paradigmblue
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Joined: 9/16/2014
From: Fairbanks, Alaska
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DOCUP
Para: nice looking mod. Do you know how much of the Joffre was actually completed when the France fell? I bet the Dutch would of loved to have had a CAV and atleast one of there BCs completed and ready for action by the start of the war.
Historically, Joffre was only about 25% complete when the war started, and after that time resources were diverted elsewhere.
In this scenario's timeline, the French accelerated construction on the Painleve and Joffre so both had been launched but not commissioned at the time of Germany's invasion.
Here's my alternate and admittedly a bit silly timeline:
1934
Japan gives formal notice that it will terminate its participation in the Washington Naval Treaty, and immediately thereafter embarks on ambitious ship-building program with the intention of matching combined naval power of Great Britain and the United States.
1937
With Japan's invasion of China, France sees the threat of not only Germany invading France, but also the threat of Japan invading French Indochina and eventually threatening French Caledonia and even French Polynesia. With that in mind, French warships and base forces are dispatched to French Indochina, New Caledonia and to French Polynesia.
Due to the difficulty supplying their forces half a world away, France encourages the development of light industry in French Indochina, Pondicherri and French Polynesia, as well as expanding the ports, airfields and shipyards in their territories.
It becomes apparent to the French Air Council that domestic manufacturers could not equip the Armee de l'Air with enough airframes. In addition to contracting other countries to produce foreign designed aircraft to help fill the void, French Aircraft manufacturers are encouraged and subsidized to license their designs to foreign manufacturers, especially in the US. American companies begin manufacturing French aircraft, some of which make their way to bases in French Indochina, New Caledonia, Pondicherri and French Polynesia.
1938
France begins retrofitting their aging carrier Bearn to contemporary naval standards, and rushes production on their two Joffre class fleet carriers.
1939
America's eventual entrance to WWII seems inevitable. Aircraft factories ramp up production, which has already expanded considerably to fill French aircraft orders.
1940
In June, Japan invades Northern French Indochina. During the invasion, French intelligence obtains documents that were to be presented at the Konoe Cabinet in Japan later that year that listed French Polynesia as one of Imperial Japan's eventual targets. This information is made known to French naval command, including Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul.
In July, British Captain Cedric Holland gives the French fleet under the command of Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul at Mers-el-Kebir an ultimatum to surrender their ships, sail to Martinique for internment, or be fired upon (Operation Catapult). In tense negotiations, Britain agrees to let France evacuate the bulk of its fleet, naval personnel and naval aviation assets to French Polynesia as an alternative to Martinique. The agreement allowed the British to achieve their goal of removing French naval forces that might fight for Vichy France from the Atlantic, Med and Suez, and gave an opportunity for the French Navy to maintain their autonomy and still defend French colonies. This precedent from what came to to be called the Mers-el-Kebir accords is honored for the remaining French Naval forces in the Western Hemisphere.
French carriers Joffre and Painleve are launched. Unfinished, they sail to Tahiti to join the bulk of the French Navy and to avoid capture by the Germans.
Later in July, France signs the Armistice, while French carrier Bearn is docked on the East Coast picking up its order of Curtiss P-36s, SBC Helldivers and Brewster Buffalos. The precedent set by Admiral Gensoul at Mers-el-Kebir allows the Bearn to avoid internment at Martinique and instead sail to French Polynesia to join the French fleet.
French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Chad, the French Congo and Cameroon, join the Free French along with France's Indian colony, Pondicherri. The French navy, now mostly operating in the Pacific, joins the Free French forces.
The U.S. allows aircraft manufacturers to continue their French contracts, but with the airframes delivered to the Free French colonies. Free French colonies around the world receive deliveries of aircraft.
1941
Free French ships, including the Bearn, support Free French operations off the coast of Equatorial West Africa, French Somaliland and Madagascar. With British and Commonwealth support, Free French forces continue to build up infrastructure in the Pacific and Pondicherry India.
In July, Japan invades South Indochina with 140,000 troops. While French forces in French Indochina were nominally under Vichy control, the remaining French forces there choose to evacuate to Free-French held Noumea and join the Free French.
December 7th, The United States enters the war. Desperate for carrier strength in the Pacific, the United States offers to finish the construction of the carriers Joffre and Painleve.
Edit: Holy typos batman
< Message edited by paradigmblue -- 1/30/2015 11:02:50 PM >
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