[Jim O]

I agree. Not much longer and ultimately the outcome would have been the same.

Japan really never planned to "beat" the US. Their strategy figured that the US would grow tired of a "two ocean war" and negotiate a peace whereby Japan would be able to keep most of what she had captured. The US, on the other hand, insisted on "unconditional surrender". Once the war in Europe was over there would have been overwhelming force placed on Japan. Even without the atomic bombings the war would have ended with Japan's surrender.