Raging-Fuhry t1_j7miqyc wrote on February 7, 2023 at 9:41 PM

Reply to comment by Doortofreeside in Would the Allies have kept fighting if the axis powers stopped? by Techno-87

They did attack the Soviets at Khalkin Gol.

The poorly equipped and led IJA (which had been stripped of a lot of funding and manpower by the IJN) got totally obliterated by Soviet far eastern forces.

Japan immediately brokered a ceasefire with the Soviets, which the USSR held until they invaded Manchuria and the Kurils in '45.

OrangeSlimeSoda t1_j7mk91r wrote on February 7, 2023 at 9:51 PM

The Japanese also simply didn't have the manufacturing base to create tank and anti-tank weaponry that could go toe-to-toe with the Soviets. The air forces performed well and the Soviets were unnerved by the ferocity of the Japanese infantrymen (even if they were less than impressed by Japanese army tactics), but Japan's logistical and manufacturing limitations meant that they simply could not succeed in a prolonged offensive against the Soviets on land.

Raging-Fuhry t1_j7mmbsi wrote on February 7, 2023 at 10:04 PM

It's worth noting that the VVS still lost less airmen than the IJA, and the otherwise outdated I-16 fighter was a good match against Japanese planes since it's light armament could still damage the lightly armoured IJA planes, and it was just as maneuverable.