The Whale has Wings

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Would you be willing to upload somewhere so the rest of us can get a copy, I was about to start doing it myself for the same reason.
Well since Astro has already asked that not to happen, and I wouldn't of said yes until I'd asked him first anyway, 'fraid not. It's nothing too fancy anyway though, just copied and pasted with some formatting clean up e.g. italicising ship names, add some missing punctuation, fixing typos, no gaps between paragraphs but indentations etc.
 
Will it be possible to get/buy a copy when the story is complete?

Yes, it will.

I'm currently working on turning the first parts into a book. Its quite a bit of work, as I have to remove inconsistences and add some stuff, as well as do things like maps I didnt do for this TL. I also want to make it a little more coherent as a story.

Hopefully this will improve the quality.:eek:
 
...5th April

Fuhrer Directive 41 is issued and the Wehrmacht has its orders for 1942. ... Once Stalingrad is taken, the 6th Army will hold the flank defence line while Army Group A drives South into the Caucasus to seize the oilfields. After this it will be possible to advance south and attack the British positions in the Middle East, taking the oil fields and the Suez canal and cutting the direct link between Britain and the Far East

...

The Germans sure are just as imaginative as the Japanese when it comes to plans...
 
Astrodragon

Excellent, an update plus very interested to learn about you're ideas of publishing it as a book. Would definitely be interested in being a customer.:D Thoughts on some parts below.

3rd April

The Japanese open an all-out offensive against the Bataan line, ....

Haven't said before but presume that most/all of the Philippines events are pretty much OTL?

In the Mediterranean, final preparations for an amphibious operation aimed at Sicily are taking place. Reports from the Far East are encouraging, and the monsoon will soon put a stop to major operations in Burma and Malaya. Once it starts, Operation Husky will take place on the next suitable date.
Does Britain actually have the manpower, with the war in the Pacific, and possibly more so the shipping and amphibious capacity especially?


The first large raid using all the new equipment and the Coventry bomber is made by Bomber Command against Hanover. The main raid consists of 150 of the new high altitude Coventry, which follow in the Mosquito pathfinders. Their bombs, dropped from 35,000 feet, do severe damage to the supporting structures of buildings, as well as breaking gas lines and water mains. This damage makes it much more difficult to fight the damage and fires of the following waves of bombers - 400 Lancasters dropping the new 4,000 lb bombs and incendiaries, and a final wave of Halifax bombers carrying more incendiaries and light bombs to interfere with the fire-fighting efforts. The raid is finished off the next morning, when 150 Coventry bombers raid above the ceiling of the German air defences, losing only one plane over the target. They drop another 2,000 tons of bombs on targets that were missed in the night raid.

The raid is considered a success - a considerable part of Hanovers industry has been burned out or wrecked, and the sight of RAF bombers attacking apparently at will during the day had a serious effect on morale, many people fleeing the city. This raid will be a pattern for the RAF Spring offensive against the Ruhr and selected coastal cities.
That is pretty damned impressive, both in getting such an a/c in operation in sizeable numbers that early and in getting the changes in doctrine and the like that BC can mount effective attacks by early 42. This could well be very good for the Soviets especially in Europe.



In Malaya the Australians break the Japanese defensive line. With orders to hold, Yamashita is unable to stop them forming a 'shoulder' in the east, allowing them to commence rolling up the western units, which are almost unable to pull back as they are also facing a slow infantry advance from the west under Slim.
Getting towards the end game on Malaya, although the extension into Thailand and FIC and impact on the war in China could be pretty extensive.;)

Fuhrer Directive 41 is issued and the Wehrmacht has its orders for 1942. Leningrad is to be captured and contact is to be made with the Finns east of Lake Ladoga, however this is a secondary objective. The main attack will be in the South, which involves 2nd Army and 4th Panzer Army breaking through to Voronezh on the Don River. 6th Army will break out south of Kharkov and combine with the 4th Panzer Army to surround the enemy. After that, the 4th Panzer Army and 6th Army will drive east under the command of Army Group B and surround Stalingrad from the North, while Army Group A's 17th Army and 1st Panzer Army will do so from the South. Once Stalingrad is taken, the 6th Army will hold the flank defence line while Army Group A drives South into the Caucasus to seize the oilfields. After this it will be possible to advance south and attack the British positions in the Middle East, taking the oil fields and the Suez canal and cutting the direct link between Britain and the Far East
Glad to see its not just the Japanese high command that is having problems with reality;). Especially with the latter part of the plan and the hook from the Caucasus through to Egypt. Can't anyone in the German High Command read a map or is it just that those who can value their families?

