Japan’s World War blunder

Toronto Sun ^ | 3/14/2010 | Eric Margolis

[Saije]

Sixty-five years ago this month, three U.S. Marine Corps divisions were assaulting the heavily fortified volcanic island of Iwo Jima. In the bloody battle, 6,821 Americans and some 33,000 Japanese died or went missing.

My late father, Henry M. Margolis, fought at Iwo as a member of the renowned 5th Marine Amphibious Division. So frightful was the battle, he rarely spoke of it in later years.

The United States military faced a well-armed, courageous Japanese foe in the Pacific campaign and won decisive victories, such as Midway, the Marianas and Leyte, that rank among history’s most glorious battles.

A leading Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, has been running a fascinating re-examination of Japan’s role in the Second World War based on a new book, From the Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor, which sharply contradicts the image of Japan’s supposedly efficient war machine.

This book and other new sources make it clear that Japan blundered into the Second World War without any real strategy, then made a total mess of its conduct.

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the Pearl Harbor attack, predicted in 1941, “We are going to war for oil, and we will lose the war because of oil.” He warned Japan could only fight for one year and called for peace talks with the U.S. soon after Pearl Harbor.

American P-38 fighters shot down Yamamoto’s aircraft in 1943, killing the Japanese officer best placed to overthrow the militarist regime.

Former prime minister Fumimaro Konoe also predicted disaster. In 1942, he wisely proposed Japan begin planning “how to lose the war.” Some officers plotted to kill war leader Hideki Tojo and other militarists — but, like Hitler’s foes, failed.

[Saije]

Since Japan lost, I guess it's safe to say it was a blunder.

[magslinger]

Japan’s first mistake was not staying on the porch.

[Dilbert San Diego]

How does this reconcile with Tom Hanks and his recent statements that we fought World War II against “different” people who worshipped “different Gods”, and compared that to the conflict formerly known as the war on terror?

[Radagast the Fool]

Hanks is a moron.
I’m sure he blames WWII on global warming.
But then again, maybe it was Bush’s fault.

[Former MSM Viewer]

I love history.

I hated it in school because the teachers dont make it interesting.

They focus on obscure meaningless trivia and treaties that were irrelevant to history. But the true story of the big events of history are fascinating...

[PzLdr]

He’s wrong. First, the Japanese Army wanted to invade the USSR, even in 1941. It was the NAVY that insisted the war go south, for the oil.

Second, Japan achieved its objectives by early 1942. It was only when the U.S refused to talk, and after the Doolittle raid that Japanese naval planning [Coral Sea, Midway/Alaska] led to the defeats that paved the way for Japan’s extinction.

Were there mistakes? You betcha. No Japanese submachine guns [in a war largely fought in jungles], no equivalent to the MG 42, no armor worth the name. Too many ammo types, even in a common caliber. Too much Bushido BS [pilots refuse parachutes, detroyers refuse convoy duty for merchantmen].

But the major mistake was going into war at all. But that might not be all their fault. FDR couldn’t get Hitler to bite, so he used the Japanese occupation of Indochina to force a war.

[Jonah Johansen]

The turning point in the Pacific War was not Midway or Guadalcanal it was Pearl Harbor.
It was a war that could not have been won simply based on the relative ability of each side to produce aircraft carriers, planes and transports. [I think the production ratio was something like 10 to 1.]
The fatal flaw in all the Japanese plans was the idea that after being attacked the US would eventually agree to some form of peace treaty short of unconditional surrender.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The Japanese suffered from poor tactics, poor strategy and an industrial base inadequate to their ambitions.

However, they believed that America lacked the stomach for a long, bloody war. Their expectation was that America would not fight a long bloody war to liberate China and the Philippines and would come to terms with them in 1942. They did not reckon with Americans' outrage at their perfidy.

[buck61]

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the Pearl Harbor attack, predicted in 1941,

We have awakened a sleeping giant !!!

