Any British Carriers Available for Bathhouse or is this intended to be a massive 'Well Fuck You Then' response from the USA with regards to Germanys Declaration of war and therefore a purely all US affair?
The potentially available carriers are:Any British Carriers Available for Bathhouse or is this intended to be a massive 'Well Fuck You Then' response from the USA with regards to Germanys Declaration of war and therefore a purely all US affair?
December 17, 1941 Martinique
Four battleships and two battle cruisers swung at anchor. The sea breeze was refreshing as the skeleton crews aboard Dunkerque chipped and repainted her bridge. A single cruiser had departed the anchorage to patrol the waters near Guyane. Algerie had previously carried out that patrol but she had returned the night before. Within the harbor, a single American destroyer was taking on fuel. She would leave within twelve hours out of respect of the convoluted form of neutrality Vichy and her navy had to observe.
It’s December 1941, not 1943, the Atlantic Wall, doesn’t exist yet, though there is no doubt that the port has heavy defences. However the majority of the antiaircraft guns will be 88’s, optimised for dealing with the RAF heavy bombers, not the light 30mil and 40mil, needed to deal with a low level torpedo bomber attack. Exactly how meany escorts do the twins have in port with them, where are they mored relative to the twins, and do they have clear firing lanes. Not good if every shot that you fire at an attacking torpedo bomber that misses, hits your sister ship, or the base maintenance area. If the British night attack is a two level attempt, who do you fire at, the dive bomber about to drop an egg down your funnel, or the torpedo bomber about to launch a fish at one of the twins? Things could get even worse if someone lets off the smoke pots, and the harbour becomes enveloped in smoke. Unless the Germans are fully prepared and waiting for an attack, it’s going to be totally confusion and mayhem, with each ship fighting its own battle to survive. If the British achieve total surprise, and the first the Germans know of the attack is the alarms going off, and the first torpedo hitting the water. Then the Germans are going to be in a world of hurt, and suffering significant losses.
RR.
December 17, 1941 Reunion
A battleship and a trio of cruisers swung lazily at anchor. An aviso was taking on fuel while a pair of pre-war light bombers patrolled the waters immediately around Reunion. A light cruiser was scheduled to steam around Madagascar to show the flag and support the Vichy governor's hold on power but that was not scheduled until after Christmas. Lorraine had not left sight of the island in almost a year and then that was for a single hour of gunnery drills.
December 17, 1941 Martinique
Four battleships and two battle cruisers swung at anchor. The sea breeze was refreshing as the skeleton crews aboard Dunkerque chipped and repainted her bridge. A single cruiser had departed the anchorage to patrol the waters near Guyane. Algerie had previously carried out that patrol but she had returned the night before. Within the harbor, a single American destroyer was taking on fuel. She would leave within twelve hours out of respect of the convoluted form of neutrality Vichy and her navy had to observe.
There had been several posts about the USN guaranteeing the security of the French navy in Martinique.Discrete and diplomatic flag showing and counting Vichy noses by the American's?
Aw crap... Did I miss/forget the parts of the story where this divergence occurred?
It can't do anything. If it does anything, the rest of France gets occupied. Remember that in this timeline, the ceasefire and occupation line is a bit further north than it was in reality.So the Vichy navy is just doing nothing.
Figures.
he first wave was the modern ships (Richeleau, Jean Bart, Dunkerque, Strasbourg)
Jean Bart is still not completed in this timeline.It's Richelieu, the cardinal was a very competent statesman and the creator of the french navy (at least in any meaningfull way).
The Jean Bart wasn't finished in otl (lacking a turret) during the war. In 1943, she was back on the allied side after staying in Casablanca and multiples combat damages and it was not deemed worthy To finish her as a battleship and there was even a proposition to converther into an aircraft carrier.
What will be her fate ittl? Only Fester knows
Can't find any reports for Brest but here is the December 1941 weather from the UK
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/4/c/dec1941.pdf
I'm calling a Christmas Day present for the Twins in Brest
In one of the stories fester said it was going to use at least 4 carriers, so I think at least one British flattop will be used.
It looks like I have a plausible weather and moon window February 2-5Can't find any reports for Brest but here is the December 1941 weather from the UK
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/4/c/dec1941.pdf
I'm calling a Christmas Day present for the Twins in Brest