WI U-203 had sank USS Texas

[Adler17]

1941

U-203 encountered the US battleship USS Texas and its destroyer screen on Neutrality Patrol about 800 miles south-southeast of Iceland. The U-boat followed the ship for over 20 hours and Mützelburg identified her clearly. He even tried to get in attack position because the ships were moving eastwards into the declared blockade area around Britain, but never came into firing range and stopped chasing them as they turned around.

From: Uboat.net

U-203 encountered USS Texas on June 19th. So what if USS Texas did not turn and moved into the blockade area and U-203 sank her? The USA were already fighting a kind of undeclared war against Germany. So what now?

Adler

[Devolved]

Originally Posted by Adler17

From: Uboat.net

U-203 encountered USS Texas on June 19th. So what if USS Texas did not turn and moved into the blockade area and U-203 sank her? The USA were already fighting a kind of undeclared war against Germany. So what now?

Adler

I wasn't aware of this one and if true then what a lost opportunity!

It would be great for everyone except the Germans and of course sailors on the USS Texas.

America would have to come into the war if A BATTLESHIP was torpedoed and sunk. They could overlook a destroyer or two but not the USS Texas. The vote for war would be less than for Pearl Harbor but it would be enough. It also comes 3 days before Barbarossa. What does Hitler do then?

A rather amusing problem I think.The U boat captain is either greeted as a hero on his return or gets a firing squad!

[corditeman]

...Escort force would probably sink the submarine.

Diplodisaster for Germany - whether immediate US declaration of war is unclear because Wilson was a wuss.

Lloyd-George complained that at Versailles he had Jesus Christ (Wilson) on one side of him and the Devil (Clemenceau) on the other. No wonder the Treaty of Versailles was such a mess...

[Devolved]

Originally Posted by corditeman

...Escort force would probably sink the submarine.

Diplodisaster for Germany - whether immediate US declaration of war is unclear because Wilson was a wuss.

Lloyd-George complained that at Versailles he had Jesus Christ (Wilson) on one side of him and the Devil (Clemenceau) on the other. No wonder the Treaty of Versailles was such a mess...

Wrong war.

[MattII]

Roosevelt gets his casus belli, and the Pacific War is possibly averted after Japan realises that the the US aren't going to cry mother over losing battleships, they're going to fight even more fiercely.

[Shaby]

Originally Posted by MattII

Roosevelt gets his casus belli, and the Pacific War is possibly averted after Japan realises that the the US aren't going to cry mother over losing battleships, they're going to fight even more fiercely.

I do not think it would alter that much of Japanese outlook. They wagered their victory more on territorial gains and setting up impenetrable defensive barrier than on sinking fleet units. To them the latter was just a means to get to the former. They might even get encouraged by the fact that US attention is getting focused on Atlantic.

Provided U-Boat captain being so dimwit as to not recognize a US ship when he saw one, then all sorts of unpleasant things will ensue. Unpleasant that is, for Germany. Overall, I do not see US being able to do anything much earlier than it actually did OTL. Additional 5 months of full scale preparation might bring D-Day in May '44. Of course weather permitting. Maybe Africa gets secured before '42 runs out. All of those in itself welcome but not overall game changing differences.

[MattII]

If Operation Torch goes through early, the Japanese might be given cause to think again, after all, it will prove that the US can do en masse amphibious invasions.

[The Kiat]

Originally Posted by Shaby

I do not think it would alter that much of Japanese outlook.

They'd have zero chance for a surprise attack is the armed forces were already at war. Since Japan and Germany had their pact going, the Navy will be keeping an eye on the Pacific. Japan would still need the oil, so maybe they can lure the 7th Fleet out to the Phillippine Sea (ala War Plan Orange) and destroy them in some really deep water.

[hairysamarian]

It says something bad about me, or my sense of humor at least, that my first thought was, "Well, at least THIS problem goes away:" http://news.yahoo.com/100-old-battle...210525969.html

[MUC]

What if U-203 spots the Texas group at night and misidentifies it for a British battleship? Perhaps bad weather leads to the contact being made at fairly short range,
Wherr US shhip zickzacking before the DOW already?

[metastasis_d]

Originally Posted by hairysamarian

It says something bad about me, or my sense of humor at least, that my first thought was, "Well, at least THIS problem goes away:" http://news.yahoo.com/100-old-battle...210525969.html

I hadn't heard about that.

Glad I've already been there plenty of times.

[Cook]

800 mile S-SE of Iceland puts the USS Texas somewhere near Ballycastle in Northern Ireland. That is considerably off track for a Neutrality Patrol, even by the navigational standards of the US navy.