WI Guam

[Hyperion]

Two minor but also rather obvious problems.

USS Lexington and her taskforce at this time where under the command of Vice Admiral Wilson Brown. USS Yorktown was under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher.

I believe both the admirals you mentioned where around at the time, but they sure as heck where not in command of carrier taskforces.

 

[kclcmdr]

Dang...
Another American Carrier is out of commission...
And two IJN CV Carriers possibly only moderately damaged...

At least Guam has gotten some more air assets while the IJN air assets are getting attrited...

 

[Hyperion]

But with Guam available, a lot of US aircraft can still be recovered, and crewmen from Lexington will probably evacuate in good order when she goes down.

Short term this is a setback, long term, this is game over for Japan in regards to Guam. They threw everything they could realistically get available, and came up wanting.

 

[kent]

Those this mean you are end your work? Because its good.

Yes I am calling it finished.
1. Just not a good enough writer my grammer was bad. No not just bad it was horrible.
2. As pointed out by more than one person, I did not use real persons who were assigned to units, nor did I use correct units.
3. Some how I missed that when an Alternate History (fiction) is written it must follow the real time line with the same actors. Should the writer change the script watch out as the stones and sticks will fly.
4. I enjoyed this attempt but I need to go back and relearn all the writing tools I had in High School and Collage.
5. I am glad that some found this enjoyable.
Kent

 

[Gridley]

Yes I am calling it finished.
1. Just not a good enough writer my grammer was bad. No not just bad it was horrible.
2. As pointed out by more than one person, I did not use real persons who were assigned to units, nor did I use correct units.
3. Some how I missed that when an Alternate History (fiction) is written it must follow the real time line with the same actors. Should the writer change the script watch out as the stones and sticks will fly.
4. I enjoyed this attempt but I need to go back and relearn all the writing tools I had in High School and Collage.
5. I am glad that some found this enjoyable.
Kent

1. You have some slips here and there, but I've seen FAR worse. Heck, I've enjoyed stories with far worse.
2. You're surrounded by PacWar fans on this site. The PacWar also happens to be one where incredibly detailed documentation exists and is readily available online. Several times I said "hmm, that doesn't match my memory" but only posted because I was able to look it up and confirm. On another forum I lurk on someone posted a picture of the deck of an IJN sub and challenged people to name the Kaiten pilots shown without giving any other information. They were able to figure out which sub it was, when the photo was taken, and use the date and IJN records to list which Kaiten pilots were assigned.
3. I think you're overstating it a little; the changes from OTL to an ATL should follow logically, or at least plausibly. Imagine dropping a stone into a pond and watching the ripples spread outwards. The stone is your PoD, and the undisturbed surface is OTL. If you describe something the ripples haven't had time to reach yet as different, people will want to know why.
4. As you wish, and I'm certainly not going to discourage someone from improving their writing in this world of L33T speak, but IMO there's no reason to stop writing if you have ideas in the interim.
5. I did indeed, thank you for writing.

 

[Readman]

Yeah man, I thought it was a good story, so congrats and maybe when you're a bit more confident we will see some more Cheers bro

 

[Bearcat]

Most AH stories have a few flaws, or at least, points for debate. this was better than a lot of others I've seen, and reasonably well told. I enjoyed it too.

 

[Paul V McNutt]

I would like to see more of this. I would like to know the impact on the wider war.

 

[Cash]

This TL was well done. You may have taken the critics a little too seriously, but you seemed willing to learn from them. Grammar comes with practice and a good teacher. I've written for a living for more than 40 years and have a reputation as "the comma nazi," but I still confuse further and farther.

The only area where you really ran aground was the attempt to change IJN codes. That was strictly a logistical issue. Otherwise I found the entire TL very enjoyable. I would urge you to continue with this one or try a new one.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Yes I am calling it finished.
1. Just not a good enough writer my grammer was bad. No not just bad it was horrible.
2. As pointed out by more than one person, I did not use real persons who were assigned to units, nor did I use correct units.
3. Some how I missed that when an Alternate History (fiction) is written it must follow the real time line with the same actors. Should the writer change the script watch out as the stones and sticks will fly.
4. I enjoyed this attempt but I need to go back and relearn all the writing tools I had in High School and Collage.
5. I am glad that some found this enjoyable.
Kent

1) Your grammer is better than mine, but yet I still have a nice ASB TL on going.
2) Butterfly effect can could most of what I have seen in your very good TL.
3)It doesn't. Sometime critics push to hard, most of the time it is only because they care about your story.
4)Thats understandable, but you should keep trying.
5)Yes this is very good, and you should keep it up.

 

[kclcmdr]

Yes I am calling it finished.
1. Just not a good enough writer my grammer was bad. No not just bad it was horrible.
2. As pointed out by more than one person, I did not use real persons who were assigned to units, nor did I use correct units.
....
5. I am glad that some found this enjoyable.
Kent

Your story had a good run for the money...

It sprinted well and ran good & true... good job, author Kent...

 

[kent]

Thanks for all the great input about my effort. All of your postive responces have given hope and I will try to do some other stories.
I have thought for some time about an ISOT type story dealing with the Livermore Lab. I'll try to work on it.

This was a hard story to put together (WI Guam) as the POD would change the war in the Pacific.
Thanks again for all the input

 

[MerryPrankster]

Great TL.

