Images/Photos of YOUR Favorite Alternate History

[Sport25ing]

Morgen die ganze Welt​

Turretless M4 Sherman used as recovery vehicle by sPz.Abt 508, just before Operation Sea Lion

Outside of the Soviet T-34, the M4 Sherman was the most used tank made by the Allies captured by the Axis (from North Africa, Sicily, Normandy and England, with more rare examples in the USSR). Unlike the Soviet-made tanks, in which the Germans gave almost all their entire stock to other Axis members, like the Kingdom of Italy, the Shermans were most more appreciated by the Wehrmacht. In fact, o January 1945, it was decided to converted near 90% of their Shermans into recovery vehicles, taking some burden from the tank factories in back in Germany from converting some of their own tanks into the same rule. In fact, the this german variant of the M4 became the most common recovery vehicle fielded by the Axis during Operation Sea Lion, in 1946.

An rare Messerschmitt Me-109G-18* of the Israeli Air Force, mid-1947

After Rudolf Hess became the new Chancellor of Germany, after the end of the Second World War and the short German Civil War, a reunion was held in January 1947, to discuss the situation with the remaining surviving Jews in Germany. While the Germans were still very antisemitism, the concentration camps were a step to far for them to handle. Therefore, the decision was made to cede the occupied Palestine to them (plus military equipment and money) and expell all Jewish (and some other non-undersired "races") to the Middle East, in exchange for their silence in the Holocaust.

*The G-18 variant was a rare of the famous Me-109 (and the last G-series built before switching to the K-series). It was build as a kind of testbed by the Messerschmitt-own Avia factory in the former Czechoslovakia for the use of the now numerous Jumo 211 engines present in the various warehouses in Germany, after the end of production of the bombers in which the engine was intended to power. The end result was the worse G-variant of all Me-109G's, with some even shooting down themselves after founding out that the machine guns in cowling weren't totally synchronized with the propellers. Even so, less than 500 were built, but none to be operated by the Luftwaffe. Instead they were to be operated only by the White Russians, Chechens and Israel.

Wrech of a J8M "Jim" in Kyushu, early 1946

With the situation in Europe worsening day by day, Operation Downfall was put on hold after the capture of Okinawa (and the shooting down of the B-29 Silverplate "Bockscar" by Saburo Sakai, leading the first all-japanese jet squadron). And with both campaigns in Burma and Middle East also worsening, the Japanese are able to supply all it's forces by land through the occupied territories in mainland Asia, including some more of their modern equipment.
The German (and Italian) help was very helpfull to the "Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere", with Germany not only sending blueprints and machine tools for building the new equipment, but also sending some of the new Type XXI U-boats to the Pacific and JG3 (equiped with Me-262) to be send to Honshu (all but the U-boats with the help of the small aircorridor with Junkers Ju-390 transports), in return of rubber and Wolfram, plus trainies for use of said equipment, and advisors for building the Graf Zeppelin-class carrier (only operational in November 1946).
Downfall (only the Coronet part is implemented) its only launch on March seventh 1947, after the armistice between the US and the European Axis on started on July 1946, but stalled during the German Civil War, and only re-started alongeside the invasion of Japan. The war truly ends on March 12th, with Horihito signing the armistice with the Allied forces still operating in the Pacific.

 

[Sport25ing]

Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The Red .
Special: captured equipment

One of the rare Yumi bow, currently been held by the French* in a unknow military museum

In May 1940, Jack "Mad" Churchill** may have the only confirmed kill with a bow and arrow (more specificaly, a longbow) in the entire European campaign. In the Pacific War, after Operation Coronet, as Japan was uncapable of supplying firearms to all it's forces, many began to search alternative ways, including their own version of bow and arrow, the Yumi. While many accient Western Bows were large, in many cases, the Yumi was about 2 meters tall, been taller than even some GI's, making the use of such weapon as a stealth weapon only in the basis of sound, as the size of such equipment was pretty much impossible to hide, and due to the nature of the Japanese imperial forces at that time, the care and maintance of such equipment was pretty much impossible, with many failing due to the weakening of the string. Even so, it is said that at least near 200 Allied soldier might have died due to been hit by the ya (the arrow part of the Yumi - with unconfirmed reports of poison in the arrows been made), with almost 500 been confirmed wounded.
Even so, it was perhaps among the safest weapons the Japanese had, as the Japanese were using almost everything as a weapon to kill as many GI's as possible, from the well know and common sharpen bamboo stick and kitchen knifes, to the rarest semi-automatic rifle they fielded, the Type 5. Even museum weapons (and cheap copies) didn't escaped, as one American recorded and one of the death child soldiers found in a trench (cause of death was chemical gas - type not mentioned) had a muskeet that dated back to the Portuguese prior to the Edo period (in the 1600's)!! And other reports from numerous sources say due to the mistreatement of many of these relics (even worse with the cheap copies) lead to many such weapons exploding in their handler face, been more dangerous to the japanese itself than to the Allies.

*Even less know that the Commonwealth Corps (or CC - with two divisions each of British, Australian and Canadian troops, with two battalions of New Zealanders augmenting the Aussies), the French Expeditionary Corps (or FFC) landed on Honshu one week after the said CC, been also attached to the 8th US Army. Among the FFC were two Colonial Division and detachments of the French Foreign Legion (ironically, among some recruits were former Wehrmacht troops).
**Jack Churchill, after some jungle training (thus missing Operation Zipper), joined the 1st Battalion of Seaforth Highlanders in the liberation of Malaya and Singapore, were, in one of the rare instances of the British finding Japanese tanks, Jack sneak close enough to one of the Type 95 Ha-Go's, stuck a large stick inside the tanks cannon barrel after it fired, and after the commander open the hatch to see whats going on, Jack stab him with is Scottish word and thrown a satchel inside, with end result almost killing Jack itself as it had barely any time to escape

A pile of German 98k rifles taken over by Norway after VE. There were 350,000 98ks in Norway counted in the summer of 1945.

Unknow to many people, the British Armed Forces were short of firearms to mid/late-1945. In response to this (including negotiations with the Norwegian government), the British (and later France) began supplying their troops in both Burma (and in occupied Germany/Austria) with German-made equipment, including many firearms. To ease supply to said weapons, most were used by troops in the rear or by some special forces (France for exemple gave most of their German equipment to the Foreign Legion, were some of those soldiers were either German themselves, or French that fought alongeside the Axis that now need to "clean" their record). The most common firearm was the Karabiner 98K rifle, with both the MG-34 and 42, plus MP-40 been also very plentifull to find.
Also send was heavy pieces like 2cm Flak guns, 20mm MG-151 guns, pieces of artillery, even aircrafts like the Fieselers Fi-156 and Junkers Ju-52/3m been the most common (although still rare compared to the Allied-built equipment).
Postwar up to today, it been reported that on all German-made equipment found by resistance forces from Burma to Papua New-Guinea, up to 30% had come from either by the British or by the French between 1945 and 1946. Ironically, one of the ships transporting said cargo was sunk by I-502, former U-862, under new management.

