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I think Japan saw that all their SEA neighbours less Thailand were gobbled up by Europeans and the USA. To Japan's mind IMO the choice was to acquiesce to US demands or get big enough to deter such moves.RE: Japan
It helps to remember that the Japanese expansion into the Pacific netted them what... exactly?
A lot of open ocean and a bunch of small islands they couldn't protect or hold, or keep the U.S. from just bypassing.
The airfield they were building at Lunga that we called Henderson Field was one of the few viable island bases that could actually accomplish something other that wasting garrison troops, as it could directly have an effect on U.S. supply lines to Oz.
And even then, other than the oil fields, what did they gain from all that territory on the Asian mainland? Were there that many resources to be garnered from the conquered areas?
There certainly weren't any shipyards worth the name bigger than handling a destroyer if I'm not mistaken.
So they basically got a bunch of atolls that the U.S. island hopped over to let die on the vine whilst not being able to defend the territory they had, nor serve as a buffer or a meat grinder to wear down U.S. forces and resolve.
Throw into the mix that they also pissed off (ROYALLY) the largest economy/industrial power on the planet and turned them into an implacable, unrelenting foe.
Great planning by a group of Big Brains...
And even then, other than the oil fields, what did they gain from all that territory on the Asian mainland? Were there that many resources to be garnered from the conquered areas?
There certainly weren't any shipyards worth the name bigger than handling a destroyer if I'm not mistaken.
So they basically got a bunch of atolls that the U.S. island hopped over to let die on the vine whilst not being able to defend the territory they had, nor serve as a buffer or a meat grinder to wear down U.S. forces and resolve.
Throw into the mix that they also pissed off (ROYALLY) the largest economy/industrial power on the planet and turned them into an implacable, unrelenting foe.
Great planning by a group of Big Brains...
Japan knew where the resources were, and knew what to do to seize these territories. But Japan had NFI how to exploit these resources in situ nor how to get these resources back to Japan in a war setting.re Japan's reasons for invading the countries they did.
__Korea:
Tungsten (4th? largest reserve in the world)
Molybdenum
Iron
Nickel
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper
Lead
Coal (anthracite, the highest grade)
Gold, Silver, etc
__Manchukuo:
Iron
Aluminum
Magnesium
Copper
Zinc
Lead
Oil (shale oil)
Coal
Gold, Silver, etc
__China:
Iron
Aluminum
Mercury
Molybdenum
Tungsten
Nickel
Tin
Zinc
Coal
Oil
Gold, Silver, etc
__Dutch East Indies
Nickel (largest reserve in the world)
Oil
Rubber
__Philippines:
Nickel
Cobalt
Chrome
Copper
Oil
Gold, Silver, etc
__Malaysia:
Iron
Aluminum
Oil
Copper
Tin (largest? reserve in world)
__Vietnam:
Aluminum
Coal
Gold, Copper
__Thailand:
Oil
Coal
Tin
Burma:
Oil
Japan knew where the resources were, and knew what to do to seize these territories. But Japan had NFI how to exploit these resources in situ nor how to get these resources back to Japan in a war setting.
The Destroyers did have ASW capability. Type 93 Sonar, Type 93 hydrophones. Carried depth charges although that depended on the destroyer class.
That's one of the flaws we often make in comparing war machines, be it aircraft, tanks or warships.... we omit to consider the doctrine, training/support, experience and will of the men operating them.The Destroyers did have ASW capability.
The RN was able to neutralize the RM? Or Axis power in the Med? Not until the USA got involved.
Agreed. That's the premise of this thread, hitting the RM hard in Nov 1940 so they're less of a problem into 1941-43.The Regia Marina was still sailing convoys to North Africa into the early months of 1943. So again...yes with heavy losses but it was still functional. Good or bad is again a RM problem.
I see what you did there.Agreed. That's the premise of this thread, hitting the RM hard in Nov 1940 So they're less of a problem into 1941-43.