Images/Photos of YOUR Favorite Alternate History
- Thread starter Sport25ing
- Start date
CH timeline:
First encounter between Francisco Franco and Benito Mussolini, early March 1939
As the Nationalists and their allies began to retreat/surrender/evacuate outside of the Spanish borders, they were all been exiled to Italy, their biggest ally in the conflict. With the end of the conflict, Mussolini saw the massive losses its Corpo Truppe Volontarie (CTV) had suffered. Many of its men, armored vehicles, artilley and aircrafts were lost over Spain. Not wanting to show a week face in the world eyes and to distract the civilian population for the SCW disaster and to rise the moral of its forces, the invasion of Albania was ordered to be executed in early April (delayed by one week due to lack of manpower, something that will be talk later). This contribution in said war (and subsequent losses) is what historians said that is one of the main reasons why the Axis forces loss the war, as the Italians never managed to replace its losses in the SCW, let alone the World War ones.
Talks with Franco would somehow aliviate the manpower issue, with Mussolini forming the Hispanic Legions with Spanish Nationalists-in-exile (and the very rare Portuguese volunteer) in late 1939 (although it is reported that a company of spanish men were present in the Italian invasion of Albania, but not confirmed). With said forces, Nationalists were present wherenever Italian forces were in all branches of the armed forces (from North Africa to Yugoslavia, from a single Squadrilla in Belgium during the Battle of Britain to the Blue Division in Russia). After the disasterous Volgograd, Hitler requested (or more likely, ordered) that all foreign units in the Italians ranks in the Eastern Front (Spanish included) are to be transfered to the German armed forces. The remainer units were still under Italian control until their surrender in September 1943, and all remaining forces voluntarily got absorved to the already existing German units formed earlier.
First TKS built in the Kingdom of Greece.
The Kingdom of Greece and Second Polish Republic had something in common: there were both govern by right-wing, vehemently anti-Communist dictatorships and both governments were major supporters of the French-instigated Cordon Sanitaire. This reflected in their armed forces, as for example, the Hellenic State Aircraft Factory (HSAF) signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Polish aircraft manufacturer PZL (Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze - State Aviation Works) in 1933, with the PZL.23 reconnaissance bomber, the PZL.24 fighter and the PZL.37 bomber. But its Army would also received partnership agreement with the other Polish weapons manufacturers (with license production).
One of them were the famous TKS (and variants) tankettes (nickname κατσαρίδα (read katsarída) or cockroach), 7TP light tanks and Samochód pancerny wz. 34 armored cars (the very first such Greece received overall). Firearms were also license-built, with Browning wz. 1928, Ckm wz. 30 and Wz. 35 anti-tank rifle (Irony, as both wz.1928 ("clone" of BAR) and wz.30 ("clone" of Browing M1917) are unlicense clones of the two american-made weapons). A hundred each of said were built, with the rest been cancelled after the fall of Poland in 1939 (as unlike the aircrafts, the ground equipment was a continuous contract with the Polish factories till the fall of the nation). By mid-1942, under German pressure, the HSAF cancelled the rest of their own PZL-built aircrafts and began building German designs, like the Bf-109F/G variants, Fw-190A's, etc.
Now talking only with the tanks/armored car, nearly half were kept in Greece (with a company in their small occupied part of Yugoslavia), and the other half were send with the Greek I Army Corps (with the AF Northern Expeditionary Group been attached). When they return in late 1941, many vehicles were lost as their armored vehicles were antiquated, and fighting against numerous Socialist Forces, it was a recepy for disaster. So the Wehrmacht decided to give some of the new tanks to the destroyed armored forces. The Greeks were delicted that they might receive Panzer III and IV's - and they got Renault R-35, Somua S-35, Panzer 35(t) and Panzer II insteads... Never the less, they returned in mid-1942 and they participated in Operation Blue (and nearly 90% of the remaining surviving vehicles were lost in the Volgograd pocket - half of company was caught inside the pocket)
Iraqi military exercises near the border of Kuwait, 1958
Kuwait gained independence in early 1950's, with the fall of Great Britain by the Moscow Pact forces in 1950, and this left a power vaccum in the Middle East, to be fillen by the UN. In 1958, Abdul Karim Qasim seized power in Iraq and shortly after, Qasim announced that Kuwait would be incorporated into Iraq and the military threat was seen, by the UN, as imminent. The reasons for Iraqi belligerence are debatable, but as well as the political gain to be accrued from a successful military campaign, Kuwait's assets at the time included possible oil reserves (confirmed later) and secure access to the sea, which Iraq lacked.
After borders were sealed and defense mounted by Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his deputy Colonel Sheikh Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah against the anticipated invasion, Brigadier General Sheikh Mubarak advised Kuwait's 11th Ruler and 1st Emir Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah to invoke Section 4 of the independence agreement, which stated that Kuwait could ask (Free) Britain for military support.
Just five days later, the UN (under request of British) send a entire fleet in Persian Gulf (including two fleet carriers), plus several brigades and companies send at well, it would de-escalate the crisis three months later. The Iraqies (part of the UN itself) became furious about this reaction for their supposted allies, and with Saddam Hussein rise to power, they pull out of the organization.
First encounter between Francisco Franco and Benito Mussolini, early March 1939
As the Nationalists and their allies began to retreat/surrender/evacuate outside of the Spanish borders, they were all been exiled to Italy, their biggest ally in the conflict. With the end of the conflict, Mussolini saw the massive losses its Corpo Truppe Volontarie (CTV) had suffered. Many of its men, armored vehicles, artilley and aircrafts were lost over Spain. Not wanting to show a week face in the world eyes and to distract the civilian population for the SCW disaster and to rise the moral of its forces, the invasion of Albania was ordered to be executed in early April (delayed by one week due to lack of manpower, something that will be talk later). This contribution in said war (and subsequent losses) is what historians said that is one of the main reasons why the Axis forces loss the war, as the Italians never managed to replace its losses in the SCW, let alone the World War ones.
