Her story in this timeline is far less dramatic than OTL --- she will have had a war fairly similar to HMS Queen Elizabeth --- a few battles, a few moments of impact and a lot of steaming across mostly empty seas.
Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
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Story 2764
Guam, February 21, 1945
USS Bullhead slowly made her way though the cleared channel. The submarine was leaving for her first war patrol with two weeks scheduled to be a lifeguard near Kochi and then several more weeks hunting the entrance of Osaka Bay for what remained of the Japanese coastal shipping trade. An hour later, the regular watch had been set and the diesel engines thrummed as the submarine headed to the start of her war.
USS Bullhead slowly made her way though the cleared channel. The submarine was leaving for her first war patrol with two weeks scheduled to be a lifeguard near Kochi and then several more weeks hunting the entrance of Osaka Bay for what remained of the Japanese coastal shipping trade. An hour later, the regular watch had been set and the diesel engines thrummed as the submarine headed to the start of her war.
Driftless
Donor
With the US shipyard pez machine cranking out subs and other small craft, the Navy would be scraping the bottom of the barrell for "cool" ship names. Bullheads are are not exactly prized by most anglers.
Bullhead’s headed for the home islands for her first patrol. That’s a change from OTL. I wonder if this means she won’t be caught off the coast of Bali?
Thank you for the reference. I do agree that it would be a generic ATS lass. Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor only started her training in Feb 45 so it is unlikely she would know all this technical stuff so early in her enlistment. But sincere thanks for the throw out.
Story 2765
Amberly, Queensland Australia February 22, 1945
The airfield was busy. There was no doubt about that as several waves of trainees were at various points of their Service Flying Training School course. The pilots had already been sorted into their types. The bomber crews were flying to the gunnery ranges today while the fighter pilots were flying aircraft that would have been shit hot in 1940 as their final advanced training flight hours. Another cohort of pilots would be ready in a few weeks where they would be given leave and then orders to operational squadrons. Far fewer men were being recycled back into the training line, the scheme would not be needed in 1947, and it might not be needed in 1946.
The airfield was busy. There was no doubt about that as several waves of trainees were at various points of their Service Flying Training School course. The pilots had already been sorted into their types. The bomber crews were flying to the gunnery ranges today while the fighter pilots were flying aircraft that would have been shit hot in 1940 as their final advanced training flight hours. Another cohort of pilots would be ready in a few weeks where they would be given leave and then orders to operational squadrons. Far fewer men were being recycled back into the training line, the scheme would not be needed in 1947, and it might not be needed in 1946.
Story 2766
Manilla, February 23, 1945
"A COMPANY RALLY AT THE FLAG POLE ON THE RIGHT" The captain who had never seen combat called out. The platoon leaders and sergeants echoed the call. The squad leaders chivvied the privates who were bumbling out of line. They waddled forward, each man heavily loaded with their weapons, their regular gear and a sea bag. Men who had adopted to the constant wobble of the old steamship that had taken them from the embarkation port in San Francisco stumbled as the ground was not moving underneath their feet. Whistles were blowing and angry MPs gestured as a quartermaster company accidentally assembled where an artillery battery was supposed to be.
Three hours later, the first echelon of the 86th Infantry Division had been loaded into trucks. Long convoys were headed to Fort Stotsenberg where several hundred combat veterans of the liberation of Palawan and Luzon would give the unblooded division three weeks of hell to bring them up to standards. By the end of that time, some of the veterans would be convinced that the typical private was no longer a danger to themselves even if they were a danger to their squad. Dozens of officers and sergeants would be relieved as the training in the security of the rear would not prepare them for the actual rigors of combat. Replacements would be pulled from the ever growing army camped out in a dozen locations on the main islands of the archipelago.
"A COMPANY RALLY AT THE FLAG POLE ON THE RIGHT" The captain who had never seen combat called out. The platoon leaders and sergeants echoed the call. The squad leaders chivvied the privates who were bumbling out of line. They waddled forward, each man heavily loaded with their weapons, their regular gear and a sea bag. Men who had adopted to the constant wobble of the old steamship that had taken them from the embarkation port in San Francisco stumbled as the ground was not moving underneath their feet. Whistles were blowing and angry MPs gestured as a quartermaster company accidentally assembled where an artillery battery was supposed to be.
