The Japanese carriers came out of Truk because the initial reports from Kwajalein were that there were American cripples that could be claimed in the Gilberts/Eastern Marshalls. Nagumo was not looking for a decisive battle, but successful attrition. When it became apparent that the US Pacific Fleet was out in force and ready to play, the KB kept the range open and avoided action as their intel was that the PacFlt had numerical parity or superiority and by now, the IJN knows that their air crews+plane system are not significantly better than the USN combination. Both navies have chosen different pathways to system parity but no one is thinking that a tiny "crack" team can defeat the decadent. The IJN will seek to concentrate their carriers for jumping isolated American elements. The KB will seek decisive battle when the battleships are available as well as when Hiryu rejoins them.
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Slow down killer, the USN and RN are more than happy to take their time and trade oil and steel instead of blood
It was more inspired by USS Robin and Saratagos time with the Eastern Fleet.
Story 1503
Tunisia, August 6, 1942
The GIs advanced in single file. The point squad was well ahead of the company, with a single private first class being the lead American in the entire theatre. His eyes searched the ridge line. The narrow pass was perfect ambush country and it was his job to find the German ambushers. The scuttlebutt was that the Germans had kicked the French garrison up and down the country.
Overhead, an octet of P-40s passed. The fighters were heading north looking for a fight. Behind the infantry company, the rest of the battalion was getting ready to move through the pass once it had been cleared. An artillery battery of factory fresh 105 millimeter guns were unlimbered with shells ready and wired laid to the fire direction center. The battalion’s mortar teams were split. Two tubes were ready in support while the rest were being made ready for movement.
The private shifted his head. Birds had avoided a small fold in the ridge on his left. As he focused his eyes, a glint of light bounced off of a machine gun barrel a mere moment before the German paratroopers opened up. Almost as soon as the ambush was initiated, light mortars started to fire in support of the defenders. The American scout hit the ground before the chaos overwhelmed him. He rolled to cover and started to fire his rifle in the general direction of the ambush. Two squad mates were wounded. The rest of the squad had found cover while the sergeant began to rally his men to begin an immediate counter-attack once a base of fire could be established with the BAR.
In half a dozen passes, the advance to Tunis was stopped as they found the German outpost line.
The GIs advanced in single file. The point squad was well ahead of the company, with a single private first class being the lead American in the entire theatre. His eyes searched the ridge line. The narrow pass was perfect ambush country and it was his job to find the German ambushers. The scuttlebutt was that the Germans had kicked the French garrison up and down the country.
Overhead, an octet of P-40s passed. The fighters were heading north looking for a fight. Behind the infantry company, the rest of the battalion was getting ready to move through the pass once it had been cleared. An artillery battery of factory fresh 105 millimeter guns were unlimbered with shells ready and wired laid to the fire direction center. The battalion’s mortar teams were split. Two tubes were ready in support while the rest were being made ready for movement.
The private shifted his head. Birds had avoided a small fold in the ridge on his left. As he focused his eyes, a glint of light bounced off of a machine gun barrel a mere moment before the German paratroopers opened up. Almost as soon as the ambush was initiated, light mortars started to fire in support of the defenders. The American scout hit the ground before the chaos overwhelmed him. He rolled to cover and started to fire his rifle in the general direction of the ambush. Two squad mates were wounded. The rest of the squad had found cover while the sergeant began to rally his men to begin an immediate counter-attack once a base of fire could be established with the BAR.
In half a dozen passes, the advance to Tunis was stopped as they found the German outpost line.
Story 1504
Timor August 7, 1942
The wide valley was a graveyard. To the northwest, a series of high hills with 1,000 foot peaks were firmly held by Japanese infantry. They were dug in deep with reinforced log bunkers covered by yards of dirt to protect them from the American and Australian artillery battalions. Harassment fire was coming from behind the line of hills held thinly by the American infantry battalions. Shells were almost as plentiful as blood sucking insects again. Japanese batteries were quiet unless there was either a large, visible concentration of Americans or a Japanese attack about to go in.
Patrick looked at his squad. The company sergeant had dropped off a trio of replacements. One was a veteran who had been wounded three weeks ago and since then his company had been destroyed in combat and pulled off the line to rebuild. He had the same look that seven men in the squad had, an awareness of everything around him mixed with an indifference to the future. It was a look that Patrick shared with the man whom he recognized himself in when he asked for his name. Vitaly was sent to join the BAR team as an assistant gunner as the last assistant gunner had been killed three days ago.
The other two men were fresh on the island. They had been shipped to Australia as part of the 41st Infantry Division. Once there they had been dockworkers and labor troops for months until the need for replacements in the Ameritim division had led to a cull of the infantry units for new men. They had never been bombed. They had never been shelled. They had never been shot.