Talks with Franco would somehow aliviate the manpower issue, with Mussolini forming the Hispanic Legions with Spanish Nationalists-in-exile (and the very rare Portuguese volunteer) in late 1939 (although it is reported that a company of spanish men were present in the Italian invasion of Albania, but not confirmed). With said forces, Nationalists were present wherenever Italian forces were in all branches of the armed forces (from North Africa to Yugoslavia, from a single Squadrilla in Belgium during the Battle of Britain to the Blue Division in Russia). After the disasterous Volgograd, Hitler requested (or more likely, ordered) that all foreign units in the Italians ranks in the Eastern Front (Spanish included) are to be transfered to the German armed forces. The remainer units were still under Italian control until their surrender in September 1943, and all remaining forces voluntarily got absorved to the already existing German units formed earlier.
First TKS built in the Kingdom of Greece.
The Kingdom of Greece and Second Polish Republic had something in common: there were both govern by right-wing, vehemently anti-Communist dictatorships and both governments were major supporters of the French-instigated Cordon Sanitaire. This reflected in their armed forces, as for example, the Hellenic State Aircraft Factory (HSAF) signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Polish aircraft manufacturer PZL (Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze - State Aviation Works) in 1933, with the PZL.23 reconnaissance bomber, the PZL.24 fighter and the PZL.37 bomber. But its Army would also received partnership agreement with the other Polish weapons manufacturers (with license production).
One of them were the famous TKS (and variants) tankettes (nickname κατσαρίδα (read katsarída) or cockroach), 7TP light tanks and Samochód pancerny wz. 34 armored cars (the very first such Greece received overall). Firearms were also license-built, with Browning wz. 1928, Ckm wz. 30 and Wz. 35 anti-tank rifle (Irony, as both wz.1928 ("clone" of BAR) and wz.30 ("clone" of Browing M1917) are unlicense clones of the two american-made weapons). A hundred each of said were built, with the rest been cancelled after the fall of Poland in 1939 (as unlike the aircrafts, the ground equipment was a continuous contract with the Polish factories till the fall of the nation). By mid-1942, under German pressure, the HSAF cancelled the rest of their own PZL-built aircrafts and began building German designs, like the Bf-109F/G variants, Fw-190A's, etc.
Now talking only with the tanks/armored car, nearly half were kept in Greece (with a company in their small occupied part of Yugoslavia), and the other half were send with the Greek I Army Corps (with the AF Northern Expeditionary Group been attached). When they return in late 1941, many vehicles were lost as their armored vehicles were antiquated, and fighting against numerous Socialist Forces, it was a recepy for disaster. So the Wehrmacht decided to give some of the new tanks to the destroyed armored forces. The Greeks were delicted that they might receive Panzer III and IV's - and they got Renault R-35, Somua S-35, Panzer 35(t) and Panzer II insteads... Never the less, they returned in mid-1942 and they participated in Operation Blue (and nearly 90% of the remaining surviving vehicles were lost in the Volgograd pocket - half of company was caught inside the pocket)
Iraqi military exercises near the border of Kuwait, 1958
Kuwait gained independence in early 1950's, with the fall of Great Britain by the Moscow Pact forces in 1950, and this left a power vaccum in the Middle East, to be fillen by the UN. In 1958, Abdul Karim Qasim seized power in Iraq and shortly after, Qasim announced that Kuwait would be incorporated into Iraq and the military threat was seen, by the UN, as imminent. The reasons for Iraqi belligerence are debatable, but as well as the political gain to be accrued from a successful military campaign, Kuwait's assets at the time included possible oil reserves (confirmed later) and secure access to the sea, which Iraq lacked.
After borders were sealed and defense mounted by Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his deputy Colonel Sheikh Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah against the anticipated invasion, Brigadier General Sheikh Mubarak advised Kuwait's 11th Ruler and 1st Emir Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah to invoke Section 4 of the independence agreement, which stated that Kuwait could ask (Free) Britain for military support.
Just five days later, the UN (under request of British) send a entire fleet in Persian Gulf (including two fleet carriers), plus several brigades and companies send at well, it would de-escalate the crisis three months later. The Iraqies (part of the UN itself) became furious about this reaction for their supposted allies, and with Saddam Hussein rise to power, they pull out of the organization.
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Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The_Red
The M1B Garand under ownership of an unknow men
While the devastation of the Typhoon Louise in Okinawa forced the US armed forces in said area to be armed with some old firearms (the oldest been the M1917 Lewis and M1917 Enfield - one Marine Defense Battalion was armed with the Mendoza RM-2*), all the Americans Armed Forces (and the foreign forces that also send ground forces - for logistical purposes) were all armed with the most modern equipment at that time.
Handguns:
The handguns were still the same as during the entirety of the war
Submachine Guns:
The main submachines guns became either M3 and M3A1 Grease Guns or Owen** guns, with the rare M1 Thompson been very rare (even rarer was the Lanchester smgs, but it would only be found inside of the British Pacific Fleet ships);
Rifles:
The rifles were almost the same situation as with the handguns, but with several variants, and outside of a M1903A4 Springfield, the Garand was off course the most common Allied firearm, but for late 45, the original M1 became itself been replaced by their new "brothers", been:
- the M1B (a 20 magazine selective-fire version - the mass production version of T20E2),
- the M1C/D (sniper rifle variant of the base M1) and
- the M1T1/2 (mass production of the T26 (T1) and M1E5 (T2) - while nicknamed "Tanker" (and indeed) some tank crew did use such rifle, their were mostly used by the paratroopers and replacing the M1 Carbines in certains formations);
meanwhile, the M1 (and M1A1), while still common, were still been replaced by the earlier mentioned M1T, or the automatic fire M2 or the M3, with a infrared sight attached.
