Any English book(s) devoted to Japanese War Industry?

This new stand alone release based on the legendary War in the Pacific from 2 by 3 Games adds significant improvements and changes to enhance game play, improve realism, and increase historical accuracy. With dozens of new features, new art, and engine improvements, War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition brings you the most realistic and immersive WWII Pacific Theater wargame ever!

Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition

Post Reply
User avatar
DeepBlack
Posts: 98
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2020 8:59 pm

Any English book(s) devoted to Japanese War Industry?

Post by DeepBlack »

Are there any English language book(s)
whose primary focus is on the Japanese
war industry? How they managed their
resources, came up with work arounds
for shortages, things they should have
done but did not...that type of thing.
A book that takes an analytical approach.
Was there any Japanese individual similar
to Todt/Speer who had a huge hand in
what happened industrially? I have read quite a lot
on the Pacific War and this subject is
briefly covered in many books but seems
like it deserves a dedicated book wholly
devoted to the subject.

Stuff like:
1. Airplane instruments: They lacked enough domestic
production capacity so they stockpiled foreign
instruments before the war.
2. Oil ditto.
3. Aircraft mass production quality was uneven. An
engine pulled from the same assembly line would
produce 10% less power the engine sitting beside
it.
4. More steel was not allocated to tank production
because naval/merchant marine production gobbled it all up.
5. Habitability: Crew comforts were scarce so
long patrols were grueling and reduced crew efficiency.
(I read a few Japanese subs were equipped with air conditioning
and 90-100F was considered adequate AC. Makes me wonder
what it was like on Japanese sub without AC)
User avatar
bartrat
Posts: 132
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 5:43 pm
Location: USA

RE: Any English book(s) devoted to Japanese War Industry?

Post by bartrat »

US. Strategic Bombing Survey!
Any U.S. library can get it for you. Some of the book [many volumes!]
Some of the volumes are pdf and on the internet.
WW2 logistics fanboy and
Rat Rancher
Rat ranching for fun and profit, had better be fun, cause there is no profit.
Ian R
Posts: 3440
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2000 8:00 am
Location: Cammeraygal Country

RE: Any English book(s) devoted to Japanese War Industry?

Post by Ian R »

None of these books are solely on Japanese industry, but they do have sections on it:

Brute Force, John Ellis
Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, Paul Kennedy
War, Economy & Society, Allan S Millward.
"I am Alfred"
User avatar
DeepBlack
Posts: 98
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2020 8:59 pm

RE: Any English book(s) devoted to Japanese War Industry?

Post by DeepBlack »

Thanks for the tips. Will be looking those up.
User avatar
PaxMondo
Posts: 10787
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:23 pm

RE: Any English book(s) devoted to Japanese War Industry?

Post by PaxMondo »

There are a lot of pre-war and some war time documents available now that have been scanned and can be translated fairly efficiently online. I've spent a fair amount of time in several university libraries and ministry records rooms. Compared to what was available when AE was done, there is a plethora of data.

Decisions in Japan were, and still are to a great extent, done by committee. Of course, not all committee members are equal, but you will rarely see a persons name attached to a decision, it will generally be a committee. Once the war started, postings both in commands and committees was VERY fluid. You can get those lists too. Then you have to learn what each committee did and how things actually worked; the key is very much like the US Senate: appropriations committee is very powerful: they do not create project or proposals, but they decide what gets funded and when. Example: When looking at IJN builds, it was not very efficient. Part of that was the way the projects were proposed. A proposal might have been to upgrade an Admiral's office and build 10 DD's and 20 SS's. they may have been fine with the DD's, but not the subs so it never got funded (and the Admiral didn't get his office upgrade).
Pax
Post Reply

Return to “War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition”