12 March 2022 Garand Picture of the Day - Castner's Cutthroats

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Castner's Cutthroats was the unofficial name for the 1st Alaskan Combat Intelligence Platoon (Provisional), also known as Alaskan Scouts. Castner's Cutthroats fought during World War II and were instrumental in defeating the Japanese during the Aleutian Islands Campaign. The unit was composed of just sixty-five men selected to perform reconnaissance missions in the Aleutian Islands during the war

Standard issue for Castner's Cutthroats was a Trapper Nelson pack, hunting knife, .22LR caliber target pistol and a sniper rifle, instead of the standard issue Springfield rifle, or M1 Garand. However, when it came to firearms, personal preference was the deciding factor. Al Brattain, a crack shot, preferred the M1 Garand because its reduced recoil did not spoil his aim. Trapper Nelson packs held all their supplies for their long mountainous treks. They lived off the land, which allowed them to stay light, unlike most military units of the time. To move from island to island, the men used canoes, from which they fished for salmon. The salmon was dried and stored for the winter, furthering the unit's ability to stay out in the field.

Battle of Attu | Deadliest Catch - YouTube

When one looks at a map it makes one realise just how alarmingly close to North America the Japanese got during WW2.

When one looks at a map it makes one realize just how alarmingly close to North America the Japanese got during WW2.


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Hydrogen-filled balloons carrying explosive devices, a desperate attempt by the Japanese military to target the U.S. civilian population, began appearing on North American shores in November 1944.

Elsie and the Sunday schoolers — Eddie Engen, Jay Gifford, Sherman Shoemaker, and siblings Joan and Dick Patzke, all between the ages of 11 and 14 — headed off to the woods. The group spotted something strange in the forest and called out, getting Archie’s attention.

“Joan came over and told us that there was a white object nearby,” Archie said, according to one account. “We went to investigate.”

He was about 40 yards away when the object exploded.

“It blew up and killed them all,” Archie said.

Eddie, Jay, Sherman and Dick, who were closest to the device, died instantly. Joan lay unconscious nearby but would not survive. When Archie arrived at the scene, he found his 26-year-old wife, who was pregnant with their first child, lying on the ground with part of her dress on fire. He managed to put out the flames, but Elsie was dead within minutes.

Elsie Mitchell and the five children had been killed by a Japanese balloon bomb. Just two days before the end of the war in Europe, they became the first — and only — people killed by enemy action on the U.S. mainland during World War II.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

it makes one realise just how alarmingly close to North America the Japanese got

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Well, they shelled Estevan lighthouse here on Vancouver island...and there were other accounts of sightings.

Mitchell Monument is just about 15 miles from my house. We go there from time to time.

About the incident that killed Archie Mitchell's pregnant wife and five school children.


Mitchell Recreation Area - Wikipedia

When we lived in Brookings, OR we went to where a Japanese Betty bomber dropped a bomb on MT Emily.

The Japanese balloon bombs were a clever but underhand way to attack the USA.

The sad part there are probably some still unexpolded devices located in the wilds of the US and Canada.

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Originally Posted by Bill Hollinger

Mitchell Monument is just about 15 miles from my house. We go there from time to time.

About the incident that killed Archie Mitchell's pregnant wife and five school children.


Mitchell Recreation Area - Wikipedia

When we lived in Brookings, OR we went to where a Japanese Betty bomber dropped a bomb on MT Emily.

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I doubt that the bomb was dropped from a "Betty" type bomber. The "Betty" was a land based aircraft and the Japanese had no occupied territory where a "Betty" could fly that far. I believe the bomb you are talking about came from a small float plane that was carried on a submarine. I'll also point out that Ft. Stevens Oregon received several shells on a single occasion from a submarine which didn't hit anything.

Curious what the 22 pistol was.
Hi Standard HD? That’d be my guess.

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Originally Posted by rcathey

Hi Standard HD

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I would think so, that was the popular model.

I wonder if that yosegaki Hinomaru (good luck flag) has made the trip back to the family in Japan yet? It has become popular to do so in the last few years as Americans have discovered that they were personal good luck tokens created for individual soldiers rather than unit flags. More HERE.

Bob

Interesting muzzle device on the M1 Carbine.

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Originally Posted by fjruple

Interesting muzzle device on the M1 Carbine.

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M1 Carbine WW2 Recoil Check Muzzle Brake | Midwest Military Collectibles