Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:52:22-2:53:06

Would the US Navy build battlecruiser-carrier task groups?

A Royal Navy carrier victory encourages the United States to combine fast battlecruisers and carriers rather than rely on a slow standard battle line.

BattlecruisersCarrier GroupsFast Task ForcesLexington Class BattlecruisersUS Navy
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Question

How would the US Navy respond to the demonstrated threat of carrier strikes against ports?

Short answer

The Navy might complete Lexington-class battlecruisers and pair fast capital ships with carriers as the ideal task group, while also improving base defence.

Notes

The proposed response includes completing Lexington-class battlecruisers and pairing them with carriers. Beatty's eventual succession to Jellicoe is one reason offered for imagining that combination as an influential model. Fast gunships and carriers could become the preferred partnership for task-group operations. This remains a possible development within the counterfactual, alongside renewed attention to base defence.