Alternative Scenarios for the new release

[RyanCrierie]

Alternative Scenario 1: No B-17.

This is not as far-fetched as it sounds; there were two cruical points where the B-17 would have been stillborn before it was in combat:

A.) In 1935, the Boeing Model 299, the prototype of the B-17, crashed due to pilot error; and Boeing lost the contract for the USAAC's heavy bomber to Douglas' B-18 Bolo. Boeing had invested a lot of money into the 299 program; they didn't have any other revenue streams; it wasn't until 1936 that the USAAC ordered about 30~ B-17 prototypes that Boeing's future as a heavy bomber manufacturer was saved.

B.) In August 1939; Boeing was losing about $10,000 on every B-17C they were making for the USAAC; for the first nine months of 1939; Boeing lost $2.6 million dollars (a fortune in the 1940s!); and Boeing was actually set to end B-17 production to save the company from financial ruin; it was only Hap Arnold's last minute decision to order 42 B-17Ds that saved the program.

Scenario Description: What if the program hadn't been saved at the last minute? Would the USAAF be able to bomb Nazi Germany as well with just the B-24 Liberator?

Alternative Scenario 2: The Mosquito Option.

This one has been discussed ad nauseam as far as I know since World War II ended; what if Bomber Command had used Mosquitos instead of Lancasters?

It takes about four Mosquitoes to equal one Lancaster in load-carrying ability, which means you're putting 8 Merlins + 8 Crewmen against 4 Merlins + 7 crew.

However, this is balanced out by the Mosquito's speed and altitude advantage; it could fly much higher and faster than a Lancaster;

275 MPH @ 15,000 ft fully loaded maximum speed for a Lancaster
versus
340 mph at 22,000 ft cruising speed for a B.IV Mosquito. Top speed was 40 MPH higher.

The loss rate was around 0.7 percent versus 2.2 percent for four engined heavy bombers; however, you'd have to fly more Mosquitos to make up for the loss of bomb tonnage over the Lancaster; so things would even out.

Also, the bombing campaign would last longer and have different effects on German defenses. If the only thing that can reliably kill a Mosquito bomber force are He 219s, then the Germans will move a lot of their flak guns and crews to the eastern front to hold off the Russians; and Me-110 production will be terminated much earlier for the He 219; it was only kept in service because it was adequate for shooting down Lancasters; with no Lancasters, the 110 loses it's reason for continued production.

Alternative Scenario 3: The Halifax Option.

The Halifax had a lower loss rate than the Lancaster (0.56 percent, compared to the Lancaster's 0.74 percent). Also, 29% percent of Halifax crews who were shot down survived; while only 11% of Lancaster crews did so.

(Source: Osprey Combat Aircraft #35: LANCASTER SQUADRONS 1944-45)

However, to Harris, only tonnage counted; as the Lancaster would drop about 154~ tons in it's life; while a Halifax would drop only 100~ tons. What if the Halifax had been picked instead for mass production due to it's lower loss rate?

[harley]

Interesting ideas...

Since the inception of BTR there has always been talk of "what if" scenarios, but they never got off the ground.

Personally, with the scope of BTR, I wouldn't bother playing them, but I can see the appeal...