Too true that. And they would likely commit similar acts of retaliation in response to other attacks or sabotage carried out by the Filipino and American guerrillas. And possibly anytime something angers or embarrasses some local commander. The only sure way to counter this is to liberate the P.I. as soon as possible.
Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
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Too true that. And they would likely commit similar acts of retaliation in response to other attacks or sabotage carried out by the Filipino and American guerrillas. And possibly anytime something angers or embarrasses some local commander. The only sure way to counter this is to liberate the P.I. as soon as possible.
Story 1651
Portland, Maine November 10, 1942
USS Alabama pulled into the port. A dozen merchant ships were in various states of completion in the shipyard near the naval pier. Overhead, barrage balloons and a single Navy blimp defended the northernmost useful port on the eastern seaboard. Any further north, and Canadian facilities would be more relevant.
The battleship was in town for four days. Liberty was promised for the sailors aboard even as the shipyard engineers, naval inspectors, officers and chiefs went through the last of the gripe list. By now, the ship was working right except for #8 5 inch turret and the hot water valve in the captain’s shower. She just needed more time for the crew to come together as a cohesive whole instead of a disparate mass. Another week of seakeeping and gunnery drills in Casco Bay were scheduled before she was needed in the Pacific Fleet.
USS Alabama pulled into the port. A dozen merchant ships were in various states of completion in the shipyard near the naval pier. Overhead, barrage balloons and a single Navy blimp defended the northernmost useful port on the eastern seaboard. Any further north, and Canadian facilities would be more relevant.
The battleship was in town for four days. Liberty was promised for the sailors aboard even as the shipyard engineers, naval inspectors, officers and chiefs went through the last of the gripe list. By now, the ship was working right except for #8 5 inch turret and the hot water valve in the captain’s shower. She just needed more time for the crew to come together as a cohesive whole instead of a disparate mass. Another week of seakeeping and gunnery drills in Casco Bay were scheduled before she was needed in the Pacific Fleet.
Story 1652
Bombay, November 10, 1942
“Dismissed”
Over twelve thousand veteran boots slammed into the ground in one last organized action of the 5th Indian Division as it was currently constituted. Liners had brought the tired, veteran and victorious division to Bombay from Batavia over the course of the week. The battalions and regiments that had defeated the Italians and Germans in Africa and then the Japanese first in Malaya and now on Java had been sent to a large set of camps outside the city after they had marched in impromptu celebratory parades. Now they were assembled as a holistic unit for the last time as decorations were handed out in addition to the fourteen Victoria’s Crosses already presented to the division’s soldiers. Dozens of promotions were dated for today as successful battalion commanders would soon be taking on brigades while the division commander had sixty days to himself before he was due in London to command a corps.
Each of the three brigades would become a new division. The 5th’s history would live on in the division anchored by 10th Indian Brigade but the other two brigades would be the bedrock upon which two newly raised divisions would be created. Once all was said and done, the core of the veteran brigade would be spread thinly as the wisdom, experience and caution that the men on the parade ground would stiffen the new volunteers from the villages of the Deccan and the draftees of the Durham Light Infantry, the Black Watch, the Loyal Lancashire and Essex regiments. Yet before they formed the new divisions, each man had at least thirty days of leave. The camps would be open for the soldiers who could not go home and who did not want to spend their money for hotels and whores in the city while the rest were given unlimited rail passes and well wishes.
“Dismissed”
Over twelve thousand veteran boots slammed into the ground in one last organized action of the 5th Indian Division as it was currently constituted. Liners had brought the tired, veteran and victorious division to Bombay from Batavia over the course of the week. The battalions and regiments that had defeated the Italians and Germans in Africa and then the Japanese first in Malaya and now on Java had been sent to a large set of camps outside the city after they had marched in impromptu celebratory parades. Now they were assembled as a holistic unit for the last time as decorations were handed out in addition to the fourteen Victoria’s Crosses already presented to the division’s soldiers. Dozens of promotions were dated for today as successful battalion commanders would soon be taking on brigades while the division commander had sixty days to himself before he was due in London to command a corps.
Each of the three brigades would become a new division. The 5th’s history would live on in the division anchored by 10th Indian Brigade but the other two brigades would be the bedrock upon which two newly raised divisions would be created. Once all was said and done, the core of the veteran brigade would be spread thinly as the wisdom, experience and caution that the men on the parade ground would stiffen the new volunteers from the villages of the Deccan and the draftees of the Durham Light Infantry, the Black Watch, the Loyal Lancashire and Essex regiments. Yet before they formed the new divisions, each man had at least thirty days of leave. The camps would be open for the soldiers who could not go home and who did not want to spend their money for hotels and whores in the city while the rest were given unlimited rail passes and well wishes.
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Story 1653
Philadelphia, November 11, 1942
Three fast, powerful front-loaded monsters rested as they were slowly departing from the crowded waterfront. Richelieu flew the admiral’s flag while Strasbourg and Dunkerque were refreshed. New paint, a scraped hull and dozens of changes ranging from more diesel powered fire fighting pumps to new light anti-aircraft guns along with factory fresh radars tied to brand new gun directors.
