Hr.Ms. De Ruyter by amateur - Scaldis/JSC - 1:250 - CARD

[Canute]

Don't forget, the Depression hurt the democracies much harder than the dictatorships. Funds were tight. The Washington Naval treaties restrictions were being more and more ignored, but the democracies were fiscally trying to hold the line of shipbuilding costs. The Treaty cruisers were a prime point.

[lmagna]

Yes the interwar years were rampant in treaties and ideologies that were intended to limit cost and size of ships on almost all fronts. It was much the same here in the US where funds to properly arm and man a viable military was almost non existent. I do not know where they are are now, but I remember seeing accounts of US soldiers having to practice with broomsticks because there were not enough rifles to go around. We entered the war primarily armed with WWI equipment and technology. Guns were not fired because it was too costly. Ships spent all too much time in port because there was not enough money for fuel. Research on basic items like torpedoes and triggering systems were developed but hardly tested before being adopted as a main weapon. This was in a country that had a much greater military stance than The Netherlands in the first half of the 20th century. This country was not only suffering from the depression like the rest of the world but also suffered from the public attitude that WWI was the war to end all wars and that there was little or no need for a properly equipped standing military.

Edited January 2, 2021 by lmagna