Naval History Forums

Population differential between France and Germany - Year-------France---------Germany---------Ratio 1911-----41,415,000----65,360,000--------0.634 1921-----39,108,000----60,625,800--------0.645 1929-----40,250,000----64,700,000--------0.622 1936-----41,502,000----67,350,000--------0.616 1940-----4...

I think this is good news. recovering the ship's bell for a memorial display is not plundering the wreck.
I hope they do the same with Bismarck's bell.

I would like to see those photos!

...or it could have been anything but the fact is that it was 3 straddles and 3 hits. That was essentially my point. ...then do we agree that 3 hits out of 3 straddles requires a lot of luck? Then how do you explain the hits, straddles, and near straddles? good luck maybe? For one straddle/hit/near...

3 straddles and 3 hits, that is what I call luck. it could very well have been 3 straddles and just one hit or no hits at all. Or it could have been even more hits and/or more straddles. If she wasn't close to on 3 hits becomes pretty improbable not impossible but the larger the numbers the more th...

Dave Saxton wrote:Staddles tell us how good the shooting is. Hit % mainly tells us how lucky or unlucky.

EXACTLY MY POINT!

PE output: "Total 184 possible shots Actually fired = 157" = 85% output. If we assume 8 hits, then we have a 5.1% hit rate, or less than PoW, and PE had the benefit of radar ranging. yes, but what matters is the number of straddles not the actual hit rate. and I dont think PE was as lucky...

The Baron wrote that he obeyed the order to survey Norfolk and and Suffolk by using his optical director. The optical director was a persiscope like device. I studied some Denmark St. photos of Bismarck in action and it appears that the aft optical rangefinder, which the radar antenna was mounted t...

but the fact is that PoW was extremely lucky with her shooting considering she never got the correct range with her target. I don't think that statement is correct. The fact that she got 3 hits is rather a good indicator that it isn't. As for luck that cuts both ways. 3 straddles and 3 hits, that i...

the problem is that PoW took so long to get the first straddle for whatever reasons. even if you are using optical means only, needing 6 salvos to get a straddle vs a target on a steady course under good visibility... well it is not good.

PoW, obviously, did get the correct range for at least 3 salvos, however, the problem was holding the range via a correct FC solution (a correct plot based upon target range, target speed, direction and the same for own ship), in the absence of reliable continuous ranges. why did they fail to get a...

I wonder were you have the information ftom, that BS used EM II for range taking. I was under the impression that the one on Schnws station was defective. I'm not shure that it was possible to take range ftom an other station than direction. iirc one radar was put out of action the night before vs ...

Pandora: As I stated PoW did not have a functioning radar system, could not get any optical ranges... You don't appear to have read any prior posts. see my bolded comment. that is your own appreciation, but the fact is that PoW was extremely lucky with her shooting considering she never got the cor...

As I stated PoW did not have a functioning radar system, could not get any optical ranges and she basically had to find the range by gunfire, but when she did find it, she held it until Hood's loss. it doesnt seem to me PoW held the range at all at any time. instead it seems she only got straddles ...

as I see the Prince of Wales was not shooting very well and was very lucky to get those 3 hits. took 6 salvos to get the first straddle, then missed totally with 7 and 8, straddled with 9, missed again until salvo 13... and again from 14 to 18. 18 salvos = 3 straddles = 3 hits vs a ship with a stea...