Operation DOWNFALL - the invasion that was never launched.

[Kinman]

Thanks John, Excellent history lesson. My father and father in law both never saw combat in WWII, both were in the Coast Guard, both died just short of their 70th birthday. My father in law was a ship's captain with American President Lines, worked his way up from the deck with navigation training in the Coasties. He had spoken at great length about the proposed Japanese invasion that was cut short by the Atomic Bomb, he never gave it an operational name. His working history with APL had him spending much of his time back and forth to Japan a great deal of the time. He had developed sincere friendships with the Japanese and had a great deal of respect for their overall sense of being. He had stressed that they would fight to the very end with pitch-forks if need be and it would be a blood bath on both sides and would forever change the way our countries looked at each other, similarly with the animosity between Korea and Japan and both Korea and Japan with China. In my own way I have a great deal of respect for nearly all of the Asian peoples, while my people were running around in fur beating each other over the heads with clubs their people were developing high levels of education, culture and science.

 

[Muddyboot]

It makes me wonder, (while sipping my Burbon) if the invasion happened, how many people we know who would have never existed. That's a lot of dads who would never come home.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Rutgers Professor Paul Fussell wrote an essay entitled "Hooray for the Atom Bomb !" He was a platoon leader in the 104th Infantry Division in the ETO, as soon as the fighting stopped there the 104th along with other late war divisions was shipped back to the States to start training for the invasion. When they heard the Bomb had been dropped they knew the war was over.
Hirohito-who had some scientific knowledge-told his people that "the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage, is, indeed, incalculable , taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation....."

 

[gym cat]

They started it----- We ended it

 

[soFlaNative]

Any word on the OP Paladin?
John hasn't been around since late April.

 

[rwsmith]

I had never discounted the possibility of MASSIVE kamakazi attacks. And I read recently that more Ohka bombs had been sent to the Pacific than ever saw combat, but never got to the front on the transport ships that were being sunk before they could get through. It's guaranteed that many would have been deployed from the Japanese mainland.

THANKS for a great post!

 

[Deke Thornton]

Outstanding post.

Both my grandfathers were Pacific war navy vets (one Seabee, one on a destroyer) who would have been involved in the invasion of Japan.

One fact I didn't see anyone mention (apologies if I missed it) is that the US struck so many Purple Heart medals in anticipation of casualties from the invasion that the stockpile wasn't used up until the 1990s. That period includes the Korean and Vietnam wars. The bombs absolutely saved lives, Japanese as well as American.

One other thing that needs to be mentioned is the Soviet declaration of war on Japan on August 8, two days after Hiroshima and one day before Nagasaki. The Soviet onslaught in Manchuria the following day also helped convince the Emperor that Japan could not prevail. Japan had originally assumed that the Soviets wouldn't be ready for major action against them until 1946, this disaster piled on top of the A-bombings and inevitable US invasion of the home islands made it clear beyond any shadow of a doubt that Japan was finished.

 

[Greyman50]

Met Tibbets and Allbury years ago, talked to them and got them to autograph some pics Allbury was Co- Pilot of Enola Gay and was how he was Pilot of Bocs Car. Remarkable men.