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

[WaterproofPotatoes]

General Jun Ushiroku:

Bukokisho, Army type, 1st Class:

Central China Area Army Headquarters

City of Tsingtao (Japanese Concession)

May 10th, 1941

9:06 AM

GENERAL Jun Ushiroku was reading through the seemingly endless Army news bulletins, as there seemed to be an increase in their length and frequency. He was eager to see if any big changes were planned. The waiting was bad for morale as were the kempeitai investigations.

The first few were on promotions- General Toshizo Nishio was leaving his post as Chief of Staff of the Central China Area Army to command the Home Islands General Army, and General Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni to take his post. Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi got a promotion to full General and appointed Chief of Staff to the Southern China Area Army, and thus his new chief of staff. All routine.

The next one made General Ushiroku nervous. A new medal.

The new Bukokisho ("Badge for Military Merit") was to be approved in three classes, in both Army and Navy versions. Unlike the Order of the Golden Kite, which was either awarded posthumously or after a conflict ended, and even then usually only to officers, the "Bukosho' could be awarded to anyone, and awarded relatively quickly.

There were three classes- 1st through 3rd. The badge was made in steel- blued for 3rd, bronzed for 2nd and gilt for 1st. There was an inscription on the reverse, and a design featurig shields and a banner with the kanji for "Military Merit" on the obverse. Medals were to be awarded for a single meritorious act, and individuals could be awarded each class once. In lieu of multiple awards of the same class, recommendation for the Order of the Golden Kite was suggested.

Now, why would there be a need for a medal that could be awarded quickly and in large numbers...

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Sun Chuanfang, the "Nanking Warlord"
EDIT: I had the wrong picture...this one is correct

Wu Peifu, the "Jade Marshal"

A nondescript tea house

Shanghai, Republic of China

May 12th, 1941

1:27 PM


SUN Chuanfang, nominally a General in the National Army, was walking down the familiar path. The path of a warlord, meeting an old acquaintance, who might prove to be very helpful to the Northwestern armies. Unusually, it was not Sun who had reached out first.


That the Chinese forces saw their greatest successes under the command of Sun and his mentor, Wu Peifu, in the Northwest was no secret. The Japanese, and their allies in Manchukuo and Mengjiang were getting pushed farther back towards their borders, and if progress continued, they would soon cross their frontiers. However, just as Wu and Sun's troops became more effective, so too did the Japanese, and their puppet armies. They no longer faced frightened hordes barely better than mercenaries, or exhausted soldiers stretched too thin- they were now Japanese trained and equipped professional soldiers. Pujie, the Prince Regent of Manchukuo, inspired far more confidence than his brother, and that made a difference to morale on their side; and Prince De, the head of state in Mengjiang, presented himself as a modern-day Genghis Khan.

It was also no secret that Chiang fell deeper and deeper into the thrall of his German advisors, seemingly by the day. He also kept the best trained and best equipped soldiers for himself, garrisoned in and around Nanking, Shanghai and Guangzhou. That was bad enough, but the flow of needed supplies trickled. Sun hoped that Chiang wasn't planning something utterly mad, like a frontal assault on the heavily-fortified city of Tsingtao, but one could never be sure with Chiang anymore. He grew bolder and more bellicose by the day.


Sun traveled by a small plane, on "official business" to Shanghai. He remembered meetings such as these quite well, from when he was the warlord that controlled Nanking and Shanghai until Chiang's Northern Expedition expelled both himself, and Wu's forces to the northwest. Sun wore a simple, khaki, civilian suit and carried a brown leather briefcase.


Today's meeting was in a private room of a dingy, nondescript tea house in Shanghai. That wasn't important. What was important was the person he was meeting with, and what he could do. It was none other than the Chinese-American businessman, Bao "Jimmy B." Jinping. Bao, according to some sources, was born in San Francisco to a Chinese father and Chinese-American mother, and split his childhood between northern California and Shanghai. He had powerful connections- as high as the Secretary of State- which varied depending on who you asked. Bao had officially made his fortune as a dealer in scrap metals, coal and building aggregates, and unofficially as a dealer in just about anything, especially favours and weapons.

Bao was not a flamboyant man, unlike what one might expect. His suits were universally cheap grey flannel with natural shoulders, his collars small, his neckties subdued. He kept his head shaved and goatee trimmed, although his shoes were usually beat up and dirty. He lived in a modest apartment- not a hole or a dump, but certainly not fancy, and drove a Plymouth. You'd never notice him unless you were looking. He was highly intelligent in both book smarts and street smarts. He was fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese and English, plus enough French, German and Korean to carry on a conversation.

Bao breezed into the small room, slightly late, as he was known to do and sat down. Bao, although he was not known for his punctuality, also hated wasting time.


"Well, Mr. Sun, we meet again" said Bao, opening the conversation. "It's been a while since we did business together"

"Indeed it has" said Sun. "But this time, Bao, it was you who sought me out. I wasn't aware that I still owed you any debts. Or, is it you now looking to call on me for a favour?"

"Nothing like that" said Bao, nonchalantly. "Well, the debts at least. Sun, what is the situation in the Northwest?"

"Why does that interest you? Are you... offering?" asked Sun, an eyebrow raised

"So, you're asking?" countered Bao, his face betraying no emotion.

"I'm asking why you're asking" said Sun insistently

Bao smiled. "Sun, if there wasn't a reason for you to ask, you wouldn't be asking if I was asking. Come now, you've known me a long time, and you know where to find me anyway. Have I ever given you reason to doubt me before? You know damn well that gangster Du isn't good for anyone's business but his friends' and especially his own. If I knew your situation better- I obviously only have an outsider's perspective, but it might be different than what the rags are pumping out. Nobody would know what I am about to know, or who led me to know it. It isn't good. Only a fool would think otherwise"

"And how" replied Sun. "That Du is a bad influence on Chiang. Those ears are like blinders on him. He wants a quick end to this whole affair so he can get back to business as usual. So does Wang Jingwei, but he does not advocate such blindly aggressive methods as Du."

"Go on"

"The German advisors are a bad influence too. Not Falkenhausen; he is an asset, well-versed in military training and a capable diplomat. It's the new breed. That Eichmann character. Why a man of such low rank commands so much fear and awe, I do not know, but he clearly has powerful friends in Germany. I have not seen it with my eyes, as I am kept away, but I have heard he as his own batch of recruits trained outside the usual Army structure, and indoctrinated in ideological matters in addition to military training. But, this ideological indoctrination is foreign to China, and nonsensical."

"China?" asked Bao. "Do you mean the Kuomintang? You know as well as I do there is more to China than the Party:

"I do mean China" replied Sun. "It is an odious ideology that they are attempting to impart, this 'SS' cadre. It resembles the fanaticism that nearly took hold in Japan some years ago, but worse. I spent years as a monk, and have cleared much rubbish from my mind. I have learned much of the art of peace, as well as war. They forget that we are five races under one nation, and that it isn't one China, but a union of all Chinas that will lead us to success. Fanaticism, and a failure to tap the strength of the many and common purpose will lead to nothing but heaps of bodies under the Japanese guns at Tsingtao."

Bao's interest was clearly piqued. "I can tell you something about the guns of Tsingtao. There are more of them. The Japanese are shipping over old battleship guns on railway mountings that their French allies helped them make. They have huge rangefinders and directors in towers. They have British radar- they can see planes coming from any direction, in any weather. Invading the city from the south would be a bloodbath. They have hundreds of thousands of fresh troops in Japan too."

Sun was stunned. "Does Chiang not realize that this would be suicide?" he asked, clearly shocked.

"If he does" replied Bao "He doesn't seem to care. He is doing anything he can to build up numbers. Du's gangs are even rounding up people that owe them money- and some even say people on the streets and press-ganging them into the Army. I have heard from some prominent and well-connected individuals in the business community that Chiang even wants sanctions on Britain and France to make them rein the Japanese in. Naturally, they won't be bullied like that, and Chiang would just make himself more enemies. He won't be appearing on the cover of Life magazine again any time soon, I can tell you that much. He's even trying to solicit- unofficially, mind,- American support for his cause, and has talked about closing off concessions if he doesn't get it"

"Such a move would be disastrous! Idiotic!" said Sun, his voice hushed, and his face red with anger. "I speak for Wu and the Northwestern Armies as well when I say we will never support such a move, and that we will vehemently oppose it in any way we can!"

"Do you speak for anyone else?" asked Bao calmly, an understanding having been reached.

"I-we- can also count on the support of the Hui soldiers of the former Ma cliques, and I am sure there are many in Shanghai and Nanking who remember old times, and are not so keen on this... new model of leadership. That it might not be such a coincidence that these German advisors were brought in right after we were deposed. Is it Chiang using them as a strongarm against any who might oppose him, while they use him for their own aims? Some might say that"

"But what do you say?" asked Bao.

"I have no opinion on that; I care only for China's wellbeing" said Sun

"That's a politician's answer if I ever heard one" said a bemused Bao. "But if you're looking to place a... hardware order... the time is now, as there may be some unscheduled distribution difficulties in the near future."

"On the old account?" asked Sun.

"For anyone else?" said Bao, the smile unfading "I would refuse, but for you and Wu? You need only ask. Best you just tell me, you know I have a habit of losing pieces of paper"

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Wang Jingwei:

---

THE world was shocked, but not surprised. Germany had invaded the Soviet Union. On May 23rd, 1941, Unternahmen Barbarossa commenced, and five Army Groups smashed their way into the western Soviet Union. Tank commanders, such as Heinz Guderian and Erwin Rommel, saw their forces win victory after stunning victory over greater numbers of Soviet tanks. It appeared that the quick victory that Germany desired in the Soviet Union was inevitable. Their advances were virtually unchecked; the Red Army caught by surprise and woefully unprepared.


In China, however, the Pact of Steel encountered more problems. The advances against the Japanese, Manchukuo and Mengjiang forces ground to a halt. Ground forces strengthened their positions, and shipped equipment to the front, which was nearly at the antebellum borders of Manchkuo and Mengjiang.

The air battles over China tended to favour the IJA and IJN, although an accident nearly occurred when Ki-27 kais from Nos. 33 and 57 Sentai and Zeroes from the carrier Takao attacked a flight of Stukas at the same time, nearly leading to mid-air collisions and a humiliating incident in which the Zeroes dived on the Ki-27s and nearly traded gunfire until they spotted the hinomaru on the wings of the "enemy" aircraft. This event was the catalyst for instituting a system of improved cooperation and coordination for the air defence of Tsingtao. Both the Navy and Army complained loudly about the conduct of the rival force, and the matter was quickly settled by an order by the Emperor himself, demanding that "this humiliating event should never be repeated, and I trust that it will not". A perimeter defence system resembling the "Dowding System" was imposed by the IJAAS, and the Army and Navy were to advise each other when they detected enemy aircraft, and report the relative position of their own aircraft. While not perfect by any means, it was a marked improvement. The Army Type 0 Anti-Aircraft Gun, a licence-produced variant of the Vickers QF 3.7 Anti-Aircraft Gun was appreciated greatly as well.

The primary IJA Air Service fighter at this point was the Nakajima Ki-27 Kai. Entering service in 1940, and cribbing a few pointers from the Improved Navy Type 96/ Bushido, it had considerable differences from the earlier marks, yet not enough to merit a different "Ki" number. It featured a more powerful Nakajima Kotobuki 3-Kai radial engine with ejector exhaust stacks and retractable undercarriage, the additional weight offset by the more powerful engine and weight reduction measures elsewhere. It was lightly armed, with one 7.7mm machine gun and one 12.7mm machine gun, firing explosive ammunition. In this improved form, it was slightly faster and much more maneuverable than the Chinese Polikarpov I-16 fighters, but still struggled against the Bf-109D and relied on surprise and pilot skill to take on a Bf-109E, even in its detuned export form. The Ki-43, however, was accepted by the IJAAS in April, and would be ready for production in quantity by July, whereupon it would first replace the older marks of the Ki-27.

