The what if thread -WW2-

This was a significant advantage to the western powers, wasn't? Anyway, like Germany, the US and Britain didn't have the capability to sustain hundreds of thousands of monthly casualties for a long time.

But, in 1945, the technology to manufacture hundreds of atom bombs to nuke these huge cities wasn't available. Also, the soviets would have reached the Atlantic before the allies could deploy nukes.
I don't think it would have made much difference that the Western Allies were 'fresher' and you're right; there's no way UK or US public pressure would have allowed the kind of casualties seen on the Eastern Front. Also, it would have been the difficulty in getting replacements to theatre quickly enough. Like against the Wehrmacht, the Red Army would have been triumphant due to its strategic reserve; it would be picking up and pressing the likes of Romanians and Hungarians into service whilst the Western Allies would have no such capacity to recruit extra men.

As you point out strategic bombers would be of little use in such a campaign. Also the Americans did have at least 2 nuclear weapons deployable but they would be in a quandary - deploy them against Japan or Russia? When I think about it, I doubt even the obliteration of Moscow or Leningrad would have stopped the Red Army. The British could have deployed Anthrax over Western Europe but this would probably never have happened due to the fact they'd essentially be infecting their own men, as well as poisoning the very territory they were trying to defend.
 
I am assuming you mean what if the U.S.S Wards report on it its engagement had been taken seriously at the time?

I really don't know the answer to that as I do not know the ability of the US Navy to get its ships underway at the time.

Given the 6 hours advanced notice I am sure that they could have got some defences in place and and done more damage to the Japanese but unless they could have got ships out to sea and organised enough to attack the Japanese fleet I am not sure the over all result would have been any different.

The worst thing that could have happened is that the Japanese could have caught American ships in the navigation channels and sunk them there putting Pearl Harbor out of action for months.

The U.S.S.Ward was already on a normal patrol when it sighted and engaged the minisub, even the history channel has teh encounter wrong, they showed on all Pearl Harbour shows that the Ward fired at, the sub, but they didn't know if they hit it, I have a book called "Destroyers of 60 years" which clearly shows the sub hauled up at pearl Harbor in 1941, confirming that the Wards 5" gun crew hit their target. Thats why back a few months ago, I asked where I could get the book on here and was referred to the place where I could get a copy, My dad gave me his but it was stolen,Its in this book .
 
Hi,

1. If Pearl Harbor was not bombed(Had Hitler convinced Japan from doing silly things), then US would never have entered the war directly (Would have supplied arms though)
2. And if Hitler listened to his Generals and not started operation Barabarossa against Soviet union, and instead strengthened further ties with Soviet union based on the Non-aggression pact signed with them a year before
3. If Stalin agreed to be Hitler's staunch partner and directly joined the 'Axis' (As an extension to the treaty signed between them to share the spoils in Poland)
4. If above points 1, 2 and 3 were to happen, and then Hitler had proceeded to attack Britain

Result: Even god wouldn't have been able to save UK and the millions of innocent lives all over Europe. US would have thought more than twice to enter into the war. And I don't think they would have joined the war and instead would have tried all indirect means rather than direct confrontation with the Axis. So, its a blessing for Humanity that 2 evil Dictators (Hitler, Stalin) turned against themselves and destroyed themselves.
 
I don't think it would have made much difference that the Western Allies were 'fresher' and you're right; there's no way UK or US public pressure would have allowed the kind of casualties seen on the Eastern Front. Also, it would have been the difficulty in getting replacements to theatre quickly enough. Like against the Wehrmacht, the Red Army would have been triumphant due to its strategic reserve; it would be picking up and pressing the likes of Romanians and Hungarians into service whilst the Western Allies would have no such capacity to recruit extra men.

As you point out strategic bombers would be of little use in such a campaign. Also the Americans did have at least 2 nuclear weapons deployable but they would be in a quandary - deploy them against Japan or Russia? When I think about it, I doubt even the obliteration of Moscow or Leningrad would have stopped the Red Army. The British could have deployed Anthrax over Western Europe but this would probably never have happened due to the fact they'd essentially be infecting their own men, as well as poisoning the very territory they were trying to defend.
I think there is no proof for the assumption that the SU was capable to occupy Western Europe in 1945 :the logistic problems would be enormous :think on the distances from Moscow to France ,and in devastated countries ;in the air,the allies were qualitatively superior,and on the ground ? the SU was numerically superior ,but most of the red army was infantry (man moving by foot !),the Red Army mobile forces constituted only 7 % of the manpower of the operational forces,and how would they supply them ?
 
I was under the impression that the US had imposed a trade embargo on Japan and they were struggling to get oil and iron ore etc.. I think if Japan had attacked other countries in South East Asia to get these supplies, the US would have declared war.
 
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