Yeah, for about three months in 1942 the Eastern Fleet had Illustrious, Formidable, and Indomitable along with attendant escorts.
Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 1 The Shoestring Warriors of Luzon
- Thread starter galveston bay
- Start date
Yeah, for about three months in 1942 the Eastern Fleet had Illustrious, Formidable, and Indomitable along with attendant escorts.
I haven't forgotten the Eastern Fleet although Admiral Phillips is in command of it at this point
things will be happening in the Philippines again soon
but for now, the carriers are about to take center stage again
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...he-carrier-war-in-the-pacific-1942-44.419259/
but for now, the carriers are about to take center stage again
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...he-carrier-war-in-the-pacific-1942-44.419259/
Good to hear that there's an update in the works. Can't wait to read it.
The Southwest Pacific command is born
Creation of the Southwest Pacific Command
General Eisenhower, fresh from the Philippines, arrives in Hawaii on February 6, and he has a long meeting with Admiral Nimitz regarding what to do against the Japanese. Eisenhower persuades Nimitz that Rabaul in New Britain is the best place for a forward bastion to defend not only Australia but also the sea lines of communications to that, and that reinforcements slated for places like Fiji, New Caledonia and Samoa would be better placed at Tulagi, Port Moresby, Espiritu Santo, and Rabaul. Particularly all available aviation, engineer, anti-aircraft, and coast artillery forces not needed to defend Midway, Hawaii or Line Islands. New Ireland also threatens the flank of the Japanese Mandates, has one of the best harbors in the world, and with development will be an ideal base for the US Navy when the United States begin offensive operations against the Japanese perimeter. Eisenhower also has with him a report from Admiral Bellinger seconding his recommendations.
In mid February Eisenhower reports to General Marshall and President Roosevelt and after delivering his report and his recommendations, he finds that the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roosevelt and Churchill, at the urging of Prime Minister Curtin of Australia and General Wavell, have resulted in him being appointed Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southwest Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Guinea, as well as the Solomons, Bismarks, Fiji, New Hebrides, and Tonga Islands. Everything north of that will be under the command of Nimitz. Eisenhower will be given a fleet to support him, but even when elements of Nimitz forces are in his area they will remain under the control of Nimitz. There is some horsetrading, but in the end Nimitz gets loaned the Ranger (until April) and Wasp (until May) at which point they will be sent back to the Atlantic as they will be needed for planned operations. Eisenhower gets the units he is requesting (at the cost of some divisions allocated to Europe instead).
Eisenhower is given the mission of defending his area of operations from further Japanese advances and also the job of preparing for the liberation of the Philippines. Nimitiz is given the overall mission of destroying the Japanese Navy and advancing across the Pacific and ultimately seizing the bases needed for the blockade and defeat of Japan.
Meanwhile, the Cebu/Surubaya/Darwin airlift is interrupted by allocation of aircraft to the air evacuation of Singapore until February 10, and then after a only 3 days, ends completely with the powerful air attacks that smash Allied airfields at Surabaya, Batavia and finally Darwin. Aside from a few light transports still in Cebu, the airlift does not resume until late March and when it does it is only a few flights a week with a much reduced force. However the first American submarines begin a weekly visit to Corregidor on February 5, visits that will continue until nearly the end of the siege.
General Eisenhower returns to Australia on March 4 and makes his headquarters in Brisbane, with a forward headquarters established at Darwin and Rabaul. With him is his new chief of staff, General Wade Haislip, and a new commander of his Army Air Forces has been selected, General George Kenney, as his current air commander, General Chennault, has been specifically requested by the Nationalist Chinese and Roosevelt feels compelled to send him back to China in part to make up for the failure to get the American Volunteer Group to China.
