Shofercia wrote:The UK in Exile wrote:
yeah but heres the thing shof.
I've been on training platoon night attack. it hard enough getting 25 guys in shouting distance to launch a focused attack. so my question is, did the magic of computer handled logistics, communications, training and subordinates allow Van Riper to pull off a technically true but unrealistic victory? did Van Riper win because he was a good general? or did he win because he's a good wargamer?
I know what ya mean, but think of it this way: Numidian Cavalry Tactics have been in use for millenia. It's not hard to train your small boat navy to use similar tactics, and with enough training, you can get it done. Once you have them coordinated and circling, and you see an opening, you just give the signal for all of the boats to attack at once. The problem with the AC is that it's a huge target. The boats don't really know which part of the target they're going for, they're just hitting anything. With enough things hurled at the AC, there are going to be quite a few hits of sensitive systems.
You can either give the signal via the radio, or, if you see the radio jammed, you make sure that someone, on every boat, knows what the signal is. For instance - you fire three green rockets, and off you go. Getting people coordinated based on a single signal is easy, it's just a matter of spreading the message. Think of it this way: how many students rush out of school when the final bell rings? You hear the signal - you rush. The Red Army, during the Battle of Kursk, in the Prokhorovka Engagement, had hundreds of tanks rolling in an instant with three code words. In hockey, once the puck drops - 12 players know exactly what to do.
Now, as the boats are going for the carrier, the US Navy is not going to stand aside and say "have fun with the AC guys!" The US Navy is going to engage. So you have another guy on the boat, with a missile launcher, with orders to shoot any ship that's coming towards him. Ironically, by engaging the boats, and closing the distance, the USN is causing itself more destruction. The smart thing to do would be to let them all hit the AC, let them sink it, but then take care of the uncoordinated masses. But no modern navy will make that happen, and Van Riper knows this. In a battle - you sense your opponent's weaknesses and play on them, and in this case, the USN engaging Van Riper's Boats just helps with the kill tally.
The other thing is that the boats are counting on the USN to attack them, because it's much easier to attack a ship that's coming at you, than it is to coordinate multiple attacks against multiple ships.
So the boat crew of, let's say 4, has simple orders. One guy to watch for the signal. Once the signal is seen, the driver of the boat heads towards the AC, the missile guy hits whatever boats/ships are coming at him, and the other guy reloads and preps explosives during the collision, and the signal guy runs around with a submachine gun, helping out others. They can do that, it's just simple orders. Once the signal guy gives the command, it's all on automatic.
At least that's how I'd pull it off if I was in Van Riper's shoes.
except this is happening over 100's of miles.
