Getting Ahead of Ourselves: A B-29 TL

[Parmenion]

As the first strike on Iwo Jima finished taking off at 0830, Ozawa was still 330 miles to the northwest. The strike was composed of 120 Hellcats escorting a total of 140 Dauntless's, Helldivers, and Corsairs. The strike was expected to completely neutralize Iwo Jima. One of greatest blunders on the part of the fifth fleet was the lack of prior reconnaissance. Not a single plane had been near Iwo Jima in nearly a month, meaning they missed the subsequent build up. The navy had estimated no more than 60 aircraft on the island, which they expected to be Zeros and old Vals.


The picket boat off south Iwo Jima detected the attacking aircraft with 50 minute of warning. Within minutes, the Shidens were tumbling down the runway, clamoring for speed and altitude. The torpedo bombers meanwhile took off and started heading north, unloaded they could reach Japan if their airfield was destroyed. The first 70 Shidens to take off met the American aircraft 10 minutes from the island. The airmen had been briefed about the existence of the shiden (Called "George" by their codebooks) but hadn't expected to meet them here.


A running battle commenced, the Hellcats desperately trying to protect their bombers, while the shidens tried to break through. While the Japanese pilots were among the best trained remaining airmen in Japan, they were outnumbered, and the Americans were no amateurs. Still the durable and heavily armed Shidens proved a match for the Hellcats, who often were surprised as the Japanese planes survived multiple passes. As the strike force approached Iwo Jima, they came under attack from the remainder of the Shidens, who were spread out over every manner of speed and altitude.


As the Helldivers made their runs, some of the lower Shidens met them head on, resulting in a few collisions. The Japanese flak proved to be irrelevant as usual, friend and foe alike taking little notice. As the attack was concluded the Japanese pursued for several minutes, managing to finish off several wounded bombers. The American attack had achieved less damage than expected, but still managed to knock out the southern airfield and damage the other two, as well as destroying 60 percent of the Japanese aviation fuel on the island. Total losses on both sides were 53 Shidens destroyed and 60 damaged, while the Americans lost 30 Hellcats, a corsair, six Dauntlesses, and 20 Helldivers, as well as another 67 aircraft damaged.


The torpedo bombers returned to the island, their northern field only suffering minor damage. Ground crews worked tirelessly to restore the damaged fighters, fearing another attack. Ozawa had been informed of the attack, but being 200 miles away had not been able to help. Additionally, these radio messages allowed Spruance to estimate the rough location of the Japanese fleet. This happened at the same time his scout planes in the north had found no trace of the enemy around Chichi Jima. Realizing his mistake at around 1100, Spruance ordered the entire fleet to reverse heading, if the Japanese wanted a fight to the south, he'd give it to them.

 

[Parmenion]

For most of the remainder of the 13th, neither side made many moves. Ozawa continued sailing south-southwest, believing the Americans to still be heading north. Spruance meanwhile, had strung out his fleet into a line nearly 200 miles long. This has been the result of his northern units rushing to attack the suspected location of the Japanese fleet, while his southern forces had lagged behind to attack Iwo Jima. As he worked to reverse this issue, Ozawa remained in the dark. Finally at 1330, one of his cruisers floatplanes spotted the southernmost carrier division of the fifth fleet.


Realizing his plan had not gone right, Ozawa considered turning away. But, realizing the possibility of this force being exposed, he prepared his own strike. At 1400 he ordered the commander at Iwo Jim to launch whatever he had at the American fleet. At 1600, 60 Shidens escorted the 80 Jill torpedo bombers in an attack on the American southern flank. The force was spotted by radar with plenty of warning, and fighters sortied. Despite this, and heavy flak cover, two hits were scored. One on the USS Yorktown, the torpedo flooding some crew spaces and causing a manageable list. The other went long and blew the destroyer USS Helm in half. The fighter screen was effective, only six Shidens and a dozen Jills returned.


Around this time Ozawa's own strike force finished taking off. 90 Zeros, 70 dive bombers, and 50 torpedo bombers made for the same carrier division. While the land based strike had been mostly ineffective, it had forced many fighters to be refueled and equipped before they were ready for another fight. At 1600 they arrived, only 50 Hellcats were able to launch in time. In spite of this the Zeros proved less of a formidable opponent. While these pilots had been decently trained on Hosho, almost none of them had any combat experience. The Hellcat pilots in contrast, were both trained and experience, and much of their training was on how to counter the Zero specifically. The strike force was mauled on it's approach, and mauled again by the flak batteries. Still hits were scored. The light carrier Bataan had a bomb explode in her hanger. No fires were started, but most of her aircraft and hanger crew were maimed. The Yorktown was struck by two more torpedoes and a bomb. Her speed being cut to 15 knots. Hornet was also hit by a bomb, but it failed to explode.


Only 80 aircraft returned to their carriers. Ozawa was shocked at this loss, but this shock faded somewhat when he heard of the damage inflicted on the American fleet. Believing the Americans to have at least one crippled carrier, he ordered Kurita's battleships to make their best speed for their anticipated location. All he had to do now was survive the night.

