first edition
by Military Intelligence, WWII
Washington, D.C.: War Department, 1942–1944. First editions. Five military intelligence reports and manuals issued by the U.S. War Department, comprising: Merrill’s Marauders (1944), Intelligence Bulletin, Vol. II, No. 8 (April 1944), Handbook on Japanese Military Forces (September 21, 1942), Notes on Japanese Warfare (1943), and Summary of Past Policy, and of More Immediate Events, in Relation to the Pacific Area (1942). Illustrated throughout with maps, photographs, and tactical diagrams. Staple-bound and softcover booklets, various sizes. A restricted-access collection of American wartime intelligence reports analyzing Japanese military strategy and documenting American jungle warfare operations, with a significant focus on the 5307th Composite Unit, known as Merrill’s Marauders, an elite U.S. Army unit that conducted deep-penetration raids behind enemy lines in Burma.
This archive provides a crucial contemporary military perspective on the Pacific Theater during World War II, specifically the American efforts to combat Japanese forces in Burma and the U.S. analysis of Japanese warfare tactics. Merrill’s Marauders details the operations of the 5307th Composite Unit under Brig. Gen. Frank D. Merrill, a force that “marched and fought through jungles and over mountains” in northern Burma to disrupt Japanese supply lines and communications. Their engagements with the Japanese 18th Division culminated in the capture of the Myitkyina airfield, a strategically vital location. The text describes their grueling campaign, noting that “in five major and 30 minor engagements, they met and defeated the veteran soldiers of the Japanese 18th Division,” despite enduring harsh jungle conditions and significant casualties. The unit's tactics were closely coordinated with Chinese forces to regain control of northern Burma and reestablish the Ledo Road supply route between India and China.
The Intelligence Bulletin offers detailed assessments of Japanese jungle warfare methods, emphasizing their reliance on stealth and deception. It describes their tactics for “beating on pieces of bamboo to imitate machine-gun fire” in order to disorient U.S. forces, and their strategy of night infiltration, in which small groups would crawl through barbed wire, neutralize sentries with knives, and engage in jiu-jitsu combat to disarm defenders. Japanese combat philosophy is explored, with a focus on psychological warfare, including an emphasis on observing small details: “Everything hostile forces do has a meaning; no matter how small the details, each is a part of a plan.” This analysis underscores the adaptability of Japanese forces, who used limited resources to maximum effect in dense jungle environments. The Handbook on Japanese Military Forces and Notes on Japanese Warfare further elaborate on Japanese camouflage techniques, explaining how soldiers used “straw and branches to make himself less noticeable” and wore brown-gray uniforms to blend into jungle settings. A section on equipment notes that “leather shoes should be worn because rubber-soled shoes caused soldiers to slip easily” and discusses limitations in Japanese firepower, with Japanese grenade throwers admitting that “our grenade launchers are inferior to those used by United Nations forces.” The Summary of Past Policy contextualizes these campaigns within broader American strategy, outlining the diplomatic and military responses to Japanese expansion, including the rationale behind U.S. military interventions in the Pacific. It traces the shift in U.S.-Japan relations leading up to the war and offers an overview of the policy decisions that shaped the military response, referencing major flashpoints like the attack on Pearl Harbor and the fall of the Philippines. A section titled American Nationals Killed or Wounded by Japanese Forces in China Since July 7, 1937 lists victims of early Japanese aggression, reinforcing the justification for U.S. involvement in the Pacific conflict. Mild wear to covers, light creasing and handling marks, with occasional toning to pages. Overall very good condition. A vital primary source archive of restricted U.S. intelligence materials documenting both American combat strategy and wartime assessments of Japanese military doctrine, offering valuable insight into the tactical operations of the Pacific War. (Inventory #: 21399)
This archive provides a crucial contemporary military perspective on the Pacific Theater during World War II, specifically the American efforts to combat Japanese forces in Burma and the U.S. analysis of Japanese warfare tactics. Merrill’s Marauders details the operations of the 5307th Composite Unit under Brig. Gen. Frank D. Merrill, a force that “marched and fought through jungles and over mountains” in northern Burma to disrupt Japanese supply lines and communications. Their engagements with the Japanese 18th Division culminated in the capture of the Myitkyina airfield, a strategically vital location. The text describes their grueling campaign, noting that “in five major and 30 minor engagements, they met and defeated the veteran soldiers of the Japanese 18th Division,” despite enduring harsh jungle conditions and significant casualties. The unit's tactics were closely coordinated with Chinese forces to regain control of northern Burma and reestablish the Ledo Road supply route between India and China.
The Intelligence Bulletin offers detailed assessments of Japanese jungle warfare methods, emphasizing their reliance on stealth and deception. It describes their tactics for “beating on pieces of bamboo to imitate machine-gun fire” in order to disorient U.S. forces, and their strategy of night infiltration, in which small groups would crawl through barbed wire, neutralize sentries with knives, and engage in jiu-jitsu combat to disarm defenders. Japanese combat philosophy is explored, with a focus on psychological warfare, including an emphasis on observing small details: “Everything hostile forces do has a meaning; no matter how small the details, each is a part of a plan.” This analysis underscores the adaptability of Japanese forces, who used limited resources to maximum effect in dense jungle environments. The Handbook on Japanese Military Forces and Notes on Japanese Warfare further elaborate on Japanese camouflage techniques, explaining how soldiers used “straw and branches to make himself less noticeable” and wore brown-gray uniforms to blend into jungle settings. A section on equipment notes that “leather shoes should be worn because rubber-soled shoes caused soldiers to slip easily” and discusses limitations in Japanese firepower, with Japanese grenade throwers admitting that “our grenade launchers are inferior to those used by United Nations forces.” The Summary of Past Policy contextualizes these campaigns within broader American strategy, outlining the diplomatic and military responses to Japanese expansion, including the rationale behind U.S. military interventions in the Pacific. It traces the shift in U.S.-Japan relations leading up to the war and offers an overview of the policy decisions that shaped the military response, referencing major flashpoints like the attack on Pearl Harbor and the fall of the Philippines. A section titled American Nationals Killed or Wounded by Japanese Forces in China Since July 7, 1937 lists victims of early Japanese aggression, reinforcing the justification for U.S. involvement in the Pacific conflict. Mild wear to covers, light creasing and handling marks, with occasional toning to pages. Overall very good condition. A vital primary source archive of restricted U.S. intelligence materials documenting both American combat strategy and wartime assessments of Japanese military doctrine, offering valuable insight into the tactical operations of the Pacific War. (Inventory #: 21399)
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