V j Day
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  1. #1

    V j Day

    Today is the official commemoration of the End of WWII and the signing of the Surrender at Tokyo.



    The surrender marked the end of a long and bitter conflict that in the case of the Pacific War had resulted from Japan following a course of external expansion, colonies and economic development identical to what had been followed by England, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain, Germany and the United States. However their effort was at the end of that period of imperialism and clashed directly with the established interests and colonial empires of Great Britain, Russia, Holland, and the United States which has replaced Spain in some important areas. The direct economic competition between Japan and the United States was another factor, and the need for Japan to obtain raw materials of which there are few in the home islands for major industry.

    Also a final very significant factor was the combination of the modernization of the japanese culture, following a pattern of imprinting that they had followed by essentially cloning Chinese cultural models in the the past 1000 years and now did the same with then "modern" western European culture as modelled on Great Britain and the United States. A hold over from feudal times was the power of individual Clans or extended family groups in Japan with various clans staking out various branches of the culture especially the Military: Army and Navy. The Shogunate which has been a similar Clan dominance and control of the the Government had morphed but not totally changed and political power was coopted by the combined Clans that controlled the Military and some of the major companies and industrial groups.

    This led to the country becoming totally controlled by a small group of elite and rather ignorant military leaders and a military elite that had fantasies of power and dominance projected on the world stage. They were not able to make reasonable decisions as they were isolated and did not really understand the rising powers of industrial USA and the complex competition between the European powers. The Japanese people had no voice at all in major decisions, a state of affairs that has started in the Feudal era and village society and that continued into the 1940s with no change other than movement of a large labour force to the cities.

    A final factor was the japanese compulsion for consensus in decision making. Due to a very authoritarian and stratified society and social model, leaders were given absolute power at an early age, in childhood groups, Schools, Clubs, work places, families and society in general. No one usually could or did object to decisions made at every level usually based on incomplete data, hopeful dreams and guesses, fantasies, and a dogged determination to keep going on a decided path no matter what. It resulted in some amazing success in industry and work, from the craft level to the heavy industry level for they would then and still do work tirelesslyl and with great dedication. However those in charge often have no real qulaifications to be there, yet are obeyed without question and they also then and still now often have little regard or concern for those under them and anyone affected by their choices.

    All of this lay behind how Japan gradually fell into direct conflict with the European powers and the United States yet they themselves felt they were leading the Asian people out of a period of slavery and exploitation by the West and European interests. The military elite who controlled the country eyed the rich resources of the mainland both in China and Russia as a valid target for ambition and the Pacific as the natural zone of Japanese growth and leadership.

    The growth of industry, transportation both rail and maritime and later air led to a greater reach but no real change in thought or practice of either government, military or industry. Culturally the traditional cultural matrix was largely intact yet a growing number of urban dwellers were drawn to western culture, films, music, literature, culture and freedom of thought and expression...

    So the Miltary elite saw their program of projected power as a way to both combat foreign interests and to stop the westernization of the home culture...tho there were strong ties between Japanese Naval circles and the UK which helped create Japanese modern ship design and construction and also the rail network and the educational system.

    None of this really was known widely in the West or the US so that Japan was an enigma and a unknown to most of the decision makers of the European powers and the US. In a way, it was the lack of understanding that led to the war tho to a large extent it was a goal of FDR to HAVE a war..and of many of the Japanese leaders welcomed it as well without understanding that there was little chance of any kind of real victory past a short period of success that indeed happened.

    Over the course of the Pacific War, both sides essentially fought their own war, little understanding or caring about what the other side really wanted, was or might do. They were like blindfolded fighters in a ring battering each other, often in fury and mostly with a dogged determination that led to huge losses of every kind especially once the policy of urban bombing led to the destruction of most Japanese cities and hundreds of thousands of civilian causlualties. Losses were heavy on both sides in the military and the Merchant marine for Japan, and among the Pacific peoples who were involved. Also many Europeans who were caught up in the war suffered greatly as the Japanese forces treated them with the same indiffernce and callous disregard they treated their own people both military common soldiers and sailors and airmen and normal civilians. It is little known in the west but during the war the Japanese people were essenetialy used as canon fodder and a national work force uprooted from their homes and lives, put into factories and work without adequate living quarters, food or consideration of any kind and the armed forces that were used were also essentially just thrown away abandoned to their fates on the island chains of the Pacific or the jungles of East Asia and China.

    The US military expansion for the war was astounding and a huge naval force and army and air force were created literally overnight along with vast development projects like the atomic bomb, and others...turning the entire country into an arsenal that steamrolled over the Japanese forces all the way to the home islands. In retrospect the island hopping invasion plan of the US was often faulty and had some serious flaws but the decision making of the US Forces had some of the tradition bound problems of the Japanese and the leadership also treated the common foot solder, and sailor and air crewman as expendable. In the end victory was assured but an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands would have been a terrible event overshadowing any other outcome and it is very fortunate it did not occur. Whether one approves or not of the use of Atomic Weapons, one can understand the choice being made and it ended the war which was fortuante for both Japan and the Japanese people.

