Axis Aflame: America Stands Alone

[Captain Cruft]

Axis Aflame: America Stands Alone

This is an "alt history" mod/scenario which I am working on. The basic assumptions are as follows:-

1) Hitler is not as stupid as he was in reality.
2) Germany and Japan co-operate a bit more than in reality.
3) America is much more isolationalist than in reality.

The last point is very important. There is no Lend-Lease or other help, so Britain is really completely on its own and though it is never actually invaded it eventually becomes militarily useless. Malta is taken and the Afrika Korps gets a bit more help, leading to Germany taking Eqypt, gaining access to Middle East oil and opening up the southern route into Russia.

US extreme isolationism also means that Japan can invade Malaya and the DEI without fear of US interference as long as the Philippines are left untouched. These offensive actions are performed in Dec 1941 alongside a co-ordinated attack with Germany on the Soviet Union, which by the end of 1942 is reduced to a rump state based around the Ural mountains. Pearl Harbor does not happen.

The Royal Navy having mostly fled to Canada, Germany starts the long process of turning itself into a real maritime power with the purpose of eventually crossing the Atlantic and invading the Americas.

India and Burma seize independence once it is clear that the British Empire is a busted flush. Both nations refuse to be Japanese vassals though, and Japan does not have the resources to contest this due to the need to garrison its new-found domain of the former far eastern Soviet Union. This is also the main reason why Australia is left alone.

What this boils down to is that Britain, all other Western European powers and the Soviet Union are essentially assumed out of the equation in the Pacific. So what you are left with is that in spring 1943 America finally realises its error in not intervening sooner and decides that it must go to war in order to prevent the Axis eventually taking over the entire world. Extensive preparations have been underway for some time, albeit not declared publicly. The plan is to use the Philippines as a springboard to bypass/neutralise Japan and to open up a transport route to the Asian mainland via which, eventually, the huge potential of Soviet Russia can be unleashed on Germany.

Australia, New Zealand and Canada are the only Allied countries involved. Germany is not involved directly, but there is an assumption of greater technology transfer to Japan than actually occurred.

The scenario will be based on DaBabes Lite with the stock map (stacking limits).

[derhexer]

Looks like it will be a lot of fun. Thank you for taking on this effort. [:D]

I think it would reasonable to expect some German warships (cruisers and submarines, probably) to join the Japanese efforts, as well as some German war planes.

[CaptBeefheart]

I like it. What's your initial thinking on U.S. preparation? I imagine being that isolated means at least 1-2 years behind the real-life shipbuilding timeline.

Cheers,
CC

[Commander Stormwolf]

yeah i would expect the original completion dates for the essex / battleships
(the ones planned before the war started)

also probably would have built a few more of the battleships..

[oldman45]

WoW, what a huge undertaking. I can't wait to see what you end up with.

[oldman45]

Is there still a war going on in the Atlantic? If not, that might free up many ships manned by NZ, Canada, and Australia to be sent to support pacif operations.

[oldman45]

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody

I like it. What's your initial thinking on U.S. preparation? I imagine being that isolated means at least 1-2 years behind the real-life shipbuilding timeline.

Cheers,
CC

I don't think the US ship building would change other than the # of merchants and escorts being built. The capital ships were all planned at the height of US isolationism.

[Captain Cruft]

As far as ships go I will just be using the default arrival dates from the DBB campaign scen. The only thing I have changed so far is that the three Yamato BBs become Shokaku CVs, to even things up a bit.

Airgroups and LCUs will get the same treatment, but will need to be carefully positioned. This is what will take the time.

Japanese production expansions will be seriously curtailed compared to default, but on the other hand the Empire is rather larger than normal to compensate.

US aircraft replacements will be greatly increased to reflect the fact that a defensive posture is all that is required on the East Coast. I may also bring forward some LCU deployments if I think it's appropriate.

One thing to realise is that the background story is really just there to rationalise things. What I am actually doing is simply building a scen that I want to play. It's somewhat like an enlarged and longer Downfall but with a primary objective for the US that involves the dreaded "Land War in Asia" and a strong Japan in opposition. It should be a total slugfest from beginning to end, without all the long build-up phases that the GC entails.

[oldman45]

Great, can't wait to see it.

[Captain Cruft]

Game Start

The idea for turn 1 is that the US launches massive air attacks from the Philippines on Formosa and various other places. Japan is not totally surprised so its fighters will be in the air, but it will not have any offensive missions plotted.