 

[Parmenion]

Before Ozawa's strike force was even half way back, Spruance was organizing a counterattack. With Yorktown and Bataan in no shape to launch aircraft, Hornet and Belleau Wood were assisted by the now approaching Bunker Hill, Wasp, and Cabot. Nearly 400 aircraft took part in this wave. 170 Hellcats escorted 130 dive bombers and 80 torpedo bombers. The force departed at 1700, a risky move considering the possibility of having to land in the dark.


By chance, Kurita had come nearly precisely between Carrier Division 1 (Spruance's southern flank) and Ozawa. 230 miles from their carriers, the strike force happened upon them. While their orders had been to attack the enemy carriers, the already setting sun made the attack commander change his mind. This proved to be a wise decision, Spruance believe the main Japanese fleet to be about 70 miles further south than it actually was. Attempting to fly that far north may have meant landing in the pitch dark.


Kurita's radar detected the American force with 30 minutes to spare. Hosho immediately began scrambling It's 22 Zeros, while Kurita tried to do the same. However with the losses he had suffered he was only able to get 47 Zeros airborne on such short notice. Many of Hosho's pilots were instructors, having served in various theaters first. This made little difference in their outnumbered obsolete planes. As the battleships maneuvered desperately to dodge the attacks, the sky lit up with flak.


Hosho was especially targeted, perhaps due to some pilots trying to carry out their original orders. While the old carrier struggled to evade, she was hit by at least six bombs and four torpedoes in a matter of minutes. In a similar fashion to Shoho at the Coral Sea, Hosho sank rapidly, taking all but 103 of her crew with her. Yamato was targeted next, but the super battleship was not a sluggish as she seemed. Evading at least six torpedoes, she managed to remain unscathed for the first five minutes of attack. While the Zeros were no match for the Hellcats, they did manage to throw off the aim of many bombers. The attack lasted just 20 minutes, but havoc had been wrought.


Yamato suffered three torpedo hits and five armor piercing bombs, one of which detonated on her number two turret, the shrapnel wounding much of the bridge crew. Musashi took a torpedo and three bombs, causing a severe fire that suffocated many of those in her upper decks. Nagato and her sister each took two bombs and were still capable of fighting. Aside from Hosho, the only other ship sunk was the heavy cruiser Mogami, who was struck by a 1,000 pound bomb and torpedo in the same area amidships, causing her to split and sink. While the 69 Zeros had only shot down a handful of planes, and had suffered 30 lost, they had managed to contribute to keeping every battleship afloat.


The strike force had only suffered 27 aircraft shot down to flak and fighter, but the true losses came later. By the time the aircraft returned to the fleet, there was only faint twilight remaining. Planes were permitted to land on any deck they could find. Belleau Wood took on so many that a dozen planes had to be pushed overboard to make room. Some aircraft even tried to land on the listing Yorktown, which resulted in several of them crashing. In the end, 130 additional aircraft were lost during these risky night landings, or from ditching, though most of the pilots were recovered. Spruance was heavily criticized for refusing to allow the carriers to turn on their spotlights, fearing an air attack. As darkness settled in, both admirals pondered their next move.

 

[Parmenion]

As night fell, Admiral Ozawa realized his force was spent. While Kurita objected, his battleships were already thrashed enough that a night action was likely to lose the lot of them. At 2100, Ozawa ordered the fleet to withdraw. The reserve force continued sailing south for two hours, with more aircraft available, they could better defend the fleet if the need arose. While his fleet was largely intact on paper, A-force had lost most of it's aircraft, and the reserve had lost many of it's fighters, they would need to be replenished. Under the cover of darkness, the submarines of both sides came out to play.


Nearly twenty American submarines, some grouped, some alone, were patrolling the area. Due to a combination of luck and a few long-ranged Japanese patrol aircraft from mainland Japan. Only one American wolfpack was able to locate the Japanese fleet. This was made harder by the fact that the Japanese carriers had only been direct spotted once at distance, during the attack on their battleships, and so their exact location was not known. The submarines Hake, Bashaw and Paddle closed in on the carriers.


In the dark, the light carriers were thought to be the main body of the fleet, and so they attacked the reserve force. While the nearby Yamato was a tempting target with it's list, their orders were to attack the flattops first. With no warning, Zuiho was rocked as four torpedoes tore into her starboard hull. Her flooding was so severe that the attempted counterflooding caused her to simply sink like a stone, taking all but 234 of her crew to the bottom in just 12 minutes. Destroyers rushed to the origin of the torpedoes, Minazuki happened to take three of the torpedoes meant for Chitose, sinking with all hands. Chitose was still struck by one torpedo from the spread, listing so heavily that she was ignored for the rest of the night, assumed to be doomed.


