phenomenon, whether in war or in peace. Historians in large part have described in detail the actions of military groups that have committed brutalities but have not dealt with the factors that contributed to those actions. After examining the collective behavior of six military groups, representing different combat actions in different periods, some unexpected similarities became clear.





The aztec eagles



​Very few people would include Mexico in the list of U.S. World War II Allies. Sadly, Mexico's aid to the United States and the Allies has been largely ignored by historians and is mostly absent from American history books. When the Mexican aviators had the opportunity to show their courage in battle, they did so with valor. Allied theater commander General Douglas MacArthur commended the pilots and 150 support personnel. The 31 pilots of Mexican Expeditionary Force 201st Fighter Squadron flew missions supporting ground troops in the Philippines and long-range sorties over Formosa.





strafbatallion



When war broke out in 1939, Hitler created Strafbatallion (Penal Battalion) units to deal with incarcerated members of the Wehrmacht as well as ‘subversives’. His order stated that any first-time convicted soldier could return to his unit after he had served a portion of his sentence in ‘a special probation corps before the enemy’. Beginning in April 1941, convicted soldiers, even those sentenced to death, who had shown exceptional bravery or meritorious service could rejoin their original units.





the italian army in north africa


When most people think of the Italian Army in North Africa during the Second World War, they tend to believe that the average Italian soldier offered little resistance to the Allies before surrendering. Many suggest that the Italian Army performed in a cowardly manner during the war: the reality is not so simple. The question remains as to whether the Italians were cowards or victims of circumstance. While the Italian soldier’s commitment to the war was not as great as that of his German counterpart, many Italians fought bravely. The Italian Littorio and Ariete Divisions earned Allied admiration at Tobruk, Gazala and EI Alamein.





for the fatherland


Growing up in Germany in the 1930s, Kurt Schultheiss was like the other kids in his neighborhood: rambunctious, inquisitive, and the center of his parents' world. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he was also the picture of Aryan purity, a poster child for the band of “magnificent youngsters” with which Adolf Hitler plotted to build his “new world.” As Hitler's power grew, he created the Hitler Youth, a breeding ground for the Nazi SS. As members of the Hitler Youth, Kurt and his friends enjoyed camping, weapons training and complete indoctrination into the Nazi philosophy of world domination.





decima flottiglia mas


A group of determined human torpedoes, motorboat operators and assault swimmers fought bravely for Italy in the Second World War and inspired fear and respect from the British Navy. The actions of these men severely reduced British naval power in the Mediterranean. Even with small numbers and using relatively limited resources, the commandos were a very effective force in the war against the British. By the end of the war, these men would sink or disable over 73,000 tons of Allied warships and over 128,000 tons of merchant shipping.





the chronicles of the 28th infantry division


It became a familiar routine for the soldiers of the nation's oldest division – the 28th Infantry Division. First, the phone call would come alerting the unit of a possible mobilization. Next, the soldiers would assemble at the home armories with families and friends to say their goodbyes and wish them well. They would board buses for places like Fort Dix, New Jersey or Fort Stewart, Georgia to begin the training they would need when they deployed.





THE IIOTH HOLDS IN THE ARDENNES


In the early morning hours of 16 December 1944, the 28th Division received a message from higher headquarters telling them to "hold at all costs." From 0530 that morning of the 16th until sometime in the afternoon of the 18th, the men of the 110th Infantry Regiment fought and held, giving ground only when forced out, but all the while buying precious time for General Eisenhower to find and move reserves forward from deep in France. That these scattered and battered 110th units could hold at all against such odds was by any standard an incredible feat.





EASTCAPER ANTHOLOGY


Mexico is a magical place full of beauty. Vistas of beaches, mountains and ancient pueblos attract visitors from all over the world who come to enjoy the tradition and culture of the Mexican way of life. This book is a collection of stories describing Baja history, its people, culture, recipes and animals. It includes tales written by people who came to the East Cape when the only way to get here was by airplane. This anthology is a selected collection of stories and articles that have appeared in East Capers, a regional publication.