America has superb mini valves and electronic production on a large scale to offer. If Radar and R/T sets are ordered as L-L it might prove difficult to build up the UK electronics industry post-war.
Umm... maybe im wrong, i was taught a very imperialcentric view of wwii, but wasnt british tube tech rather advanced over the us?
March 22nd
It is officially announced in Australia that John Curtin will officially take over as Prime Minister 'until such time as Robert Menzies has recovered'. There has been considerable debate in the Liberal party overnight about how to handle this; one part of the party wanted to use this as a reason to call an election, which they are confident of winning, but in the end were outvoted by more cautious elements.
They pointed out that calling an election due to the collapse of Menzies while Australia is under attack would look like blatant opportunism, whereas waiting, and showing that they can do an even better job (especially as it is felt that the tide is turning in favour of Australia) will allow them to gather the middle ground votes who will be swayed by the display of statesmanship and putting Australia first, thus giving them a much stronger majority if they go to the country next year.
Curtin announces that no changes will be made in Australian policy as a result of Menzie's collapse, but in private he has used his new office to stress that unless an Australian is appointed as head of the Australian theatre the Liberal party might have to withdraw from the coalition. This is part of the strategy to show that a Liberal PM can lead Australia in the war successfully.
The RAF and Somerville are coordinating attacks from Java, however these are put temporarily on hold as a USAAF Catalina finally finds the Japanese heavy support group. Before the Catalina is forced to take cover in cloud (already slightly damaged by a Zero), the pilot reports 'at least two carriers and two battleships plus supporting ships'. In fact the battleships are cruisers - this misidentification was a consistent feature for both sides in air reconnaissance.
Dathi
I think both countries had their areas of expertise. More a matter that the US, without being constantly in the front line and with much greater resources was more able to turn ideas into actual production.
Steve
It fair to say that Australian politics were very confusing in those days... BUT.
The United Australia Party was Menzies' party. The Liberal Party of Australia only came into existence in 1944, following the UAP's curbstomping in 1943.(1) It was, in 1942, in a coalition with another political force known as the Country Party under Arthur Fadden (a loose association of regional parties later known as the Nationals).
I know it's confusing, as normally you think of a British style parliamentary democracy to be Conservative/Tory, Liberal, and Labour/Socialist. But this was not the case in Australia in WWII.
John Curtin's allegiance was to the Labour Party, and he was a dedicated Socialist.
So maybe a little editing is in order?
Considering the difference in size between US Treaty Cruisers and IJN heavy cruisers (who never really paid much attention to those pesky treaty limits) it's no wonder the pilot thought he was seeing battleships.
1) It was Menzies who helped to found Australia's Liberal Party.
Indeed. The US started out in 1939 with NO AFV's to speak of, yet thanks to the power of Detroit, even before the US was in the war they were delivering stopgap M-3's to Egypt so much better than what the poor Tommies had that the British tank crews were in tears (of joy).![]()
I do realize the war will be over before even the first Centurion rolls of the drawing board, but will we see something like the Comet rip the Panzerwaffe a new one?
Like a version of the Black Prince with meteor engine, maybe?![]()
They are the big ones.
There are a lot more: Aquitania, Mauretania Isle de France, Union Castle, Canadian Pacific, Bermudas, Royal Mail Lines, anything called Highland. Many of the refigerated meat transports pre war doubled as liners with a heavy first class passneger complement (500 passengers) . These could carry 1500-5000 troops as a ferry, fewer if they were combat ready or near so and pre LST some are listed as invasion transports.
A lot of similar ships were taken up as AMC and returned to trade later in the war with things looking up there may not be such a need for emergency cruisers.
All other things aside I could see little need for convoy protection from say Freetown - India. But I think that is the case OTL anyway - the convoys were there because of Italians in Eritrea, then the Japanese then (from April 42) when U cruisers start operating. The real advantage comes from not having the round Africa convoys to Egypt or fighting them through the Med.
Not this time...
More likely looking at the Grants they have been sent out to the Med with them looking at what the British have (thanks in particular to Canada) and wimpering softly....
![]()
Not this time...
More likely looking at the Grants they have been sent out to the Med with them looking at what the British have (thanks in particular to Canada) and wimpering softly....
![]()
*Groan* Bad Dathi, bad! That's just wrong.Japanese admiral,: your ships head to Bali.
Captain: Bali, hai!
What's the current situation regarding tank development and production or the British? As best I can track in this timeline they're currently got the Canadian Ram/Grizzly with 6-pdr and Crusader with 2-pdr for the cruisers and the improved Valentine with Grizzly turret for the infantry tanks. In the near future the Cromwell cruiser tank is stated in August 1941 as being 'available soon' and the Churchill infantry tank is under development with Grizzly-Valentine acting as stand-in until then. Now the Churchill appears to be coming along at roughly the same time as our timeline but the Cromwell seems to be a couple years ahead of schedule as it were. What's prompted this, is it thanks to there being no invasion scare and not having to keep building already designed equipment rather than look at development better stuff or something else? And not being much of a tank-head what's the advantage of the Black Prince over the Comet if you stick a Rolls-Royce Meteor in the thing? A quick search of a few of the sites seems to throw up a bit of confusion as some talk of it being a prototype for the Churchill and others as being developed separately in parallel.Like a version of the Black Prince with meteor engine, maybe?I do realize the war will be over before even the first Centurion rolls of the drawing board, but will we see something like the Comet rip the Panzerwaffe a new one?![]()
More likely rolling a grenade into McNair's puptent. Or office, if in DC.![]()
Like a version of the Black Prince with meteor engine, maybe?![]()
you can leave it to the USAAF (Just like otl)