Military | Page 36 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

November 15, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1800s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1800s – horses arrive, sandalwood economy and Henry ‘Ōpūkaha’ia sails to New England. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook

Follow Peter T Young on Google+

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

November 11, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.

However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.”

With the approval of subsequent legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls.

Today, Veterans Day, is a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

To all who served, Thank You.

army-navy-airforce-marinces-coastguard-merchantmarines

October 21, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

John Silver

It was “the war to end all wars.”

On the Western Front the Allied Powers hoped wireless radio and telephones would keep its rear-echelon commanders in touch with their front line troops.

But when the shelling started these lines of communication were all too easily broken or intercepted, and carefully laid plans could quickly descend into chaos. (BBC)

Homing pigeons were used in World War I to deliver messages when other means such as telephones, telegraph, radio or dispatch riders were unavailable. They proved their value carrying messages from front line outposts to pigeon lofts at command centers, which they returned to by instinct and training. (Croseri)

The US Army first tried using pigeons in the 1870s during the Indian wars in the Dakotas. The experiment was a failure, on account of the large numbers of hawks that kept killing the birds, but by World War I, pigeons had become an invaluable military asset. Some birds even carried cameras that snapped photographs of enemy positions.

Even in World War II, when radios and walkie-talkies were available, pigeons were used as an emergency means of communication. Paratroopers in the invasion of Normandy carried pigeons with them when they jumped deep behind German lines, in order to maintain radio silence. (AP; Devil’s Lake Journal)

At the start of the First World War, the United States received the pigeons as a donation from Great Britain bird breeders. Then, it was up to the American Soldiers to train them for their jobs. (Armed Forces Museum)

Carrier Pigeons, used to carry communications during World War I, proved to be instrumental in the war. Because advanced telecommunications had yet to be developed, the carrier pigeon was often used by both sides, not only for critical dispatches, but also often sent from the front line carrying status report messages back to the main headquarters.

The messages could then be relayed to the proper military authorities. In all, it is estimated that more than 100,000 carrier pigeons were used by both sides during the war. They are recorded as having a 95% success rate in navigating successfully to their intended destination. (Armed Forces Museum)

One pigeon was hatched in January 1918 in a dugout just behind the lines in France. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, he was one of the most active pigeons in the Army, and his barrage-dodging skill was apparent in many exciting flights from the front line trenches to divisional pigeon lofts.

On October 21, 1918, at 2:35 p.m., this pigeon was released at Grandpre from a front line dugout in the Meuse-Argonne drive with an important message for headquarters at Rampont, 25 miles away. The enemy had laid down a furious bombardment prior to an attack.

Through this fire, the pigeon circled, gained his bearings and flew toward Rampont. Men in the trenches saw a shell explode near the pigeon. The concussion tossed him upward and then plunged him downward.

Struggling, he regained his altitude and continued on his course. Arriving at Rampont 25 minutes later, the bird was a terrible sight. A bullet had ripped his breast, bits of shrapnel ripped his tiny body, and his right leg was missing. The message tube, intact, was hanging by the ligaments of the torn leg.

Weeks of nursing restored his health but could not give back the leg he lost on the battlefield. The pigeon became a war hero and earned the name “John Silver,” after the one-legged pirate in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

He was retired from active service and in 1921 was assigned as a mascot to the 11th Signal Company, US Army Signal Corps, Schofield Barracks, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. John Silver died December 6, 1935, at the age of 17 years and 11 months.

Thereafter, on each Organization Day of the 11th Signal Company, the name John Silver was added to the roll-call. When his name was called, the senior non-commissioned officer present responded, “Died of wounds received in battle in the service of his country.” The Army Signal Corps presented John Silver to the museum on December 19, 1935.

Since at least the mid-1930s, many people have called this one-legged pigeon ‘Stumpy’ John Silver. The ‘Stumpy’ nickname, however, has been a matter of contention.

The Signal Company commander of the Hawaiian Division at Schofield Barracks (John Silver’s commanding officer at the time the bird died) felt it was disrespectful and is reported to have said in 1961 that anyone who called the bird “Stumpy” would have been summarily thrown out of the area.

