Search found 34 matches

by Iranon
Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:18 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: How would you fix the Alaska class?
Replies: 8
Views: 3508

Re: How would you fix the Alaska class?

I think the entire concept is flawed. Too many eggs in a very fragile basket.
by Iranon
Thu Feb 28, 2019 11:37 am
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Shell hits v armour
Replies: 6
Views: 4709

Re: Shell hits v armour

Fortunately, you don*t have to shoot at a target 20km away to replicate conditions at that range. You need an accurate range table to hit anything anyway, so you should know what velocity the shell will have remaining and its angle of fall. This can be replicated with a reduced charge and angling th...
by Iranon
Fri Nov 09, 2018 10:40 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Richelieu and Jean Bart
Replies: 49
Views: 20622

Re: Richelieu and Jean Bart

The French accepted many ugly design compromises (affecting firing arcs, accuracy, armour coverage) to cram a lot of "paper capability" into limited tonnage. Still, they got a very fast battleship that could face contemporaries with more confidence than Scharnhorst (which compromised gun c...
by Iranon
Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:47 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Crossing the T
Replies: 10
Views: 10249

Re: Crossing the T

Shouldn't have been relevant in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Bismarck openened fire several minutes after Hood, after multiple requests from the chief gunnery officer to be given permission to fire, and they had been aware of the British force long before that. They had all the time in the worl...
by Iranon
Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:25 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: renown and Rodney v Bismarck in the final battle
Replies: 3
Views: 6818

Re: renown and Rodney v Bismarck in the final battle

Very hard to make any predictions for a repeat... apart from Bismarck going down at the end as she can't run and the RN is somewhat determined to sink her. Bismarck didn't hit anything in the final battle, which at first glance seems undersurprising given state of the ship, crew fatigue etc. However...
by Iranon
Sat Feb 03, 2018 3:36 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: WW1 HMS Inflexible vs WW2 KMS Prinz Eugen
Replies: 13
Views: 11705

Re: WW1 HMS Inflexible vs WW2 KMS Prinz Eugen

The Admiral Hipper class exhibited good long-range gunnery for a cruiser, and scored hits at somewhat longer range than Inflexible's updated mounts (with 16° elevation) were physically capable of. She also has enough of a speed advantage to control the range. Not that the Germans were encouraged to ...
by Iranon
Wed Nov 08, 2017 1:47 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: A 15" gunned Scharnhorst at North Cape
Replies: 31
Views: 16581

Re: A 15" gunned Scharnhorst at North Cape

Standardising for impact velocity is somewhat problematic, and drawing conclusions for "equivalent ranges" without further adjustment is misleading. An impact velocity of 565m/s would imply a range of ~11km for the British 14" gun, but ~15km for the German 38cm and slightly less for t...
by Iranon
Tue Nov 07, 2017 12:01 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: A 15" gunned Scharnhorst at North Cape
Replies: 31
Views: 16581

Re: A 15" gunned Scharnhorst at North Cape

The main gun-related problem the Germans had at North Cape was that it was 3 against 10; larger calibre would not have helped. That battle was rather one-sided for tactical rather than technical reasons. Starting with the Germans practicing Radar silence under conditions where that was a poor idea, ...
by Iranon
Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:26 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Alaska Class vs Dunkquerke Class
Replies: 24
Views: 13342

Re: Alaska Class vs Dunkquerke Class

I've recently had a look at various gun range/velocity tables comparing impact energies, which turned out to be quite interesting. Alaska's guns are sometimes described as powerful for their calibre, but Dunkerque's are something else. Impact energy at usual battle ranges is about 50% higher, more t...
by Iranon
Fri Sep 22, 2017 5:33 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Prince Eugane v AGS
Replies: 52
Views: 22452

Re: Prince Eugane v AGS

One important difference was that the RN was very concerned about the pocket battleships, but considered submarines to be obsolescent. Hitler was ecstatic about the agreement because he considered it a building block towards an Anglo-German alliance. "We can technically still do the very thing ...
by Iranon
Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:12 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Prince Eugane v AGS
Replies: 52
Views: 22452

Re: Prince Eugane v AGS

They would have preferred to do so, but in the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935 they limited themselves to 35% of British tonnage in total and in each category, and to restrict themselves to the same classification system. That ruled out more "pocket battleships" if sticking to the spi...
by Iranon
Wed Sep 20, 2017 6:48 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Prince Eugane v AGS
Replies: 52
Views: 22452

Re: Prince Eugane v AGS

"Panzerschiff" was a political name, Article 190, Treaty of Versailles: Germany is forbidden to construct or acquire any warships other than those intended to replace the units in commission provided for in Article 181 of the present Treaty. The warships intended for replacement purposes a...
by Iranon
Mon Sep 18, 2017 4:45 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Prince Eugane v AGS
Replies: 52
Views: 22452

Re: Prince Eugane v AGS

The range advantage may be smaller than expected. The Admiral Hipper class carried essentially the same fire control suite as contemporary battleships, and her 20,3cm guns were accurate enough at range to make use out of it... the class displayed far better shooting than heavy cruisers of other nati...
by Iranon
Sat Sep 16, 2017 12:12 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Vanguard and Bismarck
Replies: 88
Views: 49422

Re: Vanguard and Bismarck

The British put some credible effort into designing new battleships towards the end of WW2, which would likely carried 16" guns (they considered 14" and 15" as well though). So that's not it. They had spare 15" lying around, and considered it an excellent weapon despite its age. ...
by Iranon
Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:34 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Vanguard and Bismarck
Replies: 88
Views: 49422

Re: Vanguard and Bismarck

These graphs seemed very strange to me as well. Also striking: According to them, the WW1-vintage 15" outperforming both Nelson's 16" and KGV's 14" guns. Bismarck vs. Queen Elizabeth with almost identical immune zones against one another, apparently the Germans wasted 20 years and a t...