Naval History Forums

Hi Karl! I do remember Custer decision not to take the Gattlings from that series. Connell's book relates a story about a competitive hunting party that Custer and some of his troops engaged in out on the Plains shortly before the battle. Custer saw a choice antelope or something on the distant hori...

Hi All! I read the 2009 RAN Inquiry report and one thing is clear. Detmers was brilliant and probably played the greatest poker hand in naval history. That said, I think he played it for every atom it was worth and don't think there was room for any more good luck. If it's an 8 inch gun cruiser, Det...

Hi All! Evan Connell wrote this in his fabulous book Son Of The Morning Star: Custer And The Little Big Horn (1984): Even now, after a hundred years, his name alone will start an argument. More significant men of his time can be discussed without passion because they are inextricably woven into a ta...

Hi All! First my congratulations on great discussion. The innovative, provocative and knowledgeable Vic Dale versus the more traditional, cautious and knowledgeable RF and LWD. You all seem to be curious and despite a few suggestions both ways to the contrary, open minded. By and large you all stick...

Good answers by everyone.

I think the question is best answered a different way.

The Bismarck Chase is the Greatest Se Story Ever. More twists and turns that the movie
The Usual Suspects where the screenwriter was trying real hard. Bismarck uber Keyser Soze!

Hi Karl and everyone else! Being honest I don´t think that we can come with a certain valuation of one ship against another one as Historical Records shows us so many times. That is indeed an insoluble problem but I have a suggestion that might ease it a little bit for evaluating my Richelieu gun ar...

Hi Carl! You raised, previously, a point about the AA capabilities. That´s a point I have not addressed because if something was circumstancial in those vessels designs was, precisely, the AA arragement. Glad to raise a new issue! I hope I put an interesting "spin" on the Richelieu's AA su...

Hi Karl! Thank you for your interest in my lengthy post. My Combined Fleet data table turned out flawed and hard to follow because I don't know how to post one. I tried to get the spacing correct and it just didn't work. Although it's not the ideal format, here's another table serially listing the s...

Hi all! When comparing Bismarck to her contemporaries, I think the most important point is whether one of the ships took a radical design departure from the others and what effect that had on the firepower-protection-speed balance. The Richelieu is the only such departure by virtue of its forward tw...

Hi Bgile! So you believe that Washington and South Dakota falsified their battle reports for some reason. I don't know how what I said would lead to that conclusion, especially the "falsified" part. There are several things in between that disconnect the "if actual distances different...

Hi Tiornu! When you say that the 18,500-yard figure has long been proven incorrect, does that mean authorities on the Guadalcanal battle have established that the official report is incorrect, or simply that you personally rejected it long ago? I respectfully disagree with the necessity for an autho...

Hi Bgile and Dave Saxton! Thanks for your helpful responses. Leaving aside the question of whether US carrier doctrine could have been improved mid 1944 for a second, I think that my OP asking that question can be improved. From your responses I think that my OP has at least the following three prob...

Hi Board! I was wondering what everybody might think about this question - would US carrier doctrine have been better if designated carriers had the sole task of conducting all fighter operations for the task group, while the sole or primary duty of the others was bombing and torpedo operations? For...

chcrawfish: "Today's Hollyweird would gladly take the opportunity to make the US Navy look like dog poo." Lwd: "Hollywood is interested in making money. Next comes making money. Then making money." Lwd hit the nail on the head. From September 2001 until about mid 2006 the heroes...

Here's my nomination: USS. Wlliam D. Porter DD 579D Credits: 1. Almost torpedoed Iowa with Roosevelt aboard demonstrating to the President the fleet's proficiency in the tactic. 2. Captain cashiered and ship exiled to the Aleutians. 3. Left a 5 inch practice round in the base Commander's garden at e...