German Carrier Fleet 1939-45

Yes. The German rearmourment program necessary to get a CV out with Bismark will draw a British responce. Rather than attacked by a handfull of Stringbags Bis and the CV will be struck by a large number of more advanced aircraft (Barracudas?). Or alternatively, the krauts meet a thoroughly rebuilt Hood and Bis does the sinking that day instead.
:rolleyes:
Or in some timeline the Germans sink both ships...If I remember correctly, the Hood was in fact modernized in 1930's and KGV was not ready anyway. Those butterfly-effects, anything could have been happened, even if you dont't want to. If they did that, it will tied much more ships to hunt them from the North-Atlantic. At the end the Allies managed to sink both Bismarck and Graf Zeppelin but it could take months. The story itself would be fascinating, imagine those three ships trying to avoid all those ships and planes which are to sent to destroy them, playing cat-and-mouse...
 
Or in some timeline the Germans sink both ships...
While you're butterfly point is true I'd argue the above has become quite an AH cliche. I am honestly utterly fed up with the whole bloody extrapolate-single-lucky-hit-into-"BiSMrk is teh SOOpre ub3r ShPi fo d00m!".
If I remember correctly, the Hood was in fact modernized in 1930's and KGV was not ready anyway.
Hood may have recieved some work during the 1930s, but the poms had her scheduled for a major rebuild in the early 1940s... if the war hadn't intervened.
And to be a pedant: the vessel not fully worked up was HMS Prince of Wales not King George V.
At the end the Allies managed to sink both Bismarck and Graf Zeppelin but it could take months.
Nope. Much sooner a lack of fuel and/or munitions will drive the German ships back to port.
 

Markus

Banned
Markus,

I'm very sure you've never actually examined the timeline of HMS Victorious' 1943 service in the Pacific. Like many, you've confused the date of her loan with the date she actually ready for use and the dates she was actually used. It's when you examine how, when, and where Victorious served in the Pacific in 1943 that the real story becomes clear.

THX, I recently finish two books about the SWPA and the author said the RN send one CV because no US CV were available. And thx too for confirming I was right to give King the boot in my TL. :D
 
Fastmongrel,

The circumstances surrounding all USN carrier losses in the Pacific, with the exception of Langley, meant that the overwhelming majority of the ship's crew, aircrew, and squadrons members were saved.

For the most part, those personnel were used as cadre for new construction. Crews saved from a sinking carriers weren't assigned en masse to a ship under construction, but significant numbers were assigned to new construction and that helped newly commissioned carriers reach operational readiness all the sooner. Similarly, many of the recovered aircrew and squadron members were assigned as cadre for new squadrons.


Bill

Thanks Bill I just thought if there was a real mad rush to get carriers to sea ie the Japs are going to have another go at Pearl Harbour or even an invasion of Hawaii (I know even less likely than Sea Lion) it might have been quicker to swap a whole crew. I suppose by early 43 the USN had bought itself some breathing space and could think of the longer game. Better to have lots of carriers with a part veteran crew than a much smaller number of completely veteran crewed carriers and the rest with completely inexperienced crews.
 
THX, I recently finish two books about the SWPA and the author said the RN send one CV because no US CV were available.


Markus,

Well, the author was partially correct. No other US CVs were available for Operation Cartwheel because King made sure no other US CVs were available for Operation Cartwheel. ;)

And thx too for confirming I was right to give King the boot in my TL. :D

Giving King the boot is only one of very many good parts of your TL. :D


Bill
 
Germany actually had 3 carriers under construction. The Graf Zeppelin which was nearly completed, a sister ship the Peter Strasser which was broken up on the slips and the cruiser Seydlitz which was being completed as an aircraft carrier but was never finished. Apart from anything else there was strong opposition from Hermann Goering who claimed long range airvcraft could have a similar effect. Abny carrier would have had to break out through the Denmark straights or between Iceland and the Faeroes and without an escort would have been vulnerable. The Peter Strasser features in Christopher Nicole's the Ship with no name in a one way mission to bomb new york.

A German carrier fleet would have caused problems with any Anglo-German naval treaty
 
Would a German CV even matter, though? The CV is just a mobile airbase, and the North/Baltic Seas are both pretty much covered by the Luftwaffe's Fw 200s for recon and Ju 88s for strike.

Now, had Germany built Fredrick der GroBe and launched all three Bismarck-class BBs with proper escort and air cover...
 
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