Redeployment! - Millions of men from Europe to Asia - WW2 Documentary Special

The research for this episode was done by Tom Aldis, who's a pretty new addition to our gang of historians. He began by doing some Out of the Foxholes work for us and then his first full special was the Kikusui Kamikaze one last month, which was great. This is Indy writing, by the way, and I'm doing so because I thought you guys might want to say hi to Tom here and tell him what an awesome guy and a great historian he is (and why would we hire him otherwise?)

Dad was on the German French border when ETO was over. Sent by rail down the Rhone valley to Marseilles, sailed to Panama canal, sailed to Luzon. Fought on northern Luzon. Scheduled for Operation Olympic in November.

I'd love to see a similar episode about other Armies, such as the British or even German armies.

I know this question will not be answered by the WWII team so I am hoping the community will answer this question. Is this the same point system they talk about in the M*A*S*H episode Abyssinia, Henry when Henry Blake gets enough points to go home?

The extra medals thing reminds me of that Zits comic strip were Jeremy's mom was done with the dishes and then Jeremy brought her a single plate.

How did the points system affect the units already in the Pacific, especially the Navy and Marines?

And this is why Patton was fooling himself about being able to take on the Soviets. Europe was being depleted of troops other than those needed for occupation.

Another super great video

My grandad in the ETO had a manual supposedly written by Pacific vets that advised European vets on how to fight the Japanese. It's weird to think if the war lasted another 6-9 months he could've been shipped back into war after "victory"

Hey, Joe, now that we kicked Germany's butt wadda we gonna do? - Oh heck Gil, it ain't over. - What? No Disneyland? - Dude, Disneyland isn't invented yet!

I don't think I've ever heard the bombs labeled maguffins. Good one

Tom, you're an awesome guy and a great historian! Logistics wins wars.

My great grandfather was apart of the occupation for e left in Germany near hamburg

I understand some 16 million Americans served in World War II but according to this episode there were 7 – 8 million soldiers, meaning I guess that 8 – 9 million Americans in uniform served in other capacities. And I gather that giving all the administrative problems involved in transferring millions of men to the Pacific an episode several times longer than this one could have easily been made to explain complexities beyond the scope of this episode. My dad enlisted in May 1941 and would have been discharged a year later but of course after Japan’s attack he was going to be in for the duration. His unit ended up in Australia and then the Solomon Islands but he wasn’t with them because he was quarantined in San Antonio Texas with German measles and his unit shipped out without him. Long story short after months in a casual company (meaning they hadn’t decided what to do with him) he ended up in Chanute Field Illinois Weather School. He aced the class, was promoted Staff Sergeant, given two assistants and a truck, and attached to a combat unit. There his job was to forecast weather and send the forecasts back to headquarters in code. He was eventually stationed in England, France, Belgium, and Germany. As a meteorologist he didn’t have to go on patrols or attack the Germans with his unit but he was always deployed with his combat unit, had a service weapon, and his unit was shelled and bombed by the Germans numerous times. Sometime after the war in Europe ended he was sent home by plane via Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Fort Dix, and discharge from the Army. So I guess he had 50+ points from May 1941, plus 30+ points for being overseas starting with deployment to England, plus 5 points for being in a combat unit starting with England, for 85+ points. He was offered an officer’s rank to remain in the military to teach weather forecasting to servicemen in the U.S. But he said four plus years was enough and he wanted to return to civilian life.

This made me recall that most famous of phrases from 2003 onwards, "stop loss".

It's nice to know that SATO travel has always been a headache, but once they get home the battle isn't over... The next battle these troops have to fight is with DTS.

The thumbnail is brilliant!

I didn’t think there was enough still going on to necessitate a special anytime soon, but here we are

Thank you.

I do not envy the planners of deployment points. I don't think they have any desire to 'screw' anyone. Without computers, they had to figure out an equitable deployment plan. It's important to understand this. Saying this, I prefer military personnel to understand the goals of the US and select leaders who would help you gtfo and home.

I never cease to be amazed at the logistic capabilities of the armies in WW II, on both sides, but especially on the part of the US. Consider all this was done with paper and phone and radio, with pencil and typewriter. No IT, no faxes, no SKUs or scanners, all material had to be crated and loaded individually, no container shipping, very little use of palletized freight, if any.

