Naval History Forums

The idea that destroyers would slow down in order (ostensibly) to gain stability for gunfire during a battle while under shellfire is not to be taken seriously. (Just re-visit the horrendous slaughter of Pillsbury south of Java...Calm seas and low speeds didn't help her much then.) No C.O. of a tinc...

Not all IJN destroyers fired torpedoes in the Battle of the Java Sea at 15k yards. Most (~70%) were under 10.5k yds or so...some considerably less than that. Only the initial attacks by DesRon 4's NAKA & her DDs fired at ~12,500-15,000 meters. As for the other DD attacks: One division fired torpedoe...

1) The KONGO's are strongly committed to outranging tactics--this is fundamental IJN doctrine---and will open fire as soon as the enemy is visible. If this is 20k, the so be it. If they spot the enemy at a greater distance they will open fire at that point. Their 36cm guns have a max range of roughl...

The scenario is simply too unrealistic if you remove all ground-based air support...Nonetheless, the DD advantage is heavily in favor of the IJN as would be torpedo performance. If I had to, I'd bet on the Japanese in a surface action. To answer your question: the Japanese were absolutely determined...

You might try looking at the history of the ESSO tanker GEORGE G. HENRY , and her involvement in the PacWar w/the old Asiatic Fleet, etc. out in Oz. She later became USS VICTORIA (AO-46) , but as GGH she did not/could not conduct UNREPS, as far as I know. Nonetheless, she was a valuable asset to the...

Hello,

It didn't. The MB director atop the Foremast is the old director she had originally.

The new, modified director (AA, or dual purpose director) is aft on the Mainmast, which has been cut down.

HTH

We know that the torpedo which hit & sank KORTENAER was from HAGURO because that salvo was launched ~20 mins later than the 43 launched earlier by DesRon 4/ NAKA + DDs. And the next large torpedo salvo launch (by DesRon 2/ JINTSU + DDs) was not for another 30-40 mins, or so. HAGURO 's torpedo had tr...

The Type 93 hit by heavy cruiser HAGURO on the Dutch destroyer KORTENAER at the Battle of the Java Sea was probably comparable, if not longer, I think.

Francis: At the Battle of Badoeng Strait (Feb 1942), the Dutch DD Piet Hein mysteriously laid a smokescreen before she engaged the IJN destroyers Oshio and Asashio ...This made her visible to the enemy as well as to the two US Asiatic Fleet tincans trailing her ( John D. Ford & Pope ). IJN records c...

1) You might try the Taylor Anderson "Destroyermen" series--They are (IMO) 'colorful' sci-fi extrapolations, and not at all my cuppa, but his historical understanding of fourpipers is quite acceptable, really. If a guy has published ten books on fourpipers--even nutty sci-fi adventures based around ...