Hi Byron,Byron Angel wrote: "Disagree. However plausible or logical your arguments may be, they are, at the end of the day, simply assumptions...Some other, more explicit evidence is required to make a fully convincing case"
while I agree on your point re. the "bow wave", I also recognize that , based ONLY on Brenencke account, there is no 100% sure evidence that the shell passed from compartment XXI to XX (albeit this is by far the most probable explanation for such a large flooding compared to splinters, leaks, etc.). There are however other accounts that are more explicit, like Garzke-Dulin book on page 224 posted by Antonio above (http://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewtopi ... =45#p80849) and the Baron account (I'm afraid that nobody was willing to post his account... ).
In my Italian version of his book (pag.141), the Baron states that (my Italic):
These accounts, together with Brennecke one, leave a very low probability that things went the way you conjecture. I agree these are just (very authoritative) accounts and not 100% sure evidences, but, reversing your argument, I would say that some other evidences, at least more solid than these ones, are surely needed to even try to imagine another scenario."It (the first hit) came into the ship forward of the transverse armored bulkhead, beneath the forecastle. It passed through the whole ship from port to starboard above the waterline. It fractured the watertight bulkhead between compartments XX and XXI and left a hole of 1.5 meters in the exit side. In few time we got around 2,000 tons of water forward."
Of course, the definitive proof of the hit direction vs Bismarck course is the range closure rate of Bismarck vs PoW (as per PoW salvo plot http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/off ... encIVa.gif), between 5:56:10 and 6:00:30, when she was straddled (http://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewtopi ... 945#p80806), demonstrating mathematically (and not based on accounts) that Bismarck was always on a course around 220°, from which she could only receive a 330°bearing shot fired by PoW (http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/off ... encIVa.gif) from around 20° forward (and not aft) of the beam. The fact that such a hit passed through 2 compartments (as most probably happened) or just one (the XXI) is simply irrelevant.
The picture posted by Antonio is self-explanatory in this regard (much more than my above words):
Bye, Alberto