The last hurrah of the "Traitors", November 1945.

Between September and November 1945, the Japanese were gathering all equipment in Kyushu for the "Decisive Battle", while simultaneous, the Allies were destroying as much as possible. In desperation, Japan began to implement captured equipment since the Second Sino-Japanese War up to that point to their forces to supplement some already loss. Including in such were the single weirdest Hiko Sentai, the 120th HS. The reason: It flew all captured aircraft the Japanese could gather up to X-Day (many more were used for spare parts for the aircrafts).
The most common was the P-40 Warhawk, including the "latest" by the time of their capture, the E-series, with Brewster Buffalos been the second most common (ironically also used in Malaya in a half Hiko Sentai). Also including, to fill the gaps, was the single B-17E Flying Fortress, the single A-20 Boston and even the single (non-captured) Me-109E "Mike". The main purpose of the 120th was to escort the indigenous aircrafts while distracting the Allies as they focus on their former operated aircrafts.
On X-Day, the result was obvious: none of the 120th aircrafts would survive to X-Day+1, with at best, a single P-40E crash landing in a rice field, with no way to recover the aircraft, therefore it was abandoned. The Allies, having knowledge of this, gave a new designation to all former Allies fuselages: "Traitor". But after X-Day, no more would be found in the air, with wrecks been the only thing remaining.

 

[Sport25ing]

A True and Better Alamo Redux by @Fearless Leader​

Two tanks of the Pz Abt zBV-66

The strangest Panzer unit that fought against te Western Allies was the Pz Abt zBV-66. It was formed for Operation Herkules/C3, the invasion of Malta, in June of 1942. Two companies where form at that time, each with different tanks: 1st Company with Panzer IF, Panzer IJ, Panzer IIF2 (trop), Panzer III and Panzer IVG; and 2nd Company with KV-1, KV-2 (one each) and nine T-34 tanks (early models). While their mobility was limited, the armor they possess made them imunde to Allied armament up to that point in the war.
The surviving tanks from Malta where later send to Russia, while zBV-66 was send to France for resting period before been send to reinforce the German unit of Operation Case Blue. Instead, the quick retreat of the Deustch Afrika Korps lead to the unit been send once again to the Mediterranean. Their final showdown was the fourth iteration of the unit in the defense of the Rhein river (all iterations were always equiped with Soviet-made vehicles).
It is said that the deployment of the zBV-66 (and later the Tiger I tank) lead to the Allies development of stronger anti-tank weapons (which isn't true since both the 76mm and 17pdr guns were already developed, just not deployed), it could be the reason why the Churchill Gun Carrier A22D Self-Propelled Gun (with the 3-inch gun) wasn't cancelled and was instead put in full production

The Soft Underbelly - a Gallipoli TL by @Onkel Willie​

A Curtiss P-62 Warhawk of the USAAC, mid-1943

The Royal Air Force, seen that they might not have enough interceptors to defend both the Home Islands and it's empire from both the Russia, German, Chinese and Japanese air forces, they ordered 200 of the newest USAAC interceptor, the Curtiss P-62 (know as the Curtiss Warhawk) even before the first prototype ever flew, let alone was ordered by the USAAC itself. And most of the order was later taken by the Americans themselves when they declare war on June 1942 after the sinking of the battleship USS Texas.
The aircraft itself, while not bad, wasn't what the allies hoped for, been heavier and not maneuverable to defend itself against the escort fighters of most of the enemy formations (still better than two engined aircrafts, but still worse than single seats ones). It was then ordered just to perform interception-only missions of enemy bombers, something than was becoming rarer from late 1943 onwards, and the Warhawk (by that time the P-62C/Warhawk Mk.III) was pull out of frontline service.

The Twin Vipers: A Finished TL of the Berlin-Moscow Axis by @BiteNibbleChomp​

Three TBD Devastators of a flight scouting German U-boats near a unknow coast, late-1942

The TBD Devastator, while mostly intended to be replaced by the TBF Avenger torpedo bomber (with the help of the results just as Wilhelmshaven raid in June 1941 cementhing than the torpedo bombers were the most vulnerable aircrafts in such raid, with half of the 58 aircrafts been either B5N or Swordfish), it was found a new niche for the outdated aircraft: Anti-Submarine Warfare.
While slowly, the Torpedo Squadrons in the Pacific were the first to receive the new Avenger, the Devastator held on it's position in the Atlantic (and rarer cases in the Mediterranean, onboard either the Bearn or both the Joffre-classes carriers), been the USN aircraft that sunk more U-boats in 1942 (just seven of the twelve, but better than none), until themselves were replaced by the TBF in eatly 1943.

 

[Gillan1220]

This is from an unfinished Dawn of the Dead (2004) timeline on a now-defunct alternate history site I read back in the day. The POD is actually in 1968 when the events of the Venus Space Probe from The Night of the Living Dead caused a ghoul outbreak but was quelled by the police, the military, and armed civilians. History for some reason happens to follow the same as OTL up until Spring 2004 when the new variant of the undead virus shows up and produces the running zombies seen in the remake.

A horde of zombies in Washington, D.C., March 2004. This horde would attack the White House right before the newly-inaugurated President (the Vice President after the death of the original President due to the infected White House doctor) was evacuated from D.C.

Air Force One manages to leave Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland just before it was overrun by the horde. The new President was evacuated to Andrews via Marine One and immediately boarded the presidential aircraft. The next stop was where the President could stay. The VC-25 landed in Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska, where the STRATCOM bunker beneath it remained online. After staying for three days, it was determined the President should be moved to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado as it is more secure. The President rode the E-4B National Airborne Command Post en route to Colorado. Cheyenne Mountain would become the "new" capital of the United States as the new President would try to combat the outbreak.

A group of U.S. Army soldiers in Iraq supported by an M2 Bradley engage a horde of undead in Fallujah. Since the outbreak began while the War on Terror and Iraq War was ongoing, over 130,000 were stranded in Iraq and another 20,300 in Afghanistan. In Iraq, U.S. military forces and Iraqi security forces struggled to maintain order as insurgents took advantage of the chaos in the midst of the undead outbreak. Up north, Kurdistan declared independence as Turkey dealt with its own outbreaks. While in Afghanistan, both the U.S., ISAF, and ANA struggled to fight both a resurgent Taliban and internal outbreaks within the newly created Islamic Republic of Afghanistan under Harmid Karzai.

 

[Gillan1220]

This is from a one-shot alternate history timeline/story called ZDA which was written on a now-defunct website. The premise is a zombie apocalypse occurs just a month before George W. Bush would start his second term in office.

"We must unite and fight against the undead as they come to destroy us."
President George W. Bush's final address to the American people regarding the Undead Crisis of 2004-05, January 12, 2005.

