We often see people repeat the inaccurate myth that the only substantive strategy the Soviets had was to send wave after wave of barely armed soldiers into German machine guns until the Germans caved in.
But we also see the Japanese Imperial Army recieve the same treatment. In shows like 'The Pacific', we see Japanese soldiers, while in superior numbers, charge wave after wave into entrenched USMC positions, dying by the thousands.
Did the IJA ever do this as a matter of offical doctrine, even when they were in a clear numerical advantage? If so, why? They did not lack in heavy and light machine gun support, so why do this?
Banzai charges were a thing yes, but i was under the impression they only happened as a last resort. I just have doubts, considering how pervasive the inaccurate Soviet version of this myth.
If I recall from the episode, its supposed to be a depiction of the Battle of the Tenaru. And is actually not too bad all things considered.
The battle was one of the first on Guadalcanal, and was the result of an advance IJA detachment led by Colonel Ichiki and about 900 men being landed without most of their heavy weapons by IJN destroyers. They were landed on the far East side of the USMC perimeter around the airfield at Lunga Point. The idea was at least seemingly or supposed to be that he would use these men to fix the location and strength of the US presence, and await the remainder of his men. Ichiki however seems both to have been very much an aggressive commander, who had been involved in the Marco Polo Bridge incident, and despite the cliché a victim of Victory Disease. So the plan then becomes for his force to find and attack the indeterminately sized US forces, and why not? In Malaysia, the Philippines, and almost everywhere else Western infantry even dug in had been defeated by bold aggressive infiltration tactics.
So the plan goes into motion, but he runs into elements from the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the First Marines dug in on the far side of the Tenaru River. No matter, a quick attack supported by what weapons he has will either push them back, or open up gaps to flow throw to flank them, so across the open ground they go. And this time they both don't break, and don't allow for flanking maneuvers to push them out. Two successive waves that both try closing quickly to close combat, and try flanking (even by wading through the surf on the beach), are cut down by machine gun and artillery fire. While a Marine counterattack pushes across the river and traps the remainder of Ichiki's men in a pocket of their own after his unwillingness or inability to retreat. By morning with the help of more artillery and even some tanks the entire detachment is virtually wiped out with a few dozen breaking through to rejoin his rear element.
The battle was certainly not an example of a Banzai Charge or anything like that. But is a good example of what happens when the IJA's common tactics of light infantry and infiltration are stripped of many of the few support weapons they did commonly have, have room to maneuver taken away, and decide to attack even into the face of a prepared foe armed with heavy weapons.
Other incidents in the episode also roughly depict the battles aftermath, including the killing of USN Corpsmen by wounded IJA soldiers.
Anyone mind posting an askhistorians link to sonething regarding the Russians sending waves of men to slaughter?
Tried searching Russian myth. Really appreciate it, my favorite sub by far.