PS just ninjaed on this.

Harry Hopkins, Special Assistant to President Roosevelt, and General Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff, arrive in London for talks with British service and supply chiefs concerning the integration of US and British manpower and war production for action in Europe. General Marshall urges an offensive in the west to relieve pressure upon the USSR and promises a constant flow of US troops, including many air units, to the UK. The British treat these suggestions politely, but in fact they have no intention of attacking into France, instead their operations are aimed at Italy. Since the only US Army involvement is a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division (compared to some 14 Imperial and French Divisions), Marshall has no troops to back his arguments with.
The obvious result at the moment but America will have a lot more influence latter on and members of their establishment won't like having their ideas rejected even if their less than realistic. Hopefully not going to see a significant power struggle later on.


At 1200 hours, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, with the heavy cruisers USS Salt Lake City and Northampton , four destroyers, and the oiler USS Sabine, sortie from Pearl Harbor to rendezvous with the aircraft carrier USS Hornet which is carrying B-25s to attack Japan.
The Japanese tourist board has some unexpected success in prompting new visitors.;)

Steve
 
Astrodragon

Excellent, an update plus very interested to learn about you're ideas of publishing it as a book. Would definitely be interested in being a customer.:D Thoughts on some parts below.



Haven't said before but presume that most/all of the Philippines events are pretty much OTL?

Does Britain actually have the manpower, with the war in the Pacific, and possibly more so the shipping and amphibious capacity especially?


That is pretty damned impressive, both in getting such an a/c in operation in sizeable numbers that early and in getting the changes in doctrine and the like that BC can mount effective attacks by early 42. This could well be very good for the Soviets especially in Europe.



Getting towards the end game on Malaya, although the extension into Thailand and FIC and impact on the war in China could be pretty extensive.;)

Glad to see its not just the Japanese high command that is having problems with reality;). Especially with the latter part of the plan and the hook from the Caucasus through to Egypt. Can't anyone in the German High Command read a map or is it just that those who can value their families?

PS just ninjaed on this.

The obvious result at the moment but America will have a lot more influence latter on and members of their establishment won't like having their ideas rejected even if their less than realistic. Hopefully not going to see a significant power struggle later on.


The Japanese tourist board has some unexpected success in prompting new visitors.;)

Steve

The PI is basically as OTL, there isnt really anything to change it and its simpler just to keep it the same.

yes, the Allies have quite a lot in the Med now. Around 7 Imperial Divisions, a Greek Division, 6 French divisions and some independant groups. Oh, and a use Infantry Brigade....:p
They have anough landing craft (just), they haven't actually had to send much out east - the OTL sweeping up of coastal shipping by the Japanese didnt happen, so the allies have it to use themselves.

Bomber Command has benefitted from having Dowding making some sensible decisions, including early parthfinder use. The Coventry is big and expensive and wont be built in huge numbers, but OTOH its difficult to shoot down. This time they waited and only did lesser raids until they had everything ready. So less damage up to now (but lots of gardening :), but now the Ruhr is going to feel it.

Imperial troops are unlikely to get far into Thailand before the Monsoon hits, but once it does everythnig closes down for a while. But it means Burma is safe, the Burma Road is safe, Malaya is safe (the Japanese will heve zero chance by the time the Monsoon is over...)

I had assumed the German and Japanese planners were getting their smokes from Marshall...:p:D
 
Astrodragon

Is that the total allied force or the allied force free for an attack on Italy. Because if the former they still need to garrison a hell of a lot of areas, including the assorted Greek islands they have liberated. Not to mention OTL, while we recognise German plans for drives through the ME is was a serious concern for the British government at the time. They were setting up a separate Army Command to defend the area in the autumn of 42 for fear that the Soviets would collapse and they would have the Germans pushing through Persia.

