Q&A ยท 2:15:11-2:15:56

Jet-age crashes and gun capital ships

Even severe carrier-aircraft accidents would leave missiles and financial limits threatening the future of gun capital ships.

Question

If the jet age caused catastrophic fatal failures, especially on carriers, would that prolong battlecruisers and fast battleships into the missile age?

Short answer

Only an extreme level of carrier loss would matter. Even then, missiles and financial limits would remain the deeper threats to gun-based capital ships.

Notes

Only aircraft accidents severe enough to write off carriers would materially extend the life of fast battleships or battlecruisers. Even that would leave the deeper pressures intact. Missiles challenged the gun capital ship directly, while treasury limits made such vessels hard to retain. Aviation failure alone would not preserve their place in the missile age.