Could a Modern U.S. Aircraft Carrier Defeat the Entire Imperial Japanese Navy of World War II?
[media=https://youtu.be/474RR1ETgyk]
My response:
I feel you have greatly underestimated the impact a Nimitz-class battle group would have in World War II. Once Admiral Nagumo's First Air Fleet and most of its accompanying battleships and cruisers are sunk in the Central Pacific, just what do you think Admiral Somerville's Eastern Fleet is going to be doing? Resting on their laurels in Madagascar? The Royal Navy will be only too happy to take the fight to Indonesia in exchange for future tech blueprints, thus ensuring no further forays by the IJN towards Hawaii in 1942 or later.
Existing U.S. naval forces for convoy duty and U-boat hunting in the Atlantic no longer being play means the British have to make up for the losses. But they don't need Somerville's force of aircraft carriers and slow battleships to do that. Instead, with knowledge of the past, the super-carrier's officers pass on knowledge to the First Sea Lord, Admiral Dudley Pound, on how to deal with the wolf packs and the disaster that befell Arctic Convoy PQ 17 in July 1942 doesn't happen.
Futhermore, per own your time-travel rules, the U.S. Army Air Corps hasn't disappeared and therefore its pilots can be quickly trained to operate off a Nimitz-class carrier (Col. Jimmy Doolittle would see to that), thus saving on the wear and tear of the carrier's own air wing while biding time for the U.S. to produce the necessary jet fuel those planes would need for operations in 1943. The carrier's escorts will thus also have plenty of fuel as well to operate with the carrier.
While the Japanese are in shock for the rest of 1942 (the losses they sustain are much greater than losing four carriers and a few cruisers at Midway), the U.S. takes advantage of the lull and some of the carrier's pilots are sent stateside to train new U.S. navy pilots (mirroring how the USN sent experienced pilots back stateside to conduct training). While modern day pilots might not be as familar with the World War II aircraft being built as the early World War pilots were, but they are experts at tactics. And so when the fighting resumes in earnest in 1943, the U.S. will have well-trained pilots for the new carriers that will soon be commissioned. The IJN, meanwhile, will have lost nearly all of its experienced carrier pilots during that battle in the Central Pacific.
The IJN won't be doing anything for the rest of 1942, not with the bulk of their fleet sitting at the bottom of the Pacific. When 1943 rolls around, the Royal Navy will probably not only lend the U.S. one of its carriers, HMS Victorious, for six months as it did in the real timeline, but probably another carrier as well.
The speed at which new ships come into service is probably going to increase a little as shipyards won't repairing damaged ships that all suddenly disappeared. And with their knowledge of the past, the Nimitz-class carrier's officers will be instrumental in getting the Navy Department to put a greater emphasis on submarine production. Manitowoc was producing subs in 9-10 months, much faster than either the Portsmouth Navy Yard or the Mare Island Navy Yard. The result is more subs are built and at a quicker pace that in the old timeline. Japanese merchant shipping losses really didn't have a big impact until the 4th quarter of 1943, so there's plenty of time to build the necessary subs and train the necessary crews.
In the meantime, Royal Navy subs will pick up the slack. So Japanese merchant shipping losses not only continue to rise, but probably exceed historic levels, leaving what's left of a battered IJN with even less fuel for combat operations than in the old timeline. Many IJN admirals were already cautious and finding out they are facing a super-carrier from the future will make them even more so.
Landing craft will also be made a priority (and not just for the Pacific). Also, the Nimitz-class crew will know what mistakes were made in Europe, too, and will advise American and British leaders. President Roosevelt, with this new knowledge, is therefore now determined to shut out Stalin at the Tehran Conference. So there ends up no agreement for Soviet post-war occupation of the Kurile Islands.
