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Question, did these DM's have the 4" guns replaced with 3"/50 cal dual purpose guns, or retain, the 4 x 1 4" /40 cal gun s?
I am really enjoying this time line. It is very detailed yet very believable.
Thank you for sharing with us.
Thank you for sharing with us.
Story 0772
October 15, 1941 Pusan Korea
The division had spent seven days in the port city. Most of the time was spent refurbishing equipment, repairing worn out trucks, and resupplying the larder that would support the division in combat. The 16th Division had been in Manchukuo for several years and it had expected to face the Soviet Far Eastern armies but their orders had changed. The commanding general and his staff knew that the division was to be part of the great drive to the southwest. Initial plans presented over the summer even as the division was still watching the northern border of the Empire, had the entire division allocated to combat in the Philippines in order to keep the Americans from intervening against the main thrust to supply the Home Islands with the critical raw materials it needed to bring glory and wealth.
However plans had changed. One regiment was still allocated to the Philippine Campaign and it would be staged from Palau. The other regiments were to ship to Hainan as theater reserve for the Malayan Campaign. There was enough shipping to move the division now but they would not be part of the initial stages of the campaign as there were not enough ships to assault land another 17,000 men. Instead they would be part of the second wave to support the 25th Army against the Malayan garrison that was growing stronger by the day. Bushido spirit would be sufficient to overcome the decadent colonialists but reinforcements would make the spirit stronger.
As the companies and battalions were due to assemble at mid-morning, sergeants went through the city’s dens of pleasure and trouble one last time for their own enjoyment as well as finding the predictable knuckleheads who would try to join the muster moments before the their orders.
By nightfall, the first troop ship was loaded and by the afternoon of the next day, the troop ships joined the cargo ships and left the harbor, escorted by a pair of training cruisers. Once the convoy passed Okinawa, it split, one regiment heading east for three days and then south to take it outside of the prying eyes of any American patrol planes and the other heading south by southwest on a direct course to Hainan.
Story 0773
October 16, 1941 Vancouver, Canada
The last private enjoyed the last moment of his last kiss with the girl that he had met the night before. His sergeant waited somewhat patiently before coughing too loudly to break the private’s concentration and chivvy him along the pier.
C-Force was going to war, or at least they were going to the possibility of war instead of sitting in garrison. One battalion had been in Jamaica and Bermuda since mobilization while the other had guarded Newfoundland. They had been brigaded together with a half strength artillery regiment and light support services. Originally the force had been designated for deployment to the Hong Kong garrison but they were being diverted to Singapore. Before they reached Singapore, the liners would deposit the men in Australia for additional unit training. Their equipment would catch up to them before the final voyage to Singapore.
Looking at an early November arrival in Australia? Will they be stopping and taking a short leave at Pearl?
Bushido versus firepower. Guess who wins.
I read somewhere on another thread that the problem with the Japanese militarists was that they never experienced in depth the slaughter of the First World War. I wonder just how true it is that their thinking wasn't better informed because of their lack of the WW1 experience.
Errolwi
Monthly Donor
Does Australia have spare facilities for training Brigade-sized units at this point? I'd love to read the TTL's cable discussions between the Dominions re allocation of resources (OTL's from April-May 1940 about ANZ forces to Egypt are entertaining). I suppose having them going to Singapore will help with the Aussies.
Really enjoying the TL.
Ramp-Rat
Monthly Donor
There are millions of acres of prime tropical jungle in the Northern Territories and Queensland, that the Cannadians can go and play war games in. The big problem will be finding the jungle warfair specialists to conduct the training.
RR.
Errolwi
Monthly Donor
And there are plenty of bush-covered hills in NZ, but strangely the battalions were trained seperately, in the places where there were things like accommodation, water, ranges etc. You can march troops off the ships into virgin jungle if you want, but I suggest they won't be much use to you a few weeks later.
During the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian defences were comprised of barbed wire, trenches, machine guns and artillery in a manner very similar to WW1. The Japanese were able to storm these defences albeit with horrendous casualties so learned the lesson that an all out offensive combined with a disregard for casualties would enable victory. This was noted by European observers of the war as well and may have informed some of the early WW1 tactics as "Attaque à outrance" seemed to be proved a viable tactic.
Quite probably the Japanese militarists looked to their success in 1904/05 and dismissed the European lack of success using the same tactics as proof of a lack of spirit.
The Japanese seemed to have taken many of their WW2 tactics, in particular Kansai Kessen and the Banzai charge, from what you said here, from the Russo Japanese war. It seemed they pretty much forgotten that in 35 years things can change heavily.
Although they manage to incorporate modern tech and equipment, they still relied on mass charges and battleships.
An interesting fact is that in the Russo-Japanese War observers were highly complimentary about the Japanese military medical system - more "modern", efficient, well supplied etc compared to the Russians. Even before things went off the rails, in WWII the Japanese military medical system was inadequate, and supplies and personnel had a very low logistical priority. As a result of this the fatality rates were well above what should have been, and their disease rates were horrendous.
Story 0773
October 18, 1941 Rabaul
Six Boeing B-17s taxied on the long runway. This was the third batch through the long southern trans-Pacific ferry route. One plane was still in the hangar. An engine was not working right, or at least well enough to risk the aircraft and the more valuable crew on the journey to Port Moresby.
The single battalion of Australian infantry should have been preparing positions, they should have been training, they should have been caching supplies along evacuation rat lines. Instead they were still fundamentally a labor force building out the airfield and improving the harbor. Three dozen American civilian contractors and half a dozen bulldozers were due to arrive at the end of the month to continue improving the strip. Another American chartered freighter was also due to come with 200,000 gallons of aviation fuel and enough bombs to supply three squadrons of B-17s with two missions worth of bombs. Once the American supplies arrived, perhaps the infantry battalion could train again.
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