Search found 2468 matches

by wadinga
Sun Feb 26, 2023 6:41 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Why built useless battleships?
Replies: 61
Views: 15676

Re: Why built useless battleships?

Hello wmh829386, Before the war Tirpitz' fleet was fit for purpose, strong enough to gain RN respect The deterrent effect of the German naval strength stopped Britain taking unilateral action against Germany, but it would not be enough to stop her acting in concert if Germany initiated war, which it...
by wadinga
Thu Feb 23, 2023 7:26 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Why built useless battleships?
Replies: 61
Views: 15676

Re: Why built useless battleships?

Hi All, An excellent free to download pdf is at https://ia600204.us.archive.org/31/items/FischerFritzGermanysAimsInTheFirstWorldWar/Fischer%2C%20Fritz%20-%20Germany%E2%80%99s%20Aims%20in%20the%20First%20World%20War.pdf Germany's Aims in the First World War by Fritz Fischer. This erudite work by an e...
by wadinga
Wed Feb 22, 2023 11:29 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Why built useless battleships?
Replies: 61
Views: 15676

Re: Why built useless battleships?

Hello wmh829386, The inconsistency between the naval acts and strategic focus on fighting France and Russia is glaring Well I suppose it is, but since we are not cheering for our favoured sports team, there is no need to experience frustration, one must accept what happened and the inherent flaws in...
by wadinga
Fri Feb 17, 2023 10:44 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Why built useless battleships?
Replies: 61
Views: 15676

Re: Why built useless battleships?

Hi wmh829386 and all, To save space and for brevity you can just highlight cut and paste the relevant phrase eg German war planners never considered the British would become involved. into your new post, if you like. I have been reading Byron's interesting discovery The Russian Imperial Conspiracy 1...
by wadinga
Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:11 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Midway question!
Replies: 7
Views: 2205

Re: Midway question!

Hi All, If anything the Japanese were too decisive , with all four carriers committed to the same tactic, and willing to instantly change that tactic based on any new information (even if unreliable/incomplete) with no contingency plan for the unexpected. After decimating Midway's offensive and defe...
by wadinga
Mon Feb 06, 2023 5:14 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Why built useless battleships?
Replies: 61
Views: 15676

Re: Why built useless battleships?

Hello Thorsten, Yes he warned against a new war in Europe at his Reichstag speech at the grand old age of 90. Unfortunately it was not heeded. For a successful soldier he also had the additional ability to realise Germany could dominate Europe through economics and diplomacy without the trauma of wa...
by wadinga
Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:05 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Why built useless battleships?
Replies: 61
Views: 15676

Re: Why built useless battleships?

Hello Byron and all, The manoeuvrings and finagling of various diplomats and their opinions, based on their own constrained perceptions of reality, are as nothing compared with the actual arrival of boots on somebody's else's ground. Contingency plans are just files left in a cabinet, which may neve...
by wadinga
Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:27 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: Why built useless battleships?
Replies: 61
Views: 15676

Re: Why built useless battleships?

Hi All, It is attributed to Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, but I expect George Custer probably said much the same, and Publius Quinctilius Varus may have said something similar (in Latin) when ambushed in the Teutoburg Forest. Germany had been preparing for another war with France for years, and migh...
by wadinga
Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:13 pm
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Best battlecruiser
Replies: 26
Views: 3900

Re: Best battlecruiser

Hi Byron and all, Reading the Conway volume "Navies and the American Revolution" Robert Gardiner describes USS Constitution and her sisters as "pocket-battleships". Given their length and speed, the latter being technologically-enhanced by being copper-bottomed against weed and b...
by wadinga
Tue Jan 17, 2023 2:11 pm
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Best battlecruiser
Replies: 26
Views: 3900

Re: Best battlecruiser

Hi OpanaPointer and all, The French warship Acheron in the movie, which has the characteristics of USS Constitution , is alleged to have been built in Boston for the French navy which seemed highly unlikely. Interestingly, however, I see the USS America a 44 gun "ship of the line" was supp...
by wadinga
Mon Jan 16, 2023 12:52 pm
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Best battlecruiser
Replies: 26
Views: 3900

Re: Best battlecruiser

Hi All, That is indeed a beautiful piece of modelling (Brit spelling), although it does look a teeny-weeny bit like the pointy finial on a Great Western Railway signal. Back at the Acheron of Master and Commander, her construction is covered thus: You see, Will here, he seen her being built. (Will) ...
by wadinga
Wed Jan 11, 2023 8:21 pm
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Best battlecruiser
Replies: 26
Views: 3900

Re: Best battlecruiser

Hi All, exactly how one might define a "battle-cruiser" in the first place... :D I nominate USS Constitution (1797) as the best battlecruiser, being ahead of her time and designed by Joshua Humphreys to be superior to all competing vessels in her class built by any navy in the world. Like ...
by wadinga
Sun Jan 08, 2023 10:52 am
Forum: World War II
Topic: The B29 Superfortress
Replies: 34
Views: 6399

Re: The B29 Superfortress

Hi All, (and Happy New Year), William Green in Famous bombers of WWII suggests some of the problems with B-29 engines was down to climbing hard at maximum boost for lengthy periods with full bomb loads to the thin air needed for long range and "safe" bombing altitudes for daylight raids. R...
by wadinga
Thu Jan 05, 2023 6:30 pm
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Radar fitted to HMAS Canberra
Replies: 11
Views: 1513

Re: Radar fitted to HMAS Canberra

Hi Fatboy, It would appear likely A290 was similar to 291 ie a fixed forward pointing Yagi, mounted on top of the foremast, presumably with longer range than the lower bridge mounted Type 271 lantern. A modeller called Vladi K has posted nice pictures of his rendition at https://www.flickr.com/photo...
by wadinga
Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:36 am
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Operation Weserübung - why
Replies: 30
Views: 4794

Re: Operation Weserübung - why

Hi TTTT, In wild weather, published specs on the performance of ships doesn't mean anything. (Hundreds of pages have been wasted here proving what speed Bismarck could theoretically achieve). Power delivered to the propellers is balanced against highly variable drag as the hull form interacts with t...