Photos of the Kaiserreich

[Christian]

Movie Poster for Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. The film is based on stories of Nationalist Italy by refugees who managed to escape to the SRI. It is infamous for its graphic showing of sexual assault, violence and degeneracy, particularly the infamous scenes where people are forced to eat feces. It caused quite the stir when it was released in the mid 70's, many of the more conservative members of the Internationale have called for its censorship or banning due to its content, but this is contrasted with others saying that this is a great reminder of the evils of National Populism, with even a few members of the Italian House of Commons raising a few eyebrows by trying to have it be required viewing in their schools, but the idea was shot down as many felt that the movie is too graphic for people who are of school age. Naturally, Nationalist Italy was quite outraged over this movie, with the then Duce Silvio Berlusconi declaring it to be nothing but lies perpetrated by the reds.

 

[S. Marlowski]

The British Syndicalist Aircraft Carrier Paris Commune sinking off the coast of Scotland, May 1st, 1941 as a blow to Syndicalist Morale, the ship was attacked and sunk by German Torpedo Bombers and 2/3 of her crew were lost.

The wreck of the Paris Commune lies several miles off of Scotland and is designated as a War Grave by the Scottish Government.

 

[Deleted member 107125]

A propaganda poster featuring British-Canadian leader Winston Churchill, promoting the Canadian war effort against the CSA.
Churchill was one of the few Canadian leaders to fail at escaping to Australasia and was tried and executed in 1939.

Russian propaganda from WKII.

 

[Deleted member 107125]

Coat of arms of the Russian National People's Democratic Union Party, a neo-Savinkovist, Russian-ultranationalist, neo-Nat-Pop party banned in West Russia and only very recently and contentiously allowed to operate in Siberia. The RNPDU supports Vladimir "Crazy Uncle Voyla" Zhirinovsky (although Zhirinovsky is not a member) and officially blames "separatist traitors" for the fall of the Russian State. Several former leaders of the party have come under fire for various permutations of "Savinkov Did Nothing Wrong" statements.

Flag of the NPDU party.

 

[Deleted member 107125]

Kill it with fire!

 

[Ferd42]

Churchill was rather racist, anti-Semitic

He may well have been racist, but as I understand it he and his family were more Phellio-Semitic than normal for the time, part of the reason for his early anagotism for Nazi Germany

 

[S. Marlowski]

In fact, Churchill was also influential for the creation of the Jewish State of Israel and was a Pro-Zionist, so much so, he was friends with Israel's first Prime Minister Chaim Weizmann.

https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/finest-hour/finest-hour-170/churchill-and-the-jews/

 

[Deleted member 107125]

He may well have been racist, but as I understand it he and his family were more Phellio-Semitic than normal for the time, part of the reason for his early anagotism for Nazi Germany

Well his views on those types of issues were sort of vague.

In fact, Churchill was also influential for the creation of the Jewish State of Israel and was a Pro-Zionist, so much so, he was friends with Israel's first Prime Minister Chaim Weizmann.

https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/finest-hour/finest-hour-170/churchill-and-the-jews/

I see. But his website is quite biased, up to the point where they say he actually was not responsible for the Bengal famine and anyone who says so is biased towards India.
Please don’take This meanly

 

[Baron Steakpuncher]

Well his views on those types of issues were sort of vague.

I see. But his website is quite biased, up to the point where they say he actually was not responsible for the Bengal famine and anyone who says so is biased towards India.
Please don’take This meanly

He was anti semitic but not in the hateful sense, more a "the Jewish people must choose between Zionism and bolshevism" to paraphrase something he said.

 

[B3L]

Pacific States Marines during the Battle of Louisiana, 1939. PSA Generals estimated the liberation of the southern coastal states would take four weeks; Louisiana alone took 4 months to fall, as the hellish swamp conditions and fanatical AUS partisans hiding in the bayous took their toll. Estimated Marine casualties are around 5,000 killed or wounded but many bodies of fallen soldiers were never recovered.

 

[Earthallias]

but many bodies of fallen soldiers were never recovered.

A few of them are probably being poked at by kids by now

 

[B3L]

A few of them are probably being poked at by kids by now

Doubt it, there’s no way the remains would just be left out there intentionally to be desecrated and rotting. Maybe there’s an organization responsible for finding and repatriating remains post-war, like there is IRL

 

[Dutch_Atlantic_13]

There is a lack of the Philippines in this thread. I shall endeavour to fix that.

