The Patton in Korea TL joked about Asia barely being able to fit Mac and Patton’s egos. This case would likely create a singularity that sucks all of the northern hemisphere in on itself!
Remember the Texas! The United States in World War II (an alternate history)
- Thread starter galveston bay
- Start date
Driftless
Donor
And Patton was a Pershing guy. Mac was not*, thus adding an order of magnitude to the entropy.
*Mac was kinda obsessed with the idea that Pershing's WW1 HQ staff were out to get him. That thought carried over into the interwar years. Marshall, Malin Craig,John Hines, etc.
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Gott still has a corps command, while Montgomery was in effect a pet of Alan Brooke, who gets to choose his commander. Monty had already commanded a corps and was in charge of the Southern Defense Areafor UK, which was a defacto army level command as of this point in the story
US Army and Marine Corps Forces overseas December 7, 1941
Overseas deployment and planned deployments of US Army Forces December 7, 1941
American Expeditionary Force Mideast (Lieutenant General Dwight Eisenhower)
Chief of Staff, Major General Omar Bradley
Liaison with British Brigadier General Mark Clark
USAAF Mideast (Major General Lewis Brereton) (later redesignated US 12th and 15th Air Forces)
2nd Bomb Group (B17E), 3rd Bomb Group (A20C), 4th Fighter Group (drawn from Eagle Squadrons in RAF, equipped with Spitfire MkV), 7th Bomb Group (B17E), 8th Fighter Group (P39D), 19th Bomb Group (B17E) 22nd Bomb Group (B26)
US III Corps Major General George S Patton
1st Armored Division (MGen Bruce Magruder), 2nd Armored Division (MGen Ernest Harmon), 4th Motorized Division (MGen Raymond Barton)
, III Corps Artillery, III Engineer command, 3rd Cavalry Regiment (mechanized),
additional forces still being designated. All ground and air units are training in the desert areas of Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah and Colorado with logistics and heavy air units operating out of peacetime bases while fighter, attack and medium bombers and army ground units are operating in field conditions. Expecting to deploy in March 1942 to Iraq/Palestine/Jordan and then to Egypt
Tanks are M3 Lees (and exports to Soviet Union cancelled in favor of M3 Stuarts) and M3 Stuarts, tank destroyers for division anti tank units are M3 Motor Carriage and towed 37 mm guns. Division artillery is still towed (w 105 and 155mm guns) but the divisions are first in line for the M7 SP 105 when it becomes available as they are still in development
American Expeditionary Force British Isles (Lieutenant General Hugh Drum)
V Corps Major General Lloyd Fredenhall
27th Infantry Division (NY NG, BGen Pennell) Iceland, 28th Infantry Division (PA NG, MGen Ord) Belfast, 29th Infantry Division (VA/MD NG, MGen Gerow) Britain (assigned to British defenses), II Corps Artillery (w 29th Division),
The AEF British Isles arrives over the course of October-November, with the 27th arriving at Iceland in September
the 8th Air Force is being created but its air units are in the forming or early training status with their aircraft and none are expected to arrive until late 1942
Alaskan Defense Command (M General Simon Buckner)
6th Infantry Division (B Gen Uhl) Anchorage/Ft Richardson, 34th Infantry Division (Dakota/Minnesota NG, M Gen Hartle) Juneau/Skagway/Valdez/Kodiak, this is still a 4 regiment, 2 brigade division)
IV Corps Headquarters - Fairbanks, lacks artillery, but overstrength in engineers, attached is Alaskan Scouts providing coastal and isolated area patrols
Alaskan/Canadian Highway construction approved June 25, 1941, first construction began August 1941, expected completion September 1942
in addition to above, the Coast Artillery is hurriedly forming coast artillery and coast artillery antiaircraft units, as is the Artillery branch (antiaircraft) but none are expected to arrive before summer 1942 to reinforce existing forces.
