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The U.S. Navy’s Big Mistake; Building Tons of Supercarriers
War is Boring ^ | May 27, 2015 | David W. Wise

Posted on 05/28/2015 6:52:21 AM PDT by C19fan

“History,” it has been written, “does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.” Today it’s rhyming with Gen. Billy Mitchell. In the 1920s, Mitchell challenged conventional thinking by advocating air power at sea in the face of a naval establishment dominated by battleship proponents.

The hubris of the “battleship Navy” was such that just nine days before Pearl Harbor, the official program for the 1941 Army-Navy game displayed a full page photograph of the battleship USS Arizona with language virtually extolling its invincibility.

Of course, the reason that no one had yet sunk a battleship from the air — in combat — was that no one had yet tried.

(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: carrier; navy
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To: Bogey78O

During wartime carriers would forgo constant overhaul and the cycles of operations sped up. 10 carriers allows for loses while still providing wartime service in theatre.


21 posted on 05/28/2015 7:16:05 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: skeeter
The Chinese carrier is 60,000 tons and carries 30 aircraft. You are suggesting a ship with half the displacement and twice as many aircraft.

The problem with small deck ships is the ability to generate sorties. Small decks can't conduct strikes and protect themselves at the same time. I won't even get into the speed differential between a small conventional ship and a nuke.

22 posted on 05/28/2015 7:16:17 AM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: KC_Lion; C19fan; GeronL; Army Air Corps; MeganC; Norm Lenhart

Project Habakkuk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Habakkuk


23 posted on 05/28/2015 7:16:22 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://donate.tedcruz.org/c/FBTX0095/)
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To: Army Air Corps; All
Also, carriers do not travel alone. The modern destroyers and frigates provide layered defense and carry more raw firepower than a cruiser from WWII.@

True enough, but it is the sub-surface assets shadowing the carrier groups that provide the true layered defense. For now.
24 posted on 05/28/2015 7:17:18 AM PDT by notdownwidems (Washington DC has become the enemy of free people everywhere)
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To: Scrambler Bob
M4L Battleship

lol, Mate For Life? As in The Show tells it how it is? ;)

25 posted on 05/28/2015 7:17:50 AM PDT by KC_Lion (This Millennial is for Cruz!)
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To: C19fan

Britain’s carriers were essential during the Falklands War, so I would not scrap ours just yet.


26 posted on 05/28/2015 7:18:22 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Jim Noble

Who said a million civilians? It doesn’t have to be a strategic attack.


27 posted on 05/28/2015 7:18:29 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: C19fan

A ChiCom monitor reading this thread would be astonished at the A/C Carrier mentality shown here.


28 posted on 05/28/2015 7:18:36 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Army Air Corps

we need carriers to project strength but the reality of a carrier is all it is , is a Mobil airfield. a carrier is a high valued target easy to take out. we need the carrier but we also need the support fleet that goes with it.


29 posted on 05/28/2015 7:19:30 AM PDT by PCPOET7 (BUT MAK)
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To: notdownwidems

They are part of the total CTF defensive package.


30 posted on 05/28/2015 7:19:37 AM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: C19fan
'Tons of Supercarriers'

Great for nation building, humanitarian aid, and migrant rescue operation. Aka our foreign policy.

31 posted on 05/28/2015 7:20:03 AM PDT by Theoria (I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive)
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To: central_va

I’m not talking overhaul or such. If an enemy gets a lucky hit and disabled a carrier or destroyed it, how fast could we plug the gap?

If this one ship is vital to operations, what will it take and how quickly can we adapt to its loss?


32 posted on 05/28/2015 7:20:30 AM PDT by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: C19fan

The first question a president asks (well, maybe not this one...) when there is an international crisis is “Where are our carriers?”. Bad idea.


33 posted on 05/28/2015 7:21:47 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: C19fan
"...Of course, the reason that no one had yet sunk a battleship from the air — in combat — was that no one had yet tried."

I believe this is incorrect...the RAF had attacked Italian battleships at Taranto prior to Pearl Harbor

34 posted on 05/28/2015 7:23:13 AM PDT by wny
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To: central_va
” ... armchair admirals of Free Republic. Thank God nobody is listening to these lunes.”

My sentiments, as well.

35 posted on 05/28/2015 7:24:02 AM PDT by riverdawg
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To: Bogey78O

You can disable an A/C Carrier with one or two torpedoes. But there are 3,000 guys trying to get the damage under control and back operational. If watertight doors are all shut it is almost impossible to sink one. The question is can air wing bingo to the beach while A/C gets back operational.


36 posted on 05/28/2015 7:24:55 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: skeeter
A good case can be made that we’d be better off with 25 or 30 25000 ton carriers operating 60 aircraft each opposed to 10 supercarriers operating 90.

This is one of the reasons for the navy's requirements for the F35. VTOL means a smaller flight deck and a smaller, less expensive carrier. Of course bringing up the F35 here will open a whole new can of worms on this discussion.

37 posted on 05/28/2015 7:27:45 AM PDT by The_Victor (If all I want is a warm feeling, I should just wet my pants.)
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To: central_va

no, you obviously didn’t read the article. you’ve missed the point completely. they aren’t saying carriers are bad. they are saying building additional and maintaining the existing carriers at the expense of a support fleet is bad. what makes carriers “invincible” is the fleet you surround them with. the navy is cutting production of other ships so they can continue the carrier force at its existing size. dropping the number of support ships makes the carriers vulnerable and ultimately useless because you cant afford to risk them in combat due to their value.


38 posted on 05/28/2015 7:28:36 AM PDT by Shamrock498
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To: Shamrock498

I just read anti carrier jive talk.


39 posted on 05/28/2015 7:29:35 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: PCPOET7
we need the carrier but we also need the support fleet that goes with it.

Indeed.


40 posted on 05/28/2015 7:30:50 AM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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