General Eisenhower, fresh from the Philippines, arrives in Hawaii on February 6, and he has a long meeting with Admiral Nimitz regarding what to do against the Japanese. Eisenhower persuades Nimitz that Rabaul in New Britain is the best place for a forward bastion to defend not only Australia but also the sea lines of communications to that, and that reinforcements slated for places like Fiji, New Caledonia and Samoa would be better placed at Tulagi, Port Moresby, Espiritu Santo, and Rabaul. Particularly all available aviation, engineer, anti-aircraft, and coast artillery forces not needed to defend Midway, Hawaii or Line Islands. New Ireland also threatens the flank of the Japanese Mandates, has one of the best harbors in the world, and with development will be an ideal base for the US Navy when the United States begin offensive operations against the Japanese perimeter. Eisenhower also has with him a report from Admiral Bellinger seconding his recommendations.
In mid February Eisenhower reports to General Marshall and President Roosevelt and after delivering his report and his recommendations, he finds that the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roosevelt and Churchill, at the urging of Prime Minister Curtin of Australia and General Wavell, have resulted in him being appointed Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southwest Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Guinea, as well as the Solomons, Bismarks, Fiji, New Hebrides, and Tonga Islands. Everything north of that will be under the command of Nimitz. Eisenhower will be given a fleet to support him, but even when elements of Nimitz forces are in his area they will remain under the control of Nimitz. There is some horsetrading, but in the end Nimitz gets loaned the Ranger (until April) and Wasp (until May) at which point they will be sent back to the Atlantic as they will be needed for planned operations. Eisenhower gets the units he is requesting (at the cost of some divisions allocated to Europe instead).
Eisenhower is given the mission of defending his area of operations from further Japanese advances and also the job of preparing for the liberation of the Philippines. Nimitiz is given the overall mission of destroying the Japanese Navy and advancing across the Pacific and ultimately seizing the bases needed for the blockade and defeat of Japan.
Meanwhile, the Cebu/Surubaya/Darwin airlift is interrupted by allocation of aircraft to the air evacuation of Singapore until February 10, and then after a only 3 days, ends completely with the powerful air attacks that smash Allied airfields at Surabaya, Batavia and finally Darwin. Aside from a few light transports still in Cebu, the airlift does not resume until late March and when it does it is only a few flights a week with a much reduced force. However the first American submarines begin a weekly visit to Corregidor on February 5, visits that will continue until nearly the end of the siege.
General Eisenhower returns to Australia on March 4 and makes his headquarters in Brisbane, with a forward headquarters established at Darwin and Rabaul. With him is his new chief of staff, General Wade Haislip, and a new commander of his Army Air Forces has been selected, General George Kenney, as his current air commander, General Chennault, has been specifically requested by the Nationalist Chinese and Roosevelt feels compelled to send him back to China in part to make up for the failure to get the American Volunteer Group to China.
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authors note: The stage is being set for the long road back and the eventual Liberation of the Philippines.
Eisenhower would certainly have made a good impression on Curtin, already has the good opinion of Wavell, and is considered a hero for the Battle of Bataan. The Navy wants to do War Plan Orange and ultimately considers the Southwest Pacific a secondary theater, but important enough to justify major commitment of forces.
In my opinion Eisenhower and Nimitz would have gotten along very well.
Also at this point Admiral King is not the Chief of Naval Operations. With the strong defense of Pearl Harbor, Stark does not find himself sent to Europe and remains CNO and thus on the Joint Chiefs as well. Stark was well liked by the British.
Ernie King will get his moment in the sun eventually
Eisenhower would certainly have made a good impression on Curtin, already has the good opinion of Wavell, and is considered a hero for the Battle of Bataan. The Navy wants to do War Plan Orange and ultimately considers the Southwest Pacific a secondary theater, but important enough to justify major commitment of forces.
In my opinion Eisenhower and Nimitz would have gotten along very well.
Also at this point Admiral King is not the Chief of Naval Operations. With the strong defense of Pearl Harbor, Stark does not find himself sent to Europe and remains CNO and thus on the Joint Chiefs as well. Stark was well liked by the British.
