Search found 23 matches

by Dod Grile
Tue Jan 13, 2015 9:13 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: 40mm Bofors or 1.1" ?
Replies: 8
Views: 10378

Re: 40mm Bofors or 1.1" ?

Some years ago I interviewed an old Asiatic Fleet vet (a GM3c) who survived the Java Campaign & was then sent to smaller ships, sub-chasers and such...On one vessel later--I don't recall which--he worked w/the 1.1" weapon again. This after having been around the earlier variation in the Asi...
by Dod Grile
Fri Jan 09, 2015 11:38 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Rodney torpedoes compared to Long Lance?
Replies: 43
Views: 29219

Re: Rodney torpedoes compared to Long Lance?

The engagement at Tassafaronga was a chaotic melee if ever there was one, and the Type 93s saved the Japanese bacon-so to speak-in no uncertain terms. In this reference to Tanaka's version of the initial launch (written later), that 'matter of minutes' was actually on the order of fifteen minutes. S...
by Dod Grile
Fri Jan 09, 2015 4:27 am
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Rodney torpedoes compared to Long Lance?
Replies: 43
Views: 29219

Re: Rodney torpedoes compared to Long Lance?

The idea was to fire everything they had--meaning the entire battery on whichever side was required. Whether or not they then reloaded would depend upon circumstances. There was a pretty clear doctrine re distances for destroyers, but as one may imagine, a lot of this went right out the window in ba...
by Dod Grile
Mon Jan 05, 2015 8:25 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Rodney torpedoes compared to Long Lance?
Replies: 43
Views: 29219

Re: Rodney torpedoes compared to Long Lance?

Hello, I very much doubt that this interpretation of IJN torpedo doctrine is either accurate or relevant. In the early battles in which torpedoes were dominant (Java Sea & Sunda Strait) the IJN most certainly did not adhere to firing half-salvos at all...For the most part they fired everything t...
by Dod Grile
Fri Dec 19, 2014 8:50 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Fletcher v Fubuki Class Destroyer Battle
Replies: 13
Views: 7675

Re: Fletcher v Fubuki Class Destroyer Battle

I didn't know our DDs fired torpedoes which were the same type as those trouble-plagued submarine fish...
by Dod Grile
Mon Dec 15, 2014 10:36 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Why was USN cruiser shooting so poor?
Replies: 93
Views: 35452

Re: Why was USN cruiser shooting so poor?

U.S. cruiser gunnery was generally atrocious prior to the war---even short & middle range shoots. I've seen figures on target exercises in which heavy cruisers firing at middle ranges--say, 5,000 to 7,000 yards--hit absolutely nothing out of maybe 50-100 shots. Others had hit percentages in the ...
by Dod Grile
Sun Dec 07, 2014 10:49 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: WHY DID KURITA TURN AWAY
Replies: 13
Views: 9010

Re: WHY DID KURITA TURN AWAY

Kurita Takeo had already established a reputation among his fellow IJN officers as being overly cautious--long before Samar. He (& his staff) were involved in contentious squabbles during the early phase of the war. In the assault on Java he commanded Sentai 7 (four MOGAMI-class cruisers) and ar...
by Dod Grile
Tue Dec 02, 2014 3:31 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Best unknown tales from WW2 naval history
Replies: 24
Views: 11793

Re: Best unknown tales from WW2 naval history

Many actions in the NEI campaign (Dec. 1941--Mar '42) were extremely mysterious and some remains so to this day, including the sinking of USS Edsall (DD-219) , the sinking of USS Pillsbury (DD-227) , and the sinking of USS Asheville (PG-21) . We know more now about these than we did just 5-6 years a...
by Dod Grile
Fri Nov 28, 2014 4:40 am
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Worst admiral of all time
Replies: 49
Views: 49143

Re: Worst admiral of all time

There were not "18 craft" in the Japanese convoy, and ABDA was dissolved on Feb. 25th, but...other than that, yes, LT-ADM Helfrich was responsible ultimately.
by Dod Grile
Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:27 am
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Worst admiral of all time
Replies: 49
Views: 49143

Re: Worst admiral of all time

Not Karel Doorman, who was compelled to see his ships destroyed, but Lt-Adm C. E. L. Helfrich who ordered it & knew better. Hands down the worst...
by Dod Grile
Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:14 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Guadalcanal: decisive naval struggle?
Replies: 26
Views: 7236

Re: Guadalcanal: decisive naval struggle?

Tassafaronga was fought in November '42, not '43...by which time the struggle for Guadalcanal was long past. However, it is worth noting that the Japanese themselves considered Guadalcanal the turning point & said so after the war--I believe this is recorded in the USSBS docs.
by Dod Grile
Sat Aug 30, 2014 7:25 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Wreck of USS Houston identified in Sunda Strait
Replies: 4
Views: 1734

Re: Wreck of USS Houston identified in Sunda Strait

Hi, The navy's story is not so crazy, even if the language used was poor (although not nearly as bad as that in the LA Times .) Here is a major component in the ID business: the wreck is now so badly mangled by salvagers that it is actually difficult to recognize as HOUSTON ...Apparently this explai...
by Dod Grile
Thu Aug 21, 2014 8:31 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Wreck of USS Houston identified in Sunda Strait
Replies: 4
Views: 1734

Re: Wreck of USS Houston identified in Sunda Strait

A non-story, really. This "confirmation" has more to do with catchy headlines for cyber-consumption & current politics than WWII naval history. But, this began when some exceptionally egregious salvage operations recently ravaged the wreck of PERTH and the same was feared would happen ...
by Dod Grile
Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:19 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Why was USN cruiser shooting so poor?
Replies: 93
Views: 35452

Re: Why was USN cruiser shooting so poor?

Hi, "1942 Battle of Java Sea, February 27th, 1942 Weather: Fair to poor Visibility: good to small Sea State: moderate swells The japanese cruisers fired 1619 8" rounds at distances between 26,000 yard and 15,000 yard in the long range part of the action for 5 hits =0.31% hit rate Allied cr...
by Dod Grile
Mon Jul 28, 2014 3:22 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Guadalcanal naval campaign
Replies: 35
Views: 6521

Re: Guadalcanal naval campaign

Hi,

Actually Guadalcanal wasn't the first time that the IJN employed naval gunfire support against opposing land forces. They had done this in the NEI campaign earlier as a matter of fact.