Royal Navy at Pearl Harbor instead of US. Does Japan still attack?

Sorry, but for Britain Hawaii is in the middle of nowhere. There's no reason for there to be a major naval base in the islands, merely a refuelling station and support for local defence and anti raider forces.

True enough. I'm just trying to assemble something with the tools provided. Giving the creature life is a bit harder.
 
I suppose it could have been set up as some sort of forward defence for the West Coast of Canada from any German naval forces in their Pacific Empire before WWI. Mothballed after that conflict it's reactivated after Japan occupies French Indo China with a scratch force of cruisers and possible HMS Hermes based there as well as US ships transiting to the Philippines.
 
I think a better way to phrase the question is, what would the RN do if it essentially switched places with the USN, and fought more of the Pacific War
 
I'm just trying to assemble something with the tools provided. Giving the creature life is a bit harder.
Could we not suggest that the Imperial Pacific Fleet (IPF) might have been fully reinforced and forward deployed from Puget Sound, Valparaíso & Acapulco Royal Naval Dockyards by some of the available old G3 class not required for European & Atlantic service?

OCC, runs away in a cloud of butterfly's....
 
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I think a better way to phrase the question is, what would the RN do if it essentially switched places with the USN, and fought more of the Pacific War
Would they fight more of a Pacific war though? Japan invaded various European colonies either the same or the following day so it's not as though some minor British ships getting hit at Pearl Harbour really changes much. Japan doesn't have the capability to invade the Hawai'ian islands and the air strike pushed their resources to the extreme even with the element of surprise and fewer other commitments so is not readily repeatable. Britain is going to concentrate on South East Asia and Australasia where it's important colonies and dominions are, as soon as America enters the war they're going to effectively 'sub-let' the bulk of the defence of Hawai'i to the US whilst keeping a few token forces there.
 
Would they fight more of a Pacific war though? Japan invaded various European colonies either the same or the following day so it's not as though some minor British ships getting hit at Pearl Harbour really changes much. Japan doesn't have the capability to invade the Hawai'ian islands and the air strike pushed their resources to the extreme even with the element of surprise and fewer other commitments so is not readily repeatable. Britain is going to concentrate on South East Asia and Australasia where it's important colonies and dominions are, as soon as America enters the war they're going to effectively 'sub-let' the bulk of the defence of Hawai'i to the US whilst keeping a few token forces there.
I meant one of the scenarios where the RN literally takes the place of the USN (to assess how it would do), I'm perfectly aware that the RN would concentrate on SE Asia and let the US handle the main fighting in the central pacific.
 
Another stab at this. Pearl Harbour in a British Hawaii would be a minor base. It might not even have operational radar in late 1941. Second-line aircraft, limited coastal guns and anti-aircraft guns. For various reasons, the British don't think a Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor is a serious possibility. At the same time, the Japanese don't have a reason to plan a big carrier raid on PH.

Enter Force Z. Originally planned to sail around Africa to Singapore, delays, a disaster involving the planned-for CV and replacement by another carrier, and the Warspite returning to service sooner, have Force Z sailing via the Panama Canal to Hawaii. Okay, the IJN still needs enough time to know that Force Z will be there and plan a raid. The raid still won't be planned for like the OTL raid was, so no special modifications to torpedoes, no special bombs converted from AP shells, no extensive training for the torpedo and dive bomber crews. (Perhaps the original war plans had Kido Butai joining in the attack on Guam/the Marianas, and waiting for the USN to appear?) But they are attacking a smaller, less defended target.
 
POD: a Briton marries into the Hawaiian royal family circa 1885-1890. He's a scion of an important aristocratic family (brother of a Duke?) and a capable veteran soldier. As such, he bitterly resents the couo d'état by American residents that set up the "Republic of Hawaii". In 1898, while the US is distracted with the Spanish-American War, he leads a monarchist counter-revolution. He has just enough political juice with the British government to get Britain to establish a protectorate...

Another stab at this. Pearl Harbour in a British Hawaii would be a minor base. It might not even have operational radar in late 1941. Second-line aircraft, limited coastal guns and anti-aircraft guns. For various reasons, the British don't think a Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor is a serious possibility.

Japan as OTL wants to seize SE Asia. This means defeating Britain, and also deterring or blocking the US from intervening. OTL, the Japanese answer to the latter problem was to strike Pearl Harbor, where half of the USN's battleships were.

ATL, the USN fleet is in California, out of reach.

But... If Japan seizes Hawaii, the USN is blocked from sailing west. (Or so it would seem.) Japan even threatens the US mainland with long-range bomber attacks (not explicitly, of course). Since Hawaii is not a US possession, the US won't be at war. (Japan also refrains from attacking the Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island; they can be taken if the US declares war. The US could of course make a huge buildup in the Philippines first, but that would take years.)

Invasion and defense of Hawaii would be a strain for Japan, but the defenses would be much weaker. The Japanese might even form a "fifth column" among Japanese-Hawaiians. Or they could, or think they could, recruit Japanese-Hawaiians as manpower for support of the occupation and troops for defense.

In any case, it is highly improbable that Britain would station a large portion of the Royal Navy in Hawaii. Britain was heavily engaged in Europe, and has other, more important places in the Pacific to cover: Singapore and Australia.
 
Hmmm, ok then let’s modify my original question a little. Let’s just say the US historically doesn’t have a presence in Hawaii, and instead the RN use Pearl as fueling/resupply station rather than a strategic base. As WW2 starts the main RN fleet is focused in the Atlantic and Med, focused on Germany. Without the need to attack Pearl, or any US bases in the Central Pacific, can Japan move up it’s timetable to attack the European colonies in the Far East earlier in 41? The nightmare scenario for the RN is the Japanese attack Singapore just as Bismarck begins its sortie.

ric350
 
Without the need to attack Pearl, or any US bases in the Central Pacific, can Japan move up it’s timetable to attack the European colonies in the Far East earlier in 41?
Without that would the oil embargo even get done to persuade Japan from not concentrating on China?
 
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