Steve


The PI is basically as OTL, there isnt really anything to change it and its simpler just to keep it the same.

yes, the Allies have quite a lot in the Med now. Around 7 Imperial Divisions, a Greek Division, 6 French divisions and some independant groups. Oh, and a use Infantry Brigade....:p
They have anough landing craft (just), they haven't actually had to send much out east - the OTL sweeping up of coastal shipping by the Japanese didnt happen, so the allies have it to use themselves.

Bomber Command has benefitted from having Dowding making some sensible decisions, including early parthfinder use. The Coventry is big and expensive and wont be built in huge numbers, but OTOH its difficult to shoot down. This time they waited and only did lesser raids until they had everything ready. So less damage up to now (but lots of gardening :), but now the Ruhr is going to feel it.

Imperial troops are unlikely to get far into Thailand before the Monsoon hits, but once it does everythnig closes down for a while. But it means Burma is safe, the Burma Road is safe, Malaya is safe (the Japanese will heve zero chance by the time the Monsoon is over...)

I had assumed the German and Japanese planners were getting their smokes from Marshall...:p:D
 
Astrodragon

Is that the total allied force or the allied force free for an attack on Italy. Because if the former they still need to garrison a hell of a lot of areas, including the assorted Greek islands they have liberated. Not to mention OTL, while we recognise German plans for drives through the ME is was a serious concern for the British government at the time. They were setting up a separate Army Command to defend the area in the autumn of 42 for fear that the Soviets would collapse and they would have the Germans pushing through Persia.

Steve

No, they arent all available.
The Greeks are garrisonning Crete and the islands in the Dodecanese.
The French have two divisions kept in reserve in NA, and the British similarly have two divisions held back in Egypt.

However its simply impossible for the Axis to seriously threaten NA now. How are they going to? They cant get planes close enough, the Italian Navy is decorating the sea bottom, and the Turks are being studiously neutral to both sides. At some point the Germans MAY get far enough into the Caucasus to be a danger (though that ignores the awful terrain they would have to advance through, while the British have good sea-based logistics and India), but at the moment NA is safe.

In any case, they dont have the sealift for all the troops available, so some are going to be garrissoning anyway.
 
I said the STATE of Maine. Not district. So there. But thanks for the info, anyway. And do not imperil your immortal soul by defending that judicial murderer. Unless you have proof he was always voting in the minority?:confused:
Ah, but you said "unnamed state of Maine," implying that it was Maine unnamed, not the fact it was a state, but let's not quibble. As for Danforth, he sat in on only one trial and was not persuaded by the evidence, according to a diarist of the time. He nonetheless voted with the majority. His name featured heavily in "The Crucible" and that has always tainted his reputation.
 
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Astro:

In a way the PI is doing better than OTL because the Japanese will not have as many troops/aircraft etc now, and there are good odds once Corregidor falls that the southern PI will not be surrendered as well. If Del Monte can be held long enough, it may become a potential forward field for staging/recovering operations (refueling etc). Also it is feasible here for the guerrilla movement to be recognized and more strongly supported earlier...
 
Astro:

In a way the PI is doing better than OTL because the Japanese will not have as many troops/aircraft etc now, and there are good odds once Corregidor falls that the southern PI will not be surrendered as well. If Del Monte can be held long enough, it may become a potential forward field for staging/recovering operations (refueling etc). Also it is feasible here for the guerrilla movement to be recognized and more strongly supported earlier...

IA- there's a chance that a few pockets could hold out for some time on Mindanao & some of the smaller islands, at least, until they run out of supplies, depending on how the command arrangements were changed since MacArthur's out of the picture (i.e. would Wainwright be able to order Sharpe to surrender) & just how many Japanese resources will be diverted elsewhere or be unable to make it to the PI in the first place due to a lack of transportation that were sent there OTL. That could have some interesting effects on US strategic planning....

(snip)
Since the only US Army involvement is a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division (compared to some 14 Imperial and French Divisions), Marshall has no troops to back his arguments with.

