This video was sponsored by World of Warships. If you, Jimmy, have ever wanted to sail the ocean blue in
1942, then find out more after the video
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, as we all know, it caught America off guard
The attack hurt, and the surprise of it shocked the entire country into
mobilization. But mobilization takes time. The Pacific Ocean is
big, so big that even after the day that will live in infamy
for half a year both sides just kind of
shook their hands at each other while getting ready. In that six-month time Japan was feeling pretty cocky; they thought the US would be easy
pushovers. So in June
1942,
they decided to go knock the Americans off of their base on the island of Midway.
It was to be a great victory for the Empire. Spoiler.
It wasn't. It was not at all. The Battle of Midway resulted in a resounding Japanese defeat. All four
Carriers they had in the battle were lost literally six months into the war. This was the turning point for when Japan
started to fall. So what if in an alternate timeline, Japan wasn't incompetent and with their twice as big Navy,
actually won a victory against America at the Battle of Midway?
How would this change the course of the war? Well it is an alternate 1942. Let's say somehow
Japan has won
the battle. What specifically needs to change for this to be accomplished?
Well Jimmy,
there were so many things the Japanese did wrong during the battle that I'm not going to bore you with every specific
mistake that resulted in their fleet going kaplooey. Japan
just really overestimated their capabilities against America. So, alternate timeline.
Let's just say that all of the American fleet at this battle is absolutely destroyed. The greatest threat of all occurs:
The Japanese are now primed to invade the island of Midway.
Phase 2 has begun. In just a few days after the American Navy is obliterated,
Japanese forces stormed the beaches of Midway and
they're mowed down. . .
Just. Entirely. Annihilated. You see, even if Japan did somehow win the
Naval Battle of Midway, there was no way they could ever
actually take the island. In the Pacific War, even if Japan had more forces defending an island, the Americans would still take it.
So a better equipped and bigger American defense against an unprepared poorly executed amphibious assault by Japan,
Just results in failure.
I was going to say at least the Battle of Midway would be a political failure for America,
however, after Japan flops onto the beaches of Midway,
I'd say it kind of evens out. A failure at Midway would be a kick in the shins,
but the next inevitable naval victory against Japan makes everyone feel better. So what's the lesson here kiddies?
What's the point? The thing I find interesting in history is sometimes
they're simply a situation that is never changed. My cat is never going to shut up at 3:00 a.m.
and Japan was always going to lose the Pacific War the second they decided to attack the United States.
It couldn't replace the fleet it had and that was its ultimate downfall. For every ship
Japan sunk, America could replace it with five. For every ship America sunk, Japan's fleet just got smaller.
We often have a misconception of the War in the Pacific that the war was of equals when it wasn't. From 1942 to
1945, Japan was trying to stop a boulder from crushing it. As much energy or men or planes it threw at the
situation, the giant boulder was going to fall and kill Japan eventually.
It was just a bad luck of cards. The best strategy to winning the game was simply never playing in the first place.
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did you just watch this whole thing? This is Cody of Alternate History Hub.