WWII historians...help!!

...6 Zeroes were lost in attacks on Yorktown while four Kates were lost during the morning Midway attacks; there were many, many washouts from Hiryu alone courtesy of the Midway attack, but no further aircrew KIA.  That brings the number up to 62 with 6 CAP birds shot down during the day, for a possible 68.  Time to account for the six CAP planes and 4 more bodies to hit 72.

Randy Stone

Randy Stone wrote:

One thing which bears comment--and I think Shattered Sword addresses this--is that the Japanese were not exactly flush with aircraft after six months of operations.

It is amazing that the Japanese only produced 1,300 of their excellent Kate torpedo bombers and only 1,400 of their very effective Val dive bombers during the war.  These numbers are tiny compared to, for example, the number of US Dauntless SBD dive bombers built: 6,000...

...it looks like one of the Hiryu Zeroes returning from the second strike ditched and its pilot was recovered; that's one less aviator loss.  I'm just reading and skimming in between work, play, pleasure and life here; but Lundstrom is as helpful as Shattered Sword.

In addition to a shortage of airframes--the Kate line was even reopened for a time when Nakajima's Jill ran into production startup problems--the Japanese had ordnance supply problems as well.  That's one reason why Lexington was attacked off Rabaul with bomb-toting Betties rather than torpedo carrying birds.

And while the United States had many problems with aircraft availability (Hornet left the West Coast with only some 65 carrier aircraft)--Saratoga's torpedoing in early '42 released many aircraft which then filled out operational squadrons--as well as with supplies of self-sealing tanks, armor and the like, the Japanese had nothing like the industrial base to handle the needs of the Pacific War.

Randy Stone

Randy Stone wrote:

the Japanese had nothing like the industrial base to handle the needs of the Pacific War. Randy Stone

Which is why Admiral Yamamoto said that if they didn't win within six months, Japan would lose the war.  The Battle of Midway ended exactly six months to the day after Pearl Harbor.  Ironic!

tucchase wrote:

Randy Stone wrote: the Japanese had nothing like the industrial base to handle the needs of the Pacific War. Randy Stone Which is why Admiral Yamamoto said that if they didn't win within six months, Japan would lose the war.  The Battle of Midway ended exactly six months to the day after Pearl Harbor.  Ironic!

In WW2, Japan, and Germany, felt that large "operational" defeats, such as Pearl Harbor, Dunkirk, and Kiev would cause the US, Great Britain and Russia to come to the table for terms...what was underestimated was the resolve of all three that allowed their industrial bases to kick into a long-term industrial war that neither Japan or Germany had any chance of winning...

That was indeed Japan's strategy against the West. Japan knew it could not truly occupy and conquer the US, and that was never their goal. Instead their aim was to conquer the resources they needed in Asia, build a defensive perimeter, and then attrit Allied forces until negotiations commenced and a peace treaty was signed. But, as is well known, the manner in which Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of the Pacific war occured, removed that possibility.

As Yamamoto is often quoted, "I can run wild against them for six months to a year, after that I can promise nothing."

Barrett Tillman's "Clash of the Carriers" is a good one.

http://www.btillman.com/

...a very nice guy and has a lot going for him in many respects, but may I suggest W D Dickson's Battle of the Philippine Sea ? or, for that matter, anything that Dickson has written on the IJN ?

Randy Stone