Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

[Coito ergo sum]

Conspiracy theories?

They are good for chuckles, though.

[Coito ergo sum]

Imagine if the Japanese were able to perfect their balloon bombs....

[Gawdzilla Sama]

FDR wanted to fight the Nazis. The Pacific War was a distraction from that. The US did respect the Japanese military.

I've always found the conspiracy theories about how FDR purposefully got us into the war belied by the mere fact of our severe state of weakness and lack of readiness to fight anybody in 1941. We had a lot of gearing up to do. That Japanese general had it right when he said the US was a sleeping giant. Most people focus on the "giant" part, but in 1940 and 1941, the operative term was "sleeping."

JAPAN

Interviewing Date 8/21-26/41

Survey #245-K Question #13

Should the United States take steps now to keep Japan from becoming more powerful, even if it means risking a war with Japan?

Yes................................ 70%

No................................ 18

No opinion......................... 12

EUROPEAN WAR

Interviewing Date 9/19-24/41

Survey #248-K Question #4a

Which of these two things do you think is the more important — that this country keep out of war or that Germany be defeated?

Keep out of war..................... 30%

Germany be defeated................. 70

[Clinton Huxley]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

Ah yes, the RN flattops came to the rescue. Without them the >110 flight decks the USN had in the Pacific at the end of the war were helpless. Well done, that Navy!

[Coito ergo sum]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

It was completely unnecessary that the US even contribute. In fact, we probably extended the war due to our meddling. Britain had them wrapped up in 1941, until the Yanks had to come in and steal the credit by prolonging the war for four years.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

It was completely unnecessary that the US even contribute. In fact, we probably extended the war due to our meddling. Britain had them wrapped up in 1941, until the Yanks had to come in and steal the credit by prolonging the war for four years.

How else could MacArthur have risen to Shogun?

[amused]

"I love the smell of Europe burning in the morning."

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"I love the smell of Europe burning in the morning."

From "The Dresden Files"?

[Coito ergo sum]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

It was completely unnecessary that the US even contribute. In fact, we probably extended the war due to our meddling. Britain had them wrapped up in 1941, until the Yanks had to come in and steal the credit by prolonging the war for four years.

How else could MacArthur have risen to Shogun?

And, it's obvious it was the Brits who did all the defeating of the Japanese, since the Japanese surrender papers were signed aboard the HMS Missouri.

[Geoff]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

It was completely unnecessary that the US even contribute. In fact, we probably extended the war due to our meddling. Britain had them wrapped up in 1941, until the Yanks had to come in and steal the credit by prolonging the war for four years.

How else could MacArthur have risen to Shogun?

And, it's obvious it was the Brits who did all the defeating of the Japanese, since the Japanese surrender papers were signed aboard the HMS Missouri.

[klr]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

Ah yes, the RN flattops came to the rescue. Without them the >110 flight decks the USN had in the Pacific at the end of the war were helpless. Well done, that Navy!

The RN boats were just a teensy bit harder to damage, or even sink.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_f ... k#Defences

"... The U.S.N liaison officer on HMS Indefatigable commented: "When a kamikaze hits a U.S. carrier it means 6 months of repair at Pearl [Harbor]. When a kamikaze hits a Limey carrier it’s just a case of "Sweepers, man your brooms."

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Of course, it was the British Pacific Fleet that really finished Japan off...with some help from the 'Mericans.

Ah yes, the RN flattops came to the rescue. Without them the >110 flight decks the USN had in the Pacific at the end of the war were helpless. Well done, that Navy!

The RN boats were just a teensy bit harder to damage, or even sink.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_f ... k#Defences

"... The U.S.N liaison officer on HMS Indefatigable commented: "When a kamikaze hits a U.S. carrier it means 6 months of repair at Pearl [Harbor]. When a kamikaze hits a Limey carrier it’s just a case of "Sweepers, man your brooms."

Oh boy, here we go again. If Yorktown had had a armored flight deck she wouldn't have made it to Point Luck. Thing would have gone differently in the Pacific for a good while. So both systems have their pluses and minuses. The RN ships couldn't carry as many planes, for example, and the most armor was to be found around the tea pots anyway.

[klr]

...
Oh boy, here we go again. If Yorktown had had a armored flight deck she wouldn't have made it to Point Luck. Thing would have gone differently in the Pacific for a good while. So both systems have their pluses and minuses. The RN ships couldn't carry as many planes, for example, and the most armor was to be found around the tea pots anyway.

Oh, I agree completely, and the article discusses the pros and cons of each in great detail. It's one of the better wikipedia articles IMHO.

[Clinton Huxley]

Oh god, KLR and Zilla on WW2 aircraft carriers. We are going to need another server