What if Japan....?

[edwest]

Hikoki Publications' I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine: Objective Panama Canal, is now available in the US. A brief overview:

It is noteworthy that information was obtained from Japanese and American veterans. The book begins with a brief history of the Japanese Submarine Service from Dec. 1904, including a Japanese map clearly showing locations attacked along the American coast, east and west, and Guantanamo, Cuba (dated 1942). Next is the story of how the I-400 came to be. There are beautifully rendered images of the I-400, including a trifold showing the I-400 and on the back, a cutaway of the Seiran, plus a cutaway view of two Seirans in their hangar tube in American markings. The next chapter focuses on the Seiran and includes a close-up of a data plate from the I-400 which describes the preheating systems for the Seiran. Also included are six pages of what I'll call engineering drawings of this aircraft. This is followed by a chapter detailing the importance of the Panama Canal and proposed attack plans. The aircrew for the I-400 and I-401 are listed. The next chapter is titled Operations Hikari and Arashi, which includes a speculative reconstruction of how one of the three Seirans may have looked in US markings. Next is the story of the I-400's capture, followed by its arrival at Pearl Harbor for examination. Interior and exterior shots give a true impression of its size. Details include photos of guns and radar (Mark 3, Model 1; Mark 2, Model 2; Mark 3, Model 1 and the E27 radar detector), plus German made periscopes. And an additional chapter about the recent discovery of the I-401 near Hawaii. Appendices include the crew roster of the I-400 and a roster of the Prize Crew of Americans that boarded I-400 on 28 August 1945. 143 pages, including bibliography.


Ed

[drgondog]

No argument on requirement for infantry support Roy.

Patton understood this as well as any Allied commander - and the German doctrine of armor attack cost them dearly at Bastogne when opposed by only a couple of Battalions of Tank Destroyers and one Division of Light Infantry (101st).

The outposts of troopers would let the Tigers roll right past them and slaughter the Grenadiers behind them, while the TD's fought from the buildings in Foy, etc. taking on the Panthers and Tigers from concealment.

T-34 arguably best all around tank in terms of manufacturability, mobility and speed - but still needed 3 to 1 minimum advantage to take on Tigers... and no gun out performed the 88 in TD role (or flak)... these were the only points I attempted to make for a contrast against Japanese capability against the Sovs. They (Japan) had neither the armor or the TD capability to overwhelm the Soviets... or us for that matter.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by PlaneKrazy

Japan was forced by USA to attack pearl harbour because of a US naval oil blockade of Japan from July 1941. Japan used it's last reserves of oil to attack Pearl, Malaya, Borneo and Indonesia.

Japan wasn't forced to attack anyone at all, the country's rulers CHOSE to do it. If Japan wanted oil and resources in the 1930s/early 1940s then they could have tried peaceful trading (something they eventually turned out to be very good at) but the prevailing ideology was a death-cult. Japan's war didn't start in 1941, they'd been inflicting appalling suffering on China for about 10 years by then.

[Jukka Juutinen]

Japan´s behaviour in China was no worse than American behaviour towards Indians, on the contrary. And Japan´s expansion in China was at least as legitimate as American expansion to the West.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

Japan´s behaviour in China was no worse than American behaviour towards Indians, on the contrary. And Japan´s expansion in China was at least as legitimate as American expansion to the West.

Maybe so but it was a hundred years later and you might reasonably expect some progress in the conduct of international affairs to have been made in the interim.

A better parallel with Japan in Manchuria might be Italy in Abyssinia (aerial bombardment and posion gas included).

[ArtieBob]

IMHO the statement of the situation in the USA in the 1800s and 1900s as compared to Japanese actions in China during the 1930s and 1940s indicates a possible lack of knowledge and understanding of both situations. As so often happens when this forum strays from aircraft and aviation, the result is bad history. There are no simple comparisons and even the most abreviated rational descriptions are way beyond the scope of this forum. We will probably never know in full detail all that happened in occupied China, but in the final analysis, it might even make the Nazis not seem so awful.

Best Regards,

Artie Bob

[Tom Ze]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

Japan´s behaviour in China was no worse than American behaviour towards Indians, on the contrary. And Japan´s expansion in China was at least as legitimate as American expansion to the West.

Excuse me, but just a quick question. Was there any single incident, such as the massacre at Nanking, resembling such in the US against the Indians? If so, what were the approximate numbers killed?

I'm quite ignorant in regards to this particular subject matter.
Many thanks.

[generalderpanzertruppen]

Well, if Japan had attacked Russia from the East, Moscow would have fallen for sure, as all those re-enforcements that came from the West to save Moscow, would have been still thousands of miles away dealing with Japan. I don't believe Japan would have had to commit a lot of troops for such a campaign, just enough to force Russia to keep those strategic reserves away from Moscow. Moscow and Lenningrad could then have been taken, and Russia would then have been way to busy trying to save herself, to worry about meeting Japan in force. Japan would then have been free to keep most of those invading forces free for Pacific and SE Asian duty IMHO!

Troy