Re: Who opposed nuking Japan, was Pearl Harbor or Dropping the Atom Bomb:

Edward M. Kennedy wrote:
> "James Schrumpf" <jaspammenotschrumpf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
>
>> Unfortunatly, they were all wrong.
>
> Not really. The US would have had complete air superiority.
> Their sekrit jets were "close to completion". As in currently
> useless.
>
>> The History Channel recently did a show on Japanese secret WWII
>> aircraft programs that were unknown to the US military at the time.
>> According to the History Channel program:
>>
>> http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=72620
>>
>> "In the 1930s, Japanese designers created a range of warplanes,
>> culminating in the legendary Ki-43 Oscar and the A6M Zero. As the war
>> turned against Japan, designers created the rocket-powered Shusui,
>> the Kikka jet fighter, and the experimental R2Y Keiun. We also
>> disclose frantic preparations to assemble a secret airforce of jet
>> and rocket planes to counter an anticipated US invasion in 1945."
>>
>> I caught the tail end of this program, and it concluded with the
>> information that the Japanese had stockpiled many aircraft in hidden
>> bunkers and hangers in the Japanese mountains, with the expectation
>> of
>
> Keyword: expectation.
>
>> attacking the Allied transports with up to 20,000 aircraft when the
>> invasion occurred.
>
> Well then they would have had to have built almost 10,000
> of them in three months, while magically transporting the
> ones in Korea and China without any surface ships noticing
> and getting them shot down.
>
>> An unexpected attack like that could have sunk hundreds of Allied
>> ships (imagine 20,000 Kamikazees hitting the Allied landing forces
>> over several days) and killed tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of
>> US troops.
>
> To bad we had radar, and a plane taking off would scramble
> the fighters *and* the bombers. The first to shoot down
> the inexperienced pilot flying what probably was an obsolete
> or unworthy plane. The second to obliterate the airfield.
> At this point, American fighter planes would routine patrol
> the skies over Japan and pick off Jap planes from above.
>
> Do you seriously imagine any more of them getting through
> than normally did at Okinawa? With land and sea based
> aircraft hassling them as soon as they took off? Yeah it'd
> be a hassle. Its a big story with no big tactical military
> significance.
>
>> Better the quick strike that ended the war immediately, than a
>> long-drawn out Saipan-like invasion that could have cost millions of
>> lives.
>
> I never said an invasion was preferable to nuking them. But
> we sure were in hurry to use the nukes, pretty much as soon
> as they were available.
>
> --Tedward

You sure have a Cavalier attitude regarding lives lost in the biggest war
this world has ever known.

An invasion of Japan would have cost tens/hundreds of thousands of American
lives. That is not in serious dispute by anyone worth listening to on the
subject over the past 60 years. Zilch none.

The nukes brought about the surrender of Japan. No American lives were
lost. End of story. On this one, you have no point.
--
v/r Dread Pirate Rackham

I believe if you can't say something nice about somebody, you must be
talking about Hillary Clinton -- Jeff Foxworthy




.

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