Chiyoda was next, two submarines put eight torpedoes into her in less than ten minutes. One of them triggered an explosion from her aviation fuel storage, only 50 men survived. After this, the submarines pursued, but the combination of rabid Japanese destroyers, the speed of the remaining forces, and the swiftly closing distance to the mainland meant that the chase was over before dawn. To the south, something similar was taking place


The Japanese submarine assault was less coordinated, but no less spirited. Ro-36 struck first, hitting Hornet with one torpedo before being driven off and later sunk by destroyers. I-10 won the night, scoring two hits on the already languishing Yorktown, which sank two hours later despite valiant efforts. Three more submarines unsuccessfully attacked that night, being driven away by the dutiful destroyer screen. In the north Essex was hit by three torpedoes from I-53, a frantic damage control team barely keeping her afloat back to Saipan.


As dawn came, and both fleets approached home, neither commanders were very satisfied. The American fleet had been battered, a fleet carrier sunk, and many experienced pilots dead. The Japanese had lost three light carriers, including the fleets training ship, and most of their remaining experienced carrier pilots. What's more, Iwo Jima was now vulnerable, the ground crew were ordered to start destroying the newly completed runways. Sure enough, Eichelberger and Nimitz agreed on June 6th as the date for the bombardment to begin. The first Marines were about to land on Japanese home soil.

 

[Parmenion]

Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, May 30th, 1944​

The sounds of heavy machinery could still be heard in the office of naval minister shidmada. Sailors and dockworkers labored around the clock to heal the wounds of the Japanese navy. The sight of the mighty Yamato and the veteran Shikoku and their sisters arriving intact had done much to soothe the nerves of the anxious citizens, the loss of three light carriers had been minimized. The death toll wouldn't be disclosed publicly. Word of death, especially those of the pilots who had suffered so gravely, would trickle out to families over the next months, along with "intructions" not to be too public in their mourning.


Shimada, along with admirals, Koga and Ozawa, had convened to discuss the next move of the IJN, as well as how to best spin the results of the battle with the Emperor and the army at the Imperial General Headquarters tomarrow. The men all looked very sullen, despite all of them having quotes in the papers about what a stunning victory this had been for Japan.


"The good news" Koga spoke up "is that damage to the battleships was not severe. They'll all be ready for regular duty by late August at the latest, and of course the fleet carriers are undamaged." Shimada frowned "ex excepting their air wings, you mean." Ozawa nodded mournfully. Continuing, Koga said "Regrettably yes, though that should be remedied somewhat soon" "How soon?" "That... depends on what you mean. The airframes themselves will be ready for combat by next week, we had plenty of aircraft on standby. The pilots should be assembled by the last week of June, we're still waiting for the kōkūtai leaders to arrive from their posts overseas."


Ozawa jumped in "How competant they'll be is another question. Hosho is gone, and work to convert another light carrier to training will take time, as much as we need anything that can carry a plane as is. It may not be until Autumn that they have any degree of proper training, and we'll need them sooner" Shimada nodded "Indeed, with Iwo Jima liable to fall, the Americans are unlikely to slow their advance for long. Okinawa, Formosa, The Phillipines are all vulnerable. We'll need to rely on our shore based aircraft to defend them while our carriers are made ready once again." The prospect of that was not promising to any of the men in that room.

Pearl Harbor​

In a much more crowded room, similar discussions were being held by Admiral Nimitz and his subordinates. He turned to Admiral Oldendorf "Have your gunners been brought up to speed on everything they need to know?" he said with a hint of annoyance. The orginal plan had been for the chemical shells to be marked normally and designated as "Special explosive" shells, the men firing them would never know any better. Oldendorf had come remarkably close to insubordination at the idea, he didn't want his men accidentally gassing a battleship because they had no clue what they were dealing with. Nimitz was given the all clear from above to allow that.


"Yes sir" Oldendorf replied "My plan is to use regular shells during the first day, to get the little bastards nice and snug in their caves and tunnels. Come nightfall the gas will start falling, they won't notice 'till their skin starts falling off or they shit themselves or whatever this phosgene crap does." he spat, clearly not happy at the thought. Nimitz nodded approvingly "There is one hiccup, the 14 inch shell production is taking some time, all we had available were howizer shells, some of which we've modified to work with the 5 inch guns. The rest will be delivered via air, from escort carriers though, Sprague is gonna be busy carrying out hailstone." Oldendorf nodded. "Well gentlemen, by this time next month the army may well be blasting Tojo's ass, good luck" Salutes were exchanged, and the men got to work.

 

[Parmenion]

Iwo Jima, June 6th, 1944​

On the gloomy morning of the 6th, Admiral Kinkaid's task force arrived around Iwo Jima. Six battleships, and four escort carriers would provide the bulk of the heavy bombardment, an assortment of crusiers and destroyers kept the seas and skys clear of Japanese aircraft. Among the battleships were the New York and Idaho, who each carried a special payload in their secondary magazines. At 1100 the signal to open fire began, and conventional high-explosive shells and bombs fell on Iwo Jima. The first targets were the visible anti-ship guns, whose destruction allowed the fleet to operate unmolested. With the guns silenced, the bombardment continued to ineffectively pepper the island, its garrison safely in a litany of caves and tunnels below. At dusk, 85 army Sally's launched a strike on the fleet, but the effective flak and fighter cover meant they achived nothing more than blowing the radar mast off the Pensecola before losing all but seven of the bombers in the process. As night fell, the battleships closed in on the island like sharks.


