Getting Ahead of Ourselves: A B-29 TL

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Obfuscated

Western Allies: Operation UnThinkable it is.

If Stalin didn't authorize that the firing squads will disprove the lightspeed theorem, so fast they'll be there to show his apprecation to this contribution to the art of throwing monkey wrenches.
 

Parmenion

Obfuscated said:
Western Allies: Operation UnThinkable it is.

If Stalin didn't authorize that the firing squads will disprove the lightspeed theorem, so fast they'll be there to show his apprecation to this contribution to the art of throwing monkey wrenches.
Click to expand...
Oh Gottwald is basically Stalins ventriloquist dummy here, he's covering all his bases so to speak.
 
Dan

Dan

Ah crap. Finland.
If they see what's going on, I wonder if Manneheim will be contacting the Americans and British via Sweden to try and prevent them becoming an SSR after the war?
 

Obfuscated

Well, then the shooting squads will arrive slightly slower and both in eastern europe and the russian far east once it has become clear to Stalin that Allies have changed him in status from Ally of Convience to Ally of Inconvience - which clearly could only be because wreckers doing wrecker things (iow. what he told them to).

The Americans are probably wondering right now if they need to invade mainland Japan - can they not just starve these islands? - and instead could use the in-theather invasion assets to add Siberia to the the list of ex-russian territories that are now american.
 

farmerted555

Obfuscated said:
Well, then the shooting squads will arrive slightly slower and both in eastern europe and the russian far east once it has become clear to Stalin that Allies have changed him in status from Ally of Convience to Ally of Inconvience - which clearly could only be because wreckers doing wrecker things (iow. what he told them to).

The Americans are probably wondering right now if they need to invade mainland Japan - can they not just starve these islands? - and instead could use the in-theather invasion assets to add Siberia to the the list of ex-russian territories that are now american.
Click to expand...
State of Kamchatka, mayhaps in the future?
 
Part 57- On the Horizon
  • Index

    • Parmenion

    The White House, April 16th, 1945​


    The silence hung in the air for several long moments as Secretary of State Stettinius read off of the report that had made its way across the Atlantic. Finally President Morganthau sighed heavily "So the bastards are really going for it then?" "It would seem that way sir" Stettinius replied solumnly. "What should our responce be?" The preseident leaned back and thought for a moment "Hmm... Contact Ambassador Harriman, tell him to meet with either Molotov or the boss himself, and condemn this breach of our previous agreements."

    War Secretary Stimson spoke up "I doubt that'll do anymore then tickle him down there." "Maybe so" Morganthau replied "But we can't afford to start escalating things now." Stimson continued "Mr.President with all due respect, the time for that talk has passed, Stalin clearly intends to take possession of everything on his side of the Rhine. Now he seems willing to fight for it, but nothing would make his day more than you handing Europe over to him, even if you make it clear how upset you are."

    "I know Henry, I know." Morganthau waved him off "I'm not Chamberlain..." "Though you did just handover Czechoslovakia." Stettinius quipped "Oh shut up. Anyway in this matter I do think time is on our side, so I'm not exactly eager to start a war of agression at this point. And that reminds me, Secretary Stettinius, would you mind giving us the room? No offense, but there are matters of military security the rest of us must discuss that you aren't privy to." "Of course sir, excuse me" The room was silent until he had left.

    Moganthau cleared his throat "From what I've heard from Los Alamos, they've nearly got it done." "How nearly?" General Marshall finally spoke up "That's hard to say, but they think they'll be able to do a full test sometime in the next 90 days, and if that works they'll have the material to make more right away." "So that's why we're playing nice then?" "Yes, from what Donovan can tell me, the reds are at least three years behind us, probably more. I doubt Stalin will be so eager for round two when we can turn Moscow into a skating rink.

    "But that's not all Doonovan has told me, It seems Stalin might be planning something in Poland." "An invasion?" Asked Stimson, Morganthau shook his head "More likely a large scale coup, with NKVD troops backing it by siezing strategic locations. I doubt Sikorski will be eager to let the Red army come and go through Poland to occupy Germany." "Speaking of which, does he know?" "He does, and he's making preparations, he intends to ride it out, and hopefully stop it, but there's only so much he can do when his entire army is at the front."

    Stimson finally adressed the elephant in the room "And if Poland is attacked...do we do it?" Morganthau looked at the carpet "No, I'm sorry. We knew when we went to Tehran and Yalta that Poland would end up on their side of the room so to speak, I won't start another war for them, god can judge me for that if he may. But we'll take any soldiers and refugees that make it over, we may need them if Poland isn't enough for that bastard."

