Shipbucket

Awesome drawings StealthJester, I particularly like the CSS South Carlolina.

I have a few questions about your back story. Where you said Washington would be “jointly occupied” by the US and CSA. Neither side is allowed to conduct governmental business in the city after 1870, which will be maintained in perpetuity as a national historic site and may not be attacked or besieged." Why would this happen to Washington DC? Surely Washington would remain the capital of the US and Richmond become the Capital of the CS?

The name 'Continental War' sounds , to me, too American and reminds me of 1776 Rebellion or the War of 1812? Why not call it the Great War or The War of Alliances? The European War? The Great European War? Just a thought.

With the US sending a fleet to help bolster the British blockade. I have to point out that the British blockade was completely effective due the UK's geographical position across the entrance to the Baltic, and did not need bolstering at all.

With a German 'victory', it's unlikely Germany would face civil unrest, it was because of famine, communist revolutionaries and no foreseen end to the war that caused the collapse of Imperial Germany. With the peace treaty, wouldn't trade eventually ease the food shortage, the demobilisation of men help rebuild agricultural productivity?

Please don't take this negatively, I'm enjoying this AU and am looking forward to more

Best regards

Tempest.

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MD Scale, 4 Pixels : 1 Foot
Official German Parts Sheet
German Capital Ship Projects of The First World War

Thank you for your comments Tempest, I am glad you are enjoying this AU – I’ve certainly enjoyed creating it.

I would like to address your questions:

Washington DC: The situation with DC is simply one of “location, location, location”. When the Secession Treaty was signed, one of the provisions in it was to allow the Border States (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri) to hold referendums to determine whether they would jump ship or remain in the Union. Maryland opted to leave, which meant that DC was completely surrounded by Confederate Territory (Maryland and Virginia) – which prompted the relocation of the US capital to Philadelphia. The Confederate capital remained in Richmond.

As to the naming of the Continental War, I was shooting for a way to differentiate it from our timeline’s WWI. You have a valid point though, with all the major powers in Europe (save for Britain at least initially) involved, it would still likely be called the Great War.

The First US Battle Squadron: I do agree that the Royal Navy is more than capable of bottling up the High Seas Fleet once they become involved in 1915 (as they were historically). What I might do is to rework the period from the beginning of the War through the entry of the UK into the conflict. Germany would logically focus on the French Navy from the outset and most likely quickly overwhelm them and/or trap them in harbor. The US force could then be sent to bolster the French – protecting their coastline and trade while leaving the UK to create the blockade and confront the Germans in the North Sea.
Another option would be to keep both Americas neutral in the conflict (although I have trouble seeing someone like Theodore Roosevelt sitting on his hands during this sort of crisis).

Postwar Germany: My ultimate goal beyond this AU was to explore a very different WWII with a friendly or at least neutral Germany in play. Perhaps a gradual trend toward a constitutional monarchy like that of the UK would be more realistic, with the Kaiser compelled to surrender more and more authority as time passes. Nevertheless, the fate of the NSDAP would be the same with a strong Kaiser as he would view the Nazi Party (justifiably) as a threat to his authority and would be even less hesitant to take steps to eliminate them.

Cheers!
StealthJester

I must ask, will we be seeing Carriers at some point?

Greetings!

Yes, aircraft carriers are on the table. The time during the War of the Americas (1922-1925) was one of early experimentation with carriers and carrier aircraft. However, there is no Washington Naval Treaty as in our timeline, so no carrier conversions like the Lexington class or Japan's Akagi and Kaga, but nevertheless, some ships are built. In this AU, the British will likely maintain the lead they lost in our timeline to the US and Japan.

The design and stats of these first generation carriers are still in work, but they will be forthcoming, most likely after the prewar capital ships are done.

Stay tuned!
StealthJester

Did this AU just die?

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Best regards,

RegiaMarina1939

1 month and you call it dead.... LOL. We have work and school to go to, this is just an hobby that we do when we have time.

Greetings!

