A different plan by Japan in 1942

How easy would be for Japan to land troops in Alaska in 1942? Lets around 5,000 in or near Anchorage. How would the US react and how different could the war in the Pacific be. Yes the US would have to drive back the troops from Japan, but how many men would they need?

Over to you.
 
I don't think that Japan had the ability to launch such an assault. It's not as simple as putting 5000 men on the ground, you have to keep them resupplied and fed etc. It's a suicide mission and Japan isn't this stupid.
 

Pangur

Donor
I don't think that Japan had the ability to launch such an assault. It's not as simple as putting 5000 men on the ground, you have to keep them resupplied and fed etc. It's a suicide mission and Japan isn't this stupid.

True however how about it as a distraction for some other major operation?
 
It's a suicide mission and Japan isn't this stupid.

At least not in 1942.

Seriously, though, I opined in the other thread that they would have been better off if they had stick with their original plan of campaign, instead of improvising from April on. However there is absolutely nothing they could do to secure victory or even a draw in the long term. By mid 1943 USN, even if they lost all of their initial carriers, will be numerically superior and able to mount offensives on the Japanese.
 
Yes it would be a one way mission. But if they went on a burning, looting and rapping, or total war if you wish. This was something that the US would move heaven and earth to stop. Take them 70,000 men?
 
Yes it would be a one way mission. But if they went on a burning, looting and rapping, or total war if you wish. This was something that the US would move heaven and earth to stop. Take them 70,000 men?

So send an army (and tonnes of equipment) to it's death? To buy some time? When you could use them more usefully elsewhere? The high command wouldn't agree to this. They aren't desperate at this point and this would be a horrible waste of precious resources which might buy a few months at best. This is a massive waste of time and lives. Assuming the US doesn't see this force and sink it.

But on your point sure 70,000 men? Once this retard raid is fended off then what?
 

sharlin

Banned
At the time in Alaska there was very little there, no oil was known about until the late 60's so other than for sheer propaganda purposes there's no way the IJN could get troops there and then keep them there. Its not like they had the men to spare either, baring in mind that most japanese operations were done on a shoe string budget, to put 5k men ashore in Alaska means altering plans for another are where those men would be much better employed.
 
rapping?

you mean all 5,000? at the same time? skew helmet and pants a bit lowered? Yes, I can see that. no defense possible


SORRY -> Just had to, didn't I
 
rapping?

you mean all 5,000? at the same time? skew helmet and pants a bit lowered? Yes, I can see that. no defense possible


SORRY -> Just had to, didn't I

spellage is not my sting piont.

Ok, maybe not 5,000. 3,000? I should think it would be 'to hell with anything else, got to get them off our soil'. Public opinion would demand it. This would put all the US public 100% behind the war. I'm not saying it would be a good idea for Japan to do it.
 
spellage is not my sting piont.

Ok, maybe not 5,000. 3,000? I should think it would be 'to hell with anything else, got to get them off our soil'. Public opinion would demand it. This would put all the US public 100% behind the war. I'm not saying it would be a good idea for Japan to do it.

You're definitely right that there would be a demand to drive the Japanese off US soil and operations would focus around that first. Japan is probably going to be focused on even more so than in OTL. Might delay overlord?
 

sharlin

Banned
How many many would they send? yes its an insult but there would probably be Generals and Admirals going 'Mr President they are trapped there, let them starve and freeze, waste fuel getting supplies on them by ship which our subs and planes can interdict, it will hurt them more in the long run.'
 
How easy would be for Japan to land troops in Alaska in 1942? Lets around 5,000 in or near Anchorage. How would the US react and how different could the war in the Pacific be. Yes the US would have to drive back the troops from Japan, but how many men would they need?

Over to you.

Pretty easy to land and without air operations, pretty light on supply, and it would almost certainly draw a hugely disproportionate US reaction. However, sans this reaction, the military effect would be zero.
 
You're definitely right that there would be a demand to drive the Japanese off US soil and operations would focus around that first. Japan is probably going to be focused on even more so than in OTL. Might delay overlord?

Focused more than historical? No, Rainbow Five's priority on Germany certainly isn't going to budge because Japan is landing suicide squads on the continent. And the US isn't upgrading to double-secret super-duper unconditional surrender either. It's pretty much no effect whatever strategically, and a giant pain in Nimitz's ass operationally.
 
I don't think that Japan had the ability to launch such an assault. It's not as simple as putting 5000 men on the ground, you have to keep them resupplied and fed etc. It's a suicide mission and Japan isn't this stupid.

Indeed. Japan was strained to the limit to do what they did in the opening stages of the conflict, and twelve months later, even though they still had the initiative, the situation was only getting worse. I do not doubt some in high offices in Toyko would have been behind the idea, but it would have been quickly vetoed by senior Japanese field commanders as impractical and terribly unlikely to succeed.
 
If you want to expend 5000 men (& that's all the Aleutians operation is, a total waste of manpower, equipment, hulls Japan can't spare, & oil Japan doesn't have:rolleyes:), you can.

If, OTOH, you want to actually accomplish something, send them to Guadalcanal before Vandegrift arrives.

If you want to achieve something really useful, send them across the Kokoda Track in February.:rolleyes:
 
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