Naval History Forums

Thanks for the info.

Wadinga,

As I understand it the damage to the Sorpe was sufficient to cause the Germans to drain the dam to repair it?

This depends on the terms and conditions of the peace settlement. Under the Versailles Treaty no air force was allowed. In the 1930's there was little interest in developing naval air power, the big gun battleship was still seen as the main arbiter on the high seas. The Z Plan of 1939 seemed to rega...

Overall the RN had a sufficient lead over the HSF that any defeat here would not alter the course of the war. As I see it, the two key questions would be: 1) Would the naval blockade of Germany continue? Clearly the answer is yes 2) Would Germany be capable of substantial amphibious landings on the ...

I also concur.

Gentlemen, it would have been interesting to see what might have happened if Sheer or Graf Spee had attacked the convoy instead of Hipper! Interesting point, especially as the Hipper class had higher maximum speeds than the Panzerschiffe, the Sheer or Graf Spee would have to fight it out with Berwi...

Duplicate post

The main priority for the U-boats was to retrieve Bismarck's war diary rather than attack the RN battleships. Deonitz did suggest suspending the U-boat commerce war to concentrate on supporting Bismarck, but Raeder did not endorse this. Had the Fuhrer ordered Raeder and Goering to give utmost combin...

Not so much PE, as an 8 inch cruiser wouldn't have been much use against KGV or Rodney, but the failure to use the stranded Bismarck as bait to attack Tovey's forces. I am thinking here of the Luftwaffe principally but also other surface forces that could have been sent out with air escort to attack...

Bismarck ???

The only WW2 engagement between British and German 8 inch gun cruisers I am aware of was the skirmish between Hipper and Berwick in the Atlantic in early 1941, but Berwick was not alone and Hipper broke off the action. Hipper was later engaged in the Barents Sea by 6 inch gun cruisers during the ''K...

I'll think I will wait on that one.

If the Soviet Union (sorry, Russia) thinks that Brexit makes their strategic position in Europe stronger then they will find they are mistaken.

Especially if the EU vanishes and a new Germany emerges with Poland as its strategic ally...….

They don't have to, once the US is in the war the Washington Naval Treaty limits won't apply, particulary as it was already known that the Tirpitz class battleships didn't conform to treaty limits.

If you take out the US carriers, presumably because they don't exist, then the US carrier construction would be replaced with additional battleship construction, including US battleships with 18 inch calibre guns?

Strategically I don't think the final outcome would be anything other than US victory.

Removing carriers from the campaign - even if it is US carriers only - does not alter the advantages the USA has in industrial production, population and logistics.