+++

When the United States of America tore itself apart in its civil war, its protectorates found themselves alone in a world gripped by revolution and war. The Commonwealth of the Philippines was one of those protectorates. Seized by America as a spoil of war from Spain during the Spanish-American War, the Philippines was America's colonial experiment. For decades, the Philippines was under the thumb of the United States who generously provided the island nation tutelage in nation-building with the eventual promise of Independence under the Tydings-Mcduffie Act. The period of American rule referred to as the Commonwealth Period, was generally peaceful and stable.

That all changed when America imploded.

Suddenly, the Philippines found itself two choices. To declare independence and govern as a free nation. Or, wait until 1946, the proposed year of Independence under the Tydings-Mcduffie Act, and perform its obligations as America's 'Little brown brother'. The ones who advocated loyalty argued that America would be grateful for Filipino loyalty and would graciously reward the country should they win. Their arguments were drown out however, by those who advocated Independence. The independence advocates reminded them about the seizure of their Islands by the Americans, of American failure to honor their previous promises of Independence and of how they, all veterans of the Philippine-American War, suffered during the brutal conflict.

The Commonwealth Government butted heads on which route to take until a Filipino politician, Manuel L. Quezon, suggested to try out both options. His suggestion was considered and finally approved by President Emilio Aguinaldo.

Mere weeks after the outbreak of the American Civil War, President Aguinaldo with support from the Philippine Army and Constabulary, declared the Second Philippine Republic. Although independent, he stressed that the Philippines would still honour its obligations towards the United States.

There were a few hurdles towards his declaration. The decision was heavily-criticized by the remaining American forces and the American High Commissioner, Frank Murphy. But as American strength in the islands was a mere shadow of its former self as most of the troops left for America, there was little they could do but begrudgingly acknowledge Filipino independence. Another hurdle were two attempted coups. The first was a syndicalist uprising and a second was an army coup. The syndicalist uprising was quickly dealt with by a combined Filipino-American force. The army coup was also similarly dealt with. The last hurdle was the showing up of not one but two Imperial fleets in Manila Bay. A squadron from the Kaissereich's Ost-Asien fleet and another one from the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Germans had sailed into Manila with a letter recognizing Filipino independence, an offer to join the Reichspakt, and financial/military aid. In exchange, the Republic would have to lease bases and airfields to Germany as well as some other diplomatic hobnobbing. The Japanese also arrived with a similar worded letter though vague and somewhat contradicting.

The arrival of fleets of two rival powers sparked tensions. Thankfully, it was defused by the last high-ranking remaining American Naval officer left in the country who told both fleet commanders in private that "showing off each others guns wouldn't benefit anyone and the last thing the world needed was another World War." The fleet commanders agreed and left, leaving behind a diplomatic team to do the talking for them instead.

With those resolved, the Philippines geared for war.

Members of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to America (PEFTA) present themselves before President Aguinaldo before being sent to America along with the few remaining Federal Battalions.


View attachment 444323
Uniforms of the PEFTA

Members of the Philippine Scouts pose before a cameraman somewhere in the Federal front lines.

The blade that would define Philippine units, the bolo, which was used effectively as both a construction tool and as a weapon of war. CSA and AUS units feared the bolo and most especially its wielders as one AUS soldier commented "Those Filipinos would kill you with those things with a smile."

Philippine Scouts resting after a skirmish during the Liberation of Kentucky.

Philippine Scouts infiltrating an AUS checkpoint in Kentrucky. Note the dead AUS soldier in the lower right.

Philippine Scouts preparing an ambush against an AUS convoy in the Mid-West

The Battle that would define Philippine contributions against Syndicalism and Radicalism, the Battle of the Gap. A unit of the Philippine Scouts defend their position against two attacking forces, the AUS and CSA in a gap contested by the three sides, the 43rd Infantry Regiment attacked first, forcing the initial AUS units to retreat. The Scouts dug in, expecting an AUS counter-attack which happened two days later. The Scouts held their position admirably and forced the AUS to retreat for good. As soon as the AUS was sent whipped, the CSA attacked which nearly drove the 43rd running but a infiltration attack made by the 26th Scout Cavalry Regiment that killed the CSA general saved the Filipinos from being beaten and sent the CSA forces into disarray

The 26th Cavalry regiment infiltrating CSA lines with the help of a Native American tracker who knew paths around the Sydicalists.

