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by wadinga
Mon Jan 29, 2024 12:27 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: closing up bismarck during daylight action
Replies: 10
Views: 2506

Re: closing up bismarck during daylight action

Hi Chuckfan3, There is a need to lower railings which might hinder or be damaged by weapons fire but they were left in place elsewhere. There are plenty of pictures of Prinz Eugen's crew taking the air on deck during the mission. I would suggest modelling the ship "closed up" for action. A...
by wadinga
Mon Jan 29, 2024 2:23 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Redesigning Bismarck
Replies: 45
Views: 31383

Re: Redesigning Bismarck

Hi All, To return to a redesigned Bismarck , Hans is, of course correct. A firm decision was indeed made to switch to completely diesel propulsion for the H class as laid down and, shortly after allocation of the first resources and work on the keel, to abandon construction completely. M J Whitley i...
by wadinga
Wed Jan 24, 2024 3:03 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: closing up bismarck during daylight action
Replies: 10
Views: 2506

Re: closing up bismarck during daylight action

Hi All, Definitely concur with esteemed moderator. During this mission there was always the possibility of a breaking wave or aircraft strafing damaging unprotected glass, not to mention a forgotten deadlight allowing light out as a giveaway at night. Fresh air or natural daylight is an unnecessary ...
by wadinga
Wed Jan 24, 2024 2:13 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Redesigning Bismarck
Replies: 45
Views: 31383

Re: Redesigning Bismarck

Hi All, Before I am shot down, Z-51 did get off the drawing board but only as an unfinished hulk with no propulsion installed, after a lengthy, chaotic design process see Wikipedia. Promised, extrapolated performance is no guarantee of reliable delivery. As for the long distance commerce raiding rol...
by wadinga
Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:30 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Redesigning Bismarck
Replies: 45
Views: 31383

Re: Redesigning Bismarck

Hello Hans, To me the Kriegsmarine situation vis-a-vis diesels vs turbines for large ships is similar to the steam reciprocating vs steam turbines that the RN faced at the beginning of the 20th century. The civilian Turbinia had embarrassed the RN at Queen Victoria's Fleet Review by outrunning the f...
by wadinga
Tue Jan 23, 2024 2:25 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Redesigning Bismarck
Replies: 45
Views: 31383

Re: Redesigning Bismarck

Hi All, The bitter conflict between diesel and steam enthusiasts in the Kriegsmarine was at a crescendo when the H-39 design was underway. Reading Koop and Schmolke's Pocket Battleships of the Deutschland class it is suggested their diesels were bedevilled by excessive demands for low weight and ins...
by wadinga
Mon Jan 22, 2024 5:26 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Redesigning Bismarck
Replies: 45
Views: 31383

Re: Redesigning Bismarck

Hi All, Breyer describes the proposed power plants for the H class behemoths: mainly employing MAN diesels for cruising/endurance, with steam turbines for extra tactical speed. After an earlier aborted cruiser design, there were no more pure diesel-driven proposals, based presumably on the pocket ba...
by wadinga
Tue Jan 09, 2024 7:32 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Redesigning Bismarck
Replies: 45
Views: 31383

Re: Redesigning Bismarck

Hi All, It often forgotten that ships operate at the boundary layer of two fluids, one vastly less dense than the other. However air can move at far higher velocities and thus exert considerable effect on the course of a ship through wind resistance (windage). The larger the hull and superstructure,...
by wadinga
Thu Jan 04, 2024 7:02 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Redesigning Bismarck
Replies: 45
Views: 31383

Re: Redesigning Bismarck

Hi Thorsten, This appears wrong, Bismarck was able to maintain a north westerly general (zig zag) course despite heavy seastate, wind up to hurricane strenght and considerable ruddereffect from the damaged rudders. I think it was not despite but indeed because of the weather on her bow balancing the...
by wadinga
Wed Dec 27, 2023 9:39 am
Forum: Books and Reference
Topic: Alan Raven RIP
Replies: 1
Views: 4816

Re: Alan Raven RIP

To All,

It is indeed sad to mark the passing of an expert and prolific author like Alan Raven. He has left a great legacy in his publications and I am proud to say I have many of his works on my bookshelves.

All the best

wadinga
by wadinga
Sun Dec 17, 2023 10:42 am
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.
Replies: 32
Views: 58877

Re: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.

Hi All, Leafing through Siegfried Breyer's Battleships and Battlecruisers there are a number of speculative plans from 1939 onwards for the battleships to come after Bismarck/Tirpitz . He notes these were more design exercises, given the state of the war and resources, than ships to be actually buil...
by wadinga
Sun Dec 10, 2023 7:54 pm
Forum: Books and Reference
Topic: Perkins British Warship Identification- 7 Vols and very cheap
Replies: 0
Views: 20854

Perkins British Warship Identification- 7 Vols and very cheap

Hi All, If you are looking for a Christmas Bargain this site https://www.naval-military-press.com/product-category/world-war-ii/war-at-sea/ are selling these huge format reproductions of these hand drawn guides at the knockdown price of £9.99 each, list price £60.00! I got the seven volume set last ...
by wadinga
Thu Dec 07, 2023 2:59 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.
Replies: 32
Views: 58877

Re: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.

Hi Marc, In principle gunnery officers would surely like to have as many long baseline rangefinders as possible. The theoreticians at AVKS may say the low mounts have limitations, but Dora in both Bismarck and Tirpitz actually retained theirs and, as we know there was no new construction completed a...
by wadinga
Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:35 am
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.
Replies: 32
Views: 58877

Re: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.

Hi Duncan et al, Indeed the KGV design did conform to the requirement for low elevation dead ahead fire. The action examples you raise are interesting cases but based on WWI experience are IMHO unusual. As a result of its aggressive tradition the RN expected to be chasing a fleeing enemy, but the wh...
by wadinga
Tue Dec 05, 2023 2:21 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.
Replies: 32
Views: 58877

Re: Bismarck and European battleships vs.US battleships - hull shape and seakeeping qualities.

Hi All, This is an interesting thread with enlightening contributions from all. :clap: It is of course true that pretty much all major German warships (including Bismarck ) had their prows rebuilt with the so-called Atlantic Clipper bow to minimise spray and waves over the foredeck to address the sh...