Images/Photos of YOUR Favorite Alternate History

[HailCaesar]

USAF F-4 Phantoms tangle with North Korean MiG-19s over South Korea. The massive missile load gave the F-4 the advantage in the Fighter Escort missions until the introduction of the F-5G Tiger and eventually the F-20 Tigershark.
-HC

 

[HailCaesar]

A Fireteam of US Marines cautiously approaches the Bluefields Airport in Nicaragua. Securing the Airport will allow heavy weapons and equipment to be delivered to the assaulting forces by airlift.
-HC

 

[HailCaesar]

US Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters destroy Soviet supplied vehicles during the Battle of Bluefields.
-HC

 

[HailCaesar]

US M60s from the 3rd Infantry Division wait to Ambush oncoming East German T-55s during the desperate battle of Frankfurt.

An East German T-55 withdrawing after the rest of his platoon was wiped out.

 

[Sport25ing]

Portugal special pt2 (again, just aircrafts)

"Goring's Reich" An Alternate World War II and Gorings Reich (Part 2) Heartland versus Rimland by @galveston bay​

One of the few survivors of the Aeronáutica Militar in Azores, April 1942

With the full Spanish invasion of Portugal, in March 1942, the almost entirety of the Portuguese government and armed forces were destroyed in continental europe, with very few in its colonial territories been either disbanded and interned or either returning home during the ceasefires or joining the small Portuguese armed forces-in-exile (or even some of the foreign ones, as some did in the colonies, joining either the South Africans (Whites) or the Brazilians (Black, with very few whites). Said armed forces were so small, that their true purpose during the entire war was just occupation of both Azores and Madeira Archipelagos, freeing the initial British Royal Marines send to occupy the Azores, plus their air patrols defending said islands for Axis attacks (Only about 15 Glosters Gladiators of the Esquadrilha Expedicionária de Caça Nº 2 survived as the whole Aeronáutica Militar survived, but after a few months, upgraded with Kittyhawks and even later Spitfires).

Their small size also prevented them to be used even during the liberation of their own country in May 1945 during Operation Sledgehammer, with the government only landing in the end of the same month, after the liberation of the second largest city, Porto, by the Canadian forces. Nonenless, for that point on, their hold for an infantry brigade to join the British 2nd Army and a Wing (in RAF terms) of aircrafts for tactical support during the campaign on northern Spain and southern France.

Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The_Red​

CAC Boomerang prepared to be transfered to the Portuguese, early 1946

It was only after the drop of the third nuclear bomb on Kokura that both Portugal and Spain* declared war against the Empire of Japan, and the Ippons, in retaliation, occupied the territory of Macau and disbanded the civilian government in Dili and integrated it into the former Dutch territory of West Timor. While their most famous action as a Destroyer Squadron of updated Douro-class bombarding the shores of Honshu island on Operation Coronet, the near entirety of the Portuguese forces were stationed in Australia/New Guinea (an small detachment was sent at "lightning speed" to Macau as the Japanese collapsed there). The Portuguese Expeditionary Fleet was the first unit to enter combat missions, joining the Commonwealth in Oboe 4 (the Allied invasion of Java), with the Portuguese Expeditionary Air Contigent (PEAC) been close second, after the capture of the airfields. Once Java was liberated, for Salazar pressure, another invasion force was made to liberate Timor island, been the Oboe 7, been launch a week after X-Day in Honshu.

As Portugal was never occupied and didn't need their resources for reconstruction, they would buy much of the military equipment in the theather, giving a small bust to the economy of Australia. One was the buying of the best and latest CAC Boomerangs fighters from the RAAF (in fact, the PEAC was the second and only operator of Boomerangs outside of the RAAF). But there was also controversy about the payments, as there are some reports that some of the gold used in some purchase might have been nazi gold stolen from the jewish population, but this was yet to be confirmed.

*While during Operation Barbarossa, a few Portuguese joined the Spanish Blue Division with no independent unit, it was the reverse, with Spaniards volunteer in the Portuguese units sent (the closest single Spanish unit been a civilian medic team), with some veterans of the Blue Division once again taking arms and fighting against the Japanese. Spain would also send as many economic support as possible to the Western Allies.

 

[HailCaesar]

It would be interesting to see the Boomerang in European service. I wonder if it would perform similarly to the Polikarpov I-16 from earlier in the war. I mean that in terms of comparative performance against later designs, not head-to-head competition between the two airframes.

