How feasible is a pre - emptive British strike against Japan?

The British were obviously wary of Japanese aggression as were Australia and New Zealand. Is it possible that a pre emptive strike could have been launched to at least temporary disable the Imperial Navy sometime before the invasions of Malaya and Hong Kong?
 
I'd go with no. I don't think British were in position to add another enemy, specially as US would likely remain out.
 
Overstretch

The British were obviously wary of Japanese aggression as were Australia and New Zealand. Is it possible that a pre emptive strike could have been launched to at least temporary disable the Imperial Navy sometime before the invasions of Malaya and Hong Kong?
'Pre-emptive strike' launched on the IJN with what?
 
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Even if they tried all it does is make Japan the "victim" and those fellows in America not wanting to fight will smile and ask how the British could fight Japan and Germany but still need support from America?

At best all the UK could do was some kind of grand raid on Japanese naval forces. It would be insane but it is possible.
 
I think to have Britain even consider a 'pre-emptive strike' you would need massive changes in the interwar years resulting in a Great Britain more militaristic and adventurous then the Nazis and probably just as ruthless in dealing with dissenters as well. As a member of the league of nations, Britain adhered to strict rules on when to use their military and pre-emptive strikes were definitely not a part of their moral code. In fact they were so outraged with Germany's pre-emptive strike against 'the Judeo-Communist infiltrarors' in Poland that they declared war on Germany over it the very next day.

That being said, once war has been declared, Britains military has used pre-emptive strikes against the opponent's forces a number of times. So one could see an all-out air attack against the Japanese fleet Jimmy Doolittle style in the summer of 1942, but in no case before Pearl harbor.
 
'Pre-emptive strike' launched on the IJN with what?

At Taranto the British launched twenty one planes at Pearl the first wave alone had just over one hundred and eighty aircraft and the second was almost as big.

RN carriers were not designed for mass strikes, they were designed for chipping away at the enemy and taking damage in turn if they needed to before the battleships closed in and finished the job.

Even if the British could spare their carriers they would still lack the tools for the kind of knock out blow required to make it worth the risk.
 
The British were obviously wary of Japanese aggression as were Australia and New Zealand. Is it possible that a pre emptive strike could have been launched to at least temporary disable the Imperial Navy sometime before the invasions of Malaya and Hong Kong?

Would have been definitely an eye opener through the Pacific, but as said,
they already have full hand deal. Gerard
 

GarethC

Donor
Not against Japan. But there are a couple of dozen Hudsons and a handful of Catalinas in Malaya that could hit the invasion convoy shipping in Cam Ranh Bay if the British could be convinced that the Japanese were really going to go to war.

I think it's too far for Blenheims to go, even shuttling through Kota Bharu to refuel, but if the range can be extended with external tanks or an internal collapsible fuel bladder in place of a bomb or something, then there are another three dozen of those airframes available.

You'd need some extraordinary work to convince the British to go first - having Josiah Crosby become convinced that Japan meant to annex and occupy Thailand might do it though.
 

elkarlo

Banned
I'd go with no. I don't think British were in position to add another enemy, specially as US would likely remain out.

Also Japanese assets were really far away from British bases. Making any attack a logistical nightmare. The IJN fleet and carriers would be too far to really damage at the onset. So it'd take sustained fighting to get them
 
Also Japanese assets were really far away from British bases. Making any attack a logistical nightmare. The IJN fleet and carriers would be too far to really damage at the onset. So it'd take sustained fighting to get them

So what to the British need to do in order to avert the disaster that unfolded?
 

elkarlo

Banned
So what to the British need to do in order to avert the disaster that unfolded?

Good Q. HK was toast. Write it off. Maybe fortify the Malay peninsula better and have a Bataan like line there and hope for US reenforcements. The Brits had too much on their plate to really be able to afford having large garrisons in the far east
 
The British were obviously wary of Japanese aggression as were Australia and New Zealand. Is it possible that a pre emptive strike could have been launched to at least temporary disable the Imperial Navy sometime before the invasions of Malaya and Hong Kong?
They could try, but it would be a major blunder, There's no guarantee that it would be successful and it would make Japapan the victim of agression. Then the Japanese wouldrun rough shod overtheir Asian holdings.
 
Japan retaliates, America doesn't get involved (unless enough PR is used to spin it); Japan shifts its strategy to a AHC Eastern Strategy (instead of OTL North or South), they run up Malaya, Burma, and cut Chiang Kai Shek off. Overall a nightmarish situation for Britain, because there is no guarantee the US will enter the war if Britain starts it.


That being said the Japanese could overstep, the Philippines do become a major thorn to the Japanese. Additionally, they may attack the Dutch East Indies anyway and this may incite the US.

If they don't overstep; they gain more time to prepare for their potential fight against the US.

Final Verdict: It would be stupid of the British to consider a pre - emptive strike against the Japanese considering the events in Europe.
 
In addition, a preemptive British strike likely means zero cooperation from Congress in India. They were willing to support the war effort to a point but Britain dragging Asia into an aggressive war would lead to massive resistance in India.
 
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