Post by simpleton on Sept 2, 2017 21:15:13 GMT
OTL The IJN wasted a lot of fuel, carrier, submarine and surface warship time sailing all over the Pacific and Indian Oceans, without striking a significant blow either on the US or on Britain. It did not capture intact the invaluable oilwells and refinery in undefended British Borneo, but allowed the British 2 weeks to sabotage them. It lost 2 destroyers a gunboat and many men trying unsuccessfully to invade irrelevant Wake, without carrier plane or 8" or larger gun support the first time. It wasted a huge force invading Hong Kong (irrelevant and defended by only 2,000 Canadians). It wasted a huge force invading irrelevant Luzon, and small forces invading irrelevant Guam, the Gilberts, etc, Japan forced a reluctant US into the war bythe PH attack, which damaged only the slow BB, useless for CV task forces. But 6 of the 8 BB were repaired and reentered service, so the whole attack was a total waste of the invaluable surprise factor and the mightiest carrier fleet ever assembled by the IJN. Japanese troops wasted 2 crucial months pedaling 700 km down the Malay pensinsulla, driving the British army into Singapore, which had to invade, clearly an absurd campaign, eventhough it was successful.
ATL
Yamamoto knows that the US may enter war if Japan attacks Britain and the DEI, but it may not or it may take a while to decalre war. Even then, if the US declares war, Japan will be justified in defending itself and if it trounces the USN, war become unpopular in the US.
will
On the first 3 weeks Honk Kong, Thailand and American territories will not be attacked at all (even if the uS does declare war). Britain must be crushed in the Indian and Pacific this time, B. Borneo must fall on the first day with oilwells and refineries intact, to secure oil for and fuel for Japan. Tasmania, the South Island of NZ, Port Moresby, Rabaul aand New Caledonia must fall to isolate Australlia and secure the eastern flank of the empire. Ceylon and other targets in the Indian Ocean Indian must fall and the RN far east fleet wiped out and the RN excluded from the Indian Ocean in 3 weeks. India must become independent and join the axis before a month or war ends.
Accordingly, Yamamoto decides to concentrate all his formidable forces on Dec 7 on Britain and the DEI. This will ensure very rapid British and Dutch collapse in the Indian Ocean and the far east.
The carrier force will be divided into 3 task forces with 2 CV and a CL each.
Task force center will support the invasions of Sumatra, Malaya, Java and Singapore
Task force west will support the invasions of Ceylon, Penang, Mauritius, Addu, Reunion and Rangoon
Task force east will support the invasions of New Caledonia, Port Moresby, Rabaul, New Zealand, Perth and Tasmania.
In order to save planes and pilots, they will be used only if there is strong resistance to the landings, despite naval gun support.
80% of IJN submarines wil be deployed in the Indian Ocean before the attack begins. They must start sinking warships on the day of the attack and seizing or sinking allied ships as soon as the attack begins. 8 Submarines, 2 BB and 8 DD will coordinate to sink Repulse, PoW & the few DD escorting them in deep waters and Dutch submarines in the area, soon after the RN fleet leaves Singapore. No planes will be wasted attacking the RN BB. Long Lance and submarine torpedoes and heavy shells are much more effective against BB than aerial torpedoes and 250 kg bombs. IJN BB will attack BB only if initial torpedo attacks fail. Planes will be deployed only if a BB is heavily damaged.
USN warships at anchor in B. Borneo are not attacked, but asked to sail to the PI, since Australia is at war.
South Malaya will be invaded on the first day with strong landing forces. Coastal guns in S. Malaya and Singapore will be subjected to intense dive bombing, strafing, level bombing and shelling. Airports or airfields will be captured in S. Malaya and Sumatra near Singapore on the first day to support the bombing of Singapore and allow IJA planes to wipe out allied planes in Sumatra and Singapore. British troops in central and north Malaya will be isolated from Singapore.
An airfield in Java and Sumatra must also fall on the first day. Japanese forces will try to capture intact oilwells and refineries in Sumatra and Java on the first days.
4,000 troops will land in and near Colombo on the first day, to secure it, its airport and race track (which can also be used to land planes). With the port secure 12,000 more troops will arrive in the following days, while Tricnomalee is bombed and shelled. 4,000 troops land near Trincomalle on the 2nd day. G4M from Malaya land in Colombo and start supporting the land troops' advance (transporting troops and supplies all over Ceylon, bombing, evacuating wounded to Colombo, etc,).