There was much frustration in China, as a lengthy stalemate loomed, and the ways to break it were a subject of much debate. Production increased, but American investment decreased following the Saratoga Incident. Chiang found himself unable to find quite as many willing partners in the China Lobby- in fact, many seemed all too eager to distance themselves from him. Wang Jingwei was one of many voices in the KMT who favoured brokering some sort of settlement, or at least a ceasefire with the Japanese. During this time, it was hoped that the remaining Communists could be purged and the Army enlarged and given more training and equipment.

---

Nanking, Republic of China

Government HQ

June 3, 1941

10:34 AM


YET another meeting between the KMT leadership and the German advisors was in progress, and once again, the tension in the air was thick enough that you could cut it with a knife. Chiang, Wang and Du sat on one side of the desk, with Wang at Chiang's right and Du at his left. Falkenhausen and Eichmann sat on the other side, and an increasingly tense translator stood at the edge of the desk.

Eichmann broke the stony silence "This situation is untenable, as you are well aware. Our other commitments mean China must assume more responsibility for its own defence"

Chiang was taken aback. Wang winced. Du banged his fist on the desk. "So, why is it, after all the 'help' and 'advice' you've given us, that the Japanese are still there? How, Eichmann, can the troops you assured me -us- would be supermen, get thrashed by conscript units? How is it that the Japanese always seem to know what we're doing, and we have no idea? Defence? Why aren't we winning?" bellowed Du.

"You're both right, in a sense" said Wang, far more calmly. "This situation is untenable, and we should be winning. This affair must be brought to a close, and it is my hope that it can be done so with terms in our favour"

"That is my hope as well" replied Falkenhausen. "A solution to bring this to a quick conclusion without senseless losses is the best for all parties. Under your leadership, Generalissimo Chiang, the National Army has become a mighty force indeed, and one that the nations of the world would be loath to do battle with. Your abilities have even led to the Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose reaching out to us for assistance in expelling the British from India. With such a formidable reputation, offering terms to the Japanese would be my advice as well, along with cultivating relations with Bose."

Eichmann look agahst. "That fakir has nothing to offer us" he sneered. "The Japanese must be utterly crushed before anything else can be contemplated. If not, what will stop them from coming back? First the Japanese must be removed, then the Communists within China, and then Soviet aggression in the East curtailed. Everything east of the Yenisei River, from the Arctic Ocean to the South China Sea can then belong to China. With this plan followed, the world will belong to us"

"The world, Mr. Eichmann?" said a skeptical Chiang. "We have yet to consolidate China. I grow weary of constant foreign interference, of China being used by foreign powers for their own benefit. This Bose... does sound interesting, but I am not sure this is the right time. Falkenhausen, see about putting us in contact. But, there are more pressing matters."

Chiang's rage intensified, as his impassioned speech continued. "I am sick of these back and forth battles over China's sovereign territory, while Britain and France stand by and allow Japan to wage a war of blatant aggression and the Americans sit on the sidelines and cash in on it. But no more. Falkenhausen, I look to your advice on how to get the Japanese out, by any means necessary. If we have to make Britain, France and America pay, then so be it. I am tired of being played."

"By any means?" asked Wang. "Do you not think it better if we are able to maintain cordial relations with such powerful nations?"

"I don't give a damn about cordiality anymore" shot back Chiang. "I want the foreign enemy out of China."

"Surely you don't consider us to be among the foreign devils?" said a dead-eyed Eichmann.

"Don't give me a reason" replied a red-faced Chiang. "Gentlemen, we have urgent business to attend to. Good day to you"

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

In case everybody is wondering "Why is @WaterproofPotatoes going on about backroom politics in the ROC when the biggest military campaign of all time is underway in the Soviet Union?", this should make things a bit clearer...

---

Manila, Philippines

July 12th, 1941

9:19 AM


MACARTHUR was reading the news, and was disappointed, but not surprised. The China situation wasn't going away. Peace talks were on, and progress was not particularly encouraging.


This was bad. There was no way around it. China and Japan were at last discussing peace, but as usual, Chiang could be counted on to screw it up. The terms the Chinese delegation offered Japan were downright insulting: a demand for complete withdrawal from Manchukuo and Mengjiang, an admission of guilt for starting the war, and extradition of Prince De, Puyi and Pujie. In exchange, Japan would be given a 49 year lease for the Kwantung Leased Territory, and be allowed to keep their concessions in Shanghai and Tianjin. The only benefit was an additional lease on the port of Andong.

The Japanese delegation, headed by the aging General Iwane Matsui, who had been called from retirement, had terms that were equally insulting: an expanded Manchukuo and Mengjiang, the cession in perpetuity to Japan of an expanded Kwantung Territory extending as far south as Shanghai, all of Tianjin, indemnity for starting the war, assumption of costs for Puyi's "retirement" in Macau and reparations for the damage done to HIJMS* Hyuga.

Neither option was realistic. Intelligence indicated that the Japanese would be content with keeping their puppet states with their antebellum borders, Kwantung ceded to Japan in perpetuity and Tsingtao added to it. Wu Peifu was reported to have come up with a "shadow" offer: the return of Mengjiang to China and a smaller Manchukuo ceded to Japan, a 99-year lease on the Kwantung Leased Territory and railway trackage rights connecting the Japanese concessions on the coast, and both sides agreeing on mutual indemnity or joint responsibility for the war. These latter positions were much less far apart and much more reasonable, but Wu wasn't allowed anywhere near the bargaining table, and Chiang's bellicosity provoked the Japanese further. Chiang would never agree to anything less than a Japanese admission of guilt for starting the war, as it would reflect poorly on his leadership if he did not.

This was bad enough, but the other news was worse. Chiang was now threatening Britain and France with expulsion from their concessions in China. Failure to force Japan to accept the Chinese offer, or offer "equivalent territorial holdings" in Hong Kong, Malaya, Indochina and Burma, would result in "dire consequences" in addition to their concession rights being terminated. London and Algiers were not impressed. Chiang also overplayed his hand with the USA by demanding an immediate total embargo on Japan and freezing Japanese assets in the USA if they refused to comply. Failure to do so would result in a termination of American concession rights in Shanghai. This too was not looked upon favourably. Nobody tells Uncle Sam what he can and cannot do.

This outrage was backfiring on Chiang, and fast. The China Lobby clammed up. The "Hitlerites" corrupting him was blamed, as was the suspicion of a brain tumor for his outstanding lapse in judgement. He underestimated Britain and France's ties to Japan. He underestimated the United States' force of will, and the strength of the "Special Relationship" with Britain- the United States would not directly undermine her ally by interfering with Japan's economy in such a drastic way- not would the USA be cowed into it.

Intelligence also indicated that Wu and Sun were horrified by Chiang's proposals. It was hoped that they would refuse to back Chiang should he carry out his plans. Falkenhausen was silent in his disapproval, Wang muttered it; Du and Eichmann shouted their support. The latter in particular overestimated his importance and indispensability greatly. This plan reeked of his influence, however. The determined aggression, and how it coincided with Germany's aims in the Soviet Union. Moscow by Christmas didn't look impossible now.

The clock was ticking. While no official ceasefire was in place, there was little in the way of fighting in the past week. The tension was greater than ever.


MacArthur penned some speeches, depending on what happened, to be broadcast over the radio. Some were congratulations for successfully negotiated peace.

For the worst case scenario, one which read "I shall come to quell distress, and stand for freedom and righteousness against the forces of violence and chaos. I shall not leave until they are destroyed."

---
*TTL, Japanese warships officially bear the prefix "His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Ship" as of March 15th, 1941, the day the Manchukuo Imperial Navy was brought into existence, with the transfer of 3 IJN second-class destroyers to Manchukuo. These latter ships bear the prefix HIMMS.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Shanghai, Republic of China

July 17th, 1941

7:19 PM


THE last forty-eight hours almost seemed surreal. It would have sounded unlikely weeks ago, madness months ago, and speculative fiction as late as a couple years ago.

The mostly Anglo-American Shanghai International Settlement, the French Concession, and "Japantown" in Hongkou were where foreign nationals in Shanghai lived, in an increasingly tense peace as the conflict between China and Japan escalated. The peace negotiations were at a breaking point, with Matsui's Japanese delegation threatening to walk out. Both sides entrenched their unreasonable positions further.

Then, it happened. An incident of "police brutality" and "kidnapping" occurred in the International Settlement two days ago. The exact circumstances were unclear, but a suspected opium dealer with connections to Du Yuesheng alleged he was beaten by the police in the International Settlement, and detained without being charged. Police Commissioner Smyth and his deputy Watari hotly denied these allegations, but no Chinese official would take a Briton and a Japanese on their word against a Chinese citizen in these trying times.

News reached Chiang through Du and this proved to be the last straw. British, French, American and Japanese nationals were to be expelled from Shanghai, their concession rights terminated immediately. The National Army was sent in to enforce this. On July 16th, at noon Shanghai time, foreign nationals were given twenty-four hours to prepare for evacuation.

Predictably, chaos ensued. A mad scramble of ships assembled by Shanghai's piers, ready to evacuate Americans to the Philippines, Japanese to Taiwan, Britons to Hong Kong and French to Indochina.


The evacuation ships were severely overloaded, as residents piled on them with whatever belongings they could carry, and many were in danger of sinking. Everything from small liners to trawlers joined in the effort, and warships waited, watching, in international waters.

The situation worsened when Japanese railway troops and American Marines fired warning shots at looters pouring into the International Settlement and Japantown before the evacuation was complete. This led to firefights between Shanghai police and National Army soldiers on one side; the retreating Japanese, American, British and French police and soldiers on the others. The National Army also committed armoured cars to the "enforcement action" which led to widespread panic.

Eventually, order broke down, and evacuees piled onto any ship they could. British, Japanese and American destroyers rushed to aid ships in danger of sinking, and the Chinese forces interpreted this as an act of aggression. Aircraft attempted to attack the warships, which lay down thick smokescreens to obscure their charges. American P-38 Lightnings from the Philippines and IJN Zeroes were scrambled to provide air cover for the evacuation, engaging with Stukas, I-16s and Bf-109s flown by the Chinese Air Force.

Ships simply made for whatever port they could, and had stopped bothering to check the nationality of the evacuees, resulting in some diplomatically tense moments. Fortunately, cool heads prevailed when diplomats conceded that a rescue effort such as this was not tantamount to kidnapping, and that carefully separating evacuees by nationality and destination would have been utterly impossible.


The effects were far-reaching. Chiang ordered Wu Peifu to send additional forces eastward, to brace for a new Japanese retaliatory offensive. Wu refused. Chiang dismissed Wu from command, and repeated his request to Sun Chuanfang. Sun too, refused. Chiang angrily dismissed him as well. The result was that Wu and Sun, and the armies they controlled, proclaimed themselves to be separate from the "power-mad" Chiang. They stopped flying the KMT Sun, and proclaimed themselves to be the "New Union of All China", under the five-pointed Beiyang Star. Wu's forces had a powerful new ally as well.

At 6pm, July 16th, 1941, the United States of America declared war on Germany and the Republic of China, for "repeated and deliberate acts of aggression against American citizens, a reckless disregard for American lives, and propagating a regime of violence and tyranny". The expulsion of Americans from Shanghai, during which 37 American Marines and civilians were killed, was deemed to be the last straw. German influence on Chiang was blamed, and the United States agreed to back Wu in expelling Chiang and his German advisors from China. There was a big problem, however. Wu's forces were on the other side of China, with the National Army between them.

This also had the effect of making the United States and Japan allies. Few would have expected that. A conference was hastily organized to help deal with the "China Situation". The Southern China Area Army was also mobilized from Japan, the first division being dispatched to aid in the defence of Hong Kong.

MacArthur's contingency speech was broadcast.


MacArthur promised to arrive.

