Naval History Forums

Hood led because she was the flagship. If Holland had flown his flag from PoW, then PoW would have led. Unfortunately, there aren't to many unfinished flagships running around. Using the leading ship is of course the naval tradition. Interesting that the German leading ship wasn't flagship and more...

hey... yes i agree that Holland should have used the PoW as the leading ship... but yet, who would use the PoW, with all her unfinished work, her not properly working turrents... miro Tovey did - he ordered it. In fact he had expected Holland to use POW as the leading ship to draw German fire to sp...

I found Bismarck and Scharnhorst classes construction in many aspects more similar to the battlecruisers of the Von Der Tann and expecially Lutzow class, then not to the Bayern one.Expecially regarding compartimentition and protection, more then artillery caliber. Anyway this is my impression, I co...

As I said, I don´t agree with Henson statements. On the contrary, I support the truth that says that Bismarck´s heavy armour in relation to her overall displacement makes her one of the great battleships of WWII. In this very site one can check that against the armour of other navies`similiar vesse...

Looking at the damage caused by these four hits, has any analysis been done to ascertain whether the proposed strengthening of Hoods deck armour, as proposed in the 1930's, if it had been done, would have saved the ship from blowing up? I presume the work would not have prevented the degrading of Ho...

There is a reference in Ludovic Kennedy's book on Bismarck to various ''supernumaries'' joining Bismarck's company immediately prior to sailing on her mission. Included in these were ''a batch of midshipmen seconded from Tirpitz for war training.'' I am not aware of any other source repeating this c...

I am trying to find some information, photographs etc. of an Argentine Navy aircraft carrier around in the 1980's. The only information I have on this ship is that its name corresponds to a calendar date, 25th May. Does anybody know anything? What is the significance of that date, why name a substan...

Things change,... from time to time,.... Ciao Antonio :D Funny you should say that. I have heard of speculation that the reason Karlsruhe blew up in the South Atlantic in 1914 was due to a sailor having a crafty smoke in the ships ammunition magazine.... I find that difficult to believe, but if it ...

In 1944 the SS set up a formation in the Luftwaffe, involved in the development of rocket planes. Is there any record of the Waffen SS similary creating a naval formation? I have heard of references to an ''SS Destroyer'' in connection with a captured Dutch destroyer around the time of D-Day, but as...

One point worth noting is that losing your fleet forces you to start again, because you have nothing. Keeping the short range dinosaurs from WW1 wouldn't really have helped the Reichsmarine/Kriegsmarine. Starting afresh is the better option for the 1930's otherwise the German fleet would, with its '...

Remember what happened when Renown came across Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and Gneisenau got hit.

With this sort of engagement I think the winner is the first ship that lands the heavy hits, and yes KO the oppenents fire control.

After visiting the link 1 Big Rich displayed for us I wonder this: Why 3 triple turrets and shortening the ship? Instead of that there can be an accomodation for Four Triple Turrets and then having the undisputed mightiest warship @ 1941. It´s obvious then that the ship might be slightly larger but...

Hi all, I am astounded by the fact that Adm. Lutjens sent that 35 minute long message to Group West on 25 May after Norfolk and Suffolk had lost contact. I am aware that Lutjens incorrectly believed that 1 battleship and 2 cruisers had regained contact with Bismarck, but having his experience, he s...

"One factor here is that if Bismarck was able to maintain the right direction at say seven or so knots" But since it wasn't possible, none of the rest matters. This is the crux - I was going on the description given by Ludovic Kennedy where it was said the ship momentarily held the desire...

There is probably some difference between what the Kriegsmarine said in public under the Treaty constraints and what they really had in mind, e.g., Bismarck's displacement and submarine production. Am I right in thinking that it was The Anglo-German Naval Agreement that gave the Reichsmarine (as it...