The Sun, The Stars and The Sickle: Alt-WWII and a Tripolar Postwar World

[Jaenera Targaryen]

Somehow, I get the feeling once Israel is up and running ITTL, they'll be importing a lot of modern equipment from Japan and Manchukuo. Tanks, fighter jets, munitions, etc...while there'll be plenty of cross-country training and exercises, i.e. Israeli naval and air force officers spending time with the IJN and IJAF, tank crews training on the Manchurian steppes, etc.

Though I also imagine any remaining anti-Semites would be screaming about how all that is 'proof' of a global, Jewish network of money and influence pulling the strings behind the world.

*rolls eyes*

Lunatics...

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

With the amount of Jewish migrants in Harbin, I also wonder how Israel will be affected ITTL.

As of now, the arrangement is affecting the course of events in Mandatory Palestine.

The fact that the Empire of Manchukuo has placed no quotas on Jewish migration comes as a great relief to Allied authorities, who are still bound by the terms of the White Paper, which restricts Jewish migration to Palestine. As a solution, transit visas allowing temporary settlement in Palestine until transportation to Manchukuo is possible are simply issued in bulk.
The Synagogue Society of Kobe, and others from as far afield as New York and London eagerly collect contributions for those in transit.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

I imagine the Jewish-American community is a particularly supportive element for détente and more between the USA and Japan.

 

[TwoRivers]

Though I also imagine any remaining anti-Semites would be screaming about how all that is 'proof' of a global, Jewish network of money and influence pulling the strings behind the world.

*rolls eyes*

Lunatics...

True, and since Japan hasn't joined the Axis or gone full-bore fascist TTL, you have a one-two punch of "yellow devils" in league with "a conspiracy of international Jewry". Throw in a black doctor like Charles R. Drew (one of the people who created the first blood banks for transfusions in WW2) in there somewhere, and you've got the white supremacist nightmare trifecta.

 

[TwoRivers]

Hmm, regarding the convoys from the last chapter - what's the status of rationing among the warring countries? I could actually see Britain's situation being similar to OTL, as while the country is heading for a stronger position postwar, at present they're racing to keep up with demands for munition, ships, etc. Is Germany able to keep its people fed and clothed at the moment, or have they begun to suffer shortfalls akin to those that would OTL eventually send Japan towards famine before the surrender?

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Somehow, I get the feeling once Israel is up and running ITTL, they'll be importing a lot of modern equipment from Japan and Manchukuo. Tanks, fighter jets, munitions, etc...while there'll be plenty of cross-country training and exercises, i.e. Israeli naval and air force officers spending time with the IJN and IJAF, tank crews training on the Manchurian steppes, etc.

Though I also imagine any remaining anti-Semites would be screaming about how all that is 'proof' of a global, Jewish network of money and influence pulling the strings behind the world.

*rolls eyes*

Lunatics...

The Nazi propaganda definitely writes itself here... the "International Banking Cabal", financing the "Mongrel Armies" of the world; using the Mongol Hordes and other savages as muscle against the Aryan Master Race and whatnot.

Meanwhile, on the Japanese side, the themes of Co-Prosperity and an Imperial Family are strong. In Manchukuo, the Manchu, the Han Chinese, the Japanese, the Jew and the Svbodnik all enjoy the same rights and freedoms, and all fight to defend their young nation against the Nazis and Communists- and they do not fight alone, the world has their backs.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Hmm, regarding the convoys from the last chapter - what's the status of rationing among the warring countries? I could actually see Britain's situation being similar to OTL, as while the country is heading for a stronger position postwar, at present they're racing to keep up with demands for munition, ships, etc. Is Germany able to keep its people fed and clothed at the moment, or have they begun to suffer shortfalls akin to those that would OTL eventually send Japan towards famine before the surrender?

