Quote
Logistics - The AORs will undoubtedly improve the task force's supply picture and defending the AORs, as was done in the OTL with most of the "fleet train", is only a matter of keeping those vessels beyond the reach of the Argentine air force. Remember, the Atlantic Conveyor was only hit because she needed to approach the islands to operate/fly off the helos she was carrying.
Asking for the AORs and the destroyers doesn't improve the supply situation at all because the destroyers add to the task force's supply requirements. In fact, the destroyers are going to need items like munitions and repair parts that Britain doesn't have meaning Britain is going to be forced to get even more of the OTL "back channel" help from various sources.
End quote
-I would expect that two AOR's could keep three destroyers supplied with unique to Canada munitions and spares for a lengthy period of time. Fuel would have been more a problem but had the Canadians sent their AOR's south they likely would have had to improvise some form of a fleet train (ie chartered or requisitioned civilian tankers..) to keep the AOR's supplied with fuel in any event. I could also see the UK insisting on this point. (ie. don't bother sending anything unless you can supply yourself and provide us with fuel as well.) A decent fleet train would have enabled the two AOR's to provide fuel to a larger numebr of war ships. The fleet train probably would not have needed a formal escort.
I would expect two AOR's to be able to provide fuel for more than three destroyers but I may be off base here. I'd be curious in knowing the ratio between the UK AOR's and their combatant ships in the Falklands ? I'll be surprised if they had two AOR's for every three combatants but I really don't know and in any event without knowing the capacity of the AOR's and the fuel consupmption of the ships they are supplying it's hard to do a comparision.
In any event I suppose Canada could eventually send all three of their AOR's and maybe only two destoryers if that makes the logistics eaiser. (I don't see why ships from the west coast couldn't transit the panama canal and meet up with the fleet some where in the atlantic.) Politically I have a hard time envisioning the Canadians sending AOR's (which in the Canadian Navy were bona fide war ships crewed by the regular Canadain Navy and the two newer ones were typically armed..) any where near a combat zone with out a propper escort.
But I agree if the UK could pick and choose what assets the Canadians would provide they might well at first have just chosen the AOR's (and the air tankers.) Once they started to loose ships to air attack they would have been follish not to take the modern destoryers with sea sparrow (if only to replace their losses), and if they could truly take what they wanted with out regard for common sense and the likely wishes of the Canadians they might have grabbed some of the older steam powered ships with the rapid fire 3" 70 cal mounts as well and hoped that they kept working long enough to try and shoot down the Mirages and Sky Hawks
(I can't see the Canadians ever agreeing to send these old ships into a war zone where the faced threats other than subs though..)
Any way this is an interesting thread that prompted me to finally post on this board. Sorry that i have not quite figured out how to quote properly yet.
All the best.
Logistics - The AORs will undoubtedly improve the task force's supply picture and defending the AORs, as was done in the OTL with most of the "fleet train", is only a matter of keeping those vessels beyond the reach of the Argentine air force. Remember, the Atlantic Conveyor was only hit because she needed to approach the islands to operate/fly off the helos she was carrying.
Asking for the AORs and the destroyers doesn't improve the supply situation at all because the destroyers add to the task force's supply requirements. In fact, the destroyers are going to need items like munitions and repair parts that Britain doesn't have meaning Britain is going to be forced to get even more of the OTL "back channel" help from various sources.
End quote
-I would expect that two AOR's could keep three destroyers supplied with unique to Canada munitions and spares for a lengthy period of time. Fuel would have been more a problem but had the Canadians sent their AOR's south they likely would have had to improvise some form of a fleet train (ie chartered or requisitioned civilian tankers..) to keep the AOR's supplied with fuel in any event. I could also see the UK insisting on this point. (ie. don't bother sending anything unless you can supply yourself and provide us with fuel as well.) A decent fleet train would have enabled the two AOR's to provide fuel to a larger numebr of war ships. The fleet train probably would not have needed a formal escort.
I would expect two AOR's to be able to provide fuel for more than three destroyers but I may be off base here. I'd be curious in knowing the ratio between the UK AOR's and their combatant ships in the Falklands ? I'll be surprised if they had two AOR's for every three combatants but I really don't know and in any event without knowing the capacity of the AOR's and the fuel consupmption of the ships they are supplying it's hard to do a comparision.
In any event I suppose Canada could eventually send all three of their AOR's and maybe only two destoryers if that makes the logistics eaiser. (I don't see why ships from the west coast couldn't transit the panama canal and meet up with the fleet some where in the atlantic.) Politically I have a hard time envisioning the Canadians sending AOR's (which in the Canadian Navy were bona fide war ships crewed by the regular Canadain Navy and the two newer ones were typically armed..) any where near a combat zone with out a propper escort.
But I agree if the UK could pick and choose what assets the Canadians would provide they might well at first have just chosen the AOR's (and the air tankers.) Once they started to loose ships to air attack they would have been follish not to take the modern destoryers with sea sparrow (if only to replace their losses), and if they could truly take what they wanted with out regard for common sense and the likely wishes of the Canadians they might have grabbed some of the older steam powered ships with the rapid fire 3" 70 cal mounts as well and hoped that they kept working long enough to try and shoot down the Mirages and Sky Hawks
(I can't see the Canadians ever agreeing to send these old ships into a war zone where the faced threats other than subs though..)
Any way this is an interesting thread that prompted me to finally post on this board. Sorry that i have not quite figured out how to quote properly yet.
All the best.