-HC

 

[HailCaesar]

One of the key aspects to a successful Operation Eagle Claw, was seising the Airfield at Manzariyeh in Iran.


"Rodriguez could hear his heartbeat as though it were in his helmet. Every bump of the ride had his blood pumping harder. Just when he thought he would explode, he felt the helo flare and set down on the ground as the ramp came down, unleashing the raging hounds inside. Lieutenant Beck hit the ground first and immediately headed to his left, north of the helo, to establish the assembly area for the assault force. Rodriguez was right behind him. However, he stopped just past the ramp to ensure that the rest of his squad dismounted without trouble. If anyone were to get hung up or fall down, Sergeant Carlos Rodriguez would be there to ensure they got out of the chopper and were ready for the assault."

 

[Sport25ing]

CH timeline

HMS Erin been prepared for new owner, mid-1920

After the Great War, many of its participants began to reduce their armed forces for a new peacefull world. But South Africa had other plans. With the annexation of the German South West Africa colony gave way to more resources and manpower, but also more area to protect and expand their influence. Therefore, the Armed Forces Expansion 1920 was formed, with the firsts aircrafts, tanks and ships been introduced into the SA Armed Forces.

As the German raider SMS Königsberg had also shown, the African naval supply routes were vulnerable most of the time by enemy raiders unless the RN send some of their own ships for protection, but as also shown in Coronel, this could backfire in some way. Therefore, Cape Town decision to increase the Navy size wasn't a bad one, althought with the end of the Great War, plus rumours of a upcoming naval treaty might force the SAN to not expand to rapidly. To that end, a single battleship, one cruiser squadron and some older destroyers were seen as enough with every other navies began to concern.

The battleship HMS Erin (renamed HMSAS Natal), two Active-class scout cruisers (HMS Fearless and HMS Active - renamed HMSAS Waterberg and HMSAS Bloemfontein) and twelve Admiralty M-class destroyers, plus one of the King Edward VII class pre-dreadnoughts (HMS Zeelandia - renamed HMSAS Crocodile) bought as a training ship. All ships were refited and modernized to early 1930's, were most were converted both cruisers and all destroyers were converted to other rules while their replacements entered service. All but three M-class (one lost to a collision, two used for spare parts) would serve in World War 2, seen relegated to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean while more modern ships served in the others theathers.

Piper P-73* Beaufighter been built in the US, 1943

When the British Purchasing Commission toured to the US to buy more American-made military equipment, some companies (like Grumman in the case of the Spitfire) proposed building British-design equipment to supplement both the British and it's allies demands, which it was accepted. In terms of aircrafts, besides Spitfires (initially by Grumman, but later by Kaiser-Fleetwings as P-50 Spitfires (Spitcats for the Grummans ones), with other further modified as P-74 Bobcats), both the Beaufighter (by Piper) and Wellington (by Kaiser-Fleetwings - the only that saw the production stop during the war as equal/better US-designs began production) were also produced by the US Shadow Factories, which also help them training for the mass-production of their own designs later own.

*This designation was initially intended for the Spitfires kept in US service, but cancelled to prevent confusion and then re-used for the Beaufighter.

Ex-ARVN American-made M113s in use during Vietnam’s war against the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, in December 1978/January 1979

The one of the biggest ironies of the world. The Vietnamese forces (with most of the equipment been UN-captured) invading the socialist Cambodia led by the most extremist/violent elements of the Khmer Rouge, and said forces (plus others anti-Vietnamese grous forming the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF)) been protected by the UN forces in the area, estabishing the Cambodian Peace Zone (CPZ) along a swathe of Cambodian territory roughly parallel to the Thai border.

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

From Exocet - the Effects of a different Falklands by Nevran

The HMS Invincible after being hit by an Exocet missile fired by an Argentine Super Etendard fighter bomber (May 25, 1982). Its pilot, Lieutenant Commander Roberto Curovic, made a mistake and identified the carrier as the HMS Hermes.

"The killing of 28 of the sailors onboard, including HRH Prince Andrew, was a profound blow to both the morale and the strategic position of the British armed forces".

 

[Sport25ing]

Operation FS: Japan's Final Strike by @BiteNibbleChomp​

The Indian Platoon from Fiji (1934-1940), the first of two Indian units formed from Fiji.

