Naval History Forums

I'd say it could be the picture flip thing, I have seen this many times with photographs in history books. The print might have been made that way for all we know, maybe the developer liked it that way better. Or maybe the cruiser did have time to steam in a circle around to the other side, god know...

I dont understand this business about Hood having her Fire control "knocked out" . :think: There are (were) three seperate main director positions , just as in Bismark , plus Anti aircraft director positions with surface action capability , plus torpedo and pompom control equipments plus ...

Well damn, don't get discouraged, you guys. We're not at war, fortunately. We're just posting messages on an internet forum, not firing high velocity armor piercing rounds at each other here. I might disagree with you, Bgile, about whether the Bismarck was an uparmored Baden, or maybe some other min...

In the interest of objectivity, those British squadrons also came quite close to catching the German battlecruisers isolated at one point, as well, and would have overwhelmed them as readily, no doubt..

The Germans actually once came quite close to obtaining the paring down of the British superiority, as they intended, before Jutland. It is my understanding that during one of the battlecruiser forays against the British coast, the German fleet in support nearly came up against a few battle squadron...

POW had landed some hits and if Hood hadnt blown up then Captain Leach would have continued to pound away no matter how disfucntional his main guns were. He would never withdraw with Hood still around unless Holland ordered him to do so but that is something I cant see Holland doing. It wouldnt hav...

I think Bismarck is clearly a Baden with armor thicknesses increased. The Germans lost most of their institutional knowledge of how to build battleships between the wars, and it's not surprising they would turn to a proven design. That doesn't mean it didn't work, and her weapons and fire control c...

Of course that is true. I didn't really mean to imply that the Bismarck wouldn't have sunk eventually without scuttling and Dorsetshire torpedoes, but rather that it was not so clearly the two battleships combined, sinking Bismarck. But regardless, the victory is granted. Insisting on the clearcut s...

It's not necessary to sink the rival to win the duel, either, in my mind. Not at all. As in boxing. You don't have to kill the guy, just knock his ass out. With respect you cannot compare war to a competitive sport. Boxing, even before the Queensbury Rules, never had the specific intent on killing ...

I'm inclined to agree with the people who put greater weight in the decision-making to Bismarck's excellent fire control (with a fresh crew as at DS) and rate of fire than to Nelson's heavier shells and armor. It's not necessary to sink the rival to win the duel, either, in my mind. Not at all. As i...

I would not say Gangut was ugly: she was just an old ship that endured until WWII with no modifications. I don´t agree with the most famous: Yamato and Tirpitz were more famous than Warspite and may be than Scharnhorst. Agreed about the fame. Gangut was pretty awkward looking by almost anyone's sta...

My opinion is that Lutjens was a Dummkopf. That is precisely the reason I materialized this theoretical situation. I stand corrected. :lol: I'm still undecided about Lutjens. He was certainly not one of the great admirals, though he would have been regarded as such had it not been for the rudder hi...

Oh, I suspect there was gossip about it in the wardroom and in staterooms - and probably not complimentary to Lutjens. And the story probably get better, the more often it was told... On The Caine Mutiny - the movie is a classic, but the book is far, far better. If you've not read it, get it & ...

the substance of what you refer to - mis-characterize? - is at least six weeks old. If you're bothered, and it's reducing your satisfaction, then don't cherry pick six week old posts to complain about, and save your righteous indignation. I'm sure it is persuasive to you. What bothered me was the r...

This is a fun hypothetical thread, and it flows from the Bismarck Myth , that goes something like this: Bismarck was the greatest battleship of all time. Bismarck fought heroically, outnumbered, and it weren't for that aloof dummkopf Lutjens - blame on him!!! - Lindemann and his merry men would hav...