Ships that didn't quite make it to the Pacific

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Ships that didn't quite make it to the Pacific

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> Ships that didn't quite make it to the Pacific

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Ships that didn't quite make it to the Pacific - 10/30/2002 11:25:48 AM

Possum

Posts: 349
Joined: 3/27/2000
From: Adelaide, SA, Australia
Status: offline

Hello All.
Something I was just reading about.
There were plans to send the 3 surviving Italian Littorio Class battleships to the Pacific as part of an Allied Italian Expeditionary Fleet in late 1944. The plan was never carried through as it was takeing too long to get the ships ready. (they were avaliable late 1945, but by then it was just about all over, so it was decided not to send them.) The Battleships where undergoing extensive modification to enable them to work with the US Pacific fleet as fast Carrier Escorts. (Included in the modification was a compleate new airconditioning and electric plants, so the ships would have been suitable to work in the tropics.)

Another ship that missed out on Pacific service was the Turkish Battlecruiser Sultan ????, (can't recall the name now) Although compleatly unsutied to cruising around the tropics, the Turks where going to send it anyway, as part of the British Pacific Fleet.
(The Turks wanted to show that they were good UN members by this time, and had in fact just about finnished giving the old girl a overhall, and refit with newly supplied Allied goodies when Japan surrendured.)

If the war had dragged on into 1946, then these ship would have seen service in the Pacific.

Sorces
Conways Warships of the World 1922-1945
Punells Battleships 1920 to 1971.

_____________________________

"We're having a war, and we want you to come!"
So the pig began to whistle and to pound on a drum.
"We'll give you a gun, and we'll give you a hat!"
And the pig began to whistle when they told the piggies that.

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- 10/30/2002 2:02:23 PM

Nikademus

Posts: 25684
Joined: 5/27/2000
From: Alien spacecraft
Status: offline

Hi Possum.

I'm a lover of alternate batttleship scenerios, however i would have to point out two fobiles in this scenerio, in order of importance

1) Range.

The Littorios were designed for ops in the Med. As such range was on the low side of their equation. If the British had troubles operating their KGV class BB's in the Pacific, the problem would have been more so for these vessels, and thats not even factoring in their foreign origins (in terms of Allied supply pool) or the fact that their main armament had been disabled prior to their surrender.

2ndly, their main armament was totally unsuited for likely ops in said theater. Their main guns were extremely powerful for their size, easily the most powerful 15inch guns developed, but this came at the price of long term wear and tear. It was estimated that their 15inch guns had a service life as low as 90 rounds per barrell......not idea for shore bombardment

2) political

Lastly....any Allied attempt to use them operationally would have drawn the wrath of the Soviet Union, which claimed them as war reparations, but were stymied by Allied foot dragging which did not want to see the SU obtain genuine and modern WWII BB's.

Yavuz Sultan Selim, known simply as Yavuz from 1936 onward was in a similar situation in terms of range. Built as the German Goeben in 1912, range was not her strong point and by the time of her possible deployment would have been more of a burden on Allied supply vs a benefit so i can see no practical reason for her deployment.

Which is not to say that i dont find the idea of these ships appearance interesting or intriguing :) but to say they "would" have appeared in 1946 is a bit of an exageration in my opinion.

(in reply to Possum)

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