BA 107 - LA CAMPAGNE DES MARIANNES - IV

The Marianas campaign advances, step by step, characteristic of this campaign to conquer the islands in the vastness of the Pacific. When we compare the Japanese conquest campaign of 1942 with the American campaign of 1944, we can legitimately think that it was stupid to attack insignificant islets. However, the American campaign can be compared to the action of a dagger stuck in a body and intended to touch its heart. The Marianas campaign, in particular, was really undertaken to provide USAAF strategic bombers with land located at a reasonable distance from mainland Japan with the aim of waging war there: it was necessary to destroy the country's industrial potential and , secondly, to break the morale of the population. The American objective of 1944 therefore differed radically from the Japanese conquest of 1942, intended rather to rid the Pacific of the presence of the “Whites”. It is for this reason that the vast territories conquered in 1942 were literally left aside: it was necessary to plant the dagger and put out of harm's way this enemy who seemed unshakeable and whose fanaticism exceeded anything previously known. . It was just the beginning !

Happy reading and happy new year 2024 to all,
Michel Ledet.
 

The author asked us to include this slight correction concerning the previous volume devoted to the Marianas (BA 104): A clerical error has crept into volume 3 (BA.105) of this study on the Marianas campaign . On page 93, the text suggests that V-aml Kakuji Kakuta was in Japan on the evening of June 14 when he was in his PC in Tinian from where, in radio link with the mainland, he endeavored to bring together and organize the reinforcement units called to constitute the Hachiman Bûtaï. The rest is unchanged. He had effectively charged C-aml Keizo Ueno, “boss” of the local forces (61st Flottile), with the conduct of air operations, a conduct made impossible since Saipan was totally devastated and therefore delegated to CC Takashige Egusa and to those responsible for the bases of Yap and Peleliu.