Originally Posted by Sindher
As for the land gains, yes you would have gained huge amounts of land but Canada is not a push over and would have countered with their defensive plans. At the same time Britain would reinforce Canada with her own troops.
Remember that by the end of year in 1930, the USN was about 140~ ships big. The Royal Navy was some 600/700 ships in size. Nothing to stop us blockading US Ports and shelling your coastal cities.
I don't think the naval power would be a significant offensive force. The US ships would be bottled up and unable to leave port or destroyed with precision. But the US was largely self sufficient at that time and did not rely on import/export economy, plus naval bombardment of US coastal cities would be a costly and ineffective measure. US manufacturing capability inland would be impossible to knock out with a naval force, and the threat of shore guns and aircraft would inflict significant losses.
No, the goal of the war would be armies inland using air power to knock out the other side's air power so a significant advantage could be gained. Otherwise, the US would be unable to prevent a sea supply line to Canada, and the British would be unable to decisively knock out US manufacturing in the interior. Most of the action of the campaign would be around the manufacturing centers on the great lakes with both US and Canada trying to deal a knockout blow to the others' capabilities.
Hence my analysis that it would be a long, ugly war.