|
Post by Ramini on Apr 11, 2010 0:55:00 GMT -5
guys i'm just curious..i'm not much of a history buff when it comes to the pacific theater..but would you agree that if only Pearl was adequately defended and the US being able to intercept japanese forces invading southwards to guadalcanal, tinian etc. would the bastards in bataan be succesfully reinforced?..or there'd be no changes at all?
|
|
|
Post by oklahoma on Apr 11, 2010 10:40:04 GMT -5
Hey Ramini....I will always believe, with the status of our forces in the Pacific in late 1941, that the US Navy would have not been able to fight their way across the vast distances involved and relieve the Philippines. Too many Japanese held islands (Saipan,etc) blocking the way,etc. that would "whittle" away at our strength before we even neared the PI and the eventual "decisive, final naval battle" between what was left of the US Pacific Fleet and the Japanese Imperial Navy. We just were't ready for an all out conflict in the Western Pacific. Remember, our attention, main effort, supplies, etc were focused on Europe and Hitler. Our Pacific strategy was geared to be a "holding" action till the situation in Europe was in check. There are plenty of folks who know more about this than me, but this is my take on it and has been since college, way back in the late 1950s. We used to argue this point endlessly in class.
|
|
|
Post by Ramini on Apr 12, 2010 4:57:44 GMT -5
oklahomaoh yeah!! you're right..i remembered a metaphorical qoute coming from president osmeña regarding the situation of the Philippines during WWII..i can't remember the whole thing but it was something about being raped (the Philippines) in the backdoor..i believe that the US never counted a war in the pacific..i even remember one book saying that the Philippines was the number 1 favourite spot for american citizens or soldiers to stay in the pacific..and that it was a world away from the conflict in europe..but the japanese wasn't able to conquer the whole of philippines until 1942?...Luzon was the first to be occupied then the following year the rest of visayas and mindanao..nway being in Cebu..all i've heard that the americans had one major amphibious assault in Tangke, Talisay thus the name because during the invasion a lot of Sherman tanks were deployed and also there were some busted Shermans excavated there..and i also stumbled a very rare video footage from youtube on the Allied bombings on the Fuente Osmeña circle and i can attest that it was the one that they bombed when the fuente osmeña foutnain came into view in the camera..and also the Lahug airstrip and some areas in mandaue..too bad i can't find it anymore i was hoping to post it here...im so glad to have found this forum i've been looking for something like this for a while now.
|
|