Naval History Forums

As far as the utility of a 27 knot version is concerned: as useful as a chocolate teapot. You say "probably much more useful than the battlecruisers, especially British battlecruisers". Name one thing that such a ship could do that a battlecruiser could not do, and do much better (and for...

The Blücher is often derided as a German answer to the British battlecruisers where the Germans got the main gun calibre wrong and produced a ship that was obsolete already before being launched. However, I wonder, was the Blücher really that bad a design? I hazard the opinion that the only thing wr...

Good discussion on the FAA!

I would agree that the Italians had a potentially dominating position in the Mediterranean, but they used it poorly. A swift attack on Malta would have had every chance of success. Getting tangled up in Greece was a big mistake, but I imagine Il Duce underestimated Greek resistance and thought it wo...

I would say that the Bismarck episode is a good example of air and radar making the surface raider obsolete. [ Are you saying that because Bismarck was sunk, after being crippled by an aerial torpedo? No, I am basing that on the Bismarck being continually hounded and shadowed with the help of recon...

but in WW2 the time of the surface raider was really over, mainly due to technical advances in aviation and radar. I think this is completely the wrong conclusion. The role of the surface raider didn't end, the role changes in line with technological and strategic advances. Radar didn't end the rol...

I would say that the German surface raiders of WW2 were largely a case of "fighting the last war in a better way". Surface raiders like the Deutschland-class would have been excellent in WW1, but in WW2 the time of the surface raider was really over, mainly due to technical advances in avi...

Quoted from Gary Staff: Battle on the Seven Seas (an excellent book BTW): "Invincible and Inflexible each carried 640 12 inch shells and 24 practice shells, and of these Invincible fired 513 and Inflexible fired 661."

I think no one had really envisaged the implications of long range naval combat where hit rates was below 5%. On the other hand, running out of ammunition was rather uncommon. For example, Hipper's battlecruisers at Jutland, surely one of the most engaged squadrons in modern naval history, used less...

Anyone know just how much 12in ammunition Sturdee's force expended to sink the two armored cruisers? Almost all of it. I don't have an exact number as I haven't got my books on hand. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau started the battle with only about half their ammunition, as there was nowhere to replenei...

Interesting about the more flexible organisation of the HSF. Good posts Delcyros, thanks for sharing!

As regards Scheer's reversal of the first battle turnaway, my opinion is that he was simply seeking to get to the east and safety by passing behind the Grand Fleet. At that moment of decision for him, the HSF lay to the W/SW of the GF, which thereby was blocking the Germans' path to safety. Saddled...

1.-to early for the night march (to much light aviable yet), not the right time to close daytime action 2.-Freedom of Agency needs to be regained 3.-Return to the german bay needs to be kept open he expressed the hopes that: 1.-Surprise of the enemy due to new tactical situation 2.-Easier disengage...

He therefore must have gotten the impression that he could cut off the enemy van, crossing Jellicoe´s rear "T" with a second turn about at about 19:00 (compare attached battlechart). This effectively would bring the german line in between the damaged ships of the 5th BS (whiches position ...

Is there a book where this is detailed, or would I have to go to Freiburg? :wink: Edit: And where did he think the GF was? I don´t think this is published yet, it´s an MA thesis. As mentioned previously, You have to go to Freiburg into the Archive to study the relevant primary sources. From what I ...