WI: FDR killed in William D porter Incident

Chimera0205

Banned
What if the Iowa failed to get out of the way of the Porters Torp and FDR was killed in the incident. how does FDRs death affect the war effort. what happens to the crew of the destroyer that straight up killed the president? how does Trumen handle the rest of the war?
 
Would the Iowa have necessarily been sunk even if the torpedo had hit? Fortunately - or unfortunately for TTL Roosevelt - the great torpedo scandal had just been resolved in the past months, so Iowa's torpedo might have actually had a working detonator. Still, a torpedo hitting doesn't necessarily mean a ship sunk.

If it had sunk, US prestige would have sunk just as low I think - very significantly, as Britain and America were at loggerheads about how much effort to devote to the Mediterranean versus the upcoming invasion of Normandy; and Stalin was publicly doubting whether Normandy would ever come off. President Wallace would have a very tough job to do.
 

Chimera0205

Banned
Would the Iowa have necessarily been sunk even if the torpedo had hit? Fortunately - or unfortunately for TTL Roosevelt - the great torpedo scandal had just been resolved in the past months, so Iowa's torpedo might have actually had a working detonator. Still, a torpedo hitting doesn't necessarily mean a ship sunk.

If it had sunk, US prestige would have sunk just as low I think - very significantly, as Britain and America were at loggerheads about how much effort to devote to the Mediterranean versus the upcoming invasion of Normandy; and Stalin was publicly doubting whether Normandy would ever come off. President Wallace would have a very tough job to do.
even if it doesnt sink FDR can still die. i said he dies in the explosion.
 
In OTL the Porter's Chief Torpedoman, who had failed to remove the primer, was sentenced to 14 years hard labor, and FDR intervened on his behalf. If FDR was killed, along with presumably Iowa crewmen and the ship taking heavy damage and possibly sinking, there's no way that he and anyone else held responsible, including potentially the captain, would have gotten away scot free. This would be front-page news. The real question is how Wallace handles the war and immediate post-war world.
 
Roosevelt learns of the incoming torpedo threat and asks his Secret Service attendee to move his wheelchair to the side of the battleship, so he can see. As they approach the edge, the torpedo detonates, knocking the Secret Service attendee off his feet.
Wheelchair - *squeak*..*squeak..*squeak*....tip.....*SPLASH*

And then the theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm plays.

That would be so embarrassing I wonder if they would cover up the accident and blame it on a U-boat to keep the war mentality going against Germany.
 

Md139115

Banned
Roosevelt learns of the incoming torpedo threat and asks his Secret Service attendee to move his wheelchair to the side of the battleship, so he can see. As they approach the edge, the torpedo detonates, knocking the Secret Service attendee off his feet.
Wheelchair - *squeak*..*squeak..*squeak*....tip.....*SPLASH*
He DID ask to see. You don't even need the torpedo to hit, the Iowa maneuvers sharply while FDR is at the rail, and over he goes and into the screws.

Small issue. FDR used to be a good swimmer, and even without his legs, could presumably tread water for a while, while trying to avoid getting sucked in the screws. There’s also the fact that if the President of the United States goes overboard, the bridge is finding out in ten seconds or less while the whole Secret Service jumps in after him.
 
Small issue. FDR used to be a good swimmer, and even without his legs, could presumably tread water for a while, while trying to avoid getting sucked in the screws. There’s also the fact that if the President of the United States goes overboard, the bridge is finding out in ten seconds or less while the whole Secret Service jumps in after him.

Not with the braces that were on his legs. They would immediately drag him down. There was great fear when he met Churchill at Argentia for the Atlantic Charter meeting both when he transferred from the Presidential yacht to Augusta and from Augusta to Prince of Wales and back. If memory serves the braces weighed 75 lbs or more and would not have been able to be removed quickly even with help.

Yes it would have been covered up. Blamed on a German Uboat or kept quiet long enough for a completely different story to be created not involving enemy action or Navy mistake.
 
He DID ask to see. You don't even need the torpedo to hit, the Iowa maneuvers sharply while FDR is at the rail, and over he goes and into the screws.
OTL the Iowa actually was in a tight turn to avoid the torpedo at that point. However, I don't know in which direction. I would guess that, if they could, they'd maneuver AWAY from the torpedo, thereby lifting FDR's side of the ship and pushing any errant wheelchair back to the centre. So I went for the the Iowa steaming straight and level for "unclear reasons"..
 
Small issue. FDR used to be a good swimmer, and even without his legs, could presumably tread water for a while, while trying to avoid getting sucked in the screws. There’s also the fact that if the President of the United States goes overboard, the bridge is finding out in ten seconds or less while the whole Secret Service jumps in after him.

Not with the braces that were on his legs. They would immediately drag him down. There was great fear when he met Churchill at Argentia for the Atlantic Charter meeting both when he transferred from the Presidential yacht to Augusta and from Augusta to Prince of Wales and back. If memory serves the braces weighed 75 lbs or more and would not have been able to be removed quickly even with help.

Interesting information. Thanks to both posters.
 
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