Do you know about the Battle of Midway?
Do you know about the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Will there ever be another World War? (WW3?) {No there won't, because the Earth will become uninhabitable if it happens} Perhaps there will be a few small wars...
So why do wars occur anyway? There have existed a set of rules for war from the end of the 19th century. From here you can see that the world had not been thinking that us humans don't need to have wars, or shouldn't have wars. We humans can have peace. They were thinking that if our relations with another country is bad, then I have to show them my power and give them a taste of their weakness. War was part of international relations. Of course, the people of the country aren't so lucky and the losses of war are horrible. However, wars can also have effects on other countries, and technology advances very quickly.
WW2 looks like a good vs. bad war. The good, America and Great Britain, Soviet Union, China, etc. The bad, Germany, Italy and Japan. Are the Americans totally good? Maybe not. They used the reason of the bombing to bomb places where people lived. The B-29 came literally everyday. The B-29 also bombed Vietnam, if you didn't know. The Atomic bombs were also horrible. But no one ever blames America for that. http://vistashu.weebly.com/project-n.html America also had their own thoughts and wanted to get the best of everything. More on that here: http://www.bill-gordon.net/papers/hiroshim.htm The arguing between Japan and America did not get anywhere, with America seemingly almost wanting to start a war. The attitude. The telephone came, and the Pacific War started. In this case , Germany, Italy and Japan started it themselves. Starting a war includes a declaration of war, which is given to the embassy. In Japan's case, the Americans at the embassy were waiting for the telephone, however, it came a little late, and the bombing at Pearl Harbour had already begun. Even if it had come in time, I doubt that the Americans had thought that the Japanese were right beside them. They probably thought that the Japanese would start sending their army from the point of the declaration.
The Americans used "Remember Pearl Harbour" as their slogan, and Americans said that Japan declared war a little late on purpose. Japanese Americans were sent to camps. George Takei was one of them. Watch his talk in English about it.
WW2 looks like a good vs. bad war. The good, America and Great Britain, Soviet Union, China, etc. The bad, Germany, Italy and Japan. Are the Americans totally good? Maybe not. They used the reason of the bombing to bomb places where people lived. The B-29 came literally everyday. The B-29 also bombed Vietnam, if you didn't know. The Atomic bombs were also horrible. But no one ever blames America for that. http://vistashu.weebly.com/project-n.html America also had their own thoughts and wanted to get the best of everything. More on that here: http://www.bill-gordon.net/papers/hiroshim.htm The arguing between Japan and America did not get anywhere, with America seemingly almost wanting to start a war. The attitude. The telephone came, and the Pacific War started. In this case , Germany, Italy and Japan started it themselves. Starting a war includes a declaration of war, which is given to the embassy. In Japan's case, the Americans at the embassy were waiting for the telephone, however, it came a little late, and the bombing at Pearl Harbour had already begun. Even if it had come in time, I doubt that the Americans had thought that the Japanese were right beside them. They probably thought that the Japanese would start sending their army from the point of the declaration.
The Americans used "Remember Pearl Harbour" as their slogan, and Americans said that Japan declared war a little late on purpose. Japanese Americans were sent to camps. George Takei was one of them. Watch his talk in English about it.
Great East Asia War
What is this? Well, the kanji is this 大東亜戦争 Daitouasensou. This is the name for the war between Japan and America, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Soviet Union, China and other Allies. The Japanese used this name. Another war is included in this name, called the Nicchusensou or the Kounichisen. War between essentially Japan, (Manchuria and a few other small Japanese created countries) and China, America, Great Britain and the Soviet Union.
Asia-Pacific War
Asia is the Nicchusensou and Pacific is basically Allies vs. Japan. Why use this? The Americans banned the word Daitouasensou and introduced The Pacific War.
Battle of the Coral Sea
This battle is famous among Australians, because, thanks to the outcome, Australia did not get invaded by the Japanese. Australia was on the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere as well. What is that thing? Well there is a detailed paper on this topic. http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/papers/coprospr.htm
The result was: The enemies never saw each other and it was fought by planes based on aircraft carriers. A new type of warfare. Japan lost many important aircraft carriers which would play an important role in the outcome of the Battle of Midway. Also, the Japanese never investigated the war, and so were not able to learn anything for the
Battle of Midway.