Machine Guns:
The M1919 still was the main Medium MG (the M1917A1 was still used in some units in the Marines and the M2 was still the main HMG, but kept in the fixed positions in the last defenses of Kyushu), with the A4, A6 and the new A7 been introduced (based on the AN/M2 "Stinger" customization); the M1918A2 BAR was actually been replaced with the Winchester Automatic Rifle (ironically shorten for 'WAR') in the US Army, while the Marines (and some foreign units ) were replacing it with the M1945 Johnson (a modernized M1941)
Rocket Launcher
The M9/M9A1 Bazooka (and the M18 - an M9A1 made off alluminion alloy) was still the main "RPG" of 1945, but was been supplement by the Recoiless Rifles (the M18, M20 and M27) by the paratroopers (alongeside some Panzerfausts***), plus the new M20 Rocket Launcher - but unlike in Europe, they were mostly deployed against bunkers and other hardened defences, as enemy armored vehicles were almost non-existing by that point.
Both shotguns and flametrowers were still equal prior to the invasion.
This is off course (outside of video games) a pure contrast to the Japanese, as outside the Type 4 (a near Japanese Garand) and the convertion of Type 97 aircrafts machine gun to ground use, there were units that could barely arms a single company with rifles and ammunitions, let alone whole divisions.
*The US, needing to replace the Typhoon Louise losses, ordered an Mexican company 5,000 Mendoza RM-2 in .30-'06 Sprg., and been proven a success, send them to overseas, and outside of the single Marine Defense Battalion in Okinawa, been used by the occupation forces in Bavaria and Austria (including the Brazilian Occupation Force)
**Been considered the best submachine gun in the Pacific War, MaCarthur (the man that pretty much putts the Americans front and center of every situation) requested that it own forces receive 45,000 Owens from the Australians, and the Aussies had to built several more workshops for the need of almost the entire world; and in a tit-for-tat, received in return some P-51M Mustangs and A-26 Invaders.
***The 82nd Airborne brought a few hundreds from Germany, and they also proven a success, with the caviat that the shorten range meants higher chance of injury or death by the user.
Type 3 Ho-Ni III from wardrawings website
Both the Type 3 Chi-Nu and Type 4 Chi-To were the most common tank of the Japanese in their Home Islands (according to video games and certain documentaries), the reality was much different - other tanks were still the backbone of the IJA, mostly the light tanks Type 95 Ha-Go (and Type 4 Ke-Nu) and Type 98 Ke-Ni (and even improven Tye 2 Ke-To) and the medium tanks Type 97 Chi-Ha (mostly the improved ShinHoto) and Type 1 Chi-He. But while a few hundreds Type 3 and Type 4 were built (the Type 5 Chi-Ri was cancelled, but the single prototype was used in a single battle, more a little latter), lack of fuel and the complexity (and lack of spares to made the situation worse) made many been used more as either mobile or fixed artillery or AT guns wit a turret. With this in mind, many factories began instead focusing on the Anti-Tank variants, as they lack of turret and lighter weight made them much more "economic" in a articional war against the world. In fact, more Type 3 Ho-Ni III and Type 5 Ho-Ru (an open top "Hetzer" based on the Ha-Go with a 47mm gun) were reported than any other IFV.
Most of the listed tanks were present whiting the 1st Armored Division (wit a few add-hoc Independent Armored Brigades in the mix also having one or another) on the Battle of Isesaki, in mid-April, that became the biggest "tank" battle of the Pacific War, were the Division, in a defensive position, was utterly destroyed by just half of the American 13th Armored Division. From the common Type 3 Ho-Ni III's, to the single Type 89 I-Go, Type 5 Chi-Ri prototype and even a single M3 Stuart, the Japanese destroyed just a American company worth of tanks (the most "destroyed" company only lost a platoon worth of tanks), and off course, this doesn't count the tanks that could be repaired and re-used, and off course, half of those destroyed were done so mostly by suicide soldiers with explosive that with direct tank vs tank engagements.
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ZDA timeline
Marcus Sentis, the leader of a Christian cult based in the West Coast of the United States. Sentis intended to create a Christian theocracy of what was once the United States of America. He has a large following of survivors and remaining USCG units in California. He promises liberation to various surviving settlements by accepting the teachings of Jesus Christ. Should they refuse, he threatens them that survivors will "perish in the mouths of the undead."
Alcatraz Island, the headquarters of Marcus Sentis' cult.
A pro-Marcus Sentis USCG patrol boat patrolling the waters around Alcatraz Island.
Marcus Sentis, the leader of a Christian cult based in the West Coast of the United States. Sentis intended to create a Christian theocracy of what was once the United States of America. He has a large following of survivors and remaining USCG units in California. He promises liberation to various surviving settlements by accepting the teachings of Jesus Christ. Should they refuse, he threatens them that survivors will "perish in the mouths of the undead."
Alcatraz Island, the headquarters of Marcus Sentis' cult.
A pro-Marcus Sentis USCG patrol boat patrolling the waters around Alcatraz Island.