The Daredevil Cavalry Charge that turned the tide. The Scouts had discovered, through a defector, that the brass of the CSA army in that area had made a nearby mid-west town as their headquarters. The Scouts immediately acted upon this information and with the help of a Native American Indian, slipped past the CSA lines and made a suicide charge that killed most of the CSA brass. The Scouts who performed the charge were all killed by vengeful CSA militiamen but their sacrifice proved sufficient enough to turn the tide. (Just imagine the Japanese soldiers as CSA militiamen and the Philippine background with that of a Mid-west town)

McArthur, upon hearing their feat, famously remarked "Give me 10.000 Filipino soldiers and I shall conquer the world!"

The American Cincinnatus, McArthur, followed by veterans of the PEFTA marching towards a Congressional hearing debating whether or not the US should consider the Aguinaldo Government as treasonous for having declared independence before the Tydings-Mcduffie Act would grant.

+++

A few minor quips

1. Emilio Aguinaldo would never be voted as President of the Philippines again as he had two popular heroes, Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna, killed. Bonifacio led the pre-eminent Philippine revolution against Spain while was Luna as the Commander-in-Chief of the Philippine Army during the Philippine-American War. It is popularly maintained that if Luna wasn't assassinated, the Philippine would have turned the War against America since Luna advocated strategies that the Vietnamese under Go Nguyen Giap would do in the Vietnam War. The President of the Philippines should have been Manuel L. Quezon who was elected in the year before.

2. The Philippines was Asia's first republic having declared Independence in 1898 from Spain but it only lasted for a year and three months since America Manifest Destinyed itself across the Archipelago despite promising to honor Filipino independence so it makes no sense as to why Kaissereich would have democracy being an American thing when our own heroes learned and practiced it before.

3. Lastly, Philippine focus tree when? The country has such a rich history and leaving it with a vanilla tree would be wasting it. If it is about resources, the argument is invalid considering Mindanao has such rich in Iron which is necessary for steel and Chromium so this could easily be explained as to why Helmuth's Ost-Asien would seize it. Also, Palawan has oil.

Where did you get these pictures from?

 

[RightWinger93]

The Parliament House of the Indian Confederation (1960, colorized).

After the invasion and partitioning of the Bharatiya Commune during the Indian Front of the Second Weltkrieg, an uneasy truce fell upon the Princely Federation and the Dominion of India. This stalemate turned into forced unity after the rapid geo-political changes in the 1950's, including the collapse of the Entente and the increasing power of other Asian countries such as the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The Indian Confederation was based in Delhi but gave massive autonomy to the Princely states in the south, leaving the federal government able to control very little. The Confederation failed to reform after the unsucessful Congress Of 1962, and later disintegrated due to ethnic, religious, and political tensions.

 

[B3L]

This is actually pretty fun, I’m tempted to write my own Kaiserreich TL now

24th Idaho National Guard, Pacific States Army, watches the PSAF fleet pass overhead during the largest air attack of the 2nd American Civil War - July 4, 1940. The assault decimated strategic points and cities within the CSA and allowed for a massive breakthrough into the Great Lakes region. In response to the attack, the CSA government immediately passed Worker’s Measure No. 27, ordering all PSA pilots shot down into CS territory to be lynched on sight.

1st Oregonian Airborne Division troops survey the damage in the aftermath of a Federalist artillery strike - Topeka, KS, 1938.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

A New Englander soldier dashes to cover being ambushed by Syndicate militia in rural New York.

The British Volunteers in the PSA Army celebrate entering Denver after seven weeks of heavy fighting.

An unnamed Chinese man observes the devastation of Chinatown after the Great San Francisco Fire of 1940, started by a Syndicate bombing raid​

 

[Dan-Dunwich]

I reckon I will throw my own hat in the ring, for the AUS won the 2 ACW in my playthrough.

The Second American Civil War.