 

[Luminous]

United States Cruisers in Service, Construction, and Design as of May 1941

All ship classes by date of order

*=under construction
**=scheduled for construction
^=under refit
v= reconstructed
>= proposed reconstruction

Pre-Treaty Designs

Omaha Class (1922) (10 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser (originally scout cruiser; last broadside cruiser built)
550'x 55'-4.5"x15'-1"
7114.6 tons standard load
2x2+8x1 6"/53 guns in 2 twin turrets & 8 casemates, 2x3 21" TT (actual armament varies per vessel)
34.92 kn, trial max

CL-4 Omaha
CL-5 Milwaukee
CL-6 Cincinnati
CL-7 Raleigh
CL-8 Detroit
CL-9 Richmond
CL-10 Concord
CL-11 Trenton
CL-12 Marblehead
CL-13 Memphis

The Omaha class, belated in construction as it was from the Big Navy Act of 1916, was obsolete when it was launched - a broadside cruiser in the world of turreted vessels, the Omaha was an exercise in catching up to the British, while attempting to outdo them in all regards. Originally carrying 12 6"/53 guns (8 gun broadside, 6 guns end on), 10 torpedo tubes, 224 mines and 2 catapults with aircraft, in addition to smaller munitions, the fast cruisers were overweight and poor seaboats that were the attempt of putting too much on a single hull.

In later refits, 4 torpedoes were landed from the gun deck amidship, and in many vessels, the aft lower casemates were removed due to excess water entering the ship (though not in all cases). A couple of vessels had a single 6"/53 on a deck mount placed amidship between the aft turret, though the majority of those with guns removed received none in its place. The mines were removed as well, all of these additions compensating for the growth in electronics and anti-air armament.

Due to their new construction for the time, various vessels had different turbines and gear arrangements, resulting in three effective subclasses with different performance values - the short ranged, slow cruising CL-4 & CL-6, the short ranged, fast cruising CL-7 and CL-8, and the long ranged, moderate cruising CL-5, CL-9, CL-10, CL-11, CL-12, and CL-13. This division lead to the vessels being split up in priorities. Omaha and Cincinnati tended to remain on convoy duty and low key duties. Raleigh and Detroit served either as the flagships of destroyer squadrons or as elements of the Scouting Force, while the remainder were shifted around on various independent and second line duties. However, they are still the fastest cruisers in the US fleet and more heavily armed than any other light cruiser from their era, so they have a place in the fleet even with all the new construction.

Treaty Designs

Pensacola Class (1930) (3 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser (originally light cruiser; designation altered due to LNT)
570'x65'-3"x18'-4"
9096.8 tons standard load
3x2+2x2 8"/55 guns in 2 twin & 2 triple mounts
32.78 kn, trial max

CA-24 Pensacola
CA-25 Salt Lake City
CA-26 Northampton

This class was chopped down by the WNT, losing 2 8" guns and sufficient armor protection and speed, though the vessel still was very heavily armored for its time, though it still didn't quite have the legs of the Lexington class and Omaha class. Was underweight when built, tantamount to engineers' efforts to save weight due to the treaty terms; ballast had to be added to the keel to bring performance in line. Two triple torpedo mounts were removed from the vessel early in its life due to water overflowing the bays

[Effectively OTL Pensacola Class]

Chester Class (1930) (5 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser (originally light cruiser; designation altered due to LNT)
582'x66'-7/8"x18'-11"
9390.4 tons standard load
3x3 8"/55 guns in 3 triple mounts
32.76 kn, trial max

CA-27 Chester
CA-28 Louisville
CA-29 Chicago
CA-30 Houston
CA-31 Portland

A concurrent design with the Pensacola class, which featured a slightly beamier and heavier ship with a simpler main gun arrangement, sacrificing one gun for a shorter hull. The Chester otherwise is very similar, but with better performance throughout, with higher freeboard, especially in the latter three vessels, which received flag quarters as replacement for the then-flagship Tennessee-class cruisers (two of which, IX-39 Seattle and IX-41 Charlotte serve as receiving ships at this point in time).

[Effectively OTL Northampton Class]

Syren Class (1932) (4 Vessels)
Type: Hybrid Cruiser, Light
637'x62.5'x19.4'
10,000 tons standard load, nominal
3x3 6"/47 guns in 3 triple turrets (later 3x2 6"/47 DP guns in 3 twin turrets)
24 aircraft
32.5 kn, design

>CLV-1 Syren
^CLV-2 Flirt
^CLV-3 Vixen
>CLV-4 Sylph

A design that arose from the London Naval Treaty and the US's desire for more decks, but also more cruisers, the Syren was unique for its time, incorporating a flight deck and corresponding aircraft to a heavy armament of 9 6"/47 guns, all firing forward (C superfiring over B), which was still a heavier armament than most other light cruisers at the time. Poorly armored, the vessels were nearly axed by the beginning of the Depression, but due to the glut of light cruisers available due to treaty terms, "wasting" tonnage was less of a concern than OTL. The construction of the Panzerschiffe sealed the deal, as the hybrids were the treaty cruisers best suited for combating the overarmed, underamored cruisers. The ship's design problems resulted in unique solutions, with an angled flight deck to add additional length for the takeoff run. Working well initially, this unit faced problems leading into the mid 1930s, resulting in a refit to add a catapult forward in exchange for aft 5"/25 guns being removed (which were unable to fire upon anything, as it stood, due to poor angles).

The unique design itself created a natural platform for a heavy caliber AA weapon, which itself leads to continued development of the 6"/47 DP for potential use on future platforms. By 1940, the weapon had proceeded along development enough that the decision was made to begin refits of this class (later classes needed less work, so were deferred) - bulges were added the remaining 5"/25 guns were landed, and twin 6"/47 guns were installed on the conical barbettes (these turrets were less effective than full-fledged variants used on later vessels, and had slightly lower rate of fire). Syren had not yet entered refit as of the torpedoing of Saratoga.

Naming scheme derives from their status as "timid" cruisers in Navy theoretical schemes, who openly flirt with combat and tease engagement, but never actually commit themselves fully at risk to themselves. The original Syren herself was one of two ships responsible for burning the captured Philadelphia during the Barbary, with her crew assisting the Intrepid's in the act.

[Effectively OTL Cruiser no. 39 upon laying down.]

San Francisco Class (1934) (4 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser
578'x61.75'x21'-8"
10,050 tons standard load
3x3 8"/55 guns in 3 triple turrets
32.36 kn, trial max

CA-32 San Francisco
CA-34 Tuscaloosa
CA-35 Indianapolis
CA-36 Wichita

The break imposed by the beginning of the Depression slowed cruiser construction, allowing further refinement of the original heavy cruiser design. The vessel was altered to increase armor protection throughout, taking better advantage of available tonnage than previous heavy cruisers in the US Navy, while also incorporating full-fledged turrets vs the mounts of previous generations. These vessels had no particular issue either in performance or firepower, fulfilling duties where previous ships had not; however, low speed and short range, combined with inadequacy against larger foreign vessels, hampered them.

[Effectively OTL New Orleans Class]

Boise Class (1935) (4 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser
610'x60'-7.5"x22'-10.75"
10,682 tons standard load
5x3 6"/47 guns in 5 triple turrets
33.7 kn, trial max

CL-33 Boise
CL-37 New Orleans
CL-38 Minneapolis
CL-39 Quincy

These vessels were the first purpose-built light cruisers of the US Navy in 12 years, and took a lot of experience from the Syren class. Larger than the Omaha, the Boise class possesses 15 guns (originally designed as such when, according to initial rumors, the Mogami class would be equipped with the same) in the similar conical barbettes as the Syren class. The ship is one of the first of a series of mostly standardized designs for the next few years, with general dimensions barely changing.

The ships were designed primarily to serve as screening elements for the fleet against enemy destroyers, and to act on long-range patrol when necessary. The ships tended to err a little heavy, close to being slightly overweight, compared to other vessels - the mistakes of the Omaha were not repeated.

[Effectively OTL Brooklyn Class, expect C turret superfires over B instead of vice versa, and A, B, and C turrets face forward]

Teaser Class (1935) (4 Vessels)
Type: Hybrid Cruiser, Light
637'x64.5'x20.4'
10,970 tons standard load, nominal
3x3 6"/47 guns in 3 triple turrets (later 3x2 6"/47 DP guns in 3 twin turrets)
24 aircraft
32.5 kn, design

>CLV-5 Teaser
>CLV-6 Lorelei
>CLV-7 Harpy
>CLV-8 Mystic

Improved versions of the preceding Syren class, the Teaser class included various modifications to make life easier. Slightly altered gun arrangements forward, with the B turret being lowered to also lower the C turret slightly, was coupled with the removal of the 5"/25 for the addition of 2x2 5"/38 guns forward and aft of the island. The deck angle was slightly increased to lengthen the deck further, and a larger catapult section forward of the elevator to launch the heavier monoplanes of the mid 1930s.

The vessel could never carry a full load of its aircraft at peacetime, as the Teaser class was the largest cruiser of the prewar navy - as such, care was taken to not violate the letter of the treaty terms, though some lines were skirted tightly. Due to this limitation, captains were encouraged to try and increase aircraft recovery and launch speed in order to cycle the limited load into and out of combat. To this end, an enterprising crew on the Harpy realized that, thanks to the angled deck and launch catapults (launching to the starboard side, as a forward launch would risking striking the turrets on a misfire of the hydraulic catapult), along with the midship elevator, aircraft could be launched and recovered simultaneously - leading to further design study and eventual incorporation of the feature on full fledged carriers on a trial basis.

The Teaser class is expected to receive similar refits to the Syren class after the prior class is completely refit.

[ATL Cruiser no. 39, slightly enlarged with minor differences]

Philadelphia Class (1937) (5 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser
610’x61’-10.33”x22’-6”
10,238 tons standard load
3x3 8"/55 guns in 3 triple turrets
33.75 knots, design

CA-40 Philadelphia
CA-41 Vicennes
CA-42 Nashville
CA-45 Amsterdam
CA-46 Tallahassee

Following along the example of the Boise class, these vessels are effectively a heavy cruiser variant of a mostly similar hull. Done in an attempt to save costs on hull design, along with normalizing performance throughout the fleet, the ships had some initial issues, being topheavy like so many other American cruisers, resulting in ballast being required. The vessels, with a successful hull form and decent armor, were a lower cost counterweight to Japanese construction that was ongoing (though individually inferior in terms of tonnage). The issues were corrected in subsequent classes.

[Effectively worse Wichita with 8x1 5"/25 secondaries]

Savannah Class (1938) (4 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser
610'x60'-7.5"x22'-10.5"
10,682 tons standard load
5x3 6"/47 guns in 5 triple turrets
33.04 kn, trial max

CL-43 Savannah
CL-44 Helena
CL-49 Phoenix
CL-50 Helena

A follow on to the prior class of light cruisers, the Savannah were modestly improved in armor protection, antiair gunnery, and overall performance, lacking some of the weight issues other similar vessels had. Most notably is the addition of 4x2 5"/38 guns for AA defense, far improved over the 5"/25, and possessing better fields of fire. Other internal changes were made to machinery, but otherwise the vessels were similar to their predecessors.

[Effectively OTL St Louis Class]

Brooklyn Class (1938) (4 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser
610'x61'-9.75"x22'-7.75"
10,565 tons standard load
3x3 8"/55 guns in 3 three-gun turrets
33.6 kn, design

CA-47 Brooklyn
CA-48 St. Louis
CA-51 Buffalo
CA-52 Dayton

Akin to the Savannah, these vessels differed little in overall appearance. Improved AA, machinery, and superstructure along with the hull minimized the need to trim the vessels. These were the last ships approved under the 1929 Cruiser Act, finally filling out the allotted 19 Heavy Cruisers and 26 total Light Cruisers afforded by the treaty.

[Effectively improved Wichita class]

The Follies

Atlanta Class (1939) (4 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser (later Light Cruiser, Anti-air)
530'x52'-10"x19'-3.75"
6,593 tons standard load
8x2 5"/38 guns in 8 twin turrets, 2x4 21" TT
33.67 kn, trial max

CL-53 Atlanta
CL-54 Juneau
CL-55 Flint
CL-56 Reno

The first in a series of new designs, these light cruisers borrowed heavy from destroyer design philosophy to construct vessels to act as super-destroyer-leaders, similar to the Omaha class cruisers (of which they were still slower). Possessing over triple the armament of every destroyer in service, these vessels easily fit as leaders of those fleets. An additional 8 were proposed [compared to 4 OTL] to flesh out the vessels as replacement for the aforementioned class. However, their thin armor and topheavy nature limited their performance, especially in rough seas.

