US Assessments of Japanese Ground Warfare Tactics and the Army's Campaigns in the Pacific Theatres,1943—1945: Lessons Learned and Methods Applied

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of US intelligence assessments of the Imperial Japanese Army's tactical methods during the Pacific War, and explains how the resulting perceptions influenced the development of American doctrine for fighting the Japanese. It argues that US evaluations of the Japanese were characterized primarily by the need to gain a realistic understanding of enemy fighting capabilities, coupled with a realization of the need to improve the army's techniques for fighting a successful campaign.