alternatehistory.com

Inspired by this thread, I went and had yet another of my whacky ideas, so...

Lets say that the UK cooks up a scheme post war that sets out to reduce the RN budget, but not as drastically as OTL reduce its size, by retaining some smaller carriers w/escorts post war. The plan is to place some ships into an "International, Pan-European Fleet" manned and maintained by the UK and other parties, and kept in full commission, until such time as the ships can be sold off (or scraped in X years), and while these ships are awaiting sale or scrapping, part of the WWII peace treaty requires that the defeated axis powers of Italy, Japan, and Germany each pay 40% of all costs related to keeping these ships in full commission. If other allied nations want in (Perhaps just to see if they may want to buy these ships for themselves), they pay 10% of the costs.

I know that I am not explaining this concept very well, so help refining the idea, and the explanation is most welcome.

Basically, the UK creates a legally binding agreement to reduce the RN post war just about as much as OTL, but includes a clause whereby smaller, less capable carriers can by placed into a separate force from the RN (but still with largely/wholly RN crews), that are offered up for sale to acceptable buyers, for X years after the war, and the Axis nations are forced to pay war reparations over and above OTL, to each individually, cover 40% of the upkeep for said ships. Thus, the UK gets to keep some additional ships post war, and in theory is actually making 20% profit from these ships while awaiting buyers. If other European nations choose to opt in, then their sailors would make up part of the crews, and the UK would get the double bonus of having to pay 10% less crew costs, as well as receiving the 10% additional payments of the total costs.

Would this work to keep the smaller carriers?
Top