Operation Downfall - Support

Chilperic

Banned
I'm planning to write my first timeline very soon about Operation Downfall - the US plan to invade Japan. But, seeing as I am relatively inexperienced at writing timelines, I will need suggestions, information etc. Help?
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Wow.

A timeline on what was set to be the biggest invasion ever, something that would make Normandy look like a scouting jamboree, for your FIRST effort.

Wow.

There are tons of sources available on Downfall. I would suggest the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, Pacific Theater as an excellent resource regarding both the American & Allied airforces that were going to be in the region to support the assault as well as a very credible, well documented, series of interrogations/interviews with surviving Japanese officers who had planning responsibilities. There is also a very good listing on IJN & IJA aircraft inventories in the same set of documents.

There are several sites with the survey online, as well as others with just the summary. I would suggest looking at the full report, assuming you have the time.
 
Wow. A very ambitious feat, even for someone who has been making a lot of timelines. Even more so, as it is your first! Wish you the best of luck!

As for sources that might interest you :
Codename Downfall: The Secret Plan To Invade Japan
by Thomas B. Allen, Norman Polmar
Detailed account on the Japanese and American forces scheduled for it.

The End of the Imperial Japanese Navy
by Masanori. Ito
Useful list of ships, and should give you the general forces Japan had left for defending its homeland.

http://www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm
Good site for Japanese naval forces during WW2. It could give you a list of what-if ships (ships that are sunk before Downfall, but general survival until Downfall is fairly plausible).

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8141/downfall.html
http://www.ww2pacific.com/downfall.html
http://home.att.net/~sallyann4/invasion2.html
Good general information about Downfall.
 

burmafrd

Banned
A word of advice. There is a lot of material available that gives a very accurate portrayal of the Japanese preparations for resisting. Now some of that, maybe even a lot of that, would have been degraded by months of firebombings and further starvation. But it is shown clearly that the Japanese had the material means to make the invasion very bloody, and to resist for months afterwards. Do not take account of recent revisionist publications that are mainly meant to throw doubt on the decision to drop the bomb; and try and make it seem as if the invasion was a better alternative. The japanese of that era were very determined to protect the Emperor, and death was NOT a bad thing. Keep that in mind.
 
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