Pacific War Redux
- Thread starter CalBear
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NICE
Others more knowlegable about the Second World War have commented more knowlegably, but I must say that I'm enjoying the timeline.
A few references to the Atlantic would be much appreciated, even if it's just an italicised comment about things going as in OTL--though I'd expect that the butterflies are flapping still over there.
How much of the American fleet is guarding against the Tirpitz? And how goes the air war over Europe?
Others more knowlegable about the Second World War have commented more knowlegably, but I must say that I'm enjoying the timeline.
A few references to the Atlantic would be much appreciated, even if it's just an italicised comment about things going as in OTL--though I'd expect that the butterflies are flapping still over there.
How much of the American fleet is guarding against the Tirpitz? And how goes the air war over Europe?
Markus
Banned
Nice, so far the USN has pretty much cakewalked over the "little yellow men in their bamboo planes", meaning the stage is set for a serious setback. Combining Halsey´s aggressiveness bordering on carelessness with seemingly justified over optimism will hopefully result in a „Battle of the Eastern Solomoms“ defeat … just worse.
By the way, early in the war USN communications were a mess quite often, and fighter direction was tricky.
By the way, early in the war USN communications were a mess quite often, and fighter direction was tricky.
Here (by popular request) is March 11, 1942
Comments are encouraged.
Enjoy
March 11, 1942
10:00 hrs local (New York) - USS New Jersey commissioned.
11:00 hrs Local (DC) - USN accepts Douglas proposal for single place Dive Bomber to replace SBD. Aircraft is designated BTD and the Navy orders 500 on the strength of the design alone. Contract is also let for ten prototype single place long range torpedo bomber designated XBT2D-1.
05:00 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - TF 19 reaches new position fifteen miles southeast of TF 18 and begins launch of dawn search aircraft seeking enemy carriers. These aircraft are joined by twelve SBD from VS-6 and four orphaned VS-8 Dauntlesses flying from Enterprise.
06:00 hrs local (Tainan) - H6K Emily flying boat begins flight to location of previous days air battle. Three other Emilys follow at 20 minute intervals to search for rest of American fleet.
06:10 hrs local (Java Sea) - Singapore relief force, centered on HMS Resolution enters Java Sea via Merak Passage. Accompanied by HMS Hermes the relief force is, it is believed, sufficient to deal with any surface units encountered, although the Hermes, with only six Marlet fighters and eight Swordfish torpedo bombers is barely capable of defending the little fleet from air attack. With luck the transports will reach Singapore in two and a half days.
06:30 hrs local (Java Sea) - Dawn Patrol of two Fulmar fighters from Formidable find and strafe Japanese “I” boat on surface 35 miles northeast of Somerville’s Support Force. Both aircraft also drop two 100 lb bombs near the rapidly descending submarine. Neither pilot is able to see any serious damage as the sub crash dives. Report of contact is radioed to carrier for follow up by Swordfish patrol.
06:50 hrs local (Java Sea) - RO-34 loses an unequal battle with the sea and settles on the bottom of the Java Sea. With serious damage to her port ballast tanks from bomb splinters, most of her bridge crew, including the Captain and XO, dead from the initial Fulmar machine gun attack, the Japanese patrol sub is now trapped under the same seas that had recently been her hunting grounds.
07:10 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - Enterprisesearch aircraft reach end of outward legs of search patterns without finding any sign of Kido Butai. Aircraft continue on their wedge shaped course.
07:45 hrs local – Japanese Snooper appears on South Dakota’s radar, range 45 miles. Unlike previous day, this contact is immediately reported to Enterprise. Four fighters from CAP are dispatched but do not locate the H6K. The snooper has, however, sighted TF 18 and radios the position of the American force to Admiral Tsukahara’s headquarters.
08:00 hrs local (Tokyo) Naval GHQ contacts Admiral Yamamoto onboard his flagship Yamato and informs him of the confirmed presence of at least six undamaged American carriers and nine battleships in the Luzon Strait and the losses suffered by the 11th Air Fleet. The Combined Fleet commander is instructed to hold his position northeast of Formosa until additional land based aircraft can be moved to the Luzon Area. While publicly irked by this interference into his Fleet’s actions, Yamamoto privately agrees with the decision to await additional air cover and he moves his force to cover against any American attempt to strike at the Home Islands or Okinawa.
08:20 hrs local (Malaya) – Company sized reconnaissance unit of the refreshed , resupplied and reinforced 25th Army probes Western perimeter of Alexander Line. Unit finds the Commonwealth troops have reoccupied virtually all of the positions overrun in final February attacks. Despite the loss of the better part of one platoon to Australian machine guns, the Japanese commander returns with a fairly complete picture of the defenses.
