Bruships(New Years Eve): Naval History Questions answered till the Bru runs out!

Cossack's original pennant was L03, before the more familiar F03 and G03 numbers.

HMS Seahorse was the intended name, with HMS Ocean another possible choice.

The sloops would be more valuable because they could materially reduce early Battle of the Atlantic losses.

Incomplete German carrier projects are difficult to compare because surviving detail is sparse and much of the usable technical record rests on a small source base.

Codrington might adapt to a Cold War navy, but Bligh was too much a creature of his own command environment.

Possibly later, but it would probably continue using names from peoples across the empire first.

It considered the idea, including an HMS Eagle conversion, but judged other capabilities more useful.

The American government is the most disappointing because the United States had the best starting position to avoid its problems.

Very quickly, because radar, extended gun range, and carrier aircraft would give the British overwhelming information and striking advantages.

The 1930 cruiser treaty would change, and Japan might have to choose between the Yamatos and enough cruisers to match Anglo-American strength.

She could probably operate Harriers and helicopters after a rapid ski-jump and communications refit.

It would concentrate money and manpower on the carrier projects nearest completion to bring them into service sooner.

No; Germany needed roughly five or six times as many long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft instead.

Too many specialized systems consumed weight and support capacity that simpler general-purpose equipment could have used more efficiently.

It might scout briefly, but radio direction finding and fighter attack would make the slow, low-capacity airship too vulnerable.

More than likely. County-class cruisers should also have accompanied the historical force.

There is no clean first class because the term and the frigate-built hull form evolved gradually, with important Dutch roots.

Japanese cruisers would retain an advantage, but the Tribals would hit them with much more shellfire; no exact survival time is given.

Bofors would tend toward cruiser and destroyer pickets, while pom-poms would provide dense close defense for carriers, capital ships, and smaller vessels.

Sheffield is tentatively accepted as a leading candidate, but the comparison is made from memory.

No; Britain retained a strong navy for its own global commitments, while American demobilization and later British decline shifted the burden over time.

British layouts change substantially, while American designers are likely to answer with still heavier gun batteries.

Knowledge of mature radar would help accelerate existing research, while working gas turbines supplied early enough could open a new propulsion path.

The reply associates circular searching with the Jutland runs south and north and other occasions, without locating a precise manoeuvre.

Britain would probably send several battlecruisers and might also seek Japanese Kongo-class support.

It could, but there was no sound reason to make torpedoes a primary feature of a battlecruiser.

Probably, although the reply does not specify how many ships would remain or in what status.

Start with Norman Friedman, a study of the Tenth Submarine Flotilla at Malta, and Periscope Patrol. The requested top-five list is not supplied.

It had some successes, but frequent British code changes and weaker intelligence access prevented sustained exploitation.

Their size made them poor torpedo targets, they were dangerous to engage on the surface, and they were well suited to local waters.

The larger French carriers would carry many more Harriers and helicopters and could probably embark Chinooks as well.

A Constellation-class frigate or Type 31 is suggested as a suitable next step, if available.

Their unusual flight profile might complicate interception, with a particularly plausible role against helicopters.

It did not reject it outright; existing pom-pom production and late availability governed the transition.

Vanguard was the most powerful commissioned ship, Queen Elizabeth was most impressive for her time, and Lion would probably have been stronger if built.

No; Japan had its own long submarine-development tradition and did not merely adopt German methods.

Theoretically yes, but the resulting risk to the force is judged too great.

The raid still succeeds broadly as it did historically because American unpreparedness prevents the improved force from using its advantages.

No; it would make the danger visible, but later navies would believe improved defenses had answered it.

Age-of-sail brigs, because these small, modestly armed ships performed much of the work credited to frigates.

Treaty limits constrained the response, while greater speed offered a way to avoid an unfavourable encounter.

Because sufficiently specialized conversions could require so much reconstruction that a purpose-built auxiliary was cheaper and more effective.

A quadruple Bofors would be acceptable; developing the newer weapon is preferred to rebuilding the old pom-pom concept.

About the same, because its slightly longer range is balanced against the rate-of-fire difference.

Force Z was worse because its two capital ships were lost through an avoidable strategic deployment with less excuse.

Probably Littorio, because she performed her intended role well.

The American war effort is expected to continue on broadly the same policy.

A British-built fast ship with three twin 14-inch King George V turrets would be a plausible option.

Spain might win because Japan had not yet reached the naval strength it displayed later in the 1890s.

At least two appear to have entered initial construction, though the exact status of all four remains debated.

