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Who do you consider was America's most dangerous enemy of WW2 - Germany or Japan?

I say Japan because they had a vastly larger more potent navy than the Germans. And Japan inflicted more death and destruction on the US than Germany.

Germany with absolutely no room for error.

Japan had a powerful navy initially. It was doomed all the same.

They had a well trained army. It too had no chance against the industry of the US.

Japan was an island nation, and their resources were always as vulnerable as were Britains.

Germany was considered first priority for good reason, they had the greatest chance to do the greatest harm. And they had access to a lot more of the planet than did the Japanese.
They were an established industrial nation with access to great amounts of manpower and resources.

And that we beat them, yet even today still amazes me. Sure sucks trying to beat them in wargames.

Japan.

Germany wouldn't have declared war so readily if not for them.

ORIGINAL: Les_the_Sarge_9_1

Germany with absolutely no room for error.

Germany was considered first priority for good reason, they had the greatest chance to do the greatest harm.

I respect you opinion Les, but...

The Germans had the greatest chance to do the greatest harm to the British and the Soviets, not the US. Wasn't the battle of the Atlantic won by May 1943?

Also by overrunning the Dutch Indies, Burma, Indo China, etc, Japan had all the natural resources she needed to wage war with the US.

I see where you are coming from CCB, but while the Germans were indeed fighting since 39 and the US was never at risk of direct invasion, they were indeed on this planet the entire time.

Perchance to think what the US would be doing right now if Germany had NOT been defeated?

The Japanese would most assuredly not be helping with high tech from a nation rebuilt after defeat for one thing.

The US were important to WW2 (people can argue over who did the mostest till their eyes fuzz over for all I care), and they were on this planet the entire time as well.

Thus, I think Germany always had the greatest chance of doing the greatest harm. Harm they might not have ceased doing in 45 if we had not made the war end darn quick I might add.

The Russians had finished off the Germans well before the USA invaded.

I think the USA helped stem the tide of communism rather than defeat Germany.

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel

Japan.

Germany wouldn't have declared war so readily if not for them.

An interesting perspective that only an American could have...

ORIGINAL: sprior

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel

Japan.

Germany wouldn't have declared war so readily if not for them.

An interesting perspective that only an American could have...

I try to keep it short and real.[:'(]

I will tell you one thing. If an american pilot had a choice on which country to bail out over... it is no secret which one he'd chose.

Is this somewhat along the lines as... which is considered most dangerous?

Of the Axis nations only Germany had the technology to truly threaten the USA. Heisenberg was one of the great phycisists, Von Braun and his team were way ahead in rocket science. Fortunately neither achieved what they were capable of during the war. Japan could only really have managed 'pinprick' raids on the Pacific coastline and some disruption of trade.

The Japanese were the only ones to land troops on US territory.[:'(]

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel

The Japanese were the only ones to land troops on US territory.[:'(]

Thats because there wasn't something called the Royal Navy in the way.

If you mean dangerous of winning the war, Germany was by far the most dangerous enemy. There was no way the Japanese could win the war. Their cultural tradition of warfare was completely antiquated and those with modern ideas were shunned. They were basically using medieval tactics with modern weapons. Yamamoto knew this, but because of tradition the only honorable thing to do was obey. He planned the best he could but he knew it was to no avail. His best chance, and that of the nation, was some kind of negotiated truce. Unfortunatley that was impossible too, because the Allies would stop at nothing but unconditional surrender as historically happened. And I know everyone here knows of the unprecidented rift between the Imperial Army and Navy. Complicity between the two being virtually non existent. The only reason they were able to achieve their initial victories was because there was nothing to stop them. Now don't get me wrong. I lived in Japan for three years. I love the country and it's people. They are a wonderful people and extemely proud and traditional. I even consider it my adopted second country. But, as intelligent and clever as they were and still are, there is no way they could have won the war against the Allies in WWII.

Germany? They thought and fought just like we (the Allies) did. Basically, the same cultures clashing. Now that is dangerous.

Dave, good post.

Just one question about the antiquity of Japanese thinking: why did they then manage to pioneer naval warfare by introduction of carriers as strike elements?

