WW2 Naval Pics...

[PacerX]

One of each of the 4 major US aircraft carrier classes, parked side by side.








Here's a Japanese bomb hitting Enterprise's deck, with the pic taken at the moment of detonation:







Sheer, brass-balled, Superman-style guts:




Both the pilot AND THE GUY STEPPING ON THE FLAMING GAS TANK TO SAVE HIM lived.





Here's a pic of a Kamikaze about to hit the battleship USS Missouri:



And here's a pic of the damage:



See the dent in the rail over the armor? That's it.

If you're a Kamikaze, immolating yourself on a battleship's 12.2-inch-thick belt armor doesn't fall into the "smart move" category. 5 minutes, a gallon of paint and a paintbrush were all the damage control needed.

[blackSS01]

Glad we Nuked the fuckers! Don't fuck with the Good O' US of A

[02transamce]

Great pics,thank you for sharing.
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[0rion]

people not really forget as much as they don't appreciate what this was. Look at it as Iraq or afghanistan calling all out war on us and thinking they could win.

[pecha]

Glad we Nuked the fuckers! Don't fuck with the Good O' US of A

there is a huge difference between Japanese soldiers attacking US military ships and dropping nuclear bombs on cities full of civilians

just saying..

[NE-Firebird]

there is a huge difference between Japanese soldiers attacking US military ships and dropping nuclear bombs on cities full of civilians

just saying..

Great, now this will get put into the political section....

Uhm, maybe you should read up on history before making comments like above:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_balloon
Overview
From late 1944 until early 1945, the Japanese launched over 9,000 of these fire balloons, of which 300 were found or observed in the U.S. Despite the high hopes of their designers, the balloons were ineffective as weapons, and caused only six deaths (from one single incident)—a kill rate of 0.067%—and a small amount of damage.


Fact: Japan attacked the United States first.
Fact: Japan dropped bombs 100% randomly in the U.S!


Just because they didn't have the same exact technology that we had that one point in time, that does not make what the Japanese did at all acceptable.

Also, despite "how horrible" the nukes were, they likely saved many more lives on all sides (from prolonged fighting) than they took. It was mainly because it gave one country a much greater advantage over the others. That happens in many wars. It may be due to horses, guns, nukes, air superiority, etc.

That is why countries spend so much money on Defense. It's nice to say: "Let's all get along". IMHO, that shows a complete a total lack of even the most basic understanding of people.

Yes, War should be the last resort. But, look at the Middle East, and some African Countries. All it takes is one person to get power, and then to try to keep extending their power before the "Let's all get along" falls apart faster than toilet paper in a septic system. (Okay, I'll admit it. I took that last part from Fresh Brushes. )

Once again, thanks if this thread gets moved/locked.

[silverWS6]

Awesome pics!

[pecha]

Great, now this will get put into the political section....

Uhm, maybe you should read up on history before making comments like above:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_balloon
Overview
From late 1944 until early 1945, the Japanese launched over 9,000 of these fire balloons, of which 300 were found or observed in the U.S. Despite the high hopes of their designers, the balloons were ineffective as weapons, and caused only six deaths (from one single incident)—a kill rate of 0.067%—and a small amount of damage.


Fact: Japan attacked the United States first.
Fact: Japan dropped bombs 100% randomly in the U.S!


Just because they didn't have the same exact technology that we had that one point in time, that does not make what the Japanese did at all acceptable.

Also, despite "how horrible" the nukes were, they likely saved many more lives on all sides (from prolonged fighting) than they took. It was mainly because it gave one country a much greater advantage over the others. That happens in many wars. It may be due to horses, guns, nukes, air superiority, etc.

That is why countries spend so much money on Defense. It's nice to say: "Let's all get along". IMHO, that shows a complete a total lack of even the most basic understanding of people.

Yes, War should be the last resort. But, look at the Middle East, and some African Countries. All it takes is one person to get power, and then to try to keep extending their power before the "Let's all get along" falls apart faster than toilet paper in a septic system. (Okay, I'll admit it. I took that last part from Fresh Brushes. )

Once again, thanks if this thread gets moved/locked.

hmmmmmm
6 deaths =, > or < 80K people in Hiroshima and 40K people in Nagasaki?
just saying...

[blackSS01]

hmmmmmm
6 deaths =, > or < 80K people in Hiroshima and 40K people in Nagasaki?
just saying...

Not going to argue because I understand where all parties are coming from. I was going to post originally after my first post, the difference in deaths. If the Japs plans with the bombs would have went through, there would be more dead then just 6. When you plan an attack of any sorts, I sure hope you plan to kill more then 6 people or you just FAIL at life! Its horrible we had to resort to nukes to teach them a lesson, but if they would not have did what they did...........we wouldn't have had to

[5.0THIS]

For those that get the chance to go to Hawaii, specifically Oahu... Visit Pearl Harbor, and go out to the Arizona memorial. It's a sobering and somber experience to stand before the wall where the names of those that died are depicted. I was there in 99, and I hope I can go back and see the USS Missouri.