Is that Aaron Paul?ZDA timeline
Marcus Sentis, the leader of a Christian cult based in the West Coast of the United States. Sentis intended to create a Christian theocracy of what was once the United States of America. He has a large following of survivors and remaining USCG units in California. He promises liberation to various surviving settlements by accepting the teachings of Jesus Christ. Should they refuse, he threatens them that survivors will "perish in the mouths of the undead."
Alcatraz Island, the headquarters of Marcus Sentis' cult.
A pro-Marcus Sentis USCG patrol boat patrolling the waters around Alcatraz Island.
I think.
I was looking for a charismatic-looking cult leader to represent Marcus Sentis. My first idea was Sean of the True Eye Cult from Dead Rising, but for some reason, pictures from the Wiki do not work on this forum.
harry dexter white 34th president of the united states his presidency caused by the suicide of president winant after the attack on hiroshima would have a significant impact on the beginning of the cold war .
Red Spies in the White House: An Alternate Cold War
by Ulysses Orbis
Volkshalle in Berlin completed in 1947
Japanese troops land on the Hawaiian island of Oahu the Japanese were finally driven off the island on July 4, 1943, which ultimately turned the tide of the Pacific War
Huey Pierce Long Jr. 35th President of the United States
The Iron Eagle - The History of the Cold War by Kaiser of Brazil
Stresa Revived by @Onkel Willie
Italian Beaufighter Mk.VIC in Sicily, 1942
With most of the Italian industries based on the north, and the ones south uncapable of furfill the war hungry armed forces, Mussolini had to bite the bullet and ask for military support of Britain and the US. Among them were the Bristol Beaufighter, with Mk.IF, VIC, VIF and TF.Mk.X been accepted into the Regia Aeronautica. In the case of the night fighters, two Squadriglias of such aircrafts were send overseas as a 'show of flag' , with one in Burma and another in the UK (later replaced with earlier nightfighter variants of the Mosquito)
Patton in Korea/MacArthur in the White House, by @BiteNibbleChomp
AMX 50 Foch preparing for the Bastille Day, 1950's
With the French becoming more distant in the NATO alliance, they acted more independe in their strategy then the other members, including logistics. The best know example was the AMX 50 Foch and the Lorraine 40t. Not accepting the Roosevelt tanks been offered by the US, they would pursue instead for their own indigenous tanks projects. As such, the AMX 50 were tried, and while successefull, it's heavy weight, plus the obsolencense of the heavy tank project lead to the paralell project of the Lorraine 40t been created and accepted into service. But the AMX wouldn't loose entirely, as to save as much of their pet project as possible, an assault gun/tank destroyer was brought back, as the installation of the 120mm of the heavy tank lead to its initial cancellation, and was also accepted to put into production, and both would enter service in mid-1950's. Some Foch's would be upgraded with a three-round autoloader (mostly for the rare foreign sales), but much more where upgraded with the 155mm gun.
Object 268, the prototype of the ISU-152S
Stalin, in the later year, distrusted many new tecnologies of the new, including such as missiles. Therefore, most of such programs were for the VVS and sub-branches, while the Red Army pursued many old equipment. Such program were for a new assault gun/tank destroyer based on the IS-10 heavy tank, which became the ISU-152S. It would see service alongeside the T-10's and T-54/55's tanks in both Yugoslavia and Finland (alongeside older tanks), while a regiment worth was send to China (but due to the mountainous terrain, mostly used as SPG's)
Italian Beaufighter Mk.VIC in Sicily, 1942
With most of the Italian industries based on the north, and the ones south uncapable of furfill the war hungry armed forces, Mussolini had to bite the bullet and ask for military support of Britain and the US. Among them were the Bristol Beaufighter, with Mk.IF, VIC, VIF and TF.Mk.X been accepted into the Regia Aeronautica. In the case of the night fighters, two Squadriglias of such aircrafts were send overseas as a 'show of flag' , with one in Burma and another in the UK (later replaced with earlier nightfighter variants of the Mosquito)
Patton in Korea/MacArthur in the White House, by @BiteNibbleChomp
AMX 50 Foch preparing for the Bastille Day, 1950's
With the French becoming more distant in the NATO alliance, they acted more independe in their strategy then the other members, including logistics. The best know example was the AMX 50 Foch and the Lorraine 40t. Not accepting the Roosevelt tanks been offered by the US, they would pursue instead for their own indigenous tanks projects. As such, the AMX 50 were tried, and while successefull, it's heavy weight, plus the obsolencense of the heavy tank project lead to the paralell project of the Lorraine 40t been created and accepted into service. But the AMX wouldn't loose entirely, as to save as much of their pet project as possible, an assault gun/tank destroyer was brought back, as the installation of the 120mm of the heavy tank lead to its initial cancellation, and was also accepted to put into production, and both would enter service in mid-1950's. Some Foch's would be upgraded with a three-round autoloader (mostly for the rare foreign sales), but much more where upgraded with the 155mm gun.