A fourth great ship remained tied up along the Delaware. Jean Bart had been almost completed, missing a turret and some secondary guns when she had arrived in Philadelphia from Martinique. Now, she was a cannibalized hulk. She still looked like a Picasso painting of a warship as workmen had moved sections and parts had been removed to keep the rest of the French fleet operating. Alongside her was a light cruiser that had also been sacrificed to bring the rest of the cruiser component of the Force du Raid to full readiness.
The French fleet was escorted by American built destroyers flying the tricolor ensign headed down the river. In a few hours, they were clear of the crowded waters and began their journey to Mers El Kebir where they would take the war to the enemy they were built to defeat.
Three fast, powerful front-loaded monsters rested as they were slowly departing from the crowded waterfront. Richelieu flew the admiral’s flag while Strasbourg and Dunkerque were refreshed. New paint, a scraped hull and dozens of changes ranging from more diesel powered fire fighting pumps to new light anti-aircraft guns along with factory fresh radars tied to brand new gun directors.
A fourth great ship remained tied up along the Delaware. Jean Bart had been almost completed, missing a turret and some secondary guns when she had arrived in Philadelphia from Martinique. Now, she was a cannibalized hulk. She still looked like a Picasso painting of a warship as workmen had moved sections and parts had been removed to keep the rest of the French fleet operating. Alongside her was a light cruiser that had also been sacrificed to bring the rest of the cruiser component of the Force du Raid to full readiness.
The French fleet was escorted by American built destroyers flying the tricolor ensign headed down the river. In a few hours, they were clear of the crowded waters and began their journey to Mers El Kebir where they would take the war to the enemy they were built to defeat.
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formion
Banned
With Force du Raid back in the game there is almost zero need for modern British battleships in Europe. The odd Queen Elizabeth or Renown can cover Arctic convoys and perhaps a couple more in Alexandria to cover the eastern Mediterranean. Until the weather gets better in the Mediterranean in spring to allow any landings, the only job of the heavy units will be to counter Roma and Littorio.
The British can form now a very powerful fleet in terms of carriers and battleships in the SE Asia, until at least some units are recalled to support the afforementioned landings.
Are the R-class BBs being decomissioned or not ?
The British can form now a very powerful fleet in terms of carriers and battleships in the SE Asia, until at least some units are recalled to support the afforementioned landings.
Are the R-class BBs being decomissioned or not ?
Driftless
Donor
With several more capital ships and carriers in operation, "best use" of crews on the R's might be a consideration
Force De Raid will be tasked to counter the Italian Fleet remnants.
Working from memory, the British have HOOD and WARSPITE in the Eastern Med, HOWE at Gibraltar with Force H. NORTH CAROLINA leaving Home Fleet imminently. RODNEY will be heading to the Far East Fleet shortly via Suez.
MALAYA, BARHAM and REVENGE are the Home Fleet heavies. NELSON will be released from dry dock sooner rather than later and switch in as a slow but powerful Home Fleet heavy.
DUKE OF YORK is still repairing battle damage from the Battle of Corsica --- will be dispatched to Far East Fleet once ready.
My refit cycles are here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/keynes-cruisers.388788/page-460#post-17357349
One R (ROYAL SOVEREIGN) will be sent to the USSR as per OTL.
RAMILLES is scheduled to go into ordinary soon while RESOLUTION is in good enough shape for a little while longer. These 2 Rs are currently escorting slow troop convoys.
The RN basically will be able to get rid of the 4 remaining Rs and at least one if not both of the unmodernized Queens by Q3 1943 as then available assets should meet requirements and crews can be better used elsewhere but the RN needs to buy one more refit/upkeep cycle before they think they can mothball a good chunk of their battle fleet.
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Driftless
Donor
I can imagine under the circumstances of this timeline, Both the Admiralty and the US Navy have some concern about the Japanese Yamato's. Both of the Allies have stronger carrier forces at this point of the war and more capital ships in theater (with more on the way shortly). Still, until they've confronted the Yamato's in battle, they'd be viewed with considerable wariness.
Driftless
Donor
But didn't they have some information on the immense size and expectation of heavy armor? Those would still be formidable ships with 16" guns
The USN per public reports and JANE'S thought Yamato was about a 45,000 tonner with 16 inch guns --- individually perhaps slightly better than a South Dakota or North Carolina but if the USN could get a 2:1 mobbing of two modern BBs on one of the pair of modern Japanese BBs, the USN would have liked their odds.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato-class_battleship
ONI only became aware of the Yamato and Musashi by name late in 1942, and still didn't know about the ships being armed with 18 inch guns until more then 4 months after Yamato had been sunk.
The Japanese where also very thorough in destroying records, pictures, and other documents related to the Yamato class. For several years after the war, the only known publicly available photographs of the ships where those taken by attacking US aircraft when the ships where atracked and sunk.
The Force de Raid (not Force du raid) will be a powerfull propaganda tool for the free french and the Allies. It's a big sign that France is back on the fight. Expect to see de Gaulle use this (and all assets he can get) as leverage.
2 on 1 works well. I should hope US would use destroyer laid smoke screens to negate IJN optical ranging.
No story only thread;
I'm maintaining continual, sequential threadmarking on the two threads so you can leap along the story that way without the secondary discussions. And this is a single timeline, I just ran out of space (10,000 post limit) in the first thread.
The old line about "teaching someone everything they know, but, not everything you know" comes to mind...
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