Coast Artillery: 250th CA Regiment (155 mm guns), 215 CA Regiment (3 inch AA) (Both Fort Richardson), 75 CA Regiment (3 inch AA, Fort Greeley),
Alaskan Air Force has no combat aircraft yet assigned but does have some liaison and transport aircraft and has contracted with the Civil Air Patrol (which includes a large number of Bush planes) to provide some support. It will be designated the 11th Air Force in 1942
The Navy and Coast Guard has several patrol vessels and some PBYs and smaller aircraft to provide coastal patrol and surveillance operating out of Kodiak Island and various small ports on the Alaskan coast as well as a seaplane tender at Dutch Harbor. The Marine 4th Defense Battalion is at Kodiak Island, while the 5th Defense Battalion just arrived from Iceland at Dutch Harbor
Hawaiian Defense Command (Lieutenant General Walter Krueger)
Commands X Corps and Hawaiian Harbor and Air Defense Commands
Coast Artillery Command
15th CA (heavy seacoast guns) Fort Kamehameha/Pearl Harbor , 16th CA (heavy seacoast guns) Honolulu, 53rd, 64th, 97th, 98th, 211th CA (3 inch AA) have been moved to wartime positions covering airfields and the navy base at Pearl Harbor.
X Corps (M Gen Keyton Joyce)
24th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division (each has 2 Regular Army regiments plus attached NG regiments from Hawaiian NG), engineer brigade, The Corps has an attached tank battalion of M2 tanks, but lacks mobile artillery for the VI Corps Artillery
25th Infantry Regiment (Colored) recently arrived and stationed on the big island of Hawaii
Hawaiian Air Force (M Gen Frederick Martin) (redesignated 7th Air Force in 1942)
1st Fighter Group (14 P43, 24 P38E, 32 P40C additional P38E expected), 15th Fighter Group (60 P40C) also administrative support for Army crews assigned to 33 B18 Bolos, 13 A20s assigned to the Navy, plus the Hawaiian Air Force has an assortment of transport and light observation aircraft
27th Bombardment Group (52 A24 Dauntless Dive bombers, as yet untrained in naval strike missions)
in addition to Hawaii, there are ground forces defending 3 important islands in the Pacific that are under Naval Command
Maui (Hawaii) 4th Marine Regiment, plus 6th Marine Defense Battalion
Midway Island Marine Air Group 21 (forward) w 24 Wildcat, 18 Dauntless, plus 6 PBY, 2nd Marine Defense battalion (full strength)
Wake Island: 1st Marine Defense battalion (elements) w 400 infantry, has not yet been assigned a Naval officer commanding and planned deployment of Marine air group has not yet occurred (and that MAG is still on the West Coast)
Guam: 547 US Marines and National Guard troops, no heavy weapons, 2 old patrol boats, 1 old minesweeper, 1 freighter
American Samoa: 7th Marine Defense Battalion, Samoan Home Guard (battalion)
En route
HQ 6th Army (moving from San Francisco to Hawaii)
24th Infantry Regiment (Colored) en route to Fiji
132nd Infantry Regiment (IL NG) en route to Samoa
164th Infantry Regiment (ND NG), 182nd Infantry Regiment (MA NG) en route to New Caledonia
(none of the above have yet left the West Coast but preparing to ship)
US Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) (Lt Gen Joseph Stillwell)
Deputy Commander M General George Grunert
consists of Manila Bay Coast Defense Command, I Corps, II Corps
HQ USAFFE, 14th Engineer Regiment – Fort Stotsenburg
Manila Bay Command (B Gen George Moore)
59th, 91st, 92nd CA Regiments (heavy guns), 60th CA Regiment (155 semi mobile), 200th CA Regiment (3 inch AA), 124th Infantry Regiment (FL NG)
garrison of Forts Hughes, Fort Drum, Fort Frank, and Corregidor itself plus 31st Infantry Regiment (US RA) as infantry garrison for Corregidor
I Corps (M Gen Jonathan Wainwright (Luzon Force)
12th Infantry Division (Philippine Division) w 45th (PS), 57th (PS) infantry regiments, 3rd Infantry (US RA, from Panama) 1st field artillery group (old 105 and 155 guns)(PS)
the 31st Infantry Division was diverted to Panama at the insistance of Southern Democratic Congressional officials which angered General Marshall who had promised a division for Stillwell. The Army is still looking for reinforcements to send when the war breaks out in the Pacific.