And while D-Day still takes place in June 1944, the U.S. will know of the dangerous storm that destroyed Mulberry A in the third week of June. During the invasion itself, the firepower of the U.S. battleships Arkansas, Nevada and Texas will be replaced by the RN battleship HMS Malaya (which had been held in reserve at Scapa Flow for shore bombardment if needed), battleship HMS Valiant and battlecruiser Renown (both which will be recalled from the Eastern Fleet), all with 15" rifles.
The fast (and only remaining active) U.S. battleships at this point in the war - Alabama, Iowa and New Jersey - will remain with the Pacific Fleet, as their bombardment capabilities will be needed all the more. (I am assuming that Nevada won't return?) Once the three RN ships are no longer needed off Normandy, they will be sent to back to the Pacific, Renown perhaps operating with U.S. carriers due to her speed.
But there are three other fast battleships with 14" guns that can not only provide shore bombardment but help with carrier protection: the three King George V battleships; the KGV, Duke of York and Anson. They were up in the North Atlantic on convoy duty in case there was a need for them to go up against the German battleship Tirpitz, based in Norway. But, with knowledge of the past, it's likely a couple F-18 Super Hornets from the Nimitz-class carrier will be transferred to Great Britain. Flying from Scapa Flow to attack Tirpitz in Trondheim perhaps in October 1942, they will knock the battleship out of the war for good. And if HSM Duke of York doesn't sink Scharnhorst in December 1943 it will only be because the German battlecruiser will also be taken out by the F-18s.
Anti-aircraft operations in the Pacific will be enhanced by the Ticonderoga-class cruiser and the two Burke destroyers.
An even greater emphasis is placed on the supply chain and Gen. Patton's Third Army isn't running out of fuel. Furthermore, Operation Market Garden is a rousing success, thereby preventing any Ardennes offensive in December, and the war in Europe ends by Christmas 1944. Berlin is captured by American, British and Canadian troops. The post-war map of Europe will look quite different indeed.
In the Pacific, Gen. MacArthur's island-hopping campaign is even more efficient than it was and knowledge of the past helps speed up the Manhattan Project by several months. In fact, the war may end while President Roosevelt is still alive, with V-J Day occurring perhaps as early as the end of March or early April 1945.
My response:
I feel you have greatly underestimated the impact a Nimitz-class battle group would have in World War II. Once Admiral Nagumo's First Air Fleet and most of its accompanying battleships and cruisers are sunk in the Central Pacific, just what do you think Admiral Somerville's Eastern Fleet is going to be doing? Resting on their laurels in Madagascar? The Royal Navy will be only too happy to take the fight to Indonesia in exchange for future tech blueprints, thus ensuring no further forays by the IJN towards Hawaii in 1942 or later.
Existing U.S. naval forces for convoy duty and U-boat hunting in the Atlantic no longer being play means the British have to make up for the losses. But they don't need Somerville's force of aircraft carriers and slow battleships to do that. Instead, with knowledge of the past, the super-carrier's officers pass on knowledge to the First Sea Lord, Admiral Dudley Pound, on how to deal with the wolf packs and the disaster that befell Arctic Convoy PQ 17 in July 1942 doesn't happen.
Futhermore, per own your time-travel rules, the U.S. Army Air Corps hasn't disappeared and therefore its pilots can be quickly trained to operate off a Nimitz-class carrier (Col. Jimmy Doolittle would see to that), thus saving on the wear and tear of the carrier's own air wing while biding time for the U.S. to produce the necessary jet fuel those planes would need for operations in 1943. The carrier's escorts will thus also have plenty of fuel as well to operate with the carrier.
While the Japanese are in shock for the rest of 1942 (the losses they sustain are much greater than losing four carriers and a few cruisers at Midway), the U.S. takes advantage of the lull and some of the carrier's pilots are sent stateside to train new U.S. navy pilots (mirroring how the USN sent experienced pilots back stateside to conduct training). While modern day pilots might not be as familar with the World War II aircraft being built as the early World War pilots were, but they are experts at tactics. And so when the fighting resumes in earnest in 1943, the U.S. will have well-trained pilots for the new carriers that will soon be commissioned. The IJN, meanwhile, will have lost nearly all of its experienced carrier pilots during that battle in the Central Pacific.
