Don’t Go Into the Swamp: Crocodiles and the Japanese Type 99 Rifle

[Gunreference1]

https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/dont-go-into-the-swamp-crocodiles-and-the-japanese-type-99-rifle/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=20210301_BlogDigest_419&utm_campaign=/digest/dont-go-into-the-swamp-crocodiles-and-the-japanese-type-99-rifle/

Steve

[ltorlo64]

That was a truly sad story.

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Not sure what you mean by sad. The rifles? Or the Japanese? Considering what they did at every place like Manila for example, I'm glad a bunch got eaten up. They were pretty much monsters during WWII, which was strange because in previous wars were humane with civilians and POWS

[ltorlo64]

Not sure what you mean by sad. The rifles? Or the Japanese? Considering what they did at every place like Manila for example, I'm glad a bunch got eaten up. They were pretty much monsters during WWII, which was strange because in previous wars were humane with civilians and POWS

In my mind there is a difference between justice, which they deserved, and thinking about individuals, scared out of their wits, being hunted by huge underwater monsters they can't see that kill be drowning their prey while crushing their bones with huge, sharp teeth. Does not mean they did not deserve this, but just because they deserved (and asked for it by not surrendering) does not make the story less sad.

[1 Patriot-of-many]

In my mind there is a difference between justice, which they deserved, and thinking about individuals, scared out of their wits, being hunted by huge underwater monsters they can't see that kill be drowning their prey while crushing their bones with huge, sharp teeth. Does not mean they did not deserve this, but just because they deserved (and asked for it by not surrendering) does not make the story less sad.

Okay I get you. Personally it's horrifying. I have a hard time decoupling what they did to innocent people from their personal deaths. Beheadings, Murdering babies with bayonets, mass raping and then killing the woman in sick ways. Starving our pows, experimenting with biological weapons on our pows. The pure evil. Did we have some? Absolutely, but not on that scale. We had Mush Morton for example. Made a habit of machine gunning japs floating in the water. If the war was won by the Japanese, there would be quite a few tried for war crimes. I certainly have never been at war but I can understand how anyone could become a butcher facing combat day after day, especially on the losing side.

[tank_monkey]

Okay I get you. Personally it's horrifying. I have a hard time decoupling what they did to innocent people from their personal deaths. Beheadings, Murdering babies with bayonets, mass raping and then killing the woman in sick ways. Starving our pows, experimenting with biological weapons on our pows. The pure evil. Did we have some? Absolutely, but not on that scale. We had Mush Morton for example. Made a habit of machine gunning japs floating in the water. If the war was won by the Japanese, there would be quite a few tried for war crimes. I certainly have never been at war but I can understand how anyone could become a butcher facing combat day after day, especially on the losing side.

Well we all view ALL of a group based on their WORST examples.

Just a thought. Even with the GERMAN Army, Japan conscripted millions of young men to fight for their country. There are famous examples of their atrocities, but I've been reading a lot of history of the war as written by British, French and Belgian historians, and America's history has this tendency to censor ALL examples of the 'enemy' acting with humanity and compassion.

There are many cases where the Japanese did NOT abuse prisoners or civilians, but those accounts were censored by the War office. Can't be making them look human. And there are TONS of stories of GERMAN soldiers and officers who were honorable towards American and Allied POWs, who did NOT abuse the civilian population. But again, American history never mentions those instances at the request of the US government at the time.

I've been reading a lot of books where I hear of tons of incidents that I've NEVER heard of before. Small instances all over the place that proves that MOST soldiers in any BIG army are just regular guys who got drafted. There are jerks and there are decent guys.

I only blame those UNITS who did the atrocities. There were TONS of units all over the AXIS who never did anything heinous, other than fight the enemy. Gotta remember that.