Quote:
Originally Posted by 1967 R50/2
You miss my point: Out and out production did not win the war by itself. Technology did. Technology we did not have in 1942.
But the counter question to yours is: If we had lost Midway, how could we have stopped them from raiding the west coast, including the shipyards?
We could not...or at least we would be severly hindered.
|
Incorrect, the entire US P38 Lightning fleet, BY FAR the most advanced long ranged single seat fighter in the world at that time, was tasked with the defense of the US west coast. What's more, without first taking Hawaii, no attacks on the west coast were even reasonable.
Using 20/20 hindsight, any Japanese attempt to take the Hawaiin Isles would've ended in disaster.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1967 R50/2
With the advantage of mobility they could pretty much pick the time and place.... Anywhere our forces were not. The US military would have been relegated to the role of "Waiting for them to arrive."
|
You are massively under estimating US Manpower and production capability in the areas of fighters and warships. Kido Butai was already hobbled from Coral Sea. Even before Midway they'd suffered irreplaceable losses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1967 R50/2
BTW: If the US had lost Midway, there is no way the US could have replaced 3 heavy carriers in 6 months. ONLY 1 Essex class carrier was produced in 1942 and only 3 of the light Independence class carriers. And all came in the 2nd half of the year. Not quite up to going face to face with the Japanese heavies.
|
The Japanese Heavies were irreplaceable, as were their aircrews. At whatever stage they were lost, they'd have been gone forever. What's more, you are totally overlooking US production in "escort carriers" and submarines(which in and of themselves are very dangerous counters to any carrier fleet)
Midway was not a decisive battle.