re: How were German armored divisions so much more elite than their US counterparts

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specifically battleships/aircraft carriers....at least I think..

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I assume you're familiar with the Bismarck? Sank the Royal Navy flagship HMS Hood in an early battle?

If not - LINK

Ultimately, it became a question of economics. They never completed the only CV they launched. Their surface fleet was never going to be able to handle the Royal Navy or the Atlantic fleet, toe-to-toe. They relied on the Italians and the Vichy Fleet in the Med. They focused on a few surface raiders and U-Boats because they could get a decent ROI - but it was at a terrible cost in manpower and boats.

U-Boat crew was probably the single riskiest job in the entire European war - more so than an 8th Air Force bomber crewman or in a front line armor unit of either army on the Eastern Front. I guess only Japanese naval aviation was more dangerous.