Following the tenuously won presidential election of Huey Long of 1936 and the subsequent military Coup under General MacArthur, the United States faced a crisis unseen in scope in it's entire history. The Civil War officially began on March 30th 1937 and ended in December 7th 1938 after a brutal war that claimed the lives of over 4 million soldiers and militia, and left millions more devastated across a country shattered by civil war. However, it is important to note the beginnings of conflict took root well before the election, aided by the collapse of the American economy following the Great Depression of 1925, and again in early 1936 following the Black Friday Crash, and again thanks to the long standing animosity from the current Democrat and Republican parties. Radical solutions were sought, among these the two great new party coalitions, the America First party, who dominated the isolationist, populist conservative bloc, and the American Syndicalist party, who rose to prominence and power in the industrial heartland of America.

The Federalist Coup, the brainchild of Herbert Hoover, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and General MacArthur, was intended to serve as a temporary government safety to ensure the catastrophic civil war predicted would not come to pass. This of course, was not the case. By the time Macarthur's loyalists had stormed Congress and the White House, President Long and a majority of high level officials loyal to him, had fled the city mere hours before, thanks to tips from Pro-AFP members privy to MacArthur's plan. Before long, President Long had reached the AFP stronghold of New Orleans and was heavily guarded. Declaring the coup to the nation by public radio, President Long vowed he would see the Traitors in Chains, and democracy restored.

This of course, prompted outrage across the nation, not least of which from the Syndicalist camp, the political main rivals of the AFP. Their chairman, Jack Reed, declared himself the rightful president and that the election was clearly a sham. He too demanded the surrender of MacArthur and the keys to the White House, in clear contest to Long. Soon, a stalemate was reached. Troops loyal to MacArthur began to dig in, but they would be quickly placed between a veritable sea of armed Syndicalists to their north, and armed AFP militias to their south. The March Truce, as it is called, signaled the true start of the war. From their regional strongholds, the three factions declared their intent to fight, and soon citizens took up arms and prepared.

The first shots of the 2nd ACW began in Virginia, where the 4th Virginian AFP Militia based out of Norfolk, advanced north along the coastal road with the intent to seize DC from the Federalist Traitors. The column of citizen soldiers, under the Command of Fieldmarshal Patton, advanced until blocked by Traitor police and a regiment of Maryland National Guard. Neither side willing to fire first, until the docked Weltkrieg era destroyer USS Samson, flying the Stars and Stripes, engaged the coastline, throwing indiscriminate cannon fire and forcing the two armies into a frenzied dash for cover. By the end of the day, hundreds were wounded or dead in the brutal crossfire, and the Samson was heavily damaged by sporadic response cannon fire from both sides. The Samson was later scuttled to prevent capture by the AFP, detonating 4 of its own 450mm torpedoes along the hull and igniting the central magazine. The surviving crew fled north to Federalist lines. The frenzied telegraph and radio communications signaled the start of combat, and within a day, 9 more regiments of citizen militia were marching north under General Patton, while Regular military forces that had stayed loyal to the rightful president also moved north to engage the Federalists.

With the start of proper combat, question of command of the AUS military and militias was relegated to the choice of President Long. Between Generals Devers and Patton, who each had their own particular doctrine and preferences for warfare. Recognizing Dever’s ideal of attrition based warfare, he was appointed commander of the 1st Army Group. With whole battalions of militia forming practically overnight, they were sent to him, alongside the majority of all artillery in the war. His instructions were simple. Hold the line at all cost. Meanwhile, General Patton was given command of the more mechanized and mobile elements, however few there were early in the war.

Where Devers was expected to hold the line and react to offensives, Patton was expected to exploit weakness and force the enemy to break in a radical move towards mobile warfare.

 

[Dan-Dunwich]

This takes place close to after the capture of Washington DC, and some 4 months after the fall of Chicago and Detroit.

Kaiserreich American Civil War: The Battle of Grand Coulee

General Patton’s 2nd Army having waged a successful Northern campaign against the Syndicalist Military in the fall of 1937, was the best positioned to exploit the sudden Dakota Gap, where Pacific state rebels were quickly expanding. With Generals Moseley and Devers attempting to squash remaining CSA outposts on the East Coast, Patton was left largely in charge of the Westward military push. It was not until the summer of 1938 did the opportunity arise for his trademark brand of lightning warfare however. Equipped with the new M6A3 heavy tank and the refitted M3 Stuart tanks, he pressed an offensive along the Canadian border, relying on the combined arms warfare tactics that his troops had since learned since the Siege of Chicago.

