Great to see you and this thread back.
Have you started publishing your novels yet and by the sounds of it I'll be doing some kitbashing for a couple of Finnish AFVs or aircraft from your TL.
What If - Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?
- Thread starter CanKiwi
- Start date
Great to see you and this thread back.
Have you started publishing your novels yet and by the sounds of it I'll be doing some kitbashing for a couple of Finnish AFVs or aircraft from your TL.
Hey, good to chat again
- I'd written a lot of draft material, but going back over it, I really need to rewrite to bring the standard up. The last two of three of years of pretty much ghost-writing has really helped, and I look back at what I'd drafted and go, hmmmmm, re-write needed! The general outline stays the same, but I'm working through a much more detailed plot arc right now. I'm going to start with the actual Winter War series, and move ahead with those.
BlackDragon98
Banned
Finland has a wealth of natural resources like lumber, minerals, and fish. It still does.
What if, during the 1930s, Nazi Germany offered up a win-win trade deal with the Finns.
The Finns sell lumber, minerals, and fish to the Germans in exchange for weapons and eventually, when Germany realizes, machine tools for licensed production of various weapons. There would be a small cash payment as a deposit or something and the rest of the cost of the weapons would be paid for using lumber, minerals, and fish (mostly minerals though).
Maybe the Germans could even open a arctic warfare school up in Lapland for their Gebirgsjagers and other troops. In return the Finns would get access to German panzers, most likely the Panzer I, II, and 35(t).
What if, during the 1930s, Nazi Germany offered up a win-win trade deal with the Finns.
The Finns sell lumber, minerals, and fish to the Germans in exchange for weapons and eventually, when Germany realizes, machine tools for licensed production of various weapons. There would be a small cash payment as a deposit or something and the rest of the cost of the weapons would be paid for using lumber, minerals, and fish (mostly minerals though).
Maybe the Germans could even open a arctic warfare school up in Lapland for their Gebirgsjagers and other troops. In return the Finns would get access to German panzers, most likely the Panzer I, II, and 35(t).
Win-win trade with Gb too.
GB experimented and provided aerial technology including that of wooden aircraft building leading to DH Mosquito.
Germany experimented and exported tank destroyer and assault gun technology including panzerjager I, marder 2 and hetzer. In the big picture, Germany exported tank destroyers or refitted old belligerent tanks to tank destroyer (Italian, Hungarian and Romanian) by belligerent factories (Czech, Finnish, Italian factory)
Finland proved capable to refit captured Soviet BT tank to assault gun so Germany shall concentrate on refitting technology of armored vehicles when dealing with co-belligerents. Capable nations -- Italy and Hungary --- shall develop their own tanks while Germany shall take in ideas and requests from other with weaker industrial capabilities --- Finland, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria -- to develop a general purpose tank for export purpose.
Mittlerer Kampfwagen fuer Ausland: The MKA can be best described as a curious crossover between an early Panzer III and Panzer IV, designed to be exported overseas, only one prototype was built before the project was cancelled. The origin of the Mittlerer Kampfwagen fuer Ausland (MKA) can be traced all the way back to 1935, Krupp and Daimler-Benz were competing for a production contract that would become the Panzer III. The Daimler-Benz’s design proved to be more favourable, Panzer III Ausf. A, but Krupp still felt their design was worthy and it would become the MKA.
For Finland, Finland would have panzerjager I and MKA to begin the Winter War.
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BlackDragon98
Banned
Interesting stuff.
I never knew the Germans ever developed tanks specifically for export.
Would it be possible to make a general purpose tank that would be the Merkava (Israeli) for all belligerent nations other than Germany, Czech and Italy? For Finland, Hungary, Romania, capable crews were few so their survivals were the most important to operate new vehicles and pass combat experience onto new soldiers and crews.
I was thinking of a 20 plus tons crossover of Sd.Kfz half track IFVs and early versions of panzer 3 and 4, italian M11/40, Czech 35t and 38t, Romanian French R35 and capture BT tanks during the Spanish Civil War.
1) BT provided the cross country capability
2) R35 the slope armor
3) 35t, 38t ease of operation without sacrificing combat effectiveness
4) Panzer 3 and 4 provide chassis and armor
5) M11/40 ease of manufacture.
6) Sd.Kfz capable of taking passengers.
Obviously the engineering capabilities would be much needed. Germany would be the good candidate while co-belligerent nations (not Italy, Czech or Hungary) concentrate on refit and repair.
If time table could be rushed without sacrifice, Finland could field panzerjager 1 and this general purpose tank which would see its first combat.
I was thinking of a 20 plus tons crossover of Sd.Kfz half track IFVs and early versions of panzer 3 and 4, italian M11/40, Czech 35t and 38t, Romanian French R35 and capture BT tanks during the Spanish Civil War.
1) BT provided the cross country capability
2) R35 the slope armor
3) 35t, 38t ease of operation without sacrificing combat effectiveness
4) Panzer 3 and 4 provide chassis and armor
5) M11/40 ease of manufacture.
6) Sd.Kfz capable of taking passengers.
Obviously the engineering capabilities would be much needed. Germany would be the good candidate while co-belligerent nations (not Italy, Czech or Hungary) concentrate on refit and repair.
If time table could be rushed without sacrifice, Finland could field panzerjager 1 and this general purpose tank which would see its first combat.
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Well, about GB, I meant GB would exploit Finnish lumber resources and vast inhabited landmass for wooden general purpose aircraft testing. Finland would like the 3 versions for night fighter and trainer, fighter-bomber for ground attack and tactical support, and photo-reconnaissance, night bomber and especially torpedo-bomber in operation in the Gulf of Finland, the Barents Sea and the white sea.
Given in the OTL that Finnish aircraft craftmanship could refit captured and donated military aircrafts and the aircrews made good use of the refitted, would Finland get licenses to build those three versions of Mosquito -- for example.