Federal Stimulus being put to good use I see!

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

I can already picture some cow-poking town in the Midwestern United States having World War I vets gathering up Civil War family swords and rifles and shotguns preparing for the invasion. Probably would get horses together, too!

Hardly. What do you think? With all the guns America buys around here that Americans would be relying on 100 year old artifacts? Come on already! America is and has been for ages the worlds most heavily armed society. Most Americans probably had better rifles than the standard issue for the Japanese army at the time!

-S

[mrbeast]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Hardly. What do you think? With all the guns America buys around here that Americans would be relying on 100 year old artifacts? Come on already! America is and has been for ages the worlds most heavily armed society. Most Americans probably had better rifles than the standard issue for the Japanese army at the time!

-S

Japan never invaded the US due to logistical problems and the small problem of the USN, USMC and US Army. Hawaii wasn't a viable target for invasion either as it was within range of US bombers and far from any Japanese held territory; the supply lines would have been far too long and vulnerable for any effective occupation to take place. The raid on Pearl was cut short by Nagumo partly due to his concerns over the amount of fuel they had left to get back to Japanese controlled waters, imagine the amounts needed to sustain an invasion!

I doubt that they were scared off because there were high levels of gun ownership in the US. Certainly in planning that would be a consideration, but a motly crew of civilians toting an assortment of hunting rifles, pistols etc would not have been much of a match for a trained and disciplined army. The other point to add is that most countries during the war raised some form of civilian defence force, e.g. the Home Guard in the UK; what were they if not armed civilians? There has never been any suggestion that the Germans found that this fact made Britain anymore daunting a prospect to attack.

[August]

Originally Posted by mrbeast

Japan never invaded the US due to logistical problems and the small problem of the USN, USMC and US Army. Hawaii wasn't a viable target for invasion either as it was within range of US bombers and far from any Japanese held territory; the supply lines would have been far too long and vulnerable for any effective occupation to take place. The raid on Pearl was cut short by Nagumo partly due to his concerns over the amount of fuel they had left to get back to Japanese controlled waters, imagine the amounts needed to sustain an invasion!

I doubt that they were scared off because there were high levels of gun ownership in the US. Certainly in planning that would be a consideration, but a motly crew of civilians toting an assortment of hunting rifles, pistols etc would not have been much of a match for a trained and disciplined army. The other point to add is that most countries during the war raised some form of civilian defence force, e.g. the Home Guard in the UK; what were they if not armed civilians? There has never been any suggestion that the Germans found that this fact made Britain anymore daunting a prospect to attack.

I think both of you are right imo. I think having to deal with a well armed and hostile populace was just one more reason for them not to attempt an invasion. Government rarely make such momentus decisions based on a single consideration. Life is way more complicated than that.

[Platapus]

A bunch of years ago there was this gang of home invaders operating in the state of Maryland. When they were finally caught, they were asked why did they only hit houses in Maryland and forgo the more wealthy homes in Virginia.

Their reply was that Virginia laws make it easier to own and carry guns.

Criminals love gun laws. Gun laws make criminal's lives easier

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by August

I think both of you are right imo. I think having to deal with a well armed and hostile populace was just one more reason for them not to attempt an invasion. Government rarely make such momentus decisions based on a single consideration. Life is way more complicated than that.

I think this says it all:

...Bob had told us that he’d been aboard the USS Constellation—he remembered the year as 1960—when he had been part of joint maneuvers conducted with what were by then called the Japanese Defense Forces. Over dinner and drinks, with Japanese and American naval officers talking shop, many of the WWII veterans, the question had come up, why didn’t the Japanese invade what they must have recognized as the wide open West Coast of the United States at the beginning of that war?


The officer had replied that his country was well aware that there was a high density of armed citizenry in America, even state championships for private citizens in the use of military rifles, and that the Japanese were not fools to set foot in such quicksand. Menard, even then a man committed to Second Amendment rights, naturally kept a vivid memory of the conversation....

-S

[SUBMAN1]

Hmm - seems even Yamamoto had an opinion:

"You cannot invade the mainland United States.
There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass."

- Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
(Japanese Navy)

-S

[mrbeast]

The invasion of the US was never a Japanese war aim; infact war with the US was not even aim! It was British, French and Dutch colonies that were the main target.

The Japanese were relying on the Pearl Harbour raid to neutralise US power in the Pacific and push America towards leaving Japan a free hand in East Asia.

The bottom line is that there was no plan to invade the US mainland armed populace or no.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by mrbeast

The invasion of the US was never a Japanese war aim; infact war with the US was not even aim! It was British, French and Dutch colonies that were the main target.

The Japanese were relying on the Pearl Harbour raid to neutralise US power in the Pacific and push America towards leaving Japan a free hand in East Asia.

The bottom line is that there was no plan to invade the US mainland armed populace or no.

BS. Care to support your argument with evidence? If the US were not armed to the teeth, then I can tell you that they would have tried.

Regardless, I proved my point from above. Its not that they didn't want to, it is because it was suicide. Still is.

-S

[JgzMan]

Originally Posted by mrbeast

Certainly in planning that would be a consideration, but a motly crew of civilians toting an assortment of hunting rifles, pistols etc would not have been much of a match for a trained and disciplined army.

While I have no data concerning the intentions of Imperal Japan, I find this sentence rather suspect. While I'm sure the technology had moved on a bit, that sounds like somthing a British general might say in 1776 or so.

[mrbeast]

Originally Posted by JgzMan

While I have no data concerning the intentions of Imperal Japan, I find this sentence rather suspect. While I'm sure the technology had moved on a bit, that sounds like somthing a British general might say in 1776 or so.

Well considering that the British Army won most of the battles in the War of Independance, I'd day that that 'British General' would be reasonably vinicated by his assesment.

[August]

Originally Posted by mrbeast

Well considering that the British Army won most of the battles in the War of Independance, I'd day that that 'British General' would be reasonably vinicated by his assesment.

They still celebrate Evacuation Day in Boston...

[mrbeast]

Originally Posted by August

They still celebrate Evacuation Day in Boston...

Ok, we won the battles but lost the war!

So I guess we'll call it evens! :hmm:

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by mrbeast

Well considering that the British Army won most of the battles in the War of Independance, I'd day that that 'British General' would be reasonably vinicated by his assesment.

in studying the battles, one could say that Washington retreated faster than the British could advance and maintain logistics

[FIREWALL]

Originally Posted by mrbeast

Well considering that the British Army won most of the battles in the War of Independance, I'd day that that 'British General' would be reasonably vinicated by his assesment.

"That General" Lost the most important Battle.

THE FINAL ONE. :p :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

To a motly crew of civilians toting an assortment of hunting rifles, pistols.

[mrbeast]

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

"That General" Lost the most important Battle.

THE FINAL ONE. :p :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

To a motly crew of civilians toting an assortment of hunting rifles, pistols.

Have you ever heard of the Continental Army?