Any thoughts on how the rest of the Pacific War will proceed with Guam holding and ripping the Japanese a new one through all their attempts to take it?

If you don't want to continue the TL, that is fine, but I'm wondering if you had any ideas.

 

[kent]

My thoughts about Guam holding

1.Marshall Islands would be taken soon,late 42 or early 43
2, Saipan and rest of Marianas cut off from supply from Japan would fall by mid 43.
3. March back to DEI and Philippines would go faster. With an effort to retake the DEI oil fields as soon as possible. (something not done in OTL)
very possible that not all of the Philippines Islands would have been taken by Japan giving stepping stones (Islands) back to DEI and the rest of Philippines.
4. Possible IJN would have seen what a bust the war was and attempted to force the IJA to see reason. Resulting in no A-Bomb use.
5. I see a shorter War. With Guam as an Unsinkable aircraft carrier. The new models of Bombers would have had Guam as a possible base.
6. With this as a time line I could not see Japan freeing any new assets for another try at Guam or Wake.

 

[Readman]

I was also sort of thinking that the bloody nose the get at Guam in your timeline, the "victory disease" might get dispelled a little earlier, then again, maybe not the Japanese had a pretty arrogant superority complex, banzai for the emperor and all that jazz.

 

[PhilKearny]

Comrade, I just want to join in on congratulating for your strong work. Give yourself credit. I found that it was very readable, particularly given the speed with which you wrote it.

 

[MerryPrankster]

I was also sort of thinking that the bloody nose the get at Guam in your timeline, the "victory disease" might get dispelled a little earlier, then again, maybe not the Japanese had a pretty arrogant superority complex, banzai for the emperor and all that jazz.

That's the downside of the Japanese getting defeated early on--no "victory disease," so they'll be savvier and more dangerous later.

However, the kind of defeats they suffer in TTL pretty much destroy everything they could be savvy with.

 

[MerryPrankster]

My thoughts about Guam holding

1.Marshall Islands would be taken soon,late 42 or early 43
2, Saipan and rest of Marianas cut off from supply from Japan would fall by mid 43.
3. March back to DEI and Philippines would go faster. With an effort to retake the DEI oil fields as soon as possible. (something not done in OTL)
very possible that not all of the Philippines Islands would have been taken by Japan giving stepping stones (Islands) back to DEI and the rest of Philippines.
4. Possible IJN would have seen what a bust the war was and attempted to force the IJA to see reason. Resulting in no A-Bomb use.
5. I see a shorter War. With Guam as an Unsinkable aircraft carrier. The new models of Bombers would have had Guam as a possible base.
6. With this as a time line I could not see Japan freeing any new assets for another try at Guam or Wake.

Thanks. Pacific War ending in 43 or 44 instead of 45?

I gave your timeline some attention on my blog.

http://accordingtoquinn.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-fun-alternate-pacific-war.html

 

[Hyperion]

My thoughts about Guam holding

1.Marshall Islands would be taken soon,late 42 or early 43
2, Saipan and rest of Marianas cut off from supply from Japan would fall by mid 43.
3. March back to DEI and Philippines would go faster. With an effort to retake the DEI oil fields as soon as possible. (something not done in OTL)
very possible that not all of the Philippines Islands would have been taken by Japan giving stepping stones (Islands) back to DEI and the rest of Philippines.
4. Possible IJN would have seen what a bust the war was and attempted to force the IJA to see reason. Resulting in no A-Bomb use.
5. I see a shorter War. With Guam as an Unsinkable aircraft carrier. The new models of Bombers would have had Guam as a possible base.
6. With this as a time line I could not see Japan freeing any new assets for another try at Guam or Wake.

Having Wake and Guam screws the Marshall Islands completely. Wake makes a good place to set up shop for a submarine base, though it would likely take several months for any major facilities to go up. A submarine tender would be helpful.

You can use this to scout the Marshalls with PBYs from Wake and Guam. Better yet, B-17 and B-24 squadrons from both islands could hit various targets, though only Guam is suitable to stage a large number of aircraft.

Better yet, Guam is close enough to make long range bomber missions against Truk possible, if not practical in the short term.

 

[Bearcat]

Having Wake and Guam screws the Marshall Islands completely. Wake makes a good place to set up shop for a submarine base, though it would likely take several months for any major facilities to go up. A submarine tender would be helpful.

You can use this to scout the Marshalls with PBYs from Wake and Guam. Better yet, B-17 and B-24 squadrons from both islands could hit various targets, though only Guam is suitable to stage a large number of aircraft.

Better yet, Guam is close enough to make long range bomber missions against Truk possible, if not practical in the short term.

Once you establish sea and air control over the Marshalls, Japan is hurting big time. The mandates are essentially leapfrogged. You may never see a Tarawa or Roi battle in TTL. We might seize large atoll lagoons like Majuro and the indispensable Ulithi for advanced bases, but the big island assaults may be unnecessary.

Instead, the first amphib assault may go down as 'Bloody Saipan'. Figure 1943? After that, Tinian falls quickly. Iwo is the first small island we land on, and will be ugly.

By 1944, B-29s are coming online, and Japan gets clobbered, then burns as we turn to incendiaries.