Secrets of the Battleship Yamato

[MoonWrasse]

Great reading. This is really interesting.

But the Japanese has one of the best planes right? At least at the beginning. And their airforce alone sunk both the HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales.

Thomas

Kind of funny, as a few decades before, Japan and Britain had signed a mutual defense treaty.

Oh well, what are friends for

 

[TJO]

Kind of funny, as a few decades before, Japan and Britain had signed a mutual defense treaty.

Oh well, what are friends for

In which Japan got some parts of the Pacific in exchange for protection of British shipping lanes during WW1... History is interesting.

 

[MoonWrasse]

In which Japan got some parts of the Pacific in exchange for protection of British shipping lanes during WW1... History is interesting.

It sure the heck is. Yamamoto was one bright guy, surrounded by a bunch of not so bright people. He never wanted to take on the US, was against the invasion of Manchuria, and opposed the tripartiate treaty with Germany and those other misfits.

BTW, the battleship Yamato had 2 sister ships, the battleship Musashi , and a third keel laid which was turned into the supercarrier Shinano, which was sunk by the US sub Archerfish. I haven't found anything stating the Shinano has been discovered yet. It was supposed to be the wild card for Japan to pull out of it's hat late in the war, when people knew Japan would lose already. Perhaps married with the Messerschmitt Jet fighter Hitler sent over, Japan could've dragged out the war long enough that the US would have opted for different peace negotiations, who knows.

 

[jagfish]

Moonwrasse...

Your knowledge of history in this arena is impressive...

 

[TJO]

It sure the heck is. Yamamoto was one bright guy, surrounded by a bunch of not so bright people. He never wanted to take on the US, was against the invasion of Manchuria, and opposed the tripartiate treaty with Germany and those other misfits.

BTW, the battleship Yamato had 2 sister ships, the battleship Musashi , and a third keel laid which was turned into the supercarrier Shinano, which was sunk by the US sub Archerfish. I haven't found anything stating the Shinano has been discovered yet. It was supposed to be the wild card for Japan to pull out of it's hat late in the war, when people knew Japan would lose already. Perhaps married with the Messerschmitt Jet fighter Hitler sent over, Japan could've dragged out the war long enough that the US would have opted for different peace negotiations, who knows.

Shinano was sunk Nov 29 1944 after departing Yokosuka south of Honshu 32N, 137E. There were actually a fourth one but it was never finished and destroyed after the war.

 

[Lonestar Diver]

It is true that Japan appeared extremely “aggressive” in its expansionism yet it was (is) not as “mindless” as western prejudices account for. This “aggressive” nature was defined in part through a unified sense of nationality or Japanese-ness or Kokutai, the Confucian ideas of proper relationships and deference to superiors (Sempi Kouhi). All this coupled with Japans need for resources, and the Japanese fear of being colonized gave the Japanese a very goal oriented vision of national progress which gave foreigners a prejudicial image of aggression.
I believe that Japan did intend to dominate Asia and assume “there vision” of the “Confucian” role of “big brother “and protectorate of other less developed Asian nations. However there are a few factors that I believe pushed Japan into World War II before, possibly, having such an intention (or, at least, accelerated Japans schedule for doing so).
First in holding with Japans’ Confucian “big brother” ideals (that was in reality nothing more than Asian domination), during the Versailles Treaty of WWI, Japan stormed out of the negotiations in response to Brittan’s’, and the United States’ refusal to allow an Asian Nation (Japan) to be as “equal” as the western “Anglo” powers. This strengthened Japans self righteous resolve to not only expel the barbarians from the south but dominate Asia.
We also know Japan is a resource poor nation and were independently in the middle of its own late blooming colonialism in order to acquire these resources. So, when the Vichy French government (germany) offered to Japan the “Stewardship” of the French colony of Indo China. Not only did this give Japan another colony and control over more resources, it aligned Japan with the Axis Powers.
Additionally Japan had its sights on Malaysian oilfields since before WWI, and had the plan to neutralize the 7th Fleet at Pearl Harbor to avoid interference from America. It wasn’t until Japan moved into Indochina (by invitation) that America felt threatened that the Philippines were there next target. At that point America cut Japans oil trade in hopes of crippling their expansionism. This backfired and pressed the attack on Pearl Harbor (the 7th Fleet) in order to facilitate moving into Malaysia for oil and brought America into the war.