Q&A · 3:35:54-3:41:13

One bomb at Jutland and Taranto

A single-weapon counterfactual traces how removing a flagship at Jutland or an Italian battleship at Taranto could propagate across entire theaters.

Question

Where would one time-traveling 1,000-pound armor-piercing bomb have the greatest naval effect in each world war?

Short answer

For the First World War, strike Admiral Scheer's flagship as the fleets meet at Jutland; for the Second, disable Vittorio Veneto at Taranto to weaken Italy and release British strength for the Far East.

Notes

At Jutland, killing German command at the decisive moment could turn the battle into a British victory, open the Baltic, and cut Germany off from critical imports. At Taranto, a direct hit into Vittorio Veneto's machinery would leave the Italian fleet too weak to contest later operations on the same terms. The released Royal Navy units could then reinforce Force Z and complicate Japan's advance toward Malaya and the Dutch East Indies.