America: A TL Retold
- Thread starter herricks
- Start date
The Germans can probably get Palestine back if they win. First, they need to knock Italy out of the war. If they do, then they can probably get Britain to the negotiating table for status quo ante.
You Tell Them I'm Coming, And Hell's Coming With Me
The Battle of Harbin had so far caused nearly 750,000 casualties thus far. Winter wa fast approaching in Manchuria and both sides were hoping that they could end the engagement in their favor before years end. On September 22 with an influx on 120,000 troops Japan moved to break through Russia's western flank along the Dasihai River. Russian lines had been softened by a large chemical and conventional bombardment. Within five hours Japanese troops had broken through the lines and were moving fast to get into the Russian rear. For three days the lines west of Harbin became fluid again as Russian and Japanese troops battled one another. Russia had been preparing its own offensive here though and had been bringing in reinforcements too. On September 27 Russian launched a counteroffensive out of Zhaodong with three fresh divisions. The Japanese soldiers involved in the offensive were exhausted from the constant battling that had occurred since they crossed the Dasihai and Russia was able to break through their lines. In just over twenty-four hours the Russians had broke through the Japanese arm cutting off over 85,000 troops which were relentlessly pounded and gassed until the remainder surrendered two weeks later. By then the Russian counteroffensive had crossed the Dasihai themselves and were driving Japan back. Japan was moving troops to stop the Russian advance. That was when on October 9 a second offensive by Russia began east of the city began with 100,000 troop crossing the Songhua at Bayan. With many Japanese troops trying to halt the Dasihai advance the crossing of the Songhua the Russians were able to break through with relative ease. Fearing that they could lose an entire army if the Russian advance wasn't stopped they ordered the withdrawal from Harbin on October 16 and withdrew to Wuchang. The Battle of Harbin had finally came to an end in a major Russian victory.
At the Battle of Kalay soldiers of the British Empire were desperately trying to halt the Japanese advance towards India. For over a month the two sides bitterly fought one another for control of the city. Though they tried hard, the Allies were not able to hold Japan back and on October 1 they were forced to withdraw. Now within striking distance of India and Japan quickly prepared to push the front over the border. On October 19 they began moving towards the Indian border and reaching it ten days later. Japan had hoped that by invading India they would show Britain that continuing to fight was fruitless. The Indians however were now fighting harder than ever. By November 20 the front had barely reached Serchhip and it was here that the Allies tried to make another stand.
The Allies in New Guinea were outnumbered more than 3-1. Despite these odds the ANZAC's and other Allied troops were fighting like cornered animals. For weeks the Battle of Port Moresby was fought in and around the city leaving the area completely destroyed. While so far the Japanese had been held back the Allies knew that they were on borrowed time and were just hoping that they could hold on long enough for the navy to return. On September 21 an Allied naval force on three fleet carriers, four escort carriers, six battleships, two battlecruisers, fourteen cruisers, twenty-four destroyers, and thirty submarines sailed towards the Torres Straits to try and drive Japan from the region. This time around the Allies outnumbered Japan where it counted, in the air where the escort carriers gave them a leg up and under the sea where Japan only had eighteen subs. The Second Battle of Torres Strait began less than an hour before sunset when a pack of three Allied submarines sunk a destroyer and the battleship Mutso. Throughout the night the two sides moved closer as scout ships looked for the other fleet and as the sun rose both had their aircraft in the skies. Japan was the first to spot the others fleet and at 7am began to attack. With the escort carriers however the Allies had far more fighters in the air which protected the carriers though they sunk the battlecruiser HMS Repulse hitting it with three bombs and two torpedoes. An hour later the Allies found Japan's fleet and began their own attack. Though the Japanese put up a stiff defense this first attack sunk one carrier and temporarily decommissioned a second leaving only one operational carrier until that evening. This greatly turned the odds in the Allies favor. By the end of the second day the Japanese fleet was crippled and withdrawing from the field of battle with Allied aircraft attacking them into the night.
The Second Battle of Torres Strait was a tremendous victory for the Allies who had sunk all of Japan's carriers and three of its battleships and battlecruisers with over 5500 dead to the Allies the only capital ships lost were an escort carrier a battlecruiser and a battleship with 1800 dead. With the sea routes to New Guinea open again Allied forces finally began receiving support. This wasn't enough though to turn the tide though however, the Allies ground forces weren't on their own anymore. With ships moving around the clock nearly all of the 40,000 Allied troops were evacuated back to Australia by the end of October.
