Search found 317 matches

by Paul L
Mon Dec 28, 2015 10:17 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Best cruisers of WWII and the best use of cruisers
Replies: 171
Views: 85726

Re: Best cruisers of WWII and the best use of cruisers

I see the roles of the Atlanta and Dido/Belladonna classes as being long range ocean escorts/scouts for fast carrier battle groups in heavy seas I find your idea interesting and your facts about the effects of sea conditions solid. But I am curious if you are aware of the CLAAs ever having been use...
by Paul L
Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:38 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Best cruisers of WWII and the best use of cruisers
Replies: 171
Views: 85726

Re: Best cruisers of WWII and the best use of cruisers

I see the roles of the Atlanta and Dido/Belladonna classes as being long range ocean escorts/scouts for fast carrier battle groups in heavy sea. Historically this was the role of the Destroyers but they were sooo short range/speed and didn't have the sea keeping to keep station with bigger warships ...
by Paul L
Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:22 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: British v German rangefinders
Replies: 82
Views: 69278

Re: British v German rangefinders

I will go with the "Oxford companion to World War two" , which reports the KM numbers as 190,000 in 1940 -while the Heer/SS was 4.5 million, which is about 23:1. In 1944v the KM figures are reported at 810,000 while the HEER/SS are reported at 7.1 million ; which is about 9:1...again hardl...
by Paul L
Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:09 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: British v German rangefinders
Replies: 82
Views: 69278

Re: British v German rangefinders

Not a significant point but the KM was 1/2 to 3/4 million through the mid to late war while the Heer was 2.5-> 7 million so the German army was hardly ' 40 times' the size of the navy.
by Paul L
Sat Dec 05, 2015 3:38 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Bismarck Tirpitz Scharnhorst vs King George V Prince of Wales Hood
Replies: 107
Views: 68045

Re: Bismarck Tirpitz Scharnhorst vs King George V Prince of Wales Hood

http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_16-45_mk1.htm Rodney averaged about 1 salvo per minute 9) The following description of the problems encountered by King George V is taken from "The Final Action: The Sinking of Bismarck, 27 May 1941" by John Roberts: "Initially she did well achievi...
by Paul L
Fri Nov 06, 2015 8:04 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941
Replies: 29
Views: 12752

Re: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941

If it boils down to Intel the Germans had the edge until after Norway 1940 and the allies certainly had the edge from 1942 LW/Heer and 1943 KM on...in-between could be a toss up. Reading LW/HEER traffic was good source, but KM was difficult source. I cant see the Allies not being aware of basic of a...
by Paul L
Thu Nov 05, 2015 9:07 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941
Replies: 29
Views: 12752

Re: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941

In peace time building patterns are set in cycles of so many years. Last one for the RN was 1937 with next update in 1940[?] Any ship built in 1941 would have to be ordered in 1940 at the latest, years earlier if its a large ship. Point is did the HMG/RN know for sure about the MFP and Seibel ferri...
by Paul L
Wed Nov 04, 2015 8:24 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941
Replies: 29
Views: 12752

Re: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941

... Which is why a late 1941early 1942 Sea Lion would have been prefered: to have time to build sufficient specialised landing craft, such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marinef%C3%A4hrprahm Well, if the German build hundreds of these landing crafts for an invasion of Great-Britain, I assume that...
by Paul L
Sun Nov 01, 2015 1:59 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: British v German rangefinders
Replies: 82
Views: 69278

Re: British v German rangefinders

But they clearly were, as both their coatings and lenses were infact inferior, which also explains why the performance of British & US optics generally was lower, coated or not. Otherwise how would you explain this? As already noted Allied coatings improved light transmissions by 60% but were v...
by Paul L
Fri Oct 30, 2015 6:32 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941
Replies: 29
Views: 12752

Re: No Barbarossa AND Operation Sea Lion Oct 1941

Germans already had sufficient shipping to launch a cross channel invasion by mid 1941. With 100 MFP & 240 Seibel ferries PLUS 1700 converted river barges -most motorized...and 150 merchant ships. The real problem would be lack of enough good escorts & destroyers etc [ 19 DD 47 TB & 100 ...
by Paul L
Sun Oct 25, 2015 6:29 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead
Replies: 37
Views: 21767

Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

The sortying continued into late 1942. After that it was abandoned for surface ships, after a number of blockade runners were caught by radar equipped cruisers. U-Boats are small surface ships with a limited ability to escape by submerging. They did continued to sortie through the war. In addition ...
by Paul L
Sat Oct 24, 2015 2:06 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead
Replies: 37
Views: 21767

Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Exactly; but the proof of the pie is in the eating and the KM continued to sortie U-boat's & vessels into the late war.
by Paul L
Fri Oct 23, 2015 2:34 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead
Replies: 37
Views: 21767

Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

RF wrote:
Paul L wrote:
So such minefields were not very effective.
The effect of a minefield can be more in deterrence than actual ship sinkings.

true enough. but the KM did use these routes GIUK gap
by Paul L
Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:50 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead
Replies: 37
Views: 21767

Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

would not worry about a compromised supply net work. KM had many more to activate and Raeder was doing this for an early 1942 sortie when Hitler recalled the fleet to Norway were he could better control them. No offence intended but counting on mines was pointless since GIUK was used through out the...
by Paul L
Thu Oct 15, 2015 5:10 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead
Replies: 37
Views: 21767

Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4105-32MAY02.htm In the Iceland-Faroes Channel were light cruisers MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM and five trawlers. The two light cruisers refuelled in the Faroes to refuel on the 22nd. Light cruiser ARETHUSA, which arrived at Reykjavik on the 21st, was sent to reinfo...