The View of the Japanese:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8F%8A%E7%91%9A%E6%B5%B7%E6%B5%B7%E6%88%A6#.E7.A5.A5.E9.B3.B3.E6.92.83.E6.B2.88
The View of the Americans:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea
The result was: The enemies never saw each other and it was fought by planes based on aircraft carriers. A new type of warfare. Japan lost many important aircraft carriers which would play an important role in the outcome of the Battle of Midway. Also, the Japanese never investigated the war, and so were not able to learn anything for the
Battle of Midway.
The View of the Japanese:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8F%8A%E7%91%9A%E6%B5%B7%E6%B5%B7%E6%88%A6#.E7.A5.A5.E9.B3.B3.E6.92.83.E6.B2.88
The View of the Americans:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea
Vice Admiral Takagi breaks off the action and withdraws to the north
The Japanese strike leader, Lieutenant Commander Kakuichi Takahashi, had reported at 11.25 am that the Japanese had sunk a Saratoga class carrier (he was actually referring to the Lexington) and severely damaged aYorktown class carrier. However, the cost to the Japanese in lost aircraft and experienced pilots had been very high. When the survivors of the Shokaku and Zuikaku air strikes landed on the flight deck of the still unscathed Zuikaku, Rear Admiral Chuichi Hara found to his horror that he could only muster thirty-nine operational aircraft for a second strike, and twenty-four of these were Zero fighters. Faced with a serious shortage of operational strike bombers, and a critical fuel situation, Vice Admiral Takagi decided at 3.00 pm to break off the action and retire to the north to refuel his ships. There is no evidence to suggest that Takagi had any intention at this stage to resume the battle.
Back at Rabaul, Vice Admiral Inoue rejoiced at the news that one American carrier had been sunk and a second one crippled. Although the path to Port Moresby appeared to be now blocked only by Rear Admiral Crace's cruiser squadron (mistakenly reported to Inoue as including a battleship), Inoue decided on the evening of 8 May to postpone Operation MO entirely. His decision was influenced by the loss of Shoho, the heavy damage toShokaku, and the serious shortage of strike bombers left on Zuikaku. He felt that the MO invasion force would be too vulnerable to attack by Allied land-based bombers without adequate carrier support.
The Japanese withdrawal produces the first major Allied naval victory in the Pacific War
By nightfall on 8 May, the withdrawal of all Japanese naval forces from the Coral Sea left Rear Admiral Crace's Australian-American Support Group (three cruisers with destroyer escorts) in sole possession of the battlefield. A powerful Japanese invasion force had been repulsed and Port Moresby had been saved. Japan had suffered its first major defeat in the Pacific War.
Crace's cruiser force continued to faithfully block the Jomard Passage until it was recalled to Australia on 10 May.
Despite clear evidence that Japan suffered a major defeat at the Battle of the Coral Sea, some writers of naval history have suggested that the outcome was inconclusive or an American tactical defeat. These views are wrong, and I will explain why this is so in the next section.
A furious Admiral Yamamoto demands that Takagi pursue and destroy the Allied warships
When the withdrawal of Zuikaku from the battle and the cancelling of Operation MO were reported to Admiral Yamamoto late on 8 May, he was furious. At 10.00 pm, he tersely ordered Inoue to "destroy the enemy". When he gave this order, Yamamoto was not aware that Vice Admiral Takagi had lost almost two thirds of his aircraft or that his task force was desperately short of fuel when he withdrew from the battle. It took all of 9 May for Vice Admiral Takagi to refuel his carrier task force, and by the time his ships returned to the Coral Sea and began the hunt for Allied warships, Yorktown and her escort warships were well beyond his reach on their way to Tongatapu in the Friendly Islands. When Takagi reported that his air patrols could find no Allied warships in the Coral Sea, Admiral Yamamoto accepted the postponement of Operation MO and recalled his ships on the afternoon of 10 May.
Admiral Yamamoto appears to have been far more concerned about the escape of Allied warships than about Vice Admiral Inoue's postponement of the capture of Port Moresby. However, this could well be explained by Yamamoto's preoccupation with destruction of the US Pacific Fleet. He intended to achieve this at Midway in early June 1942, and Admirals Inoue and Takagi had already deprived him of the carriers Shokaku and Shohofor that major naval operation.