Ensign Teru Sato, chewed on some stale field rations as he tried to ignore the rumbling above. The poor food, lack of water, and constant work underground had been bad enough, now it seemed like devils were banging on the ceiling. Still he thought to himself, being assigned to the naval HQ had it's perks. He looked up at the ventilation fan above him. The HQ bunker had electric lighting, plumbing, and even ventilation, which all did wonders to cut down on the heat and smells that plagued the caves elsewhere. He looked up has the rumbling above seemed to change, the thundering explosions replaced with dull bangs. Fragmentation bombs perhaps, he thought just as a cloud of smoke came down through the vent. He briefly thought to call in a mechanic before his breath left him. This wasn't normal smoke, he realized as his eyes bulged and his sinuses burned It was gas! He stumbled, trying to remember where the gas masks were stored, before everything went dark.

 

[Gillan1220]

Iwo Jima, June 6th, 1944​

On the gloomy morning of the 6th, Admiral Kinkaid's task force arrived around Iwo Jima. Six battleships, and four escort carriers would provide the bulk of the heavy bombardment, an assortment of crusiers and destroyers kept the seas and skys clear of Japanese aircraft. Among the battleships were the New York and Idaho, who each carried a special payload in their secondary magazines. At 1100 the signal to open fire began, and conventional high-explosive shells and bombs fell on Iwo Jima. The first targets were the visible anti-ship guns, whose destruction allowed the fleet to operate unmolested. With the guns silenced, the bombardment continued to ineffectively pepper the island, its garrison safely in a litany of caves and tunnels below. At dusk, 85 army Sally's launched a strike on the fleet, but the effective flak and fighter cover meant they achived nothing more than blowing the radar mast off the Pensecola before losing all but seven of the bombers in the process. As night fell, the battleships closed in on the island like sharks.


Ensign Teru Sato, chewed on some stale field rations as he tried to ignore the rumbling above. The poor food, lack of water, and constant work underground had been bad enough, now it seemed like devils were banging on the ceiling. Still he thought to himself, being assigned to the naval HQ had it's perks. He looked up at the ventilation fan above him. The HQ bunker had electric lighting, plumbing, and even ventilation, which all did wonders to cut down on the heat and smells that plagued the caves elsewhere. He looked up has the rumbling above seemed to change, the thundering explosions replaced with dull bangs. Fragmentation bombs perhaps, he thought just as a cloud of smoke came down through the vent. He briefly thought to call in a mechanic before his breath left him. This wasn't normal smoke, he realized as his eyes bulged and his sinuses burned It was gas! He stumbled, trying to remember where the gas masks were stored, before everything went dark.

Iwo Jima would be this TL's D-Day.

 

[Parmenion]

Iwo Jima would be this TL's D-Day.

Well no, it's not nearly the scale, plus overlord is probably happening around the same time as OTL.

 

[Sekhmet_D]

The American attack had achieved less damage than expected, but still managed to knock out the southern airfield and damage the other two, as well as destroying 60 percent of the Japanese aviation fuel on the island. Total losses on both sides were 53 Shidens destroyed and 60 damaged, while the Americans lost 30 Hellcats, a corsair, six Dauntlesses, and 20 Helldivers, as well as another 67 aircraft damaged.

I wonder which Shiden squadron this was - 343 or the Yokosuka Kokutai. And which IJNAF aces met their ends here rather than dying elsewhere or surviving IOTL (Saburo Sakai?).

 

[Parmenion]

I wonder which Shiden squadron this was - 343 or the Yokosuka Kokutai. And which IJNAF aces met their ends here rather than dying elsewhere or surviving IOTL (Saburo Sakai?).

I have no earthly idea lol. Keep in mind butterflies mean squadron numbers and compositions are different, but no this was more of an intermediate squadron,Sakai is still kicking rest assured.

 

[Parmenion]

Hello all, could be quite a bit before I can get my next proper updates in, along with some overdue ATL wikipedia articles, so here's a little bonus in the meantime.

Special Bulletin Pertaining to Coastal Defense​

Notice to all Army and Navy flag officers in command of posts at risk of enemy attack by sea: Given the massive success of the late General Kuribayashi's defense of the Marianas, and the subsequent casualties inflicted on our incompetant foes, new protocols, based on said general's defensive strategy have been produced. While you are of course expected and ordered to conduct your defense based on local considerations, upholding the following tenets will ensure the best chance of victory.

1) Make the best possible use of terrain: No trench or foxhole can offer the protection that a cave provides. A few feet of solid rock will offer indefinite shelter from most bombs or shells, and any natural formation can be enlarged with enough manpower and time.

2) Make no attempt to contest the enemy landings: While this may seem dishonorable, it is simply unproductive and foolhardy to directly contest landing troops. The beaches are likely to be exposed and heavily attacked from both air and sea, and any men stationed here will likely take horrific losses. Instead, have your artillery and snipers set their sights to these beaches, where the enemy will be concentrated and congested in the hours after landfall.

