Comments on: WSJ: “Spirit”, not Technology, Defines the USN’s Superiority http://www.neptunuslex.com/Wiki/2007/07/28/wsj-spirit-not-technology-defines-the-usns-superiority/ Start 'em up Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:52:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Steeljaw Scribe http://www.neptunuslex.com/Wiki/2007/07/28/wsj-spirit-not-technology-defines-the-usns-superiority/comment-page-1/#comment-2756 Steeljaw Scribe Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:36:31 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/Wiki/2007/07/28/wsj-spirit-not-technology-defines-the-usns-superiority/#comment-2756 Ok, guess I'll play the crumudgeon. The IJN sailors and airmen were hardly present aboard the ships and aircraft of <i>Kido Butai</i> in the spirit of Western concepts of 'free will.' Yet they "got it right" for about the first 6 months and kicked our and our Allies' tails across the western Pacific and Indian Oceans until a reckoning at Coral Sea and Midway. Despite starting late to the carrier game (sound familiar?) they borrowed liberally from the leading seapower's efforts at carrier-based air (the RN/FAA, btw, in the late20's and early 30's) while adapting and developing their own. The IJN had superior tactics (they were the first to figure out massed firepower using carrier air and provided a front-row demonstration of the same @ Pearl on 7 Dec) and had superior technology (need I say anything about US torpedo tacics and terchnology?). We, OTOH, had a superior strategy (Plan Orange), superior damage control, industrial technology, a vastly superior pilot training system and the luxury of time/distance to afford us the opportunity to recover from our initial setbacks via informed leadership. I strongly doubt such will be the case in a future conflict, especially one with China. Look, this isn't meant to denigrate the spirit of the American white-hat, heaven knows over the course of 26+ years there isn't any other seaborne fighting force I'd want to fight alongside with. What I am saying is (a) don't mirror-image the threat and (b) be careful in making assumptions about culture and fighting capacity - we've been wrong before, especially where Asian cultures are concerned... - SJS Ok, guess I’ll play the crumudgeon. The IJN sailors and airmen were hardly present aboard the ships and aircraft of Kido Butai in the spirit of Western concepts of ‘free will.’ Yet they “got it right” for about the first 6 months and kicked our and our Allies’ tails across the western Pacific and Indian Oceans until a reckoning at Coral Sea and Midway. Despite starting late to the carrier game (sound familiar?) they borrowed liberally from the leading seapower’s efforts at carrier-based air (the RN/FAA, btw, in the late20′s and early 30′s) while adapting and developing their own. The IJN had superior tactics (they were the first to figure out massed firepower using carrier air and provided a front-row demonstration of the same @ Pearl on 7 Dec) and had superior technology (need I say anything about US torpedo tacics and terchnology?).

We, OTOH, had a superior strategy (Plan Orange), superior damage control, industrial technology, a vastly superior pilot training system and the luxury of time/distance to afford us the opportunity to recover from our initial setbacks via informed leadership. I strongly doubt such will be the case in a future conflict, especially one with China.

Look, this isn’t meant to denigrate the spirit of the American white-hat, heaven knows over the course of 26+ years there isn’t any other seaborne fighting force I’d want to fight alongside with. What I am saying is (a) don’t mirror-image the threat and (b) be careful in making assumptions about culture and fighting capacity – we’ve been wrong before, especially where Asian cultures are concerned…

- SJS

]]> By: SJBill http://www.neptunuslex.com/Wiki/2007/07/28/wsj-spirit-not-technology-defines-the-usns-superiority/comment-page-1/#comment-2739 SJBill Sun, 29 Jul 2007 02:45:38 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/Wiki/2007/07/28/wsj-spirit-not-technology-defines-the-usns-superiority/#comment-2739 JAS Good post. Of the MSM, the WSJ gives the most meaningful and least biased news of any outlet. Thank you- -SJBill JAS

Good post. Of the MSM, the WSJ gives the most meaningful and least biased news of any outlet.

Thank you-
-SJBill

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