Watch the videos about the Berlin airlift to get an idea of how they handled massive logistics with the technology they had at the time. It's astonishing.

I have the machete that was in the jungle gear issued to my great uncle at the end of the campaign in Europe. He used it to clear brush on his property all the way up to the 90’s

Wonder how many would desert as trained across America before reaching California

Excerpt from letter 18 Aug 1945 " A lot of good my 92 points are doing me out here. We left the States on VE day. if we would have been delayed 5 days more i would have walked out of the separation center a free man long ago. to date i have 31 months overseas service and in October will have 4 1/2 years in the army." Sgt Bennet. served in Africa Sicily Italy Europe and Okinawa

I had no idea that this was actually put into practice. I thought it was only planned

WHy didnt they just stop awarding points after R-Day. Surely somebody should of seen a way to cheat the system through unexpected delays or simply being transported somewhere else.

They don't need MacGuffin - they need the Gadget 😅

Japan's eventual surrender was not unconditional even with the bomb, as we saw Japan's arguably greatest war criminal remaining in power, namely the Emperor. I suspect that had there been no nuclear bomb, that a conditional surrender (with many more conditions favourable to the Japanese) would've happened either just before the invasion of Kyushu, or soon after. So much war weariness, so much of Japan's Empire left to allow them to keep under their rule, so much danger of the Soviets establishing the "People's Republic of North Japan", "People's Republic of Manchuria", (the Soviets would likely have invaded Hokkaido or northern Honshu before the end of 1945) and above all, so many impending deaths.

My Uncle John fought in Europe, first with the 45th infantry and then with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy, France and Germany, earning 4 bronze stars in the process and, as an assistant squad leader had to assume leadership of the platoon after his unit was decimated. He was captured (twice) and served the last 6 months of the war in a German POW camp (Stalag V-A). After the camp was liberated and V-E day came and went, he got a little R&R and then suddenly found himself on a troop ship heading to the Pacific when Japan finally surrendered. He only really started opening up about his time in the war in the last few years of his life, but I'm grateful I got a chance to hear the tales.

The Soviets had a more efficient method of redeployment.
No one goes home until the war is over and everyone who doesn't get to stay in Europe goes to Asia!
😂

Sorry there's no mention of other allies. My Dad got home to Canada in June 1945, (his ship, HMCS New Glasgow, was under repair in Scotland until early June after ramming and causing a scuttle of a U-boat off of Northern Ireland in March) and was awaiting redeployment to the Pacific from east coast Canada in September. Instead, as it turned out, September brought about his discharge in time to begin a term at a local University.

My Grandfather enlisted in October, 1941, went overseas with the Invasion of Sicily (45th Div), arrived home and was discharged in early, 1945. Married no children.

Imagine doing all those calculations without Excel, sorting tools, functions, not even computers & networks, just paper-pencil-rubber.
THIS is modern war!

One must not forget that the Red Army is technically in contact with the Allied forces in Europe, and nobody’s really sure of their intentions...
Especially with Patton stirring shit right next to the demarcation line ! 😅

Great report Tom, and years of studying WWII I’ve never really seen much if any information about this transition from West to East! Why would the Military award ANY battle stars AFTER the points were already totaled? That’s nothing more than pure stupidity!

This guy's got a really memorable voice. He's got that Loony Toons vibe goin on.

The lesson here is that if there's any way to screw something up, the army will find it. I was in it in the 60's and was glad to get out and back to humanity.

Why didn't the soviets help transport the allied forces to the Pacific theater?

Great shirt Indie.

Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait... Soldiers and Sailors still have this nonsense going on 100 years later....

What did the antifascists do that was effective against Mussolini? A nervous american would like to know.

Is there any way to know who had the highest adjusted service rating score? (amongst all soldiers).

What was the term once afain? FUBAR? or was it SNAFU?

My mother's brother who fought as an engineer in the Canadian Army in North Africa, Italy and Normandy to Holland was sent home to Calgary, Alberta in June 1945. He was given a month vacation then went back for training for Japan. On his way to the ship to embark, Japan surrendered. So he got discharged pretty quick and that fall entered university for his engineering degree.