The counterfactual distinguishes the Imperial Japanese Navy of early 1939 from the much stronger carrier force encountered in 1944 and 1945. Yamato and Musashi were not yet launched, while their construction already absorbed material and industrial effort. Britain is still expected to order Flower-class corvettes, but a Far Eastern war would place greater emphasis on carriers, cruisers, and battleships. The scenario also assumes United States entry into a direct Anglo-Japanese conflict and probable French alignment with that coalition. A war already under way in Asia could then delay or reshape the opening of the European conflict, making this scenario analysis rather than a claim about the history that occurred.
Notable Point · 3:54:18-3:56:46
A 1939 Anglo-Japanese war reshapes fleets and alliances
The scenario starts from the unfinished Japanese super-battleships and follows the resulting British procurement, American intervention, and possible delay to the European war.