The Underwater Navy at Normandy'
(See R. S. Neyland, pp. 37-40, June 2009 Naval History)
Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Edward Ries, U.S. Navy (Retired)
The side-scan sonar image on page 38 is captioned as LCT-524, but the wreck does not resemble the rectangular shape of an LCT. It is more likely the remains of an LCI. As a former craftmaster and operator of LCTs during nuclear weapon tests at Eniwetok and Bikini in the 1950s, I am quite familiar with those vessels.
R. S. Neyland responds: One of our researchers at the Naval History & Heritage Command also questioned that the wreck might be an LCI. The French Hydrographic Service has the wreck at that location listed as LCT-524, and we did not have enough conclusive evidence to dispute that identification. One thing to be aware of is that the sonar image has distorted the curve of the end of the vessel a bit more strongly than actually exists. (Notice the wavy lines to the side of the ship. This is an artifact of the waves moving the sonar tow fish.) However, there is some curve at the end of the vessel. The overall length of the wreckage is about 90 feet.
Great Gamble at Normandy'
(See June 2009 Naval History)
Lieutenant Commander George J. Walsh, U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
There will be great demand for copies of this excellent review of the Normandy invasion. I am getting that message already from Army veterans in my senior men's association. Congratulations.
May I suggest a follow-up article on the naval aviators from the battleships and cruisers who did the spotting for the Navy gunfire. Seventeen OS2U Kingfisher floatplane pilots from the big ships, already highly trained in spotting for their shipmates, were dispatched to England and trained in British Spitfire fighters for the mission.
Historic Fleets'
(See R. Cressman, pp. 8-9, June 2009 Naval History)
Commander Howard C. Nickerson Jr., U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
The author mentions that the USS Corry (DD-463) was second of three U.S. Navy ships to be named in honor of Lieutenant Commander William M. Corry who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for attempting to save a fellow crewmember from their burning aircraft on 3 October 1920.
It should be noted that the first honor for the lieutenant commander was the naming of Corry Field, north of Pensacola, Florida, in 1922. In 1927 a new, larger Corry Field was built three miles north of NAS Pensacola. This was designated a Naval Auxiliary Air Station in January 1943, but disestablished at the end of World War II. It remained an active training field until being closed in 1958. In 1973 the field's name was changed to Naval Technical Training Center, Corry Station.
The Pearl Harbor Warning that Never Was'
(See P. Ribbey, pp. 7 and 64, June; R. J. Hanyok, pp. 50-53, April 2009 Naval History)
Larry Jewell
Ms. Ribbey's issue with the supposed lack of response to the "Winds Execute" message misses an important point. The message was never sent. The message laying out the Winds system states: "In case of emergency (danger of cutting off our diplomatic relations), and the cutting off of international communications, the following warning will be added in the middle of the daily Japanese language short wave news broadcast."
Obviously, "cutting off of international communications" never happened prior to the attack, so there was no reason to send the "rains" message Captain Laurence F. Safford was so certain he saw.
Below is the full text of the layout message:
From: Tokyo
To: Washington
19 November 1941
(J 19)
Circular #2353
Regarding the broadcast of a special message in an emergency.
In case of emergency (danger of cutting off our diplomatic relations), and the cutting off of international communications, the following warning will be added in the middle of the daily Japanese language short wave news broadcast.
(1) In case of a Japan-U. S. relations in danger: HIGASHI NO KAZEAME. [East wind rain.]
(2) Japan-U. S. S. R. relations: KITANOKAZE KUMORI. [North wind cloudy.]
(3) Japan-British relations: NISHI NO KAZE HARE. [West wind clear.]
This signal will be given in the middle and at the end as a weather forecast and each sentence will be repeated twice. When this is heard please destroy all code papers, etc. This is as yet to be a completely secret arrangement.
Forward as urgent intelligence.
25432
JD-1: 6875 (Y) Navy Trans. 11-28-41 (S-TT)
Historic Aircraft'
(See N. Polmar, pp. 10-11, June 2009 Naval History)
Michael J. Blume
In 1956 I was stationed as a dentist at Iwakuni, Japan, where I became very friendly with members of VQ-1. On 22 August 1956 when one of their aircraft was shot down off the China coast, I could not help but feel a pang in that I lost a number of good friends in that outfit, especially when some of the bodies returned by the Chinese were my patients. It was the first and last time I experienced an act of war.
Lost in the Sky Found in the Sea'
(See D. S. Pierson, pp. 50-54, June 2009 Naval History)
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Charlie Schmidt, U.S. Navy (Retired)
The aircraft commander, then-Captain Charles J. Wendorf, related a totally different version of the accident's cause at the National Atomic Museum last fall to the museum staff and Spanish Public Broadcasting. Whether this is because of recently discovered evidence, personal pride, or from trying to remember too far back, I have no way of judging. Wendorf intimated that the G-model B-52 had a propensity for breaking up that may have caused the problem rather than a flat-out pilot error. Because the command pilot was promoted to major immediately after the investigation and later to lieutenant colonel, this leads me to believe he was not found to be at fault.
Navy Blue Blood'
(See J. M. Caiella, p. 65, April 2009 Naval History)
Commander Walter Dunn Tucker, U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
There was more than just Navy-blue blood in the veins of Lion Tyler Miles, XO, USS Asheville (PG-21) and his son, Lion G. Miles, author of "South from Tjilatjap."
The statement that Lion Tyler Miles was born in the president's house at the College of William and Mary in 1910 aroused my curiosity because I served in Naval Reserve Intelligence Unit 5-1-3 at Richmond, Virginia, with Lyon G. Tyler Jr., whose father was president of William and Mary. Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. was the son of President John Tyler and his second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler.
The second child of Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. and his first wife, Anne Baker Tucker, was Elizabeth Gilmer Tyler, who married Alfred Hart Miles. Thus, Lion Tyler Miles was a great-grandson of President John Tyler, and Lion G. Miles is a great-great-grandson.
Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., elder son of Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. and his second wife, Sue Ruffin, is the half-brother of Elizabeth Gilmer Tyler Miles. I believe that makes Lyon Jr. an uncle of Lion Tyler Miles and a great-uncle of Lion G. Miles.
Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. was a lawyer when I joined our Naval Reserve unit in 1957. After serving on the Civil War Centennial Commission 1960-65, Lyon returned to college to earn a Ph.D. in history. He went on to teach at Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel. His departure from Richmond and my retirement from the Naval Reserve caused our paths not to cross again.