After much ado, I am finally returning to the War of the Americas AU. I will be trying to split my time between here and the Real Designs board as much as possible, and am working on a complete revamp of this AU. For now, another battleship class for your consideration:

Utah Class (US):



The Utah class represented a quantum leap forward in US battleship design. The previous Minnesota class had been progressive, albeit conservative, refinements of the pre-dreadnought North Dakota and Oregon classes, while the new ships were literally designed from the keel up resulting in an advanced battleship fully equal with its Confederate and foreign contemporaries.

The Utah’s were 565 feet overall, 92 feet in beam, and had a normal draft of 28 feet. They displaced 26,519 tons nominal and 27,840 tons full load. Armament was twelve new 12”/50 Mk.7 guns in six twin turrets, all centerline in three super-firing pairs, forward, amidships, and aft. The secondary battery consisted of twenty 5”/50 Mk.5’s; sixteen in hull casemates, and four in open mounts in the forward superstructure. Armor was similar to the Minnesota class and consisted of an 11” belt, 3” (average) deck, 12” main turrets with 11” barbettes, 8” casemates, and a 12” conning tower.
These battleships were the first in the US Navy to be powered by steam turbines. The Kurtz direct-drive turbines produced 28,200 horsepower and propelled the new battleships through four shafts for the first time. Design speed was 21.0 knots and range was 6,700 nautical miles. They were more maneuverable than their predecessors due to their tandem rudders (highly unusual for US ship design), and their sea keeping was excellent – but the six turret arrangement was structurally suspect and would not be repeated.

Two ships; USS Utah (BB-19) and USS Pennsylvania (BB-20) were built of this class. They were launched during 1910-11 and both commissioned during 1912. For most of their careers they served in the Atlantic Fleet until the outbreak of the War of the Americas. Transferred to the Pacific Fleet based in San Diego in early 1923, the two ships remained on the West Coast as a deterrent to Confederate warships attempting to sortie from Guaymas in the state of Independence (ex-Mexican state of Sonora). They got their chance in mid-1924.
On June 15, 1924, the Confederate super-dreadnought CSS Virginia (which had been transferred to Guaymas before the outbreak of hostilities forced the US to close the Panama Canal) and her escorts attempted to break-out into the Pacific. Spotted by a USN recon seaplane in the Gulf of California, the Confederate ships were met at the mouth of the gulf by Utah, Pennsylvania, and three older armored cruisers under the command of Commodore William Leahy.
The resulting battle was a long and brutal one. Outgunned by Virginia’s 15” main battery, Leahy split his battleships and attacked from opposite quarters – forcing the Confederate ship to divide her fire. Although all five US ships were heavily damaged and one of the cruisers was sunk, the Virginia was reduced to sinking condition but refused to strike her colors. USS Fargo, one of the damaged cruisers, closed to less than 2,500 yards and put two torpedoes into the crippled giant, which sank the next day.
Commodore Leahy was awarded the Navy Cross and promoted to Rear Admiral for his actions. The two Utah’s were sent to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington for repair. Neither was ready for combat when the War ended in 1925, but remained in the peacetime Pacific Fleet until they were decommissioned during 1929-30 and scrapped. Utah’s ship’s bell and one of her propellers was shipped to Salt Lake City where they were placed on permanent display at the landlocked state’s capital where they can be seen today.

Cheers!
StealthJester

It's very nice to have you back!

Now I wanna see what the Virginia looks like, seeing as she was able to dish out serious hurt to a battleship fleet, sink a cruiser, and then force a ship to point-blank her crippled hull with two torpedos, then on top of it last another day before going down. Incredible.

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That's a bit mean, you have sunk the poor old Virginia before you have even drawn it.

With 15" guns and a super-dreadnought, compared to the Union ships, if Virginia is in anyway faster and better armoured than the Union ships, it would probably create even more mayhem than what you have given it. "Keep the range" maintain its zone of invulnerability to 12" shells while taking large chunks out of Union ships.

The Union might win but it would take a lot heavier losses than what you have given it.