Following this speech, Bush, the First Lady, cabinet members, and high-ranking officials are evacuated to undisclosed locations around the United States. A week later, Bush would be re-inaugurated in Mount Weather, Virginia. However, a month later, Mount Weather mysteriously goes dark. On February 27, 2005, the remaining Secret Service and military units open the bunker in northeast Virginia, finding Bush and all his cabinet Infected. Dick Cheney, beneath the STRATCOM bunker in Nebraska, becomes the 44th President after the death of his boss. Cheney would commit suicide on March 4, 2005 as the toll of leading a nation weighs heavily on him. With the majority of the cabinet dead and no clear order in sight, the United States has all but dissolved into anarchy. From the ashes, various survivor states emerge around the once great land.
(I originally posted this on the Photos from Alternate Worlds thread.)

Refugees overwhelm New York City as FEMA declares it a safezone. It would later be overrun with the undead, forcing the USAF to bomb it with MOABs in Operation Falling Skies.

American refugees cross the Rio Grande to escape from the outbreak. The Mexican Federales were forced to open fire on thousands of refugees. In one of his last acts as the President before committing suicide, the Cheney administration orders a nuclear attack on Mexico City in retaliation for the border massacre. Mexico would soon collapse as a functioning country, with only the cartels maintaining some form of order in the states they control.

 

[Sport25ing]

Comrade Harps timeline:

South African officers in a unknow place in the United Kingdom, 1943

While most of the South African armed forces fought in the African campaign (both in East and North Africa), Italian and Burma campaign, their most famous contribution were in Western Europe from 1942-44 and Downfall in 1946. With the help of the annexation of the former German South West Africa in 1919, more resources could be put in their armed forces, it helped their own policy of "war on all fronts" (which mean that if a frontline is created, a South African unit much be included). With this in mind, some SAAF squadrons were send to the UK in 1942, alongeside some SAN ships augmenting the RN in the Atlantic, but off course, the most famous contribution was the participation of the 3rd Transvaal Scottish Regiment, of the 5th Infantry Brigade (South Africa) landing on the Juno Beach, on Operation Overloard, alongeside the Canadian forces. From that point until the Separate Peace, on 21 of August, the South Africans fought hard on every battle their join.

Unknow african rear guard units of the UN, mid-1980's

While the most advanced weapons of the UN were given to the rare top African units, most of the rear units (as well as the worse) were equiped with some antiquated weapons, like shown were some unknow african unit with water-cooled M1917 machine gun, like most of the Red/Socialist units were all equiped with some of the best equipments, regardless of what units (some of the given old equipment was used as training or as a last resource). This off course was one of the reason that Operation Just Defense failed, as said old equipment had no rule in a modern battlefield.

Argentinian PBY Catalina based in Islas Malvinas, mid-1950's

With the fall of the Western Europe in 1950, the US began to question the loyalty of the islands/territories still occupied by the Europeans. With this in mind, all islands were occupied just one week after the fall of their respectives colonizer, with very few been declared independence, while the remaining would be annexed by some of the respective invaders. Among them were the Falklands islands and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, invaded and annexed by Argentina (seen also for the last time the use of the Argentinian battleship). There was a short firefighting before the surrender of the british forces, and the relocation of every person that lived prior to outside of said islands (most seen to Canada). The now Islas Malvinas are still part of Argentina up to today, been the most heavily defensed place in the entire nation.

 

[Kloka]

In celebration of the conclusion of Proxima,Challenger comes to its final stop:

 

[Sport25ing]

Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The Red .

Only photo showing the existance of the Tokyo Cadets/Boys.

Forthy-Five youth recruits from the Indian National Army where choosen to be send to the Imperial Japanese Army Academy or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Academy to train as fighter pilots in 1944 by Subhas Chandra Bose. Due to the destruction of most of the information related to them, it is unknow what their intencional purpose besides propaganda tools, or even their names (although Ramesh Sakharam Benegal maybe one such cadets shown in the picture).

One this is for certain: due to the Allied blockade on the island they would never leave the Japanese Home Islands, and their where kept in reserve as their own Hiko Sentai unit (the No.107), flying mid-models Ki-61 "Tony" fighters. They purpose: on Operation Majestic, protect twin-engined aircrafts carrying the I-Go-1b anti-ship missile to the targets. On the previous night, before receiving orders from taking off, and been nationalists in heart, they painted their national flag on the rudder off each fighter (sometimes poorly, as some aircrafts had a horrific mixture due to not letting the paint dry-up and mixing up with the others), something that many Japanese officers protested, but seen the Indians pilots moral going up, have taken no action to prevent it.

As with many stories involving the Japanese aircrafts on X-Day, the No.107 HS where mauled by the superior training of this case, US Marines F7F Tigercats and F4U-4 Corsairs, with only less than 20% of the pilots bailing out and surviving, but themselves did not go down without a fight, shooting down three Corsairs and two Tigercats, and allowing at least a third of the missile carrying aircrafts to hit their targets (even with the instruction of ignoring warships and hit instead LSTs and LSMs, at least one destroyer escort (confused by a cruiser) was sunk in this attack).

Last FM-2 Wildcats been built, September 1945.

With the coup against the Emperor and the continuation of the war in the Pacific (plus the later Typhoon Louise destruction in Okinawa) open the tap for more equipment to be send for Operation Downfall (either replace the destroyed equipment or supplement/replace the still existing one). One such moves (small confusing one) was the switch of the General Motors FM-2 Wildcat to just 100 FM-3 (using the 1,425hp (1,063 kW) Wright R-1820-74W engine and a height adjustable undercarriage - 25 been converted as 3B, built as a airborne forward air controller role, with radio equipment designed to enable easier communication with all Allied assets on the ground, in the air and at sea), then another 200 F2M-1 (with improved R-1820-70 engine, but more stricking visual references was the teardrop canopy and a 20mm cannon and a .50cal mg per gun) before finally been settled on the F3M Bearcat*, all between September and December 1945!

*While the F8F Bearcat was built as a replacement of the F6F Hellcat in the same way the Hellcat replaced the Wildcat, in reality, while the F8F was a improvement over the F6F, some flaws saw the next variant of the Hellcat, the F6F-6, still been put in production in simultaneous with the F8F, while General Motors (plus from Canada-built Canadian Car and Foundry) would supplement the remaining Allied orders (including several variants, such as night fighters and recon ones).

Pre-production YBTK Challenger in August 1945

While both Martin* and Douglas** where busy with their several projects to supply with the AM Mauler and AD Skyraider, Kaiser-Fleetwings producting just the BTK Challenger was a wise choise due to their spare capacity, and was had better performance for escort carrier that the two prior. Twenty pre-production were built in August 1945, and after positive reactions, five hundred were ordered, and while the first didn't arrive in time for Operation Majestic, from mid-December onwards, they operations in Kyushu was appreciated, even if their small payload wasn't much help in some cases, and in rare cases, could even perform better as a dogfighter than the Skyraider and the Mauler.

