Historical Timeline.
22 Jun 1940. France signs an armistice with Germany.
3 Jul 1940. Britain begins an undeclared war against France with an attack on the French Navy in North Africa.
30 Aug 1940. France and Japan sign the Matsuoka-Henry Pact. This closes the Hanoi - Kunming railway and allows Japan to station military forces in Vietnam. France has no real choice in the matter as the war with Britain prevents any reinforcement of Indochina.
Point of Departure.
3 Jul 1940. Britain affirms the sovereignty of France after the armistice with Germany.
5 Jul 1940. France is alarmed at Japanese pressure to cede military control of Vietnam. They stall diplomatically while rushing military reinforcements to the region.
Reinforced army corps from colonies in North Africa.
(Remaining units are cannibalized as needed to bring this force up to authorized strength.)
…..85th Infantry Division.
…..181st Infantry Division.
…..182nd Infantry Division.
…..521st Armored Brigade.
…..522nd Armored Brigade.
Air force assembled from aircraft in North Africa.
…..108 x D.520 single engine fighters.
…..36 x Amiot 354 twin engine bombers.
…..36 x DB-7 light bombers (American made A-20).
.....26 x Latecoere 298 seaplane torpedo bombers. Operating from seaplane tender Commandant Teste.
Naval Task Force.
…..2 x BC Dunkerque class.
…..4 x CA Suffren class.
…..6 x CL La Galissonniere class.
…..4 x DD Guepard class.
…..6 x DD Aigle class.
…..5 x DD Vauquelin class.
…..6 x DD Le Fantasque class.
…..2 x DD Mogador class.
Jul to Sep 1940. The above military forces deploy to French Indochina. The mission is defensive. Naval units are ordered to remain in coastal waters so they will be protected by land based fighter aircraft.
30 Aug 1940. France rejects Japanese demands to station military units in Vietnam and to close the Hanoi - Kunming railway.
September 1940. What happens now? Personally I think Japan will back away from fighting a French force of this size as most of the Japanese Army is tied up fighting China.

