Canada's involvement in the Pacific...

MacCaulay

Banned
...without the European War.

What most folks don't know (which they can hardly be blamed for), is that Canada had it's own last stand in the Pacific in 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour.

Canadian troops were dug in to the defense of Hong Kong, and when the colony capitulated almost a month later the entire Royal Rifles of Canada were marched into captivity for the rest of the war.

The loss of the troops there was overshadowed by events in Europe, and swept under the rug by an administration that very much wanted to keep it's eye on the ball of fighting Hitler and rebuilding the army after the debacle at Dieppe.

But what if there had been no European War at the time (I honestly don't care why, that's not the point) to divert the Canadian public, government, and military's attention?
 
What was the status of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Pacific considering they have naval facilities in BC?
 

Markus

Banned
But what if there had been no European War at the time (I honestly don't care why, that's not the point) to divert the Canadian public, government, and military's attention?

No war in Europe = no war in Asia. Japan was utterly incapable of defeating a British Empire that could concentrate its full military and industrial potential against Japan and the Japanese knew that.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
No war in Europe = no war in Asia. Japan was utterly incapable of defeating a British Empire that could concentrate its full military and industrial potential against Japan and the Japanese knew that.

I think you're kind of missing the point. What I'm aiming at here is the Canadian public, government, and military's ability or will to go to war in the Pacific.
 
Well Canada wouldn't have had men in Hong Kong had the war in Europe not diverted British troops requiring Canadian replacements.

Had a hypothetical Pacific war occurred by itself, Canada's contributions would probably be quite minimal and mostly comprised of troops and aircraft squadrons as it's navy is incapable of providing more than performing coastal defense and ASW duties for the commonwealth forces.
 

Markus

Banned
I think you're kind of missing the point. What I'm aiming at here is the Canadian public, government, and military's ability or will to go to war in the Pacific.

If the Empire is attacked, how could Canada remain on the sidelines? They declared war on Germany, even though Germany was seen as a more formidable enemy.
 

Da Pwnzlord

Banned
No war in Europe = no war in Asia. Japan was utterly incapable of defeating a British Empire that could concentrate its full military and industrial potential against Japan and the Japanese knew that.

^^^^
pretty much this. If the Japanese do get suicidal(er), they are crushed by the combined and undivided forces of Britian, France and the U.S.A.
 
Without checking the difinitive Wikiversion of the facts, someone said to Churchill "We should do something to try and bolster the defense of Hong Kong". "But Hong Kong is indefensible. I'll ask King what he can spare." King checks and finds 500 new recruits in Hamilton trying to figure out which end of the rifle the bullets come out of. "We'll send them" King says. "No point in wasting trained troops." "That'll save on bullets too." The Canadians arrived just in time to fight bravely until they ran out of ammunition and spend 4 years in a POW camp and starve.
 
Why indeed, when they could be doing this.:)

WWII-4.jpg
 
No war in Europe = no war in Asia. Japan was utterly incapable of defeating a British Empire that could concentrate its full military and industrial potential against Japan and the Japanese knew that.

Japan in OTL, was utterly incapable of defeating a United States that could concentrate a small part military and industrial potential against Japan and the Japanese knew that. If the Japanese were logical, they would have tried to arrange some sort of pull out of China and tried to keep hold of Manchuria.

The Japanese have similar options in a TL where Germany has already been defeated (say Stalin invades Poland during sickle cut and causes Germany to fold by early 1941) albeit they're more desperate and thus would probably still attack SE Asia.

I'm guessing Canada would still declare war on Japan but send little forces there, the US, British, French and presumably Soviets will already have it covered. Forces already in the Pacific will fight with the same excellent standard as seen in OTL, albeit with much more support from the outset and thus a much greater chance of victory.
 
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