Originally Posted by
Leon Jabachjabicz
I disagree. I don't believe that the unconditional surrender was due to the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki plus a bunch of islands that were captured was it? If the bombs had been ready before the battles you mention then it is highly likely that there would have been no need to fight them. The only island needed to be taken was where Enola Gay flew from, Tinian. Get and maintain air superiority over the rest and let the grunts on the ground fester. The atomic bombs did mean abandoning ketsu-go, the strategy of fighting one last decisive battle intended to inflict so many casualties on the war-weary Allies that they might relax their demands for unconditional surrender and negotiate a peace. The 2x bombs changed all thinking on this and the fact that the politicians along with the Emporer decided that surrender was the only way meant that the Japanese military could withdraw and lay down arms with honour.
LJ
LJ,
How do take Tinian without taking Saipan? Tinian is in pack howitzer range of Saipan. Tie down the majority of the Pacific fleet suppressing Saipan and Guam?
A little island between Guam, Saipan, and Tinian and the Japanese mainland with quite a few fighters that took a significant toll on the bombers is called Iwo Jima. The calculations, from both USAAF and USMC, was that the casualties in taking Iwo were less than the losses to the bombers would have been.
Maybe keep the B-29s in china move the atomic bombs plus all logistical support and then risk their loss over Japanese held mainland Asia?
Even with both atomic bombs there was not agreement in the Imperial Japanese military to surrender.
S/F, FOG