Commonwealth navies after 1918

I'm looking for ideas on the navies of the various Dominions between 1918 and 1939. What form the could take, how they could be paid for, that sort of thing.

I've just read that Jellicoe was invited to prepare a report on the RAN in 1919. He recommended a large Far East Imperial Fleet based at Singapore and paid for by Britain (75%), Australia (20%) and New Zealand (5%). The RAN contribution would have been one aircraft carrier, two battlecruisers, eight light cruisers, one flotilla leader, twelve destroyers, a destroyer depot ship, eight submarines, one submarine depot ship, and a small number of additional auxiliary ships. This wasn't taken up obviously, but what if instead of that he'd proposed a RAN based around light cruisers, destroyers and submarines with no carriers or battleships?
 
I'm looking for ideas on the navies of the various Dominions between 1918 and 1939. What form the could take, how they could be paid for, that sort of thing.

I've just read that Jellicoe was invited to prepare a report on the RAN in 1919. He recommended a large Far East Imperial Fleet based at Singapore and paid for by Britain (75%), Australia (20%) and New Zealand (5%). The RAN contribution would have been one aircraft carrier, two battlecruisers, eight light cruisers, one flotilla leader, twelve destroyers, a destroyer depot ship, eight submarines, one submarine depot ship, and a small number of additional auxiliary ships. This wasn't taken up obviously, but what if instead of that he'd proposed a RAN based around light cruisers, destroyers and submarines with no carriers or battleships?

Landshark

I think Jellicoe's ideas were never realistic in the OTL post-war world. Australia felt unwilling to maintain more than the old BC Australia or a few cruisers. There was a suggestion that if that ship had been considerably upgraded, which could have cost nearly as much as a new treaty CA, it might have been practical.

Think that what you proposed is far more likely however, unless/until a series threat is perceived. Not too different I think from what occurred OTL, although I think the ships were left fairly unmodified and the subs were scrapped.

Steve
 
If the political relationship between UK/Canada and USA continues to improve, consider having Canada reject future destroyer design, and instead focus on Bittern-type sloops to protect convoys to the UK. The RCN could probably afford 9-12 for the cost of the six destroyers it did have, and their impact on the Battle of the Atlantic would perhaps be stronger than it was OTL.
 

sharlin

Banned
Thing is you'd have to re-write the Washington Naval Treaty, the Dominions were counted as the UK's total tonnage, not independent.
 
I think Jellicoe's ideas were never realistic in the OTL post-war world. Australia felt unwilling to maintain more than the old BC Australia or a few cruisers. There was a suggestion that if that ship had been considerably upgraded, which could have cost nearly as much as a new treaty CA, it might have been practical.

Think that what you proposed is far more likely however, unless/until a series threat is perceived. Not too different I think from what occurred OTL, although I think the ships were left fairly unmodified and the subs were scrapped.

I didn't think the Australians would go for it was soon as I saw the word Battlecruiser. I think a far more likely plan for this FEIF would be Australia and New Zealand contributing smaller units like light cruisers, destroyers and submarines while the Britain does the heavy lifting with the capital ships. It's hard to find decent sources on the web but by the looks of it Australia's two big warship purchases during the 20's were the Country Class cruisers, could the RAN really justify putting things off until the mid 30's and ordering more Leanders?
 
If the political relationship between UK/Canada and USA continues to improve, consider having Canada reject future destroyer design, and instead focus on Bittern-type sloops to protect convoys to the UK. The RCN could probably afford 9-12 for the cost of the six destroyers it did have, and their impact on the Battle of the Atlantic would perhaps be stronger than it was OTL.

Improved relations between the UK/USA could also play into getting Britain's WW1 debts deffered for a while. One thing I was wondering about when I began this thread was Canada's West coast and whether the RCN would contribute anything to the Pacific alongside Australia and New Zealand?
 
Improved relations between the UK/USA could also play into getting Britain's WW1 debts deffered for a while. One thing I was wondering about when I began this thread was Canada's West coast and whether the RCN would contribute anything to the Pacific alongside Australia and New Zealand?

To clarify: I mean "improving" in the sense that relations improved historically. I don't think they have to be better than OTL in order for Canada to realize that a dozen sloops help the UK more than six destroyers, and that they don't make Canada any less safe against a hypothetical American attack.

I don't see Pacific ops happening. If one has blinkers on and looks back at the last war in order to fight the next one, the Atlantic is the key battleground. Even without the blinkers, the home country is where most Canadian exports are probably going. You'll either have to beef up relations with the other dominions - which might be tough, as their economies are probably also geared towards exports to the UK - or you need to make Japan more alarming.
 
In OTL, Canada (under the Liberals) was really pressing for a few Canadian cruiser squadrons, but instead wound up paying for a battleship (pushed by the Tories). I think it almost could have gone the other way.
 
My bad, I explained this in wrong. I don't know if we ended paying for the ship, but it was definitely proposed. The Liberals were pushing for a more indpendant Canadian navy though (in the form of cruiser squadrons.

Ah, I think I've read about that somewhere, though not in detail. I was pretty certain that Canada didn't have a battlecruiser but was unsure if they paid for one for the RN.

Considering the snafu pre-war governments seem to have made of the RCN I wonder if it might become a point during the inter-war period? Perhaps in the early 30's, when the USA is starting to use ship building as a way out of the Depression Canada and the rest of the Commonwealth follow suit with the RCN, RAN and RNZN all ending up with squadrons of Leander Class cruisers to build their navies around?
 
Ah, I think I've read about that somewhere, though not in detail. I was pretty certain that Canada didn't have a battlecruiser but was unsure if they paid for one for the RN.

Considering the snafu pre-war governments seem to have made of the RCN I wonder if it might become a point during the inter-war period? Perhaps in the early 30's, when the USA is starting to use ship building as a way out of the Depression Canada and the rest of the Commonwealth follow suit with the RCN, RAN and RNZN all ending up with squadrons of Leander Class cruisers to build their navies around?

It could happen. Canada ended up building a whack of ships in World War 2, and the media was absolutely terrified of Japan in the interwar years. Having Canada start arming her navy could happen, especially if Canada has something in place to build around (like the Liberals proposed).

I've also read (but can't seem to find anywhere) that Canada may or may not have been interested in annexing the Bahamas pre WW1, which would have huge affects on the Canadian navy.
 
I didn't think the Australians would go for it was soon as I saw the word Battlecruiser. I think a far more likely plan for this FEIF would be Australia and New Zealand contributing smaller units like light cruisers, destroyers and submarines while the Britain does the heavy lifting with the capital ships. It's hard to find decent sources on the web but by the looks of it Australia's two big warship purchases during the 20's were the Country Class cruisers, could the RAN really justify putting things off until the mid 30's and ordering more Leanders?

http://www.warshipsww2.eu/staty.php?language=E

check this site out it has navies from 1900 - 1950 and lists the commonwealth nations navies .
 
At one point the RCN had sunk so low that it was forced, as an absolute last resort, to threaten to 'pay off' the fleet which would have left Canada with no navy at all, just pensions to any of the retirees.
 
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