[Natural Law]

Japan’s and the Axis’ success and failure was Siberia. Siberia contained all of the land, mineral, timber, and oil resources coveted by Japan. Invading it would have distracted the soviets enough to have allowed the Germans to destroy its armies in the west. In the end it was Japan’s racism towards the Chinese that did not permit them to disengage and turn their armies and ambitions northward.

[FreeAtlanta]

There mistake was that they fought an American population that had not degenerated to what we have today.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

That “quote” may be aphochrapyl. Yamamoto had studied at Harvard and had been Naval Attache at Washington and he did not underestimate American industrial capacity or resolve.

[econjack]

What I don't understand is why we give a crap what Hanks, Penn, Striesand, or any of the rest of them think. Most of them are barely bright enough to tie their shoes, let alone speak a cogent sentence about anything of consequence.

[Tallguy]

Second, Japan achieved its objectives by early 1942. It was only when the U.S refused to talk, and after the Doolittle raid that Japanese naval planning [Coral Sea, Midway/Alaska] led to the defeats that paved the way for Japan’s extinction.

Japan evidently thought that the US would 'Do a Deal' the way the Russians did after Tsushima Straits. They didn't really have a "Plan B" unless you consider Japanese racial superiority and Bushido a plan.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

When the Japanese army arrived at Singapore, they were outnumbered by the defenders by 3 to one and had exhausted most of their ammunition in the long trek down the Malay Peninsula. They only had light artillery pieces that could be manhandled through the jungle, facing an entrenched and heavy armed enemy with adequate supplies of food, water and ammunition. The British promptly surrendered. The Japanese did not respect the resolve of Caucasians.

[Tallguy]

However, they believed that America lacked the stomach for a long, bloody war. Their expectation was that America would not fight a long bloody war to liberate China and the Philippines and would come to terms with them in 1942. They did not reckon with Americans' outrage at their perfidy.

Had the Japanese studied the 250-year American campaign against Native Americans they'd have learned that the US Government could be pretty patient and ignore major reversals like Pearl, Corregidor & Wake Island.

[Paddyboy]

If you asked 99% of of the sheeple in the US today what was Iwo JIma,they would probably answer some hot new skank rap star

[El Gato]

The fatal flaw in all the Japanese plans was the idea that after being attacked the US would eventually agree to some form of peace treaty short of unconditional surrender

Underestimating the will of the "sleeping giant" is actually quite common. Ask Saddam Hussien... oh that's right, he made the mistake, and he's dead.

The Iranians likely will make the same mistake.. but with The One being CinC, it might not be such a mistake, as it was not when Mr. Peanut was in charge.

[downwdims]

Racism played a great part in war planning and execution(And Still plays in the East to a great deal today)

I’m not saying that MMA is analogous to war, but the will to win is there. In North America, the Will to Win is at the top of competition. In Japan, Korea, and China, it tends to be a lets see our Race beat the foreign can. The idea of who is the best fighter is center here, there who is the better Race is center.

Hell we didn’t think a buncha “Chink Laundrymen” couldn’t thump us in Korea until they sent two million of them at us. No, they couldn’t thump us, but it was bloody as hell and a rough f’ng war

[Sherman Logan]

First, the Japanese Army wanted to invade the USSR, even in 1941.

It's interesting to speculate how the war might have turned out differently if they had.

Had the Japanese attacked Siberia instead of Pearl Harbor, Stalin would have been unable to shift the Siberian troops that stopped the German 20 miles outside Moscow in early winter of 1941. With the USSR fighting on two fronts, it's arguable they would have been defeated.

Had the USA gotten into the war after the collapse of the USSR, our task would have been infinitely more difficult. The invasion of Europe at D-Day would probably have been impossible. Of course, the Bomb would still have won us the war in 1945.

However, your claim that the Army wanted to invade Russia is at least debatable. They had fought a full-scale battle against the Red Army in 1939 at Nomonhan and got their head handed to them. They were very poorly equipped to deal with a fully mechanized force. They also were faced with an army led by Zhukov, the best Russian general of the time.

http://www.siberianlight.net/khalkhin-gol-battle-nomonhan/