Most of the IJN capital ships will be at anchor in the Home Islands and therefore out of the action. Meanwhile, the US will have its CVs supporting landings at two or three remote island bases out in the Pacific e.g. Marcus Island.

Australia will start out in "hunkered down" mode, so will not have any US presence. However, its infrastructure will be built up in order to support hosting of the USAAF and so on once hostilities commence. New Zealand on the other hand will from the start be fully supporting operations in the Marshall Islands and that general area.

There will be some sort of diversionary operations out of the Aleutians, but I will leave it to the Allied player whether they really want to make the northern vector their Schwerpunkt. It may make sense given that the main objective of the game is to gain control of the Trans-Siberian railway and attached major ports.

The key initial task for the US is to ensure the safety of Guam and Wake (which will be fully built up and stacked) and to add additional bases to the PH->Philippines supply route so as to strengthen it. Japan on the other hand may be well advised to make cutting this "War Plan Orange" route it's number one priority. It can deploy massive airpower to Formosa which, in the absence of supply and reinforcements should be able to suppress the US air eventually, in a more drawn out version of the standard 1941 campaign.

Western and Northern Australia will be host to a significant part of the US submarine force, which will be able to deploy quickly into the DEI and use its working torpedoes to great effect very quickly. Japan will not initially have the assets in the area to form anything like a useful convoy system. To add to this problem, I am not going to configure a large starting oil and fuel stockpile in the Home Islands. So, while the Empire has a large hydrocarbon production capacity it must actually transport the stuff back home in the face of serious opposition. As was the case in reality, but not generally the game.

Production will be changed such that Refineries do not produce Supply, and Heavy Industry will require lots more Resources than normal. In addition, expanding most industrial facilities will require 5,000 Supply per point. Aircraft expansion and R&D will remain at the default 1,000 Supply per point though since this seems to be hard-coded.

Japanese pilot replacement rates will be significantly reduced but the starting experience values will be high. This seems more real to me, and if you have spare airgroup space you can always draw numpties out of the pipeline and do on-map training. Allied pilot replacements will be comparable with stock.

-----
That's about all I have come up with so far, the thing is now to actually do it. Scenario editing is a pain in the ass so it's pretty much of a weekend thing only, and will definitely take some time.

Comments always welcome.

[Captain Cruft]

oldman,

One thing I should state is that this will be a PBEM/H2H only scenario.

[DOCUP]

You say no Lend-Lease.  So thats 50 old DD's that the US still has.  Just mentioning that.

[Captain Cruft]

The old DDs were sold to Brazil and Argentina in 1943 to help against the ever-increasing U-Boat scourge. Or something ...

By 1944 the USN in-game has a surplus of ASW assets. Or so I am assuming.

[Gunner98]

You mention:

"Western and Northern Australia will be host to a significant part of the US submarine force, which will be able to deploy quickly into the DEI and use its working torpedoes to great effect very quickly."

I'm not sure how the USN would determine that they weren't working in the first place? Perhaps an accelerated timeline for fixing them but they would only know that the Torps were borked by firing them in anger I think.



B

[Captain Cruft]

You're right. However as stated above the "history" is not really that important. It's more about making an interesting late-war scenario, and though I mostly play Japan I really dislike how useless the US subs are.

[Mac Linehan]

Captain Cruft -

A very original scenario concept! I am impressed, and will follow with interest.

Mac

[RevRick]

Seems to me there would be a whole lot more USA divisions if they are not involved in fighting in North Africa and being absorbed in England planning for Normandy... Is that the case, or are there 25 or so divisions from the US Army in England?

[Captain Cruft]

I will add American LCUs if I think it needs it.

[gpannell]

This is a great Idea! I have always wanted to create a Scen depicting a whatif where Rudy Hess does succeed in creating a Brit. cease fire and end to Western front conflict. A US posiion that completely isolates Uncle Joe and his Commies and creates a situation in which the US concentrates on the Pacific not the ETO. Some ideas I had included were a German codicle to peace that forced a 1:1 ratio of KGM to RN ships in the Home Islands and the rest of the RN to be berthed no closer to the Home Islands than the South Atlantic below the 20th line of latitude. I think this would force a majority to Indian Ocean ports simply because of facility maximums. The British miliary was limited to a 100K man Army in the UK proper (a slap in the face for Versailles). Because of the German treaty with Japan the Germans only had to declare war in the event of American aggression, so I would have had the Japanese attack the Phillipines first. This ROCKS! I can't wait to see the final draft.

[Skyros]

What is the rational for the three Aussie divisions in North Africa, are they assumed lost in combat, home already or returning?