26th Cavalry Regiment (PS)
Although tanks have been requested they have not arrived, however sufficient M3 motor carriages have arrived to give the 26th Cav a self propelled anti tank company
41st Philippine Army Division (8,000 men, M Gen Lim commanding, well trained compared to other units, full table of organization in equipment, has a full battalion of 75 mm field guns)
Coast defense forces: MGen George Parker
11th Philippine Army Division (6,000 men, 22 mixed 75 and 2.95 inch guns) Lingayen Gulf
21st Philippine Army Division (6,000 men) 24 mixed 75 and 2.95 inch guns) Balayan Bay
31st Philippine Army Division (7,000 men) 36 mixed 75 and 2.95 inch guns) Subic Bay
stay behind forces: (garrison until ordered to run for the hills)
51st Philippine Army Division (7,000 men, no artillery) B Gen Albert Jones
71st Philippine Army Division (8,000 men, no artillery) B Gen Clyde Selleck
II Corps (BGen William Sharp)(Visayan / MIndanao force)
81st Philippine Army Division (Mindanao island) (8,000 men, 12 2.95 inch guns, 24 3 inch mortars) B Gen Guy Fort (defending Davao)
43rd Infantry Regiment (PS) reinforced with 24 x 3 inch mortars, and 1 troop 26th Cavalry (Dole Plantation), 803rd Aviation Engineer battalion (US), elements of 20th Airbase force (from Clark Field)
101st Philippine Army Division (6,000 men, no artillery) Mindanao (stay behind unit)
91st Philippine Army Division (7,000 men, no artillery) Samar/Mindoro islands (stay behind unit)
61st Philippine Army Division (Panay/Leyte/Cebu islands) (8,000 men, no artillery) B Gen Bradford Chynoweth (stay behind unit)
Far East Air Force (M Gen George Brett)
4th Composite Group (includes Philippine Army Air Corps) 12 P26, 3 B10, 2 Beech18D, 12 Steerman, 3 C33 transport, 3 C45 transport
18th Fighter Group (B Gen Henry Clagett) 18 P35, 40 P36, 12 P26, 4 C45 transport, fighter direction center and radar Nicholas Field, support facilities are Clark Field, auxiliary airfields at Dole Plantation (Mindanao) w 12 fighters (from above) rotating in and out
assigned but still en route 35th Fighter Group (P39), 12 more P36 (to reinforce 18th Fighter Group), and 24 Lockheed Hudson, due to arrive December 20, 1941
the 35th FIghter Group arrives Sydney on December 12 (delivered by USS Enterprise), but crated P36s are at Clark Field (and destroyed) on December 8, while the Hudsons are simply transferred to the RAAF when they arrive in mid December in Australia. The 20th Transport Group (DC3/C47s) arrives in Australia on December 14.
China
American Military Mission to China (Lt General Douglas MacArthur) with assorted staff (500 people)
American Volunteer Group (Claire Chennault, with 12 P40 Rangoon, 36 P40 Kunming) (completing training)
American Expeditionary Force Mideast (Lieutenant General Dwight Eisenhower)
Chief of Staff, Major General Omar Bradley
Liaison with British Brigadier General Mark Clark
USAAF Mideast (Major General Lewis Brereton) (later redesignated US 12th and 15th Air Forces)
2nd Bomb Group (B17E), 3rd Bomb Group (A20C), 4th Fighter Group (drawn from Eagle Squadrons in RAF, equipped with Spitfire MkV), 7th Bomb Group (B17E), 8th Fighter Group (P39D), 19th Bomb Group (B17E) 22nd Bomb Group (B26)
US III Corps Major General George S Patton
1st Armored Division (MGen Bruce Magruder), 2nd Armored Division (MGen Ernest Harmon), 4th Motorized Division (MGen Raymond Barton)
, III Corps Artillery, III Engineer command, 3rd Cavalry Regiment (mechanized),
additional forces still being designated. All ground and air units are training in the desert areas of Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah and Colorado with logistics and heavy air units operating out of peacetime bases while fighter, attack and medium bombers and army ground units are operating in field conditions. Expecting to deploy in March 1942 to Iraq/Palestine/Jordan and then to Egypt
Tanks are M3 Lees (and exports to Soviet Union cancelled in favor of M3 Stuarts) and M3 Stuarts, tank destroyers for division anti tank units are M3 Motor Carriage and towed 37 mm guns. Division artillery is still towed (w 105 and 155mm guns) but the divisions are first in line for the M7 SP 105 when it becomes available as they are still in development
