one of my favorite timelines, look forward to the day when we see more
I thought Blazer makes perfect sense politically in terms of the US and British. Both major bastions are holding out and putting up heroic resistance. Singapore is absolutely vital to British Imperial interests in Asia, and the economic value of Malaya cannot be overstated. An Operation Pedestal type convoy effort makes perfect sense as far as my reading of Churchill is concerned as a political leader. Also the desperate resistance is far more creditable for the British post war in Asia than the collapse that occurred in OTL
Bottom line the British part makes perfect sense
For the American element, that too makes sense. With 4 carriers and a host of escorts including the fast battleships making a serious attempt at relief for Luzon is not crazy. Risky as hell, but not crazy. My only concern in the timeline is where did the US get all the tankers for this effort?
That was the most serious shortfall the USN had in the Pacific in the first couple of years of the war, and a big reason the old battleships were based in California until Operation Galvanic. As to Roosevelt pushing for it, I can see that as well, particularly when you consider that Macarthur is in the US and would have the ear of the Republicans who would push FDR to do something about 'our brave boys in the Philippines" for political reasons.
The fact that it failed also is completely reasonable, and honestly losing 2 carriers instead of just one wouldn't have been unreasonable at all.
MacArthur could do well in China, but his arrogance, certainty that he 'understands the Asiatic mind" and his personal foibles could also just as easily lead him into a catastrophic (from his perspective) scandal
and Chennault is a far more politically savvy and well connected man than anyone MacArthur ever had to deal with in OTL ... but at least maybe Vinegar Joe will likely get a major combat command because of this decision.
I thought Blazer makes perfect sense politically in terms of the US and British. Both major bastions are holding out and putting up heroic resistance. Singapore is absolutely vital to British Imperial interests in Asia, and the economic value of Malaya cannot be overstated. An Operation Pedestal type convoy effort makes perfect sense as far as my reading of Churchill is concerned as a political leader. Also the desperate resistance is far more creditable for the British post war in Asia than the collapse that occurred in OTL
Bottom line the British part makes perfect sense
For the American element, that too makes sense. With 4 carriers and a host of escorts including the fast battleships making a serious attempt at relief for Luzon is not crazy. Risky as hell, but not crazy. My only concern in the timeline is where did the US get all the tankers for this effort?
That was the most serious shortfall the USN had in the Pacific in the first couple of years of the war, and a big reason the old battleships were based in California until Operation Galvanic. As to Roosevelt pushing for it, I can see that as well, particularly when you consider that Macarthur is in the US and would have the ear of the Republicans who would push FDR to do something about 'our brave boys in the Philippines" for political reasons.
The fact that it failed also is completely reasonable, and honestly losing 2 carriers instead of just one wouldn't have been unreasonable at all.
MacArthur could do well in China, but his arrogance, certainty that he 'understands the Asiatic mind" and his personal foibles could also just as easily lead him into a catastrophic (from his perspective) scandal
and Chennault is a far more politically savvy and well connected man than anyone MacArthur ever had to deal with in OTL ... but at least maybe Vinegar Joe will likely get a major combat command because of this decision.
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