Possibly: larger 13.5-inch triple mountings could permit a later 14-inch rearmament, and larger ships would change the treaty baseline.

Its turrets and superstructure must change, with a more solid structure needed to withstand the larger gun's reverberation.

The French navy might last only about six weeks, while the wider war would turn on colonies and possible German involvement.

It stores more ammunition in the same space, fires faster, and needs smaller shell-handling machinery.

The twelve-gun version is judged most likely, although the nine-gun version would be easier to build.

It lacked the critical mass because destroyer construction never received enough investment.

They would put up about three times as much anti-aircraft fire, though Japanese pilots could still do well.

They would be quieter and more capable, but their lack of deck guns would force them to spend torpedoes on every kill.

Minelaying is the proposed use.

The Suez Crisis is the example selected.

A 1930 delivery would give Britain time to reverse-engineer the weapons and field new rockets during World War II; a delivery too late would change little.

Only broadly: both were carrier strikes on harbors, but their air groups and attack profiles were very different.

Only a limited number could be diverted because they remained vital freight carriers, though some mounted searchlights and anti-aircraft guns.

Probably the Imperial Japanese Navy, because the other two services did not like the weapon.

It would resemble a Fort-class support ship with more cranes and equipment for reloading systems such as VLS cells.

Yes. Britain could redirect some debt-repayment expenditure and draw on the extensive shipbuilding capacity still available in the early 1920s.

Technology and requirements had changed, and Lion was being designed as a battleship rather than as a G3 battlecruiser.

They ate much canned meat and vegetables. Conditions were fairly decent for submarines of the time, although still hot, humid, and smelly.

It would strengthen the aircraft and improve pilot protection.

Yacht stern or rounded stern are the terms offered, depending on usage.

Create training and shore posts and arrange merchant-navy exchanges that keep more personnel employed and at sea.

Yes; it studied 9.2-inch cruisers, but World War II began before they could be built.

Far fewer German ships would return to Wilhelmshaven, leaving no plausible claim of a German victory.

The 24.5-inch torpedoes could steer through a limited angle after launch, allowing the fixed installation to aim at a target.

Probably, because British yards had spare capacity and would welcome a foreign order that helped support their infrastructure.

She could serve against Japan before becoming a likely Soviet prize, potentially leaving Giulio Cesare in Italy.

They were fully functional, with no rate restriction identified, although they were not considered good turret designs.

Hawaii could become an independent Commonwealth country, while the United States develops Midway or another base in its place.

They would probably support the large Malta convoy operations in the Mediterranean.

Ships escaping to Britain could join its fleet, those in the Far East could reinforce Force Z, and an unfinished hull in a British yard might become a carrier.

Remove the guns and armor, use magazine spaces for fuel, build dry-storage volume above them, and retain the fast machinery.

The Francesco Caracciolo class is identified as the response, arriving on Italy's own construction timetable.

Her survival was credible because the crew performed exceptionally effective damage control.

It could evacuate troops and equipment efficiently, then would probably be flooded to prevent a German invasion route.

Start with a book worth arguing with and let its claims generate focused questions and source searches.

Yes, but only if the government used public money to underwrite privately owned yards during the construction pause.

It would give the US Navy a durable high-end cruiser force for carrier escort and independent presence missions.

They were useful in their own period, when a 10-inch gun could be the largest practical weapon available.

It would need many more ships, with the Caribbean becoming the principal naval flashpoint.

Designers used the best guns available at each point, while Congress repeatedly shaped the resulting programs.

That is accepted as a reasonable rule of thumb.

Prioritize completing carriers because Britain cannot quickly replace their flight decks and ocean-search capability.

Reginald McKenna would probably remain First Lord, with Edward Grey or the Earl of Crewe as less likely alternatives.

A 4.5-inch or 5-inch gun is preferred for supporting troops ashore, although smaller guns can serve limited bombardment missions.

It would preserve industrial capacity and could allow more ships to be built.

Probably France, given the extent of its cruiser construction.

Both: the navy already knew the design was dangerous, while the loss demonstrated the cost of failing to overcome political influence.

The US Navy would split between oceans, Britain would emphasize Gibraltar and overland imperial routes, and pressure to build Suez would remain enormous.

More and newer armored cruisers would be available in 1914, potentially changing encounters such as Coronel.

A significant tacit share, because British enforcement of the same strategic outcome served Britain's own interests.

They demonstrated the need for numbers, while each successive class carried lessons from its predecessors.

