Guam - Disappearance of Pan Am Hawaii Clipper Flight 229, enroute Guam to Manila, 28 July 1938

[Richard]

The Japanese military began experimenting with "flying boat" long range aircraft in 1929, and by 1930 had developed and tested their first Kawanishi H3K. This aircraft was in service until 1934, when a more powerful, longer-range aircraft was sought.

The next flying boat designed was a four-engine model called the Kawanishi H6K, which was designed in 1934 and first flown in 1936. It was used for reconnaissance, transport, bombing, naval warfare, and executive transport by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The national airline also used it as commercial airliner. It was later given the codename "Mavis" by Allied Forces and served throughout World War II.

The Japanese certainly had pilots well trained in handling four engine flying boats by the time of the 29 July 1938 disappearance of the Hawaiian Clipper. A potential reason for hijacking the Clipper might have been a desire to study it for development of a more improved Japanese flying boat. Speculation, of course, but Japan was at that time working on a new, longer-range Maritime plane and they did have pilots capable of flying the Hawaii Clipper to Japan - if indeed it was captured intact.

The next Japanese design was the Kawanishi H8K, which was first flown in 1941. Code named "Emily" by the Allied Forces, it also operated in the Pacific until 1945. Aircraft historian René Francillon called the H8K "the most outstanding water-based combat aircraft of the Second World War."


:
Four engine Japanese Kawanishi H8K


Pan Am Hawaii Clipper (a Martin M-130 Aircraft)


Cutaway drawing of a Martin M-130 like the Hawaii Clipper

LINKS:

Kawanishi H3K - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Kawanishi H6K - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Kawanishi H8K - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Richard]

Hijacking of a Pan Am Clipper aircraft was predicted in a 1936 book titled "Flying the Sky Clipper" by Dougal Lee. He was a versatile writer known for works of both literature and theatre.

Although a work of fiction and pictorial story book, it is a compelling narrative set in Western Pacific islands that predates the disappearance of the Hawaiian Clipper by two years.

LINK:

Flying The Sky Clipper with Winsie Atkins, Big Little Book 1108, 1936 | eBay

Each week we list Over 100 new Antiques & Collectibles for sale!

www.ebay.com

 

[cenazoic]

The barbarity inflicted by the Japanese on Nanking in 1937 and in other places they invaded is like nothing the British or French ever did.

Not to derail too much, but this is just not accurate.

For a basic overview, see: British war crimes - Wikipedia

 

[Richard]

Not to derail too much, but this is just not accurate.

For a basic overview, see: British war crimes - Wikipedia

This book details the Japanese atrocities committed in Nanking in 1937.

 

[Cryptic]

How would this have worked in practice? The wording on the certificate reads "Redeemable in gold on demand at the United States Treasury or in gold or lawful money at any Federal Reserve Bank". Could these certificates have realistically been redeemed and the gold they represented obtained without them being returned and submitted to the US government or a very similar body?

A very good question,

I suspect- and its a weak suspicion is that the answer is: "Yes".

Today, there is a vast secondary market for Uncle Sam's issued Treasury securities. Similar to the gold certificates, these securities are basically IOUS- just from a very dependable writer.

My guess is that present the gold certificates, get the gold. As for suspicions about Japanese entities presenting them, the Japanese could have been able to "flip" them into the secondary market.

Likewise, like some modern financial dealings (such as secret flights with tons of US cash going to Iran for various reasons, good or bad), WWII financial dealings could also get strange.

In 1944, US officers in China noted that there was a Uhhmmm..... rather large amount of recently manufactured Japanese goods in Chungking. The conclusion was that some Nationalist commanders and associated War Lords were fighting Japan, while also discreetly trading with Japan. In the interest of the over all allied victory, however, Uncle Sam decided not to pursue the matter.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

A very good question,

I suspect- and its a weak suspicion is that the answer is: "Yes".

Today, there is a vast secondary market for Uncle Sam's issued Treasury securities. Similar to the gold certificates, these securities are basically IOUS- just from a very dependable writer.

My guess is that present the gold certificates, get the gold. As for suspicions about Japanese entities presenting them, the Japanese could have been able to "flip" them into the secondary market.

Yes, I'd been thinking that these were actually bearer securities so effectively a form of currency. They used to be fairly common in various forms but have been mostly phased out of the international banking and finance system over the past two decades or so because they facilitate dosh washing/money laundering and terrorist financing. As bearer shares they used to be more common on the European continent than here in the UK, but I have no idea how common or widespread they were (or indeed maybe still are) in the US.