Did they ever try to breakout into the Atlantic with major forces? I don't know any single incident. Most BBs didn't have the range for extensive Atlantic operations, especially as the French Atlantic coast didn't have German bases. So this never was a real option in WW1, no?
The German fleet in the next war will still find themselves in the position of having to find a way past the British Isles, past the Coastal Command bombers, past the mines, past the British fleet. Even when operating out of the Bay of Biscay ports.
My point was that large formations of ships can't "sneak" out.
So how long will it take until the Allies form well protected Convois?
A couple months, maybe up to six. There might initially some resistance from the owner/operators of the civilian ships to the idea, as they will claim that they cannot afford (financially speaking) to spend time hanging around the ports waiting for convoys to get organised, or that convoys aren't forming up where the customers need the goods.
Those were the arguments used in WW1. heh.
Now think CAs and CL for raiding operations. How long will they survive then? A single BB may outfight 2 or 3 CAs - and the Allies have plenty of CAs and BBs to escort their freighters
Initially (historically) in WW2, the British did not escort convoys with battleships. They only did that when the Germans had conducted raids with Scharnhorst/Gneisenau. If the Germans have a large battlefleet "in being", the British will be reluctant to detach these heavy units from the new Grand Fleet, unless it is clear that the Germans are slipping BB/BC's out into the Atlantic.
But even if they have an "R" class BB escorting a convoy, it can only chase a single raider at a time. If you have (as the raider) a single BC, your dastardly plans may be foiled. If you had 2 or 3 cruisers, one cruiser could slip around the flanks of the battle area and get at the fleeing convoy.
If we have commerce raiders with small fast fireing guns, what shall they do against CAs and BBs?
Nothing. The goal is to sink the commerce, remember? You have already stated from the outset that fleet v. fleet slugging was not the goal of the German high command...
Your cruisers should attempt to outmaneuver the enemy, or go find less well defended targets.
I will concede that the WiTP combat generator is not well suited to simulating a battle where a cruiser force is attempting to avoid the powerfull escorts and get at the freighters...
BTW: The 38cm of the Bismarck fired 3 rounds per minute, the 28cm 2,5.
I believe that is with a prepped load. (The gun crews have the spare powder and shells brought up to, and sitting in, the turret house, the guns are loaded and primed, and more shells waiting in the hoists.) With the stop-watch starting at the first salvo, any ship looks good for the first few minutes, especially if the guns are being fired without being readjusted based on new fire control data.
After the first initial few minutes, this rate of fire slows down, and the guns will have to be retargeted based on spotting and radar data (or shifting to a new target).
Well, look at a PzKpf I (6t) and at a PzKpf V (45t). You could choose between 7 Panzer 1 and 1 Panther - what would you choose?
Poor example, as the PzKpf had machinegun main armament.
One of the more (in)famous debates is: You can choose between 4 Sherman tanks, and a 1 Panther. What do you bring?
The famous reply turns out to be "Quantity has a quality all of it's own".
Cruisers and even Panzerschiffe aren't able to fight against a really protected convoi. Just think about what even just a handful of DDs is able to do against a CA.
Answer: not much, unless surprise was acheived. A CA is armored against 5inch shell fire. (Granted, the "Pocket Battleships" didnt have much armor to speak of...) The only danger is the torps.
We have a considerable number of old BBs that are the classical force in being and are able to attack the British scout lines north of Scotland and in the Denmark strait. They will force the allies to keep a really strong force in the Home fleet. The old pre-Dreads are able to fulfill every "secondary mission" for BBs, so shore bombardement, escort duty, coastal defence.
That leaves a big number of Panzerschiffe for LR-convoi raiding in the South Atlantic, the coast off South America and the Indic Ocean.
I think that your going to find, especially with the WiTP model, that LBA is going to kill your fleet...
The heavier BBs are able to attack even well protected Convois as they are heavily armoured, heavily armed and have both long range and great maximum speed.
But they won't be as efficient as cruisers, IMO.
Subs are way to ineffective in witp.
Your preaching to the choir.
Can you give me the data in mm, not in inch?
1 inch = 25.4 mm. (For ease of mental gymnastics, round down to 25mm.) So, hanger deck is 60mm (mild), belt is 50 to 100mm, torp bulkheads 100mm, etc.
If the Iowa had 10.000t for armour and the Mackensen has 10.000t free - than this should mean a quite well protected Wasp, no?
Are you serious?