Surabaja being more important since it has major navy installations, including a shipyard
picture of said port in 1942
Sir John Valentine Carden Survives. Part 2.
- Thread starter allanpcameron
- Start date
picture of said port in 1942
Surabaja being more important since it has major navy installations, including a shipyard
picture of said port in 1942
Good point....
In order to protect the submarine facilities, if the British are able to bring in that many fighters, they need to ensure a few are deployed to protect those ports as well....as if they can be kept in operation, they will bleed the Japanese badly.
I was referring to British as a temporary solution only as I don't think in Allan's timeline the Americans were in a position to deliver fighter aircraft yet (they were busy trying to reinforce own bases first). If my memory is failing me (as also reading @Fatboy Coxy and @Garrison awesome stories right now which includes this same theatre), feel free to correct. 👍
Fair enough. Still, it makes things even more hairy for the Japanese if they can't take Java in the first strike.
Ramp-Rat
Monthly Donor
While in both the short term, as a result of the present conflict, there will be investment in the infrastructure of both Malaya and Singapore, mostly in upgrading the roads to all weather, and similarly the airfields. And long term their will be more investment in infrastructure post war, in all areas to do with transport, roads, railways, airfields and ports. I doubt that Malaya and Singapore once independence comes will remain united. The religious and ethnic differences, between the predominantly Malay Muslin Malaya, and the predominantly Chinese capitalist Singapore, are just to great, both sides will always be fearful that the other will overwhelm them. You only have to look at the frequent inter communal riots in Indonesia and India to see how such a union if perused might go.
RR.
It will be even higher. Other than being inevitably forced out of Greece there's been a constant string of victories since he took over. (The fall of France doesn't count as it gets blamed on the French and Chamberlain).
Though they were forced out of Greece, it wasn't what you would call a loss, as such, as they preventing the Greek army being totally overwhelmed, and evacuating a good portion of it.
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It would be interesting to see CW using Stuarts to reinforce certain Dutch possesions (Java, amongst others). We already we saw it done with Vickers MkVICs joining their Dutch counterparts on Borneo, and such a move would be a great help to the KNIL, in both material and moral manner. Of course, what the Japanese will do with DEI after Malayan offensive has been considerably slowed down and suffered greater losses then anticipated is anyones guess.
There is also Dutch and British troops on Borneo deciding to make Japanese conquest of Borneo a long and drawn out fight, ruining the timetable even further. That is also not taking into account any support that is certainly going to arrive to Allied troops on Borneo, in one way or another, as long as Malaya is secure.
FInally more modern fighter aircraft are arriving and in greater numbers, which is certainly going to help further.
There is also Dutch and British troops on Borneo deciding to make Japanese conquest of Borneo a long and drawn out fight, ruining the timetable even further. That is also not taking into account any support that is certainly going to arrive to Allied troops on Borneo, in one way or another, as long as Malaya is secure.
FInally more modern fighter aircraft are arriving and in greater numbers, which is certainly going to help further.
I have to wonder given how Britain has held up ITTL if there won’t be a faction in Singapore who will look at staying with Britain in some regard? Maybe a similar set up to Hong Kong or maybe Gib would be better.
There was a move for Malta to join with Britain post WW2 but it went nowhere as the RN was moving on from Malta at the time. Depending on the state of Britain ITTL post WW2 both Malta and Singapore could be staying with the British.
Actually, IIRC it was mainly the fact that Dom Mintoff refused to reign in spending that nixxed that in the bud. Though the changing defense state did play a part in that. The Royal Navy was still in Malta right up until 1979. There was also the precedent of annexing a colony which made some in parliament nervous. I'd say that if Minoff had made sure there was only a small deficeit then the annexation may well have gone through.
Bolting ack ack everywhere was the default move OTL so I can't see it not happening here, that and keep the good for nothing R's very far from any actual fights. In anycase I think Hurricane's in triple figures will be a bigger problem for the Japanese. Sure they're not first line anymore but get in among the bombers (or as ground attack) and it will be a massacre. Might also do in the Zero's rep earlier if it has a hard time against older western fighters. (The Hurricane is probably more agile and the Zero's armament is fairly limited at a time when most Hurri's have some armour and cannons).
True, especially as it seems to have been slightly faster than the Zero (370 Vs 331mph). Like I said hopefully bust the myths a bit earlier, sure Japan has good planes, but good compared to the crap others used as Carrier birds early in the war, Vs properly equipped landplanes they're meat.
Derek Pullem
Donor
Don't think Hurricane Mk 1 get to 370 mph? More like 320 mph. They would be faster than the A6M1 but marginally slower than the M2 version. If the Hurricanes were Mk2 versions then it's about even with the M2 except the Zero can out turn the Hurricane easily (but then the Hurricane has 8 * .303 compared or 4 * 20 mm compared to 2 * 20 mm and 2* 7.7 mm)