The North Star is Red: a Wallace Presidency, KMT Victory, Alternate Cold War TL by @TastySpam
Object 268, the prototype of the ISU-152S
Stalin, in the later year, distrusted many new tecnologies of the new, including such as missiles. Therefore, most of such programs were for the VVS and sub-branches, while the Red Army pursued many old equipment. Such program were for a new assault gun/tank destroyer based on the IS-10 heavy tank, which became the ISU-152S. It would see service alongeside the T-10's and T-54/55's tanks in both Yugoslavia and Finland (alongeside older tanks), while a regiment worth was send to China (but due to the mountainous terrain, mostly used as SPG's)
Twilight of the Red Tsar by @Napoleon_IV
(there was a thread just for this photos, but it is dead for two years as I typing this so...)East Austrian T-34-85 tank
With the unification of Western Austria with Western Germany in early May 1957, the Soviets formed the People’s Republic of Austria, with it's capital in Vienna. Due to the smaller size of the nation in terms of territory and manpower compared to it's neigbours, they began to be re-armed with the best of the Great Patriotic War equipment the USSR had to its disposal, like T-34-85's tanks, ZiS-3 field guns, Mosin-Nagants and PPSh-41's, among others (in the rarer cases, PaK-40s were also given). Newer equipment, just as T-54's, a company of IS-2's, SKS, and MiG-17's (just a few points of the long list) only began arriving just weeks before the revolts in the Warsaw Pact began to boil up. With the Eastern part of Austria now de-facto 'main' Austria, the markings to represent their nations were taken for the interwar markings of the Republic, with the red circle and a inverted white triangule.
With the USSR losing control over it's puppets in the 60's, they begin to start negociations with the Austrian rebels (where the revolts started in June 1962) in late 67 and lasted until February the next year, with the Soviets troops pulling out of the nation (as it lost most of its strategic importance due to the "Western" Anschluss) and accepting a non-Communist East Austria (or just Austria) in return of refusing to join Western Germany and pledging neutrality in the Cold War. This actually had the wrong side effect for the USSR, as instead of showing the rebels in the others Warsaw Pact members to come to the table, they prove to the rebels that the might of the Red Army can be beaten, and the numbers of attacks increased.
Can it Carry Bombs? by @whatisinaname
Brand new B-24N making a test fight over the US, mid-1945
In mid-1945, Luftwaffe pilots began reporting spotting dozens, maybe hundreds, of unpainted Privateers flying over, all with a ball turret underneath. In fact, what they were reporting was the newest bomber of the Liberator family: the B-24N. Testing made of the single XB-24K shown that the aircraft flying stability was improved, and as a added bonus, it improved the visibility and the fields of fire for the rear gunner (and for the waist gunners as well). This this, the USAAF ordered 5,200 of the N-series, been based on the M-series (the best of the twin tails bombers), but not only with a single tail, but also new nose and tail turrets (nose been a "ball" style mounting built by Sperry, while the tail acquired a similar fitting to that used on the later B-17G models)
Alongeside the Superfortress and the Dominators, the B-24N's began to take part of the strategic bombing of Germany in mid-1945, were they improved field of fire and turrets began to take a small toll of the few jets and piston-engined fighters that managed to be caught on the sights (off about twenty percent compared to other Liberators).
"Goring's Reich" An Alternate World War II by @galveston bay
Inspection of the selected Irish troops before they departure to Canada, mid-May 1944
Not wanting to be left behind, Ireland applied to the UN memberstate during tthe Ontario Conference, and declared war against the Empire of Japan, while opening their harbors and airfields for others United Nations vessels and aircrafts for patrol duties in the North Atlantic.
Both an infantry battalion and a fighter squadron were to the integrated into the Canadian Armed forces and send to the Pacific Front. And as both were already well trained with Commonwealth-made equipment, they mostly took climate training before the Irish Brigade been integrated into the 2nd Infantry Division of the 1st Canadian Army, while the No.444 RCAF Squadron (or the Irish Squadron, flying early P-51 Mustangs with the Irish national colors in the rudder and spinner) flew combat missions over the Alaskan territory.
Aftter short combat against the IJA in the Aleutians Islands, both forces would be kept with the respective units until the end of the Pacific War in September 1945.
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Morgen die ganze Welt
Finnish-built KK-44 (origin of imagine been pretty obvious - https://www.jaegerplatoon.net/MAIN.html)
With the fall of Leningrad in late January 1944, Finland began to redeploy its troops to conquer the East Karelia and Kola regions of the Soviet Union (and taking Mursmask alongeside the Germans units - With the loses in Sicily and apparent collapse of the USSR, the artic convoys became less and less frequent). With such moves, Helsinki now have a bigger buffer territory against any Soviet incursion. But even with such objectives of the Continuation War concluded, Finland didn't pull out entirely of the war, for fear that if they do, Germany would launch either a coup or a invasion to replace their current government with a fascist/nazi one (and suchs fears were justified with Operation Margarita, against the Hungarians). Therefore, Finland would be still officially at war, but outside of a volunteer brigade send to Germany (and never used, been instead kept in Denmark for garrison duties), they would never participate directly in the war (outside of a few soviet partisan attacks, but been better treated that either the Germans or Soviets, suchs attacks died out in 1948).
With such "peace" now in effect, Helsinki began to standartize their military equipment, with a mix of both German, Soviet and home-made equipment and logistics (Allied and WWI/early interwar were retired/scrapped/kept on secondary units). And one of such ironies, was that they began to produce they own MG-42 re-caliber with a Russian caliber 7,62mmX54R. Named KK-44, it had a new receiver cover and lower part of the feeding mechanism, new belt ammunition (wit new kind of belt links), new gun barrel, a new bolt head and a new rear sight tangent. Even a new tripod was designed for the KK-44, as the Finnish disliked the German-one, as they considered to complicated, but not also stable enough. Instead, the new tripod combined the upper part of the original German with the lower part of the Soviet DS-39 tripod, rotated in a way that it had one of its three legs facing onward and two legs on both sides of the soldier shooting with the weapon.
