From: keithwillshaw@gmail.com   
      
   On 31/10/2023 16:18, Peter Skelton wrote:   
      
   > How well the war would have gone in 1938 we can't know now. Certainly the   
   terrain would have been more favourable for defense but, political will   
   leading real war plans using existing forces would have for a short war either   
   1938 or 9. Chamberlain's    
   real failure was that he faced a potential war situation and did not plan. He   
   knew that, when Germany reoccupied the Rhineland, the French had no plans. If   
   that weren't warning enough, there was Austria. Even if he believed there   
   would be peace, the    
   failure to plan at the political level was inexcusable.   
   >   
   > A few thoughts on what the delay bought (I'm posting to SMN):   
   >   
   > The ME 109 was in service about a year before the Hurricane, fully   
   introduced in early '39. In 1938, the bi-wing Gladiator was not completely   
   introduced, although Hurricanes and Spitfires were arriving in small numbers   
   >   
   > Armour, including that for HMS Illustrious got out of Czechoslovakia just in   
   time   
   >   
   > Chain Home had about 5 stations in 1938   
   >   
   > HMS Warspite was the nearest thing the RN had to a modern capital ship (Ark   
   Royal was nearly ready)   
   >   
   > The RN's first reasonably modern destroyers first completed in 1939 (one   
   could argue 1944 the J's lacked dual purpose main armament, or even later)   
   >   
   > It would take a lot of research to figure out it the delay was worth it   
   militarily   
   >   
   >   
      
   My opinion was it would have gone badly, the main factor in Britain   
   surviving in 1940 was the sentry into service in adequate numbers was   
   the RAF single seat fighters and trained pilots. In 1938 there would   
   have been a few early Hurricanes and a lot of obsolete fighters such as   
   the Hawker Demon and Gloster Gladiators, equally important the Empire   
   Air Training scheme would not have been training the pilots that would   
   have been needed to replace losses. It was touch and go as it was.   
      
   Without radar and ground controllers the RAF would have had no other   
   option than to fly standing patrols.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)