[Effectively OTL Atlanta Class]

Rochester Class (1939) (4 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser (later Light Cruiser, Anti-air)
555'x55'x20'
6,783 tons standard load, nominal
2x2+2x1 8"/55 guns in 2 twin and 2 single turrets, 4x4 21" TT (later 10x2 5"/38, 2x4 21" TT)
34 kn, design

^CA-57 Rochester
vCA-58 Spokane
vCA-59 Gary
vCA-60 Kansas City

Instead of repeat Atlanta, a daring proposal was made to construct cruisers of much lighter displacement with 6" and 8" guns in order to cut costs and to increase number of vessels - Japanese and British building programs worried the neutral US, and rapprochement between the nations did plenty to ruffle the feathers of the US brass. This was echoed in the halls of Congress, where the funding for these vessels were proposed to herald in a new era in design. It also was specifically designed to have the same hull to be used for either of the 6" or 8" classes in order to reduce costs still (the 5" class was further ahead in the design stage and proceeded ahead of the other two classes).

However, the design was overambitious and failed drastically, as the vessels could not effectively perform their assigned function - the 8" guns were cramped and could barely put up an appropriate volume of fire, and even the older Japanese vessels of similar number of guns. Conditions were poor and cramped, and reports from the first vessel completed were unsatisfactory. Construction was immediately paused and, unable to rectify the issues, the vessels were instead converted into larger versions of the Atlanta, where they have served much better in the same function. Kansas City has the ignominious distinction of being rebuilt while still on the ways, never having even launched.

[ATL Design, similar to following, but with 8" guns replacing 6" guns]

Tucson Class (1939) (4 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser (later Light Cruiser, Anti-air)
555'x55'x20'
6,783 tons standard load, nominal
4x2 6"/47 guns in 4 twin turrets, 4x4 21" TT (later 6x2+4x1 5"/38, 4x4 21" TT)
34 kn, design

vCL-61 Tucson
^CL-62 Fresno
vCL-63 Wilkes-Barre
vCL-64 Macon

Similar to the Rochester, these vessels had similar issues. The 6" guns, while able to fire without the difficulties of the 8", were still unsatisfacotry, especially after it was determined that RF or DP 6" guns could not be fitted on such a small vessel without further modification of the hull, which defeated the point of the project in the first place. Furthermore, these vessels were found to be even more topheavy than the 8" gun cruisers due to additional turrets, and were found to be unsatisfactory. All units, including Macon (still on the ways as well), were converted into similar vessels to the Atlanta.

[Similar to Design 507, The Cruiser-Destroyer, but enlarged, sans aircraft, with Gridley torpedo layout]

War Designs

Vincennes Class (1941) (18 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser
664'x67.5'x22'
13,600 tons standard load, nominal
5x2 6"/47 DP guns in 5 two-gun turrets
32.75 kn, design

CL-65 Vincennes
*CL-66 Montpelier
*CL-67 Baltimore
*CL-68 Pittsburgh
*CL-69 Denver
*CL-70 Columbia
*CL-71 Pasadena
*CL-72 Columbus
**CL-73 Santa Fe
**CL-88 Boston
**CL-89 Vicksburg
**CL-90 Fargo
**CL-91 Newark
**CL-92 Albany
**CL-93 San Diego
**CL-94 Little Rock
**CL-95 Vallejo
**CL-96 Cheyenne

One of two light cruiser classes ordered in the Two-Ocean Navy Act after the fall of France, the Vincennes class was one of two simultaneous designs put into production, and the first vessel from the ground up to use the full-scale 6"/47 DP gun in its original barbette design, allowing it to reach the full capabilities of rate of fire [not as good as OTL 6"/47 DP Mk 16, but comparable]. Armor coverage was also increased; positions on previous vessels used for the secondary guns was replaced by mounts for 40mm mounts.

The hull itself was similar, if improved, in comparison to the previous ships in the line, making redesign fairly simple, although the complexity of the 5 turrets did lead to some concerns (there were, however, a few alternate designs that would have added up to 8 turrets in order to match the number of barrels).

One concern was the lack of any intermediate secondary gun for point defense - the 40mm did not have the range to effectively engage light craft, and adding any large gun would be ineffective for the purposes at hand. Various projects were started to find an intermediate caliber secondary gun that could handle the heavy AA needs of the 40mm while also being effective at penetrating surface targets. Various designs from 3" to 4" are being studied as potential replacements for ships under construction.

[Effectively a Super OTL Brooklyn with DP main guns]

Cleveland Class (1942) (8 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser
664'x72'x22'
14,200 tons standard load, nominal
4x3 6"/47 DP guns in 4 three-gun turrets
32.5 kn, design

CANCELLED AND REORDERED

Iris Class (1942) (8 Vessels)
Type: Hybrid Cruiser, Light
664'x72'x22'
14,618 tons standard load, nominal
3x2 6"/47 DP guns in 5 twin turrets
28 aircraft
32.5 kn, design

*CLV-9 Iris (ex-Cleveland)
*CLV-10 Nymph (ex-Manchester)
*CLV-11 Temptress (ex-Astoria)
*CLV-12 Undine (ex-Miami)
*CLV-13 Medusa (ex-Portsmouth)
**CLV-14 Dryad (ex-Oakland)
**CLV-15 Succubus (ex-San Juan)
**CLV-16 Faerie (ex-Youngstown)

The Cleveland, originally, was an ambitious project to incorporate a 6"/47 DP gun into a triple mount in an effort to get more guns on a ship of similar size - eager to see the project through, the mount was pursued with enthusiasm. However, early results were disappointing, and even after much work, rate of fire was dismal - at best, the "Cheesebox" triple mount (noted for its shape) was barely superior to the twin gun in putting lead down range, making the twin mount a much more economical choice.

This, combined with the sudden urgency of the war and the effectiveness of Syren in dealing with the U-Boat that menaced Saratoga lead to the ships being cancelled and reordered as hybrids. Redesigned, with three twin turrets forward and superfiring over each other (using the same size magazine for 6 guns, so no change needed below the barbettes), this larger hybrid can effectively use even some of the larger aircraft in Navy stores, though it still prefers the Airabonita and Airavilloso fighters and are planned to retain them. Improved deck length, catapult construction, and intermediate AA guns make the ship far more complete than the earlier limited hybrids, though it still doesn't tick every box for a purpose built ship.

[Effectively a Cleveland Class cruiser with DP guns and no 5" guns. Conversion is a bigger Teaser with superfiring B and doubly superfiring C turrets, no 5" guns but more 40mm]

Wilmington Class (1943) (10 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser
720'x72'x25'
18,600 tons standard load, nominal
5x2 8"/55 RF guns in 5 2-gun turrets
32.75 kn, design

*CA-78 Wilmington
*CA-79 New Haven
**CA-80 Huntington
**CA-81 Birmingham
**CA-82 Biloxi
**CA-83 Topeka
**CA-84 Springfield
**CA-85 St. Paul
**CA-86 Duluth
**CA-87 Providence

The largest vessel that isn't a capital ship under construction for the navy, the Wilmington class takes the successful hull form of Savannah class, marries it to the preferred 8" of the Brooklyn class, and stitches it together with the mechanisms of the DP guns designed for the hybrids, and the result is an enormous ship that is larger than even the Mogami class with guns that fire over twice as rapidly, as well as increased armor to boot (finally armored against its own guns), especially on the deck of the vessel. Unlike the Vincennes, this ship retains an impressive amount of 5" secondaries as well.

The biggest issue with this vessel is cost, as size is beyond anything that the US has built, but gives more barrels than any previous vessel and, with the rate of fire, can put down range over twice times as many shells as previous vessels. This is combined with an improved ammunition type designed specifically for the new gun, in which the super heavy shells now have vastly improved performance individually. The hull form, and twin barrels, were chosen to maintain similarity with the Vincennes class and existing autoloading guns, again to streamline production.. The 8" gun is still working out some difficulties [it is not quite up to OTL Mk 16 levels] but unlike the 6" triple DP mount, the 8" RF mount is showing quite a bit of promise.

[Effectively Heavy OTL Brooklyn with rapid fire guns and OTL Cleveland 5" arrangement]

Preliminary Designs

CA-97 Class (12 Vessels)
Type: Heavy Cruiser
Proposed Replacement for Pensacola/Chester/San Francisco classes; improved Wilmington
Include 4x3, 5x2, & 5x3 RF Arrangements, Improved Armor & Increased AA

[Effectively the Oregon City to the Wilmington's Baltimore, designs range from modest improvements, possible improvements to RF guns or switch to triples, with either retention of tonnage, slight modifications, or in the case of 5x3, massive expansion]

CL-109 Class (8 Vessels)
Type: Light Cruiser
Proposed Replacement for Omaha classes; improved Vincennes
Include 5x2 & 5x3 DP Arrangements, Improved Field of Fire & Armor

[Effectively the Fargo to the Vincennes's Cleveland, designs share similarities to the above. Some credence is to sharing a hull with CA-97 and using either 6"/47 DP or 8"/55 RF if the triple Cheesebox has its issues worked out]

CLV-17 Class (8 Vessels)
Type: Hybrid Cruiser, Light
Proposed Replacement for Syren/Teaser classes; purpose-built hybrid
Include 2x2, 3x3, 2x3, & 3x3 DP Arrangements, Improved Field of Fire and Aircraft Handling
30-36 aircraft proposed

[Effectively a super Syren class, with designs ranging from an enlargement, possible inclusion of triple DP guns, major lengthening of deck, addition of second elevator, and catapult location altered again. Displacement likely above 15k tons]

-

[Spent way too much time on this, but either way - just outlining general trends. Big change is the hybrid, which leads to the earlier angled decks and such. It alters the Brooklyn slightly (as mentioned, C superfiring over B & A) and spurs 6" DP growth instead of allowing it to sputter along without a potential platform as in OTL. The larger WNT allows for more cruisers anyway, which alters lineup, meaning more cruisers later on, as growth slowed right around the Depression OTL anyways. Later designs are hypothetical, but with DP coming into use years earlier (in a more limited form that isn't as efficient as later autoloaders) allows RF research to be moved forward (in more inefficient forms), though this means the 5"/54 is butterflied nearly entirely as we know it.]

[Though, I really hope we get to see some real naval battles with all of this. Maybe in an omake someday...]

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Finally, a new narrative update!

---

Manila, Philippines

July 25th, 1941

9:33 AM


THESE were strange times for the Manila Gang. Everybody was expecting a war with Japan, but not one where Japan was on the American side, at least on paper. Then there was the whole business of Wu and the warlords supporting him splintering off from Chiang, and proclaiming the Union of China. It was a pleasant surprise for many to find out just how willing Wu was to work with American forces in removing Chiang. Their flag was the five-pointed Beiyang Star, one section for each of the five races that made up China, united as one, on a white background to symbolize the purity of the ideal of the new Chinese dream. A newspaper reporter nailed it- Wu is "Our Kind of Guy"!

His second in command was working on something big as well- a ceasefire with the Japanese. In exchange for the Japanese retreating to the antebellum borders of Manchukuo and Mengjiang in the West, Japan would occupy a larger zone along the coast. This not only allowed the Japanese forces in the West to be shifted eastward to fight Chiang's forces, and the remainder to focus on keeping the Communists out of Manchukuo, but freed both Japanese and Union of China forces up to fight Chiang rather than each other. The return of Beiping to the Union of China was also being discussed. Sun, who had earned the new sobriquet of "Warrior Monk", led the UOC delegation; his Japanese and Manchukuo counterparts were Prince Regent Pujie, Ambassador to Manchukuo Marshal-General Nobuyoshi Muto and General Iwane Matsui.

At this latest meeting, Admiral King was relating his latest discovery from a naval conference with British Admiral Thomas "Tom Thumb" Philips, and Japanese Vice-Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa.

