"One CVN BG versus the whole 1942 IJN" Topic

Quite fun

YouTube link

Of course any IJN counterstrike would first have to find the CVN….

That is, somewhat, the plot of the 1980 movie "Final Countdown". I recently watched the dvd. Entertaining.

It is a just for fun topic… so why not?
Certainly a CVN Battlegroup whould have annihilated 'Most' of IJN. But… 'IF' we assume No 'Real' USN to finish the job… then, (as vid includes), logistics start to apply.
NO resupply of missile armaments… got plenty, but, in scenario, would probably 'shoot to kill'… so 'might' run short. Plenty of 'Hate' to use.
Carrier could resupply with Iron Bombs… good enough! But fuel and Tech, plus accident or, 'just possible casualities' would deplete airwing.
WW2 subs VERY unlikely to make a successful attack… but just one might… so… a crippling hit on Carrier… and yes, possible, (Bismark's rudder?)… could rather change things.
In 'long term', without resupply of 'Advanced Weaponry'… DDGs, etc, would be 'Dead Meat' for any surviving IJN WW2 warships…. just, Probably, not many left!
Well, it IS a 'what if'! lol!

All modern USN carriers carry nukes. One nuke takes out the Japanese fleet. Then it is on to Japan, game over. In addition a carrier battle group includes attack submarines with nuclear missiles and torpedos. Game, set and match.

I believe Arleigh Burke said that if there was an Arleigh Burke class DD in 1941, there would not have been a WWII. I don't think Germany stood a chance either.

Once the airwing started becoming depleted they'd replace them with WW2 aircraft, probably at 2 or three to one. The surviving jets would lead attacks to provide intel and reconnaissance and the Americans would dictate all engagement conditions. And as mentioned, in 1943 the Essexes started rolling out.

Not to be the devil's advocate, but during the Falklands RN kept the Ark Royal out of the range of those WW2 era subs for fear of her loss. All of IJN subs (169) sgainst one CVN and her escorts would not be a happy day for the US Navy. Not to mention the entirity of the Imperial Navy's air assets against the BG in a kamikaze attack that would make Okinawa look like a picnic. US Navy would run out of missiles in the first few minutes of a swarm attack.

@ LostPict

True, but how does the IJNAF find the CVN?

There was a discussion 20 years ago on Usenet – in sci.military.naval – of what would happen if two IJN CVs had encountered the RN 1982 task force. The conclusion was the entire IJN air capability would be destroyed out of range and then sunk by Harpoons and Exocets.

Of course that's only two IJN targets. One CVN versus the IJN would I think run out of munitions before the IJN ran out of ships.

Edit: here's that discussion
link

I think some here may be underestimating the tech capacity of a CVN. The relatively slow speed of the Japanese components plus the fire control, rate of fire, firepower, and search capacity of the CVN. There would not be many misses, don't you think?

Remember that WW2 subs were not able to stay underwater for long. With an AWACs on station and the sensitivity of its radar I doubt a sub would be able to sneak up on the Nimitz.

For a while, there was just one CV group left in the Pacific: at the end of 1942, of the prewar carrier fleet, only Enterprise was still available. Saratoga was under repair, Ranger was in the Atlantic, and Lexington, Yorktown, Wasp and Hornet had all been sunk. The first Essex-class carriers didn't start to arrive at Pearl Harbor until the second quarter of 1943.

What would be funny is 1980s CVN v a 2020s one. The 1980s one would eat the modern one – they carried far larger numbers of more capable aircraft with double the range (F-14/A-6) fixed wing ASW (S-3 Viking), and all escorts carry Harpoon anti ship missiles including the subs.

Not to mention there are more escorts. Sometimes modern carriers only have 2 escorts and as stated they are nowhere near as capable in surface role due to Harpoons being deleted.

I plan to build a 1943 Nimitz, based on this concept. I propose the fighters would be sent after the air attack group, splashing many but not all of them so the attack on Pearl does have some success. In the meantime the A-6s and A-7s with smart bombs sink the IJN carriers and then any other ships they can target, while the S-3s find and sink the picket submarines.
This doesn't destroy the IJN, but seriously depletes its capability.
Nimitz, rename Reprisal for obvious reasons, joins Enterprise relieving and rearming Wake Island, but the Philippines are too much to defend after Nimitz uses up her smart bombs and is hit by a submarine torpedo. She heads back to the US for repairs while her crew educate the US and UK both from a historical and technological viewpoint, such as the infamous USN torpedo exploder problem, radio, radar and sonar, guided weapons, proximity fuses, and the ilk.
Nimitz returns to the battle with 5" guns on sponsons, and a mixed air group.

As for the 1980s vs the 2020s, remember that modern ships have much more capable radar and electronics, so the older fleet's equipment would be more easily jammed.