Naval History Forums

I am having trouble deciphering the chart mentioned, i.e. (download/file.php?id=3346). Although the depiction of the British track on this reconstruction appears to be clearly shown, there appear to be five nearly parallel lines relating to the German formation, accompanied by a variety of unexplain...

I am smiling at the improved tone of the recent commentaries and replies. One hopes that the hatchet is now buried, and will remain buried throughout the new year. Regarding the visual observations, I seem to recall some British observations stating that there was a substantial mirage effect on some...

As "plain old Bill": The posting of the messages to the Admiralty is useful, and these messages probably represent what is nearest to a primary-source as we can get. I do wonder, however, how precise or accurate these might be with regard to reconstructing a track chart. For example, do th...

My apologies to Mr. Virtuani if he feels that he has been unfairly singled out for criticism. Again, although I used his particular post as an example, there was no specific intention to concentrate on his comments to the exclusion of some comments by others. Certainly others have been guilty as wel...

Once again, I will remind correspondents to please not editorialize. There is no need -- nor is there any utility -- in stating or implying that other correspondents are somehow stupid, stubborn, or in possession of some agenda which they wish to push forward at the expense of historical accuracy. F...

Thank you, Antonio.

Bill Jurens

This is just a very quick response, for which I must somewhat apologize. Daughter's birthday... To Antonio: Yes, I have already redrawn the German Track chart via computer, which enables me to extract information on bearings and distances with great accuracy. The problem, which I alluded to earlier,...

It is my understanding, perhaps incorrect, that Wandinga has considered OS1 and considers it problematical. One way to help to tip the scales either way might be to determine whether the actual 'paper distance' for this observation set corresponds to 15000 or 19700 meters. Antonio is, as I understan...

Thanks, Antonio. I-- and I am sure at least some others as well -- greatly appreciate the efforts you are willing to take to move the investigation forward, and your patience at explaining precisely how you have arrived at various conclusions, often for the fifteenth or twentieth time. It will be in...

Hello Antonio: Thanks for your recent postings. I am still struggling a bit with what we are now calling Observation Set 1, hereafter OS1. In this, I take it that you feel that the overall bearing for OS1 is more-or-less correct, but that the distance noted along the sight line is not really c. 19,7...

Hello Antonio: Thanks for your commentary. I am confused. Taken as read, the P.E. track chart at 0:600 seems to show a bearing of 143 degrees true to Prince of Wales, but the range as printed on the chart seems to be 197 hm, i.e. 19,700 meters. Where did the 15000 meter "agreed upon" range...

Hello all: We have, it seems, once more drifted into areas where much more 'ink' is spent in editorialization rather than discussion. A few of the immediately previous are particularly offensive in that regard. Those that cannot keep a civil tongue in their heads are essentially destroying this foru...

OK. Hopefully both sides will refrain from further snide remarks. Suggest we start again, and just discuss in detail only ONE set of initial bearings and distances, and see if we can agree upon that. As Alberto has had the last post, I suggest Wadinga submit a single bearing/distance set, presumably...

Quality of commentary aside, a reminder to try to maintain civil and respectful tones. Once we get off that track, as we have seen before, progress of any sort essentially halts. Slow progress is better than none.

Bill Jurens

We are doing well, but -- and this is, I think inherent to this sort of forum -- sometimes much patience is required in order to allow readers to actually examine the evidence and respond in a coherent manner. One can't try to do too many things at once -- even doing only one is challenging enough. ...