Jutland, ten years earlier

They also had grossly inefficient naval yards. Whilst they could build a class, each ship built at a different yard tended to be slightly different. The Bouvet 'class' for example is a family of 5 ships built at roughly the same time with a different constructor and designer. They all had a rough plan and then proceeded to make their own take on the idea. Each ship whilst ROUGHLY similar was also totally unique and a class unto itself. Many French ships were also over-long in building and they didn't update them to take into account modern advances.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
A Jutland ten years earlier wouldn't be necessary. Germany's war aims, as imprecise as they were, drove towards breaking the encirclement by the Entente and securing economic supremacy. To do that, they only really need to defeat France and Russia, both of which are in a bad position to face off with Germany in 1906. The German Navy's job in a hypothetical 1906 war is to stop the British landing in northern Germany and to provide a base for postwar expansion. Both of those it can do without confronting the Royal Navy.

teg

Yes, the German navy will stay at home and will consider it a success if the British just stay a hundred miles off the coast. The most likely British plan (assuming RN calls the shots) is to take a few small islands in the German Blight, then move much of the fleet to the Baltic to attack German ports back up with amphibious landings. It is ironic that what the German navy was designed to do, it did, and historians criticize it for executing the war plan it was built to fight.
 
Agreed, basically the RN could sit off the Bligh and dare the Germans to come out whilst conquering any colonies in africa/far east whilst the two fleets sit and stare at one another over a barrier of minefields. It's not really going to be a land War. For one there's a France, Belgium and Holland in the way (and a Denmark) and the UK's army is considerably smaller than the Germans. You'd think they'd play to their strength, IE overwhelming naval might and just grab colonies etc.
 
Don't forget that British shipyards were also building warships for other nations, so within a short time of war breaking out the RN will add those near completion to its Battle line.
Yes, I chose the exact window of May 31, 1916 for Jutland, so May-June 1906. Of course it's not exact, as some ships will be in refit or otherwise not available, but per Wikipedia these 80-odd ships are all in commission in May-June 1906.

The decline of the post-Tsushima Russian navy is most evident. If they could build at the speed of the British the Russians would have more ships for this new engagement, as many have been under construction for years.
 
Aye but still basically in 1904/1906 the RN could kick any navy in the teeth whilst its mates looked on. The numerical disparity was bonkers.
 
That reminds me of Lord Beresford's (or Fisher's) comments that to attack the Russian fleet after Dogger Bank would be unsporting.

It was Charlie B - "on the grounds of chivalry, to attack it with only half of the available ships". Fisher was furious at this idiotic remark. The two had been at each other's throats since 1900, largely it seems on social grounds (aristocrat v bourgeoise).

Andrew Gordon's brilliant The Rules of the Game has good stuff on these two, p321 onwards.
 
Agreed, basically the RN could sit off the Bligh and dare the Germans to come out whilst conquering any colonies in africa/far east whilst the two fleets sit and stare at one another over a barrier of minefields. It's not really going to be a land War. For one there's a France, Belgium and Holland in the way (and a Denmark) and the UK's army is considerably smaller than the Germans. You'd think they'd play to their strength, IE overwhelming naval might and just grab colonies etc.

How does grabbing some German colonies bring the Germans to the table? The colonies are toys. They're economically worthless.

So the British grab Namibia and the Germans attack British shipping. Unless France and Russia close their borders, the British can't begin to blockade Germany. Germany is as safe from the British as the British are from Germany
 
How does grabbing some German colonies bring the Germans to the table? The colonies are toys. They're economically worthless.

So the British grab Namibia and the Germans attack British shipping. Unless France and Russia close their borders, the British can't begin to blockade Germany. Germany is as safe from the British as the British are from Germany

Exactly, the war's basically pointless as the Germans can't bring their main strength to bare, and the British can't affect German industry or its strength on land. So basically what happens is some colonies get new masters, some ships get sunk and then both sides realise this is rather stupid and have a chat.
 
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