Search found 28 matches

by Ken Thompson
Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:57 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: 2 questions regarding Bismarck
Replies: 37
Views: 8560

Re: 2 questions regarding Bismarck

The first question: Since this was the "break out" into the Atlantic and the damage was not all that severe, going to Brest for repairs positioned it on the Atlantic for further operations.

The second question: ?
by Ken Thompson
Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:19 pm
Forum: World War II
Topic: Griffon engines
Replies: 13
Views: 5460

Re: Griffon engines

sandym wrote:May be worth pointing out that the Griffon rotates in the opposite direction to the Merlin.

Caught Spitfire pilots out during the war as the Griffon engined ones 'swung' in the 'wrong' direction on take-ff.
Why is that is it, because of a double reduction gear box?
by Ken Thompson
Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:00 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy
Replies: 21
Views: 10390

Re: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy

Its those GRTs that make it look top heavy. The British use to criticize our lend lease CVE's as an "awful lot on top of very little: when viewed from the bow. There's pictures on the internet now that show the interior of this ship. Looks like"Las Vegas Moderne gone to sea".
by Ken Thompson
Tue Jan 24, 2012 5:06 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy
Replies: 21
Views: 10390

Re: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy

Are you sure about the tonnage? I thought it was over 100,000 tons for the Costa Concordia which as a combination floating hotel - amusement park had accommodations for up to 4000 "guests". The Titanic was a North Atlantic ferry also with hotel accommodations for about half that but most o...
by Ken Thompson
Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:33 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy
Replies: 21
Views: 10390

Re: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy

Not only are they tearing up the ship to find the missing victims of this calamity, but they are yet to remove all the fuel before they think of salvaging it. Most likely it will be a water front tourist attraction for a long time to come.
by Ken Thompson
Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:38 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy
Replies: 21
Views: 10390

Re: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy

Well the hole is up where they can patch it easily then as in the case of the Normandy they can plug up the other openings and pump the water out after that who knows.
by Ken Thompson
Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:30 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy
Replies: 21
Views: 10390

Re: Costa Concordia capsizes off the coast of Italy

Looks like the wreck of the Normandy but without the fire. I see a lot of SMIT tugs around it trying to figure out how to salvage it. On another website the owner claims it might be out of service for up to a year !?!
by Ken Thompson
Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:18 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Action in the Med
Replies: 17
Views: 5033

Re: Action in the Med

I think the object of the Italian Navy in 1940 was not so much to win the war but to not lose it in a single day. So they chose to break off.
by Ken Thompson
Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:56 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Would Yamato with advanced AA gunnery survive air attack ?
Replies: 78
Views: 16586

Re: Would Yamato with advanced AA gunnery survive air attack

One thing the US Navy decided to do was to intercept the inbound strike way out there. In early 1994 they initiated project "Cadillac" an early form of Airborne Early Warning -AEW that we still have today. This was a more elaborate radar system with a data link to the home carrier CIC when...
by Ken Thompson
Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:48 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times
Replies: 57
Views: 19284

Re: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times

Destroyers. In my opinion the most effective and usefull warsips of the war!
Well I agree with that, particularly the Fletcher class.
by Ken Thompson
Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:42 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times
Replies: 57
Views: 19284

Re: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times

Well its too bad they got away but late in the battle more planes from the CV's started to arrive. The Yamato sailors may remember their ship with pride but in the end it achieved nothing but allow us fliers some good target practice. Its the sailors of Taffy 3 that should have pride in what they ac...
by Ken Thompson
Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:29 pm
Forum: World War II
Topic: Sea Lion 1941
Replies: 73
Views: 15235

Re: Sea Lion 1941

Yes it would be more intelligent to finish the war in the west but not with Winston Churchill in power. The only chance they had was at Dunkirk and they needed a whole fleet of landing craft to get the army across which of course they didn't have and the had to deal with the RAF in the Battle of Bri...
by Ken Thompson
Fri Dec 30, 2011 4:14 pm
Forum: World War II
Topic: Sea Lion 1941
Replies: 73
Views: 15235

Re: Sea Lion 1941

The question is about 1941 not 1940 so maybe we can call this Sea Lion II. The Germans were embroiled in helping Italy out in Greece and North Africa against those pesky British and that operation is interfering with their plan to invade Russia so they change their mind and at least look into Sea Li...
by Ken Thompson
Fri Dec 30, 2011 4:21 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times
Replies: 57
Views: 19284

Re: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times

But seriously folks I wonder if someone can tell us what role was envisioned by the designers for this class of ships. In WW 1 battleships were formed in a line to slug it out with the presumably same size line of the enemy. I know that the Japanese had some vague idea of a "final" battle ...
by Ken Thompson
Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:24 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times
Replies: 57
Views: 19284

Re: Yamato: the greatest warship of all times

In the battle off Samar when the Japanese fleet turned around one of the gunners on a CVE is reported to have said: "Hey they're getting away".