User blog comment:Tybaltcapulet/Chester Nimitz vs Karl Dönitz/@comment-379205-20190328071331

119's Under Fire, Underwater Edges

Battleships: The Bismarck-class are faster and have a longer range than the much older Colorado-class, however, the Colorados hold the edge in firepower with their larger 16-inch guns. In terms of armor, the two ships are roughly comparable, though the armor is distributed a bit differently- for instance, the Bismarck had a more uniformly thick belt, but the Colorado had heavier armor on the front of the turrets. The Bismarck also had some design flaws, such as the armored deck placed beneath the less well-armored first deck, meaning less of the ship was part of the armored "citadel" than on contemporary British or American ships. Among the things that were placed above the lower armored deck were the cables controlling the fire control system, meaning one well-placed hit could sever the cables and cripple its ability to return fire effectively. The one thing the Bismarcks could try and do is retreat and try and lure the Colorados into a trap with the U-boats, but in a stand-up fight, the Colorados will probably prove more effective. Another thing that will help in this fight is that late-war Allied radars were generally better than anything the Germans had (admittedly the Germans weren't as behind on radar as the Japanese were, but still, the fact remains), giving them better accuracy. Edge: Nimitz

Cruisers: To put this simply, the Northhampton-class is a heavy cruiser, while the Emden-class is a light cruiser. The Northamptons carry heavier 8-inch (203mm) guns vs the 5.9-inch (150mm) guns of the Emdens, capable of firing a much heavier shell that will do more damage. The 5-inch secondary battery can also be loaded with armor piercing shells that can be used against warships, further adding to their firepower. The Northhamptons are also better armored and actually a bit faster than the Emdens. The only advantage the Emden's have is in number of torpedoes, which can come in useful, especially against larger ships, but isn't enough to sway this match. Edge: Nimitz

Destroyers: The Type 1936 destroyers have bigger guns, being armed with 5.9-inch guns, that fire a 100 pound shell, vs the 55 pound shell of the 5-inch guns on the Allen M. Sumner-class. On the other hand, the 1936s have either four or five guns vs the six on the Sumners. In terms of total shell weight, a Type 1936 has a broadside of either 400 or 500 pounds, vs the 275 pound broadside of a Sumner. In terms of other armaments, with no planes the AA guns will only have any use if they come upon a surfaced sub at close range or something, so not really worth talking about that. On the other hand, the Sumners have 10 torpedoes to the 1936's 8, meaning in a concentrated attack, they can unleash a spread of 80 torpedoes vs the 64 that the Germans can launch. Torpedoes could come in very useful as, if a destroyer can use their superior speed to get into torpedo range, they can potentially do damage far above their weight- torpedoes are a serious threat to even the most heavily armored battleships. In terms of speed, the Germans are slightly faster, but the US destroyers are armed with superior anti-submarine warfare capabilities with their greater number of depth charges. Again, there is also the advantage in radar equipment the Allies had. Overall, I'll call this about Even.

Submarines:

TO BE CONTINUED