11:15 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - Flying boat operating out of Takao locates TF 19. The crew of this H6K is not as lucky as the one shadowing TF 18 and is found and shot down by three VF-8 orphans flying off the Yorktown while transmitting a sighting report.
11:30 hrs local – Second wave of search aircraft are launched from TF 18 & 19.
12:00 hrs local (Truk) - Sixth Fleet orders three I Boats currently patrolling west of Luzon to move north as part of scouting line meant to locate remaining elements of the American Fleet.
(Guam) - Navy signal intelligence unit intercepts high power signal originating from direction of Truk. Based on the “hand” transmitting, the unit evaluates the signal as one meant for enemy submarines on patrol. Immediate efforts begin to decrypt message. Independent efforts are also begun at Pearl Harbor and aboard Halsey’s flagship as soon as the message is detected during a later retransmission from Sixth Fleet.
13:00 hrs local (Takao) The badly garbled message announcing the location of TF 19 is deciphered. Unfortunately, the reconstruction contains numerous errors, including the actual location of the Yorktown and the size of the Task Force.
14:00 hrs local (DEI) – Japanese airfields on Sumatra are struck by Allied bombers flying out of Java. A total of twenty three aircraft (11 B-17 & 12 B-25) hit both known Japanese bases, Five Japanese aircraft are damaged on the ground and two Oscar fighters are shot down by the tail guns of the B-17s. One B-25 loses an engine during the long flight back to the base in Southwest Java but successful makes a belly landing near friendly forces in unoccupied Sumatra.
15:45 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - Yorktown recovers her last Search plane from the midday search. No enemy aircraft or ships are reported by any of the crews.
Enterprise launches last round of search aircraft for the day with orders to increase search altitude during their outbound legs. While this will increase the amount of sea each aircraft crew can observe it will also increase the chances that something will be missed due to cloud cover. It will also make locating enemy submarines effectively impossible.
18:50 hrs local – Last VS-6 SBD lands. No sign of enemy shipping.
20:00 hrs local – After consulting with his staff Halsey issues orders that will bring TF 18 & 19 to within 500 miles of known enemy airbases. The orders also will reposition the two formations so they can provide mutual support.
Comments are encouraged.
Enjoy
March 11, 1942
10:00 hrs local (New York) - USS New Jersey commissioned.
11:00 hrs Local (DC) - USN accepts Douglas proposal for single place Dive Bomber to replace SBD. Aircraft is designated BTD and the Navy orders 500 on the strength of the design alone. Contract is also let for ten prototype single place long range torpedo bomber designated XBT2D-1.
05:00 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - TF 19 reaches new position fifteen miles southeast of TF 18 and begins launch of dawn search aircraft seeking enemy carriers. These aircraft are joined by twelve SBD from VS-6 and four orphaned VS-8 Dauntlesses flying from Enterprise.
06:00 hrs local (Tainan) - H6K Emily flying boat begins flight to location of previous days air battle. Three other Emilys follow at 20 minute intervals to search for rest of American fleet.
06:10 hrs local (Java Sea) - Singapore relief force, centered on HMS Resolution enters Java Sea via Merak Passage. Accompanied by HMS Hermes the relief force is, it is believed, sufficient to deal with any surface units encountered, although the Hermes, with only six Marlet fighters and eight Swordfish torpedo bombers is barely capable of defending the little fleet from air attack. With luck the transports will reach Singapore in two and a half days.
06:30 hrs local (Java Sea) - Dawn Patrol of two Fulmar fighters from Formidable find and strafe Japanese “I” boat on surface 35 miles northeast of Somerville’s Support Force. Both aircraft also drop two 100 lb bombs near the rapidly descending submarine. Neither pilot is able to see any serious damage as the sub crash dives. Report of contact is radioed to carrier for follow up by Swordfish patrol.
06:50 hrs local (Java Sea) - RO-34 loses an unequal battle with the sea and settles on the bottom of the Java Sea. With serious damage to her port ballast tanks from bomb splinters, most of her bridge crew, including the Captain and XO, dead from the initial Fulmar machine gun attack, the Japanese patrol sub is now trapped under the same seas that had recently been her hunting grounds.
07:10 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - Enterprisesearch aircraft reach end of outward legs of search patterns without finding any sign of Kido Butai. Aircraft continue on their wedge shaped course.