American Expeditionary Force British Isles (Lieutenant General Hugh Drum)
V Corps Major General Lloyd Fredenhall
27th Infantry Division (NY NG, BGen Pennell) Iceland, 28th Infantry Division (PA NG, MGen Ord) Belfast, 29th Infantry Division (VA/MD NG, MGen Gerow) Britain (assigned to British defenses), II Corps Artillery (w 29th Division),
The AEF British Isles arrives over the course of October-November, with the 27th arriving at Iceland in September
the 8th Air Force is being created but its air units are in the forming or early training status with their aircraft and none are expected to arrive until late 1942
Alaskan Defense Command (M General Simon Buckner)
6th Infantry Division (B Gen Uhl) Anchorage/Ft Richardson, 34th Infantry Division (Dakota/Minnesota NG, M Gen Hartle) Juneau/Skagway/Valdez/Kodiak, this is still a 4 regiment, 2 brigade division)
IV Corps Headquarters - Fairbanks, lacks artillery, but overstrength in engineers, attached is Alaskan Scouts providing coastal and isolated area patrols
Alaskan/Canadian Highway construction approved June 25, 1941, first construction began August 1941, expected completion September 1942
in addition to above, the Coast Artillery is hurriedly forming coast artillery and coast artillery antiaircraft units, as is the Artillery branch (antiaircraft) but none are expected to arrive before summer 1942 to reinforce existing forces.
Coast Artillery: 250th CA Regiment (155 mm guns), 215 CA Regiment (3 inch AA) (Both Fort Richardson), 75 CA Regiment (3 inch AA, Fort Greeley),
Alaskan Air Force has no combat aircraft yet assigned but does have some liaison and transport aircraft and has contracted with the Civil Air Patrol (which includes a large number of Bush planes) to provide some support. It will be designated the 11th Air Force in 1942
The Navy and Coast Guard has several patrol vessels and some PBYs and smaller aircraft to provide coastal patrol and surveillance operating out of Kodiak Island and various small ports on the Alaskan coast as well as a seaplane tender at Dutch Harbor. The Marine 4th Defense Battalion is at Kodiak Island, while the 5th Defense Battalion just arrived from Iceland at Dutch Harbor
Hawaiian Defense Command (Lieutenant General Walter Krueger)
Commands X Corps and Hawaiian Harbor and Air Defense Commands
Coast Artillery Command
15th CA (heavy seacoast guns) Fort Kamehameha/Pearl Harbor , 16th CA (heavy seacoast guns) Honolulu, 53rd, 64th, 97th, 98th, 211th CA (3 inch AA) have been moved to wartime positions covering airfields and the navy base at Pearl Harbor.
X Corps (M Gen Keyton Joyce)
24th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division (each has 2 Regular Army regiments plus attached NG regiments from Hawaiian NG), engineer brigade, The Corps has an attached tank battalion of M2 tanks, but lacks mobile artillery for the VI Corps Artillery
25th Infantry Regiment (Colored) recently arrived and stationed on the big island of Hawaii
Hawaiian Air Force (M Gen Frederick Martin) (redesignated 7th Air Force in 1942)
1st Fighter Group (14 P43, 24 P38E, 32 P40C additional P38E expected), 15th Fighter Group (60 P40C) also administrative support for Army crews assigned to 33 B18 Bolos, 13 A20s assigned to the Navy, plus the Hawaiian Air Force has an assortment of transport and light observation aircraft
27th Bombardment Group (52 A24 Dauntless Dive bombers, as yet untrained in naval strike missions)
in addition to Hawaii, there are ground forces defending 3 important islands in the Pacific that are under Naval Command
Maui (Hawaii) 4th Marine Regiment, plus 6th Marine Defense Battalion
Midway Island Marine Air Group 21 (forward) w 24 Wildcat, 18 Dauntless, plus 6 PBY, 2nd Marine Defense battalion (full strength)
Wake Island: 1st Marine Defense battalion (elements) w 400 infantry, has not yet been assigned a Naval officer commanding and planned deployment of Marine air group has not yet occurred (and that MAG is still on the West Coast)