*With B-29 Superfortess (on their factory in Omaha, Nebraska) and P4M Mercator
**With A-26 Invader, C-47 Skytrain, C-54 Skymaster, C-112 transport and C-74 Globemaster

 

[Sport25ing]

Can it Carry Bombs? by @whatisinaname​

Boeing F-13 Superfortress on it's way to the United Kingdom

As Allied reconnaissance over Germany became hazardus due to the introduction of the Me-262 jet fighters, it was ordered that a squadron of F-13 Superfortress to be send to te UK in early 1945 (nearly half a year before true bombers squadrons were send in July). For a while, their altitude advantage helped to once again have a advantage in aerial photos and for a while, none where escorted.
But when one such F-13 failed to appear, a second mission in the same area was send, with two recon aircrafts, plus one squadron of P-47M Thunderbolts. The culprid: the newest Kurt Tank piston engined fighter, the Ta-152H fighter. Two fighters on each sides were lost and one Superfortress received damaged. And more were lost with the introduction of the Me-262C3a with a third Walter rocket pack of JG-400 (replacing earlier C-variants in which turn replaced the Me-163 in January) everytime one such aircraft would pass over Kriegsmarines dock building Type XXI U-boats.

Enzo Grossi (commander of the 1st Atlantic Marine Fusilier Division) received at Palazzo Venezia by Benito Mussolini

Almost 5,000 Italians of the 1st Atlantic Marine Fusilier Division were present in the Atlantic Wall between Oléron and Le Havre during Operation Overlord. While some couldn't escape during Operation Cobra, with extra men from POW camps, the Division was once again in full strenght in the Seine Line, defending the area under Army Group G. Unlike most Axis members and armed forces, the 1st AMFD (still with the Atlantic name, even though they no longer defended said part of France) were actually armed with the most advanced armament alongeside their German brothers, with MG-42/45, MP-3008, EMP 44, Panzerfaust 150/250 and Fliegerfaust, among others.

 

[Sport25ing]

CH timeline:

Trading lynch mobs in America for liberties in the Socialist Union

Shortly after the victory in the Second Russian Civil War between the victorious Trosky-lead Socialist Union against Stalin communist forces (that lead to its semi-exile in the Caucasus, forming the Soviet Socialist Republics of TransCaucasia in the process), the further devastation made Trosky form the new 5 Year Plan's in which include recruiting Westerners to work in and manage factories, as Troika came to the conclusion that apart from the biggest cities, the rest of the Russian is this rural-style and in some isolated areas, the population still lived virtually unchanged from that of teir great-grandparents. As it wwas puted on the 20th Party Congress: "“How can a nation of peasants, a nation in which the assembly line or the car is as foreign a concept to most people as interstellar travel, ever hope to defeat to defeat an industrialized nation? The West is ahead of us by 40 or 50 years and if we cannot bridge the gap in the next 10 years than Soviet Communism will be destroyed.”". To that end, for a while, Henry Ford made a agreement to provide technical aid for building te first automobile plant, constructing copies of older Ford (ironically, he open more factories in the Caucasus and received more support, including forming the Ford Aircraft Company of TransCaucasia). So starting in June the Comintern instructed Western Communist parties to began recruiting.

Outside of political refugees (mostly from Germany, due to Hitler's regime), these recruiting efforts paid off: near 5,000 Americans (more than 1,500 of whom were African-American - who were amazed at the lack of segregation and open racism), more than 6,000 people from the UK, more than 3,000 French, less than 2,000 Scandinavians, and less than 3,500 others had emigrated to the Socialist Union, and put to work in their respectives areas (and Kubyshev could not help but notice that there were slightly fewer accidents in these factories and their production was higher). Once they arrived they were assigned to a city, then given a crash course in that area's language.

Apart from several hiccups due to the several sanctions agaisnt, plus their involvement in the Spanish Civil War, on the whole the emigre experience was a positive one, and once the War against Fascism started on June 1941, thousands of foreign joined the Red Army ranks, and were later molded into the International Brigades (among the most famous been both the US composed 777th Squadron and the 2nd Lincoln-Washington Battalion, the later fighting against the Estonian Meredessantpataljon in their assault on Leningrad)

US landing in Inchon, Operation Titan, August 1945

The Red Army’s swift advance in to Manchuria and northern Korea in the first week of August 1945 panicked the Western Allies. The big question was: would the Reds stop at the agreed 38th Parallel?* To help provide an assurance that they would, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff presented the Commander in Chief with Operation Titan, a contingency plan for the invasion of southern Korea at Inchon. With the Reds advancing swiftly, it was apparent that the Japanese defenders of Korea were poorly trained, equipped and lead. These were all good arguments for Titan being a better option than the planned Operation Olympic, the intended seizure of the southern third of the southernmost main Japanese island of Kyūshū. With fewer losses, a base close to Japan could be established whilst at the same time heading off the Red Army. After urgent trans-Atlantic consultations, the idea was approved and the Inchon beach head was established on the 15 August. Unable to either withdraw or reinforce its position in Korea, the Peninsula was rid of the Japanese by mid-September. Red Army soldiers shook hands GIs at the 38th on the 21 August. Surrounded, blockaded and subjected to massive conventional and atomic air strikes, the Japanese fought on.

With Olympic no longer necessary and Korea secured with less than expected casualties, it was been planned to bring Operation Coronet, the invasion of the Tokyo plain, forward from its planned spring 1946 launch to November. However, on October 9, 1945, a typhoon packing 140-mile per hour winds struck the American staging area on Okinawa, causing considerable damage. The typhoon’s impact delayed Coronet preparations by around 45 days, placing its start past the 1 December winter deadline.
But other problems arouse with the Op. Titan decision: most aircrafts didn't possess the range for missions supporting Operation Coronet, and many transports aircrafts could (and some where) lost due to interception by Japanese fighters. The first answer: developing long-range variants of several aircrafts (such as the Avro Lancaster Mk.I (FE), P-51H-25NA Mustang and Hawker Tempest Mk.V (FE)). The second answer: the start of Operation Immurement.

