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  1. Driftless

    What If These Two Warships Met In Combat

    (Taking a cue from the "What if these 2 aircraft met in combat" thread) Pick any two possible warship combatants from 1900 forward and pit them in combat. for this discussion, any escorts are battling their enemy escort counterparts, and are on the sidelines of the main event Keep the...
  2. Driftless

    Skirmish at El Tintero - April 1916

    Skirmish at El Tintero – April 1916 (A tale of a different Pancho Villa Punitive Expedition, including the early adventures of Lt. Erwin Rommel - US Army) Generals Alvaro Obregon, Pancho Villa, John Pershing (in happier days) This will be a very short TL. There are two POD’s...
  3. Driftless

    Any path for the Northrup N-3PB Nomad in US or British service?

    The Northrup N3-PB Nomad floatplane was custom order (using the A-17 as a starting point) for Norway prior to the invasion by the Germans. The first flight was December 1940 and first use in 1941 by the Norwegian Naval Air Service. It was a very capable aircraft for a floatplane, where the dual...
  4. Driftless

    Interwar alternatives to "The Bomber Always Gets Through"?

    Towards the end of WW1 and the years following, there were a number of vocal and effective high priests for the idea of strategic bombing being the dominant force for military aviation of the future. Folks like Giulio Douhet, Hugh Trenchard, Billy Mitchell, and many others successfully...
  5. Driftless

    AHC - Different US-Japan relationship early 20th Century?

    Is there any plausible path to a different US/Japan relationship in the first half of the 20th Century, other than adversarial? If so, how might it have been made possible?
  6. Driftless

    Kudos from the Treasury….

    Kudos from the Treasury…. We often hear (justifiably) about various military gear that has been a waste of public money. On the flip-side, we hear less often about the gear that has been a solid value from public investment in national security Put your Treasury Department hat on here…. What...
  7. Driftless

    Role Reversal – April 1941 – Rommel and O’Connor

    Role Reversal – April 1941 – Rommel and O’Connor In the late summer of 1940, the Italians had made their first attack into British-controlled Egypt, before calling a halt to the attack. The halt was in part to build up supplies and infrastructure to resume at some later time. At that point...
  8. Driftless

    What if Blackjack Pershing doesn’t rise to General?

    What if Blackjack Pershing doesn’t rise to General? John J “Blackjack” Pershing was an American icon for most of the 20th Century. In more recent years, his career has been subject to more complete and often critical re-examination. What happens if Pershing does not reach the rank of General...
  9. Driftless

    A different first US LMG – a different doctrine path?

    The first US Army Light Machine Gun was the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie. (Photo from Wikipedia) It was a 30 round strip fed, 12kg/26.5 portable automatic rifle. The basic design was used in a number of countries. But, as it was a pioneering effort, it proved to be an imperfect answer and...
  10. Driftless

    AHC: A DeHavilland single-engined fighter of the late 1930’s

    The challenge is to have a DeHavilland design (1938-ish) single-engine fighter, using a RR Merlin engine, or another alternative. Perhaps a PoD is to have the DeHavilland Don use a somewhat more powerful engine than the DH Gipsy King/Twelve. Substitute a RR Kestrel maybe? Coupling the success...
  11. Driftless

    Skirmish at El Tintero – April 1916
    Threadmarks: Introduction

    Skirmish at El Tintero – April 1916 (A tale of a different Pancho Villa Punitive Expedition, including the early adventures of Lt. Erwin Rommel - US Army) Generals Alvaro Obregon, Pancho Villa, John Pershing (in happier days) This will be a very short TL. There are two POD’s involved: First...
  12. Driftless

    What would be your naval "do-over"?

    What would be your naval "do-overs", or mulligan's? By that I mean, within 2 years of launch, you determine the ship either was designed badly, or the mission for it has changed, so what would you do to make a better ship, or class of ships? You can't scrub the ship, just make it better...
  13. Driftless

    Favorite Historians - for use in AH discussions?

    Who are some of your favorite 20th and 21st Century Historian authors, especially where their works are useful to Alternate History discussions? I'd be interested in hearing counterpoints to some of the selections too. Some of my favorites: Winston S. Churchill - History of WW2 - It's...
  14. Driftless

    If not the Westland Lysander, then what replaces it?

    The Westland Lysander performed a number of roles for the British and Commonwealth forces. Its original role was intended to be Army Co-operation and Liason, but as designed it also had good STOL performance which were put to use for other purposes. For all of its virtues, it often appears on...
  15. Driftless

    Wank US Military Ordnance for the first half of the 20th Century (1900-1950)

    The US Military (Army and Navy) have had great success in the larger sense, but have also had some real clunker ordnance hardware paths along the way – or choices that could have gone in other directions just as successfully. i.e., but not limited to the 20mm gun problems for aircraft, the 7mm...
  16. Driftless

    A US Army better prepared for the Great War (WW1)

    With a POD of 1900, how do you get the US Army better prepared for the Great War (WW1)? Why 1900? The US came out of the Spanish-American War of 1898, recognizing that the Navy needed to improve; but the the Army was a complete mess on several levels. At the end of 1899, the US Army chiefs...
  17. Driftless

    Under-rated/Under-appreciated US military leaders of the 20th Century

    Some 20th Century US military commanders have received great accolades, or at least lots of press and historian coverage during their service. Fellows like Patton, Ike, Nimitz, et al. How about a thread acknowledging those senior officers who make worthwhile contributions, but either haven't...
  18. Driftless

    AHC: A Different USS Alaska

    I'm going to go ahead and stick my face into the whirling fan...... Here's the challenge: create a different (and hopefully more useful) alternative to the historic USS Alaska's. The POD, is that post-Munich 1938, the US decides as part of an earlier naval build-up, (screw the London Naval...
  19. Driftless

    Original equipment question

    Some weapons, such as the B-52, A-10, and many others have long served well past the demise of their original production lines. In the case of the B-52 and A-10, what percentage of the total aircraft is original factory equipment? I'm assuming things like avionics and weapons control systems...
  20. Driftless

    WI: Alternative to the .45ACP round

    I've been reading a light-weight bio of Blackjack Pershing. There was a passing reference in the section on his experiences in the Philippines early in the 20th Century relating to the inability of the old .45 Revolver round to stop Moro tribesmen, who were juiced up on drugs. As I understand...
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