US Atlantic Insular Territories

In our history, the US claimed several smaller atrategically located islands in the Pacific. Your challenge is to apply the situation to the Atlantic (think the Canaries, Cape Verde, Azores, etc).

DominusNovus said:

In our history, the US claimed several smaller atrategically located islands in the Pacific. Your challenge is to apply the situation to the Atlantic (think the Canaries, Cape Verde, Azores, etc).

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World War I saw the US purchase the Danish West Indies (US Virgin Islands) because of a fear of the Germans getting their hands on it and using them for submarine bases to threaten the East Coast and Panama Canal. Perhaps the US goes on a buying spree and purchases the Azores from Portugal as well under the same logic?

World War II saw the US enter Azores with military bases (US Navy still has a squadron there) and Lajes Field still provides vital refueling on flights to Europe and the Middle East. Perhaps in ATL Portugal doesn't feel it can simply lease base rights because Franco might use that as pretext to invade (even though that's unlikely Franco will) and so Portugal rather sells the Azores.

Likewise in WWII the US took protectorate status over Greenland and Iceland, perhaps in ATL Iceland and Greenland petition to become commonwealth with the USA similar to OTL Puerto Rico.

The Spanish fortified the Canary Islands believing in 1898 that a US attack was likely during the Spanish-American War. What if that attack did come?

Cape Verde had been visited by American colonial whaling ships as early 1700s and American ships continued in the 1790s to trade for salt and slaves. What if instead of Liberia the American Colonial Society picks Cape Verde instead under Portuguese protection? Either the US or the ACS could buy Cape Verde outright or it can wait until Grant's plan of buying the Dominican Republic is sidelined because of scandal (as in OTL) but a compromise to purchase Cape Verde from Portugal instead (legally and without kickbacks)?

Bermuda- US Revolution, the South Carolina militia navy with some army officers leading the way as support as proto-marines takes the islands. South Carolina makes the claim of being the birthplace of the Marine Corp.

Actually, its the air force that has a base at Lajes, and even that is closing down soon.

Canaries could be taken/bought in Spanish-American war, Madeira and Azores sold to prevent use by Axis in WWII, Bahamas, Bermuda, Trinidad, Falklands, South Georgia, and/or Jamaica given to US as part of collateral for Lend-Lease, and referendum or outright purchase gives US Iceland and Canada. For uber-wank, somehow Canadian maritime provinces fall to US orbit in early 1970s after Quebec secession referendum

I wonder if the Canaries really were a feasible conquest or purchase in the context of 1898. Perhaps Spain and the local population could have put up effective resistance. Even leaving the Spanish aside, the Americans would know trying to make a foothold would create a hostage to British or French (or even German or Italian or Russian) goodwill.

If we suppose the islands could be secured by a reasonable level of effort, would possession bring abouut any commercial advantages for the US or its merchant marine? Or does it just shift the cost for maintaining infrastructure o transatlantic routes onto American shoulders for no corresponding gain.

Same factors are all really applicable to the Portuguese Atlantic territories or Danish as well.

I should point out, with the mention of the Candian Maritime provinces, that I'm stictly asking about those islands that are small emough that they only really matter for their location.

Possibility, re: Portuguese possessions: Franco-ist Spin joins the Axis, opening up an Iberian Front, which drags Portugal in.

The US Navy did contingency plan for at least temporarily seizing the Canary Islands during the 1890's, in the run up to the Spanish American War.

A relief force from Spain would consume most of its coal simply in crossing the Atlantic and thus would be in no position to engage American naval forces. Although the present strength of the U.S. Navy was sufficient to meet and defeat any fleet arriving from Spain, the Board called for the purchase of a number of small fast steamers to enforce the blockade. Finally, the European Squadron should be reinforced by ships from the U.S. and the Asiatic Squadron, and together operate against the Spanish coast after capturing the Canary Islands as an advance base.

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Although the Board rejected the idea of trying to capture the Canary Islands, it recommended the formation of a flying squadron consisting of two armored cruisers and two commerce destroyers to operate on the coast of Spain in order to detain Spanish ships in home waters.

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Ultimately, US success against both Spanish fleets in the Philippines and then Cuba, kind of rendered the Canary operation moot.

FWIW, The British, Germans, & US had contingency plans covering the acquisition of the Azores, Canary Islands, Iceland, & Greenland (and in the German's case - Bermuda & Ascension Island too)

I couldn't find a reference, but did any country have any "steel navy era" plans for acquiring Madeira by any means?