Re: What IF: ... Japan had more Oilers for Dec.7'41 ?

On Aug 27, 9:14 pm, dabrob <dab...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Aug 27, 6:59 pm, Stephen Graham  wrote:
>
> > > If Luzon is tem****arily bypassed then there are more than enough
> > > unused Japanese resources available to make it so
>
> > You might want to look at how long it took the United States to subdue
> > the area.
>
> Yeah, I know but the US was considerably less ruthless than the
> Japanese showed themselves to be.

One does have to keep in mind that due to the shock and
disorganization caused by the sudden Japanese landings, much military
supply was out of position and  lost.

Had MacArthur's forces been initially bypassed, he would have a lot
more time to prepare for the landing that he would know, with almost
near certainty, would be coming.

If properly prepared to withstand an assault, meaning better prepared
positions and supplies properly relocated, the Philippines may never
fall to the forces the Japanese had available to take them.

I don't think the Japanese could tolerate the risk that the U.S. might
hold out, and giving MacArthur more time to prepare for an attack
would obviously increase that risk.

The IJA were well aware of the advantages bestowed by surprise, and I
just can't see the IJA willingly ceeding those advantages.  So, any
idea that the Philippines be initally bypassed would almost certainly
be quashed.