Posted on 12/28/2018 10:29:46 AM PST by Captain Peter Blood
Even the Japanese realized they had screwed up at Nanking...subsequent cities taken in China were not allowed to be similarly ravaged and massacred by the victorious troops.
I think that is when the Nip Army started the “comfort women” thing.
Raping women and children?
My friend who was imprisoned in the Philippines with her family during WWII would disagree, The thousands of Americans and other nationalities were scheduled to be murdered. Her family was to be killed the day after being rescued as the Japanese prepared to withdraw. They’re traumatized to this day having witnessed three prisoners bound and on their knees before being murdered. The civilians imprisoned never got reparations unlike the Japanese that were held in much better facilities during WWII.
“... Japan had fought a war with Russia in 1911...” [BeauBo, post 73]
Czarist Russia and Imperial Japan fought the Russo-Japanese War from February 1904 until September 1905, when hostilities were ended by the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for that effort.
Military historians generally recognize the conflict as the first victory in modern times of an Asian power over a European power. Japan’s prestige was greatly magnified, especially after the destruction of the combined Russian fleet at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Navy, at Tsushima Straits 27-28 May 1905. Great Britain looked on it as a validation of their naval organization and tactics, and the superiority of British-built warships: the British had sold a number of warships to Japan, and provided initial crew training. Japanese warship design followed that of the Royal navy for some time after.
“Yamashita was effectively hanged for something over which he had no control.”
The author of the book is of the opinion that Yamashita almost certainly knew what they were doing while it was underway (they had ongoing communications), and that he was likely complicit in the decision to delay in the city and to kill the civilians - and it is a good chance that High Command in Tokyo was equally well informed and complicit. The orders may well have come from Tokyo, perhaps with knowledge of the Emperor.
It was more a case that the high standard of evidence of an American Capital Punishment case could not be clearly met (radio communications had not been recorded, no damning written communications had been captured intact).
The local commander in the City (Sanji Iwabuchi) was willing to dutifully and knowingly take the responsibility to the grave with him like a good soldier, just as he was willing to ritually take his own life right on cue. The American Military Authorities were not going to let this monster (Yamashita) off because of technicalities of our legal system.
The Americans knew that the Japanese chain of command was intact, that they were in regular communication, and that Iwabuni dutifully obeyed orders in every other respect. They just didn’t have rock solid documentation of a direct order, and defense counsel advised Yamashita that he would be executed if he confessed to it.
Of the 15 to 20 thousand Japanese forces in the city, virtually all of them were willing to obey to the death. Only about a hundred survived, mostly captured wounded and unable to kill themselves, or unconscious.
“Some of the B-29 crewmen on that raid said the turbulence over Tokyo was out of this world.”
The world has not seen the likes of such warfare since WWII.
Thank God.
My father in law was a Filipino kid around 9-10 during WW2. Rural area. He was rounded up for some unknown reason. Had nothing to tell the Japanese. Had no idea what was happening. They hung him by his heels and beat him to a pulp.
He loved Americans. Like a lot of Filipinos of his generation, he hated the Japanese.
“...Once we took Iwo and Okinawa, Japan was finished. All we needed to do was get within bomber range and we did that from Mariana Islands.” [AppyPappy, post 33]
This is justification after the fact.
When US forces were attacked at Pearl Harbor, very few long-range bombers existed beyond the concept/design stage. Air bombardment was not a proven strategy (it still isn’t, to hear some of the more mulish, backward-looking apologists for the senior armed services).
The Allies knew little about Japanese intentions and capabilities. The “best” strategy for fighting back was guesswork; no one knew exactly how any of it could be accomplished.
The success of the US B-29 program was an iffy thing through a good share of series production. Designed in 1939, it was revolutionary: range extended by 60 percent with double the warload of any previous US bomber. It was beset by problems early on, causing delays and ultimately costing more than the Manhattan project.
No other Allied bomber then operational could have flown from the Marianas to Japan and back. Earlier attempts to employ B-29s - such as strikes from forward bases in China - had proven infeasible. The Aleutians were under consideration for forward basing.
Not even the B-29s could hit 100 percent of Japanese targets from the Marianas: parts of Hokkaido were beyond the range. The B-32 might have done it, but was never tested in action that way. The B-36 could have, but the war ended as prototypes were under construction.
Filipino kids and teenagers caused a lot of trouble for the Japanese. They were fierce fighters. I saw a film about them ata meeting of the concentration camp survivors.
Correction: such fanaticism, not dedication.
MacArthur was recommended for the Medal of Honor in WWI, but it was reduced to the Distinguished Service Cross. He was awarded six Silver Stars during WWI.
His Medal of Honor was awarded upon his departure from the Philippines.
A few months ago I talked about this battle, in Episode 52 of my podcast. However, I left out some of the lurid details that have been mentioned in this thread.
https://www.blubrry.com/hoseasia/37748238/episode-52-the-liberation-of-the-philippines-part-2/
ping
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