Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Movie, Book, and Music Review "Shots Fired in Anger by Lt. Col. John B. George

Subtitled 'A Rifleman's Eye View of the Activities on the Island of Guadalcanal'.

This book by Lt. Col. George is a partial biography. It starts with some background of growing up in Illinois and enjoying shooting. It quickly goes into military training with the National Guard in 1939 then on into active duty and to Guadalcanal. Many personal experiences on Guadalcanal are recounted Long patrols into difficult jungle and combat experiences are described. Japanese operations and equipment are discussed.

The author's opinions of the Japanese soldiers' abilities and of the suitability of their weapons are clearly stated. When he thinks their equipment is better he says so.

The first 236 pages of the book are about Guadalcanal and a little bit after (He the went to the CBI Theater with Merrill's Marauders) and most of the remaining book is about weapons used (total394 pages).

Lt. Col. George notes that the Marines were first into combat and that the press made it sound as if the Army arrived after all of the Japanese had been dealt with but he states that more than half of the Japanese were killed by the Army after relieving the Marines and also that Guadalcanal was the first Army assault and victory on an Axis force.

Incidentally, he notes the effects of the horrors of the war on some of the soldiers with some committing suicide later and others not being very functional with permanently damaged minds.

This is a very good book if you have an interest in that part of WW2.

A very interesting book.

He was more than a bit complimentary about the Japanese gear, particularly the canvas and leather gear, canteens, mess kits, etc. The Americans found it so functional that at times, except for uniforms, it was hard to tell US soldiers from the Japanese, the US troops using so much of the Japanese gear. Not surprising, he found the standard Arisaka too long and cumbersome, but he really liked the Arisaka carbine, likening it to a hunting rifle for ease of handling. Among the gear he admired was the issue Japanese cleaning rod which the US rifles lacked. He had little use for the M1903, considering it fragile.

I've recommended the book to my son, a soon to be retired Army officer, and a shooter.

Paul

Also he wrote highly of the Nambu light machine guns, noting their principle fault of the vertical magazine. And he did write that he liked the Reising smg for its accuracy and weight.

Tregaskis' book "Guadalcanal Diary" was written about the Marines' side of things and seemed to state that the Marines did all of the 'heavy lifting' but this book sort of balances things out.