Recent content by Derek

Can't do it. Can't do 3 similar in population. 2 similar in population plus another one, all similar in area.

reply "Something that big up against missles and aircraft might as well just be labelled USS Shoot Me." You mean like a carrier?

And . . . one missile sinks any non-carrier in the USN. We still build them for some reason and rely on defensive systems to stop the missiles. Battleships would require more defense against subs. Battleships are less vulnerable to missiles and more to torpedoes. They would be better at...

Actually, carrier aircraft are second-rate to air force jets in OTL. Their ranges and, especially, their attack payloads are much smaller. They are there for the same reason as sea-launched SSM's -- location, location, location. I don't understand the extent of the opposition to...

Agree. That's not how I see it, either, at least at first. And I don't mean that I have some plan for a war in part 6 or whatever. I think about these as I go, so that I can incorporate suggestions. If war comes, it will be unanticipated.

Disagree at least in part, David "The guided missile and aircraft can carry and deliver payloads further than the battleship." Then why do modern navies have SSM mounts on cruisers and destroyers? Land-based missiles are inferior to sea-based when you need the strike to occur rapidly...

oh sure Let's speed up just one technological development: ability to acquire and track surface and air radar contacts at larger distances with smaller platforms. Now it's easier to find and target naval vessels over the horizon but more dangerous to attack them, since they can better see you...

good point "When the US economy rebounded almost certainly result in trade with GB going back up again. GB was the largest market in the world and shared a common language along with some cultural simularities." True, but there was also considerable political hostility, even in OTL. This...

two replies to BL "The only country that had a very large food surplus was Russia which was pro-Union in OTL due to the fact it considered the US a good counterweight to the GB." We may be arguing about timeframes. The "break" with the US is 1890, not 1860 as you seem to imply with the...

good question Slavery was not allowed to extend to states or territories beyond where it was practiced as of 1860. To reassure the southern states the deal would not later be rewritten by a free state super-majority, it was further agreed that no (free) territories would be granted...

reply US is the same size as in OTL, but more of the land is in use for agriculture or industry (unless you see some reason for this to be different).

OK, time for part II I'm sure the development will alienate all those people not already put off by part I. The premise / POD (see the first post) is no ACW leading to still faster US economic expansion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Part I...

If anyone wants to take this on . . . you're going to have to make the non-Israel homeland a happy one or deal with a large Zionist movement trying to get to Israel (with an insurgency against the Ottomans, etc.) by the early 20th century. If the latter, the Ottomans must survive any...

They might try but Iran would be a much tougher nut to crack.

Plus the surrounding areas are the nearest ones with undeveloped resources.