07:45 hrs local – Japanese Snooper appears on South Dakota’s radar, range 45 miles. Unlike previous day, this contact is immediately reported to Enterprise. Four fighters from CAP are dispatched but do not locate the H6K. The snooper has, however, sighted TF 18 and radios the position of the American force to Admiral Tsukahara’s headquarters.
08:00 hrs local (Tokyo) Naval GHQ contacts Admiral Yamamoto onboard his flagship Yamato and informs him of the confirmed presence of at least six undamaged American carriers and nine battleships in the Luzon Strait and the losses suffered by the 11th Air Fleet. The Combined Fleet commander is instructed to hold his position northeast of Formosa until additional land based aircraft can be moved to the Luzon Area. While publicly irked by this interference into his Fleet’s actions, Yamamoto privately agrees with the decision to await additional air cover and he moves his force to cover against any American attempt to strike at the Home Islands or Okinawa.
08:20 hrs local (Malaya) – Company sized reconnaissance unit of the refreshed , resupplied and reinforced 25th Army probes Western perimeter of Alexander Line. Unit finds the Commonwealth troops have reoccupied virtually all of the positions overrun in final February attacks. Despite the loss of the better part of one platoon to Australian machine guns, the Japanese commander returns with a fairly complete picture of the defenses.
11:15 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - Flying boat operating out of Takao locates TF 19. The crew of this H6K is not as lucky as the one shadowing TF 18 and is found and shot down by three VF-8 orphans flying off the Yorktown while transmitting a sighting report.
11:30 hrs local – Second wave of search aircraft are launched from TF 18 & 19.
12:00 hrs local (Truk) - Sixth Fleet orders three I Boats currently patrolling west of Luzon to move north as part of scouting line meant to locate remaining elements of the American Fleet.
(Guam) - Navy signal intelligence unit intercepts high power signal originating from direction of Truk. Based on the “hand” transmitting, the unit evaluates the signal as one meant for enemy submarines on patrol. Immediate efforts begin to decrypt message. Independent efforts are also begun at Pearl Harbor and aboard Halsey’s flagship as soon as the message is detected during a later retransmission from Sixth Fleet.
13:00 hrs local (Takao) The badly garbled message announcing the location of TF 19 is deciphered. Unfortunately, the reconstruction contains numerous errors, including the actual location of the Yorktown and the size of the Task Force.
14:00 hrs local (DEI) – Japanese airfields on Sumatra are struck by Allied bombers flying out of Java. A total of twenty three aircraft (11 B-17 & 12 B-25) hit both known Japanese bases, Five Japanese aircraft are damaged on the ground and two Oscar fighters are shot down by the tail guns of the B-17s. One B-25 loses an engine during the long flight back to the base in Southwest Java but successful makes a belly landing near friendly forces in unoccupied Sumatra.
15:45 hrs local (Luzon Strait) - Yorktown recovers her last Search plane from the midday search. No enemy aircraft or ships are reported by any of the crews.
Enterprise launches last round of search aircraft for the day with orders to increase search altitude during their outbound legs. While this will increase the amount of sea each aircraft crew can observe it will also increase the chances that something will be missed due to cloud cover. It will also make locating enemy submarines effectively impossible.
18:50 hrs local – Last VS-6 SBD lands. No sign of enemy shipping.
20:00 hrs local – After consulting with his staff Halsey issues orders that will bring TF 18 & 19 to within 500 miles of known enemy airbases. The orders also will reposition the two formations so they can provide mutual support.
Markus
Banned
[11:00 hrs Local (DC) - USN accepts Douglas proposal for single place Dive Bomber to replace SBD. Aircraft is designated BTD and the Navy orders 500 on the strength of the design alone. Contract is also let for ten prototype single place long range torpedo bomber designated XBT2D-1.
??? The USN had already accepted the SB2C before your POD. And IIRC was responsible for much of the delays by changing the specs. But most importantly it´s flaws, mistakes and deleays that make AH real, not doing everything 100% right ASAP like in hindsight TLs like FFO.
06:30 hrs local (Java Sea) - Dawn Patrol of two Fulmar fighters from Formidable find and strafe Japanese “I” boat on surface 35 miles northeast of Somerville’s Support Force. Both aircraft also drop two 100 lb bombs near the rapidly descending submarine. Neither pilot is able to see any serious damage as the sub crash dives. Report of contact is radioed to carrier for follow up by Swordfish patrol.
A Fulmar, not Sea Hurricane? IIRC the CV that was to escort PoW and Repulse even had some Hurricanes.
??? The USN had already accepted the SB2C before your POD. And IIRC was responsible for much of the delays by changing the specs. But most importantly it´s flaws, mistakes and deleays that make AH real, not doing everything 100% right ASAP like in hindsight TLs like FFO.
