Japanese Commandos

Long time reader, first time poster. I have been listening to my students discuss a show on TV called "Deadliest Warrior." If you are unfamiliar with this show, they match different warriors against each other using a computer combat simulation program. For instance, they have pitted a Viking against a Samurai and other matchups. My post was inspired by watching the Ninja fight a Spartan. Suppose the Imperial Japanese Army had trained special units to use the tactics of the ninja and used them during WWII, like infiltration tactics and guerilla warfare tactics. I don't suppose that these units would have been war winners, but what effect might they have had on some of the battles fought during the war in the Pacific? Also, how might you envision their usage or what roles do you think that they would have played?
 
Ninjas were assassins and spies who's exploits were sensationalized by literature of their day. Much like how the myth of the old west gunslinger was popularized by the press.

All armies in WWII used assassins and spies, as did the Japanese. Real life is boring.
 
They did.
They had a special training base for military intelligence operatives and commandos. They trained soldiers in guerrilla warfare, sabotage, intelligence gathering, and other unconventional warfare topics.
 
Thanks for the link. So they were like the Japanese version of the OSS? How do you think they might have been used in a more direct combat role? Maybe taking out airfields, attacking port facilities, or prepping landing beaches (early on anyway)?
 
There was a squad of Japanese guys who were stationed on an island in the Philippines in 1942 (or 44, I forget) to conduct guerrilla and sabotage activities, and were never called back for some reason. When the Japanese surrendered and tried to contact the squad these guys assumed the surrender was falsified by Americans and stayed on the island, fighting against the local police for 30 years until only one soldier was left. He finally returned to Japan in 1972 and is still alive.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
NINJA?

Ever hear the saying about never bringing a knife to a gun fight?

Ninja were well trained small unit swordsmen, nothing more or less.

Japan didn't do any large scale opposed amphibious assaults on the scale of D-Day or even Tarawa, they made small landings or landings on generally unopposed beaches (the biggest exception was in Malaya on December 8 1941 and that was still far from a serious frontal assault).

Airfield raids needed more than a few specialists with long knives and elan.

If anything the IJA bought too FAR into the Ninja/Saumrai legends as was. The IJA tactics were much too dependent on bravery and willingness to endure discomfort and too little on firepower.
 

Bearcat

Banned
Question

Calbear, wasn't there a Japanese commando op planned to assault one of the Marianas airfields? Can;'t remember the details, but if anyone does it would be you... ;)
 
If anything the IJA bought too FAR into the Ninja/Saumrai legends as was. The IJA tactics were much too dependent on bravery and willingness to endure discomfort and too little on firepower.
Actually IJA tactics were good enough for fighting China. Focusing on using tanks or even trucks would have been a bad idea. A brave army with high morale fighting with a lack of heavy weapons against a army that has morale in the dumps with a lack of heavy weapons is better than having low morale and not enough weapons.

Japanese tactics were the best they could use, it just wasnt good enough.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Calbear, wasn't there a Japanese commando op planned to assault one of the Marianas airfields? Can;'t remember the details, but if anyone does it would be you... ;)


Yes there was, a REALLY ballsy effort by an IJA Para commando unit, the Giretsu Kuteitai. but it was on Okinawa. Happened late in the war (May, 24, 1945), with the goal of destroying the USAAF fighter presence on the pacified part of the Island that was gutting many of the Kamikaze attacks. Raid started with 224 troopers, 69 managed to survive long enough to do anything useful. Burned off a lot of gas and destroyed around 10 planes and damaging a couple dozen more.

They actually had a BIG strike,(2,000 troops) planned for, ironically, August 9, 1945, but the transportation aircraft were destroyed in an air strike before it got much past the planning stages.
 
Airfield raids needed more than a few specialists with long knives and elan.

Wasn't that almost what SAS did in the desert war? The German planes beeing spread out a lot so it was incredible hard to guard them, the SAS just snuck in and blew them up. (Of course, you need a way to get to the airfield and a few decent bombs...)
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Wasn't that almost what SAS did in the desert war? The German planes beeing spread out a lot so it was incredible hard to guard them, the SAS just snuck in and blew them up. (Of course, you need a way to get to the airfield and a few decent bombs...)


The SAS used very different, very modern methods. Stealth was not really a massive concern for one, although surprise was.

The SAS attacks in the Western Desert were just about the mirror image of the "classic" Ninja sneak in/silent kill/ghost out. They were by surprise, but everyone within 40 miles knew they were there once the balloon went up and who had done the dirty deed.

That was part of the unit's overall effectiveness (and, boy were they effective).:D
 
Top