"Yu-Go: The Japanese Plan for a 2nd Perl Harbor ...2" Topic

…surprice attack.

"May 21, 1944: A.P.; In what some are calling a second Pearl Harbor . . .

Imagine that headline in the U. S. newspapers in May 1944. Such a headline was something the Japanese actually were planning. In February 1944, Japanese long range reconnaissance, primarily from Nauru and Ocean, established that the Americans had developed large advance fleet bases at Eniwetok, Kwajalein and Majuro. Majuro was the main base for the Fast Carrier Force. The attack was inspired by the USMC commando raid on Makin. The Japanese had planned to raid Espiritu Santo in similar fashion in October 1942, but the idea was abandoned after submarine reconnaissance revealed the island was too heavily guarded.

The obvious model for a surprise attack on Majuro was Pearl Harbor. Its lessons were apparent in the new Japanese plan, except, of course, a daylight attack was now impracticable. The attack was first scheduled to 10-11 April, but later was postponed until 20-21 May.

The basic outline of the plan was taking form. In early May, the First Mobile Force's (Dai Ichi Kido Butai) nine carriers with their screening ships, plus four escort carriers with a total of 530 aircraft embarked would depart the Inland Sea passing the Bonins, Marcus and Wake to a point NE of Majuro. There on the night of 20-21 May 1944, the IJN would launch a surprise attack. 20-21 May was chosen because it was a night of good moonlight. At the same time, 300 land based aircraft would be shuttled in through Marcus, Wake, Truk and Ponape to assist the carrier-borne aircraft. Lastly, five submarines equipped with ten aerial torpedo equipped amphibious light tanks would arrive off the atoll. The tanks would be launched outside the atoll, cross the coral reef and attack the carriers in the anchorage. A submarine picket line would protect the eastern flank of Mobile Force on its final run-in…"
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combinedfleet.com/U-GO.htm

Amicalement
Armand

You know, I was sure that "ten aerial torpedo equipped amphibious light tanks" was a misprint of some sort. Someone just HAS to game this one. I'm torn between an image of a tank with a broom lashed to the turret and a tank with a really broad kill ring on the main gun. Possibly a tank with a little profile of an aircraft carrier painted on the side of the turret?

I checked, by the way: I-36 was the only member of its class to survive the war. Spending a month or so practicing launching tanks no doubt contributed to that.

Wow, that was an interesting read. I too had to read the line, " Lastly, five submarines equipped with ten aerial torpedo equipped amphibious light tanks…" two times to be sure it really said torpedo equipped tanks.

It certainly was an ambitious plan (dream?) but I think well beyond their capability and even the capability of technology of the day.

Glad you enjoyed it my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Glad to see some of the officers objected to it as unfeasable – it like asking a lot from those little light tanks.

Did the tanks have bayonet lugs?

The tank is real:

link

Dave G
The PT Dockyard

"The tank is real:"

I am curious. Everything I read says it performed poorly on land. I wonder how well it performed on the way from the sub to the beach. Or was it just a one-way submersible?

It's rather incredible that an operation of this magnitude would be postponed due to problems with the amphibious tanks, which had so little possibility of working in the first place.

I would suggest Scott that some merely used it as a convenient excuse to cancel what surely was a suicidal mission at best.

Very likely, Marc :)