No US in the Pacific in WW2

[HistIdiot]

So if, for whatever reason, the US did not enter WW2, how tough would it have been for the British/Commonwealth soldiers in the Pacific. Not to imply that without the US they were screwed, but I'm sure having the US Navy, Marines, and Army was a welcome help for the Australian and New Zeland troops. Could the B/C forces have held off the Japanese?

 

[Solomaxwell6]

Yes, of course. It would be a much longer war, and even more brutal than OTL, but Japan didn't have the resources for a long term war against the European powers. It did as well as it did OTL because everyone was distracted by Germany. Once Germany's out of the fight, and the attention can shift to Asia, Japan's screwed.

I could see the exhausted European powers just making a bunch of concessions to Japan so they don't need to sacrifice even more young men and resources. But with the USSR joining the war, that could keep the Western Powers fighting.

What is the reason for the US staying out of the war? Staying out of the war entirely, or only fighting in Europe?

 

[HistIdiot]

Well, I didn't actually have a reason for the US staying out, I was just wondering how it would be if they had.

 

[Andrew Hudson]

It would have been a defeat possibly with a negotiated settlement giving the Japanese access to the oilfields of the Dutch East Indies. We would have been lucky to hold on to Australia and New Zealand which is why accomodation would have been reachedalthough both countries would have put up strong resistance

Britain lacked the necessary naval forces in particular aircraft carriers with modern aircraft and was low down on battleships having lost the Prince of Wales and Repulse and Barham and Hood outside the Far East while 2 more battleships were put out of action by Italian frogmen.

 

[Bearcat]

Without a fast CV force to take on Nagumo and kill the IJN carriers, you can't get command of the sea. The UK doesn't have the resources to do that until Germany is defeated. Its not just the CVs, its the logistic fleet train as well.

So the Brits are limited to a land campaign in India/Burma/Malaya as in OTL until 1945.

They also need bigger and longer-ranged subs to replicate the USN's slaughter of the Japanese merchant marine in '44 and '45. Again, few resources available until Germany is beaten.

So Japan holds its empire until 1947, if the US never takes an interest.