Shortly after the Japanese invasion of Fiji island, and consequenced occupation, the Japanese began to recruit the Indians that already living in the island alongeside Fijians and the few white Britishs and New Zealanders that refused to leave the island. Therefore, Hideki Tojo, alongeside Subhas Chandra Bose, send orders for the formation of the Fiji Battalion of the Indian National Army (INA) and use them more of a propaganda tool that of a military unit, althought they were given most of the weapons captured by the New Zealanders forces that defended the island. While given better treatement that by the previous "owners", many men of this voluntary force saw that the Japanese were only intended to replace the British colonizers with themselves (as shown with the start of the teaching of the Japanese language in schools), which end up with a much smaller force that the newer occupiers asked for. This also became evident when the US landed in April 1943, with most but the diehard surrendering or disappear into the jungle as soon they got the chance.

Fallen on the March - the world after a German victory at Stalingrad by @Onkel Willie​

USS Franklin and USS Marblehead in NY, 1945, prior to the cruiser been send to dock for a short modernization

With King Zog I returning to Tirana in the fall of 1946, a short program of rearmament of the new Royal Albanian Armed Forces was made while units were made from soldier either from the Italians or Greek armed forces or around the world in the Albanian diaspora (a few odd Turk did also volunteer). While the armament was intended to fight against the Germans in the Balkan region, most was in fact used against the communists partisans (in which the Allies turned an eye and mostly ignored). Most the said equipment given were near second-rate, still great in certain circustances in the front line, but nothing to use constantly due to might become obsolencese very fast, as many time it happens in war time. Such as the M4 Sherman (75mm) for the single armoured brigade, as by now, both the Allied units in the frontline have (for the Shermans) either the 76mm Easy 8 or the Firefly. It was also the case for the Air Force (all six squadrons with P-51D Mustangs, still a great fighter in good hands, but by now mostly replaced by either the H/L/M variants or by jets) and by the Navy (with eight Gleaves-class destroyers in two destroyers squadrons, plus the old (even with modernization program) Omaha-class scout cruiser USS Marblehead, now the RAlN Tiranë as the navy flagship).

A True and Better Alamo Redux by @Fearless Leader​

USS Saratoga (CV-3) burning after the First Naval Battle of Wake Atoll

With the sinking of USS Saratoga, the works of the shipyard next to the one were CV-2 was build submitted a request on the 1st of January, 1942 that the USS Cabot (CV-16), one of the newest Essex-class currently been built, had it name changed to USS Saratoga, in honor of the sunken ship. Navy Secretary Frank Knox agreed to the demand, and in mid-January, the Cabot was now rename Saratoga, the sixth ship to bare its name in the USN.

 

[Sport25ing]

Can it Carry Bombs? by @whatisinaname​

Henschel Hs 297 Föhn been fired

While the Fliegerfaust (or Luftfaust) was one of the most common cheapest AA rockets, two others were also, been the Taifun and the Hs 297 Surface-to-Air unguided rockets (the bigger missiles, such as the Wasserfall, Hs 117, Rheintocher and Enzian, while promissing, were put on hold). They both would fire salvos of rockets against enemy aircrafts (or any friendly aircraft caught in said salvo) - the Hs 297 against low flying ground-attack aircrafts (and if close enough, to ground targets) while the Taifun was design against heavy bombers. Both weapons would be the pain of the Allied pilots alongeside the jet fighters and a new type of arrow shell from the 105mm Flak guns in which they wouldn't be a need for large calculations against the aerial target, helping with a greater rate of fire (another type of arrow shell was made for a two smoothbore variants of the Krupp K5 railway gun, named K5 Glatt.)

Italian Major Adriano Visconti of the ANR

In early/mid-1945, several Italians pilots (including Major Adriano Visconti, the most famous ace of the ANR) went to Germany to initially be trained on the Me-163 Komet. But as soon they have arrived, the Komet program was already cancelled and said aircrafts forbidden to be flown, with the resources sent for the Me-262C series. For a while, they sat in Germany doing nothing until a decision was made in the Luftwaffe to train them for the Me-262A-1a while the Germans would receive the brand new Ta-183 and Me-362 fighters. Two Italians would die from training as they were unfamiliar with the jet, but the rest would pass, and their aircrafts (with the ANR roundel, plus their own version of a shark mouth). Their combat debut off the ANR 262's would be against US heavy bombers intended for an synthetic oil factory in southern Germany in early October 1945, with a total of 20 bombers shoot down, plus seven fighters, against three losses (one pilot killed). Visconti himself would claim two bombers and a single Mustang, with a third damaged bomber.

