Search found 11 matches

by dale3242
Sun Jul 09, 2023 9:49 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: projectile angle of attack
Replies: 12
Views: 3664

Re: projectile angle of attack

Unfortunately, the very shape of a shell contributes to instability. A WWII era shell generally had a windscreen on the front, and most of the weight concentrated towards the rear of the body. Most of the mass of solid shot would be towards the rear of the projectile. However, naval shells contain ...
by dale3242
Sun Sep 13, 2020 4:11 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Admiral Hipper class vs contemporaries
Replies: 15
Views: 6542

Re: Admiral Hipper class vs contemporaries

Correction, although the Wichita did have the newer 8 inch guns, it continued to use the 260 lb AP shell. This is because the shell-handling equipment could not accommodate the newer super heavy 335 lb AP shell. Sorry for the error. Actually, I have done more research and I believe that I was actua...
by dale3242
Sun Sep 13, 2020 2:30 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Admiral Hipper class vs contemporaries
Replies: 15
Views: 6542

Re: Admiral Hipper class vs contemporaries

The USS Wichita (CA-45) was commissioned at almost the same time as the Admiral Hipper. It was equipped with newer 8 inch guns which fired a 335 lb AP shell. It also had 6.4 inch belt armor. Correction, although the Wichita did have the newer 8 inch guns, it continued to use the 260 lb AP shell. Th...
by dale3242
Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:10 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Admiral Hipper class vs contemporaries
Replies: 15
Views: 6542

Re: Admiral Hipper class vs contemporaries

The Admiral Hipper class were much larger than the New Orleans class cruisers. It is hard to see what the German ships got in return for the extra displacement. The twin turrets of the Hipper weighed about 281 tons each (1124 tons), whereas the triple turrets of the New Orleans weighed 294 tons each...
by dale3242
Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:35 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Who won?
Replies: 33
Views: 8605

Re: Who won?

Please understand that I do not argue that firing at ships which are 26,000 yards or more is useless. To avoid being hit, a fleeing ship may chase salvos or otherwise alter course and/or speed. This effectively slows the target ship. Alternatively, a lucky hit might reduce the speed of the enemy shi...
by dale3242
Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:47 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Who won?
Replies: 33
Views: 8605

Re: Who won?

One issue as to deck protection is the extreme difficulty of hitting a moving ship by another moving ship at long range. The battleship Warspite achieved one of the longest range gunnery hits by hitting Giulio Cesare at a range of approximately 24 km (26,000 yd). Scharnhorst similarly hit HMS Glorio...
by dale3242
Wed Dec 26, 2018 3:58 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Scharnhorst w/ 38cm's and other improvements
Replies: 37
Views: 14704

Re: Scharnhorst w/ 38cm's and other improvements

I don't think that a change in armament would have benefited Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in any of the battles that they fought. The 28 cm gun had fine ballistics and had a nearly 50% higher max ROF than the 38 cm gun. Also, each ship had nine 28 cm guns. In the engagement with the Renown, Gneisenau h...
by dale3242
Sat Dec 01, 2018 8:25 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Was the Blücher really such a bad design?
Replies: 21
Views: 23772

Re: Was the Blücher really such a bad design?

At Dogger Bank, the rear German ship, Blucher, and the lead British ship, Lion, both took the brunt of fire. Both were disabled, but the consequences for each ship were much different. Blucher was just as fast as HMS Invincible and had slightly thicker armor. Blucher's higher rate of fire would give...
by dale3242
Tue Sep 24, 2013 1:33 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Was the Blücher really such a bad design?
Replies: 21
Views: 23772

Re: Was the Blücher really such a bad design?

The Blücher wasn't a bad design, but it was just not quite as fast as a "real" battle cruiser. Had she been built with turbines, she might have had another 2 knots in speed. The Blücher's 8.2 inch guns had a high rate of fire (5-6 rounds per minute). They fired a relatively light 260 pound...
by dale3242
Fri Oct 01, 2010 1:32 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck construction flaws
Replies: 397
Views: 284238

Re: Bismarck construction flaws

I have some observations concerning the construction/design flaws of the Bismarck that contributed to her demise. The torpedo that hit the Bismarck's stern initially jammed both rudders. However, one rudder was successfully unjammed. The ship could then be steered successfully by use of the engines ...
by dale3242
Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:34 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau vs Yamato
Replies: 77
Views: 21036

Re: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau vs Yamato

The assumption seems to be that the battle would occur in daylight with excellent visibility. Although on the face of it, the German ships would seem to have little chance against the Yamato, the Yamato had some serious weaknesses. First, as mentioned in a previous post, the 6.1" secondary maga...