The fleet was assigned the vital task of blocking superior enemy naval power and supporting ground-force invasion operations. The first objective of Japan's strategy, therefore, was the conquest of the rich colonial areas in the South, whose vital resources added to those within the Japanese Empire, Manchuria, and Occupied China would provide a firm economic basis for waging an extended war.
Japan did not have these raw materials within its own territory, and foreign sources of supply were blocked. The supply of liquid fuel, for example, was practically limited to the quantity on hand, and stockpiles were barely adequate for two years of armed conflict.
The tremendous distances involved rendered a direct attack on the American mainland impracticable finally Japan not only had the United States to contend with, but Great Britain and the Netherlands as well.Įqually obvious was the certainty that possession of the natural resources for war would become a decisive factor. The superior fighting potential of the United States made it improbable that Japan could inflict a crushing defeat on its adversary at the outset. It was obvious to Japan's military strategists that the Pacific War would be a long one. Chapter IV: Basic Strategy and Military Organization
0 kommentar(er)
