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Sarawak TL Redux - Planning Thread
- Thread starter Woolly Mammoth
- Start date
These are awesome I cannot thank you enough - they look really rather apt and typically eccentric given what the Kingdom of Sarawak was like - excellent job
These are awesome I cannot thank you enough - they look really rather apt and typically eccentric given what the Kingdom of Sarawak was like - excellent job
Thank you. I'm willing to make a naval jack and a war ensign as well, just give me directions.
About tea and competing with India and China, Sarawak is closer to Australia and New Zealand than India and China, and therefore cheaper to ship.
So perhaps Sarawak tea becomes the predominant blend in Australia and New Zealand, and then uses that as a springboard onto the world market.
So perhaps Sarawak tea becomes the predominant blend in Australia and New Zealand, and then uses that as a springboard onto the world market.
On another note on the fighter design and fun with specifications.
Perhaps the fighter design is initially conceived as an answer to Specification F.5/34 and not adopted in Britain at this time.
The aftermath of the Battle of Britain and the invasion scare led to the cancellation of the Rolls Royce Vulture engine and the Bristol Taurus. There was talk of licence building the Twin Wasp instead of the latter but nothing ever came of it.
It also led to to Specification F.19/40 for a mainly wooden construction emergency production, which gave us the Miles M.20 (also never entered production http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.20).
With Australia and Sarawak using this engine already there might be more impetus for using this engine in an emergency fighter as well as the proposed applications in the Albacore and Beaufort.
Perhaps the fighter design is initially conceived as an answer to Specification F.5/34 and not adopted in Britain at this time.
The aftermath of the Battle of Britain and the invasion scare led to the cancellation of the Rolls Royce Vulture engine and the Bristol Taurus. There was talk of licence building the Twin Wasp instead of the latter but nothing ever came of it.
It also led to to Specification F.19/40 for a mainly wooden construction emergency production, which gave us the Miles M.20 (also never entered production http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.20).
With Australia and Sarawak using this engine already there might be more impetus for using this engine in an emergency fighter as well as the proposed applications in the Albacore and Beaufort.
If we're really going with the whole 'obscure fighter designs for Sarawak' shtick, why not the CAC Boomerang or some ATL equivalent ? Aussie-built, small, light, inexpensive, but of fairly high quality.
What about transport planes and airliners ? Should they get something British (e.g. from De Havilland) or should they buy from the Americans ?
What about transport planes and airliners ? Should they get something British (e.g. from De Havilland) or should they buy from the Americans ?
I suspect the locally built fighter will resemble OTL's Boomerang you're right, with a few caveats.
OTL's boomerang design was an emergency response with a very quick development cycle (December 1941 for the initial spec
to April 1942 for frontline deployment). Here we can expect some more refinements given the fact that it was developed during peacetime. The 2 biggest problems faced by the Boomerang as a fighter were speed and high altitude performance. The Mk I Boomerang was slower than the hurricane (305 mph to the Hurricane Mark I's 318) and the engine suffered significantly above 15000 ft.
With a more measured cycle of development there may be the opportunity to correct some of these faults. Fitting a turbocharger solved the problems but ultimately proved more trouble than it was worth because other aircraft had become available for the interceptor role. Big question, what was development of turbochargers like during the interwar years?
OTL's boomerang design was an emergency response with a very quick development cycle (December 1941 for the initial spec
to April 1942 for frontline deployment). Here we can expect some more refinements given the fact that it was developed during peacetime. The 2 biggest problems faced by the Boomerang as a fighter were speed and high altitude performance. The Mk I Boomerang was slower than the hurricane (305 mph to the Hurricane Mark I's 318) and the engine suffered significantly above 15000 ft.
With a more measured cycle of development there may be the opportunity to correct some of these faults. Fitting a turbocharger solved the problems but ultimately proved more trouble than it was worth because other aircraft had become available for the interceptor role. Big question, what was development of turbochargers like during the interwar years?
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Those would be awesome thanks - I imagine that the naval jack would be in British style if that looks decent ? What with the RSN being based off the Royal Navy in so many ways.
The initial issue will be that the majority of Sarawak shipping IOTL during this period simply moved whatever they were carrying to Singapore and then returned - I'm planning to have a Sarawak-India Line be established to carry railway workers and trade between the aforementioned places and then slowly expand its operations in an attempt to be realistic - when this reaches Australia then that plan may work.
As I mentioned earlier [or perhaps on the previous thread I've lost track a little] what I am intending to do ITTL is have the CAC itself be founded earlier and be a joint Sarawak-Australian initiative [overwhelmingly Aussie-small Sarawak branch] called Royal Commonwealth Aviation, they are going to recognise the lack of suitable local fighters and work on a design to enter service around 1938 - it will be like the Boomerang in being a simple, cheap, rugged fighter but would probably have more British influence.
In regards to the majority of military hardware I imagine it will be coming from the British almost exclusively so probably De Havilland. One thing I have considered is Saunders-Roe flying boats to remove the issue of both lack of runways and poor logistical structure.