If they could survive the next five days, Patrick would ask them about anything that mattered. Until then, they would join the maneuver element as rifle men and he hoped that the new faces would not be dangers to the eight veterans in the squad.
The wide valley was a graveyard. To the northwest, a series of high hills with 1,000 foot peaks were firmly held by Japanese infantry. They were dug in deep with reinforced log bunkers covered by yards of dirt to protect them from the American and Australian artillery battalions. Harassment fire was coming from behind the line of hills held thinly by the American infantry battalions. Shells were almost as plentiful as blood sucking insects again. Japanese batteries were quiet unless there was either a large, visible concentration of Americans or a Japanese attack about to go in.
Patrick looked at his squad. The company sergeant had dropped off a trio of replacements. One was a veteran who had been wounded three weeks ago and since then his company had been destroyed in combat and pulled off the line to rebuild. He had the same look that seven men in the squad had, an awareness of everything around him mixed with an indifference to the future. It was a look that Patrick shared with the man whom he recognized himself in when he asked for his name. Vitaly was sent to join the BAR team as an assistant gunner as the last assistant gunner had been killed three days ago.
The other two men were fresh on the island. They had been shipped to Australia as part of the 41st Infantry Division. Once there they had been dockworkers and labor troops for months until the need for replacements in the Ameritim division had led to a cull of the infantry units for new men. They had never been bombed. They had never been shelled. They had never been shot.
If they could survive the next five days, Patrick would ask them about anything that mattered. Until then, they would join the maneuver element as rifle men and he hoped that the new faces would not be dangers to the eight veterans in the squad.
Story 1505
The Don River, August 7, 1942
Half a dozen SB-2 bombers turned away. Three bombers had been laced by the flak batteries covering the pontoon bridges over the Don. Another bomber had been lost to roving Italian fighters. The attack had been successful, half a dozen bombs landed on the west bank in an assembly area killing a dozen horses and wounded almost as many men. Two more bombs landed near one of the bridges leading the engineers to close it for three hours of repair, slowing the flow of supplies fueling the Axis advance slightly.
Seventy miles to the northeast, Heinkels turned away from their successful mission bombing a rail bridge. They had been lucky, arriving at the same time as a troop train was crossing. The engineer had gunned the engine and had succeeded in getting the engine across before a bomb detonated against the pier, spraying shrapnel that would have destroyed the engine. Instead, those shards ripped away the lives of a company of raw replacements who were going south to fill the formations of rifle divisions that were getting pushed aside by the German spearheads.
Half a dozen SB-2 bombers turned away. Three bombers had been laced by the flak batteries covering the pontoon bridges over the Don. Another bomber had been lost to roving Italian fighters. The attack had been successful, half a dozen bombs landed on the west bank in an assembly area killing a dozen horses and wounded almost as many men. Two more bombs landed near one of the bridges leading the engineers to close it for three hours of repair, slowing the flow of supplies fueling the Axis advance slightly.
Seventy miles to the northeast, Heinkels turned away from their successful mission bombing a rail bridge. They had been lucky, arriving at the same time as a troop train was crossing. The engineer had gunned the engine and had succeeded in getting the engine across before a bomb detonated against the pier, spraying shrapnel that would have destroyed the engine. Instead, those shards ripped away the lives of a company of raw replacements who were going south to fill the formations of rifle divisions that were getting pushed aside by the German spearheads.
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Story 1506
Tamluk, West Bengal August 8, 1942
Men in bright shirts were hawking fresh fruit. More serious men with permanent stalls in the market were selling rice. The spring rice harvest was strong but the farmers in the district were in the long season between harvests. Burmese rice had arrived via barge and was being let out for sale and bid. A few people grumbled that rice prices had gone up slightly over the past year but the farmers and more importantly the grain merchants, who had the capacity to store surpluses, merely smiled.
At the end of the market, the recruiting havildar for the Indian Army was having some success. A few boys who wanted more in their life than the ass end of an ox were listening to the pitch to join a victorious army where they could prove themselves, see the world, learn a skill or two and send money back to the village in returning for taking the King’s shilling. Not many teenagers were listening to the veteran’s spiel as this was prime Congress territory but by the end of the day, the havildar filled his quota as three boys he had talked to over the past month of visits to the market had signed up and were now awaiting transport to Calcutta and beyond.
Men in bright shirts were hawking fresh fruit. More serious men with permanent stalls in the market were selling rice. The spring rice harvest was strong but the farmers in the district were in the long season between harvests. Burmese rice had arrived via barge and was being let out for sale and bid. A few people grumbled that rice prices had gone up slightly over the past year but the farmers and more importantly the grain merchants, who had the capacity to store surpluses, merely smiled.
