TL-191: Yankee Joe - Uniforms, Weapons, and Vehicles of the U.S. Armed Forces

[cortz#9]

There's a new thread up about "The Race" invading the world of TL-191 https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/the-race-invade-timeline-191-southern-victory.466944/
Thought some of you here might find it interesting.

 

[kio]

Seriously!? I thought it was just something from some tabletop game or dieselpunk world.

Yea, its super cool! It's called the VsKfz 617

 

[pattontank12]

So would this be a Confederate or Union submachine gun?

 

[Alterwright]

Death Rider --- USS Dakota --- The Great War (1914-1917)

^^^ --- USS Dakota (BB-39) --- by @Undeadmuffin

If you'd like a full description of the ship, her specifications, and her service history from 1914-1917, you can go here.

 

[rob2001]

She looks good.

 

[Alterwright]

She looks good.

Intentionally a bit different due to the tripod masts, but in many ways she is essentially OTL USS Nevada, with "standard-type" features on display.

 

[pattontank12]

Yankee Infantry

 

[pattontank12]

How are these for a late SGW era Union Assault Rifle?

 

[cortz#9]

How are these for a late SGW era Union Assault Rifle?

Pretty cool. I especially like the carbine, would cooler with a folding stock.

 

[pattontank12]

Pretty cool. I especially like the carbine, would cooler with a folding stock.

It kinda reminds me of the Thompson Submachine Gun.

 

[cortz#9]

It kinda reminds me of the Thompson Submachine Gun.

Reminds me of the FN FAL a bit.

 

[RaspingLeech]

I'm not sure that - assuming the concept exists in largely the same way as IRL - assault rifles would be adopted by the US that quickly, let alone by the end of the war. I could see something more like the development of the FAL with a rifle derived from the TAR or a Union copy, but not until the late 40s/early 50s. I don't think the term "assault rifles" would exist either. Assuming Germany still develops the concept like they did, they would likely keep the term Machinenkarabiner since I'm not sure Sturmgewehr would exist without Hitler. Machine Carbine could be remain the term for both assault and battle rifles here, but I guess that's more personal opinion.

 

[pattontank12]

I'm not sure that - assuming the concept exists in largely the same way as IRL - assault rifles would be adopted by the US that quickly, let alone by the end of the war. I could see something more like the development of the FAL with a rifle derived from the TAR or a Union copy, but not until the late 40s/early 50s. I don't think the term "assault rifles" would exist either. Assuming Germany still develops the concept like they did, they would likely keep the term Machinenkarabiner since I'm not sure Sturmgewehr would exist without Hitler. Machine Carbine could be remain the term for both assault and battle rifles here, but I guess that's more personal opinion.

I'd say it would be an experimental weapon with some prototypes being developed during the final months but never seeing actual combat or mass production till later in the 40's.

 

[pattontank12]

You know I just realized that the traditionally the majority of America's military officers hailed from the South and since that obviously wouldn't be possible in 191 I'm wondering what states or regions in the Union would take up the slack?

 

[cortz#9]

You know I just realized that the traditionally the majority of America's military officers hailed from the South and since that obviously wouldn't be possible in 191 I'm wondering what states or regions in the Union would take up the slack?

Good question. Where was Morrel supposed to be from?

 

[Pelranius]

You know I just realized that the traditionally the majority of America's military officers hailed from the South and since that obviously wouldn't be possible in 191 I'm wondering what states or regions in the Union would take up the slack?

New England?

 

[Historyman 14]

You know I just realized that the traditionally the majority of America's military officers hailed from the South and since that obviously wouldn't be possible in 191 I'm wondering what states or regions in the Union would take up the slack?

Good question. Where was Morrel supposed to be from?

New England?

Pennsylvania to me seem to be one of the states where an lot of officers would come from. (OTL, Pennsylvania is one of the main sources of troops and supplies, and more Medals of Honor where awarded to Pennsylvanians then people from any other state. Between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, this would be the case even more so.)

 

[pattontank12]

Pennsylvania to me seem to be one of the states where an lot of officers would come from. (OTL, Pennsylvania is one of the main sources of troops and supplies, and more Medals of Honor where awarded to Pennsylvanians then people from any other state. Between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, this would be the case even more so.)

New England?

Both Pennsylvania and New England definitely seem like solid candidates for the back bone of the Union's officer corps. There might be a second center for officer recruitment out west, mainly because you'd want some officers to help deal with the Mormons, Mexico and Japan.

 

[Polish Eagle]

The need for the US to maintain a large standing army means that, inevitably, there will be heavy recruitment among immigrant Irish, Italians, Poles, and Jews into the lower ranks. To smooth out ethnic tensions (perhaps with the memory of the San Patricios of the First Mexican War in mind, men who defected to Mexico in protest of the war and of ethnoreligious discrimination by their WASP officers), that also implies that you'd want to draw some officers from their ranks--so you might see comparatively more of those groups represented among the officers, at least in the lower ranks. The US's alignment with the Central Powers might also lead them to imitate the Austro-Hungarian method of using the army as a sort of national school. Democratic Party political machines like Tammany might even find a way to use West Point admission as a party perk.

So New York and Illinois will also be picking up some of the slack.

 

[pattontank12]

Early Mid War Yankee Joe SGW

The need for the US to maintain a large standing army means that, inevitably, there will be heavy recruitment among immigrant Irish, Italians, Poles, and Jews into the lower ranks. To smooth out ethnic tensions (perhaps with the memory of the San Patricios of the First Mexican War in mind, men who defected to Mexico in protest of the war and of ethnoreligious discrimination by their WASP officers), that also implies that you'd want to draw some officers from their ranks--so you might see comparatively more of those groups represented among the officers, at least in the lower ranks. The US's alignment with the Central Powers might also lead them to imitate the Austro-Hungarian method of using the army as a sort of national school. Democratic Party political machines like Tammany might even find a way to use West Point admission as a party perk.

So New York and Illinois will also be picking up some of the slack.

It would make sense for the Union to pick up some notions from Austro-Hungary, since they would have been their biggest ally outside of Germany during the FGW and before.

The Pacific and Rocky Mountain regions would probably have a more significant presence than OTL with the Army wanting plenty of local officers readily available to help deal with the Japanese, Mormons and Canadian military or rebels depending on the time period. Perhaps there could be dedicated regions military sectors and commands in Tl-191?