Both services face legislative control, although their institutional relationships and procedures differ.

They could allow periodic construction quotas tied to the treaty ratios, preserving both limits and shipbuilding capacity.

Not by themselves: manual shell handling favored 6 inches, while First Lord and First Sea Lord preferences helped select 7.5 and 9.2 inches.

It could obtain close wartime cooperation and favorable deals while its fleet transformed the Mediterranean balance without the historical sanctions crisis.

The preferred solution is to retain Cradock and give him battlecruisers.

It would need modification. Different methods were probably used to provide stability in the later aircraft.

Fisher would likely have another major confrontation later, possibly taking other senior figures with him.

Those differences are treated as sufficient: the 6-inch gun fired faster, while the 8-inch gun delivered a heavier shell.

France drove its construction to offset British power and reach toward India, but Britain later bought control and used the route itself.

Sixteen and a half inches remains the practical choice because 18-inch and larger weapons lose too much rate of fire and handling efficiency.

Responses would vary, with Germany unlikely to adopt triples until considerably later.

Possibly in an earlier battlecruiser experiment, but the Queen Elizabeths were the earliest practical program.

The December 2023 prediction is that some attacks would get through, causing damage and pressure for offensive action.

The battery cannot fit a balanced 10,000-ton hull; the design must be overweight or severely compromised.

Britain would welcome the Japanese fleet, whose Mediterranean deployment could deter Italy or make its naval position much worse.

Yes, but the real design problem is how many can fit and what capabilities remain within the same hull.

The army could fight in North Africa after an armour upgrade, aircraft could support that campaign, and ships could reinforce the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

No. Britain welcomed their construction and preferred others to meet the cost.

Earlier US entry would add Allied manpower and production. The answer develops the World War II possibilities of earlier deployments to France and French North Africa.

It wanted their agreement but did not expect to obtain it.

Europe would gain new long-range attacks, while the Pacific war effort would slow.

They could simply be called the forward turret and aft turret.

Perhaps for World War II, but the Revenge class was more useful for the First World War the navy was then fighting.

That is judged impractical: the turret and its supporting installation are too large and costly to treat as a simple later addition.

They were useful and did the jobs Britain needed, making the agreement worthwhile.

The suggested explanation is that she was small enough to pass unnoticed.

It could build super-sized destroyers or retain existing dimensions and gain much stronger structures.

Extremely large; three or four triple 12-inch turrets are judged an easier design choice.

Only slightly, because three-gun salvos would help ranging; a Renown-type ship is still preferred.

Very strongly; the actual loss of Hood depended on an extraordinarily lucky hit.

Possibly, but the proposed meeting requires an extended route and unusual movements by both ships.

The all-forward arrangement is judged slightly more useful.

The Halifax class, because it is well suited to Canada's naval requirements.

Circuits are common, and designated staff aboard make sure sailors complete the exercises.

Probably, according to the brief assessment.

They offered wider operational lessons, with Renown linked to the development of the battlecruiser idea.

Britain planned to advance through a chain of Asian seas and bases rather than cross the central Pacific from east to west.

Stress the age of the fleet and Britain's unique need to cover the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific.

The US fleet shifts toward the Atlantic, changing capital-ship deployments and potentially reducing Pearl Harbor's value as a target.

Yes. The propulsion choice would need a corresponding support system overseas.

Concentrate T-class boats near a port or channel where the carrier's movement is predictable and ambush it there.

The alliance would speed victory in the Mediterranean and North Africa, and the United States would face strong pressure to enter before losing influence.

It would drive a major reassessment of coastal defense and likely strengthen Coast Guard short-range forces.

Canada would have a much stronger navy, with a Red Sea deployment considered likely in the December 2023 scenario.

Club swingers is the naval term; beaters may be older Royal Marines wording connected with beating up for the Commando Course.

They were no longer the best use of available funds compared with newer priorities.

Yes; Duplex Drive Shermans and other amphibious vehicles formed part of the equipment known as Hobart's Funnies.

No; a suitable 9.2-inch gun was becoming available at the relevant time.

The preference is to argue for F3 and the 15-inch/50 gun because the gun and turret work could also improve existing ships.

HMS Resolution is a strong candidate because even people familiar with the R class often overlook her despite the name's distinguished history.

They would be useful, and Britain could supply or retrofit Asdic so the ships could join Allied anti-submarine operations.

He thought better ships were available and wanted to save the resources tied up in obsolete vessels.

Often both the propellant composition and the number of powder bags change.

