You can find a review of this video by Rob Stuart, who has researched Operation C extensively and published a number of articles on the subject (see the Nihon Kaigun site), over on Nihon Kaigun here:-
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You can find a review of this video by Rob Stuart, who has researched Operation C extensively and published a number of articles on the subject (see the Nihon Kaigun site), over on Nihon Kaigun here:-
I think that your being a little harsh on the RN. That said that Japanese clearly have an overriding advantage in the quality of the naval aircraft, to pretend otherwise would be foolish.I don't think that even if peace miraculously is assured out in Europe in 1938-39 that by 1941 the RN could send a force to the Pacific that could match an otherwise unopposed IJN. Even a force made of the most modern and fastest ships then available: HMS KGV, POW, Hood, Repulse, Renown, Ark Royal, Illustrious, Victorious, Formidable, plus the best 8x8" County class CAs and latest Town and Fiji class CLs, latest Tribal and Jervis class DDs and large T-class submarines, plus with DOY and Indomitable joining in early 1942, would still struggle against the IJN on its homefront, with its six fleet carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku) plus CVLs, and the IJN's formidable battleships, cruisers, destroyers and the IJNS' A6M-escorted land-based torpedo bombers. If France hasn't fallen, then at least FIC isn't used as a Japanese base.
A lot depends on timing (when the conflict breaks out) The Yamato wasn't ready until early summer of 1942 and the Musashi wasn't ready until about Jan 1943.The Japanese had Yamato and Musashi
They do have an edge but no where near the advantage they had over the Americans. Most of the actual night combats took place at 15-20,000yds and under. British torps may have been slow but they could reach to 14-15,000 yds.The Japanese torpedoes and night vision capability gave them an edge in surface combat (significantly increasing the threat posed by their DDs and CLs)
Again lot depends on where they are fighting. The British have no real need to go Island hopping to begin with. What the British need to do is stop the Japanese from gaining their historic advances or a substantial part of them. This would allow the British to operate in area with land based air support, Which would help negate the Japanese carrier advantage.If you include land based aircraft, the Japanese G3M and G4M had a demonstrated capability of sinking ships, whereas the Beaufort really didn't. Beaufighter did but it wasn't carrying torpedoes until fairly late in the war.
The radar is not a cure all, but neither are Japanese optics. In some battles radar may do no good, in some it may help somewhat, in others it will be decisive.The British advantage is radar was not necessarily decisive in a night action, but it would help during bad weather,
Again it depends on what the British are trying to do. If they keep Singapore and some of the DEI, the game becomes holding on to the rest of the DEI and keeping the Japanese from exploiting the DEI/SE Asia.The British had an advantage in submarine warfare, if they had bases to use them from.
With no European War there is likely reduced funding and no to limited conscription. So, I expect the three Outrageous class, along with all five Revenge class battleships are put into the reserve fleet.The Courageous and Glorious plus the Furious are useful light carriers, but I repeat the comments about the aircraft carried.
OTOH with no European war the UK could afford to concentrate more forces to the Far East when Japan starts saber rattling. If the Allies had managed to hold on to or more thoroughly destroyed the DEI and Borneo oil fields, Japan's war plans could have been in serious trouble.With no European War there is likely reduced funding and no to limited conscription. So, I expect the three Outrageous class, along with all five Revenge class battleships are put into the reserve fleet.
With no European war the Japanese would not have been dumb enough to start anything.With no European War there is likely reduced funding and no to limited conscription. So, I expect the three Outrageous class, along with all five Revenge class battleships are put into the reserve fleet.
A lot depends on timing (when the conflict breaks out) The Yamato wasn't ready until early summer of 1942 and the Musashi wasn't ready until about Jan 1943.
Edit, the Matsu didn't blow herself up until June of 1943. So in the first 5-7 months The Japanese have two 16in ships that are about 2kts (at best) faster than the QEs.
trouble is they are throwing 1000kg shells vs the British 870kg shells, advantage to the Japanese but the British have how many ships with 15in guns?
They do have an edge but no where near the advantage they had over the Americans. Most of the actual night combats took place at 15-20,000yds and under. British torps may have been slow but they could reach to 14-15,000 yds.
Again lot depends on where they are fighting. The British have no real need to go Island hopping to begin with. What the British need to do is stop the Japanese from gaining their historic advances or a substantial part of them. This would allow the British to operate in area with land based air support, Which would help negate the Japanese carrier advantage.