That was Yamamotos' brain-child.

edit: Just like to add that I too think Germany was the greater threat. If not to the US directly, but indirectly since a European continent under German control (and at war with the US) would not have been a good thing.

ORIGINAL: Belisarius

...Just one question about the antiquity of Japanese thinking: why did they then manage to pioneer naval warfare by introduction of carriers as strike elements?
...

From what I've read they took consequences the Americans didn't.
After the first tests by the americans with carrier based planes they were not able to take an advantage because of rivalries between the Air Force and the navy. The Air Force (IIRC Army Air Corps back then) didn't want the Navy to get airplanes (apart from recce planes).
In Japan such rivalries never existed because they were in the process of building a modern army and navy at that time. Thus they didn't have got an air force with tradition that could interfere with the navy's plans.

The most dangerous enemy was ... an ally.


Unfortunately, the danger of their communist 'ally' wasn't recognised until immediately after the war.

Remember why WWII started? England and France declared war on Germany to protect Poland ... oops.

ORIGINAL: CCB

Who do you consider was America's most dangerous enemy of WW2 - Germany or Japan?

I say Japan because they had a vastly larger more potent navy than the Germans. And Japan inflicted more death and destruction on the US than Germany.

The original question. America's most dangerous enemy was ofcourse Japan. The Germans couldn't get beyond the channel thanks to the RAF, the remainder of the Atlantic would be formidible without carriers.

Potentially the most dangerous enemy to humanity were the NAZI's sure as their perverted ideals eclipsed the Japanese atrocities. But in sticking to the original question you need only to watch 1941 with John Belushi and Dan Acroyd to get your answer.

The Japs.

They attemted to wipe-out the entire Pacific fleet.

That would have left the western coast line wide open.

Yea hitler was dabbling with some long range stuff to attempt to strike the east coast..but hey,they were havin problems getting the V-2 airborne[8|] and all these flying wings and other crap they attempted would not have been operational until we already had an atomic bomb.

Japan posed the only real threat of a US invasion.

The Germans couldnt even cross the channel,how are they gonna cross the Atlantic with an invasion force?[8|]

Had the russians not been knocking on Hitlers door and the Germans posed any real threat whats so ever to the US they would have gotten this.....

ORIGINAL: riverbravo

Had the russians not been knocking on Hitlers door and the Germans posed any real threat whats so ever to the US they would have gotten this.....

Interesting point. The Japanese are remarkably calm and stoic in their interpretation of the nuke bombings of Japan. Most of the Japanese people that remember WWII understand that the A-bombs were a direct result of Japan's aggression. But most of those people would never admit it as that would be very dishonorable. Unfortunatley the younger generations of Japanese have been taught, if at all, a very different version of WWII than we in the west have. But yet we in the US and Japan seem to have a bond of mutual interest and respect to this day. It makes me wonder how the Germans (and Europeans) would have reacted to the US all these years since the end of WWII if we had dropped nukes on Germany.

ORIGINAL: Belisarius

Dave, good post.

Just one question about the antiquity of Japanese thinking: why did they then manage to pioneer naval warfare by introduction of carriers as strike elements?

That was Yamamotos' brain-child.

edit: Just like to add that I too think Germany was the greater threat. If not to the US directly, but indirectly since a European continent under German control (and at war with the US) would not have been a good thing.

I really have to protest about Japan pioneering carrier strikes. I draw your attention to the raid on Taranto harbour by HMS Illustrious in November 1940. This raid persuaded Yamamoto of the potential for carrier strikes against naval targets and was used extensively in planning (e.g. modification of torpedos).

As for the question I think either could have represented a greater threat during the war depending on how the cards were dealt. But prior to hostilities, in terms of raw potential, Germany must surely have posed the greatest threat to the US. This wasn't really a direct threat (as in Panzerarmee Potomac) but rather in an indirect way. This was also the type of threat posed to the UK which was safe behind the Royal Navy in both World Wars yet chose to intervene for fear of what would happen after a German victory i.e. German hegemony over Europe, the Middle East and perhaps parts of Asia and Africa. A enlarged Germany with access to new resources could, over time, come to pose a direct threat.