Challenge: The US navy a joke

For the insanity of it, I'll take a whack at this. Imagine Robert Conroy's book 1901 (German invasion of US in 1901). The Germans send their entire fleet and sink the US fleet. The US is forced to make peace, give Germany free access to Central / South America, Guam, Philipines, Cuba, Puerto Rico are now German possessions. US fleet reduced to costal defense force by treaty. Germany wins WWI as US stays out. US remains isolationist and never constructs significant navy. Sure it's ASB but you asked for a way ...

Bull. After heavy re-search in just such a war (for my TL) my odds are on the American fleet, not the German fleet.

I'm not going to disagree with you because I agree that the US navy was probably better at that time ... but the OP asked for a way for the US to end up with a wimpy navy ... likely or not, my scenario would accomplish it.
 
Problem: very few navies are "an ineffectual joke". Even small nations like Sweden can field a competent navy. Even tiny 3rd world nations like the Dominican Republic can manage a competent "Coast Guard"

To make the US navy into a joke, you'd have to destroy the US economy
 
To make the US navy into a joke, you'd have to destroy the US economy

Definitely. The only other possibility is to have battleship fanatics to have the effective and total control of USN in 1990's... USS Arizona? Fitted with modern weapons and after slight refurbishing it should be perfect combatant... :D
 
Definitely. The only other possibility is to have battleship fanatics to have the effective and total control of USN in 1990's... USS Arizona? Fitted with modern weapons and after slight refurbishing it should be perfect combatant... :D

But the thing is it would still command respect from tiny little countries who have nothing of the level. So its virtually impossible for everyone to deem the navy as a joke
 
Your challenge is, with a POD of no earlier than 1900, to make the US navy, by the end of the century, an ineffectual embarrassment. Nuclear war or other cheats are not allowed.

BILKO joins the Navy rather than the army, so the Phil Silvers show that though funny instead of poking fun at the Army does it to the Navy!!
 
Problem: very few navies are "an ineffectual joke". Even small nations like Sweden can field a competent navy. Even tiny 3rd world nations like the Dominican Republic can manage a competent "Coast Guard"

To make the US navy into a joke, you'd have to destroy the US economy

Depends how narrowly you define it. An ineffectual joke compared to what it is now, maybe? An ineffectual joke when it comes to power projection? ;)
 
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