The radar is not a cure all, but neither are Japanese optics. In some battles radar may do no good, in some it may help somewhat, in others it will be decisive.
Since the Japanese don't have radar or don't get in until very late, on average, the advantage goes to the British.
Again it depends on what the British are trying to do. If they keep Singapore and some of the DEI, the game becomes holding on to the rest of the DEI and keeping the Japanese from exploiting the DEI/SE Asia.
A tanker sunk 300 miles north of Borneo is just as sunk as one sunk 300 miles south of the Bungo channel.
Northern Australia is out, you have to pretty much build the base/s from scratch.
The trick is to hold much of Malaya, Sumatra, Java, and as much of the Lesser Sunda Islands as possible. Keeping Borneo in contention would be a real bonus.
This turns the whole thing into a super Guadalcanal campaign instead of a mid pacific Battle.
A jungle version of North Africa with battles for the land air fields actually dominating.
The British need to turn it into a war of attrition where the British Commonwealth's greater Industrial capacity will win in the end.
Concentrating on oil sooner will help.
A tanker sunk 300 miles north of Borneo is just as sunk as one sunk 300 miles south of the Bungo channel.
It is close, that is certain, but I go with the RN. Radar is the big difference between the two forces so where you actually draw the line is a major influence.I put my money on the IJN battleships, personally, though I grant you that is debatable
There will be some but a lot of RN combat was at night and generally they did well, at every stage of the war. The vast majority of the convoy battles and those in the Channel were at night and generally the RN was well trained and equipped to fight at night. The type 284 was a widely used fire control radar from around early 1942 so again where you draw the line has a major impact on capability. I am not aware of any meaningful Japanese Fire Control systems available in any numbers until the latter stages of the warI'll grant you most of that, but the Japanese torpedoes are both longer-ranged and faster (especially if shooting for shorter ranged targets) and I think they carried more of them. How well trained was the RN for night surface combat? They seemed to have some trouble in the engagements I know of.
The RN had excellent night battle doctrine along with flashless propellant; this gave them an major advantage over the USN, in night combat.
The IJN was able to make use of their optics because of their night battle doctrine and their use of flashless propellant; doctrine and tech go hand in hand.Yeah we investigated, discussed, and debated that one. Methinks you are overselling that factor, a lot. Though I'll grant you it's probably worth something.
It is close, that is certain, but I go with the RN. Radar is the big difference between the two forces so where you actually draw the line is a major influence.
If we go for 1941 then the radars are less effective, less reliable, there are fewer of them, and the knowledge of how best to use them is still being learnt.
Go for mid 42 and the lessons have largely been learnt, they are far more common, performance is still average and the lessons are better understood. The combat in the Med are a good example.
Go for 1943 and the situation is good to go, performance is good and the lessons have been learnt and pretty well mastered. Think the sinking of the Scharnhorst, terrible weather, at night against a fast modern capital vessel
There will be some but a lot of RN combat was at night and generally they did well, at every stage of the war. The vast majority of the convoy battles and those in the Channel were at night and generally the RN was well trained and equipped to fight at night. The type 284 was a widely used fire control radar from around early 1942 so again where you draw the line has a major impact on capability. I am not aware of any meaningful Japanese Fire Control systems available in any numbers until the latter stages of the war
The IJN was able to make use of their optics because of their night battle doctrine and their use of flashless propellant; doctrine and tech go hand in hand.
Many navies planned for this, actual implementation was a bit more varied. Flares/star shell was fairly common in theory. Again implementation (scale of issue of ammunition and which guns got it) and drill/doctrine varied. Most countries wanted to fire the star shell behind the enemy to silhouette them. Which call for good initial range. Star shells going short should blind the enemy more than the firing ships but actual range, how short and height other star shell is at (descending by parachute so always getting lower) is going to hurt the firing ships some. Some shipsseaplanes which can operate at night and drop flares, ships that can shoot flares (may not be needed or ideal in some circumstances) and (most perilously) searchlights.
That is actually a pretty crappy website for looking at British small craft as it is arranged by length and not date so things get jumbled up fairly quickly.For that matter the British also had some MTB of their own, and with better torpedoes these might have been considerably more effective than the American ones were in and around coastlines and islands. Assuming they could get them to the Theater. I know they had some at Dunkirk.