Peshawar Lancers Redux: North America

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July 1942 the CIA had warned President Roosevelt that there was something about to happen in Mexico that could result in a security threat to the US. The President spoke with the Secretary of Defense and the commander of the Southern Command Lt General Dwight D Eisenhower.

 

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The Army put out an alert calling up reservist and began the transfer of additional units to the Southern Border. The 17th Airborne Division was being brought up to combat strength and sent to Texas. The 82nd Airborne was put on alert. At Fort Hood the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions were readied for possible action. Major General George S Patton arrived in Texas.
Troops were still arriving when word arrived that the Governor General had been killed and the Mexican Prime Minister had been shot

 

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General Eisenhower spoke to the staffs of the 17th and 82nd Airborne Divisions. They would be dropping into the area around Mexico City's International Airport and would secure it and would push into the city and secure the US Embassy. While they were carrying out that mission the 187 Airborne Rgimential Combat Team would secure the area behind where the 1st USMC Division and the 10th Mountain division would land. The Two divisions would push on to release the Paras at the Mexican Capital'.
Meanwhile General Patton commanding the Ist Armored Corp would push across the border from Texas and drive south with 2 armored,2 Mechanized and 2 Infantry Divisions.

 

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The Mayan Republic had offered its First Regimental Combat Team to aid the US. It had a long history having been organized and trained in the 1880s by the Royal Hawaiian Marines.The US had taken over the equipping of the unit and training in 1936.

 

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By September all of the fighting was over. The US forces lead by General Eisenhower had secured the country and the American Commander was in Mexico City to reach an agreement which would allow the US to begin to plan its withdrawal. The US was making sure that the Mexican Federal Police and the military were capable of dealing with any situation.

 

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General Eisenhower traveled to the Mayan Republic where he awarded the Mayan Infantry Unit with a Presidential unit citation for its service during the Mexican Campaign.
In addition 12 officers and enlisted men were awarded metals from the US Army for a variety of things.

 

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The President approved plans to remove the remaining forces from the Mexico City region. The 82nd Airborne was living the capital and the airport and returning control to the Mexican Government. Mexican Federal Police units were patrolling the capital. The Mexican Police and army were patrolling with the American Military to insure that no insurgent and or criminal gangs were in the region. As a result the 1st Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division was withdrawn and a schedule was set for the withdrawal of the next Brigade.
General Patton had pulled back his forces to 150 miles south of the border and was beginning work to begin a phased pullback to within 25 miles of the border in accordance with directive from General Eisenhower at Southern Command HQ.

 

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General Eisenhower was appointed as US Army Chief of Staff in 1943 by President Roosevelt, It was a post that he would hold until 1948. General Omar Bradley replaced him as commander of the Southern Command. General George S Patton was sent by the President on a fact finding mission to China and Japan. The General asked to be alowed to go to Manchuria and the Japanese allowed it. There he made some suggestions regarding the defenses against a Russian invasion

 

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President Theodore Roosevelt III announced on October 10th,1943 that he would not seek a third term as President. Senator Robert Taft announced that he would seek the Nationalist Party Nomination. October 18th General Douglas MacArthur announced that he would be returning to the US and would seek the Democrat Party Nomination

 

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President Roosevelt suffered a heart attack in June of 1944 and was hospitalized at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He remained unable to campaign or do anything. Douglas MacArthur got the Democrat Nomination and engaged in a bitter campaign with Senator Robert Taft for the Presidency. Two weeks before the election the President passed away. It was enough to swing the election to Taft.

 

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Many people came to attend the funeral of President Theodore Roosevelt III. Among those were the Prime Ministers of Hawaii, Great Britain, Australian,New Zealand, Japan, China, French Premier, German Chancellor, Austrian Crown Prince, Dutch Foreign Minister, ,Irish Crown Price, Brazilian Crown Prince and the entire Senate and House Leadership. George Kamehameha delivered some remarks as he had known both the father and the son.