4,000 troops also land in Rangoon to secure it on the first day, so that 8,000 more men land there in the following days.
1,200 troops land in Mauritius, Reunium, Addu. 2,000 troops in Penang.
30,000 troops land each in S. Malaya, Sumatra and Java within 3 days.
When Ceylon, Burma, Mauritius, Reunion, etc, fall in 3 weeks, Japan declares Indian independence and induces India & Thailand to join the axis (a strong deterrant for US isolationists and an incentive for China to sue for peace, rather than fight a million Indian and Thai troops).
ATL
Yamamoto knows that the US may enter war if Japan attacks Britain and the DEI, but it may not or it may take a while to decalre war. Even then, if the US declares war, Japan will be justified in defending itself and if it trounces the USN, war become unpopular in the US.
will
On the first 3 weeks Honk Kong, Thailand and American territories will not be attacked at all (even if the uS does declare war). Britain must be crushed in the Indian and Pacific this time, B. Borneo must fall on the first day with oilwells and refineries intact, to secure oil for and fuel for Japan. Tasmania, the South Island of NZ, Port Moresby, Rabaul aand New Caledonia must fall to isolate Australlia and secure the eastern flank of the empire. Ceylon and other targets in the Indian Ocean Indian must fall and the RN far east fleet wiped out and the RN excluded from the Indian Ocean in 3 weeks. India must become independent and join the axis before a month or war ends.
Accordingly, Yamamoto decides to concentrate all his formidable forces on Dec 7 on Britain and the DEI. This will ensure very rapid British and Dutch collapse in the Indian Ocean and the far east.
The carrier force will be divided into 3 task forces with 2 CV and a CL each.
Task force center will support the invasions of Sumatra, Malaya, Java and Singapore
Task force west will support the invasions of Ceylon, Penang, Mauritius, Addu, Reunion and Rangoon
Task force east will support the invasions of New Caledonia, Port Moresby, Rabaul, New Zealand, Perth and Tasmania.
In order to save planes and pilots, they will be used only if there is strong resistance to the landings, despite naval gun support.
80% of IJN submarines wil be deployed in the Indian Ocean before the attack begins. They must start sinking warships on the day of the attack and seizing or sinking allied ships as soon as the attack begins. 8 Submarines, 2 BB and 8 DD will coordinate to sink Repulse, PoW & the few DD escorting them in deep waters and Dutch submarines in the area, soon after the RN fleet leaves Singapore. No planes will be wasted attacking the RN BB. Long Lance and submarine torpedoes and heavy shells are much more effective against BB than aerial torpedoes and 250 kg bombs. IJN BB will attack BB only if initial torpedo attacks fail. Planes will be deployed only if a BB is heavily damaged.
USN warships at anchor in B. Borneo are not attacked, but asked to sail to the PI, since Australia is at war.
South Malaya will be invaded on the first day with strong landing forces. Coastal guns in S. Malaya and Singapore will be subjected to intense dive bombing, strafing, level bombing and shelling. Airports or airfields will be captured in S. Malaya and Sumatra near Singapore on the first day to support the bombing of Singapore and allow IJA planes to wipe out allied planes in Sumatra and Singapore. British troops in central and north Malaya will be isolated from Singapore.
An airfield in Java and Sumatra must also fall on the first day. Japanese forces will try to capture intact oilwells and refineries in Sumatra and Java on the first days.
4,000 troops will land in and near Colombo on the first day, to secure it, its airport and race track (which can also be used to land planes). With the port secure 12,000 more troops will arrive in the following days, while Tricnomalee is bombed and shelled. 4,000 troops land near Trincomalle on the 2nd day. G4M from Malaya land in Colombo and start supporting the land troops' advance (transporting troops and supplies all over Ceylon, bombing, evacuating wounded to Colombo, etc,).
4,000 troops also land in Rangoon to secure it on the first day, so that 8,000 more men land there in the following days.
1,200 troops land in Mauritius, Reunium, Addu. 2,000 troops in Penang.
30,000 troops land each in S. Malaya, Sumatra and Java within 3 days.
When Ceylon, Burma, Mauritius, Reunion, etc, fall in 3 weeks, Japan declares Indian independence and induces India & Thailand to join the axis (a strong deterrant for US isolationists and an incentive for China to sue for peace, rather than fight a million Indian and Thai troops).