Standart M26E4 "Super Pershing"
With the lessons from 1943 and 1944, the Western Allies started to rebuilt and re-arm their armed forces. The M26 Pershing was one such vehicle that had priority in the US. But even before the standart M26 began to leave the factories, reports from the British in Caen when fighting against the King Tigers forced the US to produce a newer 90mm to defeat such target, and the E4 Super Pershing was the response, and they proven to be one of the best Allied tank killers during the ground phase of the 2nd Battle of Britain in 1946. But it was too late to prevent the fall of Britain, and even uparmored, they would prevent to the lost to the Germans offensives, and near a third of all Pershings would be destroyed by their own crews to prevent their use by the Germans.
Modified Panzerspahwagen Ford M8(a) on patrol in occupied Netherlands
Outside of the mentioned Shermans, the best Western vehicles captured by the Germans that the Wehrmacht loved was the M8 Greyhound (renamed Panzerspahwagen Ford M8(a)). So much were captured that several were modified, with a few given to the Luftwaffe units and modified with a 2 cm MG151/20 Flakdrilling set. But the most common were the ones given to the police units in the occupied Western nations, with the MG-42 replacing the 37mm main gun (while the cannon was a punch against "terrorists", the short supply of ammunition force them to switch to a machine gun, plus it could be used as a mobile MG post against them).
Meanwhile in the US, the shortcommings of the Greyhound made the Armed Forces retire the vehicle earlier and the M38 Wolfhound been pressed into service in mid-1945, and proven a better success against the German armor (the M38B, with a M24 Chaffee turret, as a bigger success). But they also couldn't prevent the UK to fall.
From Learning to be Free Again: Electoral Wackiness in Post-Communist America
President Nancy Pelosi rips out Speaker of House, John D. Hastert's speech (2007)
President Nancy Pelosi rips out Speaker of House, John D. Hastert's speech (2007)
just a short one
Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The_Red
Japanese officer training house wives with bamboo spears, August 1945
After the Kyujo coup in August 1945, all available cannon-fold... i, mean people of the Japanese home island would be trained for combat against the imperial yankees preparing to invade their beloved home. Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, while opposed that Japan fought against the Allies in the first place, had to still furfill its duties of defending the island, and in one of its plans was the re-creation of the Onna-musha (female warriors of the samurai era), by allowing woman to enlist in the armed forces (while it helped to bring more manpower to the IJA/IJN, arming them was somewhat forgotten). The most famous was the Habu Sentai, an all-female "fighter" squadron, when in fact, they were all expended as kamikazes (but in reality, according to US sources, only one hit its target, an LST that had been emptied, therefore, not most casualties had occured - remaining either shoot down with two more crashing near its intended target).
Even so, nearly the entirety of the fighting womans would be integrated into the Volunteer Fighting Corps, lead by former PM Kuniaki Koiso. Like the Volksturm counterparts, they would fight alongeside regular military units, with very few staying behind enemy lines to form resistance cells. This was all due to the Japanese propraganda that all Americans would come to kill and rape them all (and in fact, there were thousands of suchs cases, but not as high as they wanted them to belive). So desperate they were that even began training Comfort Woman for defending they "workplace" (its no suprising that nearly 2/3 of them surrender once they had a chance to do so).
As the X-Day became closer to a reality, a spike in relationships/marriages and sexual activities rise, as for many, it could (and in many cases, it was) be the last time they could see their loved ones, or in the cases of younger people, they last change to lose the V-card, and many GI's had noticed many pregnanct woman on their occupied lands (and in the resistance movement as well), from as young as 14 to as old as 40-50's years old. And many children (mostly from Honshu and north Kyushu) wouldn't survive due to malnutricions and births defects from chemical and radiocactive defections.
At this point, anything that can kill was issued to civilians. Be it personal katanas/wakizashis, gardening tools, and even subpar Arisaka rifles.
But I Don't Speak German! (No rule saying it couldn't be from your own work 
)
German Seebataillone infantry inside the League of Nations Valencia Exclusion Zone in July 1937. Picture presumed to be of a rear area as the presence of a Wiesel tracked carrier (Otter in Marine parlance) undergoing maintenance. Photographer unknown.
)German Seebataillone infantry inside the League of Nations Valencia Exclusion Zone in July 1937. Picture presumed to be of a rear area as the presence of a Wiesel tracked carrier (Otter in Marine parlance) undergoing maintenance. Photographer unknown.
CH timeline
Allied fleet on Operation Tiderace (the unoppossed liberation of southern France)
While the August Ceasefire would even the conflict between the Western Allies and the now Berlin Pact (and the pulling out of German forces in Benelux, France, Italy, Denmark, Norway and half of Austria), Moscow sweared revenge against the United Nations. With this threat, the UN cancelled most redeployment of their Armed Forces to the Pacific. While Belgium, Italy and Norway would contribute with volunteers to the other side of the world to some extent, near three millions troops would be stationed in mainland Europe (mostly ground troops and air forces, as all navies would send their best assets to the Pacific, as the Socialist Navy isn't a big threat compared to the UN ones.)
At the same time, some cracks began to show in the Colonial Powers on their occupied territories, like in Belgian Congo, Middle East, Ethiopia, etc, with British, French and Belgian troops now been divided between the ongoing Pacific War, opposing any possible Moscow Pact offensive and putting down rebelions in their colonies. Also inside their own borders, discontent between socialists rose up, with both been ignored by the WAllies (and interwar crises returning in a daily bases) and abandoning their brothers in the ongoing European conflict (with many crossing the Yugoslavian or Spanish borders to join the MP forces).
With the fall of the Berlin Pact, in May of 1946 (same week as the end of the Pacific War), the was a boost of armed forces from the UN side, and many of the most militaristic politicians pushed for an assault on the Moscow Pact 'puppets' states, as their forces are now at the weakest due to five years of conflict, but everyone else was just tired of conflict, and the greatest chance for the UN to cripple (and maybe destroy) Socialism was lost.
