Bruce Williams and the Japanese invasion of California

My reaction was much the same when reading these documents; I was thInking, "My God, didn't they understand the implications of what they were planning??". Then it dawned on me, of course they did. The Japanese Army and Navy needed military conflict to justify their political control of the people and the government. The Japanese confused what was best for the military with what was best for the country.

 

I still don't see a viable approach to the Japanese being successful in this endeavor.

Even today there are very few roads that cross the Coast Range, less than a dozen that I can think of, and they are very far apart. Then you take into account the rivers that have to be crossed and the oppurtunities those present to halt an advance.

I think after the first 20 minutes on the beach the Japanese would come to the conclusion that invading the west coast was nothing but a waste of clean socks.

 

Through a translator........duh

 

How would this improve the situation over what existed after PH? The Japanese didn't have the strength to invade Australia in any case and over extended themselves in the Pacific in the historical case.

The problem is the cost of getting them there and the losses on the way. ASW patrols both by ship and plane were frequent off most of the west coast. If a Japanese invasion force is spotted it's going to have some real problems. If it doesn't have air cover it's likely to be sunk way off shore. If it does that means the Japanese CVs are at risk. Indeed even supporting them off the West coast is problematic.

 

to hell with the rules man!.....be novel and use the "search" button

 

Major General Joseph W. Stillwell: "Bombs! I don't hear any bombs! Now they're up there. They came all the way from Asia. Don't you think they'd bring a few bombs along?"

 

My father was with the 105th Field Artillery on Dec. 25th, 1941. The Japanese had planned multiple submarine attacks on California for that day. This was supposed to demoralize the country and strike fear into Americans. The invasions were called off due to the subs being low on supplies and fuel. However, a few "minor" incidents did occur that day. One was the sinking of the SS Absoroka. Japanese sub I-19 torpedoed the ship. The 105th Field Artillery was stationed at Ft. McArthur and rolled out an old 70mm French cannon near the pier at Rodondo Beach and fired multiple shots at the subs conning tower. They believed they had hit the sub. After which a PBY plane dropped depth charges on the area where the sub was spotted. I have found a few websites that document this and also have found one that contains info regarding all the movements of the sub I-19. It was hit by depth charges 50 miles West of Makin Island on Nov.24, 1943.(postwar Japanese records confirm the loss.) If they couldn't execute multiple shellings on the California coast, I don't think a full fledged invasion would have been feasible.

 

I certainly agree with you, but I have a couple of questions. Are you sure it was a 70 MM cannon? Several years ago, before Fort MacArthur was closed, I remember seeing a couple of 75 MM French cannon at the entrance to the fort, and from what I have read, many interwar US artillery units, especially National Guard units, were armed with what they called "French 75's"?

Also, from what I've heard, the Japanese subs that shelled the California coast usually did so at night. Were there spotlights involved in the incident you describe?