The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945

by John Toland

Their findings revealed that the situation was more critical than anyone had realized. Every aspect of Japanese life, civilian as well as military, was affected by the lack of basic raw materials. Steel production was less than 100,000 tons per month, two thirds below the official estimate. Similarly, aircraft production had dropped to a third of its quota because of shortages in aluminum and bauxite, and lack of coal had curtailed munitions production by 50 percent. Shipping was down to 1,000,000 tons, and the entire transportation system was crippled by fuel shortages and lack of manpower to handle cargo. The Sakomizu report predicted that in weeks there would be no rail transportation between cities, construction of steel ships would end and the chemical industry would collapse.