3) Abandon any hope of repelling the invaders: Barring any direct naval support, your position is unlikely to be rescued, a fact you should not share with anyone aside from your staff. Rather than waste men in desperate assaults, maintain a defensive posture.

4) Keep your men alive as long as possible: As stated in tenet three, your men will likely not receive outside support, so they should not be thought of as disposable. Retreats may seem dishonorable, but they allow your men to carry on the fight for longer. Charges should be saved for occasions where you both have nowhere left to retreat to, and no ammunition left to shoot.


Follow these instructions carefully, and ensure your men fight with the vigor that The Emperor and Japan expect. Victory will be assured.

 

[Musketeer513]

Just discovered and plan to follow.

 

[Parmenion]

These are torture to make and post, but I finally got around to posting the wiki article for the last battle.

 

[Parmenion]

Iwo Jima, June 10th, 1944​

General Holland Smith strode out from his landing craft, the island had finally been declared safe enough for a visit from the commander after two days . Major General Rockey, commander of the 5th Marine Division, looked up from the mess of maps in front of him and saluted as Smith approached. Returning the salute, he asked "So general, how goes the operation?". Rockey replied "Better than it has any right to be, considering how many more of the little bastards there were than we thought. most of the South and central areas of the island have been cleared out, the only solid resistance has been in Suribachi and some hills to the North." "How many do you think the gas got?" "Hard to say, but suffice it that it was most of them, scouts found their gas masks still in crates, they never saw it coming."


"How many do you think are left?" Smith asked. "I'd say no more than 3,000." Rockey answered. "The navy dropped some more gas on their positions yesterday, but they have their masks on so it didn't do much." Smith nodded, looking around. The scene reminded him of France in the last war, grass and trees yellowed by gas, craters gouged into the volcanic ash the made the landscape alien. Already the Seabees were at work, dozing the torn asphalt away and laying more, in days this place would be a base for P-51's and an emergency rest stop for the Superforts. "There still is the issue of holdouts" Rockey said, snapping the general out of his trance. "The gas didn't kill everyone, we found a few poor suckers blind and swollen in their tunnels, we're keepin' them over there" he pointed to some field tents further inland. "Odds are the 2nd will have to scrounge up a regiment or two to keep the stragglers from goin' looney." Smith nodded, the 2nd marine division had already stretched itself over the Marianas, keeping the holdouts from slaughtering the Seabees.


"What's next?" Asked Rockey "We taking this to Tojo's front lawn?" "Afraid I can't spoil the surprise yet Keller." Smith said with a smirk. "Whatever the case I can't guarantee you'll have chemical support again, so make sure you're men don't get lazy" "Don't worry sir, easy work just makes my boy's hungry for more." Smith turned his gaze North, where 700 miles away his foe's were surely plotting away. "I expect they'll have their fill soon enough."

 

[Parmenion]

Kure Naval Arsenal, June 12th, 1944​

Naval minister Shimada was glad for a brief diversion from the increasingly glum reports across the Pacific. Today was cause for celebration, the brave and adventurous ally of Japan had sent a present, in the form of a visitor. Kapitänleutant Oskar Herwartz, commander of U-843 saluted the admiral as he stepped off the submarines gangway. The man was tired, filthy, and unshaven, but his face was stern and showed no sign of weakness or fatigue. Just as a submarine commander should present himself after a long mission Shimada thought, Perhaps these foreigners have some dignity about them. Still, whatever animosity these men had for eachother as a result of political conditioning or simple prejudice was supressed, in the mutual interest of both their states.


Through an interpreter the U-boat commander spoke "Admiral Shimada on behalf of the Fuhrer, and Germany, I am honored to make your aquaintance." "As am I" Shimada said, bowing slightly. "I hope your journey was not too arduous." The commander shruged "Thats a given on such voyages I'm afraid, a flying boat nearly sunk us as we rounded the cape. Still, we're here and in one piece, and so are your gifts, asking for more is plain hubris" "Quite right" Shimada smirked "I do hope you specialist arrived in good health as well." "He did indeed" he turned to the boat and shouted "Braun, get your arsch out here, the admiral wants to meet you!"


A man in an equally filthy Luftwaffe uniform stumbled out, squinting in the first sunlight he's seen in weeks. "Admiral I'd like to present Major Erwin Braun, technical liason to the Empire of Japan, he'll be showcasing the samples of German engineering prowess we've brought before you" Another round of salutes were exchanged as the Admiral spoke "Herr Major, we'll fetch someone to unload the equipment, under your crews supervision of course, we don't want to break anything. We'll get your sailors fed and cleaned up, and the demonstration can begin after lunch." At that word, both men eagerly agreed.


