Sir John Valentine Carden Survives. Part 2.
- Thread starter allanpcameron
- Start date
Derek Pullem
Donor
Here you go
Hurricane Mk I Performance
Hurricane Performance Testing, wartime flight trials and reports of Hurricane aircraft. Hurricane Mk I data.
www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org
Hurricane Mk II Performance
Hurricane Performance Testing, wartime flight trials and reports of Hurricane aircraft. Hurricane Mk I data.
www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org
Well from the looks of things on a level flight even a mK 1 Hurricane can make 340mph so it's faster and better armoured/armed than a zero (if not much faster). Obviously the Japanese bombers are far slower and weaker (which is why dedicated bombers smaller than heavies went the way of the dinosaur post war) so if the Hurricanes can evade the Zero's and get in among the attacker's sheer weight of numbers should tell.
Also by this point I think cannon would be common so even if they don't have bomb capacity they can be used for GA. Especially as many Japanese tanks aren't terribly bullet proof let alone cannon proof anyway.
The trick of course is making sure Singapore can hold until relieved but they're trading ground for time and seem to be doing better than OTL already so there is hope there I think.
The other factor that is very important is how much more supply the Japanese are burning through due to prolonged combat rather than a partial rout. Add in the reduced amount of supplies that they are capturing, and the wheels will come off very soon.
The tyres are already shredded, it's now just a question of how long before everything comes to a halt.
I also think this will all butterfly the 1942 no confidence vote. Granted it was a fiasco anyway with no hope of passing but with Britain victorious in Africa, having made Germany pay for Greece and now holding in Asia it's probably unlikely there will be even enough support to get even as far as it did.
Should also make Britain feel better about itself compared to this point OTL.
It might be worth considering that A6M Zero is not what the CW is going to be running into, at least not yet. IJA/IJAAF is running the show, so its Ki-27/43s going up against Buffalos, (Sea) Hurricanes and P-40s, and with warining system in place, radars and some actual semblance of command on the Allied side, IJAAF is likely going to find their job as difficult as their collegues on the ground.
Still, I do not think US is going to have as much reason (real or perceived) to complain about UK combat performance ITTL, especially considering that they are likely to suffer as badly as they did IOTL in Phillippines. And a certain General Doug looks even worse by comparison, which I am sure is something nobody will mind.
And, one dares to assume, the Treasury is going to be happier. Well, they are still going to be screaming bloody murder, but they do not know just how badly OTL went...
Still, I do not think US is going to have as much reason (real or perceived) to complain about UK combat performance ITTL, especially considering that they are likely to suffer as badly as they did IOTL in Phillippines. And a certain General Doug looks even worse by comparison, which I am sure is something nobody will mind.
With luck he ends up on the retired list as the Philippines aren't that much worse equipped and he lost big time while Blighty threw the Japanese into the sea (and hopefully torpedoed a carrier or two when the IJN is forced to support the failing invasion.)
Seems unlikely. He was a political problem for Roosevelt, safest when far away from the US. The US will probably look for a command for him somewhere. In command of American forces for the eventual retaking of the Philippines seems like a relatively low damage place to stick him. So he will likely stick around.
Organizing the defences of the Aleutians sounds like a reasonable posting for the man who lost the Philippines. Can be argued that the island chain is perfect for staging attacks on the Japanese Kurile Islands and to protect Lend-Lease convoys to Russia.
He'll be screaming that it's all the fault of the British as Force Z retreated into the Indian Ocean rather than running supply convoys to the Philippines.
Points to vast Japanese losses: "We didn't retreat we lured them into a trap! What were you doing "duck out?""
The other option is to send him to China.
The most likely place for the Japanese to get reinforcements is going to be taking them from the Burma operation, which means the Empire will retain Rangoon, which means the Burma Road isn't likely to be cut.
Having him in China means they can shut up the China Lobby and keep Dougie as far away from the US mainland as possible.
The most likely place for the Japanese to get reinforcements is going to be taking them from the Burma operation, which means the Empire will retain Rangoon, which means the Burma Road isn't likely to be cut.
Having him in China means they can shut up the China Lobby and keep Dougie as far away from the US mainland as possible.
Derek Pullem
Donor
Wonders if the universe can survive Chang Kai-Shek and Douglas MacArthur's egos in such close proximity...........
marathag
Banned
In fly-offs against the French Curtiss H-75, both early Spitfire and Hurricane were shown up by the Hawk's superior maneuverability, Hurricane decisively so, while both had the edge in top speed.
And the Zero had better climb and turn, while worse roll than the Hawk.
OTL the Hurricanes sent to Malaya (The IIB variant) had 'as I understand it' a 12 machine gun armament and not the cannon of the IIC variant
Note the 2 Browning MK II outboard of the landing lights
This would have added 80 plus kilos to the aircraft likely limiting the performance improvements that the 1400 HP engine and improved aerodynamics (lengthened spinning and improvements to recessed tail wheel etc) would have provided.
But that would spam out 250 RPS and against unarmed aircraft!