Operation Immurement where a serie of amphibious assault of several offshore islands surrounding proper Japan in the following stages (similar to Oboe), while could also support Operation Starvation:
- 1: Tsushima Island
- 2: Tanegashima, Yakushima, and the Koshikijima Islands
- 3: Dogoshima (or Dogo Island) of Oki Islands
- 4: Oshima Island

*Irony, since the Western Allies broke the Tehran agreement between them and Moscow Pact about fighting until the unconditional surrender of the Nazi Germany, exactly a year ago

Last moments of the Greek battleship Salamis, 1 July 1941

Hitler didn’t often play the role of peacemaker. Yet, that was precisely the role he played with regards to the threat of an Italian invasion of Greece. Although inclined to let Italy’s dictator, Mussolini, have his own way in the Balkans, German intelligence indicated that Greece would be able to withstand an Italian invasion. Hitler saw that this would lead to the unpalatable situation where German forces would have to finish the job for their Italian allies; and this at a time when Germany was preparing to invade the Moscow Pact nations. As an alternative, Hitler recognised that here was an opportunity to carrot and stick the conservative, anti-Communist Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas into an ally (despite the pro-British sentiment in both the population and politics, paranoia after February 1941 lead to a sick Metaxas launching a purge against most of it's pro-british members, and replacing them with pro-German ones, and using the Noemvriana (November events) of 1916 between the Entente and pro-Venizelism Greeks and the neutral greeks as one of the excuses for gathering hate against the Allies).

Through a combination of German diplomacy and intimidation, Mussolini’s threat of invasion could be used as a means to draw Greece away from a likely alliance with the British and into the Tripartite (Axis) Pact. From there, Greece could function as a defensive bulwark on the Axis’ southern-eastern flank and would likely contribute forces to the up-coming anti-Communist crusade of Operation Barbarossa. By playing the role of a geopolitical statesman (bully), Hitler persuaded the Metaxas regime to sign-on to the Tripartite Pact, which it did on 25 March 1941 (the same day as Bulgaria), thereby thwarting Mussolini’s invasion plans. Greece declared war on the Moscow Pact nations on 24 June 1941 (two days after Operation Barbarossa’s commencement)*.

With failed attempts of convencing otherwise, the Western Allies had no choice but to also declare war on the 26, and with the excuse, the Royal Navy prepared to launch Operation Black Manta. On the night of 30 of June, Fairey Swordfish (with escort aircrafts) of HMS Victorious and HMS Formidable attack the Greek naval base on Salamis (a secondary attack was launch against the base on Souda Bay by HMS Eagle). And after three hours of the attack, the result where:
- Sunk: cruiser Georgios Averof and Lambros Katsoni**; Submarine Papanikolis
- Heavy Damaged: Battleship Salamis; Cruiser Antinavarchos Kountouriotis**; Training Ship Lemnos; Greek destroyer Vasilefs Georgios
- Slighty Damaged: Training ship Kilkis; Destroyer Vasilissa Olga, Thyella and Sfendoni; Submarine Triton and Katsonis

Most ships could have been salvaged due to most of them been based on shallow waters (only the Lambros Katsoni was a total loss at the time). But that wasn't the end: while fighting the ongoing fires, an massive explosion occured on the Salamis, sealing the fate of one third of the crew, and another ship became a total loss in the Hellenic Navy, plus near 1,000 deaths with the Allied side loss of five Sworfish, two Fulmars and less than 20 deaths in total.

*While joining the Tripartite Pact, Greece never once accepted Italian help and even never open communication between armed forces, to the point that most Allied raids on Albania were done passing through Greece, and the Italians only knew of the incoming raid once the bombs have already been dropped. It got slighty improved once they have to speak to a German officer to pass the message to the Italian counterparts and vice-versa.
**two Town-class previously made for Greece (Antinavarchos Kountouriotis (former HMS Birkenhead) and Lambros Katsoni (former HMS Chester) - Later modernized in 1934-35 by the French, with a new set of guns of the 5.1" DP type that had been developed in twin and single mounts. A new set of superstructures forward and aft, while new 'French' funnels replaced the 4 previously required.

 

[Sport25ing]

Patton in Korea/MacArthur in the White House, by @BiteNibbleChomp

Captured BA-64 used as a modified staff car by the 24th Infantry Division during the Korean War

With the end of the Korean War, more than twenty BA-64 were captured by the United Nations. All were given to the Republic of Korea, which, due to their obsolence by the existense of better armored cars like the M8 Greyhound, were given to the police for use as riot vehicles, with modifications for less lethal purposes at worse (with a submachine gun in place of the heavy machine gun).

The Sudeten War: History of the World after an Alternate 1938 - by @Onkel Willie​

As with many nations in the mid-1940's, Belgium needed to modernized due to the increase tensions with the Soviet Union (slower than with the Germans but still increasing year by year). And with the conflicts in both Poland and Yugoslavia showing, most of the tanks they still possessed (including the Hotchkiss) where now totally obsolete, and replacements were imediatly ordered. But instead of totally replacing the "light" tanks, they decided to convert them to other niches. One such convertion was into a Tank Destroyer, as shown where, named the T-16. Buying Pak 7,5mm anti-tank guns from Germany (as after the coup against Hitler in 1938 dismantled the Nazi regime, they once again open to the world), they removed the turret and put a armored box around the gun. Two regiments of T-16 were formed and made exercises with and against friendly forces for training purposes until they were send to storage in early 1950's - only to be put once again in service with the start of World War II.

How Silent Fall the Cherry Blossoms by @Geon​

Sturmtiger from Pz.St.Mör.Kp.1001 firing during the Battle of Belgium, December 1944

The presence of a monster vehicle in Belgium was a huge shock to the Allied troops and of relieve for the Wehrmacht/SS troops, as with a massive round could literally made any tank (and building), plus the surrounding area into dust. From Liege through Antwerp, plus other areas, the presence of the assault gun was enough to break some resistance from the Allies, without the Sturmtiger even firing its gun. But, as with many other vehicles, it became the main target from destruction, even with the presence of other priority vehicles in the area. While the armor could take heavy punishment, once they where hit in the ammunition, both the tank (and sometimes surrounding infantry) would "disentregate" into a massive ball of fire.
All Sturmtiger (three companies) were send to Operation Wacht Am Rhein, but none would return, as where either destroyed (through enemy fire or saboutaged by own crews for various reasons) or simply abandoned. Only one remains to this day in Saumur, France, where it remains as a static piece of the cruelest battle in the cruelest war.
Fun fact: some of explosives for the destruction of the Antwerp harbor were from the Sturmtiger shells, due to some lack of explosives (mostly used to destroy the bridges that the US 3rd Army from Patton needed)

 

[Sport25ing]

All from @Onkel Willie

The Bear vs the Dragon - a Sino-Soviet War TL​

People's Republic of China T-34-85 in Tiananmen Square in 1955

With the start of the Sino-Soviet War in 1969, the Chinese have send their best tanks into the frontline, like the Type 59 MBT and Type 62 and 64 light tanks. But as with many forces that underestimate their enemies, the few PLA tanks were decimated by the Soviet superiority in tank numbers, tactics and close air support from the VVS. To replace some of it's losses, the Chinese called up some second-rate units to stop the Soviet invasion, in which include many World War II tanks (mostly given by their former ally, now invade, but also a few captured during both the Civil War (the first) and the Korean War). As would everyone would know, the result was another tank massacre, and with no plans other than attack or counter-attack, they where mostly a speed bump for the T-54/55, T-62 and T-64 tanks.