As of now, while Britain is still struggling to keep pace with demand, the privations are not as bad as they were OTL. While bombing still destroyed many homes, the much better situation in the Atlantic- no real "Happy Time" for the U-Boats mean that bellies are fuller, winters are warmer, and there is more milk and meat to go around. The convoys get through- strings of ships under the Red Duster, protected by those flying the White Ensign keep Britain fed, clothed and armed. By this point, not one convoy sails without adequate escort. Corvettes have been withdrawn from Atlantic service, and those that haven't been transferred to the South African and Indian Navies undertake patrols closer inshore. Atlantic convoys are given a proper close escort of sloops, frigates and escort destroyers, with a sweep of fleet destroyers and distant cover by cruisers, battleships and carriers.

As for Germany, the noose hasn't tightened yet, but now that bombing raids have started, civilian rations are starting to be reduced, and levies for the Eastern Front are beginning to cut deeper...

 

[HarryLeferts]

As of now, while Britain is still struggling to keep pace with demand, the privations are not as bad as they were OTL. While bombing still destroyed many homes, the much better situation in the Atlantic- no real "Happy Time" for the U-Boats mean that bellies are fuller, winters are warmer, and there is more milk and meat to go around. The convoys get through- strings of ships under the Red Duster, protected by those flying the White Ensign keep Britain fed, clothed and armed. By this point, not one convoy sails without adequate escort. Corvettes have been withdrawn from Atlantic service, and those that haven't been transferred to the South African and Indian Navies undertake patrols closer inshore. Atlantic convoys are given a proper close escort of sloops, frigates and escort destroyers, with a sweep of fleet destroyers and distant cover by cruisers, battleships and carriers.

As for Germany, the noose hasn't tightened yet, but now that bombing raids have started, civilian rations are starting to be reduced, and levies for the Eastern Front are beginning to cut deeper...

Are blackcurrants as common here as they were in OTL? For those who don’t know, the British government pushed for every household that could to have a bush of blackcurrants in their backyard due to being extremely rich in Vitamin C and you can get a lot of fruit from a single bush (10 pounds of fruit from a single bush!). Later, the British government distributed Blackcurrant syrup free to children under the age of two. Which is considered why blackcurrant flavour is so popular in Britain even to this day.

Interestingly enough, Japan in real life imports $3.6 million worth of New Zealand blackcurrants for various culinary and nutritional reasons.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Are blackcurrants as common here as they were in OTL? For those who don’t know, the British government pushed for every household that could to have a bush of blackcurrants in their backyard due to being extremely rich in Vitamin C and you can get a lot of fruit from a single bush (10 pounds of fruit from a single bush!). Later, the British government distributed Blackcurrant syrup free to children under the age of two. Which is considered why blackcurrant flavour is so popular in Britain even to this day.

Interestingly enough, Japan in real life imports $3.6 million worth of New Zealand blackcurrants for various culinary and nutritional reasons.

That's really interesting, and count me among those who didn't know that!

Blackcurrants shall indeed be just as popular TTL, and slowly but surely, through sailors and attachés, the humble blackcurrant has made its way to Japan.

Interestingly enough, I thought tonkatsu might become quite popular with Britons at home and abroad, as fried pork cutlets are tasty and familiar.

 

[HarryLeferts]

That's really interesting, and count me among those who didn't know that!

Blackcurrants shall indeed be just as popular TTL, and slowly but surely, through sailors and attachés, the humble blackcurrant has made its way to Japan.

It’s really kind of interesting when one looks at it. Back in the early thirties, the British discovered that blackcurrants had as much, if not more, Vitamin C as citrus fruits did. The doctor who discovered this proceeded to create a brand called “Ribena” to sell blackcurrant squash (basically a syrup used to make drinks). When WWII came around and the Germans Uboat campaign made it near impossible to import citrus fruits, the British government turned to blackcurrants because they could be grown just about anywhere in the British Isles. They also nationalized Ribena and gave out free syrup/juice as rations for children under two in order to stave off things like scurvy. The brand itself is still around to this day.