A few hours later, the more professional looking major strode along the pile of disassembled parts laid out in a warehouse. "This is the R4M anti-aircraft rocket" he said, picking up a large tube of metal "It can deliver a 520 gram explosive charge as far as 1,500 meters, detonating at a set time or on impact. Quite effective against the tight bomber formations the Americans so enjoy." He turned to another pile, looking almost like an alien vessel "The Me 163 Komet. It can climb to 8,000 meters in less than three minutes, carrying up to four heavy cannons, do mind the fuel though, it's dissolved a number of test pilots" "You're joking of course" one Japanese engineer said lightly "Not in the slightest" Braun said, the engineer's smile melted away.


"And this" he gestured to the largest pile "Is the Me 262 schwalbe, the first jet fighter ever developed, it can achieve 900kph and carries four 30mm cannons. We couldn't fit all of the airframe, but we have the full schematic" Braun proceded to go over some other devices in the pile, flak directing computers, bombsights, and some radar designs. The entire time Shimada uttered a prayer to whoever was listening on repeat, please let this turn the tide.

 

[Parmenion]

June 13th, 1944​

With sunrise still not due for another two hours on Saipan, one of the largest aircraft in the world tumbled off the newly commissioned airfield. The runway had actually been completed months ago, but logistics and the occasional pot shot from emaciated Japanese guerillas had delayed operations until now. This B-29 was different from most of her sisters, her bomb bay was full of extra fuel tanks and state of the art cameras in lieu of bombs. Her usual crew of 11 was augmented by two photographic navigators, who were among the best of their kind. The aircraft would be the first to overfly Japan in nearly a year.

As they flew North, lookouts on the isolated garrison of Pagan spotted the plane, and radioed a warning to the homeland. As they passed the battle scarred and gas choked Iwo Jima, confirmations came in from the radar station on Chichijima. Soon the plane arrived over its target, the Tokyo metropolitan area. This fortress was a mere scout, sent to photograph the locations of factories and installations to update the hopelessly outdated maps the allies possessed.

Air raid sirens screamed and flak guns trained their sights to the sky, as radar stations on Honshu gave out an almost panicked report "Aircraft apporaching Tokyo area, all forces be advised". Aboard the bomber, gunners watched as tracers climbed and exploded, usually harmlessly far below them. A few 12 centimeter heavy guns tried to find their mark, but with no targeting system the single bomber was hard to hit.

Onboard, the pilots nonchalantly guided the aircraft over Tokyo, as the photographer snapped away. The radar operator's voice crackled through the radio "We got bandit's. Too fucking many to count" The co-pilot replied coolly "Altitude?" "Mostly under 10,000 feet, but climbing fast" "Copy, let us know when their high enough to be a problem" He then switched channels, adressing the photographer "We'll finish up Yokosuka, then we're going home, Nagoya can wait, the brass can bite my ass." "Copy".

A few minutes later as the bomber turned south, the radio operator gave warning as three aircraft approached, Ki-44's. "Tojo's, fuck em' up." the pilot announced as the gunners to work. The Tojo's could barely keep pace with the aircraft at this altitude, and as they slowly came into range they made easy targets. The tail guns roared, the leading Tojo exploding as 50 caliber rounds filled its engine. The second fighter followed suit, the pilot managing to let off a short burst of cannon fire before his top half was obliterated by bullets. The final pursuer fired off a salvo that landed a few blows to the bombers left engine before he turned away, the gunners still filling his plane with enough lead to make it belch smoke.

The respite did not last long however, four more radar contacts were spotted, closing the gap a bit faster. "Frank's, get ready" called the tail gunner as they approached. Seperating from one another and diving from above, the Hayate's pounced. One was swiftly dispatched by the dorsal gunner, it's wing torn clean off, and a parachute appearing moments later. Another made a pass at the side of the plane, puncturing the fuselage, and inciting a wave of profanity from the crew as they reached for oxygen masks. The tail gunner managed a few hits, the pilot giving up the chase a moment later as his damaged plane could no longer keep up. The final two planes struck simultaneously, one from above and another from the right.

The diving fighter found himself in the sights of guns, but fired a salvo that cut through the midsection of the plane, shreding cameras and fuel tanks. The guns missed this time but the fighter seemed to give up, diving and turning home. The sideswiper was less fortunate, managing to maim the radio operator as rounds tore into the plane. His propeller siezed, his flaps locked up, and the Frank's pilot bailed.


Moments later, with the radioman having bled out and the bomber decending to a more hospitable altitude, the crew too stock. "Can we make it home" the pilot asked the flight engineer "By the skin of Tojo's asscheeks, but yeah" was the reply. The crew was shocked, they had been told that their high altitude made them all but invincible to the Japanese defenses. Words were going to be exchanged on the ground to be sure.


Around the same time, the pilot of that final Frank hit the ground not far from the naval arsenal, thankful for not having been blown out to sea, but little else. A few sailors on shore duty ran over to meet the man, already in a spurt of profanities, "Are you alright?" one sailor asked "Did you get that bomber?" asked another. "I'm alright, but no, this one got away, those American planes are monsters" "We'll call the army and have them pick you up, what your name?" an ensign asked "Sergeant Anabuki, tell them to send me some liqour."

