My dad was a POW in Japan

[TORONTONY]

If the atom bomb had not been used Russia would have invaded Japan and there would have been a massive loss of life as Stalin didn't care about losses.The Allies would not have been involved as they didn't want massive losses which is why they left Berlin to the Russians.Japan would have been a part of Russia.

 

Don't know where you got that from mate,. The Russians had very little to do with the war in the Pacific. If the Allies were not going to get involved, how come they spent 4 years crossing the Pacific to get on Japan's doorstep. The truth is the Bombs were dropped to save massive American casualties which an invasion would have have cost them. It had nothing to do with Stalin, who incidentally got only half of Berlin.

[sharrovian]

I knew a chap for quite a few years who was a POW under the Japs, many tried to get him to relate his experiences but he never did and he would never buy anything that was Japanese made.

[May Blob]

Don't know where you got that from mate,. The Russians had very little to do with the war in the Pacific. If the Allies were not going to get involved, how come they spent 4 years crossing the Pacific to get on Japan's doorstep. The truth is the Bombs were dropped to save massive American casualties which an invasion would have have cost them. It had nothing to do with Stalin, who incidentally got only half of Berlin.

Russia finally declared war on Japan and were in the process of preparing an invasion fleet to attack the northern island, had the atom bombs not been used Japan would have become a divided country like Korea.

[glennpickard]

The downside of the 2 nuclear bombs was that they killed approx. 140,000 people, mainly civilians. I have seen one estimate of 90% civilians. Few if any fatalities were the political class who started the war, nor senior military people. But bombing examples had to made to try to avoid the home islands invasion and US casualties, and Hiroshima and Nagasaki were selected on a list of secondary targets. Rightly or wrongly, Tokyo was not selected to avoid the Royal Palace, Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese parliament,

 

The Russians attacked Japan one week before Japan surrendered Aug 15 1945, and overran them in China & Manchuria, fighting until the last week in August. A big contribution of the Russians was to hold about 18 divisions in the east, which convinced the Japanese for 2 years that they were about to be attacked, thereby locking up many Japanese infantry divisions on the Chinese/Mongolian border

[May Blob]

The downside of the 2 nuclear bombs was that they killed approx. 140,000 people, mainly civilians. I have seen one estimate of 90% civilians. Few if any fatalities were the political class who started the war, nor senior military people. But bombing examples had to made to try to avoid the home islands invasion and US casualties, and Hiroshima and Nagasaki were selected on a list of secondary targets. Rightly or wrongly, Tokyo was not selected to avoid the Royal Palace, Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese parliament,

 

The Russians attacked Japan one week before Japan surrendered Aug 15 1945, and overran them in China & Manchuria, fighting until the last week in August. A big contribution of the Russians was to hold about 18 divisions in the east, which convinced the Japanese for 2 years that they were about to be attacked, thereby locking up many Japanese infantry divisions on the Chinese/Mongolian border

 

When the Johnny Come Lately Russians entered the war in the final weeks it was to face a depleted, ill equipped, nil supplied, overseas army. The Russians plan on entering the war was to annexe the north island of the Japanese homeland.

 

The downside of not using the atom bombs would be the far greater casualties caused to the allied cause during a land invasion, therefore the bombs were fully justified.

Edited August 25, 2015 by May Blob

[glennpickard]

Given the military situation at the time, I agree that the atomic bombs were an option that appeared to be the quickest way to get Japan to surrender. It would also cause the least allied casualties.

The Japanese Military government were extremely obstinate, and many civilians (not so much the military) were starving. Other than the immediate casualties the bombs would cause, the rest of the population would get to food assistance quicker if the war could be shortened

[lingarth]

My grandad was a POW on Burma railway didn't talk much about it but would say you would learn to eat anything. Was in Sheffield blitz, called up and sent to Plymouth, was in blitz there, sent out to Singapore on guns facing out to sea and was captured by Japs. Moved down the railway in cattle trucks and was bombed by the allies. Survived to the end. Lived into his eighties but the dreaded big C got him in the end.

[glennpickard]

a film was made about the bravery of your grandfather and thousands of British and Australian POWs who built a wooden bridge for the Japanese military, the Burma Railway bridge. It was called "Bridge on the River Kwai" and starred the brilliant Alec Guinness. You should try to see it, if you have n't already, it was made in '60s.

I believe the film was based on a novel, but nevertheless it told of the courage of the men who were forced, on starvation rations, to build it. I think about 25% of them died

[Nigel Womersle]

a film was made about the bravery of your grandfather and thousands of British and Australian POWs who built a wooden bridge for the Japanese military, the Burma Railway bridge. It was called "Bridge on the River Kwai" and starred the brilliant Alec Guinness. You should try to see it, if you have n't already, it was made in '60s.

I believe the film was based on a novel, but nevertheless it told of the courage of the men who were forced, on starvation rations, to build it. I think about 25% of them died

 

The film was made in 1957, and is very good. As you say, Alec Guinness is brilliant in it.

[RiffRaff]

I also detest people who make fun of other peoples grammar.

 

Why?

If I hit you with the old standard "Table for sale by lady with Queen Ann legs", what would you be expecting to buy, and from whom?