# USS Nimitz vs the Japanese fleet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333 "2010-05-22T03:10:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/141 "2010-05-25T16:29:26Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > USS Missouri versus the Spanish Armada Sounds like an awful mismatch there. Even if we make it the WWII Mighty Mo, she could start shelling them from 5 miles away with 2,000lb HE warheads. Even if she runs out of every type of shell for every gun on the ship, she could still run down a ship-of-the-line without taking so much as a scratch from those puny cannonballs. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/142 "2010-05-25T16:30:41Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > I would go with the 101st.. With sufficient ammo, I agree. Hand to hand, I’m not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/143 "2010-05-25T16:33:38Z")
USS Missouri vs the Spanish Armada isn’t really very interesting, as there’s barely even a theoretical chance of the Missouri suffering more than paint scratches. But what’s the earliest ship that can singlehandedly defend Britain? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/144 "2010-05-25T16:35:02Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Sounds like an awful mismatch there. Even if we make it the WWII Mighty Mo, she could start shelling them from 5 miles away with 2,000lb HE warheads. 5 miles is pretty close range to start shelling. > [@](#): > > The Mighty Mo’s main battery firepower became a legend in Korea, with her nine 16 inch guns hurling 1,800-pound shells as heavy as Volkswagens over 23 miles in defense of U.S. land forces. From [ussmissouri.com](http://www.ussmissouri.com/visitor-information/interesting-facts). ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/145 "2010-05-25T16:51:55Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > USS Missouri vs the Spanish Armada isn’t really very interesting, as there’s barely even a theoretical chance of the Missouri suffering more than paint scratches. But what’s the earliest ship that can singlehandedly defend Britain? One of the early ocean-going ironclads should be up to the job, like [HMS Warrior](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warrior_(1860)) (now a museum ship) or [La Gloire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Gloire). ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/146 "2010-05-25T17:08:30Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > USS Missouri vs the Spanish Armada isn’t really very interesting, as there’s barely even a theoretical chance of the Missouri suffering more than paint scratches. But what’s the earliest ship that can singlehandedly defend Britain? > [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > One of the early ocean-going ironclads should be up to the job, like [HMS Warrior](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warrior_(1860)) (now a museum ship) or [La Gloire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Gloire). Bah, scooped me, the Internet connection went down. Was going to post this: Nelson’s _Victory_ could probably manage it, handled smartly. However, to be _absolutely sure_, I’d wait for steam power and armor cladding, and use _HMS Warrior_…assuming she could replenish coal and ammunition as needed. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/147 "2010-05-25T18:55:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > With sufficient ammo, I agree. Hand to hand, I’m not so sure. The 101st could potentially play off of the Huns’ superstitions. A few long-range snipers and some troops with night-vision goggles could totally bewilder the Huns. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/148 "2010-05-25T20:00:20Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Sounds like an awful mismatch there. Even if we make it the WWII Mighty Mo, she could start shelling them from 5 miles away with 2,000lb HE warheads. Even if she runs out of every type of shell for every gun on the ship, she could still run down a ship-of-the-line without taking so much as a scratch from those puny cannonballs. Yes, I agree. That’s why upthread I gave the MO is better opponent in Germany’s WWI Imperial fleet. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/149 "2010-06-02T20:04:03Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > My dad was a Golden Gloves boxing champ, a WWII vet and worked later on with youth in martial arts. Martial arts or no, a seasoned combat vet would wipe the floor with all three of them\*. And of course, some WWII troops were trained in Martial arts. Hell, Boxing _is_ a martial art. Now sure, if those guys were fairly new recruits with no combat experience, things would be different. Or if the guys from the future were combat veterans with HtH expereince. > > \*As he said, it’s the lack of hesitation, the ability to kill, etc. The future troops in the Axis of Time books are essentially embroiled in a world war sort of Jihad that’s been gong on for several years. Highly brutal and jaded forces. With some sort of krav maga-esque efficiency style that just about everyone in harms way knows. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333/150 "2010-06-02T20:24:53Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > 5 miles is pretty close range to start shelling. While it is possible to begin shelling from over the horizon, the point I was getting at was that the armada could conceivably get as close as they wanted and still not do much harm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-nimitz-vs-the-japanese-fleet/540333.md?page=7)