What makes this really interesting is that Japan was also worried about scurvy, including in the IJN. Every ship down to the Destroyers had a lemonade maker for medicinal purposes. Yeah, they would make lemonade and hand it out to the sailors to starve off scurvy and the like (well, Yamato and her sisters had a ramune plant on-board as well). Granted, Japan does grow its own citrus fruits but... it could make sense if you had it for blackcurrant syrup for the IJA units in China in this case. Much easier to transport syrup in bottles to the front lines and then make it into drinks for them than to ship actual fruits themselves.

Interestingly enough, I thought tonkatsu might become quite popular with Britons at home and abroad, as fried pork cutlets are tasty and familiar.

I could see this to be honest and would not be the first British food like that. After all, beef Wellington is also cooked in a pastry crust.

Since we’re talking about food here there is a few interesting things to note. One thing that popped up was that US Marines made their own ice cream during the Guadalcanal Campaign in OTL. See, they wanted some ice cream, but the supplies were not there so they decided to create their own. After trial and error, they figured out how to do it.

Using old, cleaned out drums, they would attach small propellers to the front. These propellers would turn a shaft with a second propeller inside the drum. The Marines would fill the drums with milk and flavouring before sealing them and attaching them to their planes in place of bombs or external fuel tanks. Said planes would fly up to about 30,000 feet and stay up there for about twenty minutes. The cold would freeze the mixture while the propellers churned it, making fresh ice cream for them to enjoy.

 

[TwoRivers]

Both the macro and micro scale life of the nascent Imperial block are fascinating to read, but I'm also a sucker for any timeline with a US-China partnership. Wu and his supporters have a pretty herculean task ahead, even once the war is over. Uniting disparate interests, recovering from the damage to the nation caused by years of multi-way warfare, and modernizing the UoC is going to be difficult - if Wu can manage (or at least begin the process) he'll truly be one of his country's great statesmen.

 

[TrashMan]

What's Wang Jingwei up to this timeline? Is he in exile somewhere or something completely different?

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Both the macro and micro scale life of the nascent Imperial block are fascinating to read, but I'm also a sucker for any timeline with a US-China partnership. Wu and his supporters have a pretty herculean task ahead, even once the war is over. Uniting disparate interests, recovering from the damage to the nation caused by years of multi-way warfare, and modernizing the UoC is going to be difficult - if Wu can manage (or at least begin the process) he'll truly be one of his country's great statesmen.

That reminds me, I do need a Union of China slice of life too, it's on the list for sure!

What's Wang Jingwei up to this timeline? Is he in exile somewhere or something completely different?

Wang is still around! He is currently on the edge of Chiang's increasingly insular circle, and he resents that Chiang did not heed his advice to not draw the West in, and to make peace with Japan while the RoC still had the advantage in early 1941.

Currently, he has serious doubts about Chiang's aptitude for continued leadership, and may be involved with reaching out to prominent figures on the KMT's left and beyond...

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Ah, I realized I never mentioned the fate that befell General Hideki Tojo...

It was a difficult decision for the General Staff. He would need to be placed in a position were he could be closely supervised, yet one that was not outright insulting, given his long service in China. Positions as commanding officer of one of the reserve armies in the Home Islands were rejected, as was an instructor's position at the IJA War College. Unlike an Imperial family member, like Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, (who was made chief priest of the Ise Shrine), there are fewer options.

Instead, Tojo has been placed on Chief of General Staff Marshal Prince Morimasa Nashimoto's staff- not as Chief of Staff, but on his staff nonetheless. It is a position of immense prestige, but very little responsibility.

For his own part, Tojo, as much as he tries to hide it, is highly resentful that Terauchi and Hata have received their Marshal's badges, while he did not, despite much longer service in China then either. He also knows that his defeat at Huchow more than likely means he will never receive a Marshal's badge or a Peerage. Privately, he chafes at his position as well- "Nansensu" will no doubt appear in his diary when referencing that he so wishes that his service to his Emperor did not involve sitting on the staff of his Emperor's elderly half-uncle (IIRC).