 

[Parmenion]

Guangxi, June 15th, 1944​

Recently promoted Field Marshal Hata stepped out of his command car and inspected the work going on around him. News had been good, Nanning had fallen from a surprise thrust out of Hanoi, and Liuchow had been secured, only scouts being needed to mop up the remaining resistance between the cities. Even better, the local rails had only been mildly damaged by battle and sabotage, meaning work on connecting the two cities was already underway. Of course constructing such a large rail took labor the IJA couldn't spare, and so had taken it's typical measures. The bulk of the workers were Chinese peasants, plucked from the surrounding towns. Spaced between them were a smaller number of Korean and Vietnamese laborers, treated marginally better, as well as handful of army engineers acting as overseers.

The sounds of construction were frequently broken by whip cracks and the occasional pistol shot. One Chinese girl, no older than twelve, stumbled and dropped the rail tie she had been carrying. Immediately a sergeant major was upon her, striking her across the cheek and knocking out one of her teeth with his nambu "Pick that up!" he roared in broken Chinese as he kicked her in the stomach "Do that again and we're sharing a tent!" The girl struggled to her feet and carried on. A rifle shot rang out from a copse of trees nearby, a small cheer came up from the soldiers there as a Vietnamese women's head exploded, target practice. "Bullseye! That makes five!" "I'm counting six, that one looked pregnant.". The sergeant cracked a smile, it was good to see the privates enjoy their duty.

"Sergeant Major!" Hata called, gesturing the man to approach. He did so and struck a salute. "Care to explain that?" he asked, pointing to the remains of the Vietnamese women. "Target practice sir, it's a good warmup for partisans" The general frowned "I understand that but you're hampering the work, have them practice on the weak ones instead, we need this road completed" "Understood" replied the sergeant, shouting at the men to cease fire. Hata continued "That's why I'm here, how long until Nanning is connected?" "At this pace it should be ready by late July, assuming partisan activity doesn't increase" "Has it?" "Somewhat, I think we caught them off guard here, most of the ones we've found were former soldiers, I don't believe they had time to arm the peasants, but they're starting to sprout up." Hata nodded "The offensive is wrapping up, not to worry, you'll soon have more security." The sergeant nodded and was dismissed, If the navy doesn't pull through Hata thought We'll need every drop to make it through.

 

[Parmenion]

Having taken a beat to rest his sailors and replace lost planes, Admiral Sprague began preparations of Operation Hailstone, renamed Operation Hailstorm to reflect it's expansion. The first and most important phase of the operation was the original objective, the neutralization of Truk naval base. On June 20th Sprague's force of three fleet carriers, five light carriers, and eight escort carriers began the attacks.

The Japanese had long been aware of the untenable position of Truk, and had begun the evacuation nearly a year prior. Every ship accept five merchant vessels and two old destroyers, who lacked the fuel or engines to leave, had been sent away (Though a third of the cargo ships would be sunk by submarine before ever reaching another port). The 50,000 strong garrison had been reduced to just 10,000, as well as only 40 aircraft.

The American strikes were by all means a success. Every ship and plane on the island was destroyed, for the loss of just 16 American aircraft. Shore installations were badly hit, as were the empty fuel silos and docks. The strikes were followed up in the next coming days with other attacks on New Guinea, the Bismarck islands, and Palau. These attacks also achieved serious damage, the only losses being another 12 aircraft and ironically the USS Bismarck sea which was sunk by a submarine. Japanese aircraft station in the Phillipines attempted to intervene, but Sprague purposely kept his distance, meaning only about 30 bombers ever got close enough to be shot down.

The attacks also allowed Ulithi and Majuro to be taken unopposed, which would serve as ideal anchorages for the American fleet. With yet another victory under it's belt, the navy began discussion on the next large strike towards Japan.

 

[Parmenion]

Pearl Harbor, July 4th, 1944​

The festivities of Oahu this 4th of July were by far the grandest since the war began. Sailors, airmen, marines, were all fresh out of combat, and eager to let off steam. The flag officers of the Pacific Ocean Areas command had no such luxury, they had work that needed to be done. In particular, they wanted to know how next to tighten the noose around Japans neck.

Admiral Nimitz stood and spoke "With the swift seizure of Iwo Jima, the 20th Air Force is poised to begin strikes on the industry of the Japanese home islands." The commander of said air force General Arnold, having just recovered from another heart attack, nodded quietly and motioned his suboordinate to stand. Major General LeMay began "Yes admiral, though initial strikes will be limited for the next eight weeks at least. The only operational airfields so far are one each on Saipan and Tinian, construction is being hindered by Jap stragglers."

"Thank you generals" Nimitz motioned for LeMay to take a seat." More pressing is the issue of our next strike. Iwo Jima was a vital componant of the Japanese interior defensive perimeter, and I'm sure it's capture has thrown a wrench into whatever plan the Japs had to defend Tokyo." At this Vice-Admiral Lockwood spoke up "Moreover, it also gives greater leeway to our submarine fleet. They'll more or less be able to operate freely from Okinawa to borneo I expect the delivery of strategic materials to Japan to run to a trickle by Fall." "But not every cargo ship will be sunk of course" Nimitz asked, receiving a nod.

