Theres a reason the US mainland was never in any danger of invasion during WWII

[TheBrain]

we got lucky that our aircraft carriers were out to sea at the time of the attack. By Dec 1941. the battleship was of limited strategic use, so their loss while tragic was not more than a psychological loss. Had we lost our aircraft carriers though.. Well we still would have won the war due to our massive industrial complex, but it would have taken years longer.

 

[Snapdragon]

It is true there was no serious attack on mainland USA by the Japanese. However there was one attack - The bombardment of Fort Stevens, Oregon in June 1942. It was a very minor attack. Also the only mainland deaths due to enemy attacks during WWII happened in Oregon - from Japanese Fugo bombing balloons. A woman and five kids found one of the balloons while on a church picnic, moved it, and it exploded.

 

[regent]

The Japanese high command knew they would not win the war, but hoped to continue it until America tired and would agree to peace terms in which Japan would acquire areas with much needed Pacific resources.
And America also knew the Japanese might attack, why else all the warnings DC sent out, the problem was where and when would the attack fall. Our military was unprepared, even some time after Pearl, MacArthur's airforce was caught on the ground and destroyed. Kimmel, Short and MacArthur should all have been relieved but with Mac in the Philippines, and our only hero, he had to be given a role. Bad decision.
Pearl Harbor has been investigated how many times now, probably by Republicans the most, and what were the results of all those investigations?

 

[Old Rocks]

Was 9 during the Cuban Missle Crises

Thermonuclear War was a very real possibility..................

Recall how fun it was to get out of school classes to go on evacuation drills.

Was on base and in uniform then. A lot of puckered sphincters. The day we stopped the Soviet ships off of Cuba, many of us wondered if the last thing we would see was a very bright flash.

 

[regent]

Was 9 during the Cuban Missle Crises

Thermonuclear War was a very real possibility..................

Recall how fun it was to get out of school classes to go on evacuation drills.

Was on base and in uniform then. A lot of puckered sphincters. The day we stopped the Soviet ships off of Cuba, many of us wondered if the last thing we would see was a very bright flash.

I remember well driving to work and picking out my foxholes as I drove. There were some lessons to be learned from Hiroshima and I would use those lessons, and who knows?

 

[whitehall]

An entire US Army was captured in the Pacific about four months after Pearl Harbor and German Subs were sinking American ships within sight of the North Carolina Outer Banks. It was the incredible industrial might of the United States that won the War despite the negligence of the FDR administration in the months and years leading up to WW2.

 

[rightwinger]

An entire US Army was captured in the Pacific about four months after Pearl Harbor and German Subs were sinking American ships within sight of the North Carolina Outer Banks. It was the incredible industrial might of the United States that won the War despite the negligence of the FDR administration in the months and years leading up to WW2.

FDR was fighting a reluctant Congress in escalating our military buildup. There was still strong backing for isolationism at all costs.

MacArthur botched his defense of the Phillipines but may have been unable to hold back Japanese forces with the army he had.

 

[regent]

An entire US Army was captured in the Pacific about four months after Pearl Harbor and German Subs were sinking American ships within sight of the North Carolina Outer Banks. It was the incredible industrial might of the United States that won the War despite the negligence of the FDR administration in the months and years leading up to WW2.

FDR was fighting a reluctant Congress in escalating our military buildup. There was still strong backing for isolationism at all costs.

MacArthur botched his defense of the Phillipines but may have been unable to hold back Japanese forces with the army he had.

MacArthur, when in Australia, became furious when he learned Wainwright had surrendered. As I remember he blocked the medal of honor for Wainwright because of his displeasure. MacArthur was a bundle of ego and that ego may have cost many American lives.

 

[rightwinger]

An entire US Army was captured in the Pacific about four months after Pearl Harbor and German Subs were sinking American ships within sight of the North Carolina Outer Banks. It was the incredible industrial might of the United States that won the War despite the negligence of the FDR administration in the months and years leading up to WW2.

FDR was fighting a reluctant Congress in escalating our military buildup. There was still strong backing for isolationism at all costs.

MacArthur botched his defense of the Phillipines but may have been unable to hold back Japanese forces with the army he had.

MacArthur, when in Australia, became furious when he learned Wainwright had surrendered. As I remember he blocked the medal of honor for Wainwright because of his displeasure. MacArthur was a bundle of ego and that ego may have cost many American lives.

