KGV class built as fast escort for carriers?

Main armament of a ALT KGV class battleship

  • 3x3 15 inch guns

    Votes: 28 70.0%
  • 4x8 15 inch guns

    Votes: 4 10.0%
  • 3x3 16 inch guns

    Votes: 5 12.5%
  • 10x3 14 inch guns

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • 8x4 15 inch guns

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • 4x3 15 inch guns

    Votes: 1 2.5%

  • Total voters
    40
  • This poll will close: .
The Guadalcanal Campaign? And Savo Island in particular?

I think the US Navy would be better served by more aircraft carriers during the Guadalcanal campaign than by the battleships it had. Would Savo Island have even happened if USS South Dakota been replaced by an Yorktown or Essex-class carrier at the Battle of the Santa Cruz islands?
 

SsgtC

Banned
I think the US Navy would be better served by more aircraft carriers during the Guadalcanal campaign than by the battleships it had. Would Savo Island have even happened if USS South Dakota been replaced by an Yorktown or Essex-class carrier at the Battle of the Santa Cruz islands?
Seeing as it was a night battle, no, not really. US Naval Aviation at that time couldn't conduct night combat operations. AFAIK, only the British were even marginally capable of it
 
I think the US Navy would be better served by more aircraft carriers during the Guadalcanal campaign than by the battleships it had. Would Savo Island have even happened if USS South Dakota been replaced by an Yorktown or Essex-class carrier at the Battle of the Santa Cruz islands?

Huh? Savo Island took place in early August 1942, Santa Cruz Islands took place in late October.
 
They had carriers available before Savo Island. They bugged out!! Wasp was capable of night ops. Savo was a leadership breakdown not lack of kit.
 
It is possible with greater air cover and recon that the Japanese would be discovered before they got to Guadalcanal

This would possibly allow for an airstrike and for the US Surface forces to have a far better appreciation of Abes forces.
 

hipper

Banned
When designed the King George V class was put down as a 28/29 knots ship, in a time when the average British Fast Fleet Carrier was designed for 30 knots, meaning a marginal speed difference. As such the ship as build was capable of going where the British Fleet Carrier went with no problems, since both had the same general speed already. The often named as such Carrier escort HMS Renown did never more than 29 knots herself after the complete reconstruction of the 30's and was considered a good ship as such for the proposed role.

In 1936, the time the King George V class was designed, as well as the Armored Fleet Carrier Program, which went on parallel, the role of the carrier was to follow the battlesquadron at close range and not the opposite around, so both were of similar capabilities in terms of speed already. As such the King George V class was quite well designed for her proposed role, she had to play, so no real need to alter it and delay her entering service as a result.

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Over the measured mile with a displacement of 32,800 tons she achieved a speed of 29.9 knots with 120,560 shp in June / July 1939

http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-02BC-HMS_Renown.htm
 
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