"This is why, gentlemen, a further step has to be taken against Japan, to stymie the flow of goods into Japan once and for all. Unfortunately, none of our options are going to be particularly pleasent for the men involved in taking them." At this Admiral Sprague asked "Do we really need to take another island before we move againsy Japan proper? Seems to me that Kanto itself is likely to be sparsely defended, why not go for broke and kick the emperors door down." "That would be foolhardy" Admiral Turner countered "Ulithi and Saipan are 1,500 miles away from Tokyo at least, and the Jap subs are still a threat. No matter how many carriers you have defending such a long chain of supply would mean more forces assigned to escort duties than supporting the troops."

Nimitz put up a hand to end the debate "Turner is right, I've heard from Ike and the boy's in france that maintaining a supply line across the channel was hard enough, even with the threat of attacks being minimal. We can not afford to attack Japan proper, as enticing as that thought is, until we have a secure base near Japan, and the amphibious capacity to ferry the troops."

At that Nimitz unrolled a large map of the West Pacific. "In my eyes we have four options, none of them good. Option one, Okinawa: Small and with nowhere out of range of shore bombardment, but too close to Kyushu for comfort. Japanese land based aircraft could likely make round trips to attack us at will. Not to mention the risk of the Japanese surface forces making a go at us.

Option two, Luzon: Much more isolated than Okinawa is from Japan, which is both good and bad. Support from home will be hard for the enemy to get, but that also makes it hard for us to use it as another base against Japan. What's more, Jap army forces are quite strong in the region, and we'd be facing a good deal more regular troops than almost anywhere else.

Option three, Formosa: Large enough for plenty of airfields and dockyards, while being close enough to Japan to use them. Bad news is that Formosa is probably the best location for the enemy to put as many aircraft at us as possible. They could attack from Okinawa, China, Korea, Luzon, even French Indochina and Kyoshu if we take long range bombers into account. We'd be attacked from all sides.

Option four, Mainland China: We land on the poorly defended shores of Jap occupied South China, and roll them up back to Peking. Bad news is this does nothing but give General Stillwell wood. We'd be no closer to Japan, and would expend huge resources there. Any thoughts gentlemen."

The room was quiet for a beat as the men put their brains to work. Finally Eichelburger spoke " I'd say China is off the table, I don't wanna marry Stillwell. Luzon is more trouble than it's worth. I'd say Formosa gives us the most bang for it's buck. We can seal off the South China Sea, and launch attacks across the entire Pacific." Officers murmured in agreement. Nimitz asked "Any objections?" General Smith spoke "I feel we'll have to worry about the Japs hiding in the interior, but my marines have gotten quite good at sniffing them out. I think it's a good option." "Very good, Formosa it is then. Tough Okinawa is going to need to fall as well at some point. We'll put D-day tentatively at October 1st and go from there, Godspeed."

Salutes were exchanged as some of the lower ranked officers snuck off to join the party. The men would not see fun like this until postwar.

 

[Parmenion]

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Big thanks to @CountDVB and others for some advice on a topic I know little about.

Warm Springs Georgia, July 4th, 1944​

President Roosevelt had adopted Churchills routine of holding cabinet meetings in bed, though he still insisted on getting dressed. The president had only been to the white house twice since his stroke in the Winter, once to assure congress the he had not in fact been "Woodrow Wilsonsed" as some papers had put it, and once to meet with Churchill to discuss the then upcoming Operation Overlord. The little white house truely lived up to it's name now, full of staffers and secretaries just like the old one. The news that most of his cabinet had gather here to discuss was not something Roosevelt looked forward to.

"Let's jump into it" he said "I'm not running again this year, no pun intended. The doctors say I'll be lucky to last until the next inauguration as is, and I can't be responsible for destabilizing the country in wartime. Now we need to discuss who's next." Roosevelt noticed Vice-President Wallace turning pale "It's not you I'm afraid Henry" He said softly "I trust you, the issue is a lot of others in this party and in this room" he paused and looked every man in the eye "Do not. We need somebody that won't cause a schism in the party right now. Suggestions?"

"How about Byrnes?" Secretary Hull asked "No he's a Catholic southern democrat, his own mother probably hates him." Roosevelt joked "How about you Cordell? "No sir, I'm surprised I still wake up every morning, my health isn't airtight either." "Alright then, how about McNutt?" Hull nodded "He's solid. If you endorse him we can probably carry in November." "Good we'll ask him, now whose the VP?" "That's tricky, probably not another southerner, we'll want to satisfy the north. Maybe a former cabinet secretary to give some semblence of continuance?" Roosevelt thought "How about you Mr.Morganthau? You're a fellow New yorker, you're known, do you accept?" The Treasury secretary breathed and simply said "I'm honored sir"

With that, Roosevelt relaxed. "Good" he said "Now I just need to stay alive, easy enough. Now Mr.Stimson, what's the latest from france?"