"And then" said King, his arms gesticulating wildly "Ozawa walks in. You're expecting a Jap...anese, you can't say that anymore, see.. to be short, right? Well, this bastard has to duck to get through the doorway; he's almost seven feet tall; a goddamn giant! Of all the things I wasn't expecting, that was up there"

"Thank you, Admiral King" said MacArthur "Admiral Ozawa's height aside, do tell us what you learned on your little field trip?"

"Right" said an annoyed King, composing himself. "The Japanese are willing to commit considerable naval forces to the liberation of Shanghai, to the tune of two of those battle-carrier hybrids and at least one battlewagon. The number of Naval Special Landing Force- those are the Jap, sorry, Japanese Marines available are limited because they have commitments in Hong Kong and Singapore, so it will just be American boots on the ground for this one. You boys will have some firepower at your disposal, make no mistake. Montana, North Carolina, California and Washington will make up the gun line, and United States will provide part of the air cover; Chennault's flyboys will make up the rest" said King, as Chennault nodded in approval.

"In other news" said MacArthur, holding aloft an intelligence report "The Brits and Japanese have repelled an invasion of Hong Kong. Generals Maltby and Kuribayashi, with considerable naval support from the battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruisers Hood and Hiei , pushed the Chinese back. A mixture of forces, ranging from the elite Royal Marines, Naval Special Landing Force, and Japanese Imperial Guards to Triads attempting to keep Du Yuesheng's gangs off their turf were employed in the successful defence. British and Japanese leaders congratulated each other on their conduct and fighting skills"

"On that" said Charles Willoughby, reading from his notes "There's some controversy over whether to give a Chinese gangster a medal. Famous for his skills as a car bomber and arsonist, as well as never having it pinned on him, the man known as Ling "The Torch" Po, blew up two National Army tanks with improvised satchel charges. What a world we live in..."

As the room settled down, MacArthur addressed Patton, who shone some light on the armour situation: "The M3 Lee is not a great, or even a good tank. The American tanker, however, is the best goddamn tanker in the world, and I have damn well made sure of that. If you can get us across, we'll get you boys through. Give me the guns, give me the gas, and I'll give you Nanking!"

"Vinegar Joe" Stillwell rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

"Well then" said MacArthur. "You boys know what we have to do, and understand the enormity of the task before us. Nobody has attempted the seaborne invasion of a hostile territory quite like this before. Fortunately, the Krauts in Norway have showed us exactly what not to do, and the plan I have worked up will ensure we won't make the same mistakes. Your men will be briefed on landing sites in forty-eight hours. Pack an extra pair of socks boys, we're going to have some fun by the sea!"

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Excerpts from "I Was There: The Incredible Life of Benjamin 'Banzai' Bronstein" Penguin Books, 1996.


I was barely eighteen years old, and had just arrived in Manchukuo. The journey on the St. Louis and then Fukuoka Maru No. 6 was a long one, and left me exhausted. I was a stranger in a strange land; a nobody with nothing. Or so I thought.

I was issued a train ticket from Ryojun to Harbin, donated by the Jewish community in Kobe, Japan. Harbin, so I was told, was a city where Chinese, Japanese, Jews and Russians all lived together peacefully. I didn't believe that. I was proved wrong about that, too.

The synagogue is a prominent landmark in Harbin, and in those days, was guarded by Manchukuo's army. I had come from Germany, and I could not believe the difference. Jewish shops, with signs in Hebrew and Yiddish traded openly. A Chinese boy who smashed a window on one, presumably unhappy with something he bought, was arrested for his act of vandalism.You could sit anywhere on a bus or tram, and nobody cared. You could go tp the park, or even rent a rowboat, and nobody would bother you either.

My life, for the first, and probably only time, became somewhat normal. I got a job at a textile dealer, arranging the bolts of fabric in the warehouse, picking them up from the train station and delivering them to customers. The work was easy and the pay was good. Manchukuo felt like home. I even managed to learn conversational Mandarin and Japanese, although I struggled with writing the characters.


When the war against the Republic of China escalated, and threatened Manchukuo, I was angry, in the way a young man would be, at the situation. Once again, the threat of having my home taken away from me yet again, and seeing my friends disappear once again was too much for me to bear. I saw a poster- at the top was Prince Regent Pujie, and at the bottom, below the portrait of a soldier, was an inscription, urging young men to "Answer the Call of Manchukuo" and join one of the newly formed Volunteer Regiments in the Manchukuo Imperial Army. These Volunteer Regiments accepted those willing to serve outside the borders of Manchukuo- I signed up without a thought, preferring to fight the enemy before they could even get to our borders.

My regiment was, officially, the 3rd Harbin Volunteer Regiment. The composition was largely Jewish, with a nearly even split of Han Chinese, Manchus and Russians making up the rest. The senior officers were all Japanese, as was the drill and the equipment we were provided with. The unofficial title of the regiment was Shaarei Zion -The Gates of Zion- we saw ourselves as protectors of the one land that protected us, and we were willing to do anything to save it. If i was to die, I was going to die for something, and die fighting.

I was an infantryman; a machine gun loader. The ranks and exact titles fade; it's the people I remember. Shmuel, originally from Nuremburg, of all places, fired the Type 89 Heavy Machine Gun we were supplied with, and I fed ammunition strips into it, which it shot through quickly. Leon and Sergei were my other best friends in the regiment. We, as Manchukuo Imperial Army personnel, were dressed in uniforms similar to those worn by the Imperial Japanese Army, except for insignia. We were issued brown ankle boots, khaki trousers and puttees, tunics, a soft cap called a senbou and a helmet which could be worn over it. My rifle was a short-pattern Type 38 Arisaka.


After our training, we were assigned to defend the city of Tsingtao, in what was then a Japanese concession in China; and the southern frontier of the territory the Japanese Empire occupied. A train took us there. We, and our commanders knew as well, that Chiang would try to attack the city. After Shanghai fell, a week after we arrived, tensions were even higher. Chiang would be throwing some of his best troops at us, and there were more of them than there were of us. Nobody would admit it, but we were all scared. We were given a position forward of the city, to its south, protecting the anti-tank guns guarding the approaches to Tsingtao.

The attack finally came on the night of July 23rd, 1941. The Chinese forces advanced on Tsingtao under the cover of darkness, believing it would protect them and that we wouldn't be able to deal with this threat. They were wrong.

It began with an air raid. In our positions south of the city, we heard and saw the planes coming. We also saw the searchlights, the anti-aircraft bursts, and our night fighters being vectored onto the positions of the attackers with radar. One by one, burning He-111s tumbled out of the sky. Next came the waves of infantry and tanks.

It was confusing at first. The sounds and flashes of gunfire, the blasts from the 14" guns of the Meiji and Taisho Batteries, the distant rumble of tanks. Then, star-shells lit up the night, and everything came into focus. Our 10 and 15cm cannon pounded the attackers. Tank after tank, and self-propelled howitzers, were stopped by our antitank guns. They then tried to rush our positions with infantry. They got close enough that there was no mistaking their field grey uniforms and their coal-scuttle helmets. These were the Chinese SS men we were warned about. We were not about to allow a repeat of what was happening in Europe. I fixed my bayonet to my rifle, as I shoved another ammo strip into Shmuel's machine gun. I didn't even notice a bullet grazed my left arm.

We fought like madmen, and as they closed on our positions, it happened- I fed the last ammo strip into the machine gun. I couldn't think of what else to do. I looked at Shmuel, and he looked back at me. I grabbed my rifle, raised it up, and forgetting the rest of it, yelled "Banzai!", and ran at the SS men, and felt a stabbing pain in my thigh. I fell forward. I tried to get up, but I couldn't. I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital in Tsingtao, and had been awarded the Manchukuo Order of Military Merit, 3rd Class. Our whole unit had performed extremely well on the whole, and had been recommended for the award of the Prince Regent's Banner, the unit citation in Manchukuo's army. At last, we were something. We stopped the SS. We struck fear into them, and broke them in the field. Knowing that made me happier than anything else could.

We also learned afterwards that the Battle of Tsingtao was a disaster for the Republic of China- over 7 000 dead to our 600 killed. We didn't know just how much this would rock the boat in Chiang's inner circle...

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Chiang will also be reeling from the failed attack on Tsingtao, and "Dugout Doug" will be observing the lessons keenly. He is a lot of things, but he isn't stupid.

The training the US forces received will pay off as well. The Manila Gang has been training together and, for all their faults, exhibit superb coordination together. As of late, they have been joined by Marine Corps Brigadier General Alexander "Archie" Vandergrift.

In ROC news, Chen Cheng will be the commander of the National Army forces defending Shanghai. The prominent general Bai Chongxi has joined with the UoC.
---

A quick primer on TTL's Mengjiang:

Demchugdongrub "De" Khan in Mengjiang National Army uniform

OTL, Mengjiang only lasted as an independent state between 1936 and 1940, before it was absorbed by Wang Jingwei's Reformed ROC, and was an autonomous region. TTL, things are a little different.

Kenkichi Ueda, commander of the Kwantung Army from mid 1932 to late 1933, firmly believed that the biggest threat to Japan's ambitions lay to the North- the Soviet Union, and wanted to grab as much land as he could in China's northern provinces, for resources and to act as a buffer. Where OTL Mengjiang was, was the site of his 1933 land grab campaign, not ordered by Tokyo. Although much of it was sparsely populated, the large city of Kalgan, an important railway hub, and the traditional "Northern Gateway" to Beijing lay within its borders.

The occupation was less difficult than anticipated, as Ueda found a willing partner in Demchugdongrub of the Plain White Banner, a popular Mongol leader. By being offered the position of Head of State and freedom for the Mongol people within fledgling Mengjiang's borders, he willingly worked with the Japanese. Ueda was replaced in late 1933 for this and other insubordinate actions, and Muto took command. His soft approach helped to ensure smooth relations.

When rapprochement with Britain began in 1934, no further land grabs took place. Instead, the goal was to strengthen Mengjiang's position and give the state legitimacy.

As it is to be a Mongol homeland, Prince De is entitled to the title of "Khan" and often attends state functions in traditional Mongol garb. In addition to keeping Mongol traditions alive, the same soft approaches that are effective in Manchukuo are used in Mengjiang: compulsory education, a law-and-order campaign with a strong anti-drug focus, development of industry (mainly agriculture, mining, transportation and light industry); a low tax rate and simplified incorporation procedures also serve to attract outside investment. Prince De, much like Prince Regent Pujie, cares deeply about his people, and recognizes their accomplishments.

The Mengjiang National Army is much smaller than the Manchukuo Imperial Army, and, as such, Mengjiang relies on Japan more directly for protection.

That Mengjiang has had a few more years to mature and the governing policies are more cohesive and effective means that Mengjiang is a much stronger state, and, as such, won't simply be appended to Manchukuo.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

July 24th, 1941

Nanking, Republic of China

A nondescript basement

11:38 PM

Soong Chingling:

Li Jishen:

THAT Chiang's leadership had become questionable was undeniable. But, who would do something about it?

China was in turmoil. Even with German training and armament, the National Army was suffering a series of defeats. Chiang refused to listen to anyone who didn't already agree with him; and his repulsive advisor, Eichmann, was often at his side, along with Du Yusheng. Voices of reason, such as Falkenhausen, were shouted down.

Soong Chingling , the widow of Sun Yat-Sen and power-broker in her own right and, Li Jishen, a member of the State Council in the Kuomintang finally met, alone.

"Li, is it as bad as we have feared?" asked a nervous Soong

"Worse" said a distressed Li. "He won't listen to anybody. We pleaded with him not to... he wouldn't listen. Eichmann insisted that now was the time to attack Tsingtao, that the Japanese would break. Of course they didn't! It was a massacre. Thousands dead, and Tsingtao is untouched. Wu, and Sun Chuanfang tried to warn us, but...he would't listen."

"A plague on those traitors too!" hissed Soong. "They would sell us out to the Americans, while collaborating with the Japanese and the British in carving up China. They can call their little Beiyang Clique whatever they like, but they're still the same warlords they always were! That will never change!"

"Bai has defected to them as well. This does not look good" said an even more downcast Li.

"This must end, and end soon" said Soong, with newfound fervor. "Li, who will he listen to?"

