Improving Japanese Anti Submarine Forces

The opposite of Post 97 with the Japanese rolling all the sixes instead of the Americans would be along the lines of:

The 2 extra Shokakus don't take part in the Indian Ocean raid because they were refitting which enables them to take part in the Coral Sea. Therefore 4 Shokakus and Soho would have been fighting Lexington, Yorktown and CV8A. Soho is still sunk. OTOH because 100% more Japanese fighters would be fighting off 50% more American strike aircraft none of the large Japanese ships would have been seriously damaged and all 4 Shokakus would have been operational in time for Midway. When the Japanese attack the Americans it's reversed with 50% more American fighters to fend off 100% more Japanese attackers. Therefore I think the result would be Lexington and Yorktown sunk with CV8A so badly damaged that she isn't ready to take part in Midway. The Japanese take Port Moresby.

In this situation I think it's very unlikely that the Americans would evaculate Midway because they only have 2 operational aircraft carriers (Enterprise and Hornet) in the Pacific and they think the Japanese will be attacking with all 8 of their big ships.

Which means that at the start of July 1942 the Japanese have 8 large aircraft carriers instead of 2 and the Americans have 4 instead of 3 (that is Saratoga, Enterprise, Hornet and CV8A) plus Ranger and Wasp.
 

Guardian54

Banned
Which means that at the start of July 1942 the Japanese have 8 large aircraft carriers instead of 2 and the Americans have 4 instead of 3 (that is Saratoga, Enterprise, Hornet and CV8A) plus Ranger and Wasp.

And then 1943 rolls around and the Japanese find themselves floundering and drowning, again.
 
The opposite of Post 97 with the Japanese rolling all the sixes instead of the Americans would be along the lines of:

The 2 extra Shokakus don't take part in the Indian Ocean raid because they were refitting which enables them to take part in the Coral Sea. Therefore 4 Shokakus and Soho would have been fighting Lexington, Yorktown and CV8A. Soho is still sunk. OTOH because 100% more Japanese fighters would be fighting off 50% more American strike aircraft none of the large Japanese ships would have been seriously damaged and all 4 Shokakus would have been operational in time for Midway. When the Japanese attack the Americans it's reversed with 50% more American fighters to fend off 100% more Japanese attackers. Therefore I think the result would be Lexington and Yorktown sunk with CV8A so badly damaged that she isn't ready to take part in Midway. The Japanese take Port Moresby.

In this situation I think it's very unlikely that the Americans would evaculate Midway because they only have 2 operational aircraft carriers (Enterprise and Hornet) in the Pacific and they think the Japanese will be attacking with all 8 of their big ships.

Which means that at the start of July 1942 the Japanese have 8 large aircraft carriers instead of 2 and the Americans have 4 instead of 3 (that is Saratoga, Enterprise, Hornet and CV8A) plus Ranger and Wasp.
This is closer to what I had in mind, tho IMO IJN is still going to lose at least one of the heavies at Coral Sea, if only due to worse damage control; butterfly in a bit worse luck for "Wounded Bear" (Shokaku) on her wander home, where, by all rights, she should've been sunk by USN subs at least 2 or 3 times...:rolleyes: (So okay, maybe I'm giving Japan bad luck she doesn't deserve...)

At Midway, given things go more/less OTL, I'd credit Fletcher with no fewer than two & no more than 4 CV sunk & 1-2 damaged (their airwings decimated in any event, so a fair while before they play any future role), & Nagumo with 1 or 2 CV sunk (perhaps plus damage to a 3d by I-168, but probably not); I'd sooner see any damaged CV immediately under tow, so Nagumo gets 1 heavily damaged & 1 sunk (& I-168 is unknown, unless she turns up shelling the Hollywood sign, or something:openedeyewink:).

On that basis, as said upthread, this suggests at least one more significant CV action in '42, in ref Watchtower, if nowhere else. IJN strength may be enough to add another as late as June '43; I doubt it would interfere with Galvanic.

With that in mind, given Nimitz has an additional CV, does he use that to raid Japan's perimeter & so call off the MC Raider op at Makin? If so, Tarawa should be easier...:cool:
 
People like us would be asking, "WI Enterprise hadn't been sunk off Malaita in '42?", but nobody else would notice.:)
I've been a member of this site for nearly 3 years and in all that time I don't recall "WI Saratoga wasn't torpedoed on 11th January 1942?" being asked.
 
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