Facebook Picture

[Brian]

Stole this from a FB page at https://www.facebook.com/modernarmourandmilitaryhistory/
Just thought it was interesting. The cation reads as follows:
 

 

Helmet worn by US Marine Captain Walter Stauffer McIlhenny and the samurai sword that dented it. McIlhenny was assaulting a Japanese position in Guadalcanal in 1942, startling a Japanese officer who struck him in the head with his katana still in its scabbard. As he lost consciousness, McIlhenny fired off a shot that killed the Japanese. He woke up later on a stretcher with the katana next to him. Helmet and sword can be seen at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

Looking at the habaki, I would love to know what blade is housed in that saya.
No hangers either. Wonder if it had a combat cover at some point. No time to draw the sword, so it became a baton?
war is crazy.
 

[ChrisW]

Definitely something special if the habaki is that different from standard issue! Family blade mounted in gunto fittings perhaps? Perhaps reach out to the museum to find out?

[Guest]

I just had to stop and ponder how fast that encounter was and how it must have felt from both sides of the engagement.

 

By the look of the impact, it suggests the Japanese Officer was cutting from high Left to low Right.

[IJASWORDS]

Brian, my guess it had a leather all-weather combat cover with an integral "sewn-in" hanger, quite common. 

[lonely panet]

i think is more likely that all the fittings that are missing, were lost as they all fit from the botton of the saya and once you loose the sayajiri /kojiri they could in theory just slind off

[Dave R]

 I suspect an already damaged (undergoing repair?) saya, held in the left hand... Which would explain why the blow was struck without drawing. If it had been belt hung that could not have happened/

[paul griff]

Hello,

That was one hell of a "swing" to put a dent in a combat helmet..!

Regards,

Paul.

[Dave R]

 Thinking further, I wonder if the saya was so damaged that the blade was jammed, which would also explain the way the Shin-Gunto is displayed in the case.... Partially drawn as far out of the Saya as it goes.

[paul griff]

Hello,

Who knows Dave...Hand to hand means resorting to desperate measures..One thing for sure the helmet proved it's worth over soft headgear...!

Regards,

Paul...

[Greg F]

Wow thats a very interesting scenario to think about and terrible one to be in. Hard to really come up with what happened with confidence but it would be nice to find out. I wonder if it has ever been taken out of the saya or if its just so jammed they left it that way. Nice find Brian.

 

Greg

[Blazeaglory]

Wow. Amazing...

[Ken-Hawaii]

The blade obviously wasn't being worn, or it would have been easiest to draw the sword, rather than using the whole koshirae as a baton. But the soldier had some training, because kesagiri (diagonal cuts) is the way we are all trained in iaijutsu.

[Katsujinken]

The blade obviously wasn't being worn, or it would have been easiest to draw the sword, rather than using the whole koshirae as a baton. But the soldier had some training, because kesagiri (diagonal cuts) is the way we are all trained in iaijutsu.

Most likely Toyama Ryu, I would guess?

[Guest]

Maybe Jigen Ryu.

[dwmc]

This is obviously one of the heavy steel gunto saya's to inflict that type of damage to a helmet as I can see little or no damage to the saya.

 

Yes, more information would be great, perhaps someone living in the New Orleans area could provide more photos and further information on sword!!

 

Would make an interesting History Channel documentary...

[Surfson]

Every now and then two boxers or mixed martial artists knock each other out at the same time.  Amazing encounter.

[Ken-Hawaii]

 

Every now and then two boxers or mixed martial artists knock each other out at the same time.

In iaijutsu, it could be a bit more than a knockout! Quite easy for simultaneous fatal strikes to occur.

[Surfson]

Ken, that would be a mess!