[blackSS01]

And I believe we killed some where in the 200,000+ with Fat Man and Little Boy

[5.0THIS]

And I believe we killed some where in the 200,000+ with Fat Man and Little Boy

A small number compared to how many Japanese people (civilians AND military) would have died during an invasion of the home islands of Japan. Not to mention the number of American lives that would have been lost. And let's face it, those people wouldnt have surrendered if it werent for the A bombs.

[blackSS01]

A small number compared to how many Japanese people (civilians AND military) would have died during an invasion of the home islands of Japan. Not to mention the number of American lives that would have been lost. And let's face it, those people wouldnt have surrendered if it werent for the A bombs.

And to add just a little bit, (MOST/Not all) died instantly with no pain or suffering. Granted people did suffer from radiation poisoning and such but the majority were vaporized. Does that make it right, depends but its not the worst way out of this World for sure. Toxic gases and such would be much much worse

[doberman 152]

Very cool pictures thanks for sharing, that was a big part of history and why we have some of are freedom today but men fight for freedom, then they begin to accumulate laws to take it away from themselves.

[02transamce]

hmmmmmm
6 deaths =, > or < 80K people in Hiroshima and 40K people in Nagasaki?
just saying...

Nothing personal,but you have to understand Truman's choice,on one hand a new extremely powerful bomb that will kill thousands of Japanese or a invasion of the Japanese home island that will kill thousand of Japanese AND thousands of American servicemen.not to mention that the average Japanese believed in fighting till the death and that surrender was not a option as evidenced by the kamikaze pilots and the
Japanese soldiers that commited suicide when the Army had them cornered.the manhattan project was the most expensive military experiment ever and the U.S. had already lost many soliders fighting in Europe,so I think the choice was clear,if we would have invaded Japan after spend so much on the nuclear bomb the public would have been outraged as the lives lost that didn't have to be.btw the fire bomb baloons were assembled in large parts by Japanese school children.
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[mitchntx]

hmmmmmm
6 deaths =, > or < 80K people in Hiroshima and 40K people in Nagasaki?
just saying...

And you are saying that in a land that allows you the freedom to express those feeling.

hmmm ....

I wonder if the same freedoms you apparently take for granted would be tolerated if we were under 1940s era Japanese or German control?

just sayin' ....

[EnjoiJoe]

Great pics and ww2 was brutal

[SeVeReDiStOrTiOn]

there is a huge difference between Japanese soldiers attacking US military ships and dropping nuclear bombs on cities full of civilians

just saying..

You're right...one started the war and the other ended it.

[Jumper]

War sucks, but they had a chance to surrender, I feel no pain for them. It sucks that woman and kids are killed, but look what they did in the Philippines.
They got what they deserved.

Crimes
The Japanese military during the 1930s and 1940s is often compared to the military of Nazi Germany during 1933–45 because of the sheer scale of suffering. Much of the controversy regarding Japan's role in World War II revolves around the death rates of prisoners of war and civilians under Japanese occupation. The historian Chalmers Johnson has written that:

It may be pointless to try to establish which World War Two Axis aggressor, Germany or Japan, was the more brutal to the peoples it victimised. The Germans killed six million Jews and 20 million Russians [i.e. Soviet citizens]; the Japanese slaughtered as many as 30 million Filipinos, Malays, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Indonesians and Burmese, at least 23 million of them ethnic Chinese. Both nations looted the countries they conquered on a monumental scale, though Japan plundered more, over a longer period, than the Nazis. Both conquerors enslaved millions and exploited them as forced labourers—and, in the case of the Japanese, as [forced] prostitutes for front-line troops. If you were a Nazi prisoner of war from Britain, America, Australia, New Zealand or Canada (but not Russia) you faced a 4% chance of not surviving the war; [by comparison] the death rate for Allied POWs held by the Japanese was nearly 30%.[24]
According to the findings of the Tokyo Tribunal, the death rate among POWs from Asian countries, held by Japan was 27.1%.[25] The death rate of Chinese POWs was much higher because—under a directive ratified on August 5, 1937 by Emperor Hirohito—the constraints of international law on treatment of those prisoners was removed.[26] Only 56 Chinese POWs were released after the surrender of Japan.[27] After March 20, 1943, the Japanese Navy was under orders to execute all prisoners taken at sea

The rest of the info.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...sXMLU9q_W4al2A

[pecha]

For those that get the chance to go to Hawaii, specifically Oahu... Visit Pearl Harbor, and go out to the Arizona memorial. It's a sobering and somber experience to stand before the wall where the names of those that died are depicted. I was there in 99, and I hope I can go back and see the USS Missouri.

For those that get the chance to go to Japan... Visit Hiroshima, and go out to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

And you are saying that in a land that allows you the freedom to express those feeling.

hmmm ....

I wonder if the same freedoms you apparently take for granted would be tolerated if we were under 1940s era Japanese or German control?

just sayin' ....

I have to disagree. IMHO it was impossible for Japan to defeat USA. They went into the war over the oil sanctions and trying to keep the territories they have already acquired. I don't think they expected a win on American continent at all.