Search found 19 matches

by AdmiralSemmes
Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:09 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Can the USN keep the Lexington-class battlecruisers?
Replies: 1
Views: 1507

Can the USN keep the Lexington-class battlecruisers?

While the concept is very much maligned, I'm quite interested in the battlecruiser, and I naturally find the USN's Lexington-class battlecruisers intriguing. This is likely ASB, but how much will the existence of the class as battlecruisers affect the interwar period? It seems fairly obvious the Was...
by AdmiralSemmes
Mon Jan 18, 2021 9:57 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Books on British Battlecruisers?
Replies: 62
Views: 15575

Re: Books on British Battlecruisers?

Hi Admiral Semmes, I'm not sure there are any professionals here, so of course, your opinion as an amateur can be expressed and valued. Since you sparked the thread, what do you think of Professor Seligmann's theory on the origin of the battlecruiser? Liner chaser or superior armoured cruiser? Mayb...
by AdmiralSemmes
Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:37 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Books on British Battlecruisers?
Replies: 62
Views: 15575

Re: Books on British Battlecruisers?

I'm about 100 pages into Gordon's The Rules of the Game, and I can't say I've found anything in particular that struck me as odd. Most of his conclusions seemed reasonable enough, at least to this amateur.
by AdmiralSemmes
Sun Dec 27, 2020 9:24 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Crew of SMS Lützow
Replies: 1
Views: 2281

Crew of SMS Lützow

In checking my copy of Gary Staff's book on the German battlecruisers, I can't find any information on where the crew for SMS Lützow came from. Seydlitz's came largely from Yorck, and Derfflinger's came from the East Asia Squadron, but I can't find anything for Lützow.
by AdmiralSemmes
Thu Nov 19, 2020 3:54 am
Forum: Books and Reference
Topic: Best Books on Jutland?
Replies: 17
Views: 8854

Best Books on Jutland?

Trying to pick out a couple of WWI naval books for the holidays this year, and I'm wondering what books on Jutland are recommended. Andrew Gordon's The Rules of the Game is very often recommended, and John Campbell's massive tome is pricey, but seems to be worth it. Is Nick Jellicoe's book worth loo...
by AdmiralSemmes
Thu Oct 15, 2020 11:15 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Major Royal Navy defeat in 1914?
Replies: 6
Views: 2818

Re: Major Royal Navy defeat in 1914?

Firstly I must take exception at describing the raid as "daring". Attacking an enemy stronghold like Zeebrugge or St Nazaire is daring. Killing old ladies in their beds, and babies in their cots is disreputable and dishonourable work for battlecruisers. Scarborough and Whitby were seaside...
by AdmiralSemmes
Thu Sep 17, 2020 2:31 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Books on British Battlecruisers?
Replies: 62
Views: 15575

Re: Books on British Battlecruisers?

Much though I love the Bayerns, I couldn't honestly say they were better overall compared to the QE's.
by AdmiralSemmes
Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:59 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Major Royal Navy defeat in 1914?
Replies: 6
Views: 2818

Major Royal Navy defeat in 1914?

In December 1914, the High Seas Fleet launched a daring raid on the North Sea coast of England, bombarding Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby. This was a particularly unwelcome event for the Royal Navy, coming at a time when about half of the battlecruiser fleet was on the other side of the Atlanti...
by AdmiralSemmes
Mon Sep 14, 2020 5:20 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Naval Aviation in the Kaiserliche Marine
Replies: 1
Views: 1792

Naval Aviation in the Kaiserliche Marine

Assuming the Kaiserliche Marine manages to survive the Great War, how much would they have invested into naval aviation, and what form would it have taken? I think the Royal Naval seaplane tenders at Jutland had proved naval aviation was going to play some role in sea battles from then on, and the G...
by AdmiralSemmes
Sun Sep 13, 2020 5:28 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Books on British Battlecruisers?
Replies: 62
Views: 15575

Re: Books on British Battlecruisers?

Somewhat related question, but does anyone know if the HMS New Zealand had a larger than normal number of New Zealanders in her crew?
by AdmiralSemmes
Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:12 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Books on British Battlecruisers?
Replies: 62
Views: 15575

Re: Books on British Battlecruisers?

Hi Admiral Semmes, I'll readily confess to having something of a bias myself toward the Kaiserliche Marine, so I won't condemn Staff too harshly for the same sins. I would agree with him that Scheer was a much better commander than many give him credit for being - the 180° turn when he had his T cr...
by AdmiralSemmes
Tue Sep 08, 2020 1:58 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Books on British Battlecruisers?
Replies: 62
Views: 15575

Re: Books on British Battlecruisers?

Hi Admiral Semmes, Do you have Gary Staff's other books on Skagerrak and the "Seven Seas" book on the cruiser campaign? All the best wadinga I had no idea Staff had written other books on Skagerrak besides the one! As to the other, I've been focusing on the North Sea battles for the past ...
by AdmiralSemmes
Tue Sep 08, 2020 4:18 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Names of the Ersatz Yorck-class ships?
Replies: 1
Views: 1522

Names of the Ersatz Yorck-class ships?

It may be a useless endeavour, but I'm interested in finding out if there is any way of knowing what names the ships of the Ersatz Yorck class battlecruisers?
by AdmiralSemmes
Tue Sep 08, 2020 4:15 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Officers of the Kaiserliche Marine
Replies: 3
Views: 1575

Re: Officers of the Kaiserliche Marine

I suggest Holger Herwig's Luxury Fleet. Available on Kindle at Amazon. Been 15 years since I read but his research notes should provide some breadcrumbs for you. Thank you for the recommendation, I had been concerned Herwig would be too general, glad to see it might be more useful than I thought.
by AdmiralSemmes
Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:13 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Officers of the Kaiserliche Marine
Replies: 3
Views: 1575

Officers of the Kaiserliche Marine

I've been trying to find information on the officers of the Imperial German navy, and I've been left with several questions. I've heard that the navy was one of the only truly "German" branches of the armed forces, compared with the Prussian slant of the land forces. Did the navy have the ...