British reinforce the pacific colonies

Most of Britain's Pacific colonies were beyond the range of the Japanese attack. New Guinea , New Britain and the Solomon's were all Australian trust territories. It was in Asia that the British had the problem. Malaya was defended by a mixture of British, Indian Army and 2/3rd of the Australian 8th Infantry division. Forces were ill-equipped to fight the Japanese and the British Government waited too long to send reinforcements, Same was true of the Garrison for Hon Kong> The Canadian Brigade that was sent there was wasted as it was not enough to alter the outcome. But one needs to remember that Britain was suffering staggering loses in Europe. The Fall of France meant the loss of some of the best trained british units and the los of equipment. This was followed by the loss of Greece and a war in North Africa and the Middle East that sucked resources.
 
Basically there wasn't the forces to go around, with the major commitments in Africa as well as home defence/RAF night bomber commitments the barrel was getting quite empty really. You'd need to have the war in North Africa not really be a thing to free up the needed troops and equipment.
 

GarethC

Donor
Having said all that - if some earlier POD produces butterflies which include additional training for the Imperial defenders, let alone additional planes (because they aren't being expended in the Med and North Africa or sent Lend-Lease to the USSR) or tanks (Japanese WWII armor is often ridiculed, but they brought 200 to Malaya and the defenders had none) or antitank ammunition (the 2-pdr ammunition had problems with the Malayan climate and lost effectiveness with prolonged storage), then the Japanese advance will stall before Singapore surrenders and have to wait for at least additional supplies to be delivered to Yamashita, if not additional troops.

However, that assumes that the IJA wouldn't amend their plans accordingly, which would be surprising.
 
Perhaps if the Italians are smashed harder and faster in late 40/early 41 - A heavier Op Judgement actually sinks both modern Battleships as well as the older ships and many of the cruisers at Taranto resulting in Malta being built up as per ABCs plan - by April 41 thus increasing the interdiction of Axis supplies / reinforcements being sent to Africa - someone other than Rommel does not take command of the Africa Korps or it is never sent - therefore no Operation Sonnenblume, No British Commonwealth adventure in Greece + either the Assault on Crete is defeated or never happens (the British lost relatively few troops - but did lose about 5 divisions worth of heavy equipment).

The upshot being that the 3 + divisions worth of Australians, New Zealanders and Indian's being used in Africa and the surrounding theatre are instead sent east

Some of the supplies sent to Russia are sent instead to the Far East - i.e. Valentines and Hurricanes

Hong Kong effectively abandoned and the forces there re-established in Malaya as an additional brigade (or along with C force becomes the core of a new Division)

However its a big ask - the Japanese sent some of their best units to Malaya and seriously outnumbered the British with modern Aircraft as well as tanks
 
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Having said all that - if some earlier POD produces butterflies which include additional training for the Imperial defenders, let alone additional planes (because they aren't being expended in the Med and North Africa or sent Lend-Lease to the USSR) or tanks (Japanese WWII armor is often ridiculed, but they brought 200 to Malaya and the defenders had none) or antitank ammunition (the 2-pdr ammunition had problems with the Malayan climate and lost effectiveness with prolonged storage), then the Japanese advance will stall before Singapore surrenders and have to wait for at least additional supplies to be delivered to Yamashita, if not additional troops.

However, that assumes that the IJA wouldn't amend their plans accordingly, which would be surprising.
Do you mean that it would have been a surprise to the defenders if the Japanese had amended their plans or surprising that the Japanese would amend their plans in the first place? I think you mean the latter.
 

GarethC

Donor
Do you mean that it would have been a surprise to the defenders if the Japanese had amended their plans or surprising that the Japanese would amend their plans in the first place? I think you mean the latter.
Sorry, I meant that it would be surprising for the Japanese to not alter their plans, if the British were to prepare more effectively aginst them
 
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