One slight nit here- the brigade was not a formation used by US Army during WW2, except possibly when referring to the divisional artillery as a whole; a standard infantry division TOE at the time was based around 3 infantry regiments, 4 field artillery battalions (3 with 105 mm howitzers & 1 with 155s), a mechanized cavalry troop for recon (later expanded to a full squadron in some cases), & the assorted organic supporting & service units. Later in the war, the TOE would be reinforced by attaching several tank, tank-destroyer, & AA battalions
 
3rd April

The Japanese open an all-out offensive against the Bataan line, which is by now under strength, undernourished, poorly clothed and equipped, and battle weary.

You can add sick.:( AIUI, American medical supplies for combatting tropical diseases were all but exhausted by this time.

In the Mediterranean, final preparations for an amphibious operation aimed at Sicily are taking place. Reports from the Far East are encouraging, and the monsoon will soon put a stop to major operations in Burma and Malaya. Once it starts, Operation Husky will take place on the next suitable date.

No doubt, Britain has the troops available for Husky. Maybe even enough landing craft IF-big if-they land on relatively poorly defended beaches.

Certainly they have the naval forces available, and if the U-Boat War really is doing better for the Allies than OTL shipping must be in far greater numbers as well. Economically, Britain is doing better, and that helps all the way around.

However, I've said it before, I am saying it now, and I'll keep on saying it until someone can provide me with a reasoned argument that shows the RAF can gain Air Superiority in the Central Mediterranean in early 1942. Even ITTL. Granted, the Germans are getting ready to launch Case Blue, so will have their hands full regarding strategic emphasis for the Third Reich.

But the Red Air Force by this time in WWII is still a shell following Barbarossa. Their relatively unwise tactics in the use of their air assets only made things worse for them and easier for the Germans. So, except for some regional (Leningrad & Southern-Southeastern Russia) tactical and logistical demands the Luftwaffe would ITTL still have one (even one and a half) hand(s) free to face the British.

Considering that we all agree on Marshall's strategic madness of Sledgehammer, the "Western Front" is still very much a mirage at this point in WWII. So...

I can't help but think of the mind of Adolph Hitler in all this. The man was very much a bully, and his record shows this. Time and again he would divert forces away from strategically important sectors (or even theaters) and throw them into actions that defied military sense but suited his political and racist ideologies. Or, at the very least, promised to give him cheap tactical military victories that he could have Goebbels crow about over Radio Berlin.

Frex:

1) Holding off destroying the Allies at Dunkirk, and rather leaving things to the Luftwaffe while the German Army rested/turned to France...

2) Leaving conquering the UK by terror bombing in response to the failure to defeat the RAF and the RAF's bombing of Berlin following London's being bombed for the first time?

3) Diverting the main thrusts in Central Russia in 1941 to the North and South rather than straight on to Moscow?

4) DoWing America in a fit of pique?

5) Getting his head handed to him by the Soviets at Kursk, and using as an excuse the Allied invasion of Sicily to break off the offensive and play fire brigade in the Mediterranean Theater.:(

6) Responding with such force at Salerno and later Anzio that Hitler nearly drove the Americans into the sea, all in the name of drubbing the forces of the Western Allies, and halting their progress. All this, while the Soviets, if not running rampant, were already advancing inexorably west.:mad:

7) Stripping the Eastern Front to the point of permitting the circumstance of the Destruction of Army Group Center, all in the name of driving the Allies in the sea. At Pas-de-Calais.:p

8) Launching an offensive by the German 7th Army at Avranches against hopeless odds, even as the Soviets were launching a 1944 version of Red Storm Rising.:eek:

9) Launching the Ardennes Offensive, even as the Soviets were running wild in the Balkans and were readying to sweep across the rest of Poland and East Prussia.

10) Detaching two SS Panzer Corps from the Russian Front to crush the Hungarians in Budapest, and prevent the city's falling to the Soviets. THIS, while the Russians were storming towards Berlin!

