Lexington and Saratoga are built as battlecruisers

Bearcat

Banned
What are the odds

that when Japanese can't keep up, and the regime is threatened, they cut the Gordian Knot and invade the Philippines, reasoning its better to go down fighting? Say, around spring 1923 or so?

And then Tokyo is ravaged by the earthquake...

?
 
What I think is possible, trying not to delve too far from the WI, is that its possible that there could be a 'fall back' arms limitation treaty had Washington not happened. The British delegation was sent to Washington to propose steeper cuts in naval arms than what US Secretary of State Hughes suggested.

Also the Japanese delegation, as well as the naval high command, was divided internally by those that wished to go along with the US and Britain and the militant arm. Those that favoured working with the Western Powers temporarily won out at Washington.

The two powers that could be spoilers were the Japanese and French, tho much more the latter.

If the Washington Conference had failed it is far likely that public pressure would force the calling of a second conference. One which may enact greater or lesser cuts - probably greater. Historically, the British and Americans held a second conference to hammer out the question of parity with their cruiser fleets and that failed. There is some indication that it was foiled by Churchill.

We know that the US fleet expansion program was dead before Hughes got around to calling for the Washington Conference - and nothing was going to revive it. Its more than apparent that the British had the capital and means but lacked the political capital to complete the G3s. The French lacked the monetary and industrial means to build or complete anything. The Japanese were rapidly running out of money and the Italians could barely qualify to get an invitation. So some sort of limitation agreement is bound to happen.

Why not postulate a failed Washington Naval Conference, yet a succesful successor conference? That would permit the completion of the most likely to be completed ships, which would include the Lexington and Saratoga.

On the whole, the battlecruisers Lexington and Saratoga, is teamed with their converted sisterships the carriers Constitution and Contellation, could form the nucleus of a 'fast attack force' or a 'flying squadron' in the old sense of the word.
 

wormyguy

Banned
that when Japanese can't keep up, and the regime is threatened, they cut the Gordian Knot and invade the Philippines, reasoning its better to go down fighting? Say, around spring 1923 or so?

And then Tokyo is ravaged by the earthquake...

?
I think it would be more likely that Japan would decide to pick on the weak guy rather than the strong one and attack China and/or the Soviets.
 

Markus

Banned
that when Japanese can't keep up, and the regime is threatened, they cut the Gordian Knot and invade the Philippines, reasoning its better to go down fighting? Say, around spring 1923 or so?

And then Tokyo is ravaged by the earthquake...

?

The PI itself is worthless, its just necessary to secure the flank of the DEI.
 
Internal revolt fed by Soviet support. The Soviets had a ton of reasons for turning the Japanese and a totally bankrupt country is fertile ground for some sort of massive upheaval.

It may not be the most likely result, but it is well within the realm of possibility.

I dunno... I guess it's not clear to me that America would keep building. Even in OTL, Roosevelt faced a lot of opposition to his naval plans.
 
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