What would of happened if the Empire of Japan would of invaded California? And why wasn't this considered?
~Chip
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What If Japan Had Invaded California?
chip250
Member Since: September 01, 2002
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Posted: Thursday, June 12, 2003 - 06:19 PM UTC
jimbrae
Member Since: April 23, 2003
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Posted: Friday, June 13, 2003 - 04:43 AM UTC
This wasn't on the cards for a simple reason-geography. The first rule of force-projection is to maintain logistical supply routes. As the soviets found in cuba, you need a true blue-water navy to support an invasion...Jim 
blaster76
Member Since: September 15, 2002
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Posted: Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 07:14 PM UTC
Hell, why invade, they own half the state now legally and without bloddshed., but seriously, Japan just didn't have the horsepower. Hawaii would have been a realtough one for them to capture and occupy, with a better than average chance of getting their butts waxed.
GSPatton
Member Since: September 04, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 08:33 AM UTC
The Japanese lack the Naval landing force to put enough men into California before the rest of the state and the country rose up. Also, rememeber that although Pearl Harbor was damaged on December 7, the carriers and many warship were still fully capable of fighting. The Japanese landed in sunny So Cal would be between the Sierra Nevada Mountains the Pacific Ocean and 3000 + miles of ocean for all their food, material and weapons. 
Tapper
Member Since: July 26, 2003
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Posted: Monday, October 13, 2003 - 03:06 PM UTC
You are forgetting that the Japanese DID invade the States. They landed in the Aleutian Islands and remained there until they were forced out by American and Canadian troops.
Cokes
Member Since: September 17, 2003
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Posted: Monday, October 13, 2003 - 10:36 PM UTC
I dare say quality programming like Baywatch and Pamela Anderson wouldn't have made it onto our screens :-)
AJLaFleche
Member Since: May 05, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - 05:27 AM UTC
The landing force, equipped with not so great armor, would have had to cross several thousand miles of ocean to land on a huge land mass and face a moderately well armed military and a civilian population that also had a good deal of weaponry. If Pearl Harbor had been bypassed, your resupply is going to be pretty much shut down. Local supplies would be scuttled by the population. Long story short, you'd have had a small (or several) pockets of invaders who'd have been isolated and wiped out in short order.
The physical size of the United States precludes any relaistic attempt at invasion. (Which is why I found Red Dawn to be sucha silly movie, paricularly with an invasion into the center of the country.)
The physical size of the United States precludes any relaistic attempt at invasion. (Which is why I found Red Dawn to be sucha silly movie, paricularly with an invasion into the center of the country.)
Eagle
Member Since: May 22, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - 05:29 AM UTC
nothing happened..... 
sphyrna
Member Since: September 24, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - 06:26 AM UTC
AJ,
I think in Red Dawn the Russkies dropped some nukes before the invasion, 'softening up' American resistance.
An unrealistic movie however, given that everyone west of the Mississippi is armed
:)
Peter
I think in Red Dawn the Russkies dropped some nukes before the invasion, 'softening up' American resistance.
An unrealistic movie however, given that everyone west of the Mississippi is armed
:)
Peter
AJLaFleche
Member Since: May 05, 2002
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Posted: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 - 03:01 AM UTC
Quoted Text
AJ,
I think in Red Dawn the Russkies dropped some nukes before the invasion, 'softening up' American resistance.
An unrealistic movie however, given that everyone west of the Mississippi is armed
:)
Peter
I think the nukes came later in the story, since, in th e opening scene, the teacher seems totally unconcerned as he walks out to greet the invading paratroopers.
GunTruck
Member Since: December 01, 2001
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Posted: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 - 03:15 AM UTC
Nah - sphyrna's right - in the movie the Soviets used tactical nukes to soften up US targets in Europe and the Contentinal US as their classical diversionary tactic to launch an invasion through the southern US with Soviet Division Cuba. It was hinted during the movie that nukes were used again - likely by the US on its own soil to halt the advance(s). Red Dawn's storyline took place along one of those frontlines...
Using Twilight: 2000's RPG system, I used to gamemaster and play the same scenario as Soviet Division Cuba invading Texas and ultimately bogging down in southern Oklahoma - like chronicled in the game supplement "Red Star Lone Star".
Gunnie
Using Twilight: 2000's RPG system, I used to gamemaster and play the same scenario as Soviet Division Cuba invading Texas and ultimately bogging down in southern Oklahoma - like chronicled in the game supplement "Red Star Lone Star".
Gunnie
GIBeregovoy
Member Since: May 31, 2002
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Posted: Friday, October 17, 2003 - 05:43 AM UTC
Then they'd have voted Gojira instead of Terminator as gov'na.
blaster76
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Posted: Friday, October 17, 2003 - 05:46 AM UTC
Red DAwn was just good fun guys. Teenagers with hunting rifes wiping out tanks, armored personnel carriers and Helicopters and of course the burning question would be, how on Earth did the Russians/Cubans get that much hardware onto our soil let alone as far north as what Iowa/ Michigan area. Sorry to contribute to an off topic remark.
GunTruck
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Posted: Friday, October 17, 2003 - 06:48 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Red DAwn was just good fun guys. Teenagers with hunting rifes wiping out tanks, armored personnel carriers and Helicopters and of course the burning question would be, how on Earth did the Russians/Cubans get that much hardware onto our soil let alone as far north as what Iowa/ Michigan area. Sorry to contribute to an off topic remark.
