I think that I have the CV-B (OTL Midways) running earlier and faster for a 6 ship build run plus a likelier earlier end of the war will limit the possibility of an extended Essex run.... need to ponder on this more.
Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
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I think that I have the CV-B (OTL Midways) running earlier and faster for a 6 ship build run plus a likelier earlier end of the war will limit the possibility of an extended Essex run.... need to ponder on this more.
Story 2435
Minamidaito, February 24, 1944
Four cruisers, two heavy, and two light were escorted by half a dozen destroyers. Two destroyers stayed out to sea looking for submarines. Overhead of USS Los Angeles and USS Wichita were half a dozen Hellcats. Circling in front of USS Jacksonville and USS Nashville was a pair of Avengers armed with depth charges. Four Kingfishers were airborne with binoculars and radios waiting for the bombardment to start.Eight thousand yards to the west, the airfield was on fire. It had been visited in early morning by a full task group's Sunday punch. The two dozen aircraft that served as an outpost to Okinawa had mostly been destroyed on the ground. The few Zeros that had been able to scramble when the radar operators picked up a strike that was larger than the attacks on Pearl Harbor were swamped. A Hellcat was damaged by a string of 20 millimeter shells eating its rudder and tail. That was all the seven shot-down Zeroes could do. The few 25 millimeter guns managed to shoot down a single Avenger and damage another half dozen attackers. It did not matter.
The antiaircraft batteries were either ruined or marked. And now the heavy guns of the cruisers began to throw super heavy shells at the few remaining anti-aircraft positions, hangers, fuel dumps and the radar station.
Eighty miles to the south, the fleet continued towards a mid-afternoon launch against Okinawa.
For a sideshow attack....
I'd say 'poor Japan', but they deserved everything they got....
Not quite a side show attack, but a blind the enemy's screen and detection capacity attack.
Story 2436
SE of Okinawa, 2138 February 24, 1944
"Jaroshek, close the hatch..."
The steel hatched slammed shut. He walked forward with another sixty pounds of Bofor shells in his arms. The quad mount that he had been assigned to for the past six months was overfilled with ready ammunition, but more ammunition was being passed out. USS North Carolina was just north of USS Essex and USS Yorktown. The two carriers had landed their last strike an hour ago. Now the task group had turned to the southeast at twenty two knots. The heavy battleship's bow bit into the sea.
The mount slid slightly to the left. Eyes strained to see little flecks of flame from the Japanese snoopers that were playing cat and mouse with the few squadrons of night fighters that were flying from Bunker Hill and Cowpens.
The gun mount moved again. A few dozen yards away, the five inch mounts moved and the barrels slightly elevated. A snooper was in range. The order was still out that the guns could only fire in immediate self-defense. The fleet was attempting to slide away into the darkness of the night and a flaming datum. Suddenly, the horizon lit up as a string of fifty caliber slugs ripped open a Betty's central fuel tank. A minute later, a cruiser started to fire as her radio intercept team had detected a contact report from another snooper.
Soon coffee was being passed out to the gun crews. It was going to be a long night.
"Jaroshek, close the hatch..."
The steel hatched slammed shut. He walked forward with another sixty pounds of Bofor shells in his arms. The quad mount that he had been assigned to for the past six months was overfilled with ready ammunition, but more ammunition was being passed out. USS North Carolina was just north of USS Essex and USS Yorktown. The two carriers had landed their last strike an hour ago. Now the task group had turned to the southeast at twenty two knots. The heavy battleship's bow bit into the sea.
The mount slid slightly to the left. Eyes strained to see little flecks of flame from the Japanese snoopers that were playing cat and mouse with the few squadrons of night fighters that were flying from Bunker Hill and Cowpens.
The gun mount moved again. A few dozen yards away, the five inch mounts moved and the barrels slightly elevated. A snooper was in range. The order was still out that the guns could only fire in immediate self-defense. The fleet was attempting to slide away into the darkness of the night and a flaming datum. Suddenly, the horizon lit up as a string of fifty caliber slugs ripped open a Betty's central fuel tank. A minute later, a cruiser started to fire as her radio intercept team had detected a contact report from another snooper.
Soon coffee was being passed out to the gun crews. It was going to be a long night.
The Iowas are still on the other side of the Pacific. Right now the gun line is North Carolina, Washington, Massachusetts, Indiana and Alabama.
So the North Carolinas and three of four SoDaks (at least in OTL) ... that's a modern, well-protected, well-hitting purely 16"er line.
So its 6 IJN carriers (2 purpose built and four conversions) 3 Yamato class. 6 cruisers and destroyer screen vs. 2 NCs, and 3 SoDaks plus screen. How many US carriers are lurking about?
The US gun line has plenty of firepower but the 2 NCs have glass jaws when it comes to trying to fend off 18.1" shells. Even so, with two BBs having what amounts to gunnery practice, the US should be able to take on the three Yamatos with a reasonable expectation of putting them down.
The US gun line has plenty of firepower but the 2 NCs have glass jaws when it comes to trying to fend off 18.1" shells. Even so, with two BBs having what amounts to gunnery practice, the US should be able to take on the three Yamatos with a reasonable expectation of putting them down.
Story 2437
Stalingrad, February 25, 1944
The whistle blew at the tank factory. Another twelve hour shift was over. Thousands of old men and ten thousand women soon began to file out. Today they had met their quota. This week they had exceeded their quota by half a dozen tanks. Next week they were likely to be under their quota as the version of the T-34 that they had been making was switching. Some elements would be the same, and a rivet was a rivet, but significant changes to the guns, engines and transmission would be required.