"Wang, perhaps" said Li. "Wang will have to make whatever he says sound like it was Chiang's idea in the first place if he'll listen at all though"

Soong nodded. "Wang... I do not entirely trust him yet, but if you could reach out, perhaps we could make some progress. The big question, of course, is would Wang prove strong and convincing enough to sway Mao?"

"That, I am not convinced. He... Wang- drifts farther from revolutionary ideas by the day. He wears the cloak of such thought to confound supporters of Mao"

"We don't need him necessarily" said a frustrated Soong. "But if the Revolutionary True Kuomintang is not to die in the darkness of this damp cellar, we must find more allies. We will need them across the Left and Right. Above all, they must remember what Dr. Sun lived and died for. Chiang has forgotten, and that is why we are in this mess."


---


Tokyo, Empire of Japan

Army Ministry

9:34 PM

Kotohito, Prince Kan'in:

Prince Morimasa Nashimoto:

IN a boardroom sat two of the most important people in the Imperial Japanese Army; Marshals-General Army Minister Prince Kan'in Kotohito, and Chief of General Staff Prince Morimasa Nashimoto. There was a major reorganization in progress: the North and Central China Area Armies were to be reorganized into the 1st China Expeditionary Army, commanded by Count Hisaichi Terauchi, in order to simplify the command structure. The 2nd CEA, under General Tomoyuki Yamashita's command would be in charge of operations in China's south and Indochina.

Politically, support for the war remained enthusiastic, and Prince Fuminaro Konoe (Independent) managed to win another resounding victory in the last election based on his support for the war in China and cultivating strong relations with Britain and "mutual respect" with the United States. He also voiced his support for the reformation of political parties when the war was over.

The problem lay in Manchukuo. What to do with Tojo and Sugiyama?

That Tojo's performance was disappointing lately was no secret, but he maintained his incredible energy, and did so while under great strain. Such an admirable effort could not be punished, lest it create a wave of sympathizers. The bigger problem was that neither Tojo nor Sugiyama were enthusiastic about the upcoming ceasefire agreement with the Union of China, which would supersede the current temporary ceasefire. That could seriously jeopardize Japanese ambitions.

Generals Iwane Matsui and Otozo Yamada were the preliminary choices for Commander and Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army respectively.

Tojo as Assistant Deputy Army Minister and Sugiyama as an instructor at the War College was the most palatable solution- prestigious positions, but ones which were closely monitored- and ones which would be far less conspicuous, should an officer be placed on the Reserve List afterwards.

"Matsui?" asked Prince Morimasa, as Prince Kan'in raised an eyebrow

"You're right" said Prince Kan'in, scratching his chin. "To have the negotiator take command afterwards seems too... political, and too deliberate a humiliation of Tojo. Of course, the intention is not to humiliate Tojo but to... maneuver him."

"Hata would be my choice" said Prince Morimasa confidently. "Matsui, with his experience could be rotated to the role of Inspector-General; it would be less taxing on his health than the cold, dry climate of Manchukuo as well. Hata has proven himself capable, and he is knowledgeable about the political aspects of command."

Prince Kan'in nodded in agreement. "Ushiroku can be reassigned to Taihoku; that position will be important as well. That, and a recommendation for the Order of the Sacred Treasure would be... appropriate consolation for the smaller command. The defence of Tsingtao was executed superbly."

"I couldn't be more pleased." said Prince Morimasa. "On that matter, I have received a request for recommendation Lieutenant-Colonel Matsuda of the 3rd Manchukuo Imperial Guards for the Order of the Golden Kite, 1st Class. A colonial unit, they withstood a mechanized assault and broke it without flinching."

Prince Kan'in nodded his approval. "I'll certainly give my recommendation as well. Well done!"

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

In the spirit of Christmas, now is a good time to detail the ceasefire between the Union of China and the Empire of Japan!

The agreement was finalized on July 25th, 1941.

The essential parts of the bargain are:

-The Union of China is recognized by Japan as the legitimate government of China. It is led by Provisional President Wu Peifu and Provisional Vice-President Sun Chuanfang.

-In return, the Union of China provisionally recognizes Manchukuo and Mengjiang until Chiang either surrenders or an unconditional surrender is achieved. Eleven nations go one step further- Britain, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Norway and the Polish Government in Exile fully recognize both states.

-Pujie, Prince Regent of Manchukuo and Prince De, Khan of Mengjiang, grant transit rights to UoC forces with prior notice.

-Beijing will be handed over to the Union of China as of September 1st, 1941.

-Japan will occupy the Liaoning Peninsula and 50km of land closest to the coast from there as far south as Tsingtao, until hostilities against Chiang cease. This is officially done to secure the coast and for ease of supply, and proved the most controversial part of the ceasefire. Tianjin will be turned over to the UoC as well, with Japanese transit rights through the city and a concession within it.

- The UoC joins the Allies

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

At last, here we go!
---

Excerpts from the web series "Battlestorm: The Modern Era (Season 3), 2017


THE Battle of Shanghai took place between July 25th and 28th, 1941. Approximately 15 000 Allied troops participated, compared to anywhere between 17 000 to 24 000 Chinese National Army troops. The Allies had a decisive advantage in firepower, but faced a challenge in launching what was then the largest amphibious assault ever undertaken.

The Allied commander for the operation was General Douglas MacArthur; his Chinese counterpart was General Chen Cheng. MacArthur's troops were mostly American, although a few Japanese Naval Special Landing Force and Australian Army personnel were committed as well. Imperial Japanese Army Air Service squadrons from Tsingtao and Imperial Japanese Navy ships participated as well.

The Allies faced a big challenge- while they had the firepower to demolish Shanghai, but that was exactly what they were trying to avoid. A different battle plan would be needed.

The solution devised by MacArthur was to land troops north and south of Shanghai to surround the city, but left the western approaches open to allow Chen's troops to escape. Then, when a landing zone was cleared in Shanghai proper, a third thrust up the centre would push any remaining Chinese troops westward, out of the city. This would have the effect of making a campaign against Nanking more difficult, but would improve the odds of taking Shanghai with far fewer casualties.

Lieutenant General Walter Krueger would lead the forces north of the city; Major General Joseph Stilwell was assigned to the south and the centre, with Brigadier General Patton attached to his element. Vandergrift's Marines were divided between both forces.

The attack began on the morning of the 25th, with the battleships North Carolina and Kaga bombarding the northern landing sites, and Montana and Washington hammered the southern approaches.

The northern landing was successful; and caught Chen's troops by surprise, while a diversionary air raid on Shanghai proper took place.

The southern landing was much more hotly contested, and several mistakes were made, which slowed down the allied advance. Several landing craft discharged their troops too early, causing many to have to ford deeper than expected water, causing them to be slow and vulnerable. Many tanks were also discharged in water that was too deep, resulting in flooded engines. Destroyers also had a more difficult than expected time flushing out tanks and StuGs opposing the landings. Eventually, Allied forces were able to clear the beach- this part of the battle cost the Allies nearly half of their total KIA.

The two elements then began to converge on Shanghai, aided by close air support. With the evening landings came additional reinforcements, tanks and howitzers.

By the afternoon of the 26th, much of Shanghai was securely in Allied hands, with some unexpected resistance put up by Du Yuesheng's gangs.


On the morning of the 27th, Chen's forces had withdrawn from Shanghai entirely, fearing a naval bombardment combined with entrapment within Shanghai. MacArthur landed triumphantly, and delivered his iconic words:

"I promised I would come. I have arrived."

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Excerpts from "The Myth of the Turning Point". J. Weisberg, F.N. Doubleday, 1996

THE naval tensions that were building in the North Sea in the early years of the Second World War finally came to a head in September, 1941.

The German advance was relentless. Army Group A's forces had now surrounded Leningrad, and taken Murmansk, a warm-water port and a point through which the Soviet Union could be supplied by the Allies. German progress was aided by brilliantly-coordinated assaults against Soviet armour. For his ability to avoid entrapment, and discover pockets of resistance, Erwin Rommel earned the sobriquet "The Arctic Fox" from this campaign.

Within the Kriegsmarine, it was well-known that their forces could never match the Royal Navy's on the whole. However, the Royal Navy's commitments were global rather than localized to the North Sea. If a breakout were to be made, it would have to be with a force strong enough to overwhelm the force the Royal Navy would respond with. Furthermore, if it could reach Murmansk, it could harass Allied convoys to Arkhangelsk and have a base from which it could be resupplied.

In the North Sea, U-Boats would also be able to aid a breakout attempt or simply to prevent Royal Navy vessels from pursuing an aborted breakout attempt.

The Kriegsmarine assembled a powerful force, destined to break out of the North Sea and make for Murmansk. The force comprised the battleship Bismarck, the small battleship Scharnhorst, the heavy cruisers Prinz Eugen and Seydlitz, the light cruiser Leipzig, and several destroyers and torpedo boats. The battleship Tirpitz and pocket battleships Luetzow and Admiral Scheer would remain in the North Sea, guarding Germany's northern shore.

Under command of Admiral Guenther Luetjens, the force departed Kiel on September 22nd, 1941.

News of the departure of this force was relayed to the Royal Navy by Norwegian intelligence, and the Royal Navy hastily assembled a force to respond.

Force K, under the command of Admiral John Tovey comprised the King George V class fast battleship Lion, the Triumph class battleship Swiftsure, the Nelson class battlecruiser Anson, the carrier Victorious, the light cruisers Liverpool, Edinburgh and Jamaica [AN: Completed and commissioned earlier than OTL], and twelve destroyers. Force K made for the Skagerrak at 28 knots, the top speed of Swiftsure.

The two mighty forces clashed in the North Sea, west of Kristjansand on the afternoon of the 23rd, and to the distress of the Royal Navy, it was a fight that played into German hands.


The weather was bad, and the seas choppy, which made it difficult for Victorious' aircraft to find the German fleet. The two forces closed in range, which greatly favoured Bismarck's 16.5" guns, the largest in the world. These guns were optimized for a relatively flat trajectory, as was Bismarck's distributed armour scheme. The British fleet, on paper, had several advantages- three capital ships each armed with 16" guns, versus two, one of which was armed with 8x 16.5" and the other 9x 11". The British ships, with the exception of Swiftsure, were faster- Anson could easily make 32.5 knots, or over 33 when forced, and Lion was capable of 30.5kn rated or 32 forced. Bismarck could barely make her rated 29.5 kn in service, and the repaired Scharnhorst was never the same ship she was before her encounter with Anson's sister Rodney- she could only make 30 knots, and tended to heel to port. Lion had an advantage over the other two British capital ships- her Mark III guns fired a heavier projectile at a lower velocity, and were better optimized for long range plunging fire, similar to the proven 15" Mk. I, whereas Anson and Swiftsure had the 16" Mk. I, which fired a lighter projectile at higher velocity and flatter trajectory.


The poor weather led the two forces to tangle closer and closer. Lion straddled Prinz Eugen, believing her to be Bismarck. Swiftsure managed to engage Bismarck, and straddled, but took a 16.5" hit ahead of her A turret, and took on water. Swiftsure's armour scheme provided only 80% buoyancy, which caused her to pitch forward at the bows. The British ships began to put distance between themselves and the German ships- avoiding losses was deemed to be the most critical objective. Swiftsure took another 16.5" hit aft of the first, and another hit of undetermined calibre aft of her superstructure, which started a fire. The first hit was particularly worrying as it necessitated the flooding of her magazines, and with her all-forward armament, this meant that she could no longer use he main guns.

Leaking badly, and listing to starboard, the decision was made by Captain Godfrey Russell to withdraw from the fight, lay down smoke and make for the closest friendly port, which was Kristjansand. Escorted by the destroyers Matabele and Somali, she could only make 11 knots, although the leaks were slowed. However, this slow journey made her highly vulnerable to further attacks from German light units. A torpedo attack, lead by German destroyers launched a spread- three torpedoes hit, and two detonated abreast her superstructure. In addition to the water she had taken on in the firefighting efforts, these last hits sealed Swiftsure's fate. She sank slowly over the next two hours. Of her crew of approximately 1 400, all but 263 were taken off with no more than minor injuries. She sank approximately 80 nautical miles southwest of Kristjansand.

