Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:00:47-2:02:03

Could a mass of sloops threaten a battleship?

Treaty-free sloop construction strengthened convoy and anti-submarine forces, not the battle line, because four-inch escort guns could not challenge a capital ship.

Anti-Submarine WarfareCapital ShipsConvoy EscortSloopsWashington Naval Treaty
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

Could large numbers of sloops have threatened enemy capital ships?

Short answer

No. Their four-inch guns were unsuitable against battleships; their real value was anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort, and merchant-raider defense.

Notes

A mass of escorts could not substitute for a battle fleet. A battleship placed among four-inch-gunned sloops would destroy them because the smaller ships lacked the weapons, protection, and purpose for capital-ship combat. Their value lay in anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort, and action against converted merchant raiders. Failing to build enough sloops was therefore a mistake: the type already existed, Washington left construction open, and a program begun in the 1920s could continue under the later London rules.