Sir John Valentine Carden Survives. Part 2.

[NotBigBrother]

Maybe after the action at Ping River British tankers will introduce firing MGs at an other tank of your unit in case if enemies are crawling right over it as a standart tactic/call. It will be called "scratching each others backs". On a troop's wireless: "York, on your left, scratch me!"

 

[Jellico]

Why does the vicar need a machine gun?

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

 

[HPM]

Why does the vicar need a machine gun? To use on people who fidget during the sermon, of course.

I

When they fidget in my sermons I usually just crack a joke, or occasionally give a hard stare.

 

[Ramontxo]

When they fidget in my sermons I usually just crack a joke, or occasionally give a hard stare.

And if that fails you call the Vickers?

 

[HPM]

And if that fails you call the Vickers?

No, he's usually off doing a service somewhere else.

 

[Sqdn19]

Why does the Vicar need a machine gun?

Because the Boys have an anti-tank rifle…

 

[diestormlie]

Because the Boys have an anti-tank rifle…

Everyone knows that Vicars are a DPS class though.

 

[kelgar04]

I really wonder what the map is looking like at this point I can find the locations on GMaps and wiki for more historical name but sometimes it hard to translate it to my head.

 

[Cryhavoc101]

The tactic of hosing down a fellow tank in the face of a human wave attack was used in the Korean War particularly when Centurions found themselves acting as rear guards during the retreat from the Imjin River often in terrain utterly unsuitable for tanks.

Pop quiz: What was the type of tank that was the first tank destroyed in combat by a Centurion?

 

[wtdtd]

The tactic of hosing down a fellow tank in the face of a human wave attack was used in the Korean War particularly when Centurions found themselves acting as rear guards during the retreat from the Imjin River often in terrain utterly unsuitable for tanks.

Pop quiz: What was the type of tank that was the first tank destroyed in combat by a Centurion?

Wasn't that a cromwell?
I remember something about the first Centurion kill being a Cromwell the North Koreans had captured earlier in the war.

 

[Icedaemon]

Worth pointing out that plenty of Japanese propagandists also professed that colonial troops would not want to fight for ebil white man overlords and should thus be easy to break. The officer in charge of this battle might well have been testing that theory.

 

[17inc]

So how long before Thai Army switching sides as it must start to look like they backed the wrong horse in this war

 

[MattII]

So how long before Thai Army switching sides as it must start to look like they backed the wrong horse in this war

It's not so much that the Thais backed the wrong horse as that the Japanese have been strong-arming them.

 

[Cryhavoc101]

Wasn't that a cromwell?
I remember something about the first Centurion kill being a Cromwell the North Koreans had captured earlier in the war.

Correct.

3000 yard 2nd round hit

Edit:

It would not be until the 11th of
February in the next year, 1951, that the Centurions would
fire their first ever shots in anger. At a range of 3,000
yards, hitting and destroying the target with only the second
shell fired, the first confirmed tank-to-tank kill by any unit
of the British Army in the post-war era took place. The
Centurion involved came from ‘C’ Squadron, 8th KRIH. The
victim of the 20-pounder’s fury was a Cromwell Mk. V formerly
of the 8th Hussars, which had been captured by the Chinese
People’s Volunteer Army during the earlier ‘hideous struggle’
of the Battle of Happy Valley, before being handed over to the
Korean People’s Army

https://www.sahr.org.uk/docs/kingsleyfilshie_schools_winner_sahrs1043.pdf

 

[JamesHunter]

It's not so much that the Thais backed the wrong horse as that the Japanese have been strong-arming them.

Yeah it's Italy in late 1942 OTL, shouldn't have backed the Reich, know they shouldn't have backed the Reich, got no way out as the vastly more powerful Reich will steamroller and occupy them if the try. Followed by the murder of the Jewish population, the looting of their culture and all the stuff that did happen in the North after the capitulation. If the British reach Bangkok the Thai's will probably openly switch sides, trying it now against a vastly superior Japanese military is asking for a Nanjing massacre.

