Naval History Forums

I'm curious how a proposed surrender- (or better scuttling-) scenario would look during a gale in a submarine-infested area. What would be the difference compared to the fight to the last shell?

Hello everybody, thanks to Herr Nilsson for having clarified about the German regulations. Were the ones he refers to in force in WWII ? Herr Nilsson refers to the ones from 1937 which was in force during the WWII. Herr Nilsson wrote: " The NDA is very similar in this regard: while it speaks about ...

Well, Nelson simply ignored reports of subordinate captains....and so he didn't know that... Anyway, searching for the German regulations I found out that the German one (Dienst an Bord=DAB) creates a dilemma. In case of enemy ships would also apply German regulations there was no loophole at all. I...

I wonder if Nelson's behaviour on June 22nd 1798 is condemnable. In terms of Alberto's interpretation of the NDA: definitely.

After the scuttling of Graf Spee Reader issued a directive on December 22nd 1939:

The German warship has to fight with the full commitment of his crew until the last grenade, until it wins or goes down with a waving flag.

So Langsdorff made it virtually impossible for Lütjens to surrender.

"Schlachtschiff Bismarck – Das wahre Gesicht eines Schiffes" Teil 2 , page 273

Paul, as said before it's implausible that the rudders were visible. If there would have been an account about still turning propellers and damaged or undamaged rudders, it would have come from Junack, because he was responsible for the turbines and he was first damage control officer until shortly ...

I have some problems with Kuhnt's purported account: Firstly, how is it possible that Kuhnt could see the rudders at all. Bismarck was down by the stern and low in the water. I would assume that the rudders couldn't rise above the water anymore. Secondly, aside from narrations of Kuhnt in several bo...

1428B/25 From C.N.S. to RODNEY My 1158B/25. Comply with C. in C. Home Fleet 1047/25 acting on the assumption that enemy is proceeding to Norway via passage between Scotland and Iceland. ... 1621/25 From C. in C. Home Fleet to Admiralty My position 054º 50' N., 033º 20' W., at 1600B, course 80º, spe...

One thing being ignored here, or at least minimized, is the rather dramatic effect of propeller efficiency. Especially if one is running close to the cavitation limit, which Bismarck would almost certainly have been during high-speed trials, even a small defect in blade geometry can affect the spee...

According to Evers‘ „Kriegsschiffbau“, 1943: He says the German navy used the term „Deplacement“ as a volume or weight. If it‘s a weight, it’s calculated by using a density of 1,015. He also says it‘s the average density of the Baltic. The same density is mentioned for the Baltic in „Leitfaden für d...

Fellow Contributors, I assume because of the density of the water. Exactly. As was raised but largely ignored before, the Baltic is nearly freshwater, less dense than oceanic water, so while Bismarck may have been immersed as if she were at operational displacement 47,900 m3 = 49,100 mt in seawater...

I assume because of the density of the water.

@Alberto .... countering your wrong statement that all maps are similar etc., therefore I have to conclude that you have no more argument... I've said most, not all. So said, if you have nothing to add to this discussion, please "dispense" me with your word games, mocking and insinuations about "hon...