However, the plan did not account for the defensive lines the PSA frontier militias were adept at constructing. Hill and ridge based fire bases, numbering less than a hundred men at any time, delayed the armored advance considerably. President Howard Hughes had evidently relied heavily on foreign imports for his war machine, and the PSA military used everything from obsolete Weltkrieg era tanks and artillery, to top of the line rifles stolen from defunct Syndicalist armories. In particular, the 2nd PSA Armored Division proved a fearsome enemy. Relying on highly mobile and heavily armed light tanks, particularly variants of the Canadian Cruiser tank, they were able to hamper Patton’s advance for almost six months.

It took half a year of fighting to advance from North Dakota to the outskirts of Seattle, but heavy bombing and the relentless advance of AUS troops kept the traitors constantly on the defensive. In particular, the P-48 Thunderstrike proved its worth across the board as a heavy weight fighter, routinely able to come out of dogfights the victor. However, the defensive lines always proved a problem. The few areas relatively clear of fortifications were the harsh terrain of the Sierra Nevada and the mountain ranges that dominated the west coast. With the difficulty of crossing over rivers, especially when being shot at, the Columbia river of Washington state served as a powerful shield agains the AUS advance. With the north-most crossing defended by nearly 50 thousand militia, and the now infamous 2nd Pacific Armored Division, it represented an unacceptable vulnerability in the American Union State logistical lines. Four separate attacks over the Columbia river to the Grand Coulee garrison were repulsed with heavy losses. A stalemate lasted for weeks while AUS troops slowly constricted and resupplied. It was not until the Fall of Las Vegas, from Devers 1st Army, and the Patton’s subsequent northern encirclement and capture of Seattle, that cut off 14 PSA divisions from resupply, that the war began to pickup steam again. Within a month, over 200,000 traitors aligned to the PSA were captured or killed as the snows of winter fell again.

It is said the Battle of Grand Coulee was the first combat use of the newly issued M3 Zippo flamethrower, where Longist militias were able to use it to devastating effect against the stranded or disabled tanks and fortifications that became the trademark of the PSA wartime doctrine. It remains the greatest Armored battle of the 2nd American Civil War, with over 1200 tanks on either side deployed.

Owing to the generous land border between the Pacific States of America and the Canadian Commonwealth, and the potential for profit, Canadian arms companies and the exiled British Royal Family approved extensive arms shipments to the fledging PSA military, in addition to training and advisors. Notably, PSA militias took quite well to the Canadian weapons, and the Boys Anti-tank rifle was exceptionally well regarded. It earned an excellent reputation for blunting AUS light tanks in the treacherous Rocky Mountains during the war, and even Weltkrieg era tanks and armored vehicles were a common sight in PSA troop formations, in particular the now Infamous A1E1 Independent. Effectively a glorified weapons bunker on treads, it’s main guns were able to delay AUS armored assaults readily, at least until the significantly improved M6A3 “Patriot” heavy tank was deployed, which was capable of marching the aging Landship designs quite well.

 

[Dan-Dunwich]

Kaiserreich: The Second Weltkrieg, July-September 1942.

Months after the hard fought campaigns to defeat the remaining Third Internationale nations in the Western Hemisphere, namely Centroamerica and the Mexican State, it seemed the cause of Syndicalism across the world was destined for defeat. However in May of 1942, the world was shocked to see the mighty victors of the First Weltkrieg, the Reichspatte Coalition and the German Empire, formally surrendered to a combined offensive from the British Union and French Commune troops. With its government and remaining troops forced to retreat in shame to Mittleafrika, the once superpower would remain a colonial power only, as the Flag of the Commune of France flew over the shattered streets of Berlin. By July however, the beaten German government would formally ally itself with their former enemies, the Entente, aiding the war effort with machinery and crude goods.

However, in the United States, war plans were being drawn. A stalemate was being waged in the Atlantic, with neither the International or the Entente gaining a decisive advantage. No invasion could be conceivably launched without a clear naval advantage, and the small American Navy was ill-equipped to turn the tide. At the suggestion of the Marine Corps and Fieldmarshal George Patton, it was decided an attrition and raiding campaign was best employed. In order to reach unopposed landings in Europe, a controversial plan was made. Naval invasions through the Pacific, undermining the great Pacific supply chains and its natural resources, and eventually, a land invasion starting in the friendly territories of the Ottoman Empire.