Nonetheless, a 1937 Signal Corps Headquarters document states that “’Stumpy’ John Silver” was on display at the Army Aeronautical Museum, Wright Field, Ohio, which later became the National Museum of the US Air Force. (Air Force)

When the Army disbanded the Pigeon Service in 1957, the last 1,000 birds at Fort Monmouth were offered for sale to the general public. The more famous birds were parceled out to zoos.

Hundreds of veterans and pigeon-racing enthusiasts descended on the fort in hopes of getting at least a few of the pigeons. A newspaper account says there was an overflow crowd of about 200 people who couldn’t get in. (AP; Devil’s Lake Journal)

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook

Follow Peter T Young on Google+

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

John Silver-AirForce

John Silver-carrier pigeon that served in World War I-PP-4-8-011-1935

John_Silver_national_museum

October 15, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Geier

When World War I broke out in August 1914, the German gunboat Geier was enroute from Tanganyika to Tsingtao to join Adm. von Spee’s Far Eastern Squadron. Since British, French and Japanese warships threatened further progress toward her destination, she commenced elusive tactics.

In early September, she captured a British freighter, Southport, at Kusaie in the Eastern Carolines; disabled the merchantman’s engines; and steamed on. However, the freighter’s crew repaired the damage; and Southport sailed to Australia where she reported the German gunboat’s presence in the Carolines.

For another month, Geier eluded her hunters; then, in need of repairs and short on coal, she headed for neutral territory and headed to Hawai‘i. (US had not entered the war, yet.) (Navy)

The Geier entered Honolulu in an unseaworthy condition. She put into the port of Honolulu, and on October 15 the captain requested permission to make repairs to render the vessel seaworthy, and estimated the time for this work to be one week.

The naval constructor of the United States at the port of Honolulu examined the vessel on October 20 and recommended that the time be extended eight days from October 20, in order to place the boilers in a seaworthy condition. (Naval War College, International Law Situations, 1931)

The commanding officer reported the necessity of extensive repairs which would require an indefinite period for completion. The vessel was allowed the generous period of three weeks (to November 7) to make repairs and leave the port, or, failing to do so, to be interned.

A longer period would have been contrary to international practice, which does not permit a vessel to remain for a long time in a neutral port.

Shortly after the Geier entered the port of Honolulu the steamer Locksun arrived. It was found that this vessel had delivered coal to the Geier en route and had accompanied her toward Hawaii. She had thus constituted herself a tender or collier to the Geier she was accorded the same treatment and interned on November 7. (American Journal of International Law, 1922)

Both went beyond the November 7, 1914 deadline and both were interned (and the ships and most of their crews remained in the Islands for almost 3-years.)

Unbeknownst to many, “The Geier, although interned was using her wireless all the time … they caught practically all transpacific messages. Here is one entry showing successful wireless communication: December 22, 1914: ‘Telegram received from consulate: Geier will transmit messages to Connoran.’” (Star-Bulletin, December 13, 1917)

“(Individual pledges from the Captain and other officers of) “the Geier (were) handed over to the navy department immediately after internment. It is a promise to the American government to observe all its laws and respect its neutrality.” (Star-Bulletin, December 13, 1917)

The Geier crew was making friends in the Islands. “’Geier Night’ was a gala night at the YMCA last evening and for three solid hours more than 400 members of the German colony of Honolulu with the officers and crew of the Geier enjoyed themselves at every feature on the program.”

“One of the pleasing features of the meeting was the concert by the Geier band. As a musical organization the Geier band has won a leading place in the ranks of the bands in the city.” (Star-Bulletin, August 25, 1916)

Then, a fire, started February 4, 1917, aboard the Geier was evidence of a “concerted action taken by the commanders of the German merchant and naval vessels in port, to disable them completely in case they should fall into the hands of the United States.”

“Although the ship was fired in no other place than the engine room where the boilers were burned out and absolutely ruined the intense heat generated by the redhot metal spread to the steel deck over the engine-room which in turn set fire to a three-inch wooden deck which covered the steel.” (Star Bulletin, February 5, 1917)

“Later military officers in charge went on board and arrested the entire crew after Capt. Grasshof of the Geier had officially surrendered his ship to the United States, and then began the task of removing all the German officers and men and marching them to places of detention at the army posts under guard of regulars.”

