Lets play world war II mix and match!

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by August

I would think our fleet carriers alone would make the US the obvious choice in that area.

That's exactly why I picked them. The USN of WWII was very much the navy of the future. What I don't understand is the choice for the German navy. Sure, lots of submarines, but weak in the use of surface combatants and entirely lacking in air power. The Kriegsmarine was primarily an anti-shipping force; not at all well suited to major naval engagements.

[Diopos]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

...
What I don't understand is the choice for the German navy. Sure, lots of submarines, but weak in the use of surface combatants and entirely lacking in air power. The Kriegsmarine was primarily an anti-shipping force; not at all well suited to major naval engagements.

Think how many tanks you can build with the resources needed to build a battleship and you will have your answer. The German armed forces of the era were designed to conquer land via land ...


.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Diopos

Think how many tanks you can build with the resources needed to build a battleship and you will have your answer. The German armed forces of the era were designed to conquer land via land ...


.

You're right. And that is why I would not select the German naval model.

[Sledgehammer427]

I picked it on the idea that I am not constrained by the same economical problems that germany had in WWII.

Germany had a fearsome set of ships, but her admirals (and Hitler) were so afraid to use them (rightly so, because they didn't really have the ability to make more,) that they never left port, and got bombed there, or when they did leave port they got swiftly outnumbered and destroyed by the allies.

So I picked germany because, in my little country, I would have had enough metal for 6 Bismarck-class, a handful of Hippers (cute little rhyme innit?) and enough destroyers and auxillaries to guard them all.

I'm sure somebody will come along and blow huge holes in my ideas.
I will have my grain of salt ready.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer427

I picked it on the idea that I am not constrained by the same economical problems that germany had in WWII.

Germany had a fearsome set of ships, but her admirals (and Hitler) were so afraid to use them (rightly so, because they didn't really have the ability to make more,) that they never left port, and got bombed there, or when they did leave port they got swiftly outnumbered and destroyed by the allies.

So I picked germany because, in my little country, I would have had enough metal for 6 Bismarck-class, a handful of Hippers (cute little rhyme innit?) and enough destroyers and auxillaries to guard them all.

I'm sure somebody will come along and blow huge holes in my ideas.
I will have my grain of salt ready.

BBs are powerful weapons, but air power rules the seas. Look what happened to Yamato, and she was one big, mean mofo.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

BBs are powerful weapons, but air power rules the seas. Look what happened to Yamato, and she was one big, mean mofo.

Oh you mean how she took about 30 bombs and 20 torpedoes before sinking?

If the US didn't have air superiority and only some of those attack planes made it to their target things could have been different.

A Battleship-Carrier force properly used can be a lot more dangerous than a carrier only force.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Oh you mean how she took about 30 bombs and 20 torpedoes before sinking?

And sank no ships in return, yes that's the one.

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer427

I picked it on the idea that I am not constrained by the same economical problems that germany had in WWII.

Germany had a fearsome set of ships, but her admirals (and Hitler) were so afraid to use them (rightly so, because they didn't really have the ability to make more,) that they never left port, and got bombed there, or when they did leave port they got swiftly outnumbered and destroyed by the allies.

So I picked germany because, in my little country, I would have had enough metal for 6 Bismarck-class, a handful of Hippers (cute little rhyme innit?) and enough destroyers and auxillaries to guard them all.

I'm sure somebody will come along and blow huge holes in my ideas.
I will have my grain of salt ready.

Still, japan planned 6 Yamatos
6 yamatos vs 6 bismarks I'd bet on the yamatos

I presume its not SH4, so one sub can't take out 10 battleships

[the_tyrant]

lets see

Infantry: Germany
Best troops, best weapons,

Armour: Germany
Great tanks, short on mechanical reliability though

Air: US
american planes are of great quality, thats for sure
Japanese pilots often used up all their ammo and still fail to destroy a F6F

Navy: Japan
The best battleships, and the best carriers

Morale: Japan
Most determined troops in the war

Propaganda: Germany
So successful that there is a Goebbels' mass media in China

Troop numbers: Soviet & US
Well the soviet union was able to field the most troops, of course US numbers for the navy

Logistics:US
Well the US was able to supply many allied countries with equipment and supplies

Secret weapons:
this is a tough one
Germany had rockets, Japan had bio weapons, Italy had the human torpedo
but still, America had NUKES

[Tchocky]

Infantry - Gurkha

Air Force - Luftwaffe

Attitude - Ireland.


There's a what? What's on? A WAR?! I'm not dressed!

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Artillery-whoever has the biggest gun

Pfft, one track mind.

[tater]

I'm with August since you're talking organizational structure, not just equipment. That means if you pick German armor, you get their logistical train, too. No picking and choosing. Ditto german infantry—crappy logistics.

US tanks were not as good, but they were easy for us to keep running (the fact that most americans were familiar with their own cars or farm vehicles didn't hurt—US car ownership was grossly higher than anywhere else on earth, so the lads all knew about keeping their jalopies running).

[Bilge_Rat]

German 44 armor was not that great operationally. Panthers and Tigers were not very mobile off road, broke down often and the germans did not have dedicated tank movers/recovery vehicles. At Anzio, the Germans assembled a dream team of Tigers, Panthers, etc., but most bogged down or broke down before they reached the front line.

In spring 44 on the Ostfront, there is a story I remember of a Soviet tank division entering a town at the height of the spring thaw. In and around the town, they found 200 abandoned German AFVs, all hopelessly stuck in the mud.

[tater]

Bismark was a POS in reality for WW2. She had the weight per minute of AAA of a USN Fletcher Class or so (and far less effective since the KM had nothing like our 5/38 with VT shells).

She'd have been awesome in WW1.

Yamato was a waste of metal, too. Better to have 3 South Dakotas than 2 Yamatos.

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by tater

Bismark was a POS in reality for WW2. She had the weight per minute of AAA of a USN Fletcher Class or so (and far less effective since the KM had nothing like our 5/38 with VT shells).

She'd have been awesome in WW1.

Yamato was a waste of metal, too. Better to have 3 South Dakotas than 2 Yamatos.

I disagree with you opinion on the Yamato

Japan has less ship manufacturing capability
It couldn't make all those big ships at the same time

[tater]

Originally Posted by the_tyrant

I disagree with you opinion on the Yamato

Japan has less ship manufacturing capability
It couldn't make all those big ships at the same time

Any BBs for the IJN was a waste of metal. One Yamato turret used enough materials to make a large DD, or perhaps 4 Kaibokan.

Given the % of japanese shipping sunk by submarines, 24 more escorts would have been a good investment (and that is just not using the 6 main turrets on 2 BBs!).

You are right regarding large slips for building ships, but the reality is that there was never any reason for large BBs. 4 35k tone CVs also a better idea. The Shokaku Class (probably the best IJN CV) was 25k tons empty. That's 2-3 per Yamato. A whole Kido Butai wasted on 2 ships that did nothing of value. Heck, they did negative value as they tied up units (and crew, and oil, etc) to hang around doing nothing just in case they might be needed.