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Salim said:.....
I suppose that the reason why the USN and IJN had so many aerial shoot downs is because of the uniqueness of the pacific war, and the vast oceans that made extensive use of carriers necessary (land-based aircraft were used, of course, but the long ranges and smallness of the islands were obviously a hinderance, hence the need for floating airbases.......
The island hopping began in Nov 1943 with the invasion of Tarawa, and followed through with Kwajelein and Eniwetok in early 1944.
Aside from the big carrier strike on Truk, the IJN air force was not in a position to contest it, as most of the pilots and planes were busy in the Solomons.
The IJAAF was on Papua New Guinie at that time.
Thanks to the allied efforts in the Solomons and Papua New Guinie, the Japanese air forces were depleted or commited to these area's and were in no position to intercept the carrier task forces.
Well the IJN was THE military force in Japan as the Royal Navy had always been to GB, both island nations, by the way. So it was natural that those naval services would get the lion's share of funding and importance. Being that the Japanese built an oceanic empire aside from the Asian continent suppression it makes sense that there were actually more IJN aircraft than those of the Air Force and Army. The Navy was the thrusting samurai sword of the nation.
Smokey said:......
The timing of Pearl Harbour was really bad. There was a grudge against the UK and the US for using military power to force Japan to open for trade in the 1800s and resentment of the European/US 'possesions' in the Far East, which lead to strong support for the Pearl harbour plan. ......
If the military leaders of Japan had waited just a month or so then the true situation on the Eastern front would have become known to many and the attack on Pearl Harbour probably would not have taken place.
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DAVIDICUS said:"even now, GB has the 2nd strongest navy in the world"
Salim, I believe the Navies of Russia, China and France would presently all rank as superior in force projection.
Jank said:The French Navy is the second largest Western European navy in tonnage after the Royal Navy and includes a Nuclear aircraft carrier and subs.
While it is certainly not the USN, it is also hardly, "A few ships and nothing else." as you say.