Increase sea time, training, and ship numbers, though the French system makes success before 1805 unlikely.

It judged them against contemporary threats and also had other vessels available.

Britain would preserve more maritime industrial capacity and build substantially more ships when rearmament began.

It expected a successor but had not fixed the design, leaving room for either another 16-inch ship or an 18-inch response to foreign developments.

No. The suggested preference was closer to forty of each type, driven by requirements rather than a fixed replacement ratio.

Strengthen port defenses and garrisons, stockpile supplies, and acquire more capable long-range ships.

European and Roman history, transport networks, settlement, and even the world's fresh-water balance would change profoundly.

The account describes mutual respect expressed through teasing and practical jokes.

Probably not, because treaty rules created the need for that distinct classification.

The proposed pair is light cruiser for the later heavy-cruiser type and scout cruiser for the smaller category.

It becomes a powerful but fiercely contested air and naval base, altering North Sea operations and the Norwegian campaign.

Larger hunting groups would make raiding much harder. Harwood could have six cruisers at the River Plate, enough in this assessment to prevent Graf Spee from escaping.

Act while Hitler was still vulnerable, control who was blamed, exploit the resulting factional struggle, and manage the succession.

Britain would have enough fuel to support itself, dramatically changing both world wars.

Teak, because it was strong and hard wearing.

An anecdote describes painting the Parachute Regiment's name under boats so it would be visible if one capsized.

Possible choices are 4.7, 5, or 5.5 inches.

Occasionally, although they were not normally part of the ships' crews.

Not on the open sea; only a concentrated ambush in confined waters offered a plausible chance, and Warrior need not enter them.

The advertisements use a longstanding appeal to a distinctive state of mind. In the December 2023 comparison, the corps attracts more applicants than it needs.

Preserve Reginald Henderson, Roger Backhouse, and Christopher Cradock; remove David Beatty, Lord Sempill, and Arthur Henderson.

Probably not; no further tactical explanation is offered.

Yes, although the reply does not identify particular design changes.

They show a globally oriented fleet matching each ship category to different opponents and operational demands.

Torpedo craft and the destroyers built to counter them would appear and grow larger much earlier.

James O. Richardson was the most capable alternative, though Roosevelt would face a major argument with him.

It would aim to have a disposal plan, with the facilities possibly located in India.

The US Navy has comparable administrators, but Royal Navy culture gives writers a particularly feared and influential reputation.

An earlier passage could let Britain establish itself there before the United States.

The same distinction could apply: having a plan does not ensure that disposal facilities are ready in practice.

Show that the RAF's Far Eastern plans would delay carrier air groups by using the carriers to transport RAF aircraft first, requiring a return journey to collect naval aircraft.

The Courageous class and Furious are the choices. HMS Captain is excluded from the wartime comparison because she was built in peacetime.

It would have created more contacts and goodwill, without a wider political outcome being specified.

The scarce carrier was the most important strategic loss, experienced crew came next, and the aircraft were comparatively easy to replace.

Type 45 crews moved firefighting equipment that designers had placed behind doors, showing how a logical drawing-board arrangement could obstruct access in real shipboard movement.

Yes; the guns and turret designs existed, although arranging six mounts would complicate the ship.

Yes, but it needed more cruisers overall and was already building as many as constraints allowed.

Probably; the same broad trend is expected to reach protected cruisers.

Probably not, given her condition, although the recollection is uncertain.

It could offer new propulsion options if it supplied enough power, but the proposed RTG's practicality is questioned.

It did not; Germany lacked the construction capacity for a meaningful counterpart.

Not greatly, with Vindictive's limited use offered as the comparison.

The Royal Navy needed a suitable carrier such as CVA-01. No firm RAF recommendation is given without considering alternative aircraft.

It valued the gun relatively little and adopted it chiefly because treaty limits made 8 inches the relevant cruiser calibre.

Very likely, because triples add firepower efficiently within treaty tonnage limits.

No single admiral is selected. Yamamoto, Cunningham, Nimitz, and Noble made different contributions to their campaigns and coalitions.

The light fleet carrier, which can approach fleet-carrier capability without the same size and expense.

Very quickly, because better arcs and more effective guns would also improve the path toward anti-aircraft defense.

Beatty replaces Byng, Byng replaces Collingwood, and Collingwood replaces Beatty.

The navy had a vast existing force and supply system to support, making rapid standardization expensive and disruptive.

He would probably maintain the distant blockade because Jellicoe's strategic approach was already correct.