Ernie King will get his moment in the sun eventually
Admiral Halsey
Banned
Out of curiosity but will you be covering the European side of the war? Ike in the Pacific has a huge effect of the European theater. Who will be in command of TTL's torch is just the beginning.
For now summary form as it effects things in the story... I have not decided if I will do something more detailed
Admiral Halsey
Banned
Hope you do but too not overburden yourself I suggest waiting until you finish the Pacific War before going into detail.
she will be in California at the end of March, at which point the Ranger returns to the Atlantic
and yes, Churchill is probably a little nervous
Some belated comments
Or did you mean the VIPs were flown out, and the rest were evacuated (but not necessarily flown)?
expansion is hindered, or the delay is aided....
1000 flown out? 21 people on a DC-3 and probably fewer on anything else available. That's a LOT of round trips.
Or did you mean the VIPs were flown out, and the rest were evacuated (but not necessarily flown)?
Still, he will have lost most of his planes, and a perceptible number of his pilots. They're not likely to end up in China very soon, IMO.
To where? On what? Fishing boats to the still-holding out southern islands? At which point they take ships? (Since you've said no more American ships leave Luzon successfully.)
One of these days, someone is going to game out one of these campaigns and discover 'Oh, shit, the Allies can actually win WTF amI going to do with all the stuff I've already written?'
Some belated comments
expansion is hindered, or the delay is aided....
1000 flown out? 21 people on a DC-3 and probably fewer on anything else available. That's a LOT of round trips.
Or did you mean the VIPs were flown out, and the rest were evacuated (but not necessarily flown)?
Still, he will have lost most of his planes, and a perceptible number of his pilots. They're not likely to end up in China very soon, IMO.
To where? On what? Fishing boats to the still-holding out southern islands? At which point they take ships? (Since you've said no more American ships leave Luzon successfully.)
One of these days, someone is going to game out one of these campaigns and discover 'Oh, shit, the Allies can actually win WTF amI going to do with all the stuff I've already written?'
I really will edit this at the end (chuckle)
A lot of the trips are to Cebu and no further (a couple of trips a night for the C45s)
Chennault ends up in China but he will have to start from scratch by building the Chinese 4th Pursuit Group, plus eventually an American Fighter Group when one can be spared. He will eventually get some transport aircraft too... months from now
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_Chinese_Nationalist_air_force_(1937–45)#United_State
At the time of the last evacuation from Luzon, there were still ships leaving the southern and central islands. The evacuation from Manila on January 6 is identical to the historic evacuation (December 24-Jan 1) to Bataan and Corregidor
The last evacuation by surface ship from the Philippines resulted in the Battle of the Celebes Sea as the Japanese 2nd Phase Invasion began
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...-a-battle-at-dawn.412552/page-5#post-14714078
True, but only as far as it goes. Which isn't very far.
The Burma Road was a windy, twisty, unpaved thread through the mountains. Better than nothing, certainly. Better than the air lift over the Hump (close to nothing). But not a serious logistics route.
Ouch! That's going to hurt.
attached
''rout'. Also occurs in multiple other places.
Southern Barbarians.
Duh! That's like, Philippine Army. I was wondering why there were so many Pennsylvania National Guard units in the Pacific....
(Did I mention that I'm easily confused?)
regarding the PA... I can understand that one.
The large number of PA construction regiments are very important. OTL the USAFE had to make do with 2 engineer battalions and one airfield construction battalion, so it is a major (possibly the most important) departure in TTL.
The destruction of the SNLF is based on the OTL Battle of the Points
The Burma Campaign is not going to get a lot of attention as there is a limit to how much I can cover.
Most definitely editing (for grammar, punctuation and spelling) is planned.
The Burma Road was apparently considered a sufficiently serious logistics route by someone important in Washington DC that after its loss a great deal of effort was put into constructing an alternative overland route, the 'Ledo Road'...
Edit:
Maybe it was seen as important for political reasons, that a land-link existed?