As for General Hajime Sugiyama, he has been named military attaché to Thailand.

 

[TwoRivers]

Instead, Tojo has been placed on Chief of General Staff Marshal Prince Morimasa Nashimoto's staff- not as Chief of Staff, but on his staff nonetheless. It is a position of immense prestige, but very little responsibility.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy... [sarcasm]. Regarding the General Staff - we know that the naval strategy when facing a hypothetical war with the US has shifted from "decisive battle" to defense and attrition, with an emphasis on making every ship count as much as it can, since the saner TTL establishment knows it cannot out-produce the United States. Does the General Staff have something equivalent to the American color plans for dealing with other nations? In particular, the USSR would seem to be concern to the Empire of Japan since they can attack directly on land against continental Asia as well as Karafuto.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy... [sarcasm]. Regarding the General Staff - we know that the naval strategy when facing a hypothetical war with the US has shifted from "decisive battle" to defense and attrition, with an emphasis on making every ship count as much as it can, since the saner TTL establishment knows it cannot out-produce the United States. Does the General Staff have something equivalent to the American color plans for dealing with other nations? In particular, the USSR would seem to be concern to the Empire of Japan since they can attack directly on land against continental Asia as well as Karafuto.

The USSR is indeed the chief opponent in the minds of the General Staff.

Core parts of the overall strategy include:

0. Every soldier, to a man, is the personal bodyguard of the Emperor. He shall gladly lay down his life to protect his Emperor, the Imperial Family, and the Imperial Institution. In his deeds, he shall bring honour to his Emperor and do nothing to bring dishonour.

1. Defence of the Home Islands
2. Defence of Imperial Territories (Karafuto, Kuriles, Formosa, Korea), Mandates (South Seas Mandate) and Allies (technically the Empire of Manchukuo and the Khanate of Mengjiang are supposed to be allies rather than dependents)
3. Securing the resources necessary for the survival of Japan and the prosperity of the Empire.

Containment of the Soviet Union and Communist ambitions at large were the pre-war priority of the IJA. In particular, the defence of Manchukuo was a cause of particular concern, as many regions of the remote north of the country have little to no road or railway connections, making it difficult to respond to Soviet incursion.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

What makes this really interesting is that Japan was also worried about scurvy, including in the IJN. Every ship down to the Destroyers had a lemonade maker for medicinal purposes. Yeah, they would make lemonade and hand it out to the sailors to starve off scurvy and the like (well, Yamato and her sisters had a ramune plant on-board as well). Granted, Japan does grow its own citrus fruits but... it could make sense if you had it for blackcurrant syrup for the IJA units in China in this case. Much easier to transport syrup in bottles to the front lines and then make it into drinks for them than to ship actual fruits themselves.

@WaterproofPotatoes

Is Yamato still seen as a 'hotel' ITTL? Or are accommodation on all Japanese ships already better than OTL that Yamato's up to Western standards accommodations aren't a source of resentment from crews of other ships?

Using old, cleaned out drums, they would attach small propellers to the front. These propellers would turn a shaft with a second propeller inside the drum. The Marines would fill the drums with milk and flavouring before sealing them and attaching them to their planes in place of bombs or external fuel tanks. Said planes would fly up to about 30,000 feet and stay up there for about twenty minutes. The cold would freeze the mixture while the propellers churned it, making fresh ice cream for them to enjoy.

I get the feeling the Mongolians will be showing the Allies in China how to make ice cream the old-fashioned way.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

@WaterproofPotatoes

Is Yamato still seen as a 'hotel' ITTL? Or are accommodation on all Japanese ships already better than OTL that Yamato's up to Western standards accommodations aren't a source of resentment from crews of other ships?

