Japanese Victory at Midway

Historical what if discussions, hypothetical operations, battleship vs. battleship engagements, design your own warship, etc.
jonsidneyb
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Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:28 am

Re: Japanese Victory at Midway

Post by jonsidneyb »

So to victory at Midway in your example does not include occupying it as a stepping stone to Hawaii.

Here is the real problem. Japan didn't have to resources to win this war. They mistakenly thought the USA would role over.

Remember from Admiral Yamamoto "I shall run wild considerably for the first six months or a year, but I have utterly no confidence for the second and third years." Running wild does not mean taking Hawaii.

Of those planes, if they were all bombers they would be taken out of the sky, if they were all fighters there would not be enough damage. When Midway happened there were quite a few planes in Hawaii and the island itself when through much fortification. Japan never developed the ability to deal with hot landings against a well fortified enemy. You generally need to have numbers on your side or surprise if you are the invader. We can find examples where fewer have done it but they are the exception and not the rule. How many of those planes that they would be launching are going to be fighters? AA will also be a big part of this fight.

If they won the air war over Hawaii that was not going to be near enough to take Oahu. Even if they did take it they would not able to support themselves there and it was not going to win them the war. This was a lost cause for them unless the public had enough of it. If they were determined to take Hawaii at all costs they would have bled themselves dry and even if they could win it would be a pyric victory.
alecsandros
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Re: Japanese Victory at Midway

Post by alecsandros »

jonsidneyb wrote:
If they won the air war over Hawaii that was not going to be near enough to take Oahu. Even if they did take it they would not able to support themselves there and it was not going to win them the war. This was a lost cause for them unless the public had enough of it. If they were determined to take Hawaii at all costs they would have bled themselves dry and even if they could win it would be a pyric victory.
... Many say it was their only chance for forcing a truce.
WIthout Hawaii, the US fleet in the Pacific would be extremely difficult to handle, and any future invasion plans (Gilbert islands, Guadanlcanal, Phillipines, etc) would be out of the question.

With 550 carrier based warplanes (a conservative estimate, as the maximum loads would give room for over 650), 12 battleships and over 100 smaller ships, things could just go right for the Japanese.

A difficult endeavor, but at least they woould try to make a step in the right direction... (taking the USA out of the Pacific)
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