Not a bad idea particularly given its relative simplicity and the fact it could probably be built with more locally sourced materials. Question for you is would the Dutch purchase the Thylacine for the East Indies to beef up their airpower if it was proven to be decent or would they persist with buying European ?
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That's not a bad idea, it would probably be cheaperand probably effective than the godawful Brewster Buffalo.
And now for something completely different. The post war situation
SEATO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEATO
Someone here once pointed out that the failure of this organisation was due to the fact that most of
its members were nations that had an interest in the region rather than nations within the region itself.
I'd imagine Sarawak would be very interested in joining a collective security organisation such as this. Depending on how the war goes this might
also encourage an interest from the Dutch. This may also encourage Malaya/Malaysia to do the same.
These changes might have the potential for SEATO to become an effective body for strategic and economic cooperation
in the region. IOTL the Bangladesh Liberation war in the 1970s was the final nail in the coffin for what
was an ailing organisation. Perhaps here India might take Pakistan's place when they withdraw.
And now for something completely different. The post war situation
SEATO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEATO
Someone here once pointed out that the failure of this organisation was due to the fact that most of
its members were nations that had an interest in the region rather than nations within the region itself.
I'd imagine Sarawak would be very interested in joining a collective security organisation such as this. Depending on how the war goes this might
also encourage an interest from the Dutch. This may also encourage Malaya/Malaysia to do the same.
These changes might have the potential for SEATO to become an effective body for strategic and economic cooperation
in the region. IOTL the Bangladesh Liberation war in the 1970s was the final nail in the coffin for what
was an ailing organisation. Perhaps here India might take Pakistan's place when they withdraw.
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I found the British pre-war planning report written I think around 1940 concerning defence of the East Indies and Malaya - at one point they mention the urgent need for around 340 or more front line combat aircraft to defend the area. It was written by Lionel Bond who ITTL will remain the Overall commander in Malaya - IOTL he was forced to ask London for planes but ITTL could he perhaps acquire Thylacine to fill this gap ? Perhaps with Australian support.
EDIT - Link to above report - http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-3Doc-a4.html
Churchill wouldn't be happy as it would encourage the Dominions getting ideas above their station but the logic would be indisputable and he'd have to agree with it. Then have a heart attack.
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Well by this point Australia would have contributed quite considerably to the defence of Malaya and stronger forces in Timor, Rabual and other small garrisons. Let him be annoyed he did little enough for Malaya IOTL and maybe in this timeline Ill find a way of not even having him in power - enough wiggle room with the PoD timing after all.
I think Winston Churchill in power would give a nice sense of tension to the war years. I say he stays. What happens after the war however ...
Post war will be very different I agree - particularly as one person I most defiantly wont be getting rid of or hindering ITTL is Attlee - instead he might inspire the Sarawak governments post war programs.
Perhaps Churchill has a heart attack after arguing with Lionel Bond and Atlee takes over pro tem?
Then about a decade later Roald Dahl writes a series of novels about a super spy with an infamous relative.
Then about a decade later Roald Dahl writes a series of novels about a super spy with an infamous relative.
Perhaps Churchill has a heart attack after arguing with Lionel Bond and Atlee takes over pro tem?
Then about a decade later Roald Dahl writes a series of novels about a super spy with an infamous relative.
Churchill probably wont be happy with Lionel but having that bad an argument is perhaps overkill
. Speaking back on TL matters does everyone agree that by concentrating the majority of the 80,000 allied troops within Malaya in Johore and digging in strong fortification works, using Vickers 6-ton tanks purchased by Sarawak and moved back with it becomes clear Sarawak is indefensible, and operating perhaps 100 additional Thylacine fighters then could Southern Johore and Singapore against the Japanese and eventually push them back ?
Churchill probably wont be happy with Lionel but having that bad an argument is perhaps overkill
Speaking back on TL matters does everyone agree that by concentrating the majority of the 80,000 allied troops within Malaya in Johore and digging in strong fortification works, using Vickers 6-ton tanks purchased by Sarawak and moved back with it becomes clear Sarawak is indefensible, and operating perhaps 100 additional Thylacine fighters then could Southern Johore and Singapore against the Japanese and eventually push them back ?
Pehaps. Although according to his wiki page Lionel Bond had some very old fashioned views on the role and usefulness of tanks. Still anyone's better than The Rabbit. The real question is how can this force be supplied, that was the British garrison's number 2 problem next to abysmal leadership, Sarawak's navy here wouldn't be much use as a convoy escort.
I was half joking with my previous post.
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Sarawak's Navy will either be forming an interesting new set of reefs or wrecked on the coast of Borneo. To be honest as he will either have no or very few tanks to be working with I don't foresee that character trait being much of a problem. Given that the garrison will be trapped in Johore and possibly Malacca to maintain even slightly viable shipping lines then the Andaman Island must be held or perhaps Aceh - the former might be possible the latter less so. From what I remember the garrison of the Andaman Islands didn't resist - either could they hold on or maybe butterfly the invasion altogether.
EDIT - Actually not being very sensible here - having looked the Straits of Malacca would be near suicide unless significant competition of air dominance was possible or Aceh/North Malacca was held.