Would a Japanese Invasion of the USSR during Barbarossa have actually helped?
- Thread starter Emperor-of-New-Zealand
- Start date
raharris1973
Gone Fishin'
I can't buy that troops shortages would be the reason for Leningrad and Moscow to go down. Stalin would always, always, always prioritize European Russia first even if it means sacrificing more territory in Asia. The European territory is simply far more valuable. And remember this is what the Bolsheviks did in the Russian Civil War - a their low point they lost all of Asia while protecting their European core.
I'm not saying Russia, or the cities of Moscow or Leningrad cannot fall in mid-to-late 1942. But it definitely would not happen because Stalin can't or won't concentrate troops in the wrong place. If those cities fall, it would be because he cannot supply those troops or their tanks and aircraft or artillery park with food, fuel, ammunition or supporting transport capacity like trucks and locomotives.
Why would Japan attack Siberia when more interesting items awaited them south? For exemple, they would need oil for their troops; this is why they attacked Indonesia.
come to think of it I don't think a Japanese attack would stop the USSR from deploying its siberian divisions to the west. why bother defending the far east when the industries and population centers in the west are under siege? If the japanese launch an attack Stalin could just evacuate the entire region and let them have it. There's not much use in defending the ports since the japanese could just blockade them. correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the far east oil fields were developed until much later.
Japan could do an Summer 42 attack forgoing coral sea and midway, doing it after burma occupied. They would have secured what they wanted in the Pacific already, and would be cutting lend lease through this route before it really kicked in. Helps Germany on the east front, mainly in delaying Soviet offensives in late 43. The allies have a bunch of shipping not transferred to the soviet flag as in otl for service on this route and a bunch of extra supplies. The biggest change possibly is if this baits the allies into invading france in 42 or 43 to help the Soviets.
The Japanese had a large force/population of White Russians and their descendants living in Manchuria and serving in the army.
Itd be neat if they tried to set up a White Russian government in Siberia. Perhaps liberate the Gulags for manpower and try to instigate a revolt.
Itd be neat if they tried to set up a White Russian government in Siberia. Perhaps liberate the Gulags for manpower and try to instigate a revolt.
I was thinking about the US, how does that go?
They're are already putting an embargo and international pressure on Japan over China, and Roosevelt's decided he wants to help the USSR pretty much as soon as Hitler attacks in June. But can he sell a quick escalation with Japan to the American people if a Japanese invasion stops or impedes LL to the USSR?
Pearl Harbour ends the question emphatically, but this isn't that,
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Why would Operation Downfall happen? Manhattan project still exists
Zhukov would be kept in front of Moscow at all times in this scenario and will be killed if he fails to hold the city. He won't be leading any atl Uranus.
Chuikov might still be put in charge of the defense of Stalingrad itself but I can't see the city Surviving a German attack if the Soviets are facing even more strain than otl.
The Dolittle air raid was just a token act of defiance against Japan, major raids against the home island did not occur until mid 1944. But if the Soviets were in the war raids could fly out of Vladivostok resupplying would be hard but out of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka peninsular would be easier with US military assistance.
It would not do mouch, at least not once the route over Persia worked for Land-Lease to Russia. Spain lacked the tanks and anti-tank weapons to oppose what the Russiand had in 1939, let alone later models. Russia also never pulled troops from the Far East to save Moscow, just western Siberia/ Central Asia and once the Germans are defeated like OTL, these forces turn east and crush what is left of the Japanese Army if the Russian Far East Army did not manage to do so by then on it's own.
And if Japan invades, those formations are heading to Vladivostok, not Moscow. In addition, the Persian Corridor was not operational until mid-1942.
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Could be that America then focusses on Alaska more, come torugh the North over the Kuril Islands and the Hokkaido?
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It secured the northern convoy route to keep supplying Russia for the Americans again thanks to US airdominance by quality and numbers, whiel also putting main Japanese islands in bomber range quit fatser then the southern route.