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Military Transformation As a Competitive Systemic Process: the Case of Japan and the United States Between the World Wars

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Military Transformation As a Competitive Systemic Process: the Case of Japan and the United States Between the World Wars CRM D0008616.A1 / Final June 2003 Military Transformation as a Competitive Systemic Process: The Case of Japan and the United States Between the World Wars William D. O’Neil 4825 Mark Center Drive • Alexandria, Virginia 22311-1850 Approved for distribution: June 2003 William D. O’Neil Vice President and Chief Scientist Contact: [email protected] This document represents the best opinion of CNA at the time of issue. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Department of the Navy nor the Department of Defense. Cleared for public release; distribution unlimited. For copies of this document call: CNA Document Control and Distribution Section at 703-824-2123. Copyright © 2003 The CNA Corporation Contents Summary ..............................................................................................1 Purpose and focus ..........................................................................1 Relevance to today..........................................................................2 National comparisons.....................................................................3 The armed forces............................................................................4 Japan’s forces ............................................................................4 America’s forces........................................................................5 Paths of transformation..................................................................7 The navies .................................................................................7 The armies ................................................................................9 The quiet transformations .....................................................10 Deficiencies and lessons...............................................................12 Introduction ......................................................................................15 The path to war.............................................................................16 Breakdown of the post-WW I security structure ...................19 Joining the Axis ......................................................................21 No choice but war...................................................................27 Transformations ................................................................................31 The armed services after World War I.........................................32 America’s naval forces: the USN and USMC ........................32 Japan’s navy: the IJN...............................................................38 America’s army .......................................................................41 Japan’s army: the IJA ..............................................................46 Seeking to transform....................................................................52 Technology and transformation............................................52 Naval transformation..............................................................53 i Army transformation.............................................................. 54 Objects of transformation............................................................ 56 Japanese Navy ......................................................................... 56 U.S. Navy................................................................................. 64 U.S. Marine Corps.................................................................. 73 Japanese Army ........................................................................ 74 U.S. Army................................................................................ 76 U.S. Army Air Corps............................................................... 82 Lessons from experience .................................................................. 87 Sources of experience.................................................................. 87 Technical tests and experiments........................................... 87 War games............................................................................... 88 Operational tests and experiments ....................................... 89 Combat experience................................................................ 91 Combat experience of others ................................................ 92 Operations analysis................................................................. 93 Transformation’s end-games............................................................ 95 Japanese Navy ............................................................................... 95 Surface forces ......................................................................... 95 Naval aviation ......................................................................... 97 Radar, COMINT, and ASW.................................................. 101 Carrier operational doctrine ............................................... 102 Japanese Army ............................................................................ 103 The machinery of ground war............................................. 103 The army and air war ........................................................... 104 Operations ............................................................................ 106 U.S. Navy..................................................................................... 107 Naval aviation ....................................................................... 107 Surface forces ....................................................................... 109 Radar and sonar ................................................................... 114 ii The treaties – bane and boon ..............................................116 Carrier aircraft development ...............................................118 Tactical air operations..........................................................121 Guided weapons ...................................................................122 Surface doctrine, operations, and weapons........................123 Logistical support for surface forces ...................................125 Submarine forces..................................................................127 COMINT ...............................................................................128 U.S. Marine Corps and amphibious warfare.............................129 Experience and doctrine......................................................129 Amphibious matériel............................................................132 U.S. Army ....................................................................................135 It’s a jungle out there ...........................................................136 Radar and electronics...........................................................140 U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF)..................................................141 Strategic bombing’s unexamined premises ........................142 Fighters..................................................................................149 Loose ends and open questions .....................................................157 Where does superiority in operations come from? ..................157 What makes for good PME?.......................................................159 Questions of scope......................................................................160 Conclusion.......................................................................................163 War happens, whether “rational” or not...................................163 Transformation = concept + doctrine .......................................164 Operations can dominate ....................................................164 Silver bullets..........................................................................164 Conceptual-doctrinal complexes.........................................165 Daring is not enough ...........................................................167 Getting the technology right .....................................................170 In search of asymmetric advantage......................................172 iii Immaterial advantage........................................................... 175 How fundamental a transformation? ........................................ 176 Glossary............................................................................................ 179 Bibliography .................................................................................... 181 List of Tables ................................................................................... 233 Distribution List .............................................................................. 235 iv Summary This section provides a brief summary of the principal facts and ar- guments of this report which are presented in more detail and documented in the sections that follow.1 Purpose and focus Historical studies have been a major source of insight into the proc- esses of military transformation. In most instances they have begun by selecting a specific instance of transformation which could be identified as significant on the basis of subsequent history and then tracing its origins and trajectory. Such studies have been valuable in revealing the inner workings of transformation processes. They have been less useful in understanding the broader processes by which military institutions conceive, embrace, or reject transformative op- portunities. These operate in an environment of multiple uncer- tainties and competing priorities and can
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