The Japanese strike leader, Lieutenant Commander Kakuichi Takahashi, had reported at 11.25 am that the Japanese had sunk a Saratoga class carrier (he was actually referring to the Lexington) and severely damaged aYorktown class carrier. However, the cost to the Japanese in lost aircraft and experienced pilots had been very high. When the survivors of the Shokaku and Zuikaku air strikes landed on the flight deck of the still unscathed Zuikaku, Rear Admiral Chuichi Hara found to his horror that he could only muster thirty-nine operational aircraft for a second strike, and twenty-four of these were Zero fighters. Faced with a serious shortage of operational strike bombers, and a critical fuel situation, Vice Admiral Takagi decided at 3.00 pm to break off the action and retire to the north to refuel his ships. There is no evidence to suggest that Takagi had any intention at this stage to resume the battle.
Back at Rabaul, Vice Admiral Inoue rejoiced at the news that one American carrier had been sunk and a second one crippled. Although the path to Port Moresby appeared to be now blocked only by Rear Admiral Crace's cruiser squadron (mistakenly reported to Inoue as including a battleship), Inoue decided on the evening of 8 May to postpone Operation MO entirely. His decision was influenced by the loss of Shoho, the heavy damage toShokaku, and the serious shortage of strike bombers left on Zuikaku. He felt that the MO invasion force would be too vulnerable to attack by Allied land-based bombers without adequate carrier support.
The Japanese withdrawal produces the first major Allied naval victory in the Pacific War
By nightfall on 8 May, the withdrawal of all Japanese naval forces from the Coral Sea left Rear Admiral Crace's Australian-American Support Group (three cruisers with destroyer escorts) in sole possession of the battlefield. A powerful Japanese invasion force had been repulsed and Port Moresby had been saved. Japan had suffered its first major defeat in the Pacific War.
Crace's cruiser force continued to faithfully block the Jomard Passage until it was recalled to Australia on 10 May.
Despite clear evidence that Japan suffered a major defeat at the Battle of the Coral Sea, some writers of naval history have suggested that the outcome was inconclusive or an American tactical defeat. These views are wrong, and I will explain why this is so in the next section.
A furious Admiral Yamamoto demands that Takagi pursue and destroy the Allied warships
When the withdrawal of Zuikaku from the battle and the cancelling of Operation MO were reported to Admiral Yamamoto late on 8 May, he was furious. At 10.00 pm, he tersely ordered Inoue to "destroy the enemy". When he gave this order, Yamamoto was not aware that Vice Admiral Takagi had lost almost two thirds of his aircraft or that his task force was desperately short of fuel when he withdrew from the battle. It took all of 9 May for Vice Admiral Takagi to refuel his carrier task force, and by the time his ships returned to the Coral Sea and began the hunt for Allied warships, Yorktown and her escort warships were well beyond his reach on their way to Tongatapu in the Friendly Islands. When Takagi reported that his air patrols could find no Allied warships in the Coral Sea, Admiral Yamamoto accepted the postponement of Operation MO and recalled his ships on the afternoon of 10 May.
Admiral Yamamoto appears to have been far more concerned about the escape of Allied warships than about Vice Admiral Inoue's postponement of the capture of Port Moresby. However, this could well be explained by Yamamoto's preoccupation with destruction of the US Pacific Fleet. He intended to achieve this at Midway in early June 1942, and Admirals Inoue and Takagi had already deprived him of the carriers Shokaku and Shohofor that major naval operation.
What Happened Before the Bombing of Pearl Harbour?