 

[focus9912]

It's not so much that the Thais backed the wrong horse as that the Japanese have been strong-arming them.

Well, it is not yet clear, at this point, whether the Japanese is still in a position to still strong-arming and force the Thai army to became part of the Japanese defense.
Meanwhile, the fact that they did not yet secure the position in northern Malaya (specifically, the territories that Thailand (re)annexed IOTL), would probably meant that Phibun would not have gained the public support that IOTL was large enough that he was acquitted by the end of the war.
As for the Thai military, they could have some casualties as a result from the upcoming battle. But more importantly, the fact that the British is in a much stronger position in regards to Thailand, could meant the size of the Thai army could be reduced (as was being demanded by the British army IOTL IIRC), and stay relatively (or perhaps, significantly) smaller than IOTL thanks due to the likelihood of an communist insurgency in the neighbouring countries (and thus US aid and support) being reduced significantly. (Thailand losing Sadao Sendawa and Tak Bai Tabal to Kedah and Kelantan respectively, let alone losing the whole Patani region is still definitely in the realm of ASB though)

 

[MattII]

Yeah it's Italy in late 1942 OTL, shouldn't have backed the Reich, know they shouldn't have backed the Reich, got no way out as the vastly more powerful Reich will steamroller and occupy them if the try. Followed by the murder of the Jewish population, the looting of their culture and all the stuff that did happen in the North after the capitulation. If the British reach Bangkok the Thai's will probably openly switch sides, trying it now against a vastly superior Japanese military is asking for a Nanjing massacre.

It's more like Vichy France, a power that exists only at the behest of the invaders.

Well, it is not yet clear, at this point, whether the Japanese is still in a position to still strong-arming and force the Thai army to became part of the Japanese defense.

For now, they probably are, though for how much longer is debatable.

As for the Thai military, they could have some casualties as a result from the upcoming battle. But more importantly, the fact that the British is in a much stronger position in regards to Thailand, could meant the size of the Thai army could be reduced (as was being demanded by the British army IOTL IIRC), and stay relatively (or perhaps, significantly) smaller than IOTL thanks due to the likelihood of an communist insurgency in the neighbouring countries (and thus US aid and support) being reduced significantly. (Thailand losing Sadao Sendawa and Tak Bai Tabal to Kedah and Kelantan respectively, let alone losing the whole Patani region is still definitely in the realm of ASB though)

We'll have to see.

 

[Cryhavoc101]

Yeah it's Italy in late 1942 OTL, shouldn't have backed the Reich, know they shouldn't have backed the Reich, got no way out as the vastly more powerful Reich will steamroller and occupy them if the try. Followed by the murder of the Jewish population, the looting of their culture and all the stuff that did happen in the North after the capitulation. If the British reach Bangkok the Thai's will probably openly switch sides, trying it now against a vastly superior Japanese military is asking for a Nanjing massacre.

Several times in WW2 this sort of thing happened and often was badly timed with exactly the type of massacre occurring that you have alluded to

So it might happen anyway - sadly WW2 was really shit

 

[Thoresby]

If you're an Axis power changing sides in such a way that you didn't get the German Army deposing you and setting up a totally subservient puppet was incredibly hard, see Hungary for another example, in OTL the Japanese didn't really have to do that but there is no reason to think they'd be any less capable than the Germans. The Finn's are the only ones I can think of who managed it.

 

[Look More Closely Later]

If you're an Axis power changing sides in such a way that you didn't get the German Army deposing you and setting up a totally subservient puppet was incredibly hard, see Hungary for another example, in OTL the Japanese didn't really have to do that but there is no reason to think they'd be any less capable than the Germans. The Finn's are the only ones I can think of who managed it.

Roumania too. King Michael got awarded 'The Order of Victory' for it. (And I think was the last living recipient at the time of his death in 2017.)