Minemen Around the World
NAHA, OKINAWA - 1954
[DG-01] Naha Minemen
[DG-02] Jim Spencer and David Goldsmith
[DG-03 Brown and Pippin
[DG-04] Mine shack at original location
[DG-05] Generator building
[DG-06] Spencer and local boys at island rake station (see note)
[DG-07] Local Young girls who work in chow hall
[DG-08] Trouble on way to rake station, VanStone fixing, Goldsmith standing (See note)
[DG-09] Fixing our jeep
[DG-10] Goldsmith relaxing at island rake station, waiting for pick up (see note)
[DG-11] Martin and Pippin relaxing at rake station
(see note)
[DG-12] Navy P2V patrol planes
[DG-13]Martin XP4M-1Q Mercator "spy plane"
(We couldn't talk about even seeing this plane)
NOTE: "Rake" stations were the places where we tracked the mine drops from the Navy P2V bomber squadrons. Two of the rake stations were located on islands ( islands were very small and were not named ) and one station was on the Okinawa main shore. We were transported to the two islands by small boats or sometimes a landing craft, whatever was available. In tracking we used theodolites, instruments to locate the smoke bombs dropped from the plane, the three sites formed a triangle and each recorded the locations of the smoke bombs. ( smoke bombs were used in place of mines ) the planes were to lay mines is a specific pattern, we recorded where they landed by the splash and smoke. Later our recordings were charted and showed the pattern of the drops.
[All photos courtesy of David Goldsmith and Jim Spencer]
Read the account, "As We Remember
It"
by
David Goldsmith and Jim Spencer
Derick S. Hartshorn -
©2009-present
Last Modified:
