Comments by "Alex" (@Alex-cw3rz) on "The Drydock - Episode 263" video.

Yeah I agree when you look at the battles in the Spanish American war, gunnery was genuinely embarrassing for both sides, the Spanish only having the excuse of a lack of practice rounds (from my memory). So if the Spanish had good gunnery practice is this imagined scenario, I imagine it could go very different
12
27:13 if Force Z survived as by your video on Force Z, they would have been reinforced by 4 revenge class battleships, a Carrier, 17 cruisers and eventually 2 Nelson class battleships. I think at that point the IJN could not just send the 4 Kongos, in fact the entire pre Yamato force of battleships and battlecruisers would fail against that force. And if Force Z survived 88 land based aircraft well known for their anti-ship ability, sending only part of the Kidō Butai against a much larger force. That as Operation Halberd showed a much smaller force was able to brush away 130 land based aircraft with a lot of experience. This would not go well at all for Japan.
9
If Force Z survived 88 land based aircraft that were well known for their anti-ship ability. I don't think it would be very wise sending part of the Kidō Butai after them espcially with their reinforced force. Which as per your video on Force Z would have been 4 revenge class, 1 carrier, 17 cruisers and 2 Nelson Class battleships, as shown by the Halberd Convoy that's a good way to lose lots of airmen for nothing and that was against 130 Land based aircraft that were very experienced.
8
@warwatcher91 yeah this plan was made in 1941. When this would have been done it would leave 2/3 King George V, 4 QE's, HMS Renown. 5 fleet Carriers, about 50+ Cruisers with more coming online, all in the med, Atlantic and Home waters.
3
If Force Z could survive 88 land based aircraft which were well-known for their anti-ship capability. Let alone the reinforcements for Force Z which was to be 4 Revenge class, 1 Carrier, 17 Cruisers, and eventually the 2 Nelson Class battleships. Sending the Kidō Butai in would probably been a good way to lose most of the Kidō Butai. It would probably turn into an Operation Halberd but the Japanese in the place of the Italians, if the Japanese do not send in the entire Kidō Butai. On surface ship front The entire pre Yamato Battleships and Battlecruisers could not take on this force.
2
@bkjeong4302 you wouldn't lose it all of course but you would have high loses. Apart from as you said the night fighting and with a much larger Royal navy force they may find the carriers at night and go Cape Matapan on them, as Summerville almost did historically with the Revenge class. The number of aircraft lost and damaged would be rather high for the Kido Butai from anti-aircraft and fighters from the Carrier, the Kido Butai will lose at least a fleet Carriers entire worth of aircraft and aircrew, with a huge number damaged and with the two anti-aircraft gods of Hms Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse that they would have to have been to survive 88 land based aircraft. That could be another Carriers worth of aircraft lost and damaged to those two alone. Then we have the counter attack from the Royal Navy force which as you say would probably come at night and if it finds the Japanese force that will be devastating. If it doesn't then nothing happens. Those ships were what was earmarked during 1941 with the Italians strength in the Med. For example all the Revenges and a Carrier in the end did come down to the Indian Ocean, not sure how many of the Cruisers did. The Nelsons didn't and this is because without Repulse and Prince of Wales, they couldn't do what they originally wanted which was to be an offensive force in the region.
1