I think it is a Myoko class heavy cruiser. The picture is from the OTL attack on Rabaul in November 1943 by Saratoga and Princeton.
Doubt it will be on Midway, most likley if the Japanse have a garrison it will be visited by a lot of shore bombardments from US naval ships and attack by carrier aircraft and even land base bombers from liberated Hawaii.One thing about Honolulu: it would go down as the Marines' first real urban battle in their history.
And once the Central Pacific Campaign gets going, there's going to be a battle similar to OTL's Tarawa, where mistakes made in a successful invasion cost many Marines their lives. It'll happen at either Midway, Wake, Johnston, or Palmyra.
One thing about Honolulu: it would go down as the Marines' first real urban battle in their history.
And once the Central Pacific Campaign gets going, there's going to be a battle similar to OTL's Tarawa, where mistakes made in a successful invasion cost many Marines their lives. It'll happen at either Midway, Wake, Johnston, or Palmyra.
Marines didn't go to the Philippines; Ol' Dugout Doug didn't want them around. Liberation of the Philippines on the ground was an all-Army affair, even though the Aussies offered two divisions to help out. (though he did want 1st Marine Division for Korea-and got it)
Given this is Douglas MacArthur of whom we write, it's quite possible he wanted to make it perfectly clear that this was an ARMY Victory and a US ARMY Victory at that - all the better to wipe away the fact that it was old Douglas & troops who had lost the Philippines in the first place (since MacArthur was almost certainly arrogant enough to pass up useful reinforcements based on pure symbolism).
Given this is Douglas MacArthur of whom we write, it's quite possible he wanted to make it perfectly clear that this was an ARMY Victory and a US ARMY Victory at that - all the better to wipe away the fact that it was old Douglas & troops who had lost the Philippines in the first place (since MacArthur was almost certainly arrogant enough to pass up useful reinforcements based on pure symbolism).
Cause MacArthur. How can he hog the glory for himself if there is a marine commander also getting victories.
Cause MacArthur. How can he hog the glory for himself if there is a marine commander also getting victories.
Also all those leathernecks would make the place untidy!
There is a good ALT novel out there called MacArthur's War: A Novel of the Invasion of Japan Paperback which gives you the feeling reading it that MacArthur only thinks about MacArthur.Jeez I didn't think it would be like that! I knew MacArthur was an egoist, but I guess I didn't realized in carried over into detailed planning for who would get to got the Philippines!
I'm curious now. Did anyone in the Marines offered to be apart of the invasion of the Philippines? Did anyone there push for participation or was that just out of the question? And in fact the possible inclusion of Australians helping out in the invasion really surprises me! I had no idea the Australians offered their help, and with 30,000-50,000 to boot too.
There is a good ALT novel out there called MacArthur's War: A Novel of the Invasion of Japan Paperback which gives you the feeling reading it that MacArthur only thinks about MacArthur.
The Aussies offered their I Corps of two divisions and an armored brigade. One plan had them landing at Aparri, Northern Luzon, and driving south through the Cagayan Valley. That would've denied Yamashita's Army a large rice-growing area, and cut his food supply considerably-reducing them to what they had taken with them or had already prepositioned.