Hello everybody,
@ Steve Crandell,
you wrote above :
Steve Crandell wrote:I think it is reasonable to assume that when the Compass Platform was hit by Bismarck, Leach was stunned and disoriented. He may well have remained that way for several minutes, but the time all ran together for him. It is possible that the report from the gunnery department that Y turret was jammed was very soon after he began to accurately discern what was happening around him, and he conflated all the events of the last few minutes into a shorter period of time than it actually was, and was confused about the order of occurrence of the various events, and so his first description of them was simply wrong.
Later, when he had his wits about him and was able to discuss the events with subordinates, he came up with a new version, and refined that as time went on.
This doesn't have to be a big conspiracy. Just human beings trying to deal with events around them amid great noise and confusion. Some times they get it wrong.
It was not Capt Leach the one that " astutely " took statements from somebody else reports and changed the event sequence, by adding the PoW Y turret jamming before the turn away order, and enlarged the engagement duration before that order being released from 2 minutes after Hood exploded to 13 minutes ( 06.13 ) after the Hood exploded.
The Official available documents demonstrate that it was Adm Tovey the Officer who did it writing his dispatches point 19.
One can have his own opinion on why he did it, but nobody can refute to admit that he did it and that both are intentionally released incorrect declarations from the Commander in Chief, Home Fleet on July 1941.
That is the main part of the " Cover Up " done by writing the point 19, the other part was done by writing the point 17 in the same " astute " way by Adm Tovey on his dispatches.
Again, we are done about the fact that has been done and by whom, ... so irrefutable it is for everybody by simply reading the still available Official documents about it.
It only remain to be agreed among us, ... and it will not be an easy task for sure if ever possible, ... why he did it ?
In fairness we can discuss and accept everybody opinion and views on the reasons behind it, ... but surely nobody can try to refute any longer and any more the fact that it has been done.
If anybody still have doubts in this regard, ... I invite him to read the documents and realize better what we are talking about.
Bye Antonio
In order to honor a soldier, we have to tell the truth about what happened over there. The whole, hard, cold truth. And until we do that, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. ( Courage Under Fire )