The Occupation

Search This Blog

Updates

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

In updates, you will learn about the latest changes to the blog.

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Comments

Say Again: The American President knew about the Pearl Harbor attack in advance!

Attack on Pearl Harbor, as depicted in the game Order of Battle Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory, as they seem to grant secret knowledge to its adherents and allow them to defend their deeply-held paradigms. In this post, I will examine the claim that the American government knew about the incoming Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941, and did not warn the base there. This conspiracy claimed that this would allow the American government to garner support for direct entry into World War 2 in a time where they were isolationist. Discussion point 1: Discouraging attack The first point is that the odds were against the Japanese. Hawaii is more than 6000 km away from Japan (in a time when the maximum range of ships was about 4000 km). The Japanese had to refuel their ships halfway on choppy waters. Radio silence had to be observe to reduce the chance of the Americans from detecting them. It was agreed among the Japanese naval command that if there were signs that the Americans knew t...

Say Again: Was Douglas Macarthur a good commander?

Tommy Lee Jones as Douglas MacArthur Jr in Emperor (2012) One of the most controversial commanders in World War 2 is Douglas MacArthur. Pre-war he was posted to the Philippines (which was an American dependency at that time) as a military advisor in 1935. During World War 2, he became the Supreme Allied Commander of the South Pacific Area. Postwar, he oversaw the reconstruction of Japan, and to this day he is well-respected by the Japanese. While famed for his "I shall return" speech after he evacuated the Philippines, Macarthur was also infamous for arguing with his colleagues and publicly disagreeing with his superiors. He was finally removed from command during the Korean War in 1951. "I studied dramatics under MacArthur for seven years," President Eisenhower This brings to question whether Douglas MacArthur was a competent commander. MacArthur was brave Without a doubt, General MacArthur is considered to be one of the most bravest commanders during the war. St...

Relics of War: St Andrew's Cathedral

Located in the heart of Singapore, St Andrew's Cathedral was declared a national monument of Singapore in 1973. Serving an Anglican congregation, few people know that this church has a storied history during World War 2. During World War 2 As bombs reached Singapore shores in December 1941, the church turned into a temporary hospital by the Australian Field Ambulances. Despite the continued Japanese bombing of Singapore, the church remained largely intact. As Singapore fell to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, the Bishop of Singapore John Leonard Wilson proceeded with holding a service at the cathedral. They fully expected that this would be the last service held in Japanese-occupied Singapore. Bishop Wilson, like many Caucasians prisoners-of-war were rounded up and interned in Changi camp. However, he and some clergy were released within the week. Andrew Ogawa In some fortunate twist, Andrew Ogawa, a Japanese appointed to be the Director of Education and Officer in Cha...

Powered by Blogger