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Big boats!


Utah Bob #35998

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They might have caused havoc but I doubt that 8 small airplanes would have caused enough damage to extend the war by one day just by attacking any land location other than Tinian, or the Indianapolis, or any other target involved with The Gadget.

 

Would have made the papers, scared some people but those were not significant aircraft.

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One way rides, I assume.

 

You do have to imagine, however, how much panic and fear an aerial attack on any populated area of the US would have caused. Sometimes, the uncertainty created is more powerful than the actual event.

 

Adds some context to modern nuclear subs equipped with cruise missiles, no?

 

LL

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They might have caused havoc but I doubt that 8 small airplanes would have caused enough damage to extend the war by one day just by attacking any land location other than Tinian, or the Indianapolis, or any other target involved with The Gadget.

Would have made the papers, scared some people but those were not significant aircraft.

Drop a 200 pounder ot two on the White House and that would have caused problems.

But the Atlantic was the playground of the Kriegsmarine's boats.

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They might have caused havoc but I doubt that 8 small airplanes would have caused enough damage to extend the war by one day just by attacking any land location other than Tinian, or the Indianapolis, or any other target involved with The Gadget.

 

Would have made the papers, scared some people but those were not significant aircraft.

Bombs dropping on US cities or the Panama Canal would have likely diverted US assets and had a detrimental effect on moral. Sometimes the psychological impact far outweighs the strategic one. Doolittle's raid on mainland Japan is a good example, The bombs themselves it caused no strategic damage but had a significant impact to moral on both sides. It also forced a change in how Japan deployed its forces.

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The Sen Toku I-400 Class Imperial Japanese class subs were the largest ever... until the '60's when them... atomic subs were built by the rest of world.

 

But them Japanese didn't just build large subs... they built the LARGEST battleships ever to displace water. Accordin' to a gal I used to know... them Japanese musta had one of them... small-phallic, inferiority complexes. But she was no psychiatrist, by any stretch. But lookin' back... they could have been complexed as such...

 

Them Japanese built the "Yamato"... and its sister-ship, the "Musashi"... both with a displacement of over 70,000 long tons of displacement. Massive. Go visit some pics. The massive guns on these ships were the largest ever mounted on warships... 45 caliber Type 94. The sailors on-deck had to be shielded from the blasts.

 

By comparison... the "Missouri"... "The Big Mo"... as opposed to our own, Allie Mo (no "e)... displaced 'bout 45,000 long tons. I heard that Allie Mo only displaces 'bout 1760 oz. Just what I heard... no offense. Tad smaller than the "Big Mo"... but most folks think she's just as mean. hehehe

 

Anyways... gettin' back...

 

Germany's biggest big-boy... the "Bismarck", and its sister-ship, "Tirpitz"... only displaced 'bout 49,500 tons, full. Remember, "Bismarck" sank the British warship "Hood"... in a run-and-gun battle.

 

Those men... on them boats... were stalwarts.

 

ts

 

 

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And basically these huge behemoths were no match for some little bitty "skeeters"! The Bismarck may have been finished off by British battle cruisers, but a little Swordfish...an obsolete biplane torpecker jammed her steering gear and caused leaks in her fuel tanks. After that, steaming in circles, it was only a matter of the British ships administering the coup de gras. Likewise, those mighty Japanese battleships were short of fuel and were finally sunk by aircraft. Look what happened at Pearl Harbor! :angry: The only reason the Iowa-class battleships didn't suffer the same fate is that we had air superiority! The nuclear powerplant has made the "Boomers" (Ohio-class SSBM's) the true battleships. Pray they never have to unleash their firepower!

 

Happy Holidays, Pards!

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They might have caused havoc but I doubt that 8 small airplanes would have caused enough damage to extend the war by one day just by attacking any land location other than Tinian, or the Indianapolis, or any other target involved with The Gadget.

 

Would have made the papers, scared some people but those were not significant aircraft.

 

 

I think it would have depended on the target. There is a good chance, given human nature, that an attack on, let's say, the Port of Oakland or maybe Los Angeles, could have caused a "circle the wagons" knee-jerk reaction.

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Tricertoprider... is absolutely right.

 

The huge Japanese ships... were bombed by flattop-launched bombers. So much for size... but speed and agility took over.

 

Just think 'bout it... yore greatest fire-power assets... ACTUALLY RAN... from a fight.

 

And that is what happened.

 

ts

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