[Pacific] Balance of Force & Operating Conditions in 1941

Economy | Information | History | Online | Facts | World | Global | Money

1. Love the way you pronounce Hawaii.
2. saying the us started the war with 3 carriers in the pacific fleet is misleading. They had 8 fleet carriers(including the Langley) and could use them in any way they wanted. 5 of them were sunk by the japs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_carriers_of_the_United_States_Navy
3. What program did you use to edit and make this video? Thanks in advance.
4. The symbol for a Marine Corps division has an anchor on it!
   
   This PROVES they're a department of the Navy!
5. Another great video! I love your channel for the way you visualise and highlight several key aspects of war. It's great for getting a better perspective on history :)
6. missing australian and N zealand forces...few destroyers, men (artillery) and airplanes...and deployed in time in Malaysia and DEI.
7. 3:40...the dutch Uboats...were quite old.
   Not true, half of them were less than 3 years old production.
   PLus, do make a note that they were MORE succesfull in sinking jap ships in the first months of the pacific war than the US (failing torpedos) and british (ah..none).
   And , come on, as if the japanese subs and americans subs in your counting were ALLLL top state of the art vessels??!
   I bet at least 15% is ALWAYS old/obsolete or restricted to short range patrol/defense ..likewise for the destroyers of japan and USa.
   There is ALWAYS a contingency of old and obsolete types...
8. Excellent presentation!
9. A type of war only the vast resources of the United States, and maybe the Soviets later in the war could have coped with. (I can't picture Russians coping with tropical weather though...hehe.) The Japanese were doomed the day they attacked Pearl Harbor-yet also doomed when the US cut off raw materials. A prime example of modern, sustained conflict in which it isn't military size and prowess alone, but the economy which can out produce the other.
   Funny how the US didn't want to get involved with Europe initially, but considered the Pacific of prime importance until Hitler cut his own throat a second time declaring war on the US shortly after Pearl Harbor.
10. I know you were focusing more on the actual pacific itself, but Australia and New Zealand had some navy, small as it was, and I get it we were "colonials" but New Zealand was pretty much the one of the primitive countries to beat back a superior force without using a numerical advantage, and well trenches, so they were never a colony more a mutual agreement state, and Australia, we were a commonwealth the same commonwealth we are today, all operations were our own, we worked side by side with the English not under them, so I just think we should've gotten and small bar next to the Dutch
11. One more thing...
    A Northern Japanese Empire would have been more difficult to attack. Shipping of raw materials to Japan from Korea and Siberia would be much more difficult to interdict, than it was from SE Asia.
12. Good overview.
    One thing I think would have changed everything, is if Japan had followed the "Northern Strategy", and not the "Southern Strategy". I believe it was discussed in Japan, but a defeat of the Japanese by Zhukov caused the Japanese to think that a southern strategy would be easier.
    If Japan had invaded Siberia instead of subjugating China, after it took Manchuria, I bet the US would have been OK with that.
    After all, the US had troops in Russia in the 20's trying to overthrow Lenin.
    1. The US would not have embargoed Japan.
    2. Siberia and Manchuria would have all the coal, iron, and other raw materials needed.
    3. Since Japan would have never attacked the US, America's entry into WW2 would have been delayed.
    4. Even if we supported Stalin against Germany, I am not sure we would have minded Soviet Union losing a bit of Siberia, and its Pacific ports. I think our strategists would have been glad for that.
    Japan could have carved a nice little empire for itself that I believe the US and UK would have been OK with.
    The Japanese Empire would have then been Japan, Formosa, Korea, Manchuria, part of Mongolia, and Eastern Siberia.
    Japan would never had been defeated, and would still be ruled by Shinto inspired militarism.
13. This is my favorite video on your channel it's really great!
14. Thank you, excellent and balanced as always.
    
    Regards
    R
15. Their plan would have been more viable if they hadn't attacked pearl harbor, hadn't committed war crimes against chinese civilians and various other peoples, and hadn't attacked the philippines, and other ally assisted countries. That way it would have been much later that the usa would have declared war, and it would be a less legitimate enemy to make war with, therefor a diplomatic ending of the war would have been more possible.
16. I really really enjoy the stuff you make, continue making great content.
17. What about Australia? Were they included with the British? Also if they were included with the British then Australia must have had a pitiful navy.
18. Japan never had any kind off chance. Only a "miracle" could have saved them.
    
    If you can not bet the divided China USA is just way to much to handle (also UK & Soviet lurking on the side).
19. The Imperial Japanese Army High Command strategy was fixated for decades on a war of conquest in China and Siberia.
    The Imperial Japanese Navy was tasked with making available the raw materials from throughout Asia needed to accomplish this task. The fact that everything had to go right and a peace settlement with a craven bloodied USA was even thought feasible shows how poorly thought out this strategy was.
    On a lower strata, early IJN aircraft carrier doctrine was far superior to USN thinking. USN submarine doctrine was also lacking in realistic offensive thinking and the torpedoes were of scandalously poor untested quality and improper design.
20. Its important to remember that these force comparisons was the entire Japanese fleet vs pacific only for US. The US had 6 large fleet carriers plus the poorly suited Ranger at the time of pearl harbor. Further, the US had a total of 17 battleships and 3 of the excellent south dakotas had already been launched and another soon to be launched. These numbers apply to the rest of the categories as well. Further, the US marines and army, while small in number, had a huge reserve officer corps, allowing for rapid mobilization.
    
    Japan never really stood a chance. The US defeated Japan while concentrating on the European theater, basically with one had tied behind its back.