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2021-05-31 -Land of the Free

So much to never forget! The battle of Manila 1945.

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Posted by 3dc 2021-05-31 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11126 views ] Top

#1 "Is ~~Paris~~ Manilla Burning?" The pacific was a Nasty war.

Posted by magpie 2021-05-31 00:29|| 2021-05-31 00:29|| Front Page Top

#2 ...Read Rampage by James M. Scott, probably the best account we'll ever have of that fight.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2021-05-31 06:46|| 2021-05-31 06:46|| Front Page Top

#3 This was the backdrop that the Anti-Americans ignore when talking about using the bomb. The destruction was front and center to those of the time.

The proceedings of the war crimes trial in Manila are a clear record of the atrocities carried out.

Colonialism? The Philippines were already scheduled for independence in 1946 when the Japanese invade in 1941.

Posted by Procopius2k 2021-05-31 08:07|| 2021-05-31 08:07|| Front Page Top

#4 According to Mark Twain, the US did some very nasty sh!t in the Philippines around the time of the Spanish-Amer. War.

Posted by Clem 2021-05-31 08:36|| 2021-05-31 08:36|| Front Page Top

#5 #3 This was the backdrop that the Anti-Americans ignore when talking about using the bomb. The destruction was front and center to those of the time.

The proceedings of the war crimes trial in Manila are a clear record of the atrocities carried out.

Colonialism? The Philippines were already scheduled for independence in 1946 when the Japanese invade in 1941.
Posted by: Procopius2k 2021-05-31 08:07

...Hear, hear. One can make a solid argument that it was only the resolution of a handful of Japanese officers to follow Hirohito's wishes that saved Japan from what we were prepared to do.

Always remember that the plan for the final assault on Tokyo involved dropping up to EIGHT atomic bombs on the fortifications around the city.

Eight Hiroshima-class weapons on one of the most densely populated places on the planet at that time.

And then hundreds of thousands of Allied troops would have marched through it.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2021-05-31 08:42|| 2021-05-31 08:42|| Front Page Top

#6 #4 that was after the Treaty of Paris with Spain. The Spanish claimed all the Philippines, but in truth only had control in the northern half of the Islands. Most of that was made Roman Catholic by the time of the transfer. They had 'offices' in the south, but did not control the Muslim population whose main occupation was piracy and slaving. The latter past time really upset the Americans so soon after the Civil War. That began a long drawn out insurgency war that was hot and cold several times till WWI. That involved, similar to the video, of bombarding fortified villages which were the base of operations by the Moros. That made a lot of 'civilian' casualties. Surprise, the Moros were just as fanatical as the Japanese or present day jihadists. The friction between northern Christians and southern Muslims continues to this day.

Posted by Procopius2k 2021-05-31 09:09|| 2021-05-31 09:09|| Front Page Top

#7 Twilight of the Gods by Ian Toll (2020) has good chapters on both Manila and the Japanese efforts to end the war. One of his points is that the Japanese were clearly beat by mid-1944 (Turkey Shoot, Saipan, etc.) and the decision to keep fighting cost the lives of 1.5 million Japanese, more than had died in the war up to that point. When it came to making peace, the Japanese ladership was like the kamikaze pilot who flew nine missions: they were involved but not committed.

Posted by Matt 2021-05-31 10:28|| 2021-05-31 10:28|| Front Page Top

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