The remaining British ships were only able to inflict minor damage on the German fleet before dispersing to aid the rescue of Swiftsure's crew- Scharnhorst was relatively unscathed, Prinz Eugen suffered some 6" hits from the British light cruisers, and Bismarck had taken a non-critical 16" hit from Anson.

There was outrage in the Admiralty and press when news reached Britain.

Churchill demanded that Bismarck should be found and sunk, whatever the cost.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Excerpts from "The Myth of the Turning Point". J. Weisberg, F.N. Doubleday, 1996

THE hours that followed the loss of Swiftsure were largely spent making up from the time lost in rescuing her crew. The preceding battle had taken between forty minutes and an hour and ten, and each adversary straddled one another; it was far from the popular myth of the "golden shot". Z23's lucky torpedo shot was on a damaged Swiftsure, travelling in a straight line, with escorts worried about marauding U-Boats, which Tovey's main force had to keep careful watch for.

It is often noted that Anson had a similar design to Swiftsure, yet she performed much better. Anson benefited from a refit that Swiftsure never received (which improved her main gun elevation among other benefits), but even from the outset, she had many characteristics that might have made for a different scenario had she been in Swiftsure's place. Anson, unlike Swiftsure, was built with her X turret abaft her superstructure and ahead of her funnels- even with her citadel breached, she would not have had to flood all of her main magazines. Anson was also not built with a requirement that her A and B turrets be able to fire straight ahead over her bows at 0° elevation- her higher forepeak kept her bows much drier. Anson's smaller transom, much larger rudder, and machinery twice as powerful would also have made her easier to handle with such damage. Had their positions been switched, the damaged Anson would likely have made it to Kristjansand. Lion also proved to be an excellent seaboat.

There is much debate over what would have happened had Tovey not delayed the pursuit of Bismarck. However, there were several facts of which Tovey was presciently aware.


The first was Bismarck's destination. He (Bismarck) could only have been headed for Murmansk. A breakout into the Atlantic would be highly unlikely, given the Germans' awareness of the significant RN and USN presence, and a lack of fuel. The only other option would have been that this raid was a feint, to allow Tirpitz to commence an Atlantic raid while the Royal Navy pursued Bismarck, but this would have entirely betrayed German intentions.

The second was fuel. Bismarck could only travel with what fuel she brought with her, or perhaps refuel from a false-flagged tanker. By contrast, Tovey could easily have tankers and Royal Norwegian Navy auxiliaries provide his ships with fuel and provisions, even underway.

Air cover was another factor. RAF Coastal Command and FAA air stations maintained a presence in Norway, patrolling the coast for raiders and submarines. Torpedo-armed Beauforts from ashore, and carrier aircraft which the Germans lacked were a force to be reckoned with. Shortly after Swiftsure's sinking, the carrier HMS Glorious was ordered to join the pursuit.


Admiral Lütjens was far from safe yet, and had other problems present themselves. The concussive effects of the shellfire that Bismarck had taken from Swiftsure, thought to be minor, had knocked his notoriously sensitive rangefinders out of alignment, exacerbated by the effects of his guns being bored out from 16" to 16.5". This would make any further long-range engagements unlikely to achieve any degree of success, as there was no time to stop and repair them. Bismarck could also not turn back towards Germany- it was too late. Murmansk was Lütjens' only hope. Instead, it appeared that he had walked into a trap.

That was exactly the scenario Tovey was hoping for.

Even if Bismarck successfully reached Murmansk, there was no guarantee that there would be enough fuel for her to immediately begin preying on the convoys to Arkhangelsk, and she would likely need significant repairs as well. This provided ample time for Yamamoto's 1st kido butai to arrive. Arrangements were hastily made for the Japanese ships to refuel at Durban and Dakar as they raced around Africa to add the weight of their guns.

Guns, however, would not decide the next part of the pursuit.

Lütjens split his force into two elements- Bismarck and Seydlitz would sail farther from the Norwegian coast; Scharnhorst, under the command of KzS Otto Ciliax, would take the inside route with Prinz Eugen.

Lion and Anson along with carriers Victorious and Glorious set off in hot pursuit, with an additional force under the command of now Vice Admiral Sir Bernard Warburton-Lee in the recently worked-up Temeraire not far behind.

The carriers at last had the chance to launch their aircraft. Swarms of Fairey Albacores, with an escort of Bristol Bushido Mk. IIs, hounded the German ships, joined by shore-based Beauforts. One of the latter crippled Prinz Eugen, collapsing her stern with a well-placed torpedo. She succumbed to an additional two hits, as she dropped back into a smokescreen laid by attending destroyers. Victorious' Albacores flew ahead, and launched their deadly payloads at Scharnhorst, which capsized with nearly all hands after an estimated five torpedoes on her starboard side.

The German ships, without air cover, were helpless against the coordinated aerial assault. Their anti-aircraft armament was particularly poor, and most British aircraft returned without a single puncture from shells or shrapnel.

Royal Norwegian Navy oilers, dispatched from Bergen, topped off the tanks of Tovey's fleet as the next phase of the battle began- the relentless pursuit of the enemy, specifically the then-largest battleship afloat: Bismarck. Swiftsure would be avenged, as her survivors watched.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Excerpts from "The Myth of the Turning Point". J. Weisberg, F.N. Doubleday, 1996


BY the evening of September 26th, 1941, the pursuit of the German surface fleet exhausted its easy successes.

Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen were sunk in devastating airstrikes, as had their destroyer escort, but Glorious and Victorious were critically short on aviation gasoline and torpedoes for their aircraft after two tense days of airstrikes.

Bismarck and Seydlitz were barely scratched, having not been found by the aircraft, were missing somewhere in the vast Atlantic, but Tovey knew there was nowhere they could run to except Murmansk, but even that was a move that would only buy the Royal Navy time- soon, he and Seydlitz could begin preying on the convoys to Arkhangelsk.

Tovey was forced to put into Narvik to refuel and re-arm. Bismarck was either penned in, or forced out into the Atlantic, which wasn't ideal, but he was now the prey rather then the predator.

However, a plan which had been developed and discussed at the 1940 naval conference and originally intended for La Spezia or Taranto should Italy join the Pact of Steel came into focus once more. Developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy's attache to Britain, Captain Minoru Genda and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, it called for a surprise airstrike on an enemy port while their fleet was at anchor, bolstered by a strong surface fleet. This plan was dubbed "Operation Tiger", and would be executed by Admirals Yamamoto and Fraser, should Bismarck and his escorts reach Murmansk.

The plan was immediately attractive, and Japan had the carrier decks to spare, as well as an eagerness to demonstrate their abilities, as well as learning the method of attacking a Soviet port. Stalin was not keen about this, but he could not afford to be deprived of supplies close to the front.

The Japanese fast air fleet raced around the Cape and up the Western coast of Africa, slowing only to refuel underway off Dakar, but even with this punishing pace, it would still be days before they reached the North Sea.

There was also the matter of the US Navy. The Atlantic fleet commanders, Chester Nimitz and William Halsey, were willing to join the pursuit, but had few carriers and fast battleships; although they had plenty of heavy cruisers and slower battleships.

While the faster Royal Navy units combed the seas for Bismarck, the USN agreed to undertake patrols off Britain, largely to keep any of the pocket battleships, or worse, Tirpitz from breaking out, but it would also be days for their arrival. The Marine Nationale combed the Bay of Biscay for merchant raiders and U-Boats that were fortunate enough to break out.


Like a tiger resting before its prey made itself known, the Royal Navy waited.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Excerpts from "The Myth of the Turning Point". J. Weisberg, F.N. Doubleday, 1996

THE flight of the Bismarck eventually confirmed Tovey's predictions.

Short on fuel, her rangefinders damaged, radar malfunctioning, and relentlessly hounded by the Royal Navy, Admiral Lütjens ordered Bismarck, Seydlitz, and their destroyer escort to put into Murmansk.

The intention was to refuel, rearm, make repairs, and then begin raiding the Allied convoys bound for the port of Arkhangelsk farther East. Based in Murmansk, Bismarck would be capable of inflicting catastrophic damage to a convoy with anything less than escort with multiple modern battleships. To Lütjens' and Captain Lindemann's frustration, many critical parts had not made their way North, partly due to poor communication with the Luftwaffe and Heer's transportation arms. However, only Murmansk would put him under air cover.


The Royal Navy, however, had other plans. Tovey, from Narvik, patrolled the approaches to Murmansk, sweeping the ocean for Bismarck until Soviet intelligence confirmed his presence in Murmansk.

Meanwhile, off Scapa Flow, a powerful raiding force was being assembled. Yamamoto's kido butai comprising the fast battleship Amagi, battlecruisers Kongo and Kirishima, carriers Atago, Zuikaku and Soryu were joined by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser with his flag in the battleship Duke of York, and carriers Glorious, Victorious and the brand-new Indomitable. Indomitable also carried a squadron of Canadian-built Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk.IIs, equipped with drop tanks and cannon armament. This would be their first operational deployment.

The attack was to consist of three attack waves- the first would utilize a heavier complement of torpedo bombers, and the second more dive bombers.

The wildly disparate capabilities of the torpedo bombers was a cause for great concern- the B6N was nearly twice as fast as the Swordfish, although the former was in short supply. The slower Swordfish and Albacores would be relegated to the second wave.

Captain Mitsuo Fuchida commanded the lead element of Japanese aircraft; his abilities were well regarded by admirals Yamamoto and Fraser, and his peers, notably the renowned Sea Hurricane ace Ronald Hay.

The attack commenced early on the morning of October 6th, 1941, some 320 nm off Murmansk. The first wave of B6N and B5N torpedo bombers, accompanied by a small number of D4Y dive bombers and an escort of Sea Hurricanes and Zeroes set off with their deadly payloads, close to sea level.

What transipred next would prove one of the conflicting factions of naval warfare correct.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Excerpts from "The Myth of the Turning Point". J. Weisberg, F.N. Doubleday, 1996

"WE have achieved surprise" were Captain Fuchida's last words transmitted to the fleet as the attack on Murmansk commenced.

It proceeded according to plan. The Germans were caught by surprise; the staggeringly poor intelligence unaware of the vast carrier presence.


Fuchida fired the famous "Black Dragon" flare from his B6N to signal the start of the attack, as the lead element of torpedo bombers positioned themselves, with Zeroes and Sea Hurricanes providing cover.

Torpedo after torpedo slammed into Bismarck's side; although his broad beam made him very reluctant to heel over.

The Germans struggled to scramble fighters, partly due to poor communication between the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe, as the airfields were swept by Allied fighters. Most of the Luftwaffe's losses were on the ground, or against planes taking off.

Meanwhile, Bismarck's fate was sealed. Three direct hits from armour-piercing bombs dropped by the nimble D4Ys set off an explosion in one of his secondary magazines, starting a chain reaction which detonated his main magazines. Bismarck, the "North Sea Monster", was no more; blown up at his moorings. An estimated total of between eleven and sixteen torpedoes struck Bismarck which may have sunk him to the muddy bottom; Soviet sources do not disclose if this is what sunk him before he was cut up.

This stunning success did not result in the cancellation of the second wave. This time, more D4Ys as well as Albacores, with a Zero escort, concentrated on the smaller ships. Seydlitz was now the primary target. One of Glorious' Albacores collapsed her vulnerable stern with a well-placed torpedo; causing her to sink by the stern as she attempted to break out. More torpedo hits sealed her fate, as dive bombers and torpedoes made short work of the three remaining destroyers.

The third wave was somewhat delayed as many of the aircraft were forced to switch from torpedoes to bombs; as such it was launched at lower strength than the other waves, and concentrated on fuel and ammunition dumps. The successes were more limited as these proved harder targets to destroy than expected.

---

The attack was an unqualified success, vindicating once and for all the importance of the aircraft carrier, and the dangers of operating capital ships without air cover.

The commanders of the participating factions also saw their reputations vindicated or condemned.

