One of the greatest military pics of all time

[monkeylizard]

..

Edited March 4, 2016 by monkeylizard

[monkeylizard]

 The Pacific Theatre was almost all the US.  

 

We had the Australians, the Dutch, French, Canadians, New Zealanders, and Brits, plus the Chinese on our side in the Pacific. Most of that fighting was on mainland Asia (Burma, today's Vietnam/Cambodia, and of course China) and in the islands around Indonesia and New Guinea in the southwestern corner of the PTO. Early in the campaign, the Australians shouldered the brunt of the war until we could spin up our war machine, recover from Pearl Harbor, and take enough islands in the central Pacific to link up with them. The Philippines were also an ally, but once the Japanese took them over, they really weren't much help. By the end, it was mostly the US as most of our allies were busy at home fighting Hitler. We were the only ones not seriously being attacked at home by the Nazis or the Japanese so we could fight them both. The Soviets stayed out of it until pretty late. Summer of '45 was when they moved in to occupied China, but by then the Japanese were ready to reinforce the home islands as they prepared for a US invasion. Taking Korea and Outer Mongolia back from them at that point wasn't exactly a lynch pin in the Allies' strategy.

Edited March 4, 2016 by monkeylizard

[btq96r]

There were many allies in the fight in Europe.  The Pacific Theatre was almost all the US.  

 

I truly appreciate the sacrifices made.  Someone may need to clarify, though I believe the Pacific was almost all the Navy and the Marines.

 

There was an allied effort in the Pacific as well.  The Australians were a good partner, the British Navy showed up after the German Navy was handled, and while it's easy to forget since they went communist afterwards, the Chinese were fighting well before we entered the war,fought very bravely, and saw their share of losses similar to the Russians.  3.8 million Chinese military deaths (1937–45; 3.2 million Nationalist/-allied and 580,000 Communist).  They also endured a remarkable reprisal for helping the Doolittle Raid survivors escape and evade.  Whatever you think of China today, back then they paid in blood for their kindness and friendship to America.

 

As to the breakdown of forces from the US side (per Wikipedia):

Strength of the US Military in Asia and the Pacific as of war's end: Army: 1,770,036, Navy (excluding Coast Guard and Marines): 1,366,716, and Marine Corps: 484,631^. These figures do not include the Coast Guard or naval personnel in the China-Burma-India theater (which was a primary Army/Army Air Corps command).

 

All around, it's amazing history that should be shared.

[monkeylizard]

Hey K191145, this one's for you:

 

[Pete123]

MonkeyLizard and btq are correct.

 

Here are the allies for the Pacific War and the number of troops:

 

 14,000,000 ^[3]
 3,621,383+ ^{[nb 3]}
 400,000 ^[8]
 2,000,000 ^[8]
 140,000^{[9][nb 4]}
 1,669,500 ^[10]

 

I'm really glad that btq brought up China.  They weren't ready to fight and lost many people.  They were able to keep about 600,000 Japanese troops tied up, which helped both us and Russia.

 

If I remember correctly, one of the turning points in Stalingrad was when top notch Russian soldiers, which had been diverted from Siberia, arrived.  I think they were in Siberia to deal with the Japanese and didn't have to stay.

[K191145]

MonkeyLizard and btq are correct.

 

Here are the allies for the Pacific War and the number of troops:

 

 14,000,000 ^[3]
 3,621,383+ ^{[nb 3]}
 400,000 ^[8]
 2,000,000 ^[8]
 140,000^{[9][nb 4]}
 1,669,500 ^[10]

 

I'm really glad that btq brought up China.  They weren't ready to fight and lost many people.  They were able to keep about 600,000 Japanese troops tied up, which helped both us and Russia.

 

If I remember correctly, one of the turning points in Stalingrad was when top notch Russian soldiers, which had been diverted from Siberia, arrived.  I think they were in Siberia to deal with the Japanese and didn't have to stay.

 

What do you think those U.S. numbers would have been if we had a full scale amphibious invasion of the Japanese main land? My dad had fought with the 101st all through France, Belgium and Germany, he had done and seen enough but you know they would have sent combat hardened troops from Europe to the Pacific for an invasion. He did re-enlist in 46 and went to Japan as a part of the occupation army of Japan. That's where he met my mom, the daughter of an army captain in the signal corps. I might even owe my existence to the atomic bomb. 

Thank you atomic bomb.  :)

[Pete123]

Yes, it's crazy.  They estimated either one million troops or one million casualties invading Japan.  You aren't the only TGO'r that may not be here if we had to invade.

[monkeylizard]

It was codenamed Operation: Downfall. It was around 800K troops in phase 1 to take Kyushu island, and about 1 million in phase 2 to take Honshu. Some of the phase 1 troops would have been used in phase 2, so it's not fair to say 1.8m troops needed. Probably 1.2-1.5 million. That's assuming the operations were successful. Reinforcements could have brought in a lot more. Casualties for the Allies were estimated to be "in the millions" depending on the civilian resistance which was expected to be fanatical.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Downfall

Edited March 4, 2016 by monkeylizard

[MP5_Rizzo]

 

You mean that's sexier than this plane?   :)

 

 

I would have agree with SWJewellTN and the P51 with the F4U being a very close 2nd as far as war birds go but since we ventured away from that I will put this one up for consideration.

 

[K191145]

I would have agree with SWJewellTN and the P51 with the F4U being a very close 2nd as far as war birds go but since we ventured away from that I will put this one up for consideration.

 

 

Well that's got my vote, you could put her on a Glock and make it look sexy.

[nightrunner]

Well that's got my vote, you could put her on a Glock and make it look sexy.

I don't know, that's kinda pushing it a little don't ya think?

[MP5_Rizzo]

I don't know, that's kinda pushing it a little don't ya think?

 

The plane or making a Glock look sexy?

[nightrunner]

The plane or making a Glock look sexy?

Making a Glock look sexy, it would take a WHOLE lot to do that, and I'm not sure she is enough.

[MP5_Rizzo]

Making a Glock look sexy, it would take a WHOLE lot to do that, and I'm not sure she is enough.

 

AGREED!

[peejman]

Her holding a Glock. :)

[G27]

Worth noting that 71 years ago today (March 4, 1945), William H. “Bill” Genaust, a Sergeant in the USMC and a war photographer who is most famous for capturing the Flag Raising on Iwo Jima on color film with his 16 millimeter camera, was killed when he entered a darkened cave and was shot to death. He had volunteered to use his camera light so that he could light the way for other marines entering the cave when he was killed. The cave mouth was covered over by bulldozing equipment, and his body was never recovered.

 

 

[Dustbuster]

sad but true, the photographer that captured the stills of the flag was joe rosenthal w credit to genaust for the filmwork


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, its either this or smoke signals!

[Pete123]

I found this pic which has the names of the guys that raised the flag.  Note that only three of them left Iwo Jima with their lives and only two were unscathed. What a truly hellish battle.  Below are few more Iwo Jima pics.  The Marine laying in the sand was no longer alive.