Naval History Forums

HI Karl. So you've spotted it then? "The Citadel plan was compromised by the development of events after Stalingrad and, it´s likely, that it could have never been succesful anyway. Having the Germans bypass (how, I don´t know, I admitt) Stalingrad and reached the other shore of the Volga , Rus...

In all naval machinery and equipment, there was a normal working load and an emergency over load condition. The Admiralty turbines fitted in the KGV class had a normal maximum output of 100.000 shp, giving a maximum speed of 28.5 knots at standard displacement and 27.5 knots at full load. In emergen...

HI Dunmunro. I would not expect Bismarck's speed to be less than 30 knots whatever load she was carrying, her immersion for 1500 tons was just 1 foot (30.5cm). So if she sailed with her bunkers half empty she would only draw 2ft 8in less, a saving of 0.8 metres. At full load I would expect her not t...

This is the running total produced by Genral Halder, for men lost by Germany during the first five months of the Russian campaign and does not include the second phase including the battle for Moscow and nor does it include the sick; 31/07 - 213,000 03/08 - 242,000 30/09 - 551,000 06/11 - 686,000 13...

Congratulations Bill. Hope everything goes well for you both. It's funny, but I too have been looking at Bismarck's draught at Norway and she looks pretty full to me too. It would make sense to have the reserve bouyancy filled with fuel, because it would be burned off by the time enemy forces were e...

According to the Baron, the pumps were able to access the oil on the 26th and since the ship will not have been demanding oil from those tanks, such as they might be, they represented no shortage. I am hoping that Bill Jurens is digging through his blueprints so he can tell us which were fuel bunker...

Hi Karl

We are off topic here. I suggest we move to another thread before we get shouted at.

In opening this thread, it is hoped that we can have a wide ranging discussion about the war it's origins and the factors governing it's development. Although there are many good discussions going on at present, we must bear in mind that we cannot find answers or solutions to some of the many questi...

Marshall was going after Glorious and Ark Royal. Hoping to rub out the aerial cover first.

It beggars belief.

Hi RF We are way off topic here though if you would like to have a discussion about this, which I am more than happy with, we can start a thread on the non-naval section of the site. I think it would be important for the further development of understanding of the war, it's origins and it's conseque...

Moscow, 5th December 1941 - the hinge of fate for the Heer? (note that the regular German Army was the Heer, the Wehrmacht was the supreme command for all the German armed forces and frequently taken to mean the army itself by virtue of the army being the most significant military arm) Maybe - but ...

Hi RF I did make the point that detailed discussion about the long signal was not appropriate to this thread and that I will start a new thread specifically devoted to it. However, unfounded accusations against Lutjens have been regurgitated verbatim since 1941 and in a discussion about Lutjens' sui...

Hi Rob.

I'll write it out 100 times.

You have hit the nail right on the head about the 5th of December.

Moscow was the hinge of fate for the Wehrmacht - Stalingrad was the door slamming shut.

Warmest regards

Vic

Ahhh. So we come to the long signal at last. Don't let anybody accuse me of banging on at my favourite - it was RF! He did it! There are some salient and inescapable facts regarding that signal. 1. All Engima traffic was handled in 250 character segments. Detailed study regarding U-Boats and their t...

Hi Dan. I believe Bismarck's exact fuel state was logged as being slightly short on sailing, due to a hose rupturing, though given that it was just a few hundred tons short of her capacity of 8,000 plus, I doubt this would have made much difference. The chances of being intercepted by battleships on...