Longest WWII, allies still win

I don't think it would help much, tbh. You still have the main problem of why Japan would build tanks in any decent number. The tanks they had were more than sufficient in China, as the Chinese didn't have tanks or anti-tank guns in any real number, and they assumed that any fighting against the US, UK, France, and Netherlands would either be fighting against colonial troops without much tanks, or on islands where tanks are less useful anyway. Even if they thought they needed tanks, say, for a showdown against the Soviets, you still have the issue that even if they build competitive designs, they can't build them in truly useful numbers with the economy they have and when most of the steel they do produce will end up going to the navy anyway.

Now, if you want to do an ISoT for fun anyway, then I did once post an ASB thread in which the ASBs just give Militarist Japan one milllion free panzershreks. That wonkt win the war, obviously, but I think it could make things a bit more interesting...

Well, at some point they give the Designs to the Germans who *do* manage to make better use of them. Having 1944 tank designs built and in service by the Summer of 1941 allows Barbarossa to succeed, knocking the Soviets out of the war. This does delay the dropping of the Bomb on Japan by more than a week. (The only question is whether 1944 tanks in 1940 are enough to actually win in Africa.)
 
So nothing the Germans do can have much effect, but what about, say, the Soviet? Is it possible to have the purge made bad enough to prevent the southern pocket ever developing? Or maybe Zhukov (and other good officers) gets caught up in the purges, and thus the OTL Soviet advances from 1942 onwards never really eventuate.
 
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I don't think you can do it in PTO with a single decision. I'd nominate a few "decision points" which could go differently, tho. One, start the Kokoda Track operation in February 1942. (Willmott, in The Barrier & the Javelin, suggested Japan could've won, then.) Two, ignore Doolittle & go after Fiji. Three, rather than fight for Guadalcanal, withdraw to Rabaul & defend an "inner barrier". (This would reduce fighter & aircrew losses.)

Improved ASW would be a big help, but that's ASB even without an in-war POD limit.:p Creating an overall ASW command in 1942 might help, but getting to that is hard.

Apollo 20 said:
There is one POD that will do it: have the Japanese not attack any US territory in December 1941. No Pearl Harbor, no invasion of the Philippines -- all US territory is declared publicly to be off limits.
Good luck selling that one. First, you'd leave an obvious threat to SLOCs. Worse still, you'd leave IJN sucking air in the budget fights as IJA gets all the $$$...:rolleyes: So, not going to happen.

However, for the sake of argument, let's agree it does.
Apollo 20 said:
No Pearl Harbor means that Germany's declaration of war on the US doesn't happen, which delays the entry of the US into the European war. Lend-Lease proceeds, but without the US entering the war as an actual combatant, Germany can essentially ignore the Britain and the Western Front
Maybe, but it wouldn't be smart. Moreover, without diversions of equipment to PTO, more would be going to Britain. For just one example, it could make VLR Liberators available for A/S patrol out of Iceland (better still, Newfoundland...:cool:) This is bad for U-boats--& good for an earlier invasion of France.:cool:
Apollo 20 said:
With US entry delayed, that may push Overlord into 1945
Maybe. IMO, it's more likely it's on OTL schedule--or, as noted above, sooner.
Apollo 20 said:
may delay the Manhattan Project as well
It might, tho the U.S. is likely to want the Bomb anyhow.

It might force Britain to build the Bomb in Canada...:cool: Would it happen later TTL? Maybe not...
naraht said:
Discuss whether the dropping of the Atom Bomb on Hiroshima is delayed by more or less than a week. :)
LOL.

Less. They couldn't build anything like the M4 or T-34, & with USN subs shooting everything that moved...;)
 
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