Actually, the interesting thing that I am sure @galveston bay knows about is the pre-positioning of several B-17 squadron sorties worth of bombs at a variety of Pacific bases pre-war. IIRC Rabaul had at least 2 squadron strikes worth of bombs stockpiled in November 1941 IIRC...
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My apologies... just a plan to put bombs in Rabaul --- ships were chartered but war started before the mission could be completed. Port Moresby and Darwin had a bomb stockpile by mid-December.
https://books.google.com/books?id=7NNHuSNSx0UC&pg=PT90&dq=B-17+ferry+route+Rabaul+bomb&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHyKi465PWAhWTZiYKHWGqDZsQ6AEINzAD#v=onepage&q=B-17 ferry route Rabaul bomb&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=7NNHuSNSx0UC&pg=PT90&dq=B-17+ferry+route+Rabaul+bomb&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHyKi465PWAhWTZiYKHWGqDZsQ6AEINzAD#v=onepage&q=B-17 ferry route Rabaul bomb&f=false
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House is pretty well protected and I'm not in a flood/surge prone area, whereas, I-95 and the FL Turnpike are like death traps when there's any kind of evacuation order in effect. Had friends get the scares of their lives sitting on roads during bad wind events, so I'm hull down at home. Fingers crossed...
Story 0715
August 11, 1941 East of Viipuri, Finland
Every man moved slowly, deliberately with their hands away from their bodies. No one wanted to risk an incident. The truck had dropped them off two miles from the border an hour ago and now a dozen men were walking towards the two officers and half a dozen border guards standing next to the recently built guard house.
The Finns stopped two meters short of of the short officer whose collar tabs indicated that he was in charge. They saluted and received a salute in return. Over the next hour, an inventory was taken of the guard house which was almost empty of everything except for a tea kettle. As soon as the inspection was done, all of the men shared a cup of warm, sweet tea. The Soviet border guards then started marching down the road to the new border and the Finnish squad followed them at a respectful distance.
By nightfall, the Finns had established a small camp two hundred yards west of the new border as the Soviets occupied the dirt and log border patrol post on the other side of a small stream.
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Story 0716
August 12, 1941 north of Kiev
“Momma...momma…. Momma” The wounded man screamed in chorus with the dozens of other men who had been caught out of cover. The flash barrage surprised everyone as the battalion was moving forward to counter yet another counter-attack. They had been trying to retake a cluster of farm houses that had fallen and been retaken four times already that afternoon and they would exchange hands six more times by midnight.
A veteran medic who had become numb to the pain and the screams paused as he looked at the fragment of the man below him. Machine guns had started to fling shells in his direction so he made himself as small as possible. Liver exposed, intestines perforated, a limb barely attached. The man beneath him would not survive the night. Enough supplies had arrived from the rear for an act of mercy.
Moments later, the fragment of a man faded as his voice got softer and he saw his momma waiting for him. The medic took a deep breath and made a dash to the next man that had a chance to last the night.
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Story 0717
August 12, 1941 Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Three American destroyers led the Royal Navy’s recovered pugilist down the James River. Illustrious had touched the muddy, brown water of the James River for the first time that morning. She had been released from the dry dock which had been her hospital bed for several months. A liner had brought replacements for the men who had either died during the attack or had been left behind in Alexandria. Her squadrons were still training at the cluster of naval air stations around Norfolk. The Fulmers were retired, she would only carry Albacores and folding wing Marlets now.
Today she would be joined by a pair of Royal Navy destroyers who had already cleared Fortress Monroe and begin shaking down again. Tonight she would dock again and the engineers and construction experts would speak with her officers and chiefs on the things that they needed to make right. Her pilots would buy beer for their American hosts as they discussed the challenges of attacking enemy ports and scouting for raiders. Her crew would sleep well tonight after a long day of labor and then corrections would start in the morning.
Illustrious was weeks from returning to her war. She would come back to Home Fleet tougher, more resilient and more aware of the air around her. She would come back, ready to the lead the fleet again.
Three American destroyers led the Royal Navy’s recovered pugilist down the James River. Illustrious had touched the muddy, brown water of the James River for the first time that morning. She had been released from the dry dock which had been her hospital bed for several months. A liner had brought replacements for the men who had either died during the attack or had been left behind in Alexandria. Her squadrons were still training at the cluster of naval air stations around Norfolk. The Fulmers were retired, she would only carry Albacores and folding wing Marlets now.
Today she would be joined by a pair of Royal Navy destroyers who had already cleared Fortress Monroe and begin shaking down again. Tonight she would dock again and the engineers and construction experts would speak with her officers and chiefs on the things that they needed to make right. Her pilots would buy beer for their American hosts as they discussed the challenges of attacking enemy ports and scouting for raiders. Her crew would sleep well tonight after a long day of labor and then corrections would start in the morning.
Illustrious was weeks from returning to her war. She would come back to Home Fleet tougher, more resilient and more aware of the air around her. She would come back, ready to the lead the fleet again.
About 4 months in the body and fender shop
March 28 first day in dry dock https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/keynes-cruisers.388788/page-128#post-15082286
In this timeline, have the 3"/23 antiaircraft guns on the old destroyers of the Asiatic Fleet been replaced with the more modern 3"/50 at the time the 1.1"/75 guns were added? The 3"/50 was a much more powerful weapon that had a much higher AA ceiling than the 3"23, 30K feet versus 18K feet. On mount fire control was much better also.
I was going to ask you @fester on this on Tuesday but was busy on a project for my son. The ships you mention here were part of Force H except the cruisers, and my question is what carrier is being sent to Force H to replace Ark Royal and who is in command at this time? I am asking is because Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland is still alive and is a good admiral.
Victorious replaces Ark Royal. Big issue is Force H is not as important as RN has access to central Med from Alexandria
I'm a bit surprised that some Fulmars weren't retained. They were good for recon, or for airborne fighter control.
Deck and hanger space is the issue. Can fit a few more Martlets in the same space as Fulmars
But it is a change in British tactics, the RN did like to use the Fulmars as command aircraft or to intercept further out. Even when they were no good at all as fighters, they were used for control and ASW work.
Couldn't Albacores, especially those with ASV radar be used as fighter command and control aircraft? While that does bring up self defense issues, radar could help avoid that..
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