Guam: 547 US Marines and National Guard troops, no heavy weapons, 2 old patrol boats, 1 old minesweeper, 1 freighter
American Samoa: 7th Marine Defense Battalion, Samoan Home Guard (battalion)
En route
HQ 6th Army (moving from San Francisco to Hawaii)
24th Infantry Regiment (Colored) en route to Fiji
132nd Infantry Regiment (IL NG) en route to Samoa
164th Infantry Regiment (ND NG), 182nd Infantry Regiment (MA NG) en route to New Caledonia
(none of the above have yet left the West Coast but preparing to ship)
US Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) (Lt Gen Joseph Stillwell)
Deputy Commander M General George Grunert
consists of Manila Bay Coast Defense Command, I Corps, II Corps
HQ USAFFE, 14th Engineer Regiment – Fort Stotsenburg
Manila Bay Command (B Gen George Moore)
59th, 91st, 92nd CA Regiments (heavy guns), 60th CA Regiment (155 semi mobile), 200th CA Regiment (3 inch AA), 124th Infantry Regiment (FL NG)
garrison of Forts Hughes, Fort Drum, Fort Frank, and Corregidor itself plus 31st Infantry Regiment (US RA) as infantry garrison for Corregidor
I Corps (M Gen Jonathan Wainwright (Luzon Force)
12th Infantry Division (Philippine Division) w 45th (PS), 57th (PS) infantry regiments, 3rd Infantry (US RA, from Panama) 1st field artillery group (old 105 and 155 guns)(PS)
the 31st Infantry Division was diverted to Panama at the insistance of Southern Democratic Congressional officials which angered General Marshall who had promised a division for Stillwell. The Army is still looking for reinforcements to send when the war breaks out in the Pacific.
26th Cavalry Regiment (PS)
Although tanks have been requested they have not arrived, however sufficient M3 motor carriages have arrived to give the 26th Cav a self propelled anti tank company
41st Philippine Army Division (8,000 men, M Gen Lim commanding, well trained compared to other units, full table of organization in equipment, has a full battalion of 75 mm field guns)
Coast defense forces: MGen George Parker
11th Philippine Army Division (6,000 men, 22 mixed 75 and 2.95 inch guns) Lingayen Gulf
21st Philippine Army Division (6,000 men) 24 mixed 75 and 2.95 inch guns) Balayan Bay
31st Philippine Army Division (7,000 men) 36 mixed 75 and 2.95 inch guns) Subic Bay
stay behind forces: (garrison until ordered to run for the hills)
51st Philippine Army Division (7,000 men, no artillery) B Gen Albert Jones
71st Philippine Army Division (8,000 men, no artillery) B Gen Clyde Selleck
II Corps (BGen William Sharp)(Visayan / MIndanao force)
81st Philippine Army Division (Mindanao island) (8,000 men, 12 2.95 inch guns, 24 3 inch mortars) B Gen Guy Fort (defending Davao)
43rd Infantry Regiment (PS) reinforced with 24 x 3 inch mortars, and 1 troop 26th Cavalry (Dole Plantation), 803rd Aviation Engineer battalion (US), elements of 20th Airbase force (from Clark Field)
101st Philippine Army Division (6,000 men, no artillery) Mindanao (stay behind unit)
91st Philippine Army Division (7,000 men, no artillery) Samar/Mindoro islands (stay behind unit)
61st Philippine Army Division (Panay/Leyte/Cebu islands) (8,000 men, no artillery) B Gen Bradford Chynoweth (stay behind unit)
Far East Air Force (M Gen George Brett)
4th Composite Group (includes Philippine Army Air Corps) 12 P26, 3 B10, 2 Beech18D, 12 Steerman, 3 C33 transport, 3 C45 transport
18th Fighter Group (B Gen Henry Clagett) 18 P35, 40 P36, 12 P26, 4 C45 transport, fighter direction center and radar Nicholas Field, support facilities are Clark Field, auxiliary airfields at Dole Plantation (Mindanao) w 12 fighters (from above) rotating in and out
assigned but still en route 35th Fighter Group (P39), 12 more P36 (to reinforce 18th Fighter Group), and 24 Lockheed Hudson, due to arrive December 20, 1941
the 35th FIghter Group arrives Sydney on December 12 (delivered by USS Enterprise), but crated P36s are at Clark Field (and destroyed) on December 8, while the Hudsons are simply transferred to the RAAF when they arrive in mid December in Australia. The 20th Transport Group (DC3/C47s) arrives in Australia on December 14.