“The actual interning of the Geier was performed … by Collector of the Port Malcolm A. Franklin, and the boat and crew were then turned over to the navy department. These paroles or pledges, therefore, were given to the navy’ department, Admiral Charles B. T. Moore, commandant.” (Star-Bulletin, December 13, 1917)

The “Navy took charge of crew and officers of Geier … and turned them over to the army for transfer of place of internment. The crews being divided between Schofield, Shafter and DeRussy.”

“It was stated today that all the Germans taken over by the army yesterday are in guardhouses and under guard. They will be allowed exercise every day, but in general their imprisonment will be close.” (Maui News)

“Virtually they are prisoners, though they were taken yesterday under the status of ‘interned aliens.’” (Star-Bulletin, February 5, 1917)

“The flag and pennant were left up and a small number of crew left on board In accordance with internment regulations. On going on board it was found that Geier machinery and half the boilers had been disabled.” (Star Bulletin, February 5, 1917)

On April 6, 1917, the US entered the war. Geier was seized and refitted for United States Navy service; renamed Schurz on June 9; and commissioned on 15 September 1917, Comdr. Arthur Crenshaw in command.

On October 31, Schurz stood out of Pearl Harbor to escort Submarine Division 3 to San Diego. Arriving on November 12, she continued on with the submarines, K-3, K-4, K-7, and K-8, in early December. At the end of the month, the convoy transited the Panama Canal, whence the gunboat and her charges moved northwest to Honduras.

Assigned to the American Patrol Detachment, Schurz departed Charleston toward the end of April and, for the next two months, conducted patrols and performed escort duty and towing missions along the east coast and in the Caribbean.

On June 19, she departed New York for Key West. At 0444 on the 21st, southwest of Cape Lookout lightship, she was rammed by the merchant ship, Florida. Florida hit Schurz on the starboard side, crumpling that wing of the bridge, penetrating the well and berth deck about 12 feet, and cutting through bunker no. 3 to the forward fire room.

One of Schurz’s crew was killed instantly; twelve others were injured. Schurz was abandoned. Three hours later, she sank. The name Schurz was struck from the Navy list on August 26, 1918. (Navy)

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook

Follow Peter T Young on Google+

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

Geier – Honolulu Harbor-PP-40-3-018

SMS Geier in 1894

USS Schurz – Geier

SMS-Geier-WC-1894

S.M.S. Geier_-Interning_Sailors-Hawaii-1914

Kaiser Wilhelm II visiting the German cruiser SMS Geier

Kaiser Wilhelm II inspecting the officers of the German cruiser SMS Geier

Kaiser Wilhelm II inspecting the crew of the German cruiser SMS Geier

Kaiser Wilhelm (center) aboard SMS Geier

German cruiser SMS Geier of the Imperial German Navy, circa 1894 to 1914

Geier in Havana in 1898

USS Schurz – Geier

Cruiser SMS Geier 1894

September 24, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Marconi Wireless

Until 1840 any immediate communication between human beings was limited to the range of the eye or the ear. In nations such as France, Russia and Great Britain, fire signal towers stretched the length of the country to serve as early warning systems.

During the nineteenth century scientists and inventors came to better understand electricity’s ability to transmit sound, and with this understanding came such inventions as the telegraph by Samuel Morse in 1840, the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1875, and the phonograph by Thomas Alva Edison in 1877.

In addition to these new wonders came such scientific advances as James Clerk Maxwell’s 1865 theory, which postulated electromagnetic waves existed and moved at a uniform speed, but varied in length and frequency.

In 1888, Heinrich Hertz proved this theory by demonstrating that electricity could bridge a gap from one coil to produce a current in another. These all laid the groundwork for humanity’s delving into the possibility of wireless communication.

Then came Guglielmo Marconi (who was born at Bologna, Italy on April 25, 1874.) In 1895, he began laboratory experiments at his father’s country estate where he succeeded in sending wireless signals over a distance of one and a half miles.

In 1900, he took out his famous patent No. 7777 for “tuned or syntonic telegraphy” and, on an historic day in December 1901, determined to prove that wireless waves were not affected by the curvature of the Earth.

He used his system for transmitting the first wireless signals across the Atlantic between Poldhu, Cornwall, and St. John’s, Newfoundland, a distance of 2,100 miles. (Nobel Prize)

In the Islands, “Telegraph communication seems likely soon to be in operation between our islands. Marconi has successfully sent telegrams across the British channel without wire.”