I'm just saying that with all this, with the humiliating loss of North Africa already, and British bombers plastering his cities, I can only imagine Hitler's reaction to an Operation Husky pre-Stalingrad. As in: "How dare they? HOW DARE THEY? The British have REALLY stuck their necks into it this time! So that drunken lap dog Churchill wants a fight? FINE! And if Mussolini's miserable cowardly Italians won't give it to them, THEN WE WILL!":mad: (paraphrasing Herman Wouk). Very Hitler. There may be logistical barriers to Hitler's doing this, particularly against Husky as compared to Avalanche, but is anyone in Berlin going to have the nerve to tell him?:confused::rolleyes:

For all the arguments made in FAVOR of Husky ITTL, I haven't really seen a solid set of numbers vis-a-vis the RAF versus the Luftwaffe that convinces me that the Luftwaffe couldn't at the very least raise absolute holy hell for Allied OFFENSIVE operations in the Med. Not when you consider that along with everything else, the Germans have the interior lines. In air power and well as on the ground. British air has to come all the way from England, after all.

I just worry that this is all too much, too soon.:( The Japanese have all the vulnerabilities displayed ITTL. But if we start seeing an early collapse with the Germans I'd have to call foul. OTOH, I haven't seen anyone, especially Astrodragon, claim that Germany's fall was going to be very much sooner than OTL, anyways. But that must mean that at some point Hitler is going to be forced to redeploy major levels of troops to the West and Med. Stalin is going to get his Western Front a whole lot sooner than OTL. But maybe not quite in the manner he may have wished...

4th April

In Malaya the Australians break the Japanese defensive line. With orders to hold, Yamashita is unable to stop them forming a 'shoulder' in the east, allowing them to commence rolling up the western units, which are almost unable to pull back as they are also facing a slow infantry advance from the west under Slim.

Getting Yamashita will be almost as good as nailing his army, IMVHO. Does anyone agree? Disagree?

5th April

Fuhrer Directive 41 is issued and the Wehrmacht has its orders for 1942. Leningrad is to be captured and contact is to be made with the Finns east of Lake Ladoga, however this is a secondary objective. The main attack will be in the South, which involves 2nd Army and 4th Panzer Army breaking through to Voronezh on the Don River. 6th Army will break out south of Kharkov and combine with the 4th Panzer Army to surround the enemy. After that, the 4th Panzer Army and 6th Army will drive east under the command of Army Group B and surround Stalingrad from the North, while Army Group A's 17th Army and 1st Panzer Army will do so from the South.

With you so far.

Once Stalingrad is taken, the 6th Army will hold the flank defence line while Army Group A drives South into the Caucasus to seize the oilfields. After this it will be possible to advance south and attack the British positions in the Middle East, taking the oil fields and the Suez canal and cutting the direct link between Britain and the Far East

Uh, Mein Fuhrer, has anyone made you aware of how HIGH the Caucasus mountains are?:eek: Or how far it is from Rostov to Baku, from Baku to Tehran, from Tehran to Baghdad, from Baghdad to Damascus, from Damascus to the Suez Canal?:eek:

6th April

Soviet Army troops force a very narrow corridor to Leningrad, opening a tenuous rail link to the city. Trains run into the city with desperately needed supplies and came out with civilians and the wounded, all under heavy artillery fire from the Germans.

That's one bright light in a dark tunnel of human tragedy.:(


8th April

Harry Hopkins, Special Assistant to President Roosevelt, and General Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff, arrive in London for talks with British service and supply chiefs concerning the integration of US and British manpower and war production for action in Europe. General Marshall urges an offensive in the west to relieve pressure upon the USSR and promises a constant flow of US troops, including many air units, to the UK. The British treat these suggestions politely, but in fact they have no intention of attacking into France, instead their operations are aimed at Italy. Since the only US Army involvement is a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division (compared to some 14 Imperial and French Divisions), Marshall has no troops to back his arguments with.

You can't play poker without any chips, General Marshall

Somerville informs Alexander and Blamey that he expects to be able to lift the required troops onto Bali in a few days. While he has the naval support he needs, a delay has been caused due to all light shipping and craft having been evacuated to the west out of the range of the failed Japanese landings.