At the end of the market, the recruiting havildar for the Indian Army was having some success. A few boys who wanted more in their life than the ass end of an ox were listening to the pitch to join a victorious army where they could prove themselves, see the world, learn a skill or two and send money back to the village in returning for taking the King’s shilling. Not many teenagers were listening to the veteran’s spiel as this was prime Congress territory but by the end of the day, the havildar filled his quota as three boys he had talked to over the past month of visits to the market had signed up and were now awaiting transport to Calcutta and beyond.
Well, let's wait and see. But I'm cautiously optimistic.
This could mean a worse time for Indochina, as the Japanese squeeze more out of the economy.
https://apjjf.org/2011/9/5/Geoffrey-Gunn/3483/article.html
story 1507
RAF Gatwick, August 9, 1942
The squadron commander breathed a sigh of relief. The tenth and final Allison powered Mustang had just landed. The pilot gestured for grounds crews who gestured for an ambulance before they pulled the young pilot from the cockpit. Low level passes over defended ports produced the best pictures but also gave the Jerries great shots. Five ports were covered this morning and the photos were already being developed before being shipped to a Manor on the other side of the city.
Perhaps the Mossie or Spitfire squadrons could take this run tomorrow to give his boys a breather.
The squadron commander breathed a sigh of relief. The tenth and final Allison powered Mustang had just landed. The pilot gestured for grounds crews who gestured for an ambulance before they pulled the young pilot from the cockpit. Low level passes over defended ports produced the best pictures but also gave the Jerries great shots. Five ports were covered this morning and the photos were already being developed before being shipped to a Manor on the other side of the city.
Perhaps the Mossie or Spitfire squadrons could take this run tomorrow to give his boys a breather.
Story 1508
Reunion, August 10, 1942
The battleship Lorraine led the small squadron out of the harbor. The course soon set for Durban's shipyards. The ships that had been refugees from Alexandria and Cam Ranh Bay had not had the luxury of full refits since before the war. Some repairs had been done, and the chiefs had kept the crews busy on fighting the wear and tear any ship faced but the facilities and work force at Reunion were limited as well as the supplies from the Metropole.
The squadron had at least feigned allegiance to the Vichy government since the armistice. Normal patrols had been made to enforce French sovereignity on the islands it held in the Indian Ocean. British ships as as well as German and Japanese merchants had been chased away from several anchorages. Now that comfortable illusion of peace was over as the Germans had occupied all of France. The Admiral and his captains had decided that they must throw in with the Free French. So the battleship and the light cruisers of the Indian Ocean squadron were heading to Durban with their battle flags flying and a long list of needs being compiled. The most critical was a touch-up on the engines and a reinforcement of the anti-aircraft capability. Signals had already started to be sent back and forth to the French squadron at Martinique as well as the small Free French contigent aboard their flagship Montcalm as to where the greatly expanded Free French fleet would be most useful.
The battleship Lorraine led the small squadron out of the harbor. The course soon set for Durban's shipyards. The ships that had been refugees from Alexandria and Cam Ranh Bay had not had the luxury of full refits since before the war. Some repairs had been done, and the chiefs had kept the crews busy on fighting the wear and tear any ship faced but the facilities and work force at Reunion were limited as well as the supplies from the Metropole.
The squadron had at least feigned allegiance to the Vichy government since the armistice. Normal patrols had been made to enforce French sovereignity on the islands it held in the Indian Ocean. British ships as as well as German and Japanese merchants had been chased away from several anchorages. Now that comfortable illusion of peace was over as the Germans had occupied all of France. The Admiral and his captains had decided that they must throw in with the Free French. So the battleship and the light cruisers of the Indian Ocean squadron were heading to Durban with their battle flags flying and a long list of needs being compiled. The most critical was a touch-up on the engines and a reinforcement of the anti-aircraft capability. Signals had already started to be sent back and forth to the French squadron at Martinique as well as the small Free French contigent aboard their flagship Montcalm as to where the greatly expanded Free French fleet would be most useful.
Not really necessary in this timeline. Nimitz has five fleet carriers, plus I believe at least a couple escort carriers have joined the Pacific Fleet for patrol and aircraft ferry missions. The USS South Dakota and the older battleships really haven't been used much so far in the war, so adding a random British warship and the logistics headaches that entails at this point really wouldn't bring anything to the table.
By the end of 1942, it's also quite possible that the Wasp and the four Sangamon class light carriers will make their way to the Pacific, and probably at least a couple of modern battleships, plus no telling how many cruisers, destroyers, and auxiliary ships.
In this timeline, a British carrier or battleship would be far better off reinforcing Somerville.
Ramp-Rat
Monthly Donor
Interesting it’s now August and the French have come over to the Allies. There has not been a desperate need to invade Madagascar, and thus a diversion of Britain’s efforts. In addition with the French now onside, there should be no need to convoy shipping in the Indian Ocean or the South Atlantic, other than troop ships. And as always every little helps in my reducing the strain on Britain’s war machine.
RR.
RR.
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