The Battle of Timor was a bloodbath as the two sides basically leveled the island. Despite the Allies best attempts Japan was still moving forward albeit slowly. By mid October the Allies territory was down to less than 150 square miles around Kupang. Japan could smell blood in the air and began hitting harder than ever to try to break and destroy them. On November 1 however it was finally decided to cut their losses and abandon the island. For a week warships moved in and out of Kupang evacuating over 50,000 men and ending the Battle of Timor on November 9.
The US's declaration that everything east of the 175th meridian neutral to all military activity was seen in Tokyo as a slap in the face to Japan. That being said they had been abiding by this albeit just barely. Japan however had also been beating their chest at the US with its ships moving through American territory west of the neutral lines, planes buzzing American ships, and so on. There was a growing fear in Washington that whether the US waned it or not war would eventually come to America. As a precaution President Smith ordered ships from its Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego fleets to be sent to bolster the navy's Alaska squadron in Anchorage, the Central Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, and the Asiatic Fleet at Guam and other islands of the Marianas in early September.
This move by the Americans would only rise tensions with Japan and Tokyo would declare that the strengthening of the Asiatic Fleet was a threat to Japanese influence. Washington ignored these calls stating that what they did in their own territorial borders was none of Japan's concern. Though Japan blew and hollered nothing openly hostile was done against the US. Though there were tensions the US was still at peace and as the holiday season neared men and women even in these far flung bases got ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with their family and friends.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, many men in the military that weren't away on leave were off duty for the day to spend time with their family. Shortly after sunrise American sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines were sleeping in enjoying their holiday time. Many hardly heard the low hum of aircraft and those that did were sure they were American and were just glad they weren't those unlucky soles stuck on duty. At 730am Hawaii time the American carrier USS Ranger exploded into a fiery inferno as a 350lb Japanese bomb plowed through her deck and ignited the aviation fuel on it.
Within minutes hundreds of Japanese aircraft were attacking the Americans at Anchorage, Guam, and Hawaii with Hawaii being by far the largest strike force. Dive and torpedo bombers were attacking American ships and airfields mostly while planes loaded with chemical dropped their inhumane cargo on barracks as well as the cities themselves. The three places were a mass of panic and carnage. As men tried their hardest to get to their stations hundreds were gunned down by Japanese fighters. Those that could reach their ships and battle stations did what they could to light up the sky and take down as many Japanese aircraft as possible. Though many American aircraft and landing strips were destroyed in the attack, a total of 87 aircraft managed to get off the ground and shoot 111 of the 136 Japanese aircraft shot down. By that afternoon the attack was over and 2 fleet carriers, 3 escort carriers, nine battleships, 8 cruisers, seven destroyers, and 301 aircraft were either sunk/destroyed or severely damaged. On top of that the US had suffered nearly 13,000 military casualties (including almost 10,000 dead) and 1800 civilian casualties (including 1350 dead).
Behind the naval and air attacks Japanese invasion forces were moving on American territory, as well as the Russian Aleutians. Though many island chains would fall without much of a fight, it would take a week to subdue Guam, ten days for Unalaska, and two weeks to capture Anchorage where Japan would land nearly two divisions to hold the area.
News of the attacks on Guam, Pearl Harbor, and Anchorage and subsequent invasions both shocked and enraged the nation. The next morning in an emergency session of congress President Smith asked Congress for a declaration of war against Japan which would vote for war almost unanimously with the only vote against coming from pacifist Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin from Montana. After just over two years of avoiding the global conflict the United States was at war.
The Battle of Harbin had so far caused nearly 750,000 casualties thus far. Winter wa fast approaching in Manchuria and both sides were hoping that they could end the engagement in their favor before years end. On September 22 with an influx on 120,000 troops Japan moved to break through Russia's western flank along the Dasihai River. Russian lines had been softened by a large chemical and conventional bombardment. Within five hours Japanese troops had broken through the lines and were moving fast to get into the Russian rear. For three days the lines west of Harbin became fluid again as Russian and Japanese troops battled one another. Russia had been preparing its own offensive here though and had been bringing in reinforcements too. On September 27 Russian launched a counteroffensive out of Zhaodong with three fresh divisions. The Japanese soldiers involved in the offensive were exhausted from the constant battling that had occurred since they crossed the Dasihai and Russia was able to break through their lines. In just over twenty-four hours the Russians had broke through the Japanese arm cutting off over 85,000 troops which were relentlessly pounded and gassed until the remainder surrendered two weeks later. By then the Russian counteroffensive had crossed the Dasihai themselves and were driving Japan back. Japan was moving troops to stop the Russian advance. That was when on October 9 a second offensive by Russia began east of the city began with 100,000 troop crossing the Songhua at Bayan. With many Japanese troops trying to halt the Dasihai advance the crossing of the Songhua the Russians were able to break through with relative ease. Fearing that they could lose an entire army if the Russian advance wasn't stopped they ordered the withdrawal from Harbin on October 16 and withdrew to Wuchang. The Battle of Harbin had finally came to an end in a major Russian victory.
