I think, IMHO, that one of the reasons the A-bomb was used on Japan was the fanaticism that her soldiers displayed throughout the war, with the kamikaze being a huge exclamation point at the end of the sentence. The US saw how viciously the Japanese fought for shitty sulpher-filled islands like Iwo Jima and islands in their own backyard like Okinawa and they knew that the Japanese Home Islands would be nothing short of Armageddon, with civilians joining in the fighting, mass suicide attacks etc. So, they looked at the A-bomb as a means of shocking the Japanese government, people and hopefully the Emperor into realizing that US didnt need to invade, they could simply stand-off and systematically level every Japanese city. One bomb, one city. Naturally they didnt have the bombs available to do so, but that's why it's called bluffing. Had they not surrendered, then Operation Downfall would have been put into grisly action.
I can't help but think that the A-bombs might have had a secondary message to the Soviets as well....who knows.
Of course, you're ignoring the likes of Gen Eddy Lemay. The Tokyo Firebombing killed more people than either Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
Gen Lemay's words - "Bomb enough of them and they'll surrender." Before Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he had plans to burn 11 cities to the ground.
Chimo
I'm certainly not trying to ignore General LeMay (his nickname was Eddy?). I think the whole point was to show the Japanese overwhelming firepower and the Bomb was the best way to do it. One plane, one bomb, one city.
LeMay's plans for Japan had 'the bomb' not been used would've resulted in many more millions of dead japanese civilians.
The dropping of the atomic bomb, from that perspective, was the best possible outcome for the Japanese.
Very few forums would have known about Gen Lemay. Congrats, gentlemen.
Chimo
General Curtis LeMay? You're kidding right? He founded SAC, I thought everybody knew who he was.
TH,
Ask around, what does SAC stand for? You'll be surprise the answers you get.
No, I ain't shitting you.
Chimo
I gotta go with the colonel here. Remember guys, most of you are either military buffs, or outright ex military.
The overwhelming majority of Americans(and that includes most on the internet) wouldn't know Curtis LeMay from Hap Arnold(if they knew either).
It's sad, but we all know plenty of idiots that can't point to most countries on an unmarked map.
SAC, TAC, MAC. Strategic, Tactical, Mobility(?) Air Command. Later changed into the ACC or Air Combat Command. Gen. Curtis Lemay was one of the main dudes of the 8th Air Force.
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.
Well, I guess I was surprised that people on this board wouldnt know who LeMay was. Thankfully, we all know our subject :clap:
After the Japanese surrendered, we should've nuked moscow, and then all the other major russian cities for 5 years, thus no cold war would've happened and the Soviet Union and Russia would cease to exist.
The Americans only had one more nuke at the end of WWII.
Chimo
Anthony, we're the good guys, remember.
Well I do consider myself as a military buff but I admit, I don't really know what SAC really stands for.
As for nuking Soviet Union, well, you just don't go around and nuke an ally that did the dirty fighting against the Germans and who lost 600,000 soldiers in taking of Berlin. At that time, it was considered as impolite.
The US lost 292,000 american soldiers during WWII, you inflated that number tremendously.Originally posted by Officer of Engineers
Or since the Americans would bore the brunt of this thing,
Let's see casualty wise
Korean War ~ 33,000
VN War ~ 55,000
WWII ~ 405,000
Gee, I guess the Americans missed the chance there, eh?
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