Who would you rather face

[Benoit Douville]

Here is a question for the American members of this forum. I would like to know, who would you rather face during World War II, the Germans in Western Europe or the Japs in the Pacific? And who do you fear the most?

[Tom Houlihan]

Given the choice, I would have preferred the European theater, myself! I think that in the big picture, there were more similarities with that enemy than the one in the Pacific.

[James Patrick]

Definately, Europe. Better terrain and a more civilized and less fanatical enemy. However, one plus for the Pacific is that at least units got R&R and retrained between battles unlike Europe where US units were left on the line until they were decimated two or three times over.

[Beppo Schmidt]

Definitely Europe

[Eden Zhang]

I'd rather face the Germans.

If due to anything, its the weather. I cannot stand damp, hot, humid weather.

[Polynikes]

Here is a question for the American members of this forum. I would like to know, who would you rather face during World War II, the Germans in Western Europe or the Japs in the Pacific? And who do you fear the most?

Why just Americans?

The British also fought both as did Commonwealth forces of Australia & New Zealand plus the Indian army.

I think I'd rather have fought the Germans, especially in the first half of the war.

Two reasons, the Japanese treatment of POWs and the vile climate inwhich the ewar was fought in the Far East. Jungle has to be the worst battleground.

The absolute LAST place I would've liked to have served was on the Arctic Convoys.

Cheers from Rich

[alf]

I'll answer as an Australian as many of our troops fought both the Germans and the Japanese.

My father fought the Germans in the Desert and Greece and Crete before coming home to fight the Japanese ( 6th Australian Divison 2nd AIF). His brother, (my uncle) fought the Afrika Korp during the Siege of Tobruk and El Alamein etc before coming home to fight the Japanese
(9th Australian Divison 2nd AIF).

The 9th Divison consistently defeated Rommel in its two years in the desert , the 6th met the SS in Greece and the German paras on Crete
(and wiped them out) so both Australian Divisions were highly experienced combat divisons who never underestimated any enemy.

However both my family members considered the Japanese more ruthless and dangerous enemies, incredibly stubborn in defence and fantaical.

For sheer savagry perhaps the Eastern front equalled it at times but no quarter was given or expected, my father told of the horror of finding some Australian corpses, strung up that had been half eaten by the Japanese while on the Kokoda Track in 1942, no mercy was given or expected.

In Europe if a enemy soldier met the Nazi's warped racial definition of an equal, then humane treatment could be expected, in the Pacific it never happened.

[Robert Rojas]

Greetings to both cousin Benoit Douville and the community as a whole. Well Benoit, in reference to your pointed inquiry of Tuesday - June 01, 2004 - 1:25am, as a native born citizen of the United States of America, old Uncle Bob would have clearly preferred to confront the minions of Dai Nihon during this Republic's official participation in the course of the Second World War. Apart from the incidental fact that yours truly is half Filipino by ethnic ancestry, the events of December 07, 1941 would have been THE crucial factor in the my decision making process. And yes, my attitude would have been a PACIFIC WAR STRATEGY FIRST over any European consideration. Remember, by the Summer of 1941, Adolph Hitler and company were foolishly engaged in the a defacto three front war in or around the periphery of greater Europe and there was little or no way the all knowing Bohemian Corporal was going to extricate his One Thousand Year Reich from the corner from which it had painted itself. On the other hand, apart from China's pugnacious resistance, there was simply no one left to stem the ambitions of Imperial Japan. Finally, can you imagine what the character of the war in Western Europe would have been with the arrival of a battle toughened United States Army and United States Marine Corps after their collective and near genocidal experiences in the Pacific Theater of Operations? It's just some friendly food for thought. On an incidental note, I would like to echo citizen Polynikes inquiry of Thursday - June 03, 2004 - 12:47pm. In short, what was your motiviation for directing this particular question only to "AMERICANS". Just curious. Finally, would you please do the neighborhood a big favor and use the word JAPANESE in lieu of the word "JAPS". Thank you! Well, that's my two cents worth on the subject - for now anyway. As always, I would like to bid you a copacetic day over in your corner of the GREAT WHITE NORTH of Francophonic Canada - EH!?

Best Regards,
Uncle Bob 8)

[Musashi]

Here is a question for the American members of this forum. I would like to know, who would you rather face during World War II, the Germans in Western Europe or the Japs in the Pacific? And who do you fear the most?

BD, please do not use a word "Japs" here. Its rather offensive, but perharps you don't know it, because you are French speaking Canadian.

[Hans_Rudel]

Here is a question for the American members of this forum. I would like to know, who would you rather face during World War II, the Germans in Western Europe or the Japs in the Pacific? And who do you fear the most?

Why just Americans?

The British also fought both as did Commonwealth forces of Australia & New Zealand plus the Indian army.

Heh, don't forget about us Canadians, we fought both as well!

[Andy H]

James Patrick wrote:

Definately, Europe. Better terrain and a more civilized and less fanatical enemy. However, one plus for the Pacific is that at least units got R&R and retrained between battles unlike Europe where US units were left on the line until they were decimated two or three times over.

Was this true for all the Army divisions that fought in the Pacific, especially in the Phillipines etc?

Andy H

[Englander]

Heh, don't forget about us Canadians, we fought both as well!

Canadians are not forgotten..They just don't get mentioned.

[Hoolaman]

Here is a question for the American members of this forum. I would like to know, who would you rather face during World War II, the Germans in Western Europe or the Japs in the Pacific? And who do you fear the most?

BD, please do not use a word "Japs" here. Its rather offensive, but perharps you don't know it, because you are French speaking Canadian.

I suppose offense is in the ear of the beholder (or something like that ), but I don't think "Japs" is very offensive, it is just an abbreviation of "Japanese" anyway. Surely no more offensive than "yanks" or "brits". There were much worse terms used to describe the Japanese during the war!

Just my humble observation.

[James Patrick]

Was this true for all the Army divisions that fought in the Pacific, especially in the Phillipines etc?

Not sure, but probably. A good example would be the 27th Infantry Division. Even thought at war for 3 years and 8 months, it was credited with 11 months of combat in participations in the following PTO campaigns: Central Pacific 41-43, Western Pacific 43-44, Ryukyus 45. It had 13 months and 7 months of downtime between campaigns.

[Benoit Douville]

Hi all,

I used the word "Japs" just as an abreviation for Japanese, I didn't want to be offensive at all to the Japanese soldiers.

Why just the Americans? Well, because I wanted the point of view of the Americans who they fear the most, the Germans or the Japanese. I see that most of you prefer to face the Germans and be in Western Europe, maybe because the Japanese and the Pacific theater was more ruthless. I know that a lot of other country fought in the Pacific and their contribution very important but the U.S. fought the major Battle I think there (Iwo Jima, Okinawa Tarawa, Midway)

Regards