Disaster at Moscow - a WW2 TL​

A freshy painted Matilda II tank of the 5th Mechanised Corps, Leningrad Area, early February 1942

The 5th Mechanised Corps (MC for short) was the only MC equiped entirely with British-made Lend-Lease tanks. One such tank was the Matilda II, with nearly half of the production been send to the Soviet Union (the recall of the Afrika Korps in January justified an earlier end of production, with the liberation of North Africa in May 1942). While not popular by the Soviets, they were much better vehicles than the light tanks like the T-60, and while most where replaced in early 1943, a platoon of Matilda CS was destroyed by the german last successeful counter-attack in Lubben on November 1943 (lead by Rommel)

Tonkinese Rifles (or tirailleurs) in the interwar era

With the fall of France in June 1940, the colonial administration in French Indochina, accepted the new government in Vichy. Initially, Japan (now a Allied Power and it fights the Soviets in the Soviet-Japanese War and the Soviets themselves allied with the Axis power after the Baku Raid by the French and British air forces) made some attempts to bring its Governor General to switch to the Allied side, cut supplies to the Chinese and allow Japanese forces to attack the Kuomintang in southern China from Tonkin, in the north of French Indochina. Negotiations failed, and the Japanese used it as a pretext to invade French Indochina, and a (one of each) fleet carrier, light aircraft carrier, battleship and heavy cruiser, plus four light cruisers, seven destroyers and six submarines were sent to the Gulf of Tonkin and supported their invasion force of 40.000 men, which landed at Dong Tac, on September 22nd 1940, and seized the port while a second landing put Japanese armour ashore. The colony fell in three days (with only 3.000 defenders who were of negligible concern).

Initially, most of the Tonkinese Tirailleurs were send to temporary POW camps, but as the war progressed worse for the Allies, all but an fourth of them were send to the Hanoi area due to the temporary alliance between the Nationalist China and the Axis, in a Phoney War-style situation, with small raids from both sides. The other joined De Gaulle Free French Forces, fighting in the Middle East and North Africa until Italy declared a status quo ante bellum peace in September 1944 and joined the Allies.

 

[Sport25ing]

CH timeline:

Nicolae Ceausescu portail, 1936

Shortly after it left prison in 1939 and meeting its girlfriend, seen the potencial of the young men, a socialist cell took Ceausescu to the Socialist Union to train it (and other Romanian sympathizers) into politicians and military spearheads for the future global unity under socialism. But Operation Barbarossa put a hold for such plans, and all able men and women were mobilized for expelling the enemy. Ceausescu, at that time an Captain, lead the 80st (Romanian) International Company in defense of Smolensk, only retreating once their ammo was expended (not wanting to losse so many manpower in useless defenses, Trosky authorized that retreats only if said force can't no longer fire). For this actions, Nicolae was promoted to lieutenant colonel (kept temporarily inactive for resting and also training its new rank) and this time, it was is battalion that closed the Volvograd pocket that trapped the Axis forces and its allies inside the city. Now a Brigade General, it would help its comrade liberate Ukraine, Crimea and Moldova, but Ceausescu would not live to see Romania fully liberates, as the first city was liberated (prior to the coup), a bomb with timer exploded on the building we formed it's headquarters, killing most senior Romanian Socialists said building. In memory for it's actions, the 1st Romanian Division was named in its honor.

Canadian-made Centurion Mk.6 existing a LST, Crete, 1953

Centurion:
With the fall of Europe to the Socialist forces in the Hot War/World War III, many european factories abandoned their main buildings and crossed the Atlantic, where almost all settled in Canada (French ones in Quebec especificaly), as the US refused to have other european designs built in their borders (not after the Spitfire and Beaufighter cases - but that didn't stop of buying them if it was necessary). With exceptions, the Centurion tank became the armored symbol of the Free Forces, while the American-built tanks became the opressing symbol of most dictatorial nations (with exceptions, of course)
Crete:
Did the entire continent of Europe fall to the Red menace, as the Americans say? No. The Macaronesia Federation (Azores and Madeira archipelagos), Iceland and Crete were still defended by the United Nations forces. But the later was actually invaded. Not wanting to repeat the same incident of allowing the enemy forces operating in the island in the same way the Axis did just nine years prior, while mainland Western Europe fall, the United Nations launched their only success in invading the island belonging to the Socialist People's Republic of Greece*, and managing to hold the island until mid-1960's, as with most of the Mediterranean been now a Red lake (and neutral nations refused to help), the SPRG launched their own invasion and liberation of the island, on Operation Leonidas.

Modified CTMS-1TBI of the Cuban revolutionaries, 1954

During World War II, as conflict was on the other side of the Atlantic (and apart from U-boats operating near their coast), most of the Lend-Lease received from the US was older or unwanted equipment to train the some of the Cuban Armed Forces for overseas operations. One such equipment were the useless in US army standarts CTMS-1TBI light tanks (or the Marmon-Herrington tank). They were initially used to train tank crews before been transfered to more modern equipment and send to fight in the war. But after the war and with troubles in it's tropical paradise, Batista send the Marmon-Herrington's to fight socialist rebels in infantry support rules, now modified with a 20mm Bofors QF cannon. One tank was actually captured by the revolutionaries, but it was not enough, and by 1958, all socialist were defeated (some managed to escape and form a government-in-exile in Madrid, but outside of "angry notes", they almost became insignificant)

(last of this week - near two weeks of vacations and i only have time for timelines )

 

[Gillan1220]

The Death of Russia by @Sorairo

The Korean People's Army enter the Russian Far East into the territory of the Far Eastern Republic, February 12, 1995.

Russian military units of the Far Eastern Military district defending Vladivostok from the KPA.

The Russian Navy cruiser Varyag underway to defend Vladivostok from the invading North Koreans, April 21, 1995. The Varyag, the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, fled Vladivostok under the cowardly captain Ugryumov as he vastly overestimated the invading North Koreans. Ugryumov would meet his end when mutinying sailors threw him overboard and took control of the Varyag to defend the people of the Far Eastern Republic. The cruiser arrived in the nick of time to shoot down North Korean Il-28s carrying chemical weapons to be used as a terror weapon due to the stubborn resistance displayed by the defenders of Vladivostok.

Chapters "All Is Now Against Us" and "The King of All"

 

[Lalli]

The Death of Russia

Ruins of Kremlin in 1993 just at end of Constitutional Crisis which ended to Yeltsin's death and formation of NSF government. But this was just beginning for much worse.

 

[Sport25ing]

short one​

Morgen die ganze Welt​

Brazilian Thunderbolt been prepared for a ground attack raid in Sardinia island, June 1945. This particular aircraft would not return to base that day, with the pilot becoming a POW.