HIJMS Yamato and her sisters Musashi and Shinano, do indeed have by far the best accommodations in the IJN battlefleet. Compared to the rebuilt WWI and 1920s builds, "Hotel Yamato", "Club Musashi" and "Shinano Palace" have much more space, fresh ramune and mochi, and everything will be brand new. The Fuso and Ise class hybrid battle-carriers are by far the worst- they are cramped, wet forward, and in the case of the Ises, horrible resonance vibrations at or near full speed. On the other hand, the Shokakus and Taihos were/are being built with enhanced accomodations.

However, Royal Navy and RCN/RAN influence has not been ignored. At the behest of Navy Minister Yonai and Chief of Naval Staff Nagano, efforts have been undertaken to give sailors better uniforms, fully electric lighting on all vessels, better food and larger portions, and improved medical and dental care. Although Jack Tar must be content with bar soap, the IJN has taken a page out of the RCN book and began installing electric washing machines on its ships as well.

The RN influence also extends to discipline. No longer are IJN petty officers allowed to beat ratings on a whim as discipline. TTL, HIJMS Mutsu will be less of a powder keg in more ways than one.

 

[HarryLeferts]

. In particular, the defence of Manchukuo was a cause of particular concern, as many regions of the remote north of the country have little to no road or railway connections, making it difficult to respond to Soviet incursion.

*Waggles hand* There might be a bit of a solution there actually. For roads, it depends on if you want them paved or if dirt could do. In the second, a split-log drag would do very well for that and you could literally have a horse pull it along. If you want to improve them a little more, a macadam road is very cheap and easy to make. Would not be perfect, but could be built easily and with technology.

For railways, it does become a bit harder in some ways. It should be noted, however, that you had reapproachment in 1935 at least, I believe. Britain, at least, might well have a lot of rail left over from the trench railways of WWI as well as the locomotives used there. Even if they didn’t, they could have gotten some of those involved with the war and call upon experience. To put into perspective, Canadians alone laid somewhere around 700 miles of track between 1917 and the end of the war. It is all narrow gauge, and the trains in question could only really pull cars of about ten tons, mind you, but... it would be extremely effective for getting men and equipment around just the same.

I get the feeling the Mongolians will be showing the Allies in China how to make ice cream the old-fashioned way.

Not impossible, really.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

As for railways, Manchukuo is at the very least crossed by the South Manchurian and Trans-Manchurian Railways, which both branch throughout the country. The former links Hsinking and Harbin with the Kwantung Territory and points farther south, whereas the Trans-Manchurian links Harbin with Chita and Khabarovsk in the USSR and Kalgan, Mengjiang. Both have many branches into the interior, but the Japanese and Manchurians are outnumbered by the Soviets. Roads can be built fairly easily too, but both take time. The Soviets greatly outnumber the Japanese and Manchurian forces, especially in quantity and quality of armour. In terms of artillery, both have good quality guns and gunners, but the Soviets have more; and in terms of airpower, the IJAAS holds an advantage in quality but not quantity.

The IJA, and even the IJN have expertise with railway troops. The IJA has a few armoured trains, as well as railway repair battalions., and one Schneider-built railway gun. The IJN has several railway guns- in addition to those made with the 14" L/45 guns taken off the Fusos and Ises when they were converted to carriers, there is HIJM Gun Jimmu. Jimmu was made from a Vickers design for a 14"/L50 gun for Russian export for the would-be Izmail/Borodino class battlecruisers. It fired a heavier shell than the older 14"/L45 (about 1650 vs 1485 pounds per shell), originally at lower velocity. The IJN briefly considered refitting the Kongos with these bigger guns, but Vickers considered them structurally weak, and unacceptably prone to cracking. The IJN ordered a Japanese-made strengthened version based on the Vickers pattern, which could now fire the same heavy shell at higher velocity (2650-2700fps), but the gun was now too large and heavy to replace the Kongos' guns without significant modifications, which simply wouldn't be worth it. Instead, one of the two guns was put on a railway mount and the other kept as a spare.