The Japanese army at Manchu wanted to free it from China. On the 18th of September, 1931, the Kantogun blasted the rails of the Minamimanshutetsudoukabushikigaisha. Using this as a reason, they started military operations. This is called the Manshujihen. In March of 1932, the Japanese took the Manchu dynasty’s last emperor Puyi and made him the first leader of the country called Manshukoku. In 1932, some radical agrarian conspirators murdered Prime Minister Inukai and the tycoon, Baron Dan. Inukai told the person who had come into his room that everything would become clear if we discuss. The reason of the murder was Inukai’s attitude towards Manchuria which was one of opposition. This assassination is called the Goichigo incident. The next P.M, of course, was scared of another assassination and recognised Manchuria as a country. The UN sent Litton and others to research the Manshujihen and Manchuria. In 1933, the UN did not recognise Manchuria as a country, and Japan left the United Nations. There was one man who made a speech to try and make the UN understand, but to no avail. It was unfortunate and did not happen like the Tintin version of it. It is pictured in the 3rd or actually 5th book {The Adventures of Tintin The Blue Lotus}
Then came the Niniroku. It can also be called the Incident of 26 February 1936. This was a major army uprising in Tokyo led by a militant faction which aimed to liquidate the ruling elite and reform the nation. The Niniroku conspirators were influenced by Kita Ikki (1884-1937) a right-wing revolutionary and founder of Japanese Fascism, who was executed for his part in the plot. The Niniroku failed. Before the beginning of the Pacific War, there was an introduction to severe censorship enforced by the kempeitai. There was an appeal to ultranationalist Shinto mythology. The militarist traditions and moral code of the samurai, the feudal knighthood bushido was instilled. Kita Ikki’s far reaching program was adopted by the Imperial regime and named the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Japan was supposed to host an Olympic event in Tokyo, however, there was a war with China, and Japan returned the offer of the 1940 Olympics.
As Japan sided with Germany and Italy, they started using their army, and also made a promise to Russia not to fight. However, Japan did not want to fight America. But, America stopped exporting oil, and Great Britain and Dutch (The Netherlands) did the same. To fight, one must need oil. Japan called this the ABCD houjin and decided that to destroy it would mean starting the war quickly. When America came to the height of nastiness, Tojo Hideki and the army made the final decision to fight with America. Before this, the Land Army said that if Japan did everything America said, Manchuria and Korea would become difficult to continue and all that fighting would be for nothing. Of course, in the end, it didn’t lead Japan to any greatness. And they lost everything. Also, if the war was avoided, the Japanese people might rebel. Some Japanese wanted to start a war, while others were tired of their lives and taxes, and others wanted to do some action. However, the Navy said that war needed oil and that if the war took too long, things other than oil would disappear. The modern view is just that Japan couldn’t have won against America.
The Pacific War officially started with the bombing of Pearl Harbour or Oahu and the landing on the Malay Peninsula. The Japanese quickly occupied a large area, however, following the loss at The Battle of Midway, everything stopped and began to take longer.
Then came the Niniroku. It can also be called the Incident of 26 February 1936. This was a major army uprising in Tokyo led by a militant faction which aimed to liquidate the ruling elite and reform the nation. The Niniroku conspirators were influenced by Kita Ikki (1884-1937) a right-wing revolutionary and founder of Japanese Fascism, who was executed for his part in the plot. The Niniroku failed. Before the beginning of the Pacific War, there was an introduction to severe censorship enforced by the kempeitai. There was an appeal to ultranationalist Shinto mythology. The militarist traditions and moral code of the samurai, the feudal knighthood bushido was instilled. Kita Ikki’s far reaching program was adopted by the Imperial regime and named the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Japan was supposed to host an Olympic event in Tokyo, however, there was a war with China, and Japan returned the offer of the 1940 Olympics.
As Japan sided with Germany and Italy, they started using their army, and also made a promise to Russia not to fight. However, Japan did not want to fight America. But, America stopped exporting oil, and Great Britain and Dutch (The Netherlands) did the same. To fight, one must need oil. Japan called this the ABCD houjin and decided that to destroy it would mean starting the war quickly. When America came to the height of nastiness, Tojo Hideki and the army made the final decision to fight with America. Before this, the Land Army said that if Japan did everything America said, Manchuria and Korea would become difficult to continue and all that fighting would be for nothing. Of course, in the end, it didn’t lead Japan to any greatness. And they lost everything. Also, if the war was avoided, the Japanese people might rebel. Some Japanese wanted to start a war, while others were tired of their lives and taxes, and others wanted to do some action. However, the Navy said that war needed oil and that if the war took too long, things other than oil would disappear. The modern view is just that Japan couldn’t have won against America.
The Pacific War officially started with the bombing of Pearl Harbour or Oahu and the landing on the Malay Peninsula. The Japanese quickly occupied a large area, however, following the loss at The Battle of Midway, everything stopped and began to take longer.
Copyright © 2014 Editors of Yukikaze Shinbunsha/ Editors of The Yukikaze Times.