There were decisions to make over strategy, priorities, technical details. If Africa is cleared in the summer of 1941, then what would the Brits choose to do next?
If Africa is in Allied hands by then, then the Allied Powers could attempt an invasion into Italy or the Balkans. Which one is more vulnerable to the Allies?There were decisions to make over strategy, priorities, technical details. If Africa is cleared in the summer of 1941, then what would the Brits choose to do next?
How would this alt-Allied invasion of Sicily look like?Sicily or Sardinia. Crete would bey third choice.
Knowing Churchill? Probably. I wonder if he might even go full nutter and try and take on Vichy North AfricaCould this see the Allies launching an invasion into Italy and/or the Balkans?
Would this cause Vichy France to enter the war? Could the Allies take Vichy French Africa?Knowing Churchill? Probably. I wonder if he might even go full nutter and try and take on Vichy North Africa
Probably an all British affair that may well go as well as their stand alone effort in the Aegean in 1943.How would this alt-Allied invasion of Sicily look like?
I may be wrong, especially if the military refuses, but yeah I'd imagine that Vichy would DoW Britain over it; IOTL they were told that the French in North Africa would resist the British, but not the Americans, so they highly limited the initial ground role of the Brits in Torch. IOTL though Syria-Lebanon and Madagascar were both invaded by the Brits before Torch and saw heavy fighting, but Vichy didn't DoW Britain...thing is though North Africa is considered the 4th Shore of France at this point, so it would be a different ballgame.Would this cause Vichy France to enter the war? Could the Allies take Vichy French Africa?
Would this cause Vichy France to enter the war? Could the Allies take Vichy French Africa?
Probably an all British affair that may well go as well as their stand alone effort in the Aegean in 1943.
The US is liable to be in before this occurs. If Tripoli is captured in June the it's only five months until Japan attacks the US. If Tripoli is taken in September then it's less than three.
How can the Allies win in North Africa earlier? A more successful Operation Compass? Not redirecting the same British divisions that went towards the Balkans? What effects could this have on the rest of the war?
But you may very well see the US not getting involved in North Africa in that case, which runs the risk of the Americans insisting on Sledgehammer or Roundup as their initial deployment as opposed to Torch.
There were decisions to make over strategy, priorities, technical details. If Africa is cleared in the summer of 1941, then what would the Brits choose to do next?
Hopefully reinforce Malaya.
Hopefully. Just a few better corps commanders would give the Japanese fits. A veteran corps would stuff Yamashita tiny Army. Add in a couple carriers and some veteran fighter wings and the Japanese southern offensive dies on the Maylasian coast.