Sidenote: To help with resources, all production lines of Italians-made aircrafts were cancelled, and while older and outdated aircrafts (excluding transports) were almost imediatly replaced, others (like the M.C.205 fighters) were slowely replaced with later Bf-109G's and older Bf-110G's with He-219 Uhu's.

 

[Sport25ing]

Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The_Red​

Pilots of the No.31 SAAF Squadron last minute discussion before entering their aircraft, Italy 1945

Off all Commonwealth members, South Africa was the one that contributed less to the fight against Japan. While their naval bases and docks (including some brand news) were useful for the Eastern Fleet, plus many SA-built equipment was also sent (from boots to 250tons barges), it was only in late 1944 that South Africa truly contributed with their own forces (excluding any individual men in any Allied unit or sailors already present in any RN ship - in fact, the very first SA killed by the Japanese died onboard HMS Repulse, on December 1941).

HMSAS Barbrake (an boom defence vessel) was the very first true South African "unit" that arrive to the Indian Ocean, on November 1944, and little by little, more and more arrive to fight in SEAC, such as the 7th SAAF Squadron, flying Spitfires. But their most famous contribution were the two heavy bombers squadrons (and their flight of Dakota transports). As the need for more crewmen to operate the B-24 Liberators grew, the Commonwealth requested to the South African government to allow the crew of both No.31 and 34 SAAF Squadrons to be send to the Pacific campaign. With this, the No.34 was send to Burma to join the RAF squadrons present, while the No.31 would join the Tiger Force in southern Kyushu (they were relocated once enough airfields became available). The main difference that can distinguishe between an SA aircraft from any other in the Pacific, regardless of the frontline, was the light orange color of the SE/Pacific roundel of the RAF/Australians/Canadians instead of Blue.

Corpsman Hitler at your service!

One of the most bizarre stories of World War Two, that the nephew of the Austrian angry paintor, Adolf Hitler, would join their enemy navy! But it was what it happen, when William Patrick Hitler, joined the USN on March 6, 1944, as pharmacist's mate, and even received it's first Purple Heart prior to Operation Coronet.

Fearing of another mass attack (and the near half a million of Purple Hearts given on just X-Day alone) similar of what happen in Operation Majestic, every non-essencial ships in other oceans and seas were sent to join the preparations for Y-Day (Hitler was onboard one such vessel). There, he helped in medical care onboard USS Newark (CL-108), and it was were its actions of saving many men of the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850), plus from other warships present, as the kamikaze hit their medic bay, made him earn (alongeside the rest of the medic staff) both the Navy Medal and the Legion of Merit.

HMS Nelson preparing to join the BPF, late February 1946

Due to its low speed (been uncapable of perform escort duties with others capital ships without hindurance), HMS Nelson was send to the Eastern Fleet to act as the Flagship of the same in mid 1945 to early 1946, taking action from Operation Livery to the short Operation Mailfist. As the Japanese presence became rarer in the South East Asia, and with the need of big guns of Honshu, Nelson transfer its flagships duties to HMS Queen Elizabeth, as it's 15inch guns were enough for Operations Oboe, and after a short and quick refit and resupply in Sydney, it joined the rest of the British Pacific Fleet at Seeadler Harbor, Manus atoll, in the Admiralty Islands. It would join with the slow US battleships line in bombarding the Honshu Islands in the days prior up to Y-Day. It was on Y-Day+1 that its catalog of damage would increase with two D5Y1 Myojo Kai "Ruby"* hitting the starboard side of the ship (the first barely damaged the ship outside of destroying the anchors; the second hit the top of nrº3 turret, killing everyone inside said turret, plus a few of the AA battery). The rest of the japanese squadron was shoot down by FAA Hellcat F.Mk.III**. Still wounded, HMS Nelson still kept bombarding Japanese positions until Y-Day+3, when with was sent back to Seeadler Harbor for temporary repair before going to Darwin for more permanent ones. It would return in May 1946 for more shore bombardment until VJ day, were it would go back to Scapa Flow to be decomissioned after a very long naval carreer.