    As our veterans age and pass away even the memory of those events of that war fade. I have not seen any notice taken of it on the media today, when 20 years ago and more it would have been memorialized in many ways. I grew up in San Diego, a great port city of that war, and in a Naval Family with a constant awareness of that war and its costs. I grew up visiting the ships in the harbour with my material Grandfather who was an Admiral and has been in both wars and almost all of my uncles and other family had been in active service in one branch or anther and involved in both the war and in the reconstruction of Japan after. The departure docks were still there in the harbor, the mothball fleet of carries, cruisers, destroyers and submarines still lay in the the bay downtown, and the air raid sirens sounded every day at noon.

    So the memories of that all remain part of my days and my thoughts and I have spent much time since studying and following the events of that war in simulations, books, aquaintences and shared interests and I am sure I will always follow these interests. That is what brought me to CFS2 and this forum and many very nice associations and friendhsips. But even here our friends and assoicates slip away like Colin and Talon, my family members some of them gave their lives in the war and others have gone since. So i value the chance to share some of these thoughts here with those of you who continue to study and to relive the events of that war thru the sim and in our work to preserve that history.

    As fate unfolded I have ended up working quite a lot with people and efforts from Japan and I am in almost daily contact with that culture today and those people who have descended like us from those events. So i have chances to learn and to hear their side of things and see that they too still are dealing with the aftermath and the changes that that war brought about.

    I hope and pray that overall tho it was needed and necessary we can advance and grow and improve from that time. And that we will not forget those who gave their all on both sides. ...and honour their memory.

    I want to thank all of you who continue to develop and expand the capacity of CFS2 to portray the history of that time and the machines, planes, ships and places and events and men on both sides who were part of that story. It means a lot and Is much appreciated.

    Chris Gerlach
    CrisGer
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Surrender_of_Japan_-_USS_Missouri.jpg   MS8UxM.jpg  
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  2. #2
    Redding Army Airfield Allen's Avatar
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    Thanks for the reminder. Seems that I'm forgeting lots of things lately!
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  3. #3
    Hi There nice to see you.

    It is good to remember that honours the spirit of those who gave a lot and those still remember
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  4. #4
    Tiller of Soil MaskRider's Avatar
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    Great photos. Lot of heavy duty brass from both sides present. And plenty of "cold steel" on display too. That gun turret just goes on for ever, doesn't it?

    MR
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  5. #5
    Hi there nice to see you still here too :0

    yes rather amazing to see the actual people who were running things on both sides. One feels that even then after grappling with each other for all of those years and lives concerned, they probably had very little understanding of each other...or even cared ..... they were doing their jobs as they saw them ...and doing their best.

    and yes that ship was massive, a true symbol of the amazing production for that war on all sides. it is unbelievable how many ships and how fast....were made for the USN and the merchant marine of all types. And for the naval nuts like me, i also noted the colour of the deck and the paint tone on the turret
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    Getting ready to sign dad's discharge papers.

  7. #7

    Quote Originally Posted by CrisGer View Post
    I hope and pray that overall tho it was needed and necessary we can advance and grow and improve from that time. And that we will not forget those who gave their all on both sides. ...and honour their memory.
    CrisGer
    Thank u CrisGer for ur hystoric vision of WW2 in the pacific conflict. I pray too for every human being advance , grow and improve for a better world.

    Mario
    Hit hard, hit fast, hit where it hurts and keep hitting.

  8. #8
    thank you Mario I do too. I visit my grandfather's grave at the Naval Cemetery on Pt Loma when i can and thank him. He saw it all, and knew many of the leading admirals and naval officers who were his classmates and friends. It was a remarkable chance for me as young lad to meet some of them and to see some of those ships and planes of that time that were still around back then. Such an effort made by all for that war. And so yes I hope for better to come..and think in part it has. We do talk more across the world and are in touch as never before. Lets hope it will continue. I think our work here in the sim is valueable for here we can experience and see what was done and needed to be done back then by so many whose names we will never know...but if you think of all of the hundreds of sailors and officers for each ship, the crews of each bomber, the pllots of each fighter, the crews of each tank, half track, the men of each regiment, squad and all of the engineers, workers who made all of the ships, planes and vehicles, weapons and ordinance....it is beyond imagining yet it WAS their life ..how their days and in many cases their lives were spent.

    So it is good that we do not forget.










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  9. #9
    Great photos,...especially of the flotilla of Liberty Ships. I think there's only two liberty ships left today. One on the East coast,..and the other on the West coast in Maritime Museums.
    ..."He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" -Jim Elliot

  10. #10
    Senior Administrator Rami's Avatar
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    Reply...

    Chris,

    Many thank yous for this much-needed reminder about the actual war, not the simming one. We need to keep in mind the sacrifice in human cost as well.
    "Rami"

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