Search found 783 matches
- Mon Apr 19, 2021 2:44 am
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
I haven't done any calculations, but my suspicion is that paravanes even if streamed at speed would not be able to exert enough transverse force to make any significant difference. They were, after all, only intended to move minesweeping wires outboard and to support a fairly light cable to cut the ...
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 1:25 am
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
The tug idea is interesting, but I doubt very much if even big salvage tugs could have made much difference. Towing speeds would be too slow. Most tug-work took place in still-water harbors at very slow speeds. Pushing on the bow of the Queen Mary at three-knots in harbor is very very different than...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:21 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
Actually, now that I think about it more, there was one set of cases where ships were expected (rarely) to operate astern. Some early U.S. Navy aircraft carriers were, for a brief time, equipped with arresting gear forward as well as aft, the idea being that if damage to the flight deck occurred aft...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 5:24 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
As a general rule, ships of that era were simply not designed to steam astern at any significant speed at for any significant time, so it's simply not a 'design case'. Basically, why would anybody want to do that? Even tugs, which spent a lot of time under astern power, never used that as any sort o...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 5:23 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
deleted duplicate post from myself
Bill Jurens
Bill Jurens
- Wed Apr 07, 2021 7:44 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
I corresponded with the Baron, who lived here in Toronto, Canada, several times, and talked to him on the phone once regarding gunnery aspects and big-gun dispersion. A very nice gentleman indeed, but -- one must remember -- quite literally a professional diplomat who chose his words very carefully ...
- Fri Mar 26, 2021 11:23 pm
- Forum: Naval Technology
- Topic: Idiots guide to....
- Replies: 13
- Views: 718
Re: Idiots guide to....
Mr. Mercer wrote: "In other threads some of you have very patiently explained to me why a one ton bomb dropping vertically from an aircraft is more likely to penetrate deck armour than a one ton shell arriving at an angle, I regret that I'm still a bit puzzled on this, at Pearl Harbour I believe it ...
- Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:22 pm
- Forum: Naval Technology
- Topic: Idiots guide to....
- Replies: 13
- Views: 718
Re: Idiots guide to....
No 'blowing out of the water' required, or appropriate. Certainly the precise location of a particular shell hit, except in very unusual circumstances is largely a random process, which one might well characterize as being represented by 'luck'. What is little appreciated is the inherent variability...
- Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:55 am
- Forum: Naval Technology
- Topic: Idiots guide to....
- Replies: 13
- Views: 718
Re: Idiots guide to....
I have to admit that I'm somewhat skeptical that the Naval Armor and Ballistics program "...is very useful and educational", at least for long-range naval gunfire. It appears to (still) be based on MCTRAJ, a small-arms ballistic program which, due to scaling issues, really doesn't model big artiller...
- Sun Mar 21, 2021 8:38 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
I would tend to agree that the idea of using a hangar door as a rudder of some sort was also more or less a fantasy, especially if one were trying to fit such a device in heavy sea conditions, at night, and with the British in hot pursuit. It is barely possible that Bismarck might have been able to ...
- Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:43 am
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
I have the detailed rudder drawings of Bismarck here. As you mentioned, blowing off the rudder -- or rudder(s) represents a complete fantasy. How might one place the explosive? How much might be required? Where in the wreckage might the explosive charges be placed in order to assure separation, and ...
- Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:53 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
Serigo wrote: "About Bismarck steering problems, It’s obvious that at least one of the rudder was still operational, mean attach to the pope, otherwise the ship wouldn’t have steering problems. So blow it up. Could you please clearify if that’s true because otherwise I don’t know what was the steeri...
- Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:22 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: bismark-after torpedo hit
- Replies: 193
- Views: 11148
Re: bismark-after torpedo hit
Your observations are interesting ones, but are not -- at least in my opinion -- realistic. First, there was almost certainly no possibility of 'blowing off' the port rudder, as it was probably gone already, removed by the torpedo hit on the starboard rudder. The port rudder was not, to my knowledge...
- Sun Feb 28, 2021 11:02 pm
- Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
- Topic: Bismarck's propulsion damage
- Replies: 10
- Views: 597
Re: Bismarck's propulsion damage
I would not agree that the Cape Matapan torpedo damage to V.V. was in any way 'very similar' to that sustained by Bismarck. If I'm reading my drawings correctly, the V.V. hit actually took place about about 40 meters forward of the main rudder, and damaged only what might be best-described as an 'au...
- Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:25 pm
- Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
- Topic: Erroneously landing on an enemy aircraft carrier?!
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1205
Re: Erroneously landing on an enemy aircraft carrier?!
I believe these stories are largely just that 'sea-stories'. Most or all aircrew approached a carrier using quite specific routines regarding courses, speeds, and altitudes, etc. These are unlikely to have been similar in both navies. Also, as part of the recognition system, most approaching aircraf...