The Whale Has Wings series by David Row (#1-#3)
Requirements: Epub reader, 1.6 Mb
Overview: This is a series (it grew too big for one book!) of Alternate History books concerning what might have happened to the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in the Second World War if some things had gone differently in 1932.
Genre: Alternate History
1. Rebirth
This is an Alternative History (a book in which the consequences of certain changed in history are explored).
The premise (what is often called the Point of Departure) is that in 1932 the British Royal Navy recovered control of its air arm (the Fleet Air Arm) from the grip of the Royal Air Force.
The air arms of the navy and army had been combined into the RAF during World War 1, and as a consequence naval aviation was badly neglected by the Air Ministry. Though not by the Royal Navy. Contrary to much popular belief, the Royal Navy was very air-minded between the wars, but was severely limited by what the Air Ministry was prepared to do for them.
There had been a number of attempts to recover naval air, indeed a debate on this issue in Parliament in 1926 only failed by two votes. This story starts in 1932, when an aggrieved Navy decides to make it a serious issue, and gets back control. After this, the development before the war is based on projected plans and ships the RN considered, but never got to implement (mainly because the aircraft were not forthcoming from the Air Ministry).
I have tried to make all the changes believable – they are often based on real RN plans and possible designs, the effort required from, for example, aircraft companies was no greater than that which was done in fact. By 1939 the Navy has a much more capable air arm, and as a result is able to consider operations they had been thinking of for many years, as well as respond better to the enemy.
This book covers from 1932 (where the Royal Navy gets control of its air arm back from the RAF), through the pre-war years showing how things start to differ from our history, then into the first part of WW2, from its start in September 1939 through to the early actions in the Med against the Italian fleet, taking in the early actions against surface raiders, the great raid on Wilhelmshaven, the Norway and Battle of Britain campaigns, and actions in Africa and the Med.
2. Taranto to Singapore
This is the second book in the ‘The Whale Has Wings’ series. It carries on directly from the action described at the end of Volume 1 – Rebirth.
In Rebirth, the British Royal Navy regained control of its Air Arm (the Fleet Air Arm) from the RAF in 1933. This allowed them to build carriers and the aircraft needed for them to their own pre-war plans, rather than be constricted by the limited number and performance of the aircraft grudgingly provided by the RAF. As a consequence, by the time war broke out in 1939, the FAA had better planes, and the building of carriers was a little advanced on our history.
Initially the war doesn’t seem to go much differently, until the big raid on the German ships at Wilhelmshaven harbour. Even after this, the diversion isn’t yet great, and Norway is still a disaster for the German Navy.
However the leverage of the changes in air power are slowly growing. As a result of greater confidence in his carriers, the British are not forced to sink the French ships in Oran, and the attack on the Vichy French at Dakar goes more successfully.
Other changes are less obvious; with more air cover, fewer ships are being lost to aircraft and submarines (as a result, the savings in repair work and new construction more than allows the continuation of the RN carrier building programme). Italy joins the war, and action spreads into the Mediterranean.
This book starts with the British attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto – this time, the plan is more like the original plans and exercises carried out in preparation for the raid. As a result of the raid, there is again a divergence from history, and this book explores some of the consequences.
This books covers the actions through late 1940 and 1941, mainly in the Mediterranean against Italy and Germany, but also in the Atlantic where we see what happens to the breakout of the Bismark-led force. As well as the naval actions, details are given of the war on land and air (in particular where this involves British forces), showing how the divergence from our history is slowly increasing as the changes since 1933 have more effect and cause yet more changes.
In the Mediterranean, war spreads to Greece and North Africa as well as the Italian colony of Ethiopia, with unrest and significant political changes in Africa and the Middle East. The book ends with the gathering clouds of the Japanese Empire darkening the East.
3. Holding the Barrier
This is the 3rd book in an Alternative History (a book in which the consequences of a change in our history are explored) describing what might have happened if the British Royal Navy had got back control of its air power from the RAF in 1932.
The air arms of the navy and army had been combined into the RAF during World War 1, and as a consequence naval aviation was badly neglected by the Air Ministry. Though not by the Royal Navy. Contrary to much popular belief, the Royal Navy was very air-minded between the wars, but was severely limited by what the Air Ministry was prepared to do for them.
There had been a number of attempts to recover naval air, indeed a debate on this issue in Parliament in 1926 only failed by two votes. This story starts in 1932, when an aggrieved Navy decides to make it a serious issue, and gets back control. After this, the development before the war is based on projected plans and ships the RN considered, but never got to implement (mainly because the aircraft were not forthcoming from the Air Ministry).
The first 2 books show the pre-war development, and the first years of the Second World War. While many changes are small, the biggest one is that the British have managed to clear Italy from North Africa. Also, the small changes are steadily growing in effect. At the end of Book 2, the Japanese enter the war with an attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.
This book describes what happens next. The British have more resources available for the Far East this time. Although the war plan (basically the same as that designed in ‘real’ history) isn’t complete, it is further along and more competent men are in command. The Japanese attacks were always made with minimal resources. This time, the opposition is tougher. The battles to hold back the invaders are on land and sea, as the British struggle to hold Malaya and the surrounding seas as well as help the Dutch, while the US tries to hold the Philippines and hold back the Japanese fleet.
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