Still waiting, AD.:mad:

At 1200 hours, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, with the heavy cruisers USS Salt Lake City and Northampton , four destroyers, and the oiler USS Sabine, sortie from Pearl Harbor to rendezvous with the aircraft carrier USS Hornet which is carrying B-25s to attack Japan.

Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main...[SIZE=-4]Shut up Cash![/SIZE]:p
 
One slight nit here- the brigade was not a formation used by US Army during WW2, except possibly when referring to the divisional artillery as a whole; a standard infantry division TOE at the time was based around 3 infantry regiments, 4 field artillery battalions (3 with 105 mm howitzers & 1 with 155s), a mechanized cavalry troop for recon (later expanded to a full squadron in some cases), & the assorted organic supporting & service units. Later in the war, the TOE would be reinforced by attaching several tank, tank-destroyer, & AA battalions

Perhaps a reinforced regiment? The 16th US Infantry with additional armor and artillery support? With the idea that the rest of the division could be built around them? Gotta make sure the Sergeant and his Four Horsemen get in first, right?:D

AIUI, the brigade was, for the US, a USMC formation in WWII, but I could be wrong.
 
Perhaps a reinforced regiment? The 16th US Infantry with additional armor and artillery support? With the idea that the rest of the division could be built around them? Gotta make sure the Sergeant and his Four Horsemen get in first, right?:D

AIUI, the brigade was, for the US, a USMC formation in WWII, but I could be wrong.

The WW2 US Army referred to such formations as Regimental Combat Teams, which were built around an infantry regiment reinforced with armor, artillery, & other supporting units the efforts to build them up into a self-sustaining force capable of independent operations; they could either be temporary, ad-hoc creations for use in specific operations, such as this one, or could be more permanent formations intended to be independent of divisions & could be shuttled around as necessary.

For the USMC during World War 2 & Korea, brigades were ad-hoc temporary formations created 3 times when operational requirements required a substantial force to be used but a full division could not be assembled in a timely manner; in each case the provisional brigades were expanded into full divisions after a few months
 
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Seems like it. The situation in the Philippines was too far gone for any of the recent events to save the US forces there.
Mind you, it doesn't matter so much TTL, by the time the Japanese finally make sea route to the Southern Resource Area reasonably safe, they won't have anything in said area for safe transit to actually matter.
 
Hirohito: "That was NO exercise!"

Mind you, it doesn't matter so much TTL, by the time the Japanese finally make sea route to the Southern Resource Area reasonably safe, they won't have anything in said area for safe transit to actually matter.

Garrison
MattII

You are both quite correct. But even if the Japanese knew they were going to fail in the DEI they would still have to finish the conquest of the Philippines. Defensively, its the most important base for defending Japan's vital centers. Without holding the DEI, Malaya, and Singapore against naval threats?

Japan's Southwestern defense line is Thailand, FIC, the Japanese occupied portion of China's coastline, and Formosa in the west. Japan's South-Central defense line would be the Philippines, Peleliu, and whatever portions of New Guinea they have managed to secure. The rest they don't have to worry about as the US lacks the means to threaten Japan's defense lines seriously. But Japanese internal politics may soon decide otherwise...:cool:
 
I realise that US Army organisation was different (and British Brigades were a bit flexible too), but it a lot simpler to refer to a Brigade as being about 1/3 of a division as most people recognise that. Otherwise I have to start diverging into how the US Army was organised, and this is a naval TL...
 
A lot depends on dates of alt Husky, with a Alt Canadian dog name ?Operation Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retreiver? Operation Toller (Tolling btw is luring ducks into the range of the guns) compared to Blue.

The timing problem is that early in the year the Germans are involved in large battles against Soviet Offensives on the Crimea and Kharkov Blue only coming on from late June onwards. The entire Luftwaffe only has 3500 a/c to deploy and Blue demands most of them - in fact Blue is probably not feasible ( and the prequels - Friderikus and Trappenjagd certainly are not) without the bulk of the Luftwaffe in AGS area.

OTL Fk X had 218 serviceable a/c in june 42 Of which 47 are fighters, Luftflotte 2 ~ 512 in 43. Regia Aeronautica ~ 420 a/c in NA Sicily Sardinia in 42 with 480 odd on the Italian mainland ( but my guess is not particularly operational). I assume other deployments remain the same except the Aegean air force has been destroyed.

