WW2 Wasteful operations

[Kapitan]

Could have done the same job at night as the RAF did.
would have saved alot of men

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

Could have done the same job at night as the RAF did.
would have saved alot of men

Not necessarily remember the Luftwaffe’s air defenses were all geared towards night attackers. When the USAAF began daylight bombing all the Luftwaffe’s Bf109s and Fw190s that were needed for offensive operations (Guarding the bombers and CAS aircraft) were suddenly relegated to defending Berlin. So no they could not have bottled up the Luftwaffe’s daylight fighters with nighttime raids.

If the germans had done that then they could have based FW200 condors and other long range bombers there and bombed the east coast.

Don't forget their was a large USN force based on the east coast just for something like this (centered around the USS Wasp CV-7 and several Battleships) I think that any Caribbean Island invaded would have been subject to massive USAAF and USN attack from Carrier planes and land based bombers followed by the USMC.

[Kapitan]

More than likely but the germans showed that blitzkrieg can destroy a country in mere weeks even the french lost within weeks.

So what chance has a few battle ships a tinpot carrier a hand ful of planes and marines going to do ?

by the time they re group germany could re fortify that island sending uboat convoys to defend it and supply it.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

So what chance has a few battle ships a tinpot carrier a hand ful of planes and marines going to do ?

A couple of Tinpot Carriers and a hand full Marines held midway! I bet the German Marines (did they even have them) or more likely the German Army never experienced a pounding like the Japanese experienced on some of their island fortresses. The Caribbean is in such a range that US land based bombers could come off the factory lines, get fueled up and bomb them, the Germans have basically nothing to counter them no Fighters with adequate ferry range, no carriers to deliver them, any freighter delivering them would be subject to US submarine and air attack, so no air cover of the island. In other words any Fw-200 bombers would be there undefended.

by the time they re group germany could re fortify that island sending uboat convoys to defend it and supply it.

Then less U-Boats to attack North Atlantic Convoys, also the USN has its own submarines from the East Coast and from the Panama Canal to conduct ASW (yes US Subs did ASW patrols in the Atlantic) around any German island base to cut off supplies.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Another PTO battle.

The Japanese Invason of Kiska and Attu.

I agree. Another wasteful battle was the US-Canadian operation to take 'em back.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

I agree. Another wasteful battle was the US-Canadian operation to take 'em back.

I think that if the USSR allowed us to use Kamchatka to invade the Kurils it would have been worth it as a staging area and bomber base.

[Torplexed]

Yeah...that would have nasty shock to the Japanese.... having us on their northern doorstep. Even with the Kurile Islands lengendary bad weather it would have too close for comfort as a bomber base. Stalin probably figured we wouldn't leave after the war so he would have never agreed. As it was we kept Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands under US administration until 1972.

[Kapitan]

TLAM i dont think russia would have let you use kamchatka seeing as some bombers did land there and in russia, and the soviets took them away for "questioning"

[Torplexed]

Russia did allow the US Eighth Air Force use a quartet of airbases near Poltava in the Ukraine for 'shuttle' bombing missions in 1944.

Using these Ukrainian air bases, 'Operation Frantic' was designed to help deliver the knockout blow to the Nazi war machine while minimizing the severe losses experienced by Allied air forces in daylight bombing campaigns over Germany. In theory, it allowed American bombers to reach targets deeper in Germany, divert Luftwaffe air support away from Normandy, and provide additional cover for battles on the Soviet's western front. American strategists also hoped that the operation would forge closer ties with the USSR and encourage the ever-wary Stalin to allow access to Siberian air bases for use against Japan.

Of course, after the Luftwaffe plastered the American bombers on the ground in a night raid the accusations and recriminations began.

[The Avon Lady]

Operation Flapjack.

[Abraham]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Russia did allow the US Eighth Air Force use a quartet of airbases near Poltava in the Ukraine for 'shuttle' bombing missions in 1944.

Using these Ukrainian air bases, 'Operation Frantic' was designed to help deliver the knockout blow to the Nazi war machine while minimizing the severe losses experienced by Allied air forces in daylight bombing campaigns over Germany. In theory, it allowed American bombers to reach targets deeper in Germany, divert Luftwaffe air support away from Normandy, and provide additional cover for battles on the Soviet's western front. American strategists also hoped that the operation would forge closer ties with the USSR and encourage the ever-wary Stalin to allow access to Siberian air bases for use against Japan.

Of course, after the Luftwaffe plastered the American bombers on the ground in a night raid the accusations and recriminations began.

Interesting story, Torplexed.
I vaguely rememberd some of it but didn't know about the Luftwaffe night raid.

[GunnersMate]

Operation Mercury

[TLAM Strike]

I think we could add the USN's submarine defense of Midway Is. 1 failed attack, 1 aground, the rest just sat back and watched.

[Happy Times]

Winter War. In the 105 day operation to invade Finland, USSR lost 250.000- 500.000 men killed, some 800 planes and over 2000 tanks. Finland lost some 23.000 men.

[TLAM Strike]

The Allied defense of the Indian Ocean and Oceania in WWII. 1 Carrier, 1 Battleship, 1 Battlecruiser, 7 cruisers, 8 destroyers, 1 AMC, 23 merchant and other ships sunk (probaly more that I'm forgetting), Singapore, Malaya and Dutch East Indies captured, with very little damaged done to the Japanese.