Search found 317 matches

by Paul L
Sun Aug 28, 2016 4:25 am
Forum: Naval Propulsion
Topic: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion
Replies: 44
Views: 38036

Re: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion

One thing working against the Germans successfully renewing an Atlantic surface offensive going into 1942 was the proliferation of Type 273 centimetric radar aboard British cruisers. Luetjens was mistaken in his report at the time that the enemy had surface search radar effective to 35km. By 1942 i...
by Paul L
Sat Aug 27, 2016 5:04 am
Forum: Naval Propulsion
Topic: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion
Replies: 44
Views: 38036

Re: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion

As long as they used Enigma then the RN was going to know about it no matter how many tankers they had. in 1941 KM lost 21 tankers/supply ships of which 7 were lost in the wake of Rheinubung which was 2 weeks [that's 14 per month compared to the annual rate of 1.75 per month], so yes it was bad but...
by Paul L
Fri Aug 26, 2016 8:11 pm
Forum: Naval Propulsion
Topic: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion
Replies: 44
Views: 38036

Re: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion

ultra only located 1/2, the rest had to be searched for by cruisers. follow on supply network could have been established if needed. they had 40 tankers to draw from and 22 supply ships at the beginning of 1942. trouble is KM was ruining Hitler's relatively untarnished war record and his efforts to ...
by Paul L
Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:04 pm
Forum: Naval Propulsion
Topic: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion
Replies: 44
Views: 38036

Re: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion

Bismarck and Tirpitz had greater range than all other European battleships Yes, but...... the British and French had vast colonial empires and naval bases all over the world. Germany didn't, not even in WW2. Italy only operated in the Medi So Germany in effect was stuck with strategically short ran...
by Paul L
Tue Aug 23, 2016 7:34 pm
Forum: Naval Propulsion
Topic: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion
Replies: 44
Views: 38036

Re: Bismarck Alternate Propulsion

NEW diesel warships had much greater range than AGS = 9,000nm @ 19 KNOTS http://navypedia.org/ships/germany/ger_bb_h.htm 19,000nm @ 19 KNOTS http://navypedia.org/ships/germany/ger_bb_p.htm 14,000nm @ 19 KNOTS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-class_cruiser 15,000nm @ 19 knots problem with resupply was...
by Paul L
Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:04 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: May 24 1941 - Tirpitz v Prince of Wales
Replies: 177
Views: 44827

Re: May 24 1941 - Tirpitz v Prince of Wales

Did the KM consider that breaking out through the GIUK gap to be that much harder than trying to maintain a viable squadron in Brest against the increasing Allied air attacks? I thought that Lutjens orders were to breakout into the Atlantic undetected...So the moment he is shadowed by RN CA he ought...
by Paul L
Sun Jul 10, 2016 3:56 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Plan Z
Replies: 14
Views: 7735

Re: Plan Z

From a doctrine POV neither plan of 375 type-VII U-Boats or 21 PBC would have been attempted - but a hybrid blend of the two was doable. In the early 30s naval discussions for any future war - focused mainly on rapid U-Boat expansion. Rossler notes suggested a prewar build of < 90 U-Boats plus as ma...
by Paul L
Fri Jul 08, 2016 3:45 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Plan Z
Replies: 14
Views: 7735

Re: Plan Z

if the KM ex naval engineers say they could build 21 PBBs instead of the bism/tirp/sch/gne/hipp/Blu/PE/Sey & Lut B4 the war began, then I would suggest 12 Panzerschiffe should be childs play. for starters KM actually laid down 21 large warships in the 1930s and the total production tonnage was m...
by Paul L
Sun Jul 03, 2016 7:27 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Plan Z
Replies: 14
Views: 7735

Re: Plan Z

Z Plan was never realizable in any context of WW-II history . It seems like it was Raeder's 'shot across the bow' to Hitler going to war in 1939/40.... when the KM time target for war was 1947/49. So war could not start until then. Hitler already rejected this when he established the "4 year pl...
by Paul L
Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:20 am
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: why did lutjens break radio silence
Replies: 31
Views: 16003

Re: why did lutjens break radio silence

B-Dienst reportedly warned Lutjens to avoid R/F, not to transmit any message longer than '3 characters'. does anyone know if 'characters' means words or just letters?
by Paul L
Fri Jun 03, 2016 7:24 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...
Replies: 158
Views: 58812

Re: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...

If you are looking to blame any one, blame Hitler, it was only his micro meddling in the rearmament plan that cause all those fiascos in the first place. No were in the German strategic plans did it dictate that German was preparing to fight the rest of the world and yet Hitler calls for this after ...
by Paul L
Fri Jun 03, 2016 3:26 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...
Replies: 158
Views: 58812

Re: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...

Just to clarify Raeder was appointed Grand Admiral of the fleet in 1928 exclusively because he was seen as the best 'non political' candidate. After the WW-1 mutiny it was the least the navy could do to start the rebuild faith in the fleet. Thus Raeder was never going to challenge Hitler's- late 193...
by Paul L
Thu Jun 02, 2016 4:06 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...
Replies: 158
Views: 58812

Re: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...

As I recall the AGS was put to sea before the war began and Raeder refused to believe Hitler was dragging them into war, so being under armed may not be so weird. Having said that Koop and Schmolke report that up to 150 shells per 11"C28 gun was possible, but 100-120 per gun was normal. I seem ...
by Paul L
Sun May 22, 2016 4:37 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: A ship history : Seydlitz
Replies: 4
Views: 11524

Re: A ship history : Seydlitz

There is much agreement now that this entire line of warships were a waste of resources. Even at the time; their existence is owed to a compromise that Raeder clawed out of Hitler, who wanted no surface fleet at all....other than for coastal protection. When Hitler took power a naval plan had just b...
by Paul L
Mon Apr 25, 2016 7:09 pm
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Battlecruisers: Flawed or not?
Replies: 38
Views: 24809

Re: Battlecruisers: Flawed or not?

Make that D class. The Duetsch class had one problem that might hiner their performance. The speed. 28 knots means that they could be caught up by fast BBs and BCs. The D class with better speed would solve this problem. Then there is the O Class BCs which were, in my theory, actualy designed by th...