Three hours later, the first echelon of the 86th Infantry Division had been loaded into trucks. Long convoys were headed to Fort Stotsenberg where several hundred combat veterans of the liberation of Palawan and Luzon would give the unblooded division three weeks of hell to bring them up to standards. By the end of that time, some of the veterans would be convinced that the typical private was no longer a danger to themselves even if they were a danger to their squad. Dozens of officers and sergeants would be relieved as the training in the security of the rear would not prepare them for the actual rigors of combat. Replacements would be pulled from the ever growing army camped out in a dozen locations on the main islands of the archipelago.
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Define organized?
Are there clusters of half a dozen Japanese soldiers with rifles who are able to steal from villages in Northern Luzon? Yes.
Are there islands in the central archipelago with a Japanese infantry battalion that has not received supplies in 6 months. Yes?
Is there any ability of the Japanese to threaten major population centers, ports or airfields on Luzon, Mindanao, Leyte, and Palawan with indirect fire or air strikes? No.
Story 2767
Buchy France, February 24, 1945
The wind was biting as the 20th Armored Division's cavalry squadron departed the camp. The scouts would be the first unit to load onto trains. The rest of the division would load onto half a dozen different trains over the next two days. By the beginning of March, they would be reinforcements that the 12th Army Group could count on to exploit any ruptures in the German lines. The far more experienced, and blooded, infantry divisions of the 1st and 3rd Armies would soon be attacking on three different axis. Each attack had a corps in immediate reserve to press forward and then the army group had another corps worth of fresh troops that could press on once the German crust and counter-attacks had been destroyed.
But until then, the men pulled their great coats tight and sought to minimize the amount of skin that they were exposing to the frigid air.
The wind was biting as the 20th Armored Division's cavalry squadron departed the camp. The scouts would be the first unit to load onto trains. The rest of the division would load onto half a dozen different trains over the next two days. By the beginning of March, they would be reinforcements that the 12th Army Group could count on to exploit any ruptures in the German lines. The far more experienced, and blooded, infantry divisions of the 1st and 3rd Armies would soon be attacking on three different axis. Each attack had a corps in immediate reserve to press forward and then the army group had another corps worth of fresh troops that could press on once the German crust and counter-attacks had been destroyed.
But until then, the men pulled their great coats tight and sought to minimize the amount of skin that they were exposing to the frigid air.
Story 2768
Stanley Fort, Hong Kong, February 25, 1945
The seventeen year old boy stopped for a moment and caught his breath. He did not pause long, as he did not want to be beaten by the older men in the battery. A moment later, he started to crank the air raid siren. A dozen single engine fighter bombers were coming in from over the sea. A minute later, the twenty millimeter guns were manned and tracking the incoming raiders. Another minute and the far heavier guns were firing their first shots. Men were quickly adjusting fuzes while more went through the syncronized ballet of fighting the gun. Their efforts were barely rewarded as perhaps one or two of the Typhoon pilots jinked and juked during a bomb run leading to their warloads landing short.
Ten minutes later, the all clear was called. The draftees who had been called up years earlier than they thought they would began to police thea area, collecting cases to be recycled and reloaded as the supply from the Home Islands was intermittent at best. As he worked, he could feel the ground gently shake from the artillery battles happening beyond sight of the city's northern flank.
The seventeen year old boy stopped for a moment and caught his breath. He did not pause long, as he did not want to be beaten by the older men in the battery. A moment later, he started to crank the air raid siren. A dozen single engine fighter bombers were coming in from over the sea. A minute later, the twenty millimeter guns were manned and tracking the incoming raiders. Another minute and the far heavier guns were firing their first shots. Men were quickly adjusting fuzes while more went through the syncronized ballet of fighting the gun. Their efforts were barely rewarded as perhaps one or two of the Typhoon pilots jinked and juked during a bomb run leading to their warloads landing short.
Ten minutes later, the all clear was called. The draftees who had been called up years earlier than they thought they would began to police thea area, collecting cases to be recycled and reloaded as the supply from the Home Islands was intermittent at best. As he worked, he could feel the ground gently shake from the artillery battles happening beyond sight of the city's northern flank.
Story 2769
Truk, February 26, 1945
The single American bomber made its third long photographic pass of the formerly great fortress. It flew miles above the almost empty harbor. Half a dozen fishing boats had returned to port to wait out a storm. That was the biggest change since the last time a Privateer overflew the now forgotten base. Those boats had returned with almost full holds which the garrison needed to flesh out the rice and tree crops that could be grown despite or even because of the nearly constant rain.