06:30 hrs local (Java Sea) - Dawn Patrol of two Fulmar fighters from Formidable find and strafe Japanese “I” boat on surface 35 miles northeast of Somerville’s Support Force. Both aircraft also drop two 100 lb bombs near the rapidly descending submarine. Neither pilot is able to see any serious damage as the sub crash dives. Report of contact is radioed to carrier for follow up by Swordfish patrol.
A Fulmar, not Sea Hurricane? IIRC the CV that was to escort PoW and Repulse even had some Hurricanes.
Markus;2012945 [I said:
HMS Hermes Did that ship have Sea Hurricanes? Maybe Im missing it, here s where Im looking.
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/seahurricane.htm
The BTD was IOTL accepted for service in mid 1942, with the first aircraft flying in the spring of 1943. It proved to be a disappointment. The U.S. military was accepting for production almost anything that seemed to even make a lick of sense. A lot of the results were so bad that the Army or Navy would cancel the program mid stream.
The Sea Hurricane wasn't in service on the fleet carrier until summer of 1942. They were, interestingly, used on the escort carriers (MAC) as well as one time catapult launched point defense fighters from convention freighter decks (the pilot had to either find a land base or ditch after the intercept). The Fulmar was the standard fighter, with some Marlets mixed in. I have taken some liberty with the actual air wing mix in that the Hermes did not have ANY fighters embarked, just Swordfish.
Thanks for the feedback.
Hermes did not have ANY fighters embarked IOTL. As I mention in my response above, the Sea Hurricane was not actually deployed onto the fleet carrier force until summer of 1942 (which the url mentions). Until then it was on the MAC ships and deployed in the incredibly high risk freighter catapult role.
The FAA's deployments of aircraft was... unusual. Part of this was interference from the RAF, but much of it reflected a different tactical role for the carrier in the RN. I have, slightly, broken my primary POD rule in providing the Hermes with Marlets. AFAIK she was only carrying Swordfish when she was lost in the IO.
Thanks for the feedback.
Although Formidable only carried Fulmars, Indomitable carried 9 Sea Hurricane Ib's in 880 Sqd according to the same FAA archive website which under the Sea Hurricane description lists the Ib as being used only by MAC ships.
Having Hermes operate Martlets in your TL looks very sensible but I do have a quible with her operating more than 12 aircraft in total. My understanding is her capacity was reduced from 15 -12 aircraft pre war as aircraft sizes increased.
I haven't checked back to see when all the R class battleships became available but I do recall one book that stated the Revenge was based in Ceylon on escort duties in Dec '41 and would have been available for Force Z if Adm Phillips had requested it. I'm a little curious as to why only the Resolution is part of Operation Blazer.
Hope you don't mind the nitpicks, I am finding this a very informative & well researched TL that is also a darn good read.
The Japanese, after their unsuccessful attack on 2/26 fell back and ceased offensive operations. On March 5 Yamashita's forces received their first significant reinforcement from one of the Brigades (3rd Brigade/2 Division IJA) scheduled for the attack into Burma. A second full brigade from the 51st Division has also arrived after being diverted from Sumatra. The 51st is a Division moved from Manchuria to support 16th Army in the Luzon campaign.
These reinforcements have significantly increased the combat power of the 25th Army, raising actual bayonet strength by 6,000 combat veterans.
Thanks for the comments
I am always looking for comments, especially on things that I've goofed up. Thanks for the info on the Sea Hurricane, even with it the data is utterly confused, but it makes a bit more sense now.
As far as the aircraft strength on the Hermes, that is one reason for the Marlet being the fighter instead of the Fulmar. The Marlet, with its wings folded reduces deck spotting difficulties more than a similar Fulmar.
The Eastern Fleet still has a number of ships still in the IO. The British haven't abanoned the region to conduct Blazer. The remaining couple of R class ships are still in the region, along with some cruisers and DDs to guard against surface raiders and to ensure that the sealanes are still safe for the movement of the Australian 7th Division from North Africa back to the South Pacific. The Resolution and the rest of her force are, based on the Operation Blazer plans, sufficient to deal with any threats expected. This particular assumption is one of the items that caused the serious professional distress that the senior staffs of both the RN & USN expressed virtually from the moment Churchill thought Blazer up.
Nice update.
IF the Japanese manage to assemble enough aircraft, this fleet could be overwhelmed. Could be a cheap way to kill an Allied carrier.
BTW, with single place aircraft, do you mean single seat? Or maybe a single aircraft for multiple purposes?
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