    "Which reminds me" Marshall straightened up "I went over the revised war plan pink with General Eisenhower while he was here, and we have two strategies. The first is a direct attack, with the main axis to the South of Berlin. That plan is bloody though, we'd probably take at least 3 million casaulties by the time we reach the Oder. The second is a fighting retreat to the Rhine, we sabotage the airfields we abandon, and bomb every tactical and logistical site between Poznań and Cologne. They'll likely be in no shape to cross the Rhine by then, and we can mop them up more easily, that'll cost us more like 2 million casaulties."

    Morganthau nodded "Alright, we'll go over the specifics later. While I have both of you, why don't we go over the situation in the pacific."
     
  • Index
    • Final Hop- Part 3
  • Index

    • Parmenion

    In the north, Geiger's soldiers had tough going as well. While the Japanese positions at the Motobu and Kunigami peninsulas were not has heavily dug in, they did use the rough terrain to their advantage. Booby traps, camoflaged emplacements, and sniper nests made the advance arduous. Still many of the army units here were veterans of New Guinea and even The Phillipines, and so had more experience fighting in the bush. By April 20th the two Northern peninsulas were isolated and contained, so four of the six army divisions turned South to help the marines.

    It's important to note that of the four divisions present, the 2nd and 3rd marine divisions were by far the most familiar with storming Japanese held islands, and led the assault (despite several brigades being detached to garrison the Marianas and Formosa). The 7th and 8th divisions were well trained, but entirely green, being formed just four months prior when the need for more marines became obvious. These new soldiers other fought with outdated or inappropriate tactics, and suffered twice as many casualties as the veterans.

    The Shuri line was deep, a three dimensional fortification stretching five miles long, three miles thick, and as much as 200 feet deep. In desperation to clear th myriad of tunnels on both sides of the front, some marines began to enter the tunnels en masse. At one point it's estimated that 5,000 American troops were fighting underground. The fights often involted bloody fights for entryways and other "kill zones" and was no less brutal than the war above. In one case, a Japanese spigot mortar placed underground began lobbing its shells at the attacking marines. In responce, they brought up their own 3-inch gun, winning the only underground artillery battle in history.

    Ushijima still had no illusions that his army was doomed, as can be see n with his use of armor. Okinawa had been granted 200 tanks, including 30 more modern Chi-nu medium tanks, for counteroffensives. Ushijima instead completely cannibalized the vehicles, using the guns and machine guns as pill boxes, and the armor to reinforce fortifications. He planned to wage war as long as possible, and to hold up the American spearhead long enough, that his homeland could be saved.

    By now General LeMay had developed additional plans for subduing Japan. With the increase in interceptor flights continuing, Okinawa was used as a fighter base. Even as the battle raged just miles away, five airfields were hosting P-51's, and one storing B-25's. These began sweeping flights over Kyushu, hitting targets of opportunity, and baiting the Japanese fighters into dogfights. These airfields in turn became new targets for Japanese attacks, and 50 planes were ultimately destroyed by these. But heavy flak cover and a navy screen kept most attacks at bay. That the war was ending in Europe was little to celebrate, on the hell called Okinawa.
     
  • Index
    • Dan

    Dan

    weasel_airlift said:
    I wonder, would "Grand Slams" be effective in dealing with tunnels?
    Click to expand...
    I think they would. They were designed as penetrator bombs to go through Submarine pens. I could see them punching through the comparatively brittle volcanic rock then getting 30 or 40 feet down before going off, causing a mini earthquake and burying anyone with, say, a 100ft radius of the blast point. Possibly further out.
     

    Parmenion

    Dan said:
    I think they would. They were designed as penetrator bombs to go through Submarine pens. I could see them punching through the comparatively brittle volcanic rock then getting 30 or 40 feet down before going off, causing a mini earthquake and burying anyone with, say, a 100ft radius of the blast point. Possibly further out.
    Click to expand...
    You're right, but keep in mind not many of these things were made OTL, and they're less effective if you don't know exactly where to aim.
     

    Sekhmet_D

    weasel_airlift said:
    I wonder, would "Grand Slams" be effective in dealing with tunnels?
    Click to expand...
    IOTL, B-52 Stratofortress strikes were one of the few effective measures against Viet Cong tunnel fortifications, so Grand Slam bombs used against subterranean Japanese strongholds would probably work just as nicely.
     

    Patg_hnj

    I am not sure that you need Grand Slams, Tallboys were quite effective though complex to make, one managed to penetrate 60' into a hill and then explode in the railway tunnel 617 squadron were bombing...
     
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