But the first step of any such plan, was the springboard island of Hawaii, who had separated from the United States during the 2nd Civil War. The Marine Corps was first to mobilize, three divisions attempting an amphibious landing on the island of O’ahu, where much of the population and defenses of the Commune of Hawaii were centered. By early July however, it was obvious that any quick and decisive battle of O’ahu was a pipe dream. The defenders had over 4 years to organize and dig in, and even the heavy bombardment provided by the Dreadnought USS Huey Long and USS Lee could not quickly defeat the garrison. When any landing was made, the staging ground swiftly became a killing ground, with the defenders using hidden tunnels, snipers, and light artillery to batter the Marines. By the end of July, the Marines withdrew to reorganize and resupply, returning to San Francisco. This stunning defeat of the battle hardened and well equipped marines by a less experienced band of militia and deserters led to a major shift in tactics. It was decided, that no invasion of O’ahu would be attempted without securing the other three major islands, namely Maui, Hawaii, and Kau’a’i. Then, with a foothold secured, military engineers would dig in, ship in extensive supply stores, and build an airstrip, where additional aircraft could be flown in and stored for consistent attack against the enemy garrison. The veteran Pilots of the USAF would fly missions around the clock and destroy anything that seemed a threat. By late August, the first Army under General Devers had secured the islands of Maui and Hawaii, where the Marine Corps had secured the northern isle of Kaw’a’i. The Second Battle of Hawaii had begun by late August, with the First Army pushing from the Southeast and the Marine Corps from the Northwest.

It was not until the early September until significant progress was made however. With over 14 thousand dead, wounded, or captured defenders, and 3 thousand GI casualties, most of the towns on the island had been secured. By September 28th, the defenders had dwindled to a few hundred spread to pockets all around the island. The formal surrender of the Commune of Hawaii was signed September 30th, 1942.
Thus ended the Hawaiian Siege, and the Battle of the Hawaiian Islands began, with periodic raids from Australasian Union troops. By mid 1943, the islands be the target of sporadic fighting between the Australasians and the United States. Operation Jigsaw, the proposed plan to assault and take the Pacific, would be abandoned following Entente successful landings in Spain.

Picture (Top) Men of the 1st Army conduct assault landings on Oahu following the passage of a storm that forced the defenders to hunker down over the night. An M7 Preacher self propelled artillery vehicle can be seen disembarking.
(Bottom) American marines during the second amphibious landing attempt, which saw the newly deployed Attack/Armored Landing Vehicles, (A-ALVs, though affectionately names “Olives” by their marine crews.) Overhead, captured PSA warplanes were repainted and converted into USAF aircraft. These same aircraft would be stationed in the Hawaiian islands for patrol and island defense, serving to repel several attacks and raids by Australasian marines.

 

[Dan-Dunwich]

Kaiserreich lore: The Kawanishi Affair.

On January 3rd, 1943, The USN radar station on Kiska Island in the Aleutian island chain detected an unidentified aircraft from the Southwest. The naval garrison there, a skeleton crew of less than 100 men and 6 short range Seagull floatplane fighters was placed on alert. The aircraft did not answer hails, and based on its trajectory, was expected to be some manner of Russian Republic aircraft on patrol and experiencing technical difficulties. Within an hour of detection, a Seagull was sent up to intercept the aircraft, followed shortly thereafter by another 2 Seagulls.

When contact was lost with the lead interceptor after making visual contact with the unidentified aircraft, the distress signal was sent out from Kiska Island to nearby naval stations and the USS Benjamin Franklin, a Peacekeeper class escort destroyer. After the two airborne Seagull fighters made contact with the aircraft, they identified it as bearing Imperial Japanese markings, shortly before being fired upon. Both planes returned fire and suffered damage, one being forced to bail out over the frigid arctic waters. Scoring what seemed to be critical damage to the aircraft’s engines, Lt Baker reported it crashing into the waters and breaking apart on impact.

The Empire of Japan declined to comment on the matter, and the initial aircraft sent to intercept was lost and its pilot never found, marking the first time the Japanese interceded on American territory since their white truce peace deal at the end of the Pan-Asian War. The choice was made in Washington DC to censor the story to the press, concerns that the incident was merely a result of bad luck and timing in the war, and fully intent on ensuring the already war-weary American population did not have to worry about potential war with the Japanese Empire.

Pictures: The Imperial Japanese floatplane when first identified, and as it begins it’s crash into the frozen waters of the North Pacific.