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Admiral Beez
Major
Yes, as I said, refuted.
Those posts required a hypothetically earlier start of both Canadian-made Valentines and Hurricanes.
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Yes, as I said, refuted.
FDR was forced into the European war by Hitler's declaration of war on the USA on Dec 11, 1941. I'm not convinced that FDR would have joined The European war at all otherwise. Instead, as the new arms dealer to the world and apparent king maker, the USA will sit back and provide the weapons and fuel the Europeans need to destroy one another.
Germany will still lose in Russia and North Africa, as US-provided arms will make sure the British and Russians have the necessary kit to send the Axis packing. The big problem for Europe, is without D-Day and American boots on the ground in Europe, after taking Berlin, Russia is going to march right to the English Channel. At that point, if I was Japan, I'd be offering to renew the 1902 relationship with Britain, since Russia will be looking southward for new conquest. But now we're getting into deep alternative history fantasy, so I'll stop here.
Canadian Valentines refuted how?Yes, as I said, refuted.
Those posts required a hypothetically earlier start of both Canadian-made Valentines and Hurricanes.
No, my what'if scenarios on those two links above, they were both debated and refuted, or disproven to have been feasible. I only include them in this discussion because of the mention of Canadian Valentines above.Canadian Valentines refuted how?
Please elaborate
FDR was forced into the European war by Hitler's declaration of war on the USA on Dec 11, 1941. I'm not convinced that FDR would have joined The European war at all otherwise. Instead, as the new arms dealer to the world and apparent king maker, the USA will sit back and provide the weapons and fuel the Europeans need to destroy one another.
FDR was forced into the European war by Hitler's declaration of war on the USA on Dec 11, 1941. I'm not convinced that FDR would have joined The European war at all otherwise. Instead, as the new arms dealer to the world and apparent king maker, the USA will sit back and provide the weapons and fuel the Europeans need to destroy one another.
Germany will still lose in Russia and North Africa, as US-provided arms will make sure the British and Russians have the necessary kit to send the Axis packing. The big problem for Europe, is without D-Day and American boots on the ground in Europe, after taking Berlin, Russia is going to march right to the English Channel. At that point, if I was Japan, I'd be offering to renew the 1902 relationship with Britain, since Russia will be looking southward for new conquest. But now we're getting into deep alternative history fantasy, so I'll stop here.
Thanks. My masterpiece on defence of Malaya is the Great Imperial Railway. I triggered half a dozen contrarians and got myself banned somehow, but they ban many each month there, c'est la vie.I always like your what-ifs, Beez.
At that point, if I was Japan, I'd be offering to renew the 1902 relationship with Britain, since Russia will be looking southward for new conquest. But now we're getting into deep alternative history fantasy, so I'll stop here.
Agreed, but for all their focus on oil, Japan had no plans in place to transport, refine or use the oil once they captured the DEI. During Japan's occupation oil extraction dramatically dropped, and there were few oilers to transport the oil to Japan.it would be harder fought and cost more but the oil was still absolutely necessary. Without it, they're nothing.
But even without losses, the Japanese did not have sufficient oil tanker vessels to transport the DEI oil to their refineries in Japan.Very much so. They also underestimated the US submarine force against their merchant fleet because they saw submarines as being for combat against enemy fleet elements. The US submarines destruction of their merchant marine did as much if not more than any other single element in their loss to the US.
For some reason or another, the IJN gave almost no thought to commerce warfare. Considering that a) they had a long relationship with the RN and b) were reliant on imported raw materials, this seems to be an incredibly basic blunder.But even without losses, the Japanese did not have sufficient oil tanker vessels to transport the DEI oil to their refineries in Japan.
Look here, they didn't start producing new oilers until it was too late, Kawasaki-type oiler - Wikipedia
Japan clearly didn't think this through.
True, but one sinking has such an impact? Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. And this demonstrates how behind Japan was in the scale of its petrochemical engineering industry. Had that been a British or US transport of BP or Standard Oil engineers and equipment sunk there'd be a replacement vessel, personnel and equipment despatched the next day.That was a fortunate hit on the merchant ship carrying equipment and crew for the oilfields (for the Allies). Was it an American torpedo that sank it? I'm not too familiar with that part of the conflict.
Ironically for Japanese desire for oil if only they had known that the Sakhalin Islands might be one of the biggest oil fields ever. I have read that it potentially has 7 billion barrels of oil plus gas.
I doubt the technology existed to exploit the oil fields but it could have made Japan very rich if it had been developed.
Let's give Malaya the Dobbie/Bond requested 500 combat aircraft (likely Mohawks, Buffaloes, Hurricanes, Hudsons, additional Blenheims, plus Beauforts replacing the Vilderbeests), with radar fighter direction (I visited the plotting table In the Battle Box, let's put it to use) and properly located, prepared and defended airfields.
Next, we keep at Malaya all the ships withdrawn in/about Sept 1939 the three heavy cruisers, six light cruisers, twelve destroyers, sixteen sloops, nine minesweepers, sixteen submarines and the monitor HMS Terror plus HMS Hermes and her 12-16 Swordfish.
Next, the 130,000 troops that were in place in Feb 1942 are in place in October 1941. With them are bicycle regiments, mortars, artillery and much of the kit that was needed. Tanks are still unlikely, IMO. And a better pre-war commander, Percival being replaced by Monty or equivalent.
I know the tendency will be to debate the how (clearly there's a much higher assessment of Japanese threat and more accurate predicted timing...) but I'm more interested in the what.... what does Japan do if this force is in place? How will Japanese strategy deal with this? They still need the DEI oil.