China
American Military Mission to China (Lt General Douglas MacArthur) with assorted staff (500 people)
American Volunteer Group (Claire Chennault, with 12 P40 Rangoon, 36 P40 Kunming) (completing training)
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authors notes: Not included are some Regular Army Infantry Divisions that are more or less combat ready but at home (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th) some of which are recieving desert training (7th, 9th) and the rest amphibious landing training
There are numerous ar groups that are in training status in the US not included
General Drum did not get a chance to turn down China TTL, so due to rank is sent to the UK where is position is largely administrative, Fredenhall is thought capable (until Kassarine Pass) and is viewed as the real man in charge of the ground troops over there in any event
as previously mentioned, Eisenhower and Patton where both part of the Tank Corps in World War I, and Ike really shined in the Louisiana Manuvers Marshall picked him, he picks Patton and Marshal also puts Bradley in position to get a corps when more troops arrive and an army is formed
"Colored" is the actual nomenclature of the African American regiments of the US Army in World War II (sigh)
There are no tank destroyer units above... they haven't been formed yet
there are plenty of idiots in positions of command above sad to say
There are numerous ar groups that are in training status in the US not included
General Drum did not get a chance to turn down China TTL, so due to rank is sent to the UK where is position is largely administrative, Fredenhall is thought capable (until Kassarine Pass) and is viewed as the real man in charge of the ground troops over there in any event
as previously mentioned, Eisenhower and Patton where both part of the Tank Corps in World War I, and Ike really shined in the Louisiana Manuvers Marshall picked him, he picks Patton and Marshal also puts Bradley in position to get a corps when more troops arrive and an army is formed
"Colored" is the actual nomenclature of the African American regiments of the US Army in World War II (sigh)
There are no tank destroyer units above... they haven't been formed yet
there are plenty of idiots in positions of command above sad to say
The Soviets are going to get rid of a tank that they hated and have more of another one that they also disliked. Mmmmh... that's wicked.
as time with grandchildren allows, I will be assembling a list of what British Commonwealth/Empire units are where and under whom as of December 7, plus the write up of Operation Crusader which is the big Western Allied battle between summer and the Japanese entry into the war
assume everything on the Eastern Front is going as in OTL... too early for butterflies to have reached it yet
assume everything on the Eastern Front is going as in OTL... too early for butterflies to have reached it yet
Eisenhower has certainly enjoyed a tremendously speedy raise in this scenario. In OTL, he was only appointed a brigadier general in October of 1941 and major general a couple of months after Pearl Harbor. Now, Ike is a lieutenant general and commanding a corps in the field in December of 1941? That is some fast promotion there.
Driftless
Donor
Marshall had him in his "book" of candidates for rapid promotion. Ike, like Marshall and Patton, was a Fox Conner protege going back to WWI and the years after.
considering that he went from 1 star in Oct 41 to 4 Star in Feb 43, not too ahistorical. Also Ike was a star in the Louisiana manuvers in early 41, while Drum (for example) flopped Also remember these are not technically permanent ranks for most of these commanders.... failure sees an officer sent home, sometimes at their permanent ranik in the Regular Army, to some unimportant job somewhere and retirement when they hit the mandatory age
One question re: Western Desert/Middle East - No P-40s? IIRC that was the theater that the U.S. AND Commonwealth deployed Tomahawks and Kittyhawks in some numbers since their lack of high altitude performance wasn't a big of a burden, at least compared to the ETO. Pretty sure the RAF had P-40s in the Desert in late 1940.
You are going to try ALL THREE major theaters in one T/L?
YIKES!
But they do like the retail price of $0.00.
Even if it's at the expense of seven brothers?
Silly question, they have plenty of soldiers to turn into Heroes of the Soviet Union...
additional forces (2 more fighter groups with P40s) will be added to the Mideast Air Force by the time it actually heads to Africa. This is what is definitely allocated for the Mideast as of Dec 7.
Note poor Wake Island has no aircraft yet but Midway has extra ... some minor butterflies and King deciding a balanced air group makes more sense then bombers without fighters at Midway
The Eastern Front will get mentions but not details... I am not entirely crazy
With the German surface fleet hiding in the Baltic, the losses during the 1942 Murmansk runs will be lower, so oddly enough,. the Soviets will get more tanks they think are fit for infantry support work (at best) then in OTL ... they can always send them to Siberia to watch the Kwangtung Army for that matter.
