Ironduke

I was doing a bit of reading on the planned invasion of Japan in 1945-46. The US had 500,000 Purple Hearts manufactured in anticipation of heavy casualties. So many that the Purple Hearts issued in every US military operation afterwards is from this 1945 stock, and there's still 120,000 left, so many that they're kept on hand for immediate award in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Bluesman

Good gawd. That's a factoid I'd never heard before. And when one considers what it actually MEANS, in human terms...sobering.

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RamHammer

Wow. That is unbelievable....

This can open the door to all those conspiracy theories.

The U.S. knowing that they would need that many....it's utterly shocking.

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Bluesman

I don't know about any conspiracy theories being alluded to, but shocking it most certainly is. That is simply unthinkable, that 1945 America -pre-baby boom, remember - could contemplate absorbing casualties on that scale...

Now THAT shows COMMITMENT, people.

sappersgt

I had heard the story about the Purple Hearts almost twenty years ago. They still have that many left. That is a scale of reckoning no matter how you look at it.

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Feanor

It also shows that those leaders and those people knew what fighting a real was like.

Ironduke

In April the Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated there would be 446,000 casualties in Operation Olympic -- it was predicted and was indeed the Japanese strategy to target troop transports and not warships in the event of an invasion. It was estimated that 1/3 to 1/2 of troop transports could be lost to kamikaze attacks.

Cactus

Do any of you happen to know what allied Airborne Divisions were available in Pacific/SE Asia Area? Were there any definite plans to shift any from newly available fronts (i.e. Europe)?

RamHammer

Couldn't that also show incompetence by the commanders?

Knowing that the fatality rate would be that hight, couldn't' they come up with a new strategy that would limit those fatalities?

Ironduke

My god man, you left yourself wide open.

They did come up with a new strategy. Two atom bombs.

VarSity

3 atomic bombs. One just didn't work and was stolen by zombie Nazi's!!!

Who said all conspiracy theories are rubbish!

Bluesman

Right on time, m'lord. Good shot.

Ironbar

The US Army's 11th Airborne Division was in the Philippines in that time frame, and if I recall correctly the 17th and 101st were tagged to be redeployed from europe for Operation Olympic.

Cactus

Thanks! That is about all the airborne assets US already had, isn't it? What about other Allied armies?

Albany Rifles

Cactus

US Airborne elements in Pacific theater were the 11 Airborne Divisiion as well as the 503 Regimental Combat Team (Airborne)...the took Corregidor.

This was the total US Army Airborne Organization, late 1944:

European Theater of Operations
First (Allied) Airborne Army
XVIII Airborne Corps
517th Parachute RCT
517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
460th Parachute FA Battalion
596th Parachute Engineer Company
1st/551st Parachute Infantry Regiment
509th Parachute Infantry Battalion
463rd Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
13th Airborne Division
515th Parachute Infantry Regiment
189th Glider Infantry Regiment
190th Glider Infantry Regiment
676th Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
677th Glider FA battalion (75mm)
458th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
153rd Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
129th Airborne Engineer Battalion
17th Airborne Division
507th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
193rd Glider Infantry Regiment
194th Glider Infantry Regiment
550th Glider Infantry Battalion (attached)
680th Glider FA Battalion (105mm)
681st Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
466th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
155th Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
139th Airborne Engineer Battalion
82nd Airborne Division
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
325th Glider Infantry Regiment
2/401st Glider Infantry (attached)
319th Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
320th Glider FA Battalion (105mm)
376th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
456th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
80th Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
307th Airborne Engineer Battalion
101st Airborne Division
501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached)
327th Glider Infantry Regiment
1/401st Glider Infantry (attached)
321st Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
907th Glider FA Battalion (105mm)
377th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
81st Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
326th Airborne Engineer Battalion

Pacific Theater of Operations
11th Airborne Division
511th Parachute Infantry Regiment
187th Glider Infantry Regiment
188th Glider Infantry Regiment
472nd Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
675th Glider FA Battalion (75mm)
457th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
674th Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)
152nd Airborne AAA/AT Battalion
127th Airborne Engineer Battalion
503rd Parachute RCT
503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment
462nd Parachute FA Battalion (75mm)

In the US:

541st Parachute Infantry Regiment
542nd Parachute Infantry Battalion
555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, Colored
464th Parachute FA Battalion


The British also had 2 airborne divisions (with some attached Canadian forces) and 1 airborne commando.

Not sure of much beyond that.

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