What If...?

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

i mean after the loss of the Bismark i don't think hitlet would have wanted to take a risk with an aircraft carrier, this of the effect on the people's morale??
 
Thats a great post Rich
I believe that any threat presented by a surface raider be it carrier or battleship it would have been dealt with in the appropriate manner the famous channel dash succeeded because of surprise and the only available attack that could be mounted at short notice was the stringbags against an obviously overwhelming superior force but as with Operation Sea lion should the need have arisen the navy was prepared to use large numbers of its fleet to prevent invasion or serious surface raiders
I agree with you Rich if the GZ had shown its nose or been discovered it would have been goodbye within days .
 
GZ at op-sealion? It wouldn´t have been ready in time. Production was delayed with the loss of the Bismarck and later postponed (with a short exception in 1943). My point is that GZ ,under normal circumstances, wouldn´t have seen much use. It would have been putted into a "safe" norwegian Fjord and therefore it could last. It would have been very risky to attack her. (...but I don´t doubt that the Brits would try...) But I don´t see why it should have been sunken soon, lets say, in late 42? Why? Imagine a reliable scenario, I´m open to change my mind...
 
I didn't say that the GZ could have been at operation Sea-lion Del I just was saying that if it had posed any sort of threat it would have been eliminated in very short measure.The fact remains that the German surface fleet in WW2 was small compared to the fleets arrayed against it . This is not to say the German vessels did not pose a threat but compared to the U-boat problem it was of a far more minor nature.
Even if you include the GZ just assuming it had been ready by 1939
the inbalance in navel surface supremacy is obvious therfore the probability of any significant contribution made by the GZ would be minimal before it would have been removed from the scene. This was known by Admiral Donitz hence his concentration on the U-Boat campaign.

For example this is the Royal Navy and German Navy surface fleet strengths in 1939

Royal Navy (surface fleet), 1939.

15 Battleships Battle-cruisers,
7 Aircraft carriers.
66 Cruisers,
184 Destroyers
32 fleet destroyers
20 escort destroyers of the 'Hunt' class.
source http://www.naval-history.net/WW2CampaignRoyalNavy.htm

German Kriegsmarine (surface fleet) 1939

Battleships/Pocket Battleships 5
Aircraft Carriers --
Cruisers 6
Destroyers 17
source http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Camp/7624/tables/GerN.htm

(neither of these sets of figures include smaller escort or patrol vessels)
 
I am sorry del, but I agree with them. The GZ would not have made it very long. Just the fact that Hitler would have put a Carrier out to sea would have given them another battle cry just like Sink the Bismark, Sink the Graf Zeppelin. She would have been hunted and killed. The Royal Navy was too powerful for her or anyone else. I also dont think Hitler would have risked her anyhow, especially after losing the Bismark.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

W
What if the Me109Z instead of Bf110?
Replies
11
Views
1K
Admiral Beez
A
German artillery what-if: going all-in with gun-howitzers past 1935
2 3 4
Replies
63
Views
3K
Shortround6
S
Wondered if anyone knows what it is ?
Replies
5
Views
1K
AMCKen
A
A
What if the Germans had radar proximity fused AA shells?
3 4 5
Replies
92
Views
9K
Snautzer01
A
What if - Four-Power Pact 1933 is confirmed
Replies
3
Views
848
Zmauky
Z
Menu
Log in
Register