Stanwell (#228),
It would seem that I've "put the cat among the pigeons" in no mean manner. Let's sit back and enjoy...
...May a mere colonial pipe up here?...
No, Sir, you may not. You have not been "mere colonials" for a century and more, but fully independent, with only a token, sentimental link to the Crown. You and I know that yours was just a figure of speech, but there are other readers (notably our friends "over the pond"), who may take it at face value. Having said that, I must ruefully admit that I myself have used the term "Wild Colonial Boys" (in a friendly sense) more than once ! - and many Americans think of you (if they think of you at all) as a bunch of "Crocodile Dundees". Note the "Dundee" - the Highland Clearances still cast a long shadow ! (And the Penal days had a hand in it, too).
With the advantage of hindsight, we must all agree that the general drift of your argument is is correct. But the fact was that Pearl Harbor came as a complete shock to everyone, not just the US. At a stroke, all the large European colonies in the Far East (British, American [Phillippines ?], French and Dutch) were in "clear and present danger". What defences they had had been pared to the bone to reinforce the European war; they were in no position to resist the onslaught which followed immediately after the "day which will live in infamy".
Of course the Forces there had to "go down fighting". Where else had they to go ? Where was the shipping to evacuate them all to South Africa or Australia ? (a few lucky ones made it to India, but that was by no means a guaranteed "safe haven" then). If they waved the white flag, they could imagine (from the Chinese experience) what awaited them (and they would not have been disappointed).
We drew false comforts: the Japanese were not innovators, merely copyists, their fighter aircraft were flimsy little things which would drop to pieces if hit, their pilots were short-sighted and couldn't fly anyway, Pearl Harbor succeeded only because it had been just a treacherous, unprovoked attack on a nation with which they were at peace.
We had a rude awakening.
Danny.