The problem is the Two Ocean Navy Act wasn't passed until 1940.  There is no building or planning to build in 1938.  And the USN did not know of the Yamato class.

 

I'm not sure that 25 knot carriers are something the USN wants, any way.  The carriers need to move together and the class is too slow to keep up with the rest of the CV's.

 

Finally there aren't enough aircraft to man the fleet you propose.  In 1941, with partial mobilization underway the USN had trouble filling out it's Fighting Squadrons and keeping them the something like TO&E strength.  In fact the loss of aircraft carriers made it possible to actually increase the TO&E strength of the Fighting Squadrons to 36 Wildcats.

 

And there isn't likely to be a mobilization much prior tot he one the US undertook in 1939-40.

................the outlines of the mistakes and the Human motives that led to those mistakes become painfully clear when you look at the actual events. Conspiracy nuts just can't get it through their heads that the surprised victim of the disaster is fully aware of the possibility, even plans for the possibility and yet for what seems to be perfectly good reasons to him at the time ignores advice or refuses to implement his own planning to prevent the disaster.

Case in point.

The IJN wargamed Operation MI [the attack on Midway] Admiral Yamaguchi who headed the US "team" clobbered Nagumo's  air staff  and scattered thejm in defeat  with just one "US carrier"  and a ragtag fleet of  escorts plus simulated Midway landbased air.

Yamaguchi [Hiryu] in the wargame accomplished  nowhere near the damage that Spruance did in reality, but then the Japanese didn't properly weight the data as to how ineffective the USNAF at that stage of the war was either. 

Did the Japanese change their plans and adjust for the expected American ambush fleet?

No.

Herald

 

I'm not sure the IJN would have changed their plans even if they new Halsey was not in command.  Spruance was an unknown factor but to me more importantly the IJN typically in WW2 planned its actions with the enemy doing what they (IJN) thought it would do in their place. 

 

To the Midway example.  I beleive the wargame judges performed a "do-over" on the wargame exercise and reversed the damages to the carriers allowing the IJN the eventual victory.  In this scenario, did not Yamaguchi attack from the SouthEast?  Genda later admitted that the IJN was suffering from "victory disease" which had bred over optimism.  They simply could not fathom any way they could lose.

 

I think the IJN did make some modifications to their plans as a weak gesture to the wargaming outcome.  I thought the flotilla of screening subs was added to warn of an early USN carrier departure from Pearl late in the operational planning.  And of course they screwed that up but again were they not worried.  They fully expected the USN to be at Pearl when they struck Midway because that's what they would be doing.

Genda actually criticized the umpire's rulings. There is a rumor that we ourselves did much the same thing in Exercise Millennium Challenge 2000

 

Any way sorry Herald we don't get to re-write history in the large scale.  The 2 Ocean Act passed when it did, we don't get to pass a Naval Build-Up in 1934.  The Two Ocean Act passed because the onset of the Second World War and the Fall of France, as well as a desire to stimulate the US economy.  So, the Navy isn't getting any bigger in 1934.  As to 3,000 A/C being AUTHORIZED, that's nice but not possible unless the US has undertaken a very large rearmament and that wasn't underway for another year.  If you're going to start talking about "Might Have Beens" you might as well start talking about "What if Eleanor Roosevelt could fly?"  The reality is that the US did not begin to re-arm until the British and French began to re-arm and shop for arms in the US, and the US did not get serious about rearmament until the outbreak of war and then the Fall of France.  The force structure is pretty much set in stone, no 3,000 a/c and no CV's based on Liners, at least in 1938.  Finally I don't think the conversions would have been as useful as you think.  Generally converted CV's did not perform that well.  Sara and Lex were converted on the shipbuilding ways, not afterwords.  I think you're proposed conversions would not only not have been created, but had they been created they would have been rapidly relegated to being large CVE's, not major combatants.

 

As to CVE's and CV's at 25 knots...the President Class would have NOT been CVE's...they would have been Fleet Carriers, or we are wasting time.  The CVE's did not operate with the Fleet Carriers, but as a supplement to them, aircraft ferries, and ASW and CAS at the beach head.  Your proposed vessels were too big, to be CVE's but too slow to be CV's.  Sorry, but the comment about CVE's is a non-sequitur.

1) The Junyo's did not perform well for the Japanese.  They were not particularly fast and because they were conversions, they were not able to carry a large aircraft component, 24 fighters and nine dive bombers.  Their combat performance was not that good.  Which would add evidence to my assertion that the Presidents would have been equally disappointing.

 

2) The CVEs did not fight WITH the CV's at Samar, they fought in LIEU of the CV's at Samar.  Or more aptly they fled for their lives off of Samar.  The Taffies achieved nothing, in regards to actual physical damage to Kurita's force.  I say that not to denigrate their bravery, but as a simple discussion of fact.  Had Kurita continued on he would have destroyed them and then been in amongst the transports.  But they did not operate with CV's and operated apart from the CV's due to their speed differences, aircraft wing differences, and doctrinal differences.  CVE's provided beachhead CAP, ASW, and CAS.  The Fleet carriers were there to destroy the Japanese fleet and provide sea control missions.

 

3) Thirdly you might want to examine your argumentation style.  If it is your plan to enrage your opponent with dismissive comments, it's not working here...spent too long in church and 12 Step work to allow you to live rent free in my head, like that.  In fact, I must say I feel sorry for you that your arrogance, and rage seems to be manifest in this manner.  And unless it's some Bobby Fisher-esque way of getting inside your opponent's "head" well then it's very sad and I pity you.  A person shouldn't be so angry and needful of being "right" all the time.  It bespeaks of some very deep and powerful issues in your psyche that need some attention. 

 

Please note that Christ or the Buddha, both enlightened men, both with powerful intellects and great hearts never found the need to denigrate, even though they had the Path to Salvation/Enlightenment.  With them as our examples, we might learn humility and come to see that this board can be a place where we learn, where we disagree and where we grow, both intellectually and emotionally.  You may continue with your spite-fests if you wish I shall try to remain more calm and hopefully learn from you, both in the head and in the heart.  I certainly hope you can learn....because otherwise I thnk your anger is going to lead to your suspension from here, one day.  And then, without the forum to demonstrate your "superiority" what will you do?  Take this opportunity to learn, from others and about yourself.