What happens if, after the treaties dissolve in 1936, Britain and America each receive fully supplied new cruisers equal in tonnage to all Liberty ships?
Short answerThey gain triple-digit cruiser forces and can solve most operational problems through overwhelming local concentration of ships, guns, and torpedoes.
NotesAfter the treaties collapse in 1936, the scenario gives Britain and the United States separate fleets of fully supplied new cruisers, each equal in tonnage to the Liberty ships. Triple-digit cruiser numbers would let commanders send a dozen or more hulls against problems normally met by a small force. In the Denmark Strait example, two dozen cruisers would overwhelm Bismarck despite her ability to defeat individual opponents. Their combined gunfire and a notional salvo of 192 torpedoes would make the local concentration decisive. Losses would still matter, but the proposed response to losing four cruisers is to send a larger force next time.