At the Battle of Kalay soldiers of the British Empire were desperately trying to halt the Japanese advance towards India. For over a month the two sides bitterly fought one another for control of the city. Though they tried hard, the Allies were not able to hold Japan back and on October 1 they were forced to withdraw. Now within striking distance of India and Japan quickly prepared to push the front over the border. On October 19 they began moving towards the Indian border and reaching it ten days later. Japan had hoped that by invading India they would show Britain that continuing to fight was fruitless. The Indians however were now fighting harder than ever. By November 20 the front had barely reached Serchhip and it was here that the Allies tried to make another stand.
The Allies in New Guinea were outnumbered more than 3-1. Despite these odds the ANZAC's and other Allied troops were fighting like cornered animals. For weeks the Battle of Port Moresby was fought in and around the city leaving the area completely destroyed. While so far the Japanese had been held back the Allies knew that they were on borrowed time and were just hoping that they could hold on long enough for the navy to return. On September 21 an Allied naval force on three fleet carriers, four escort carriers, six battleships, two battlecruisers, fourteen cruisers, twenty-four destroyers, and thirty submarines sailed towards the Torres Straits to try and drive Japan from the region. This time around the Allies outnumbered Japan where it counted, in the air where the escort carriers gave them a leg up and under the sea where Japan only had eighteen subs. The Second Battle of Torres Strait began less than an hour before sunset when a pack of three Allied submarines sunk a destroyer and the battleship Mutso. Throughout the night the two sides moved closer as scout ships looked for the other fleet and as the sun rose both had their aircraft in the skies. Japan was the first to spot the others fleet and at 7am began to attack. With the escort carriers however the Allies had far more fighters in the air which protected the carriers though they sunk the battlecruiser HMS Repulse hitting it with three bombs and two torpedoes. An hour later the Allies found Japan's fleet and began their own attack. Though the Japanese put up a stiff defense this first attack sunk one carrier and temporarily decommissioned a second leaving only one operational carrier until that evening. This greatly turned the odds in the Allies favor. By the end of the second day the Japanese fleet was crippled and withdrawing from the field of battle with Allied aircraft attacking them into the night.
The Second Battle of Torres Strait was a tremendous victory for the Allies who had sunk all of Japan's carriers and three of its battleships and battlecruisers with over 5500 dead to the Allies the only capital ships lost were an escort carrier a battlecruiser and a battleship with 1800 dead. With the sea routes to New Guinea open again Allied forces finally began receiving support. This wasn't enough though to turn the tide though however, the Allies ground forces weren't on their own anymore. With ships moving around the clock nearly all of the 40,000 Allied troops were evacuated back to Australia by the end of October.
The Battle of Timor was a bloodbath as the two sides basically leveled the island. Despite the Allies best attempts Japan was still moving forward albeit slowly. By mid October the Allies territory was down to less than 150 square miles around Kupang. Japan could smell blood in the air and began hitting harder than ever to try to break and destroy them. On November 1 however it was finally decided to cut their losses and abandon the island. For a week warships moved in and out of Kupang evacuating over 50,000 men and ending the Battle of Timor on November 9.
The US's declaration that everything east of the 175th meridian neutral to all military activity was seen in Tokyo as a slap in the face to Japan. That being said they had been abiding by this albeit just barely. Japan however had also been beating their chest at the US with its ships moving through American territory west of the neutral lines, planes buzzing American ships, and so on. There was a growing fear in Washington that whether the US waned it or not war would eventually come to America. As a precaution President Smith ordered ships from its Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego fleets to be sent to bolster the navy's Alaska squadron in Anchorage, the Central Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, and the Asiatic Fleet at Guam and other islands of the Marianas in early September.