John Tovey was lauded for his decision to halt the pursuit of Bismarck to rescue the crew of Swiftsure. The rescued sailors, and their families vigorously defend his reputation to this day.

Isoroku Yamamoto was hailed in both British and Japanese press as a genius; he also received the first gensui badge of the Second World War. Marshal-Admiral Yamamoto was also awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, First Class, for his achievement in developing and prosecuting the attack on Murmansk. Fuchida was recommended for promotion to rear admiral, for the Order of the Golden Kite, 1st Class, and immediately received the bukokisho 1st Class.

Newsreels lauded the performance of the Allied fleet- at last, a truly decisive victory against Germany in Europe was achieved; her naval forces hobbled. It was in these newsreels that "Through the Day; Throughout the Week: The Japanese Sailors' Song" was introduced to Western audiences in an instrumental form, usually played whenever the Imperial Japanese Navy was featured.


The mood was not quite so rosy in Gemany. Hitler was furious at Grand Admiral Raeder and the Kreigsmarine, and was reported to have screamed at Raeder for three hours upon hearing of the defeat at Murmansk. This was compounded by yet another defeat- the pocket battleship Lützow, attempting to raid a convoy while breaking out during the chaos to raid Atlantic tangled with the American escort- and it was the old four-stack USS Edsall (DD-219) that brought her raid to an end, with a well placed torpedo to Lützow's stern, causing her to have to break off, and limp back to Germany. Her diesel fuel reserves contaminated by seawater, she required a tow almost as soon as she entered the North Sea.

Hitler, in his rage, ordered an immediate suspension to all surface naval operations. Raeder attempted to resign; Hitler, in his fury, demoted him to Generaladmiral and fired him. Karl Doenitz took his place. Hitler then ordered that all of the guns from the remaining cruisers (Tirpitz was granted temporary reprieve as there were no suitable mountings for her guns) landed for use in the Soviet Union.

This, it is commonly alleged, marked Hitler's downfall into micromanagement of the Wehrmacht.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

For now, we jump back in time slightly, and return to China...

---

KMT Headquarters

Nanking, Republic of China

August 3rd, 1941

9:56 AM

CHIANG Kai-Shek was beside himself with frustration.The last weeks had been disastrous. The ROC's bluffs were called, and once again, the Allied powers moved in on China. Defeat after defeat followed.

First, the disastrous attack on Tsingtao, which resulted in losses worse than ten-to-one. The defection of Wu's Union of China and the loss of Shanghai followed, compounded by the failure to take either Hong Kong or Singapore; repulsed each time by Anglo-Japanese defenders. It was the first defeat more than any other that weighed on Chiang's mind, due to the disastrous effect on morale.

Chiang sat in his office with three of his subordinates- Wang Jingwei, the voice of the KMT's right, Li Jishen, the voice of the KMT's left, and Du Yuesheng, mostly because Du was at his most dangerous when not closely supervised.

In front of the men, spread out on a table, were newspapers. One of them, in particular, stood out. On the cover of an issue of the Tsingtao Daily was a large picture of smiling Japanese and Manchukuo soldiers holding aloft a tattered captured standard of Waffen-SS Rechtschaffene Faust. The article itself didn't matter, the picture was clear enough. Eichmann's programme, intended to create the image of supermen, was now a target of ridicule. The brand was damaged beyond rehabilitation, and the blame for that rested squarely on the shoulders of one man.

Eichmann.

Eichmann had championed the attack on Tsingtao. Eichmann had stated that the German-developed tactics would overwhelm the city. Eichmann, the snivelling secretary, also believed that whatever casualties were incurred were inconsequential. That's how a butcher thinks, not a soldier.

It was increasingly obvious just how out of his depth Eichmann was, and how bad he had become at hiding the fact he simply asked his SS superiors what to do- and their recommendations were based on the information Eichmann gave them- and, once again, this was a man without military experience.

Chiang stared at the picture, while Du broke the silence.

"You know you have to get rid of him" said Du, matter-of-factly.

"But how, without jeopardizing our alliance with the Germans?" interjected Wang.

"It is true" posited Li "We must get rid of this burdensome official. But Wang is right- we cannot afford to lose any friends. We must also consider whether we will be better positioned to reason with Wu or Mao"

"I have heard enough.Get Falkenhausen and that... party functionary in here.

And get Bose. Li is right, we do need all the friends we can get!"

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

KMT Headquarters

Nanking, Republic of China

August 3rd, 1941

2:12 PM


EICHMANN and Falkenhausen were summoned to the headquarters of the Kuomintang. Someone had to answer for the failure of the Four Winds Offensive.

That someone was Eichmann. Falkenhausen sat silently, facing Chiang, Du, and the translators.


The spread of newspapers on Chiang's desk grew, and the headlines and pictures were more bad news for the Pact of Steel.

One from Shanghai depicted MacArthur standing on a pier, hands on his hips, corncob pipe in his mouth and ever-present aviator sunglasses; the headline read "I HAVE ARRIVED!"

On another from Singapore, the picture on the front page was a smiling Arthur Percival and Tomoyuki Yamashita shaking hands, with the caption "UNITED WE STAND". A Hong Kong paper depicted the Hong Kong Blue Ensign flying over Victoria Harbour, requiring no caption.

Eichmann's eyes, however, were drawn to the Tsingtao Daily, carefully sitting front and centre. The now all too familiar picture stared back at Eichmann- Japanese and Manchukuo soldiers holding aloft the captured standard of Waffen-SS Rechtschaffene Faust. The soldiers in the foreground were laughing; some in the background gave a Banzai cheer.

"Read this*" barked Chiang, curtly.

Eichmann read the copy, his face reddening with rage.

"The valiant defenders of Tsingtao repulsed the assault on our beloved city with characteristic fearlessness, defeating the enemy's best forces with ease...

...Even the fanatical "Righteous Fist" regiment, imbued with Nazi racial pseudoscience in addition to Sinofascist propaganda, was no match for the bravery of the Japanese soldier and his superior training and equipment...these "supermen", trained by the "Aryan Master Race" reduced to a disorderly rabble fleeing before us... It has been proven decisively that Nazi pills and propaganda are no match for the Yamato Spirit which courses through the veins of our soldiers...

...Chiang's incessant assaults on rightful Japanese possessions will produce similar results. A contempt for peace, order, international cooperation and respect typifies his regime; characteristics shared with his Nazi allies. China's fortunes depend on how quickly her people reject these despots and clear the way for more sensible governance... for it is not the Empire of Japan and her allies who shall be frightened by violence and terrorism.


"Ridiculous" barked Eichmann. "This is utter nonsense."

"Is it now?" shot back Chiang "Was it not you who advised General Chen on how to take the city, at your superiors' insistence?"

"It was." replied a stone-faced Eichmann. "I advised General Chen to employ Maneuver Warfare ("Bewegungskrieg"), as per the Waffen-SS training programme.

"And?" interrupted Chiang "How well did that work? It looks like, at your instigation, our troops were maneuvered right into an artillery barrage and tank traps"

"I resent the suggestion" retorted Eichmann. "I simpl-"

"Shut up, you idiot!" roared Chiang. "I don't care about your excuses! Your SS training was utterly useless! All that additional time, expense- and for what? More dead soldiers, and a propaganda victory for the Japanese! What were you expecting?"

Eichmann said, weakly "It was determined, through battlefield experience in Europe that such tactics are indeed effective, especially against an inferior opponent."

"And what have we experienced in China?" demanded Chiang

"The Japanese...they... they are fanatics, and bolstered by 'Formula 731', no doubt taken to enhance their fighting abilities" said Eichmann.

Du Yuesheng laughed. "You idiot! Do you even know what 'Formula 731 is? It's disinformation; it's some kind of shoe paste the Japanese use"

Eichmann said nothing.

"Effective immediately" barked Chiang "All Waffen-SS regiments will lose their distinctive insignia, all ideological training will be suspended, and personnel assigned to advise the formation of Waffen-SS Drachen will be re-assigned to conventional infantry and armour training. I need soldiers to fight, not translate Mein Kampf!"

Eichmann looked straight ahead, betraying no expression.


Chiang stared at Eichmann, an expression of pure contempt on his face.

"Stand up!" he ordered Eichmann, in his accented German. Eichmann complied. "Sit down!" shouted Chiang, as Eichmann took his seat. "Stand up! Sit own!"- Chiang continued to make Eichmann stand up and sit down, as he complied without a word or gesture of protest.

"Generalissimo" pleaded Falkenhausen "What is the purpose of this exercise?"

"Ah, General Falkenhausen, I thought you would ask, because unlike this servile stenographer, you actually have a brain in your head. All he knows how to do is mimic and repeat. He is useless here. Get him out of my sight."

"Reichsfuehrer-SS Himmler will hear of this" said Eichmann, mustering up the last of his determination.

"Good!" shouted Chiang. "Maybe then he'll start paying attention to the situation here."

Falkenhausen motioned to speak before Chiang cut him off.

"And don't you start! I don't need advisers! I need tanks! I need planes! I need guns- heavy guns, guns that outrange Japanese guns! The last thing I need is more lackeys like that! He has 72 hours to leave China; I don't ever want to see him again!"

Falkenhausen could do nothing but say "Arrangements will be made, Generalissimo Chiang."

---

*A translated copy had been prepared and made available for this meeting.

 

[WaterproofPotatoes]

Excerpts from "The Union of China: A Star Rises in the East" I. Kwong, Random House, 2002


THE Handover of Beijing from the Empire of Japan to the Union of China provided more than just a capital to the latter, but laid the foundation for relations between the two powers.

Beijing had been under Japanese occupation for just under two years. While it had been an orderly occupation, it was an occupation nonetheless, and Beijing's residents were glad to see the city returned to Chinese hands, especially under familiar leadership.

The handover ceremony, originally scheduled for September 1st, 1941, was advanced to August 21st, to facilitate planning for the assault on Nanking. Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang had arrived several days in advance, received with a welcome ceremony from the Kwantung Army, with General Hideki Tojo presiding.

The military ceremony was widely attended by dignitaries from the various Allied powers- MacArthur from the USA, immediately after a meeting with General Count Terauchi in Tsingtao; Lord Mountbatten from the UK, and a larger Japanese complement- Tojo was also accompanied by Field Marshal Prince Morimasa Nashimoto and General Shunroku Hata. Unbeknownst to Tojo, Hata was set to replace him as commanding officer of the Kwantung Army.

The stress the war was putting upon the general officers of the IJA was readily evident- General Iwane Matsui, who assisted in brokering the peace treaty had fallen ill with pneumonia and was unable to attend. Prince Nashimoto attended in his stead; a visit from Prince Asaka, now high priest of the Ise Shrine, was deemed inexpedient due to his bad reputation as an ineffective commander of the Kwantung Army.

The months prior to the handover ceremony were no less stressful for Tojo, who had to balance not only the responsibilities of command, but also coordinating operations with Manchukuo and Mengjiang, as well as diverting units to defend the coast. Tojo could not disguise the effects the stress of command had taken on his health. His increasingly gaunt physique did not fill out the new Type 1 uniform that had been sent from Japan, and a bad cough that he could not rid himself of. Tojo's condition, although a cause for concern, did not prevent his participation.


The ceremony, commencing at 10 AM, was held outside the gates of Tianenmen, upon which the new flag of the Union of China was unveiled*.

In view of the dignitaries, Wu, in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Union Army, a function of his office as President; and Tojo reviewed IJA and Union Army troops. Upon conclusion, Wu formally relieved Tojo, and the Japanese troops marched down Zhongshan Road to music provided by an IJA band.

The civilian celebrations were decidedly more boisterous, including night after night of fireworks. While the occupation was largely peaceful and orderly, Beijing's population nonetheless chafed under the harsh Japanese regulations, which extended down to hefty fines for spitting in the street, and constant surveilance by the kempeitai for any inkling of conspiracy or sabotage.

Wu's Union of China proved popular in Beijing; not only was it local rule, Wu promised expanded workers' rights in addition to protection against Southern warlords.

The road, however, would be a long one, and the journey had just begun.

---

@Luminous in yet another exhibition of tremendous skill, has created a flag for the Union of China, to be revealed soon!