McPherson
Banned
Air-Ground forces comment:
Eisenhower has not learned the Kasserine Pass political lesson yet.
Bradley is not one of my favorite op-artists.
Mark Clark is an apple polisher and does not play well with the British at all.
Brereton should be run over by a Lee/Grant.
Patton should be kept away from Montgomery.
MacGruder is fair.
Harmon tends to be an anger machine; but he knows his stuff. He might actually get along with Monty.
Barton? Ehhh.
Equipment wise, it is about what is expected. Not happy at all.
Clown Club. Most unhappy.
Buckner and the navy hate each other. It does not matter whose navy by the way. Hartle is another dud, like Fredendall.
I love me some Kruger.
Keyton Joyce is an overager like Kruger, and a TIGER. He could be a surprise sleeper in the Pacific War.
Hmmm. Martin Bellinger report comes into play and to my mind. Martin was sacrificed in the Pearl Harbor debacle and rehabbed. Will Martin be given a free hand this time? How about Bellinger for the Navy?
Not enough and some of them are not the right kinds of troops. Air assets pitiful.
I used to think Stilwell was competent until I dug into some of the nationalist Chinese history of the Burma campaign. Stilwell was a DISASTER. Missed the big picture and oriented always on the wrong axis and objectives. Did not play well with others.
George Grunert has always struck me as a political flak and a go-to staff weenie and hatchet man. Marshall did not trust him. That is kind of a red flag to me.
Get him, Moore, out of there. Send him to Mindanao to organize guerillas. Aggies are good guerilla organizers. Texas A and M guy.
I dislike Wainwright almost as much as I have no use for Brereton.
This guy, General Lim, is a JEWEL. How he got out of Berlin in WWI is an EPIC. He ought to not be wasted. Send him south with Moore.
George Parker... not impressed. "Might" have been a racist.
Albert Jones... expert infantry tactician, able to get the most out of the untrained Filipino levees in his charge. Guess who needs to go south with Lim and Moore?
Clyde Selleck ... artillery expert and I mean "expert". A LOT depends on whether he is given time to figure out what is going on and if he is allowed to do his job when he figures what is what. In the RTL, MacArthur made him the fall guy for a lot that went wrong on Bataan.
I have some controversy with Bill Sharp in the RTL. He was in a hard place to begin, and with Wainwright's surrender, I feel sorry for the choice he had to make, "but" I would have fought, knowing the nature of the IJA enemy and what an evil bastard Homma, that war criminal, genuinely was. See Chynoweth's assessment as to Sharp's competency
Guy Fort... one could weep. Yoshinari Tanaka should have been flayed alive. Fort was a hero of the Filipino people and of the Republic. He would not cooperate ever.
Bradworth Chynoweth was a Thersites. He had no use for MacArthur, Wainwright, Sharp or the collage of yes men and crooks who were mismanaging things in Manila. I "think" if he could get hold of Stillwell and set him straight, things for the Japanese could get "sticky".
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I would have stood Brett against the wall with Brereton, Sutherland and that idiot, W.E. Doyle (Asiatic Submarines).
Ugh. Match made in hell. Only thing worse would be Stillwell and Brereton.
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I'm wondering, why the deployment of 31st ID to the PI? It seems like an odd divergence from OTL, and while I stand by my earlier comment that this will substantially impact the battle, the issue isn't in doubt and the US knew this. Wouldn't the shipping have been better utilized to fortify Wake, which COULD be held? Put a fully equipped regiment on Wake and the Japanese are taking it when hell freezes over.
Marshal offered MacArthur a National Guard division in July 1941, and it was turned down and instead shipping was used to send avation personnel, a tank group and other assorted equipment instead. Stilwell says yes and takes the division as he isn't getting B17s or P40s. Same shipping requirements
Reinforcing Wake means the Navy asks the Army to provide troops. Which isn't impossible but Wake barely has a pier and does not really have a harbor. Plus Wake is firmly the Navy's responsbility, is very far forward, (yes so is the Philippines) and most importantly, there are political issues at work in the Philippines that require some American gestures.... Quezon is complaining, with justice, that his country is dangerously exposed to the Japanese and threatened neutrality and an immediate call for independence. This was not acdeptable to FDR. So a sacrifice is offered up to the Gods of War and Politics in the shape of a National Guard Infantry Division.