Search found 289 matches

by hammy
Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:50 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: The Climate Change agenda
Replies: 268
Views: 107180

Re: The Climate Change agenda

And our local University , the U E A , is in the cart again ( or at least it's increasingly risible Climate Change research unit is ) , following more leaked Email chatter about how to conceal actual observational Data from opponents .
by hammy
Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:44 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans
Replies: 103
Views: 14185

Re: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans

Now that's a good suggestion , turn towards him and ram the B****r Well, when the wolf packs launched surface night attacks from the inside of a convoy, there seems no record of any merchant trying to ram a sub - which if it did would presumably sink the sub and take all its crew with it...... Prob...
by hammy
Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:20 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: No return to the Moon
Replies: 27
Views: 6492

Re: No return to the Moon

What is that line of satiric poetry Ernest Hemingway has the Gypsy say , in "For whom the Bell Tolls" ? Ah yes , " Thank God I am a Gypsy , and not a Catalan ! " :dance: Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , and famously Indiscreet husband of our dear Queen , is supposed to have on...
by hammy
Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:05 pm
Forum: World War II
Topic: Revisionist tendencies and Ambrose Sindrome
Replies: 831
Views: 83845

Re: Revisionist tendencies and Ambrose Sindrome

The three weapons - German 30mm cannon , "British" 20mm cannon and U S 0.50cal MG , are direct products of the differing experiences of the three Airforces involved . In the German case , the relatively short - barrelled and relatively slow firing 30mm cannon were , as has been pointed out...
by hammy
Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:31 am
Forum: Military History and Technology
Topic: The worst machine gun ever
Replies: 33
Views: 26595

Re: The worst machine gun ever

Its pretty rural round here . When I was young people still used to keep watch from the church towers in case Bonaparte was coming ! :dance: Also this is a strong area for the Countryside Alliance , ....... or the "Paramilitary wing of the Conservative Party" as we call it . R F is right a...
by hammy
Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:01 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Yamato plans given to USA
Replies: 35
Views: 6432

Re: Yamato plans given to USA

Pretty much , until they get hit of course . If you look at the photo series of the "Glowworm/Hipper encounter" you can see she got close enough to ram H , mostly by being small , and a dodging target . Looking at that battlecruiser design , of course the first thing is that it isnt small ...
by hammy
Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:09 pm
Forum: Military History and Technology
Topic: The worst machine gun ever
Replies: 33
Views: 26595

Re: The worst machine gun ever

Yep , Life is strange . I got into the Greek bit about 30 years ago during the unlamented reign of ghastly Mrs Thatcher here . my wife and I had both lost our jobs ( In her case for the second time in a year , in mine for the FOURTH time in a year ) and we both said oh to hell with it , and booked a...
by hammy
Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:39 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck Speed
Replies: 624
Views: 73614

Re: Speed - Bismarck versus Scharnhorst/Gneisenau

Mmmm , the point I was making was that in the case of Italy and in France their procurement was unsound prior to WW2 in that the trials were run in unrealistic conditions ( armament not fitted , ships run in very light condition and trimmed for maximum speed , fair weather , propulsion plant conside...
by hammy
Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:18 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans
Replies: 103
Views: 14185

Re: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans

Without wishing to ''split hairs'' is this comparison to an attack on the Caiques really appropriate? They were better escorted and better commanded than the fictional convoy and smaller in overall convoy size. In my scenario the raider is the only attacking surface ship (as opposed to the multiple...
by hammy
Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:20 pm
Forum: World War II
Topic: Tiger Kills and Losses
Replies: 263
Views: 43860

Re: Tiger Kills and Losses

Hammy, An interesting comparison, but your last statement left me wondering what you meant, since modern TANK armor can deal pretty well with the threat. With regard to HESH or HEP ammunition, there are some problems. In US use it had to be stored vertically in the turret because the filler tended ...
by hammy
Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:20 pm
Forum: World War II
Topic: Tiger Kills and Losses
Replies: 263
Views: 43860

Re: Tiger Kills and Losses

Regarding the Armour on modern M B Ts , "Chobham" armour has a ceramic layer on or in it . This is designed to defeat "Hollow charge" Anti-tank projectiles ( like the RPG-7 , Panzerfaust and Bazooka rounds ). In those , a streamlined conical nose is simply a windshield for the sh...
by hammy
Mon Feb 01, 2010 5:34 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck Speed
Replies: 624
Views: 73614

Re: Speed - Bismarck versus Scharnhorst/Gneisenau

The stores and full crew wont have been aboard for the trials either . That actually doesn't matter , because you can dump a lot of sandbags aboard to mimic missing weight , or as posted previously , let some water in to bring her to her designed tonnage , but you are missing the main point of the t...
by hammy
Mon Feb 01, 2010 5:15 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans
Replies: 103
Views: 14185

Re: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans

In my scenario the raider approached the convoy from astern, appearing as a straggler. The attack was launched as a complete surprise at almost point blank range, using wolf pack tactics of attacking inside the convoy. In the resulting panic and confusion there is no order to scatter, ships are bli...
by hammy
Mon Feb 01, 2010 4:34 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans
Replies: 103
Views: 14185

Re: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans

Secondly use of a false " I require assistance -- have you a doctor on board ? " signal may not actually be strictly against the "Cruiser warfare rules" or the Geneva conventions regarding misuse of the Red Cross , but you are getting fairly close to it , and I question whether ...
by hammy
Mon Feb 01, 2010 3:55 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans
Replies: 103
Views: 14185

Re: Swap Sydney with Zara or New Orleans

And such vessels would of course not be used in peacetime as ordinary merchants, indeed I wouldn't let them near any foreign port..... Well then you have a real problem in concealing them . Of course some merchant ships in peacetime are frequently laid up in quiet backwaters for a variety of reason...