The IJN won't be doing anything for the rest of 1942, not with the bulk of their fleet sitting at the bottom of the Pacific. When 1943 rolls around, the Royal Navy will probably not only lend the U.S. one of its carriers, HMS Victorious, for six months as it did in the real timeline, but probably another carrier as well.
The speed at which new ships come into service is probably going to increase a little as shipyards won't repairing damaged ships that all suddenly disappeared. And with their knowledge of the past, the Nimitz-class carrier's officers will be instrumental in getting the Navy Department to put a greater emphasis on submarine production. Manitowoc was producing subs in 9-10 months, much faster than either the Portsmouth Navy Yard or the Mare Island Navy Yard. The result is more subs are built and at a quicker pace that in the old timeline. Japanese merchant shipping losses really didn't have a big impact until the 4th quarter of 1943, so there's plenty of time to build the necessary subs and train the necessary crews.
In the meantime, Royal Navy subs will pick up the slack. So Japanese merchant shipping losses not only continue to rise, but probably exceed historic levels, leaving what's left of a battered IJN with even less fuel for combat operations than in the old timeline. Many IJN admirals were already cautious and finding out they are facing a super-carrier from the future will make them even more so.
Landing craft will also be made a priority (and not just for the Pacific). Also, the Nimitz-class crew will know what mistakes were made in Europe, too, and will advise American and British leaders. President Roosevelt, with this new knowledge, is therefore now determined to shut out Stalin at the Tehran Conference. So there ends up no agreement for Soviet post-war occupation of the Kurile Islands.
And while D-Day still takes place in June 1944, the U.S. will know of the dangerous storm that destroyed Mulberry A in the third week of June. During the invasion itself, the firepower of the U.S. battleships Arkansas, Nevada and Texas will be replaced by the RN battleship HMS Malaya (which had been held in reserve at Scapa Flow for shore bombardment if needed), battleship HMS Valiant and battlecruiser Renown (both which will be recalled from the Eastern Fleet), all with 15" rifles.
The fast (and only remaining active) U.S. battleships at this point in the war - Alabama, Iowa and New Jersey - will remain with the Pacific Fleet, as their bombardment capabilities will be needed all the more. (I am assuming that Nevada won't return?) Once the three RN ships are no longer needed off Normandy, they will be sent to back to the Pacific, Renown perhaps operating with U.S. carriers due to her speed.
But there are three other fast battleships with 14" guns that can not only provide shore bombardment but help with carrier protection: the three King George V battleships; the KGV, Duke of York and Anson. They were up in the North Atlantic on convoy duty in case there was a need for them to go up against the German battleship Tirpitz, based in Norway. But, with knowledge of the past, it's likely a couple F-18 Super Hornets from the Nimitz-class carrier will be transferred to Great Britain. Flying from Scapa Flow to attack Tirpitz in Trondheim perhaps in October 1942, they will knock the battleship out of the war for good. And if HSM Duke of York doesn't sink Scharnhorst in December 1943 it will only be because the German battlecruiser will also be taken out by the F-18s.
Anti-aircraft operations in the Pacific will be enhanced by the Ticonderoga-class cruiser and the two Burke destroyers.
An even greater emphasis is placed on the supply chain and Gen. Patton's Third Army isn't running out of fuel. Furthermore, Operation Market Garden is a rousing success, thereby preventing any Ardennes offensive in December, and the war in Europe ends by Christmas 1944. Berlin is captured by American, British and Canadian troops. The post-war map of Europe will look quite different indeed.
In the Pacific, Gen. MacArthur's island-hopping campaign is even more efficient than it was and knowledge of the past helps speed up the Manhattan Project by several months. In fact, the war may end while President Roosevelt is still alive, with V-J Day occurring perhaps as early as the end of March or early April 1945.
36-40, F