Via our former allies to the south - Mexico. Shipping through the Gulf Coast. And airborne drops using Aeroflot planes in that movie world...
Gunnie
Ranger74
Member Since: April 04, 2002
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Posted: Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 02:05 AM UTC
Back to the original topic 
The Japanese could not afford to bypass Hawaii to invade teh Left Coast #:-) . The US had fairly extensice coast artillery defenses at Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Columbia River. Add to this significant Army Air Corps assets and what ground forces that were avaialble. California is a fairly inhospitable place once you leave the immediate coast - coastal mountains, deserts, forest fires, snakes, smog, Califonians!!!! (NOTE: As you can tell by my spelling, I attended school in California )
The Japanese could not afford to bypass Hawaii to invade teh Left Coast #:-) . The US had fairly extensice coast artillery defenses at Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Columbia River. Add to this significant Army Air Corps assets and what ground forces that were avaialble. California is a fairly inhospitable place once you leave the immediate coast - coastal mountains, deserts, forest fires, snakes, smog, Califonians!!!! (NOTE: As you can tell by my spelling, I attended school in California )
mlb63
Member Since: October 22, 2003
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Posted: Monday, December 15, 2003 - 09:43 AM UTC
the big question should be why did'nt they invade Hawaii if the U.S. had lost Hawaii and the pacific fleets oil tanks it would have prolonged the war. 
4-Eyes71
Member Since: December 02, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 - 12:51 PM UTC
Quoted Text
AJ,
I think in Red Dawn the Russkies dropped some nukes before the invasion, 'softening up' American resistance.
An unrealistic movie however, given that everyone west of the Mississippi is armed
:)
Peter
I think Californians (or anybody on the west coast for that matter) would have readily resisted any attempts of the Japanese to invade (I just wanna give the original author of this thread the benefit of the doubt).
On the other hand, tt would be impossible then for the Japanese to conduct espionage and other covert stuff since that crackdown which sent a lot of Japanese-Americans to internment camps. So a Japanese or any Asian fellow walking around back then would be highly suspect. Naturally, if the Japanese ever intend to invade the US west coast, the way must be paved for them.
yorkie
Member Since: July 11, 2003
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Posted: Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 10:31 PM UTC
Quoted Text
the big question should be why did'nt they invade Hawaii if the U.S. had lost Hawaii and the pacific fleets oil tanks it would have prolonged the war.
That was the plan. But they needed a step before invade Hawaii- Midway. They screwed up and lost 60% of their navy's air capability. Since then large offensive moves was not a viable option any more.
Bravo1102
Member Since: December 08, 2003
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Posted: Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 03:59 AM UTC
Admiral Yamamoto warned against invading the continental USA because he knew from living here an extended time, that every American is armed, and no invading force across 3000 miles could succeed against such a hostile and armed populace.(at that time, distances aren't what they used to be)
He even had grave doubts about the success of a Hawaii invasion.
A grave mistake the Japanese made in WW2 was that they weren't investing enough in logistics, had they done so, they would have had more staying power.
He even had grave doubts about the success of a Hawaii invasion.
A grave mistake the Japanese made in WW2 was that they weren't investing enough in logistics, had they done so, they would have had more staying power.
flitzer
Member Since: November 13, 2003
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Posted: Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 06:30 PM UTC
Well, they'd feel right at home with all the sushi bars...
I know. but am thinking of an intelligent answer.
Cheers
Peter
I know. but am thinking of an intelligent answer.Cheers
Peter
Yari
Member Since: February 15, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 12:23 PM UTC
If Japan invaded California...
Presuming they land in SoCal...
Day 1: Japan lands in San Diego. After bitter fighting they gain the beach heads.
Day 2: JIA assumes total control of San Diego and a few blocks of nearby counties.
Day 3: JIA in SoCAL surrenders its die-hard brass commits seppuku. Honto, neh?!?
Presuming they land in SoCal...
Day 1: Japan lands in San Diego. After bitter fighting they gain the beach heads.
Day 2: JIA assumes total control of San Diego and a few blocks of nearby counties.
Day 3: JIA in SoCAL surrenders its die-hard brass commits seppuku. Honto, neh?!?
Mech-Maniac
Member Since: April 16, 2004
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Posted: Monday, May 03, 2004 - 12:28 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I think in Red Dawn the Russkies dropped some nukes before the invasion, 'softening up' American resistance.
An unrealistic movie however, given that everyone west of the Mississippi is armed
i also think the russians in that movie spoke spanish if i'm not mistaken
ave
Member Since: March 24, 2003
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Posted: Monday, May 03, 2004 - 06:35 PM UTC
i think one of the reasons they didnt invade california was because they were simply too stretched out all over asia and pacific. Even if they did, they would need to hold out against counter-attacks, simply an impossible task.
Ranger74
Member Since: April 04, 2002
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Posted: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 04:43 AM UTC
With the current problems in California - maybe we should have let them have it 
Savage
Member Since: June 04, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 09:09 AM UTC
Just think, Tamiya shipping out of California! Cheap model prices or what? 
Also Detroit would have had competition! :-)
I think the truth is the same as why Hawaii was not invaded. Logistics, the Japanese just didn’t have the logistics to back it, plus the excessively long logistical lines.
Also Detroit would have had competition! :-) I think the truth is the same as why Hawaii was not invaded. Logistics, the Japanese just didn’t have the logistics to back it, plus the excessively long logistical lines.
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