The single American bomber made its third long photographic pass of the formerly great fortress. It flew miles above the almost empty harbor. Half a dozen fishing boats had returned to port to wait out a storm. That was the biggest change since the last time a Privateer overflew the now forgotten base. Those boats had returned with almost full holds which the garrison needed to flesh out the rice and tree crops that could be grown despite or even because of the nearly constant rain.
It could be worse, it could be the Minnow. We all know what happened to it.
According to Wikipedia:
So, a sort of US equivalent of Panzer Lehr.
I think the standard IJA (and IJN) machine cannon calibre was 25mm. Were these captured weapons, or perhaps adapted from aircraft guns?
Story 2770
Fremantle Australia February 27, 1945
HMS Bermuda led two liners down the channel. The liners were full of men wounded in Europe who had no chance of being recycled back to their units in less than two months. They would come home where longer stays in hospitals and rehabilitation camps awaited them. The men whose wounds were recoverable would then be sent as instructors to camps to train the ongoing wave of men who were needed to replace those who had yet to be wounded or die in combat or by accident in Central Europe. The men whose wounds were permanent would soon be demobilized and reintergrated into civilian life.
Three days later, the cruiser and a pair of Australian N-Class destroyers headed north to relieve an equal number of ships from the British Pacific Fleet. Those ships and their crews would have thirty to sixty days in the yard for repairs and upkeep for the hulls and recovery and rest for the men.
HMS Bermuda led two liners down the channel. The liners were full of men wounded in Europe who had no chance of being recycled back to their units in less than two months. They would come home where longer stays in hospitals and rehabilitation camps awaited them. The men whose wounds were recoverable would then be sent as instructors to camps to train the ongoing wave of men who were needed to replace those who had yet to be wounded or die in combat or by accident in Central Europe. The men whose wounds were permanent would soon be demobilized and reintergrated into civilian life.
Three days later, the cruiser and a pair of Australian N-Class destroyers headed north to relieve an equal number of ships from the British Pacific Fleet. Those ships and their crews would have thirty to sixty days in the yard for repairs and upkeep for the hulls and recovery and rest for the men.
Story 2771
Southwest Germany, February 28, 1945
"Lt. John Jaroshek, you're out of uniform!" The confused mustang looked funnily at his company commander. He was not bad for a college boy. He knew to listen to his sergeants and gave John plenty of space to fight his platoon as he saw fit. The replacement lieutenants were almost always more actively managed until they either were vaguely competent, evacuated or dead.
"Your rank insignia is the wrong color." With that strong hands reached forward and aggressively started to shake his hand. "Regiment just approved your promotion back dated to the 1st of the month. Congratulations... you're still with your platoon but both battalion and regiment know how much I rely on you."
Over the next ten minutes, his smile did not fade as the other officers of the battalion started to cluster together. The battalion had pushed forward a dozen miles in four days and had allowed another battalion to pass through their lines two days ago. Men had slept, weapons had been repaired, and magazines refilled in the first day. Now they would plan to leap frog the third battalion in the regiment to keep the pressure up against the German reservists. It would not be an elegant battle. Instead, the infantry would advance with battalion cannons and mortars pounding the logical defensive positions with regimental guns on call once contact was made.
"Lt. John Jaroshek, you're out of uniform!" The confused mustang looked funnily at his company commander. He was not bad for a college boy. He knew to listen to his sergeants and gave John plenty of space to fight his platoon as he saw fit. The replacement lieutenants were almost always more actively managed until they either were vaguely competent, evacuated or dead.
"Your rank insignia is the wrong color." With that strong hands reached forward and aggressively started to shake his hand. "Regiment just approved your promotion back dated to the 1st of the month. Congratulations... you're still with your platoon but both battalion and regiment know how much I rely on you."
Over the next ten minutes, his smile did not fade as the other officers of the battalion started to cluster together. The battalion had pushed forward a dozen miles in four days and had allowed another battalion to pass through their lines two days ago. Men had slept, weapons had been repaired, and magazines refilled in the first day. Now they would plan to leap frog the third battalion in the regiment to keep the pressure up against the German reservists. It would not be an elegant battle. Instead, the infantry would advance with battalion cannons and mortars pounding the logical defensive positions with regimental guns on call once contact was made.
1st LT from 2nd LT --- not bad for a boy from the Mon Valley who started his war as a PFC in the PA National Guard --- survivorship and competence is a good combination.
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