Tsuji!

This is coolbert:

Here is the URL for an interesting web site about the famous/infamous Japanese officer Colonel Tsuji:

Click here.

Also, try this web site for a previous blog entry on the Colonel.

Although the Colonel was obviously prejudiced toward his own Japanese soldiers, his rating of enemy combatants and their fighting capacities is most interesting. In UNDERGROUND ESCAPE, published in 1952, he ranked the fighting qualities of all the armies he had opposed. The Japanese of course were highest, with one Japanese soldier the equivalent of 10 Chinese--the army he rated second, given equivalence in equipment and training. Following in order were 3) Russians, 4) Ghurkas in British service, 5) Americans, 6) Australians, 7) Indians in British service, 8) British, 9) Filipinos, 10) Burmese, 11) Thai, 12) Vietnamese, and 13) French.

Craig [Colonel, USMC] replies:

"He has an interesting viewpoint, since America kicked the Japanese in every battle after the first 6 months of the war. And we of course had more men and equipment and fire support, but they were fighting from prepared positions against amphibious assault."

"Their soldiers were very brave, but to a fault. They took enormous casualities with their famous charges, with very poor results."

coolbert.