http://www.combinedfleet.com/economic.htm


Says it all really. Both Japan and Germany were doomed the day they took on the Yanks.


oc

It is a bit misleading in my opinion the USA's advantage over both Germany and Japan was that it is rich in raw materials and outside the bombing range of both of its enemies.

Monty,


Not a lot you can do about geography and range, except overcome it with technology, it did not stop the USA from bombing the crap out of Japan and Germany. Apart from Pearl Harbor on day one, something the Axis had little hope of achieving at any stage of WW2. Neither Germany or Japan ever made a plane that could get close to Nth America and return.

And the point about economic and industrial power was made in the essay. Almost every drop of oil consumed by the allies was American.

I think we all should be glad of it.


oc

Originally Posted by oz codger

And the point about economic and industrial power was made in the essay. Almost every drop of oil consumed by the allies was American.

I think we all should be glad of it.


oc

I am not entirely certain that is true given that 70% of Russian oil was produced in the Caucasus's.

Monty,


"I am not entirely certain that is true given that 70% of Russian oil was produced in the Caucasus's."


I though those fields were in German hands for much of the war? At least up to mid 1943 I think.


oc

Ah nope Case Blue which later became Operation Braunschweig was designed to capture those fields in 1942, the result was Stalingrad.

In the scheme of things the web page is correct Japan was foolish to take on the manufacturing power of the USA given its lack of resources but it was somewhat cornered and had to do something, Germany I am not so sure as American industry certainly enabled wins in North Africa, Italy and allowed for D-Day to take place but a straight USA v Germany battle would have been much closer than it was and without Britain as a base I think the logistics of gaining a bridgehead across the Atlantic would have been too much.

Those are two pretty big advantages.
We also had the advantage of an alternate workforce-Rosie the Riveter-
Hard at work producing masses of stuff supporting the effort..
The axis had slave labour.