Death on the hellships : prisoners at sea in the Pacific War / Gregory F. Michno

Death on the hellships : prisoners at sea in the Pacific War / Gregory F. Michno

Japan--Kaigun--Prisons--History--20th century.

Prisoners of war--Transportation--Pacific Ocean.

World War, 1939-1945--Atrocities.

World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, Japanese.

A comprehensive and definitive book on the ships (usually dirty and unkempt) used by the Japanese to transport white prisoners of war from conquered areas (including the Philippines) to Japan or other Japanese-controlled areas. Thousands of prisoners of war died on these journeys due to cruelty of the guards, or when sunk by allied submarines or aircraft. The ships were unmarked, thus making them indistinguishable from ships carrying war cargo. As a result, several were attacked, the pilots or commanders not knowing they carried prisoners of war.

An appendix lists the hellship voyages and numbers of prisoners who died in them. Michno is a naval historian whose father served on a World War II submarine.

Michno, Gregory F.

Annapolis, MD : Naval Institute Press, c2001

2001

24 x 16 cm.

Hardbound

1557504822

D 805 .J3 M52 2001

13689

xiv, 370 p.