So first point is that the defence against a 1942 invasion is by the Regia Aeronautica not the Luftwaffe. Reinforce the Luftwaffe tell me where you take the planes from, and Hanover has just been bombed a bit so my guess is Italy will be low on the priority list.

I can’t get an Italian OOB for 43 so I am guessing that the Italian position prior to the counter air offensive is no worse than 42.

Sorry about the change from a/c to sqdn but that’s how I have the data consistently for the allies, Husky tactical air forces put up 78 squadrons all types exc troop carrier and heavies, basing out of Malta and Tunisia - which fields are available TTL.

OTL 1942 RAF strength in the Med was 48 sqdn plus 6 at Malta for a total of 54 which is short. That could be made up from one of three sources and in fact probably a combination of all three, UK based RAF (80 odd fighter squadron alone) US, which OTL only start coming in later but now might possibly be deployable via French North Africa. The Armee de l’Air. The OTL Torch AdA had 28 sqdn and appalling serviceability. The basic infrastructure is there, these could be reequipped and if the air and ground crew are available you could be looking at a marginally better allied situation in the air in 42 vs. 43. A lot of the French squadrons are multi engine and they already fly Bostons.

So overall the allies could I think establish air supremacy in mid 42 and mount a successful invasion of Sicily. I would tend to agree that Hitler would react as OTL because the threat of massive highly mobile allied forces on the mainland of Europe is so great. If Blue in full swing the air reaction could be swift and given the success of the early part of Blue probably feasible - but ground forces less so - see what happened at Torch OTL But if Blue has not started - Hitler could call it off or modify the objectives - not that I expect Astro to try and rewrite the eastern front as well.

Oh and I would expect the US to push for a full division commitment or none at all no matter what. The RCT concept is I think a bit early and 1/3 of a division is just that one third of something, organisationally they would want a division, or maybe a non divisional unit Rangerish type, ? Marines from Iceland. Personally I think the US would go for a full division with a second following on quickly and bugger the consequences for the guys on the ground or training programme. Marshall will want a Corps Commander in theatre and will want to borrow someone elses division so he can be called an Army Commander, not a guy subordinate to the guy who works for the guy who reports to the guy in charge.
 
I realise that US Army organisation was different (and British Brigades were a bit flexible too), but it a lot simpler to refer to a Brigade as being about 1/3 of a division as most people recognise that. Otherwise I have to start diverging into how the US Army was organised, and this is a naval TL...

I would just say that they were "... units of the 1st Infantry Division amounting to approximately a brigade in strength."

Edit: I think Gannt the chartist is correct in that the US would probably send the divisional HQ and call it a division, even if it only actually had a brigade worth of troops. The full division would be sent as soon as possible even if a bit defficient in training or TO&E.
 
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Those are both logical points on the US force.

It may be up to a (substrength) division by the time they go. Since they had to pause while stuf was sent East, and are still not going to have as many LC as they want, delaying actually isnt such a bad thing.

the Italians have been preparing for some sort of operation. The main difference in teh East is the Italian contribution is much smaller, having come home and been replaced by the German units that arent in OTL NA.

While they certainly arent admitting it, the British are using the LC shortage as an excuse for waiting until the German summer offensive kicks off. That would be the ideal time to do something nasty to Italy. It also has the advantage that the monsoon closing things down a lot in the Far East means the demands there are reduced for a time, and gives the US a chance to start deploying tactical air to help.

Remember that the RAF did not waste aircraft on those useless 'sweeps' this time, so even with more aircraft out east they are stronger relative to the LW, and the French are supplying squadrons (of US aircraft) as well. The allies are always happy to exchange aircraft at parity or something not too far from it, as they know they are outproducing the enemy.
 
Oh, and a single understrength division is not going to give the US a senior General in the system. A Corp command (as presumably the Americans will be builing up later), but thats it. Command is firmly in Anglo-French hands here. After events in the Far East its rather difficult for even Marshal to try and argue otherwise...:)
 
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