I wonder what sort of results we'd see with a flotilla of Atlanta Class light cruisers in Big Gun against a squadron of sea cows...guess it's time to get to making the scenario a reality[].
Destroyers have two huge advantages: speed, and maneuverability. With those in hand, a destroyer has the "initiative" to choose when and where to attack, to maximize its effectiveness and minimize the defender's options. If you do a good job as a destroyer, then you come home as shiny new as when you left. Even a single hole, and you know you screwed up. Assuming you go with an equal number of ships, and an equal amount of ammo, my money would be on the Atlantas. They would come home with empty magazines, while the Yamatos (if that's what you mean by Sea Cow) would have nearly a full boatload. It's certainly not guaranteed that the Atlantas would win, but it's much more likely. That in mind, the Yamatos would have to work very closely as a team and coordinate a defensive formation, similar to what B-17's did over the skies of Germany. If they do manage that, then the Atlantas would be so doomed it's not even funny. But the probability of that is not very good...
Hey Crazy check this out especially the blue paragraph [] In a devastating 3 days of attacks, the Battle of Formosa, the US naval air force did much to destroy Formosa as a supporting base for the Japanese, for the island battles still to come. Japanese forces retaliated with heavy and repeated land-based aircraft attacks. The Houston splashed about four aircraft in one attack on 12 October, and then helped repel another air attack next day, in which the heavy cruiser USS Canberra (CA-70) was torpedoed with an aerial torpedo. Taking the Canberra's old station on 14 October, the Houston and other ships encountered another heavy air raid. Her gunners shot down three of the attacking torpedo bombers, but a fourth's torpedo hit her engine room, causing the loss of propulsive power. [ Damage Control 2nd torpedo strike on USS HoustonCaptain Behrens requested a tow. This delicate operation was undertaken by the heavy cruiser USS Boston (CA-69). By midnight both the Canberra and the Houston were under tow towards the Ulithi base for repairs. The Pawnee (ATF–74), a fleet tug, assumed the tow on 16 October. Late that afternoon one of the Parthian torpedo plane strikes from Formosa, still trying to sink the USN cruiser struck the USS Houston, directly in her stern, from the rear. This flooded the hangar for the Houston's scout planes.
haha yes. The Pittsburgh towed the carrier Franklin after she was hit by Kamikazes and knocked out. baltimore class heavy cruiser: World's most powerful tugboat...ever!
LOL [] yes typically in war after the fry the brave and strong and yes somewhat lucky are left to drag the dead and wounded back to safety and a versatile ship may well fit many schemes of operations and goes where her nation needs her to go. Be it zero swatting or tugboat duty the point is she can and will do what is asked of her [^]
I fully agree with you. I just wish that Oldendorf would have had a Balto at Surigao Strait so at least one of them could have lit up an enemy warship...or Halsey had left TF34 at San Bernadino strait.
