Naval History Forums

By what measure were Bismarcks' crew insufficiently trained?? The KM considered 2 years necessary to work up a new ship and train it's crew to combat readiness. BS was taken over by the KM at Aug. 24 1940 and the orders for Rheinübung were dated April 22 1941 which is hardly 8 month with some idle ...

Great data Thorsten:-) Does anyone have similar data for US optics? Secondly the fire control systems, there is only one comparison between KM shooting and USN shooting. And I doubt that IX 300 gave a bad show. If I'm not mistaken the USN Officiers on board of PG were slickly disappointed about the ...

. It was difficult to get a torpedo attack through. On the other hand we should not take to much effort that BS did not sink any of Vians destroyers, I suppose if they really tried they would. I'm not clear as to what this is intended to mean.... would you elaborate please? I tried to explain that ...

I think he was aware of the fact that the Royal Navy would bring almost everything to sea they had to hunt his ship down. On the other hand he was aware of the fact that british cruisers now had radar and that this was possibly the last possibility to make a breakthrough throug denmark strait or so...

Langsdorff would have to be an expert to get a hit with only three shots per side: Scheer had difficulty sinking a helpless merchantman with hers and both ships were standing still! I'm sure, that it is a difference to fire at a merchant man with unknown load and a man of war. In general however yo...

RF I find it really funny that you want to teach me the history of my own country. If you don't believe my words, you will probably believe wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice_with_Germany . 1923 started the occupation of the Ruhrgebiet, by French troops. France started this action to ...

The French occupation of the Rhineland in 1923 did not last for 12 years. That would have taken into year three of the Nazi dictatorship. The Rhineland, including the Ruhr was already highly industrialised. French occupation did not influence ''economic development'' beyond the period of that occup...

If there is no treaty of Versatile thab GErmany must nor pay reparation and will be able to keep a lot if people in jobs. Germany payed dor Ww1 more than 80 years back Regards Ede After 1924 the Treaty of Versailles was not properly enforced, largely initially through the diplomacy of Stresemann, p...

If there is no treaty of Versatile thab GErmany must nor pay reparation and will be able to keep a lot if people in jobs. Germany payed dor Ww1 more than 80 years back
Regards
Ede

at Alexandros I agree with your points. And in addition, the Carriers needed a really huge supply chain, beginning with oil for their own machines and for the planes plus ammo, spares and replacement planes plus crews. The carriers were a very short legged weapon system with all limitations already ...

Byron, yes of course there is a progress. We have built the best infrastructure in the world. Most streets, a lot of buildings are build new, reconstructed or renovated. The western part of Germany ( the used states) benefited from the new states, because a lot of people moved into them. Today we ha...

Two points: (1) It is difficult to increase defence spending when the State is threatened with bankrupcy. This puts the predicament of politicians in the 1930s in perspective. (2) The main events are playing out in continental Europe and again Germany is the main player. Neither Obama nor Cameron w...

What is your point?
Regards
Ede

Well, I totally agree on that Paul L. My point is aimed at whatever strategy Raeder envisaged for Bismarck and Tirpitz. You don’t mess with that sort of strategy while facing RN and its assets. And because of that I also find British Admiralty’s fears of lone raiders as unfounded as they can be. Yo...

One of their biggest problem is that they're always a bit late on their own needs - but I'll allow you some retrospection to build a nave able to stop, or at least delay for 1 year the Japanese cruiser invasion forces like they happen in that theatre, historically. So, what will it be? Will you tak...