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

On Aug 28, 5:04=A0pm, SilentOtto  wrote:

> 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 =A0lost.
>
> 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. =A0So, any
> idea that the Philippines be initally bypassed would almost certainly
> be quashed.

Why do the Philipines really need to be taken at all ?

Once American air power there is broken (as it would be in my ATL just
as it was historically via Japanese land based air flotilla attacks)
and the limited US naval forces present driven off, what is the rush ?
A watch and a bombing campaign can be maintained until sufficient IJA
forces are freed up from other tasks, to invade there.

IIRC Japan wanted the rice crop, rubber and tin but most of that was
obtainable from the former French Indo-China areas only just acquired.