Another possibility, what if it was a US warship that sunk a Japanese before Pearl? Apologies and court-martials? Or take up the ball and run for base? Before the War Warnings or after?
Technically that did happen when WARD sank that sub
Another possibility, what if it was a US warship that sunk a Japanese before Pearl? Apologies and court-martials? Or take up the ball and run for base? Before the War Warnings or after?
They wanted confirmation.
Not ships but fortifications completed at places like Guam and Wake, new squadrons of aircraft stood up, ground based reinforcements and greater training of existing units, stockpiles built up, @Carl Schwamberger certainly knows more about it than I do, but the Phillippines, Guam and Wake would have been much tougher nuts after 60 days, probably won't save the Philippines or Guam, but they would hold out longer and cost much more to take, and Wake is almost certainly saved, plus the Pearl would be even better defendedYou mean 16-19 months right? There was hardly any new USN ships of note that would be completed before that time. Delaying the war with the US for 3-4 months does very little to slow down the Japanese, but instead allows the Japanese to concentrate their forces on the their enemies one at a time.
Wake is too small and too isolated to be effectivly defended by the US, it is also within range of Japanese land based planes from the Marshalls. It'd need at least a brigade sized unit to defend the atoll and it is to small to effectivly hold that many troops. It doesn't even have the advantages like Midway of a protective coral reef that'd require specialised equipment. Wake is undefendable.Not ships but fortifications completed at places like Guam and Wake, new squadrons of aircraft stood up, ground based reinforcements and greater training of existing units, stockpiles built up, @Carl Schwamberger certainly knows more about it than I do, but the Phillippines, Guam and Wake would have been much tougher nuts after 60 days, probably won't save the Philippines or Guam, but they would hold out longer and cost much more to take, and Wake is almost certainly saved, plus the Pearl would be even better defended
Guam wasn't to have further fortifications constructed since the government didn't see as Guam being able to be defended long-term. The defenders were to destroy all military facilities of value and withdraw. Their was an expansion and improvement of its harbor and seaplane facilities though.Not ships but fortifications completed at places like Guam and Wake, new squadrons of aircraft stood up, ground based reinforcements and greater training of existing units, stockpiles built up.
certainly knows more about it than I do, but the Phillippines, Guam and Wake would have been much tougher nuts after 60 days, probably won't save the Philippines or Guam, but they would hold out longer and cost much more to take, and Wake is almost certainly saved, plus the Pearl would be even better defended
More or less nothing, six months or two weeks makes about as much differance. You need time, engineers, equipment and supplies to fortify antyhing beyond two weeks.I had intentions of having the war between the two nations start in mid 1942 or so, around May (can be adjusted to a more fitting time-frame). Within those six months, what can the U.S realistically and logically do to bolster their defenses in the pacific
The United States had been writing off Guam and the Philippines. There had been a lobby calling for their fortification decades earlier, and it was decisively defeated both in the military sphere (where notions of a retreat to an eastern Pacific bastion followed by a counteroffensive back across took over) and in the political sphere (by treaties that forbade fortification work). They're not going to suddenly change their mind, and anyway both are far too exposed to be held against a determined Japanese attack.However, I am also not convinced the US will write off possessions like Guam, Wake, and for that matter the Philippines. Remember, these are the Japanese. Their planes are poorly made copies of western designs and their weak middle ears make them poor pilots.
zert said: ↑
Another possibility, what if it was a US warship that sunk a Japanese before Pearl? Apologies and court-martials? Or take up the ball and run for base? Before the War Warnings or after?
Technically that did happen when WARD sank that sub
Under US law the captain of the Ward was acting legally. The War Warning messages of November stated Japanese military forces approaching were to be considered hostile & ordered attacking them.
The United States had been writing off Guam and the Philippines. There had been a lobby calling for their fortification decades earlier, and it was decisively defeated both in the military sphere (where notions of a retreat to an eastern Pacific bastion followed by a counteroffensive back across took over) and in the political sphere (by treaties that forbade fortification work). They're not going to suddenly change their mind, and anyway both are far too exposed to be held against a determined Japanese attack.
The US was already in the war long before Pearl Harbour. Shots had been fired and both US warships and Uboats had been damaged or sunk. It was only a matter of time before the Germans made it official.
In the Pacific the Japanese are at the point that they either have to attack or give in to US demands. They can't delay more than a month or two. What they could do is attack only the British and the Dutch but that leaves the US able to stab them in the back. To take such a risk is insane, no competent planners would contemplate it knowing the US is their ultimate enemy.
Except they were changing their minds. ...
The fact is the US was in the process of reinforcing the Philippines, given a few more months, Washington is not going to back off, it is going to send more.
I realize that, I'm just making the point that what Zert was suggesting did in fact happen although I'm sure he was taking about something bigger.
...
The Philippines would have had more men trained and set up defenses but would still fall. Just cost the Japanese more needed men, planes, and precious fuel.
The extra 6 months would allow for more destroyers and submarines to be available and more refits to be done on current warships. I am not sure if the delays would allow for more 20mm and 40mm guns to be installed.