[kiwi_2005]

This is an re-enactment of the Captain of the Japanese navy during WWII who saved the lives of 442 crew of the British Royal Navy Destroyer ENCOUNTER. Rare in my books as we all know how the Japanese mistreated captured sailors. This Captain deserved a bloody medal for what he did.

Documentary is in Japanese with English subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyKauVi4W3c&feature=related

This is a miraculous story in a naval battle happened in Surabaya, the Northeast of Java Sea in 1942, was summarized in a book by a Japanese Self-Defense Force official who had been impressed the story talked by Sir Samuel Falle. This story wasn't known by anyone unless Sir Falle visited Japan. "I visited Japan to say thanks to Japanese Captain Kudo face to face by all means before I die. I have never forgotten him even at my age now 87."

Lieutenant Samuel Falle was one of the 442 crew of the British Royal Navy Destroyer "ENCOUNTER" saved by Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyer "IKAZUCHI" commanded by Captain Shunsako Kudo, who never told anyone of his accomplishments.

Ikazuchi (meaning "thunder") was a destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During the first months of 1942, Ikazuchi participated in the East Indies campaign, including the invasion of Java and the battle of the Java Sea on March 1 in which the British cruiser EXETER, destroyer ENCOUNTER and U.S. destroyer POPE were sunk.