 

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January 20,1945 President Elect Robert F Taft and Vice President Elect William Mosby were sworn into office. Only the Vice President had served in the Military. He had served in the US Army and the California Army National Guard. There were special elections schuled for both their seats. The President would depend upon his military advisors and the Vice President for advise. Already Japan and China had reached agreement which had defused tensions between the two. With the withdrawal the Republic of China finally had a larger border with the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong.
Rising tensions between Imperial Japan and Imperial Russia had seen some clashes between the two nations border forces. Japan had been making improvements to its tank force and had greatly strengthen border defenses. This greatly concerned the US as well as Hawaii and Great Britain.

 

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The Japanese government was seeking assistance from the US military in designing a new Main Battle tank . the Japanese had sought to purchase 12 M-26 Pershings.China objected to the sale and sought to purchase the tanks for its army. The Chinese had bought an additional 300 M-4A3E8 from the US as well as 120 M-24 light tanks.

 

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The Army of Nationalist China purchased 160 improved M-18 hellcat tank destroyers. These vehicles had the turret from the M-18 replaced with one for an M-36 Jackson. The Chinese were glad to take the vehicles as they were as good as the M-36 Jackson's but cost less. a further 162 used M-10 tank destroyers were bought and were organized into an 18 vehicle reinforced company and attached to 6 infantry divisions.

 

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Japan had produced a monster tak the Type 5 ChiRi armed with a 75mm gun and a secondary armament of a 37mm ATG. a total of 130 of these tanks were produced but the government had ordered the project halted as the vehicles stood out. Japan had now approached Germany and the US for help in dealing with the Soviet threat. The Germans had sold Panzerfaust to Japan and had allowed production in that country of the German weapon. The Panzerschek had also been sold thus providing the Infantry with weapons capable of dealing with the threat. As a stopgap measure the Austrian Czech made tank was purchased and a deal was made to allow a limited production in Japan..The Skoda plant shipped 120 tanks to Japan and the Japanese produced a further 300 tanks.

 

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President Taft turned his attention to two things US domestic Policy and Europe. He looked at overhauling tax policy,civil rights and Energy. On the foreign Policy front he moved to spending more time on Europe and the potential problems in the Middle East. He shared concern over Russia's move to reincorporate lost territories back into the motherland. The swiftness of the take over of White Russia and its reintegration into Russia surprised the British, Americans, Germans and French but not the Poles, who had been warning of the threat. Austria had as a result become more involved in the Ukraine and had strengthen its Navy.
The US had begun to rotate ships into the Med and there had been some discussions with Spain about establishing a Naval and possible air base itn that country.

 

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President Taft was resisting the massive rearming of the US Army with a new Main Battle tank. The Army still had a lot of Sherman tanks and had been buying the more powerful M-26 Pershing tank. But there were only about 120 M-26 tanks in the entire army. In 1946 an improvement to the Pershing had resulted in the M-46 Patton1 tank. The tank could enter production in late 1946 or early 1947 and the army was pushing for it and for a new Armored Personnel Carrier. General Eisenhower presented the Army's case and supported the production. The Army was calling for a minimum production of 300 a year. The Office of Management and Budget wanted to spend a lot less as this would otherwise cut into the President's ability to fund what he wanted to do.

 

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The President was facing opposition from the military and his Vice President over the Defense Budget. He was not feeling well and went to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center He was referred to a specialist in Ohio and flew there for an examination. The doctor after a battery of test told the President that he had an early stage of cancer. An operation was to take place and a growth was removed. The President received treatment. In late 1946 he informed the Vice President that he would not run for a second term in 1948.

 

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Vice President Mosby as a result of problems with the health of his parents was looking at not running for President. He would be returning to California. This would mean that the Nationalist would have to look for a new person to run. General Eisenhower was expecting to retire from the Army in 1948. As a replacement General Omar Bradley was likely to be recommended to the President to replace him.

 

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February 1947 President Taft submits his resignation as President. He announces that ill health prevents him from doing the job. The Result is Vice President Mosby is sworn in as President.