Comments by "Steve Valley" (@stevevalley7835) on "The Drydock - Episode 108" video.

  1. There is a sequence in the film "The Bridges at Toko Ri" that show the ship being turned by thrust from aircraft lined up on deck.
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  2. I'll add that my nightmare scenario is the IJN converting the Kongos to carriers, due to their thin armor and vulnerability in a gun fight, just before going after the US, and doing it so quickly that the USN could not build carriers from the keel up fast enough to respond. So, instead of IJN fleet carriers outnumbering the USN 6 to 5, the IJN would hold a 10 to 5 superiority on Dec 7th. That would mean the actions the Kongos participated in, and were lost, would, instead see Nagatos or Ises. Nagatos could top 26kts and the Ises were juiced up when modernized to make 25, so they are considerably faster than a USN standard or an R-class.
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  3.  @coyotehater  If I were Tojo, I would refrain from irritating the Brits and Americans, when I would receive their full attention in return. Attacking the French or Dutch colonies would probably bring the Brits in too. Japan had invaded China in 37, so that operation could keep them entertained. by itself. That being said, if I were Tojo, I would start a covert propaganda campaign in the US to turn US opinion against hanging on to the Philippines, combined with some astroturf demonstrations in the Philippines to make hanging on to the islands more expensive for the US. When the Germans finally get it in gear, I would not attack Pearl, as that would make Americans really mad. Now that the propaganda campaign has had time to work to loosen the US' grip on the Philippines, I would push harder for US withdrawal from the islands. If the US still doesn't leave, then offer an ultimatum to either withdraw or be removed forcibly. If the US pulls out, fine. If the US sends the Pacific Fleet plodding over to defend the islands, that's good too, because that presents the opportunity to decisively defeat the US Fleet in deep water and far from their repair facilities.
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  4.  @ibbi32  I doubt that a Konig would be converted, because it's slow. Maximizing wind over the deck makes for safer air ops, so speed is particularly desirable in carriers. As for cost to convert a complete, serving, capital ship to a carrier, as an example, Courageous and Glorious cost about 2M Pounds each to convert to carriers, while Ark Royal, of about the same displacement, cost 3M Pounds to build from the keel up. The USN's analysis was in the same neighborhood, it was somewhat less expensive to convert the existing, incomplete, Lexingtons to carriers, than to build a carrier from the keel up, but I don't have those figures at my fingertips. The next factor to consider is efficiency as a carrier. According to Wiki, the Courageous could carry 48 aircraft, while Ark Royal could carry 72, in theory, but more like 50-60 in reality, on the same displacement. The difference between Lexington and Yorktown, in terns of efficiency as a carrier is much greater. Again, using Wiki's numbers, Lexington (CV-2) could carry 78, while Yorktown (CV-5) could carry 90, on a third less displacement. Even the little Ranger had a larger hangar than Lexington. I put a lot of this inefficiency of the Lexington down to the US' lack of experience with carriers when the Lexington's conversion was designed, while, buy the time Courageous and Glorious were converted, the RN had been running serious carriers for several years. The other factor to consider is time. Courageous and Glorious took an inordinate amount of time to convert. Both started conversion in 24. One did not complete until 28 and the other 30, while Ark Royal only required a little over 3 years from keel laying to commission. The slow pace of the conversions may have been a matter of labor strikes or lack of enthusiasm on the part of the RN, but that is only my theory. When the Courageous and Glorious were taken in hand for conversion the RN was under pressure from the Washington Treaty, to reduce BB tonnage, so they could have officially started the conversion process before the RN was really ready.
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  5.  @ibbi32  it was easy. I had already looked at such questions on my own, so, what information I didn't remember, I knew where to look up.
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  6.  @kemarisite  I had not known that. Thanks! Doing a bit of reading, i find the Tydings-McDuffie Act made the new Philippine constitution subject to US approval and left defense and foreign affairs in the hands of the US until 45. Any propagandist worth his salt could still stir up doubts the US would make good on independence and agitate for complete Philippine independence immediately, without asking "permission" from the US. If that doesn't work, go ahead and invade, without hitting Pearl, and suck the Pacific fleet into coming to the Philippine's defense, so it can be destroyed in a decisive battle.
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