WW2 WI: Australian manufacturing

[Julius Vogel]

There are many different PODs/WI for better British Commonwealth performance generally and especially in the Pacific/SW Asian theatres, given the multitude of issues that beset Britain, Australia, NZ and other allies. But in the spirit of all of those innumerable Smart Hitler Prepares German Better threads, why not look more closely at Australia?

I'm not referring to a better, more prepared Australian military but instead, industrial or infrastructure changes. The usual caveats apply, that being money is tight and especially so in the Depression.

If the Australian manufacturing industry is capable of volume production of vehicles or aircraft, that may allow them to be better prepared for the Japanese campaign.

1. Manufacturing

Whilst I understand that Australia (like NZ) had some small scale vehicle/aircraft/armaments manufacturing, it generally wasn't large enough or sophisticated enough to build / design complex military equipment in large numbers. Leaving both countries rather reliant on far away external suppliers (US, UK etc)

IOTL I understand that whilst the government started exploring the idea of a proper car industry in the 1930s, the modern industry only really started post war.

So what would it take to get UK or US manufacturers to set up large car/lorry or aircraft manufacturing or design facilities say in the 1920s?

Infrastructure

What major infrastructure projects could be implemented prior to WW2 that could assist Australia in the upcoming war? For example, construction of proper rail or sealed roads to Darwin from Alice Springs?

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

If this is of any use here are some statistics about what Australia did produce in the real world:

The Australian Shipbuilding Board was set up in 1941, but due to priorities for naval work and ship repair only 11 vessels were completed (2-1943, 4-1944 and 5-1945).

In 1945 Australia had the capacity to make 1,764,000 tons of pig iron and 1,825,000 tons of steel. 8 million tons of pig iron and 9 million tons of open hearth steel were actually produced in the war.

In 1928-29 the Australian motor industry made 72,193 truck and car bodies, while 14,546 were imported.

In 1938-39 domestic production increased to 79,000 bodies and only 532 were imported.

Source, the Australian Encyclopaedia

 

[Julius Vogel]

I got the impression that a lot of the earlier car industry was assemblage rather than full manufacturing - which to me, seems likely to be problematic in wartime or if supply constraints exist.

Regarding aircraft manufacturing - it also seems, from OTL, that even producing modern designs under licence takes a lot of preparation and lead in time at the best of times. Having a proper industry in place at the point Rearmament looked like it would be necessary (1935 on-wards I guess).

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

They did build some decent aircraft, and some people on this board seem to think the Aussie Sentinel tank was what the Brits should have been building in mass production...

 

[Cryhavoc101]

If Australia can attempt to match Canada (not in actual production numbers but what was produced) then that might help

So if they can produce - Hurricanes (or licence build P40s?), Valentines, Armoured cars - some artillery and infantry weapons then it allows them to do more in the region (not suggesting that their involvment was negligable) than they already did.

Australia attempted to build I think it was 6 Tribal class DDs but this proved to be difficult and I think they only produced 2 in the end?.

Perhaps better off building corvette escorts and Littorial combat ships (MTBs etc) ?

Hell if they manage to get the Owen Machine Carbine into operational service earlier I'd be happy

 

[Julius Vogel]

A key term of reference is that the manufacturing capacity should be in place well before the war so it can be utilised early on, so as to maximise prospects of early war PODs.

So for example it would be useful to find a way to have local industry able to supply planes and vehicles to supplement Asian forces before the Japanese invasion of SE Asia.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

If Australia can attempt to match Canada (not in actual production numbers but what was produced) then that might help

So if they can produce - Hurricanes (or licence build P40s?), Valentines, Armoured cars - some artillery and infantry weapons then it allows them to do more in the region (not suggesting that their involvment was negligable) than they already did.

Australia attempted to build I think it was 6 Tribal class DDs but this proved to be difficult and I think they only produced 2 in the end?.

Perhaps better off building corvette escorts and Littorial combat ships (MTBs etc) ?

Hell if they manage to get the Owen Machine Carbine into operational service earlier I'd be happy

It was 3 Tribal class. They also built 12 Loch/Bay class frigates (of 22 ordered), 4 sloops and 60 Bathurst class large minesweepers/corvettes. After the war they built 2 Battle class destroyers and 4 Daring class destroyers, but the 4th Daring was cancelled in the 1954 defence cuts.