What if: Western Allies vs Russia- 1945

[Bill]

Scenario:

VE day. Germany is defeated. The Japanese are all but.

Patton gets his wish and a war with the Red Army starts.

How does it play out?

Just did this topic at another board, it was a hell of a discussion.

[ZFBoxcar]

US would have nukes right? Assuming there is still a little time to breath in between the defeat of Germany and the new war, the Western Allies could find out where Soviet divisions are concentrated and wipe them out. I think conventionally the allies would have an advantage too because the Red army would be somewhat wornout from their huge war of attrition with the Nazis, plus, it would be possible (although I dont know if the US military would trust them this far) to rally the Germans against the Russians due to German hatred of Russia. They may not have liked America back then but compared to the Soviets they loved em. Im not sure how deep into the east the allies could push, probably not far beyond the Ukraine without using nukes. The Russians also had superior tanks back then didnt they? And what of Japan? Once defeated, could they be used as a launch pad for a push into Siberia?

[Bill]

There would have been only one nuclear weapon available until mid 1946. After that, the US could produce them at a rate of about 8 per year i believe. I have the skinny, i just gotta go back and check.

The key here is the US PACFLT, B-29 force, and USMC(Again). Much like Germany, the Soviets have no real counter for any of them.

The T-34/85 was no better than the M4A3E8/76 Sherman or UK Firefly, and the M-26 was a good match for the heavy Russian tanks(IS-2, KV-1). There is also the matter of how in the hell does Russia stop the 8th AF and Bomber command, let alone the B-29 fleet flying from bases in China.

Wanna be real careful about invading Siberia though. The Russians had 40 divisions there in 45!

Other invasion routes like up from Persia into Turkmenistan and down from the Barents Sea into ArkAngel/Severomorsk(less than 1000 miles from Moscow) could cause Russia immense problems though.

And there is another amphibious invasion route via the Black sea directly into the oil rich caucuses region.

We also need to consider the impact of the immediate loss of lend/lease, and what that would mean to the Soviets.

[Officer of Engineers]

The debate has been going on for decades.

ToE and OrBat wise, the Soviets were at a disadvantage. Everyone forgot the Canadians and the Australians who would field another 20 combat veteran divisions.

Naval wise, the Soviets were at a lost with no navy against the world's four biggest at the time (ABCA).

Industrial wise, the Soviets plateaued. They were exhausted. With 7-15 million military dead, their equipment lost was equally horrendous. By the end of the war, they were producing just enough to replace their losses. This at a time when Wehrmacht combat capabcity was in decline.

This being said, let's be honest. The world was exhausted by war. No one had the stomach for another one.

[Bill]

I agree, or it might have come to pass before 49 when the Sov's detonated their first nuke.

[Stinger]

One thing though, Patton may not have died in an auto accident. And while I think very highly of Patton I've often thought that perhaps he died at the best possible time for him. I'm not sure how well he might have made the transition into the late 40's and 50's.

[2DREZQ]

Well, for one thing, the P-80 Shooting Star would have been the absolute ruler of the skies over Europe.

The B-29, based in Europe would have carried things to the Russians. And the B-36 was on its way...

[Lunatock]

One thing though, Patton may not have died in an auto accident. And while I think very highly of Patton I've often thought that perhaps he died at the best possible time for him. I'm not sure how well he might have made the transition into the late 40's and 50's.

The Korean War possibly being a decisive victory?

[Officer of Engineers]

M21,

Those Soviet Siberian divisions were the cream of the crop. Zukhov cut his teeth with them, killing the Imperial Japanese Army's incursion into Siberia before he took his art West against Paulis and Von Manstein. At the end of the war, they smashed the IJA's Kwangtung Army in Manchuria in a matter of days.

While Patton is undoubtly one of the best Western allies' manouver generals, he was on par with Zukhov and Chuikov which meant that all three were nowhere near Kesselring, Von Manstein, and Rommel. What the Allies excel at was artillery and bombardment. Manouver was iffy. I don't think Patton could have did any better than Montgomery did. Montgomery caught the Wehrmacht by surprise in Market-Garden. The Wehrmacht was waiting for Patton.

Kursk and the Battle of the Buldge were used by the Soviets in the 50s and 60s to devise hugging tactics. They remembered that at Kursk, the airforces from both sides refrain from making ground attacks because the battle was so intertwined. In the Battle of the Buldge, the Wehrmacht kept their distance as part of their doctrine to use firepower as the decisive force. This naturally allowed ground attack aircrafts to make life a living hell for them.

[Officer of Engineers]

BTW,

No one was going to be allowed to win the Korean War. The forces needed for victory by either side (the Soviets were always the decisive force) were being rushed to Europe.

[Ironduke]

I would put my money on the Western allies. IIRC, Patton wanted Germany to fight the Russians once it was defeated as well.

[2DREZQ]

Which leaves the burning question: What would the Italians and French have done? :G

[Bill]

Thanx Colonel.

[Ironduke]

Which leaves the burning question: What would the Italians and French have done? :G

If a war between the Soviets and US/UK took place right on the heels of WWII, I think the French would raise a couple dozen divisions and get prepared to fight alongside US/UK forces.

I think the French could have had a few infantry divisions ready to go in 3 months, motorized divisions in a few months.

[Stinger]

Which leaves the burning question: What would the Italians and French have done? :G

Surrendered. :Dbanana