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Our Perceptions of World War II
sneakypete:
--- Quote from: Smokin Joe on March 24, 2021, 03:00:27 am ---Actually, the more you dig, the more it looks like he "provoked" them with trade policy, even if that was just done to slow them down in their conquest of the Far East. They were headed to Australia, next and that was a continent too far.
--- End quote ---
@Smokin Joe
Potato/Po tot toe. Same/same/.
FDR was a for a Aristocracy of Communism,and there was no room at the inn for little yellow people.
Remember,police states are only good if YOU are the head cop.
skeeter:
--- Quote from: sneakypete on March 24, 2021, 02:29:18 am ---@Smokin Joe
There are many people who think King Roosevelt ALLOWED the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor "by surprise" because he needed an excuse to go to war in Europe to help save communism.
I'm one of them.
--- End quote ---
I think so as well. In fact US naval intelligence knew the Japanese had mobilized and were going to strike almost down to the hour. Its just everyone thought they'd attack the Philippines, or one of the outer defensive ring of island bases. Attacking Pearl Harbor was a move only a very few anticipated. A few basic defensive measures were taken there, like dispersing the task forces, but those were just a matter of routine since war was considered imminent.
Proving the old saw about always preparing for what your enemy is capable of, not what you believe he'll do.
Hoodat:
--- Quote from: sneakypete on March 24, 2021, 02:29:18 am ---@Smokin Joe
There are many people who think King Roosevelt ALLOWED the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor "by surprise" because he needed an excuse to go to war in Europe to help save communism.
I'm one of them.
--- End quote ---
It is too much of a coincidence that there were no carriers at Pearl Harbor, with the Lexington sailing out just two days before the attack. Even more striking is that the Soviet Union launched it's counterattack from Moscow with Zhukhov's Siberian troops on Dec 7. Even Stalin knew.
PeteS in CA:
--- Quote ---Since as far back as I can remember, there has been a certain "popular memory" of World War II in the United States: Outnumbered and outmatched by a technologically superior German Army or Japanese Navy, the scrappy Allies unite to achieve a victory "against the odds" for freedom around the world.
--- End quote ---
I've never heard any of this "popular memory". Germany was easily outnumbered by the Russians, Brits, and Americans. Japan was easily outnumbered by the Americans, in population and industrial capacity.
Brit radar and fighter control was way beyond the Germans technologically. Later in the war, the wavelength of radar the Brits and Americans used to sink U-boats was short enough that the Germans at first didn't think that frequency could be usable.
Japan's industrial capacity vs. that of the US ... this webpage captures the mismatch rather well, http://www.combinedfleet.com/economic.htm . US shipborne radar, by late 1942 and early 1943 was far superior to what the IJN had, and the USN coupled radar with gun fire control and fighter direction. At the start of the war, the Zeke and Oscar fighters were in some respects superior to US F4F and P-40 fighters, but with proper tactics US planes could hold their own. Japan never managed to get next generation fighters into volume production to fully replace the Zekes and Oscars, while the US largely replaced their F4Fs and P-40s with F6Fs, F4Us, and P-38s. At the start of the war, USN Yorktown class and IJN Shokaku class carriers were qualitative peers. The USN rolled out the next generation Essex class, which were even better and tougher, and did it in significant volume. Depending on how Taiho is viewed, the IJN never produced a next generation carrier, or never had their one sample get significant use. The Essexes buried the IJN, and the Midways were getting into the water when the war ended.
In the Pacific Theater the US was not literally alone, but other than in India and Burma UK participation was minimal, and Australia's contribution was proportional to its population and industrial capacity. China's contribution was significant, in terms of tying down IJA manpower, but the cost to China in territory, population, and eventually their freedom was between high and extreme.
christian:
America produced the early days of submarines, iron ships, turreted guns on ships, advanced radar the axis could not well compete with, sonar that became so well developed(fm) that allied submarines could weave through mine fields-the axis had nothing like it. America had a jet fighter before we even entered the war, and about and equal to the much bragged about Me-262. America became so good at mass producing ships, many were built in meredays, and yet were tough to sink. The British computer made defeating Germany and Japan evenmore inevitable. High quality American fighters near the end of the war doomed Axis pilots who reported they felt like they were strapping into a coffin when they entered their aircraft. American and Russian tanks way out numbered German tanks, and Japanese tanks we tin jokes, easily destroyed. The Russians made some fighter aircraft superior to German aircraft, and the Russians overwhelmed the German troops who many had bolt action rifles, the Russians armed their soldiers with high capacity machinguns. It was never a 'fair' fight,Yamamoto saw that before the war began with the usa. His 6 months to a year prophesy was quite accurate. Japanese aircrat carriers often sunk with in or two bomb hits, American carriers could survive two sinkings, but not three. TheJapanese kept trying to sink carriers they already reported as sunk. Americans built trucks and tanks that could swim and drive up onto beaches/land. Napalm, tree burst artillery rounds, and proximity rounds devastating to enemy aircraft. Mass production and a very large educated working workforce. Some even pointout; God was on our side. It was never a 'fair' fight. As for the poor victimized Japanese, Read up on the Rape of Nanking, severe and nasty massive atrocities, as the Japanese wanted to terrorize the Chinese.
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