Military tactics
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What if soviets attempt to build a navy in 1930s that rival Japan and British navy?
I'm thinking they will fail miserably and be even less prepared for WWII. Just a thought...
With what money, industrial capabilities, and institutional knowledge?What if soviets attempt to build a navy in 1930s that rival Japan and British navy?
Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946 said:After two revolutions and a civil war the Russian Navy had practically ceased to exist. The Soviets had been left without a single vessel in the Black Sea, the Arctic or the Far East; only in the Baltic did an embryonic fleet survive, albeit in a wretched condition and without serious military potential. The dockyards and other facilities, were wrecked beyond repair, and the crews were hampered by political agitation and by shortage of of all kinds. The naval rebellion at Kronshtadt in March of 1921 led to crews being selected entirely on political rather than professional grounds.
Soviet industrial production improved very slowly. By 1926 it had achieved no more than 75 per cent of its prewar level.
Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946 said:The long disputes that had taken place during the late 1920s between the 'small navy' advocates and the 'big navy' adherents were resolved a decade later by Stalin himself, who decided to expand the Soviet Navy to match the strength of the traditional naval powers. His decision was undoubtedly influenced by the end of the battleship 'holidays', the not wholly successful London Naval Conference of 1936 and the intensive naval re-armament being undertaken by the great powers. The opposition of high-ranking officers and some party members was overcome by the purges of 1937-39.
As in Germany the shipyards havent been doing anything for nearly a generation, so when they start again they lack skills and knowlege compared to the shipyards in the UK or France.They are on a big learning curve considering one battleship of the Soyuz class was scrapped on slip due to defective construction.
The USSR building a serious navy means resources that went to other things OTL now goes into the navy. So the butterflies for how well the Soviets are doing on other fronts would be there.What if soviets attempt to build a navy in 1930s that rival Japan and British navy?
and one might think Germany would have offered to help? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovetsky_Soyuz-class_battleship even to the extent of sacrificing their own (OTL) battleship construction
The USSR building a serious navy means resources that went to other things OTL now goes into the navy. So the butterflies for how well the Soviets are doing on other fronts would be there.
Any large Soviet surface ships will end up being fodder for U-boats or aircraft in the Baltic... Submarines and lighter craft are much more sensible for the USSR at this point in time.
They did. But the dire state of their naval industry, a focus on submarines, and then Barbarossa all conspired to strangle said attempt in its cradle. Probably for the best, really.What if soviets attempt to build a navy in 1930s that rival Japan and British navy?
More interesting WI would be, IMHO, one where they invest in training and operations of the ships they actually have. Soviets had a navy of certainly no insignificant size. If it could be utilized effectively, it could have had ended Winter War quickly and victoriously and seriously harmed German offensive along Baltic and Black Seas. During counteroffensive against Germans they would have fruitful possibilities of operations in both Baltic and Black Seas, too.
...The treaties prohibited disposing of ships by foreign sale, so unless they get something second hand from someone like the Netherlands, I don't know where some second-hand ships could come in.
What if soviets attempt to build a navy in 1930s that rival Japan and British navy?
Well the Soviet Navy was already planing to build a very good navy and could have look like this (taken from a great thread on Paradox forum):What if soviets attempt to build a navy in 1930s that rival Japan and British navy?