Fidel Castro been well received after arriving to its exile in Lisbon, 1959
Escaping through a Socialist Submarine to Lisbon, Fidel Castro and many of its followers began forming plans not for a Cuban (Socialist) government-in-exile, but for an Caribbean one (but accepting all Latin Americans), with the re-creation of the Caribbean Legion. Settling in Cuba*, Portuguese Socialist Republic, Castro would extend its influence were never the Moscow Pact can reach, from financial support for the NarcoReds in Colombia and the resistance in Guyana, to direct combat, with an almost full Cuban brigade been part of the Hanoi defense in the UN invasion of North Vietnam.
*Yes, there is an village called Cuba in Portugal
Outside Scheme of USS Spokane (CVL-31)
In the original American Orange plans, three passangers liners were to be converted into aircraft carriers to increase the number of the same class of ships to fight against the IJN. The first (and in fact only) liner that went to this phase was the SS President Hoover. While the ship had its top removed, the USN discovered several things that made them to decide to cancel the project:
Pros:
- Compared to the Independence-class light carriers, they were bigger and roomier that the cruisers-converted hulls.
Cons:
- They were slower, less armored and consumed much more fuel that the Independence-class.
While the other two choosen liners were instead converted to troopships, President Hoover had its convertion to advanced to be called off, therefore, it was decided to continue its convertion, but using the ship (now renamed Spokane) as a aircraft transport in the Atlantic, with secondary duties as the massive anti-submarine carrier, while USS Ranger (CV-4) would be more involved in "direct" combat in the European Campaign. It would actually be the only US carrier lost in the Atlantic, near the Portuguese Island of Madeira, in late May 1944.
Allied fleet on Operation Tiderace (the unoppossed liberation of southern France)
While the August Ceasefire would even the conflict between the Western Allies and the now Berlin Pact (and the pulling out of German forces in Benelux, France, Italy, Denmark, Norway and half of Austria), Moscow sweared revenge against the United Nations. With this threat, the UN cancelled most redeployment of their Armed Forces to the Pacific. While Belgium, Italy and Norway would contribute with volunteers to the other side of the world to some extent, near three millions troops would be stationed in mainland Europe (mostly ground troops and air forces, as all navies would send their best assets to the Pacific, as the Socialist Navy isn't a big threat compared to the UN ones.)
At the same time, some cracks began to show in the Colonial Powers on their occupied territories, like in Belgian Congo, Middle East, Ethiopia, etc, with British, French and Belgian troops now been divided between the ongoing Pacific War, opposing any possible Moscow Pact offensive and putting down rebelions in their colonies. Also inside their own borders, discontent between socialists rose up, with both been ignored by the WAllies (and interwar crises returning in a daily bases) and abandoning their brothers in the ongoing European conflict (with many crossing the Yugoslavian or Spanish borders to join the MP forces).
With the fall of the Berlin Pact, in May of 1946 (same week as the end of the Pacific War), the was a boost of armed forces from the UN side, and many of the most militaristic politicians pushed for an assault on the Moscow Pact 'puppets' states, as their forces are now at the weakest due to five years of conflict, but everyone else was just tired of conflict, and the greatest chance for the UN to cripple (and maybe destroy) Socialism was lost.
Fidel Castro been well received after arriving to its exile in Lisbon, 1959
Escaping through a Socialist Submarine to Lisbon, Fidel Castro and many of its followers began forming plans not for a Cuban (Socialist) government-in-exile, but for an Caribbean one (but accepting all Latin Americans), with the re-creation of the Caribbean Legion. Settling in Cuba*, Portuguese Socialist Republic, Castro would extend its influence were never the Moscow Pact can reach, from financial support for the NarcoReds in Colombia and the resistance in Guyana, to direct combat, with an almost full Cuban brigade been part of the Hanoi defense in the UN invasion of North Vietnam.
*Yes, there is an village called Cuba in Portugal
Outside Scheme of USS Spokane (CVL-31)
In the original American Orange plans, three passangers liners were to be converted into aircraft carriers to increase the number of the same class of ships to fight against the IJN. The first (and in fact only) liner that went to this phase was the SS President Hoover. While the ship had its top removed, the USN discovered several things that made them to decide to cancel the project:
Pros:
- Compared to the Independence-class light carriers, they were bigger and roomier that the cruisers-converted hulls.
Cons:
- They were slower, less armored and consumed much more fuel that the Independence-class.
While the other two choosen liners were instead converted to troopships, President Hoover had its convertion to advanced to be called off, therefore, it was decided to continue its convertion, but using the ship (now renamed Spokane) as a aircraft transport in the Atlantic, with secondary duties as the massive anti-submarine carrier, while USS Ranger (CV-4) would be more involved in "direct" combat in the European Campaign. It would actually be the only US carrier lost in the Atlantic, near the Portuguese Island of Madeira, in late May 1944.
