Narrow-gauge railway - Wikipedia
narrow gauge says hello
For all your mountain, forest, city needs.
Also cheaper than a standard gauge railway.
It wasn't useless, but all things considered, it was a massive waste of resources that could have been used in other, more important applications which would have had a more decisive effect on the war.
Ironically, the Allies ended up making more use of the Autobahn in their advance into Germany than the Germans did during WW2.
A road does go both ways.
Narrow-gauge can work, but only up to certain inclines (unless you build monster locomotives like the Big Boys). Moreover, you then need to interface between the narrow and standard gauge lines, both require extensive switchyards if you want any sort of traffic volume, etc.
Note that switchyards are far more vulnerable than anything on a highway system, severely damage one and you can cripple hundreds of miles of rail line.
Anyways, back to the original topic (not that I dislike the discussion about logistics!)
As Germany.
Go towards Pz III/IV production as the initial 'MBT', followed up by a Panther with the following changes.
A 'powerpack' arrangement of gearbox, stearing gear, engine, radiators, etc at the rear of the hull.
Non-interleaved torsion-bar suspension.
Eliminate the shot traps on the turret front.
Eliminate the hull machine gun and reduce crew to 4.
Incidentally, I would also arrange a tragic accident the first time the Nazi party leadership showed up to view the new tanks, as they tragically accidently massacre everybody on the reviewing stand in a horrible accident, then in their haste to rescue the injured accidently run everybody over with their tracks a few times. I would then promptly blame the Soviets for the horrible assault on the Reich and expel their diplomats and technical people, before offering Poland a very good deal on my old Pz II's, III's, and IV's.
For the British.
I would take the designers of the Covenanter behind the woodshed and give them a spanking, then make them move the radiators to the rear deck with the engine. I would also make them switch to torsion bar suspension to free up room in the hull to widen the turret ring enough to handle a 6 pounder from the start.
I would also fully support production of the TOG, because TOG is life, TOG is love. ((honestly, the requirements the design team for TOG were given were *insane*, that they managed to not only fulfill all of them, but exceed most of them, with a design that was actually very reliable was a credit to just how skilled The Old Gang actually were)).
Soviet Union
First arrange tragic haircut accidents for the entirety of the KGB and Soviet leadership (I said a little off the top, too bad they interpreted that as their entire heads...)
Then sell all of my useless BT-series tanks to Poland at a really good discount, along with as many T-28's and T-35's, T-50's, and T-60's as I can con them into accepting.
After this, build T-34s while focusing development work on the T-34M and T-44 designs. Continue development of the KV-series.
Strive for a fully mechanized force. Use the T-60/T-70 platform to build recon vehicles, the T-34M/T-44 as the main battle tank, and evolved KV-series as the heavy breakthrough tank. Use the T-34 and KV chassis for self-propelled guns and APCs.
For Japan
Crash build the O-I, then use it to run over all of the militarists in the government, along with as many of the radical militarists in the Army as fail to run away fast enough. When the Kwantung Army revolts, laugh in their face while cutting off all logistical support and declaring them to be bandits and rogues.
And then ask the US to pretty please not cut off our resource imports.
For France
Shoot myself in the head because they are completely hopeless
For Italy
Hire Enzo Ferrari with the brief to make a version of the trademark Italian tankettes that could break 100 mph cross country, scrap everything else, paint them all bright Ferrari red, and create the new sport of Tank Rallycross.
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