His "I shall return" pledge cost tens of thousands of lives in recapturing the Phillipines when it wasn't critical for the defeat of Japan

 

[Political Junky]

advantages of 2 oceans

Krauts coulndt evencross theenglish channell m uch l lessthe Atlantic.


As forfor Japs crossing to the US West Coast

German subs were on the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico firing on our ships. Japanese subs were on the Pacific coast. One can still see the bunkers we built on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts.

 

[rightwinger]

advantages of 2 oceans

Krauts coulndt evencross theenglish channell m uch l lessthe Atlantic.


As forfor Japs crossing to the US West Coast

German subs were on the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico firing on our ships. Japanese subs were on the Pacific coast. One can still see the bunkers we built on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts.

However, there was never any threat of invasion

 

[regent]

We know today there was no threat of invasion, but not then. A Japanese sub shelled an oil field near Santa Barbara, there was a blackout along the coast and some people were pretty fearful of invasion. After Pearl, who knew what the Japanese were capable of, at least the civilian population, and they did invade Alaska.

 

[namvet]

advantages of 2 oceans

Krauts coulndt evencross theenglish channell m uch l lessthe Atlantic.


As forfor Japs crossing to the US West Coast

look up operation drumbeat

 

[rightwinger]

advantages of 2 oceans

Krauts coulndt evencross theenglish channell m uch l lessthe Atlantic.


As forfor Japs crossing to the US West Coast

look up operation drumbeat

Submarines have 20-30 men on them

Not exactly an invasion force. Most of those submarines litter the bottom of the Atlantic

 

[namvet]

advantages of 2 oceans

Krauts coulndt evencross theenglish channell m uch l lessthe Atlantic.


As forfor Japs crossing to the US West Coast

look up operation drumbeat

Submarines have 20-30 men on them

Not exactly an invasion force. Most of those submarines litter the bottom of the Atlantic

wasn't intended to. depending on the boat 50-75 men but they came close to sinking the entire US merchant marine. Geography's what saved our ass.

 

[Peach]

An entire US Army was captured in the Pacific about four months after Pearl Harbor and German Subs were sinking American ships within sight of the North Carolina Outer Banks. It was the incredible industrial might of the United States that won the War despite the negligence of the FDR administration in the months and years leading up to WW2.

NEGLIGENCE of FDR? This is as absurd as "FDR did nothing to stop the Holocaust". Thank the ISOLATIONIST right for US lack of preparation. AND for the late entry of the US into the fight against the AXIS.

 

[USMCSergeant]

The McCollum memo declassified in 1994 outlines 8 acts that could provoke Japan into declaring war, it just so happens we did all eight.
I think FDR wanted the US to be involved in this war. I do not think he predicted or knew about the Pearl Harbor attack, but was backing Japan into a corner and they responded tragically.

One perspective is given by Vice Admiral Frank E. Beatty, who at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack was an aide to the Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox and was very close to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's inner circle, with perspicuous remarks as:

"Prior to December 7, it was evident even to me... that we were pushing Japan into a corner. I believed that it was the desire of President Roosevelt, and Prime Minister Churchill that we get into the war, as they felt the Allies could not win without us and all our efforts to cause the Germans to declare war on us failed; the conditions we imposed upon Japan—to get out of China, for example—were so severe that we knew that nation could not accept them. We were forcing her so severely that we could have known that she would react toward the United States. All her preparations in a military way—and we knew their over-all import—pointed that way."

 

[regent]

Japan never intended to invade the US, nor did she expect to win the war. Japan did believe America would soon tire of the war and the casualties we would be taking in the Pacific and come to some kind of settlement with Japan. In the settlement Japan would get the oil it needed and couldn't operate its navy without. It would also receive other European colonies in the Pacific.

 

[Political Junky]

Why were Japanese submarines off the west coast of the US during WW2?

 

[Ringel05]

An entire US Army was captured in the Pacific about four months after Pearl Harbor and German Subs were sinking American ships within sight of the North Carolina Outer Banks. It was the incredible industrial might of the United States that won the War despite the negligence of the FDR administration in the months and years leading up to WW2.

Negligence?? FDR had already steered us in the direction of war production with Lend Lease, ramping up American industry towards war production. Under his orders we had drawn up "contingency plans" for getting involved in the war, not that any of those plans were truly realistic, our intelligence capabilities weren't all that good at the time. A lot of what FDR did to ready us for war would have earned him an impeachment if it came to light during his presidency. At the very least he would have lost the next election.
Where we really were lacking was in our over confidence and lack of a proper logistics system which became painfully evident during Operation Torch.