“An invisible electric ray is flashed from lofty mast, directed to receiver thirty miles away, which records it. So Hawai‘i will not need an inter-island cable. Rain, fog and darkness do not obstruct the ray.” (The Friend, May 1, 1899)

Then interisland wireless came; “Just about the latest wonder accomplished by science is telegraphing without wires, communicating between far distant and mutually invisible points by means of the ether which is believed to exist as a sort of cement holding the molecules of the atmosphere together.”

“Today Hawaiians will be given their first opportunity of witnessing the workings of this marvel the marvel by which a young Italian boy named Marconi astonished the world a few years ago.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, June 16, 1900)

Then, the American Marconi Company began establishing global coverage with long distance, paired sending and receiving stations not only in England, France and the United States, but also Spain, Italy, Egypt, India, and Argentina.

Hawaii was viewed as a bridge facilitating wireless communication between California, Hawaii and Japan as well as Australia; he planned facilities at Koko Head and Kahuku. At the time of Kahuku’s opening, it was the largest wireless telegraph station in the world in terms of capacity and power.

Everything in the plant was in duplicate, the one system backing up the other, so there was no reason to have to shut down operations because of a need to undertake repairs. (NPS) “Quite a large staff is housed in the Marconi Hotel, some operators and some engineers.” (Marconi Service News)

“Besides being included in the great chain of wireless stations which are to be erected by the Marconi Company, Hawai‘i has been favored with being selected as the site for the largest wireless station in the world.”

“While situated in the middle of the Pacific ocean, isolated, as it were, from the rest of the world except for a single cable and a wireless station only capable of working at night …”

“… Hawai‘i will be able to throw off this isolation with the coming of the Marconi system, get into a more complete touch with the rest of the world, and be drawn into closer relations with the country of which it is a territory.” (Star Bulletin, April 19, 1913)

The transoceanic stations were officially opened on September 24, 1914, approximately two months after the start of World War I in Europe. (NPS)

The first message (from Governor Lucius Pinkham to President Woodrow Wilson) read, “With time and distance annihilated and space subdued through wireless triumphs and impulse …”

“… the Territory of Hawai‘i conveys its greetings, profound respect and sympathy to Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States, as he so earnestly seeks the blessings of peace and good will for all men and all nations. (Star Bulletin, September 24, 1914)

President responded with a short, “May God bring the nation together in thought and purpose and lasting peace.” (NPS)

“Today marks a new era in transpacific and world-communication for the people of Hawai‘i. With the opening of two great wifeless stations on Oahu by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America ‘’

“… Uncle Sam’s midpacific territory is brought closer and is bound closer than ever to her sister commonwealth of the mainland.” (Star Bulletin to Associated Press, September 24, 1914)

The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Station at Kahuku includes four buildings: the power house/operating building, hotel, administration building, and manager’s cottage.

With the end of WWI, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) took over the facility; then, preparations and defense facilities, in anticipation of WWII, started popping up on the island.

The north-Oʻahu facility was under the overall command of the Hawaiian Air Force (HAF) headquartered at Hickam, Oʻahu. The HAF was activated on October 28, 1940, as the first air force outside the Continental US. (Bennett)

On November 25, 1941, Army Engineers took over the RCA facility and started constructing an Army Air Base in and around it. (They also constructed two other North Shore airfields at Kawaihāpai (Mokuleʻia/Dillingham) and Haleiwa.)

The old Marconi/RCA administration building was converted into air base headquarters and Commanding Officer’s quarters. The RCA buildings, with the exception of the powerhouse/operating building, were also used by the air field.

The hotel became the base headquarters, the administration building housed base operations, and the manager’s house became the commanding officer’s quarters.

The usual theater of operations support buildings were constructed (i.e., control tower, barracks for enlisted men, officer’s quarters, mess halls, chapel, dispensaries, cold storage, two fire stations, paint shop, Post Exchange, radio station, telephone exchange, etc.)

The April 1, 1946 tsunami devastated the Kahuku Air Base, destroying numerous buildings and covering the runways with debris. Following this tidal wave, military air operations ceased at Kahuku and sometime between June 12, 1946 and March 1947 the lands were returned to Campbell Estate.

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook

Follow Peter T Young on Google+

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger