OT Debate: If you were karl Donitz ....

[sandbag69]

Originally Posted by STEED

If Donitz had won, what rot. May I remind you using Donitz own words, the war came six years to early for the Kriegsmarine.

"Six years to early".....sounds like the words of a man covering up his own inadequacies

By 1945 Britain would have had better Ships and sensors to fight not just the U-Boat but the Z-Plan ships also.
HMS Vanguard would have sunk the Bismark and Tirpitz no problem. KGV class ships were merely a stop gap until the Lion Class was built. Even then the KGV Class had better armour protection than Bismark and the 14inch guns were more accurate. Combine them with better British Radar and you have a winner.


As for the TypeXX1 U-Boat....was apparently not as good as has been made out. Its technology was never proven in battle and may have been a waste of resources. Looked good though.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by sandbag69

"Six years to early".....sounds like the words of a man covering up his own inadequacies

Far from it, don't forget the Kriegsmarine always came third for materials and they gave it there best shot.

[sandbag69]

I doubt he was complaining during the "happy Times".

[STEED]

Originally Posted by sandbag69

I doubt he was complaining during the "happy Times".

That's because the Allied convoy system had not been perfected.

[sandbag69]

Originally Posted by STEED

That's because the Allied convoy system had not been perfected.

Took until Mid 1943 to perfect ASW tactics. He had the time and resources to blockade Britain but failed miserably.

He only had to reduce Britain's imports to a ceratin level for a coupel of months and the game would have been up.

[Jimbuna]

The merchant navy never lost any more than 2-3% of there vessels....ships were taken 'under ownership' from other countries and new vessels built which almost always meant that losses were replaced quicker than they could be sunk

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

The merchant navy never lost any more than 2-3% of there vessels....ships were taken 'under ownership' from other countries and new vessels built which almost always meant that losses were replaced quicker than they could be sunk

I'll try to remember to look in Battle Of The Atlantic tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure that new merchant aquisition didn't come close to equalling losses until late 1943. Even Churchill felt that if the Americans didn't help soon with construction that Britain might starve.

If Doenitz had had as many u-boats as he wanted it could have made a difference.

[CaptainAsh]

I would have kept three styles of submarine warfare :

The wolves packs

First of all I would have set a complete different communication system. With only one way long distance communication, from BdU to u-boat. It was almost useless for BdU to get repport from the wolves but really dangerous for the wolves to give them.
I would have work on a special sub model to work as sub BdU on the wolves pack level. Each wolves would have been asked to make repport on a short communication radio to the special sub every 2 days and the special sub could have send grouped pack's repport to BdU. As this sub would have been nothing more than a mobile radio station, my priority would have been to make it as sneaky as possible... forget about offensive potential.

The suppressing warfare

I would have had a fleet of sub with minelaying capacity with the only mission to set mines on every port when it's possible (maybe 10 modified type VII).
I would have had a heavy mining campaing into the med, not to suppress the ennemy's port but to make any landing on europe by med hazardous even before the troops landing.

The long course warfare

Donitz dislike the type IX and the way it was use to hunt solitary ship. I would have use them on a specific hunt. Tanker on the other side of the ocean without any communication from the sub. No repport before the journey back.