Derek Pullem
Donor
You definitely want Coventry or Curlew (or preferably both) in that task force. And Cardiff and Ceres will probably get the AA conversion in this timeline until the Dido class comes along.
Possible rn carrier battle group ww2
- Thread starter hms malta
- Start date
hipper
Banned
they did historically so Yes The KGVs were the fastest battleships the allies had until the Iowa's came along. only the Battle cruisers were faster
Heck, they used the QEs to escort the ILLUSTRIOUS class carriers so they absolutely could use the KGVs.
IIRC the raison d'etre for the KGVs being built as fast battleships was so that they could operate with aircraft carriers.
Is this part of a stronger covering force for Operation Wilfred the mining of the Norwegian coast to cut of Germany's supply of Swedish iron ore?
IOTL Renown and 10 destroyers were at sea off Vestfjord as the covering force.
One of them Glowworm was detached to find a man overboard and on 8th April 1940 she ran into the German Invasion Group II consisting of the Hipper and 4 Z-boats. Glowworm was sunk but not before she rammed the German cruiser.
The next day Renown and 9 destroyers hand a battle with The Twins. Renown had the better of the encounter. 4 of the 9 destroyers in Renown's screen took part in the First Battle of Narvik.
Repulse was at Scapa Flow and could have been sent out with Repulse. I think Roskill gave the reasons why it wasn't and why the German preparations for Operation Weserübung were interpreted as the latest round in the "war of nerves."
According to the HMS Hood Association website she was refitting at Plymouth from 31st March to 27th May 1940 and had further repairs at Liverpool from 28th May to 12th June. However, 240 marines and sailors from her crew did take part in Operation Primrose the occupation of Alesund in Norway.
However, had the British interpreted the available intelligence correctly and early enough the entire Home Fleet would have been off the coast of Norway on 8th April 1940. That would have been, "Curtains for the Kriegsmarine!" It would also have had the side effect of Winston Churchill not becoming Prime Minister because Neville Chamberlain would not have been forced to resign.
In this situation Hood would have been with the Home Fleet because her refit would have been postponed.
I don't remember the exact details about how it came about but...
In The Aircraft Carrier Story 1908 - 1945 by Guy Robins the author mentions a committee that was formed within the Grand Fleet to study the possible uses of aircraft carriers and naval aviation. I don't remember the exact date, but it was sometime in 1917 or 1918. I think Evan-Thomas was chair of the committee. The committee asked for suggestions and comments from the officers of the Grand Fleet. Either one of the officers' comments received or the recommendation of the committee was, that "Naval aviation should be developed without regard to finance or tradition!"
Therefore a good title might be...
Without Regard to Finance or Tradition
Not primarily to chase down other fast battleships? ie S&G, S&D, others etc that where already laid down or building? Even from the end of WWI the RN regarded speed as very desirable to force an engagement with others weaker forces, just look at the G3s design.
And look at the N3 design too. Plus with the Nelrods they went for firepower and protection over speed.
AFAIK/IIRC the design of a new class of fast battleships that became the KGV class began before Germany announced that they were building The Twins. Again AFAIK/IIRC S&D weren't considered as France wasn't seen as a potential enemy. However, I could be wrong on both counts.
The idea was, in my opinion the G3s would be ahead on the N3s, find and engage them enemy, cutting them off, slowing them down ir drawing them towards the N3s to finish thrm off.
The Nelrods were a compromise.
Britain had several designs post WNT for the Nelsons choosing armour over speed because they considered it a better option, with the vs majority of the battlefleet able to make 21 knots. Having them as Battlecruisers, lightly armoured, wouldn't have been favourable.
