This kind of posts are heartwrenchingly depressing. Yukikaze, the luckiest ship, may be the one suffering from survivor's guilt the worst.
Not just that, the order to scuttle the Hiei got rescinded but that command didn't make it to the Yukikaze's captain in time and she ended up torpedoing her with 188 men still below decks on the Hiei.
There appears to be some discrepancies in if Hiei was actually scuttled or not...
*Battleships* by Anthony Preston Says Hiei was sunk the next day by her escorting destroyers.
*Conway's All The World's Battleships* by Ian Sturton Says Hiei was finished off by four airborne torpedoes.
*The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal* by Robert Ballard Says Hiei was so damaged during the night battle, that her commander, Capt. Nishida, was ordered to scuttle her. He refused to obey his order. Hiei was attacked repeatedly by the Cactus Air Force (Guadalcanal) and USS Enterprise aircraft. Adm. Yamamoto ordered that she be left afloat in order to decoy air attacks against an approaching convoy under R.Adm. Tanaka. Adm. Abe transferred his flag to the destroyer Yukikaze, and the destroyers left Hiei to her fate without scuttling her.
*Guadalcanan: Decision At Sea* by Eric Hammel Says that the Japanese scuttled Hiei before the destroyers left her.
*The Two-Ocean War* by Samuel Morison Says Hiei was struck by two air launched torpedoes and several bombs from SBD's and B-17's. She sank at 1800 hours, and was the first enemy battleship sunk by the US Navy.
*Victory At Sea* by Dunnigan & Nofi Says Hiei was scuttled.
*USS Enterprise CV-6* by Steve Ewing Says that planes from the USS Enterprise and Marine pilots finished Hiei off.
Not just that, the order to scuttle the Hiei got rescinded but that command didn't make it to the Yukikaze's captain in time and she ended up torpedoing her with 188 men still below decks on the Hiei.
There appears to be some discrepancies in if Hiei was actually scuttled or not...
*Battleships* by Anthony Preston Says Hiei was sunk the next day by her escorting destroyers.
*Conway's All The World's Battleships* by Ian Sturton Says Hiei was finished off by four airborne torpedoes.
*The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal* by Robert Ballard Says Hiei was so damaged during the night battle, that her commander, Capt. Nishida, was ordered to scuttle her. He refused to obey his order. Hiei was attacked repeatedly by the Cactus Air Force (Guadalcanal) and USS Enterprise aircraft. Adm. Yamamoto ordered that she be left afloat in order to decoy air attacks against an approaching convoy under R.Adm. Tanaka. Adm. Abe transferred his flag to the destroyer Yukikaze, and the destroyers left Hiei to her fate without scuttling her.
*Guadalcanan: Decision At Sea* by Eric Hammel Says that the Japanese scuttled Hiei before the destroyers left her.
*The Two-Ocean War* by Samuel Morison Says Hiei was struck by two air launched torpedoes and several bombs from SBD's and B-17's. She sank at 1800 hours, and was the first enemy battleship sunk by the US Navy.
*Victory At Sea* by Dunnigan & Nofi Says Hiei was scuttled.
*USS Enterprise CV-6* by Steve Ewing Says that planes from the USS Enterprise and Marine pilots finished Hiei off.
Jesus, that makes Rashomon look clear and concise.
My elderly neighbor told me a story about when he was in the Vietnam War. He was a field medic and he had to leave a badly wounded comrade behind after carrying him threw the jungle away from there combat zone. He had gone to find a soldier to help carry him but then he had turned around because he sensed that feeling. And when he got back to the soldier he was dead from bleeding out. He cried right in front of me while telling me this.(I got up and hugged the guy) After he clamed down he then said that his biggest regret that day and still is that I let him die alone.
That kind of stuff is the worse because you always wonder if you could have done things different. I don't think anyone, including the man who died, would ever place blame on him, but we always end up being most critical of ourselves. The EMTs in our area are taught that their first and formost priority is their own safety because if they end up being a casualty themselves, they aren't helping anyone. Still, in the heat of the moment some people question if their decision making was based on reasonable tactics or fear, and that always eats away at your core. A lot of people drop out of doing intellegence work because your job is just that, observing and recording. You can't fight back or stop anyone because you may compromise someone else or jepordize the whole job. Some feel like the crimes the witness and the people who were hurt were their own fault because they didn't (but were not allowed) do anything to stop it. The guilt sucks but these guys do the best they can with what they were given at the time, I don't think anyone can ask for more despite whatever the results are. I wish your neighbor the best.
That kind of stuff is the worse because you always wonder if you could have done things different. I don't think anyone, including the man who died, would ever place blame on him, but we always end up being most critical of ourselves. The EMTs in our area are taught that their first and formost priority is their own safety because if they end up being a casualty themselves, they aren't helping anyone. Still, in the heat of the moment some people question if their decision making was based on reasonable tactics or fear, and that always eats away at your core. A lot of people drop out of doing intellegence work because your job is just that, observing and recording. You can't fight back or stop anyone because you may compromise someone else or jepordize the whole job. Some feel like the crimes the witness and the people who were hurt were their own fault because they didn't (but were not allowed) do anything to stop it. The guilt sucks but these guys do the best they can with what they were given at the time, I don't think anyone can ask for more despite whatever the results are. I wish your neighbor the best.
That is so true my mother was in the FBI so she did some crazy stuff. Also, Thank you.
Hiei-san!I'm sorry.I'll do my best so please don't leave me behind.I can still move.Hiei-saaaan!I'm sorry.I'm sorry.Hiei's engine room being destroyed must be a misreport!I'm sorry.Hiei can still move.Please stop. You need to rest.I'm sorry.I'm sorry.