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Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The_Red
HTMS Sri Ayudhya, prior to it's capture
On September 5, 1945, the Free Thai Movement overthrew their pro-Japanese government and declared war against the Empire of Japan. Many Japanese were now traped inside a hostile nation, and many either fought to their deaths in their small pockets or tried to fled to friendly fire. The ones based near the Sattahip Naval Base tried the later, by seizing the Thai ships still docked (near not a single one sortied due to A - the defensive nature of said Navy prevented their use alongeside the IJN; and B - by late 1943, both the USN and RN (plus the Dutch submarines) were to strong to make a mission without risk). In a situation nearly repeated in Toulon, most of the Thai Navy were scuttled, but some were in fact captured, among them, the flagship Sri Ayudhya. After said capture (with some Thai Navy personnel as prisioners), the commander of the this "Task Force" (name lost in history) proclammed via radio to Tokyo that the "entirety of the threaterous Thai Navy ships were seized and the now renamed IJA Hiroshima will now sail full steam to strike against the enemy of the emperor". How a collection of less than ten ships + a single coastal defense ship, plus small escorts, could deter the mightiest armada ever deployed in history + show to refuel the ship in heavy contested water might never had crossed the commander mind, as the very next day, thanks from Operation Zipper, a flight of torpedo-armed Bristol Beaufighters with Hellcats as escorts would intercept the "TF" near the French Indochina (now Cambodia) coast and two heavy fighters would hit the Sri Ayudhya (the Japanese didn't even had the time to replace the name before sailing) with three out of four torpedos and capsized in less than 30 seconds (only a single destroyer survived by beaching itself to shore).
Can it Carry Bombs? by @whatisinaname
The first photo of US M4A3E9 Sherman Firefly tanks in Cherbourg, France
Initially, the US army was reluctant to accept the 17-pounder Firefly tanks, as they 76mm armed Shermans could perform an equal job, plus the upcoming 90mm armed vehicles were already in the pipeline, even without the demand of the same (they also disliked the large muzzle-flash and breach flashback). After the few instances that the 76mm gun couldn't alway perform well against Panthers and Tigers against longer distances compared to the 17-pounder, and the 90mm still an ocean away, that Omar Bradley requested for Fireflies in August, but due to the discontinuation of the M4A4 Sherman (were most Fireflies were converted) and the 75mm gun production, things would slow down. It was only in February/March 1945 that the British finally made conversions for the Americans, based on M4A3 Shermans to fit US specifications like bigger armored boxes in the rear of the turret to fit their larger radios, adding stowage brackets for the M2 machine gun welded to the end of said box, and attachment of a M9 elevating quadrant on the gun cradle. Near 200 M4A3 with the 75mm were send from France back to England for convertion from March to May. By the time the now E9 arrived to the frontlines of Europe, the US Army was now deploying much more M26 Pershings (plus the E4 Super Pershing) and M36 Jackson, while the 76mm armed Shermans were receiving better AP ammunition. Not to dispose of such vehicles, they were deployed in US tank brigades co-operating alongeside the British Army, for better supply of the 17-pounder ammo.
Patton in Korea/MacArthur in the White House, by @BiteNibbleChomp
Egyptian destroyer ENS el-Qaher in RN Whale Island, waiting for "diplomacy" to play itself
The Egyptian Navy under Nasser bought two decomissioned Z-class destroyers from the RN, and they were renamed ENS el-Qaher and ENS el-Fateh after the the reactivation overhaul. But even before both ships would sail to their new destination, Nasser became more hostile to France and UK, and the British (with MaCarthur 'permission') embargo both ships and taking their crew hostage, adding more fuel to the fire (although two destroyers would case a enomours fire compared to the rest of the situation). With the end of the Egyptian War, both ships would return to the now Royal Egyptian Navy, serving alongeside ironically, two other Z-class serving the Israel. An third Z-class was later gifted to form the 3rd Destroyer Division of the REN, serving alongeside the RN in North Africa and Mediterranean, as a thanks for Egypt to join the Baghdad Pact.
Quicky today
One of the Luger 04 Pistol found in the Pacific
Prior to Operation Majestic, Japan had difficulties to supply it's armed forces, as the US bombers devastated its economy to dust. As a response, everything that can fire bullets were accepted into both IJN and IJA forces. Unlike with the Volunteer Fighting Corps, they received every firearm available, from the Type 4 rifle to as old as from the Russo-Japanese War. In between, they would also accept captured weapons (from the Russians (from the already mentioned Russo-War from the most recent border conflicts in 39), British, Chinese, US, Imperial Germany, among others). From Germany, many Lugers (navy variant, or the Luger P04) were distributed around the Home Islands. Some of this German weapons (like the even rarer MG-34, captured from China - alongeside of the U-boat pirates in the Indian Ocean) would spark some fear of a fourth reich been formed in Japan. But said weapons, as mentioned, were mostly captured by the Japanese in all of its conflicts in the 20th century. Post-Operation Sandman and Coronet, the situation for the common soldier was worse, with a sixth of all firearms now been stolen from the Allies itself!
Decisive Darkness: What if Japan hadn't surrendered in 1945? by @The_Red
One of the Luger 04 Pistol found in the Pacific
Prior to Operation Majestic, Japan had difficulties to supply it's armed forces, as the US bombers devastated its economy to dust. As a response, everything that can fire bullets were accepted into both IJN and IJA forces. Unlike with the Volunteer Fighting Corps, they received every firearm available, from the Type 4 rifle to as old as from the Russo-Japanese War. In between, they would also accept captured weapons (from the Russians (from the already mentioned Russo-War from the most recent border conflicts in 39), British, Chinese, US, Imperial Germany, among others). From Germany, many Lugers (navy variant, or the Luger P04) were distributed around the Home Islands. Some of this German weapons (like the even rarer MG-34, captured from China - alongeside of the U-boat pirates in the Indian Ocean) would spark some fear of a fourth reich been formed in Japan. But said weapons, as mentioned, were mostly captured by the Japanese in all of its conflicts in the 20th century. Post-Operation Sandman and Coronet, the situation for the common soldier was worse, with a sixth of all firearms now been stolen from the Allies itself!
In response to the Soviet Invasion of Germany, the Carter Administration hastily reboots the B-1A program with a new emphasis on conventional bombing.
-HC
-HC