Re: Realistic Fleet sizes

On Fri, 19 Sep 1997 DragonProm@aol.com wrote:
> << I may be wrong here...but I think the US has close to 14 carrier
>  battle groups...thats carrier and support ships.  Although that 14
>  does seem a little high. I am remembering something my history
>  proffesor said.  Maybe its only about 6 or 7. >>

I don't think modern fleets are a good benchmark. See below.

> Yep, quite impressive, esp. for an German like me.
> When ya hear the carrier xy was send to Z, alwas means an TF around
10-to
> 20 ships were send out, carriers never go alone.

True these days... 

> We in germany only have 3 or 4 Frigates plus half a douzen DD's or so.

But how many warships did you have in 1915? 

I think fleet sizes 1900-1950 are *much* better for benchmarks for
a couple of reasons:

a) There are only two real (surface) fleets in the world today. Everyone

else doesn't even begin to compare. How's that for a boring setup?

b) There is substantial technology difference: Namely vanilla FT does 
*not* have anything comparable to long range aircraft or nuclear subs, 
both of which greatly affect modern fleet composition.

c) The colonial era, and the naval requirements it brought, is currently

over. 

As a sidenote, why do carriers in FT always have support ships around?
Try this for size:

Two standard fleet carriers meet. They send out their fighters.
Each fighter scores an average 1/3 pts. of damage vs. a Sc-2 ship per 
turn. Considering the 3 turn combat endurance, we get a projected ONE
point of damage.

Each CV has 36 fighters. Even completely ignoring various defenses, 
that's a projected 36 points of damage.

CV's have 49... unless you get lucky and knock out a shield, the result 
will be a pointless stand-off.

That's what has always irked me about carriers, especially in one-off
battles: You usually can't hurt them fast enough to stop them launching
fighters, and after they have launched, they're still very durable but
nothing else.  Ergo, it makes no sense to shoot at carriers at all
(except
in campaigns, or "mopping up"). 

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