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note Just a minor point: Bonzai are trees, Banzai is relevant for the Japanese attacks... New

Forum: LiquidLounge
Re: note SNOWWRESTLER.  tell me about Palau <NT> rroberts New
Re: note This should get the cavers' attention Stifler New
Re: note Unflattering info about Col. Chesty Puller in there too. Stifler New
Re: note Sledge talks about keeping watch with a .45 in one hand while holding his eyelid open with the other to stay awake. <NT> rroberts New
Re: note Yeah, they had learned by then to ditch the Banzai charges Stifler New
Re: th_up Unfortunately, we still haven't found an effective antidote against those improved tactics. Wilko New
Re: note Bullshit.  The bonzai attacks were used... rroberts New
Date: Jul 25 2008, 15:19 GMT
From: Wilko

It sounds like you simply don't know what you're talking about. Just because you have only heard of the Banzai approach as their only means of attack doesn't make it true.

It's a fact that the Japanese used quite advanced small unit tactics a long time before the allied troops realized why they found the enemy on their flanks and back.
Which is exactly why they were so effective in their advance through most of what they conquered in Asia. For example, through much of their advance they used parallel lines of advance, with infantry platoons preceded by scouts splitting off into outflanking and encircling movements around any kind of allied military post the unnoticed scouts had spotted. Then they would attack it from the rear and sides, after their scouts had sneaked up close enough to the target to identify where its weaknesses were and how to direct the main body of the infantry to their attack positions. That would often make the allied troops think that they were attacked by a lot bigger force. Since they often used grenades and no small arms fire, the allied troops were not sure what was going on.

To throw in some dates to support my point, during the attacks on Mount Austin (Guadalcanal, 1942) the Japanese repeatedly used several patrols to find the U.S. Marines. When one patrol found the U.,S. Raiders, they would signal the other patrols to come to them, only after the Marines were outflanked would they start attacking. They did not attack Banzai style, they went off the trails to go around the Marines, and set up a good position before opening fire. If they were spotted, one side would open fire with machine guns, while the other would try to encircle the Marines. They would have a few of them shooting alternately, while several others crawling closer to the Marines. That way no single soldier was firing at the marines for long enough to be pinpointed.

On the occasion of Guadalcanal's Henderson Field, which is now known as Chesty Puller's famous defense, the Japanese stalked unnoticed to within grenade throwing range before attacking. Sometimes they did reconnaisance by fire, trying to make the allied troops to open fire so that they could pinpoint the positions. Besides playing dead, which they also did on occasion, they often crawled through the allied lines undetected and managed to appear behind allied lines to do their dirty work. That's something they did both by day and by night. A nice example of a day time attack is where Colonel Carlson of "Carlson's Raiders" heard a report of a whole forest moving towards his position, that's how well camouflaged they were. Since they also moved silently, carefully and in small bounds, they weren't noticed until they were very close.

They used the same advanced tactics on many occasions on Guadalcanal. One Marine NCO told the story of observing while being carefully camouflaged. He heard something and noticed two Japanese crawling *seven* feet away from him and his buddy. They were about ready to start shooting, when they realized their mission, and fifteen yards later came eight more armed Japanese. They moved slowly and carefully, and were not heard by these two Marines! The Marines managed to give their report of what they had witnessed, because they were using common sense. That's my point: use more common sense and less pride and blind obedience to the manuals. Learn from mistakes, train for changed situations and get better than your opponent at small scale tactics.


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note Many lessons were learned at Guadalcanal, which was the american's first engagement... rroberts New
doh Point out where I said that they *never* used human wave assaults. Wilko New
note The human wave assault remained their main battle tactic until '44.  the infiltrations were largely... rroberts New
disagree Yeah, of course, Rick, by repeating that it was so certainly makes it true. Wilko New
th_up The Banzai attack was seldom used as a tactical device Gordo New
note How many page number references do you want to demonstrate how wtong you are?... rroberts New
note So you're going to prove that the banzai attack was used a lot with a single or even a few references? Wilko New
note And as far as not learning from mistakes, Carlson took a 30 day patrol intot he jungle and met... rroberts New
idea Now who is talking bulshit here? Wilko New
Expediciones Chile

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