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Today we take a look at the background and thinking behind the inter-war USN Fleet Problems, with summaries of Fleet Problems 8 through 12
Fleet Problems I through VII – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaQ_VGhFP8k
Sources:
To Train the Fleet For War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems, 1923–1940 – Albert A. Nofi
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Testing-American-Sea-Power-Williams-Ford/dp/1603449892
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-War-Trent-Hone-author/dp/1682472930
https://www.usni.org/press/books/learning-war-0
US National Archive Videos:
428-NPC-16729
428-NPC-782
428-NPC-35846
428-NPC-3361
428-NPC-16213
428-NPC-2947
428-NPC-1984
428-NPC-20349
428-NPC-15549
00:00:00 – Intro
00:02:15 – Fleet Problem 8
00:08:01 – Fleet Problem 9
00:17:57 – Fleet Problem 10
00:25:05 – Fleet Problem 11
00:33:12 – Fleet Problem 12
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Pinned post for Q&A 🙂
That footage of the Los Angeles maneuvering above the surface fleet is really cool, first I've seen it.
Terrible that so many ships and sailors were lost just for practice. I’m glad this is not done today with brave sailors.
We sure saw a lot of crunched up aircraft on this video. I hope no one was killed in these fleet problems.
Fleet problem VIII was held during April 1928.
Fleet problem IX was held during January 1929.
@Drachinifel I can't wait until you get to Fleet Problem XIV with Oklahoma popping out of a fog bank and opening fire on Lexington, and Texas joining in to help with the sinking. Reminds me of the later sinking of HMS Glorious by KMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
Also Uncle Drach I really enjoy the Fleet Problems videos, and following along while reading Albert A. Nofi's To Train the Fleet for War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems, 1923-1940. A good companion to your videos! I am currently reading about FP XVI. Finally, I spotted what looks like Oklahoma in some of the video footage, if that is her, that makes me very very happy.
Oh no! fleet problems are going to stretch out to 4 parts.. Thats.. AWESOME!!!! 🙂
Fleet Problem 12:
Nelson – "Hello there!"
Love this series
I feel like subs of this channel should be allowed to take an exam which if passed would issue them with an honoury degree in naval history. 😉 Drachinifel University/U of D lol
Narrator gltched, Fleet problem 12 preceded 11 by 9 years….that must be how that nucler carrier went back in time to take out the attack on pearl harbour. It is fascinating to see the evolution of US fleet tactics, A compare and contrast between USN, RN an IJN evolution would I imagine be one hell of a challenge but interesting. The IJN plan was already fundamentally flawed as Drach has pointed out in the past, what are the considered flaws In the others?
Did the USN conduct Fleet Problems in 1939, 1940 or 1941?
Negative results in pretests is better for learning purposes so one can see what weaknesses exist and what corrections can be made prior to the actual test. Fortunate mistakes in a pretest leaves the weakness in place.
These fleet problems really do drive home just how much US fleet doctrine was developed by them before WWII.
I did chuckle when Nelson turned up thinking 'oi oi whats all this then?'
I would be very interested to hear more about how they made rulings on aircraft being shot down and surface gunnery. Those seem very hard to fairly simulate without being unsafe
Fleet problem 9 feels so chaotic it sounds like two kids playing war in their bedroom with school supplies
please do a vid on the Joffre class carriers please
Fantastic footage.
Problem 8 blue commander was very smart
Ironically, I had emailed Drachinifel about 2 weeks ago about Fleet Problem XIII, which I am sure bears no impact on these worls. I am also sure I was not the first to ask about Fleet Problem XIII and its potential for study having been used in latter years by Admiral Yamamoto for the Pearl Harbor attack plan. Especially with noting incredible details such as attacking on a Sunday morning. Thanks Drachinifel. I'll definitely be watching!
You know, if you didn't know old hand held movie cameras ran their film slow (so when played back, it was faster than actual), people would be very confused as to when airships weren't a bigger part of wars. I mean, the L.A. was practically streaking across the sky in that one bit of film. I kept shouting for it to "do a barrel roll!" Lol.
When I was in the Army I was always OpFor/Red team because of my increased skill in tactics, camouflage, ambush, and field craft, despite being a PFC and later a Specialist. I was allowed to pick my team and plan my ops based on the training scenario provided by the Company or Battalion training NCO.
With the exception of the last training exercise where the Battalion SMG found out I was behind all the insulting shenanigans and tagged me on his side to keep me from using my skills to embarrass the Blue Team.
ProTip: The Enemy always cheats.
Thanks Drach, these highlight that training and even more training is needed to iron out any problems, especially with new things like carriers.
I did have one 'strange' thought. These fleet problems must have been very expensive to run, with the Great Depression occurring. It struck me to wonder what the general public thought of what they probably considered a "waste" of money to allow the military to play games while people starved?
The development of armored and aerial warfare from the Great War to WW2 really comes down to engine development. Power to weight is the most important thing to look at regardless of the nation or the service.
I love these videos on the Fleet Problems, keep them coming!
I don’t know if any other navies had fleet exercises of this magnitude during this time period, but if so would you consider some videos covering them after you finish the US Fleet problems?
Fleet Problem 9 is so insane, so fascinating, it deserves a movie or a graphical depiction or similar!
Cruisers cosplaying as Battlecruisers. Thas was beautiful.
Amazing good work and presentation.
28:07 looks like the kind of shot Wes Anderson would copy
That aircraft carrier at about 22:20, what are those little pop up barrier looking things? I’m only familiar with arresting wires
2022-08-12 … Absolutely amazing documentaries Mark Felton !!! One can see preludes to WW2's Coral Sea and Midway … At least the USN leadership was trying to figure things out … Clearly "radar" and PBYs would have a pivotal impact in the 1940s … As the USN and Royal Navy navigate the 2020s we can only hope today's Fleet Problems enable us to decisively defeat the combined Sino-Soviet navies in the 2029 Pacfic War …
I love the idea that they lost the lexington was sunk and because it would have caused the simulated americans to lose they just retconned it (not complaining just made me giggle). I definitely do understand that it was necessary given they undertook the entire thing to learn everything possible, which wouldnt be possible if they just said "right well we lost good effort boys".
Well done, and most informative. Thank you!
Drachinifel: mentions Ernest King
Me: This is where the fun begins.
Fleet exercises not with-standing … what I find amazing is the leaps in technology advances between the time of these exercises and the end of WWII.
Thanks. That was very interesting and the footage of all those old ships and planes was great. I've been looking at video footage of ships and planes for over 60 years and it is pretty rare for me to see something I haven't seen before.
One thing here – was that it showed that the 8" guns on CV-2 and -3 were not a stupid idea. Given the range of the aircraft they actually had – their chances of running into enemy surface craft were very real. By WWII – things had changed and removing the 8" guns from CV-3 to be replaced by dual DP 5.38" guns was warranted.
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