With the focus with the Western Allies been in Normandy/United Kingdom and in the Middle East, the Brazilian Expeditionary Force was left in North Africa just to replace American forces to be send to the slaughter of Operation Lüttich, and as a deterrance from any Italian invasion of Tunis (while the new "Afrika Korps" was closing on the Suez Channel from Palestine). The only major combat debut was in Operation Herkules, on February 21st, 1946, when the 6th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) (alongeside other striped down British units) fought valiantly, but where defeated easily (didn't help that Malta was been bombed since the end of the Sicilian campaign and the Axis regained aerial superiority).
Only the 1st GAvCa (1º Grupo de Aviação de Caça - 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron) saw more extensive combat, from October 1944 until mid-1946, always flying the P-47 Thunderbolt, and mostly in ground attacks missions in the Mediterranean, with ocasional dogfights, including the first south american to shoot down a Italian-flown Me-262 in Bari harbor.

 

[Sport25ing]

Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The Red .

The rare photo with both a B-29 Superfortress and B-32 Dominator in Guam, May 1945. It's more common from Okinawa.

The B-32 Dominator was developed as a "fall-back" if the B-29 failed, by the time the first Dominator left the factory, Boeing had already built 500 Superfortress in late 1942 and early 1943. Still, the B-32 Dominator (while inferior to the B-29) was still pushed into development, and the first combat was in late May 1945. Before X-Day, the 312nd Bomber Group became the first Group fully equiped with the B-32.

Some say that the B-32 was the replacement of B-24 Liberator, but in reality, the reason of such estatement was that not enough B-29 Superfortress could be delivered to all Bomber Groups and Squadrons been send to the Pacific (even the newly arrived 8th AF), therefore the Dominator were given as a stopgap (and the factories that previously built Liberators now started to produce the Dominator didn't help to supress the myth).

Still, while not the Superfortress, the Dominator could be said was a successefull stop-gap, compared to the Tiger Force units (ironically, the best bomber was the latest B-24M Liberators).

Tupolev TB-3 with BA-64 scout car arriving at unknow airfield in Northern Honshu, April 1946

While in Stalin vision, thousands of Soviet troops (and japanese communists) would jump over Northern Honshu and push south, in reality, to supply such forces was very difficult for a armed forces that didn't invest so much in such fields as their American counterparts, forcing to bring back into service the TB-3 bomber (now converted into transport), plus obsolete T-27 tankettes and BA-64 that could be transport in the TB-3 without many modifications. The running low of supplies very quickly in the very end of the supply line didn't help the situation, but forced the US to launch Operation Sweep, on northern Honshu, with the main goal of preventing the Soviets of gaining more ground, while supplies for Majestic and Coronet where been used in a small-ish operation.

B-24M Liberator of the Chinese Expeditionary Air Group (CEAG).

After the liberation of mainland China in September/October 1945, the Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek could now focus on it's plans to destroy the Communists (but with the Soviets now also in the area, we couldn't push very hard in this agenda). But still, after seen the devastation the Japanese left is nation and with revenge in is blood, we would create a expeditionary force for combat in Japan home islands.
The Chinese Expeditionary Brigade (CEB - Chiang didn't want to send a massive force in case the civil war restarted) was initially send to Okinawa for further training until they got deployed alongeside the US 96th Infantry Division and fought in Honshu until the very end of the war.
Meanwhile, the CEAG was also formed shortly after the liberation of China, and unlike the grounds troops counterpart, they where send to combat on X-Day+7. Their initial homebase was in Okinawa, while attached to the 7th AF, but later send to Kyushu as more airbases were made/clear from deployment. The complement of the Air Group was two squadrons of B-24 Liberators, plus two squadrons of P-51B/D Mustangs.

 

[Sport25ing]

The North Star is Red: a Wallace Presidency, KMT Victory, Alternate Cold War TL, by @TastySpam

(From Tank Encyclopedia)
West German M47 Patton from the Schnez-Truppe militia defense force. The M47 became the symbol of the 1957 Coup.

Due to the economic troubles caused by Chancellor Wehner (possibly due to its socialist economic policies), and it's victory in the 1957 elections, the Schnez-Truppe (an "illegal", yet supported by the US and British), with US support, launched a military coup the day after the election. The reason was that, in the president McArthy eyes, with Finland lost in the Second Winter War, and Yugoslavia almost lost in the Yugoslav War, West Germany could be next. With the success of the coup, Wehner was expelled and the SPD dissolved, but civilians protests soon erupt over Germany for its return, and the Schnez-Truppe response was a new "White Terror", with thousands of deaths either by bullets or tank tracks.

Operation FS by @BiteNibbleChomp

SS Islander, evacuating Portuguese civilians in 1942. One year later, it would help them return to the island.

After the liberation of the Timor island by the Australian, American and Dutch forces in July/August 1943, on Operation Culverin, in negociations with the Allies, Portugal would return to East Timor, and the Allies would help rebuilt the damaged caused during both their invasion and the japanese one the year prior to the once more neutral territory. In return, the airfields and harbors will be open to them 24/7 until the end of the war (in the same negociations, the airfields in the Azores were also available for the Western Allies for ASW).

 

[Sport25ing]

Happy 2023 - and to start: Comrade Harps timeline:

Morrocan troops boarding a Ju-52 during the Nationalist evacuation, late 1938

With the Republicans now capable of destroying the traped Nationalists (escaping to Spanish Morroco and Canary Islands were now impossible due to Nationalist rising in those places as well). The only option was now a full evacuation of all forces (and willing civilians) to more friendly territories. During the evacuation, diplomacy between the Republicans and Italians forces allowed the Italians to evacuate the Balearic Islands and returning to the Republicans, and in term, they would demilitarize said islands and also not attack the evacuating Nationalists escaping by either airlift and sealift (and apart from a strafing run by a fighter in one convoy one hour after the signing, the promise was kept - said fighter didn't knew of the said negociations).

More than a half a million souls were evacuated in the biggest evacuation of the modern world at that time, mostly Nationalist Spanish (both civilian and military), but also Italians, Germans, Portuguese, Irish* and others volunteers. Many would escape to the Portuguese border, but many more escaped to either Italy or Germany. In the Italian case, their loses in the SCW were the heaviest of all foreign internvention in the Nationalist side, with hundreds of thousands of deaths and the loss of almost all equipment, therefore, not only Mussolini accepted all willing Nationalist Spaniards refugees in both Portuguese and German territories, but also forming the Hispanic Legions, from said refugees and to replace some of its losses in the war.

*Outside the said Italians, German and Portuguese, the Irish Brigade was the largest single international force of the nationalist side (other foreign where either to small or group together). While Franco disliked the Irish forces, the further losses and defeats forced him to accept as many Irish forces as possible. Nearly half of the survivors that escaped arrived once again to Ireland (but not in the greatest fanfare), while the remainer (more fascist orientated) arrived in Germany and it was decided that from there to form a new Irish Brigade for the Wehrmacht (very few more recruits coming from POW's) and sent to combat in the Eastern Front.