This move by the Americans would only rise tensions with Japan and Tokyo would declare that the strengthening of the Asiatic Fleet was a threat to Japanese influence. Washington ignored these calls stating that what they did in their own territorial borders was none of Japan's concern. Though Japan blew and hollered nothing openly hostile was done against the US. Though there were tensions the US was still at peace and as the holiday season neared men and women even in these far flung bases got ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with their family and friends.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, many men in the military that weren't away on leave were off duty for the day to spend time with their family. Shortly after sunrise American sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines were sleeping in enjoying their holiday time. Many hardly heard the low hum of aircraft and those that did were sure they were American and were just glad they weren't those unlucky soles stuck on duty. At 730am Hawaii time the American carrier USS Ranger exploded into a fiery inferno as a 350lb Japanese bomb plowed through her deck and ignited the aviation fuel on it.
Within minutes hundreds of Japanese aircraft were attacking the Americans at Anchorage, Guam, and Hawaii with Hawaii being by far the largest strike force. Dive and torpedo bombers were attacking American ships and airfields mostly while planes loaded with chemical dropped their inhumane cargo on barracks as well as the cities themselves. The three places were a mass of panic and carnage. As men tried their hardest to get to their stations hundreds were gunned down by Japanese fighters. Those that could reach their ships and battle stations did what they could to light up the sky and take down as many Japanese aircraft as possible. Though many American aircraft and landing strips were destroyed in the attack, a total of 87 aircraft managed to get off the ground and shoot 111 of the 136 Japanese aircraft shot down. By that afternoon the attack was over and 2 fleet carriers, 3 escort carriers, nine battleships, 8 cruisers, seven destroyers, and 301 aircraft were either sunk/destroyed or severely damaged. On top of that the US had suffered nearly 13,000 military casualties (including almost 10,000 dead) and 1800 civilian casualties (including 1350 dead).
Behind the naval and air attacks Japanese invasion forces were moving on American territory, as well as the Russian Aleutians. Though many island chains would fall without much of a fight, it would take a week to subdue Guam, ten days for Unalaska, and two weeks to capture Anchorage where Japan would land nearly two divisions to hold the area.
News of the attacks on Guam, Pearl Harbor, and Anchorage and subsequent invasions both shocked and enraged the nation. The next morning in an emergency session of congress President Smith asked Congress for a declaration of war against Japan which would vote for war almost unanimously with the only vote against coming from pacifist Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin from Montana. After just over two years of avoiding the global conflict the United States was at war.
Best line from the best modern western in film history for chapter title on Americas entry into the war? I like it!
I was looking to use a doc holiday line originally but thought this one fit better
The Japanese have clearly gone insane. They were on a roll but chose to bring America into the fight. Idiots! The Germans need to cut them loose, plus see if they can make peace with the British and Italians. Or get France on their side.
Love the title! The US is going to get North Borneo and the Philippines back. I hope post-war Japan will be a US ally (and keeps Formosa)
Love the title! The US is going to get North Borneo and the Philippines back. I hope post-war Japan will be a US ally (and keeps Formosa)
Just because they're fighting the same people as OTL doesn't necessarily mean everything else will go the same. everyone is fighting who they are fighting because it's a means to an end on what is going to happen in the world after this war is over. I'm sorry you don't like what is going on right now but if that's all that it takes to make you not want to follow anymore bye bye then.
Um good question. I actually forgot about it haha. I'll do something over it in the next Pacific post
If Japan can actually get China to fight on its side in exchange for land at the expense of the Russians then it could make up for the Battle of Harbin
I haven't decided if I want China to officially join either side at least before a clear Victor is shown to them. unlike my last tl, except for being a battleground China hasn't really had a significant part in this one. granted there are Chinese fighting, both Russia and Japan have tens if thousands of "volunteers" filing their ranks in manchuria
Actually I think Japan would think they're in a better position than OTL . sure they were fighting Russia but it didn't have many more troops tied up than China did OTL. and they didn't the US and Britain at the same time. they've been fighting Britain for about a year going forward the whole time. right now just about the only thing left in the area is India, Australia, and new Zealand and Japan is moving into India now. idk could be wrong but it seems that they'd think at least that they were in a much better position
Plus the Philippines and Indochina are under their control already. If the Japanese are smart they'd recruit soldiers from both and use them in battle or as anti-partisan/logistic duty to free up other Japanese troops.
As I've stated before, Germany should drop Japan, make peace with the British, and bring France into the war on their side (give them the Belgian territories they had taken, they need the manpower).
Well, OTL they weren't facing the Soviets in China on top of the Kuomintang and and the Communists. In the South they are facing a much harsher fight than they did OTL against a much more competent Imperialist Europe. More importantly, the two military branches shouldn't have as much a hold they have on the Imperial Diet as they did OTL, and said Diet wouldn't sign off on bringing the US into the war if they had any brain cells.