Comments on: Solomon Islands Campaign: Battle of Santa Cruz (III) http://steeljawscribe.com/2009/12/20/solomon-islands-campaign-battle-of-santa-cruz-iii Looking for clues at the scene of the crime Mon, 14 May 2012 13:46:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Bill K http://steeljawscribe.com/2009/12/20/solomon-islands-campaign-battle-of-santa-cruz-iii/comment-page-1#comment-4667 Bill K Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:13:54 +0000 http://steeljawscribe.com/?p=4101#comment-4667 The only partial answer I can come up with regarding avoidance of ship-sacrifice, which you mentioned earlier, was that Japanese ships were regarded as "personal property of the Emperor". But I wonder two things: 1) Your hypothesis that they may have believed they could out-attrit the Americans seems opposite to Yamamoto's phrase about awakening a sleeping giant. I wonder the opposite: In view of Yamamoto's influence, did the Japanese lose courage among leadership early in the war? This also seems unlikely, given their militaristic culture and public statements. But perhaps they could not acknowledge what they really believed in their hearts. And/or 2)Even if the vessel captains believed they had no right to sacrifice the emperor's property, couldn't they have rationalized going ahead on tactical grounds as equivalent to sacrificing a knight in chess to gain a queen? I would love to read a summary of the memoirs of their top commanders for hints as to the reasons behind their tactics if I knew where such might be found. The only partial answer I can come up with regarding avoidance of ship-sacrifice, which you mentioned earlier, was that Japanese ships were regarded as “personal property of the Emperor”. But I wonder two things: 1) Your hypothesis that they may have believed they could out-attrit the Americans seems opposite to Yamamoto’s phrase about awakening a sleeping giant. I wonder the opposite: In view of Yamamoto’s influence, did the Japanese lose courage among leadership early in the war? This also seems unlikely, given their militaristic culture and public statements. But perhaps they could not acknowledge what they really believed in their hearts. And/or 2)Even if the vessel captains believed they had no right to sacrifice the emperor’s property, couldn’t they have rationalized going ahead on tactical grounds as equivalent to sacrificing a knight in chess to gain a queen? I would love to read a summary of the memoirs of their top commanders for hints as to the reasons behind their tactics if I knew where such might be found.

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]]> By: Steeljawscribe http://steeljawscribe.com/2009/12/20/solomon-islands-campaign-battle-of-santa-cruz-iii/comment-page-1#comment-4661 Steeljawscribe Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:49:26 +0000 http://steeljawscribe.com/?p=4101#comment-4661 Good question -- and one which puzzles me as well. Why would the japanese, after successfully demonstrating the striking power of combined forces up through Pearl Harbor, suddenly split their forces at Midway? Why not, after superior results at Savo and Tassafaronga, pursue a surface action against the remnant of US forces the evening of 26 Oct? Was there a belief, based on a sense of denial, that they could outlast the Americans in a war of attrition? - SJS Good question — and one which puzzles me as well. Why would the japanese, after successfully demonstrating the striking power of combined forces up through Pearl Harbor, suddenly split their forces at Midway? Why not, after superior results at Savo and Tassafaronga, pursue a surface action against the remnant of US forces the evening of 26 Oct? Was there a belief, based on a sense of denial, that they could outlast the Americans in a war of attrition?
- SJS

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