A British-flagged merchant ship detained by Japanese authorities gives the counterfactual its immediate naval incident. HMS Birmingham enters the dispute, and Japanese Ashigara-class cruisers train their guns at very close range as Birmingham and Folkestone leave. Captain Patrick Brind's refusal to back down reflects a wider diplomatic calculation: Britain could replace a cruiser more easily than it could recover lost great-power status in East Asia. The more likely escalation comes at sea, where Japanese cruisers might intercept the convoy toward Shanghai. A veteran Birmingham could still damage or sink one attacker before being overwhelmed.
Chapter · 47:22-1:05:32
Birmingham and Vincent Paul turn Tsingtao dangerous
A concrete Tsingtao flashpoint follows HMS Birmingham, the SS Vincent Paul, Japanese heavy cruisers, and the risk of a convoy interception at sea.