*single-seat kamikaze derivate of the D3Y (with jettinson undercarriage), itself an wooden-made derivative from Aichi D3A, with straight tapered wings and lenghtened fuselage for improve stability; some with two 20mm cannons, but may depended of aircraft (others with single and more without any).
**F6F-6

 

[jack_donaghy_is_the_shado]

Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The_Red​

View attachment 857169
Pilots of the No.31 SAAF Squadron last minute discussion before entering their aircraft, Italy 1945

Off all Commonwealth members, South Africa was the one that contributed less to the fight against Japan. While their naval bases and docks (including some brand news) were useful for the Eastern Fleet, plus many SA-built equipment was also sent (from boots to 250tons barges), it was only in late 1944 that South Africa truly contributed with their own forces (excluding any individual men in any Allied unit or sailors already present in any RN ship - in fact, the very first SA killed by the Japanese died onboard HMS Repulse, on December 1941).

HMSAS Barbrake (an boom defence vessel) was the very first true South African "unit" that arrive to the Indian Ocean, on November 1944, and little by little, more and more arrive to fight in SEAC, such as the 7th SAAF Squadron, flying Spitfires. But their most famous contribution were the two heavy bombers squadrons (and their flight of Dakota transports). As the need for more crewmen to operate the B-24 Liberators grew, the Commonwealth requested to the South African government to allow the crew of both No.31 and 34 SAAF Squadrons to be send to the Pacific campaign. With this, the No.34 was send to Burma to join the RAF squadrons present, while the No.31 would join the Tiger Force in southern Kyushu (they were relocated once enough airfields became available). The main difference that can distinguishe between an SA aircraft from any other in the Pacific, regardless of the frontline, was the light orange color of the SE/Pacific roundel of the RAF/Australians/Canadians instead of Blue.


View attachment 857170
Corpsman Hitler at your service!

One of the most bizarre stories of World War Two, that the nephew of the Austrian angry paintor, Adolf Hitler, would join their enemy navy! But it was what it happen, when William Patrick Hitler, joined the USN on March 6, 1944, as pharmacist's mate, and even received it's first Purple Heart prior to Operation Coronet.

Fearing of another mass attack (and the near half a million of Purple Hearts given on just X-Day alone) similar of what happen in Operation Majestic, every non-essencial ships in other oceans and seas were sent to join the preparations for Y-Day (Hitler was onboard one such vessel). There, he helped in medical care onboard USS Newark (CL-108), and it was were its actions of saving many men of the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850), plus from other warships present, as the kamikaze hit their medic bay, made him earn (alongeside the rest of the medic staff) both the Navy Medal and the Legion of Merit.

View attachment 857171
HMS Nelson preparing to join the BPF, late February 1946

Due to its low speed (been uncapable of perform escort duties with others capital ships without hindurance), HMS Nelson was send to the Eastern Fleet to act as the Flagship of the same in mid 1945 to early 1946, taking action from Operation Livery to the short Operation Mailfist. As the Japanese presence became rarer in the South East Asia, and with the need of big guns of Honshu, Nelson transfer its flagships duties to HMS Queen Elizabeth, as it's 15inch guns were enough for Operations Oboe, and after a short and quick refit and resupply in Sydney, it joined the rest of the British Pacific Fleet at Seeadler Harbor, Manus atoll, in the Admiralty Islands. It would join with the slow US battleships line in bombarding the Honshu Islands in the days prior up to Y-Day. It was on Y-Day+1 that its catalog of damage would increase with two D5Y1 Myojo Kai "Ruby"* hitting the starboard side of the ship (the first barely damaged the ship outside of destroying the anchors; the second hit the top of nrº3 turret, killing everyone inside said turret, plus a few of the AA battery). The rest of the japanese squadron was shoot down by FAA Hellcat F.Mk.III**. Still wounded, HMS Nelson still kept bombarding Japanese positions until Y-Day+3, when with was sent back to Seeadler Harbor for temporary repair before going to Darwin for more permanent ones. It would return in May 1946 for more shore bombardment until VJ day, were it would go back to Scapa Flow to be decomissioned after a very long naval carreer.

*single-seat kamikaze derivate of the D3Y (with jettinson undercarriage), itself an wooden-made derivative from Aichi D3A, with straight tapered wings and lenghtened fuselage for improve stability; some with two 20mm cannons, but may depended of aircraft (others with single and more without any).
**F6F-6

Was RFK onboard the Kennedy when she was hit?

 

[Sport25ing]

Was RFK onboard the Kennedy when she was hit?

IDK in the real story, but it might have