The old grandfather did not care. He had a long walk home and a grand son to play dominos with tonight.
The whistle blew at the tank factory. Another twelve hour shift was over. Thousands of old men and ten thousand women soon began to file out. Today they had met their quota. This week they had exceeded their quota by half a dozen tanks. Next week they were likely to be under their quota as the version of the T-34 that they had been making was switching. Some elements would be the same, and a rivet was a rivet, but significant changes to the guns, engines and transmission would be required.
The old grandfather did not care. He had a long walk home and a grand son to play dominos with tonight.
Story 2438
SE of Okinawa, February 25, 1944
Sleep was a blessing. He had unlaced his boots, and hung his helmet and life vest on a hook a few feet from the top rack where he was now under a blanket. Some of his division mates were already snoring. He pulled the blanket to his chin and before he could even think a thought about that girl from Algiers, he was asleep.
Ninety seven minutes later, he was jolted awake. The general quarters alarms were sounding. Feet were already running up and down the ship, hatches were slamming and being dogged, and weary men were running back to their guns. Seaman Jaroshek made it to his battle station, a 40 mm quad mount in two hundred and forty nine seconds after the alarm went off. The petty officer in charge of his side was not displeased. It was all a seaman could ask for. Sleep and a not pissed off petty officer. Guns were pointing to the west. He squinted and could see ugly black smoke stain the sky. A destroyer began to fire its four five inch guns. And then it began to fire half a dozen Bofors and a dozen Oerikilons. He could see half a dozen Jap torpedo bombers making a run. The destroyer was twisted and turning. The big battleship began a turn away from the torpedo bombers. The heavy dual purpose guns began to boom. VT shells were soon successful in splashing one, and then two Judys as they streaked past the outer screen and were turning for home.
It did not matter. The destroyer dodged all but one of the torpedoes. The forward hundred feet of the ship was sheared off. Men were already in the water. One of her division mates was breaking ranks and hurrying to render aid and take off survivors even as the rest of the task force tightened up and continued their run to the south at twenty four knots.
This afternoon was going to be another long afternoon.
Sleep was a blessing. He had unlaced his boots, and hung his helmet and life vest on a hook a few feet from the top rack where he was now under a blanket. Some of his division mates were already snoring. He pulled the blanket to his chin and before he could even think a thought about that girl from Algiers, he was asleep.
Ninety seven minutes later, he was jolted awake. The general quarters alarms were sounding. Feet were already running up and down the ship, hatches were slamming and being dogged, and weary men were running back to their guns. Seaman Jaroshek made it to his battle station, a 40 mm quad mount in two hundred and forty nine seconds after the alarm went off. The petty officer in charge of his side was not displeased. It was all a seaman could ask for. Sleep and a not pissed off petty officer. Guns were pointing to the west. He squinted and could see ugly black smoke stain the sky. A destroyer began to fire its four five inch guns. And then it began to fire half a dozen Bofors and a dozen Oerikilons. He could see half a dozen Jap torpedo bombers making a run. The destroyer was twisted and turning. The big battleship began a turn away from the torpedo bombers. The heavy dual purpose guns began to boom. VT shells were soon successful in splashing one, and then two Judys as they streaked past the outer screen and were turning for home.
It did not matter. The destroyer dodged all but one of the torpedoes. The forward hundred feet of the ship was sheared off. Men were already in the water. One of her division mates was breaking ranks and hurrying to render aid and take off survivors even as the rest of the task force tightened up and continued their run to the south at twenty four knots.
This afternoon was going to be another long afternoon.
Hmm - T-34/85 should be in production already - is there an upgrade in the works?
How many USN carriers? Not sure of the exact number. But many carriers and all with well trained and fully equipped air groups. I would hazard a guess that the upcoming battle will resemble something similar to a combination of OTLs' Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf and Ten-Go. But we will see.
The last time we had a naval battle this big, there were casualties here on the site. With a US force marginally smaller than at OTL Philippine Sea against a smaller Japanese carrier force and a larger Japanese battle line, the best option is to just run around trying to dedeck the Japanese carriers and force the fleet to spend all their fuel oil. A battleship engagement at this point, in this part of the Pacific, would be a colossal mistake.
Agreed. I'd say a gun battle would border on criminal negligence on the part of the US commander.
While I agree that a battleship on battleship fight would be a strategic mistake, don't forget, we're looking at this from 30,000 feet. We get to see what's happening on both sides and know for a fact that the Japanese are critically short of oil. How sure of that are the Allies? Then there's one other fact. The last time the battlelines met, the joint US/UK fleet spanked the IJN and sent them running with their tail between their legs. Whoever is commanding the American Battleline this time will want to do the same and will feel confident that they can.
The last time the battle lines met, they lost South Dakota (and maybe two Standards IIRC) and the Allies lost 7,000 dead. The greatest disasters in the OTL Pacific War (3k dead in the Java Sea, 3-4k dead in months of fighting around the Solomons, 3k dead at Leyte Gulf) were half the size of this "victory".
The Standards were not involved in the Battle of Makassar Strait.
Working from memory, the losses were SARATOGA, SOUTH DAKOTA, + 3 CVE several cruisers and more destroyers.
I think they only lost South Dakota, and she was scuttled after the battle and her crew was taken off. The Japanese lost, IIRC, all 4 Kongos, Nagato and u think one other with Yamato pretty heavily damaged. And the rest of the losses, IIRC, were from carrier strikes, not the clash of the behemoths
Edit: Ninja'd
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