Australian pilots of the VF-38(A) onboard USS Long Island, June 1942

In February 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty was signed, limiting the navies of all signature nations. One of the conditions of the Treaty was the said navies can convert two of the building battlecruisers into aircrafts carriers (US built the Lexington-class and Japan built the Akagi and Kaga (sistership of Akagi, Amagi, was damaged in the Kanto earthquake, and it was scrapped instead). The Royal Navy decided to only choose one ship, the HMS Hood sistership, HMS Anson, was choosen to convertion, as it was inicially hoped to restart the remaining Admiral-class battlecruiser. Instead, only Anson was choosen as the most advanced in the construction stage that the others and the British government refused to have a second Admiral converted into a carrier mostly due to a lack of money.

HMS Anson now became the Royal Navy flaship aircraft carrier until Ark Royal itself entered service. In the interwar, Anson participated in a number of exercises, training services and other duties that all RN carriers did in the same time period. That all changed with the start of World War II, where Anson was used initially to hunt U-boats, but the near losses of both Courageous and Ark Royal, all submarine hunting missions by carriers were cancelled, and by the start of the BoB, the Royal Navy possessed five carriers (HMS Illustrious with the paint still fresh). When the Australian requested an aircraft carrier for their own service in the Pacific, with the recent Japanese expansion, the British offered HMS Furious (as it was the best of the worse carriers they possessed)*.

With the now HMS Melbourne arriving in the US for repair and refits (based on a plan of the late 1930's, with a complete reconstruction of the hangar and a partial reconstruction of the hull, capable of handling 55 aircrafts compared to 30 prior, plus having a vastly improved AA suite), the Australians send men to the USN flying schools to train in carrier operations (one Australian traine was even present in the attack of Pearl Harbor). While HMAS Melbourne was still been rebuilt, the USN decided to pick some of said Australians and form a Navy squadron itself, forming the VF-38(A); the (A) stand from Australian. Said squadron was kept in operation in the Coral Sea and Solomons Islands area, until their own carrier entered service in mid-1943 and VF-38(A) was disbanded and their pilots send back to the US to be retrained in the new aircrafts.

*Fate of said carriers:
Argus - convoys escorts, few training sorties, converted into aircraft freighter after the Western Ceasefire (August 1944)
Hermes - Sunk in Indian Ocean, April 1942
Eagle - Converted into a Fighter Carrier (carrying only fighter aircrafts) shortly after Operation Pedestal; converted once again into a aircraft freighter after the Western Ceasefire
Anson - Kept in Home Fleet until enough Illustrious-class were built, later send to Mediterranean as replacement of sunken Glorious, until been sent to refit in the US in mid-1942; returned to Mediterranean until fall of Italy; send to Indian Ocean up to Operation Zipper (outside of further refits)
Ark Royal - Damaged by torpedo on November 1941, and send to UK for repairs and refit; send to Indian Ocean, but returned to Mediterranean Ocean in late 1942 until Anzio landings (reason for not been used by the USN as USS Robin); after refit in 1944, was sent as part of British Pacific Fleet.

One of the few surviving M67 Zippo tank

The M67 flamethrower tank (also know as the Zippo), it was based on the M48 Patton* tank, replacing its main gun with a flamethrower (and outside of brush guards of the bow head lights been flattened to allow clearance for the greater depression of the gun, there's barely any difference from a standart M48). It was in the US service only by the Marines, as they used their tanks as for close infantry support, unlike in the army, that used said tactics if required.

In US service, the M67 (and the US Army M132 SPFT) only saw limited service in Indochina, because of the need of keeping the resupply equipment near the vehicles, plus the noise from inside the vehicle while firing was so great that the commanders literally operated outside the tank, with great risk from enemy fire. Therefore, after the failure of Operation Half Back Flanker and the start of the Second American Civil War (with even one captured Zippo been used by the Black Power against their previous owners in Florida), all flamethrowers vehicles were retired in mid-1980's. But other United Nations nations still operated the tank for one more decade, including the only Marine Tank Battalion of Guatemala, one of the units sent to participate in Operation Desert Shield/Storm/Sabre, and been used in both Basra and Baghdad (other nations that also bought said tank never used outside their borders, not even in combat).

*Named as a homage to the STILL living George S. Patton.

 

[Sport25ing]

How Silent Fall the Cherry Blossoms by @Geon​

Eastern side of Rhine river after April 4

On April 4, 1945, the biggest barrage of artillery in the Western Front (compared to the Great war-style) began at 5 a.m, while strategic bombers bombed areas that all, but the three British railway guns, are unable to reach. The result: a scenario that some men compared to the War to end all Wars, just twenty years ago, with villages and florests in the eastern side of the Rhine just disapear. Even so, German resistance was strong, with Ranger units comparing that of storming Point du Hoc and Omaha Beach.

Small sidenote: Between the end of the Battle of Belgium and the Western Allied Spring Offensive began, to replace the Allied loses, Omar Bradley (and with support of Churchilll and Truman) ask for support from other UN allies, to destroy the Nazi regime once and for all*. Therefore, on April 4, not only Commonwealth (British and Canadians) and US grounds troops*, but also Australian, New Zealanders and Portuguese (all three in battalion strength - later after liberation of Norway), Dutch, Polish, French**, Norwegian (company strength), as well as Brazilian artillery battery (also veteran from Norway), as well as South African and Mexican aerial contigents (and FAA) also joined the combat. Truly a mighty international force. Bradley even got its hands on the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, and Sweden also offered a brigade.

*Most forces came from the now shrinking Italian Front, while said Front is receiving replacements from the Pacific and Burma fronts.
**From 2nd Armored Division (including the Spanish Republicans company) - to invade both Germany and Belgium simultaneous, France had to recall it's colonial forces to repress the Walloon and Flanders rebels, including the Senegalese Tirailleurs, which wasn't the best decision, but one that no one had other choice.

Finnish troops of the 1st Finnish Regiment, Lower Silesia, May 1945, with Soviet plash palatka shelter-halves- rain capes (photo from Jaegerplatoon.net)

With the temporary deployment of troops intended to cross the Vistula river to the East for operations against Japan, and the liberation of Scadinavia from German hands, Stalin asked from the Finns a military force for use in their push towards the West, and Finland had to reply. Been a very unpopular move, for obvious reasons, and a week prior to the assault on the Polish river, only a infantry regiment, a artillery battery and a flight of aircraft worth of men was ready, and not seen any other choice, they where accepted and send to Poland. One advantage was that since most Finns have already military training operating Soviet-made equipment (for example, the artillery was the 122 H/38 light howitzer, in which the Finns had captured 41 in the Continuation War), retraining for anything but logistiscs was seen redundent, and all were send as part of the 1st Ukrainian Front, under Ivan Konev. They only taste of battle was in the Siege of Breslau, where all said forces would stay until VE, as Stalin didn't want to share the glory of capturing Berlin with the Finns (even if a small number).