Search found 71 matches

by mike1880
Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:41 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Optical Rangefinders
Replies: 19
Views: 8680

Re: Optical Rangefinders

We've been round this one before; there are (relatively) primary RN documents from 1941 onwards that exactly state the RN's position on stereo rangefinders in WW2; they're quoted (but not adequately cited) in Friedman's "Naval Firepower". If someone had the time and inclination to go and f...
by mike1880
Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:20 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Kaiser Wilhelm photo
Replies: 20
Views: 11597

Re: Kaiser Wilhelm photo

"As I further recall, there was a fleet review at Spithead in August 1902 (coronation of King Edward VII) and so the Sarmiento might have been present. I'm anything but sure. King Edward VII was the uncle of Wilhelm II and thus the German Emperor would most certainly be present here." Sarm...
by mike1880
Sun May 18, 2008 1:00 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Armor Thickness – lbs and Inches
Replies: 15
Views: 49733

Re: Armor Thickness – lbs and Inches

Correct; British plate was actually specified by weight in multiples of 40-lb (per square foot), not in inches, although plates were generally described as so many inches thick on the basis of one inch thickness = 40-lb/sq.ft. The equivalent weight of an inch thickness was 40.8 lb per square foot. E...
by mike1880
Fri May 09, 2008 11:04 pm
Forum: The Age of Sail (1571-1860)
Topic: Spain´s own naval victories?
Replies: 67
Views: 52933

Re: Spain´s own naval victories?

Following is a reasonable, if old fashioned, account: http://west-penwith.org.uk/raid.htm All English accounts seem to originate from a single source dating from seven years after the event; there is also as far as I can judge only a single Spanish source, the commander's report to Phillip II. The a...
by mike1880
Thu May 08, 2008 10:08 pm
Forum: The Age of Sail (1571-1860)
Topic: Spain´s own naval victories?
Replies: 67
Views: 52933

Re: Spain´s own naval victories?

You keep repeating this claim. Lets get some perspective on this, shall we? On successive days (July 23rd-24th - and it was 1595, by the way) the Spanish landed 400 troops and burnt Mousehole, Newlyn and Penzance. By the 25th there were enough local forces on hand to prevent another attempted landin...
by mike1880
Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:21 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Torpedo effectiveness
Replies: 18
Views: 7331

There's a good simple explanation here: http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/es310/uw_wpns/uw_wpns.htm of what happens to a ship after an explosion under the hull, and you can see the effects described very clearly in the videos of targets. An explosion in contact would not raise a ship out of t...
by mike1880
Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:42 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Th story of the Hood and the Bismarck is 'cool' and 'awesome
Replies: 44
Views: 13258

Talk about ignorance of history...
by mike1880
Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:11 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Watertight bulkheads and decks
Replies: 10
Views: 4759

Glass windows were observed by Stanley Goodall when he inspected Tennessee as built (New York, Tennessee and New Mexico were thoroughly inspected by RN constructors during and soon after WW1), paraphrased in D K Brown's Grand Fleet as: "There were glass windows low down in the generator room bu...
by mike1880
Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:27 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: SMS Thuringen on Google Maps
Replies: 4
Views: 6981

Oh, I see where you're coming from.

Note the hull was broken in two, what remains is broken up by waves, more like 350 feet long and about 200 yards offshore.

Mike
by mike1880
Mon Nov 12, 2007 6:24 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: SMS Thuringen on Google Maps
Replies: 4
Views: 6981

You mean that 500-foot patch of seaweed amongst all those patches of seaweed?

What makes you think Thuringen was sunk?

Mike
by mike1880
Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:11 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Proofing of Naval guns
Replies: 7
Views: 4156

"I have never heard of supercharges used to test fire a gun." The correct term is "proof charge", a "supercharge" is simply a charge larger than the standard service charge. Use of both is quite normal and very well documented. Chambers of heavy guns are not designed to...
by mike1880
Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:36 am
Forum: Naval History Post-1945
Topic: Malvinas/Falklands war - Alleged attack on HMS Invincible
Replies: 153
Views: 139600

"You say that she was at Stanley that day?" It's mentioned on the internet in one or two conspiracy theory discussions, if you Google a few key words you'll turn it up somewhere. As far as I'm concerned it's not a significant issue either way, I mentioned it to point out the contradictions...
by mike1880
Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:42 pm
Forum: Naval History Post-1945
Topic: Malvinas/Falklands war - Alleged attack on HMS Invincible
Replies: 153
Views: 139600

Really? Invincible's presence at anchor off Stanley on July 1st with a fresh coat of paint is one of the pieces of "evidence" quoted in favour of this story. It's 25 years since these events. In that time not one of several hundred crew members of Invincible, several hundred crew members o...
by mike1880
Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:11 am
Forum: Naval History Post-1945
Topic: Malvinas/Falklands war - Alleged attack on HMS Invincible
Replies: 153
Views: 139600

The simple answer is that British forces didn't stand down when the Argentine garrison surrendered because that wasn't the end of the war; Britain unilaterally declared an end to hostilities (i.e. the end of offensive operations) on June 20th but Argentina didn't (and didn't until 1990). Air defence...
by mike1880
Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:52 pm
Forum: Naval History Post-1945
Topic: Malvinas/Falklands war - Alleged attack on HMS Invincible
Replies: 153
Views: 139600

If you trawl the internet you'll also find it suggested that the Exocet flew into the sea or was decoyed by chaff and hit the remains of Atlantic Conveyor. Flying into the sea is perhaps the most likely of all the various suggestions, the 4.5-in gun idea just seems like a bit of opportunistic overcl...