Search found 141 matches

by Ersatz Yorck
Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:49 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Were battleships actualy usefull in WW 2 ?
Replies: 81
Views: 13939

Re: Were battleships actualy usefull in WW 2 ?

Let me put it this way: In may 1941, what would you rather have if you were admiral Raeder: One 50000 ton battleship and one 20000 ton cruiser ready for action or 70 additional 1000 ton submarines ready for action? Note that this is twice the number of German uboats operational at that time.
by Ersatz Yorck
Wed Feb 06, 2013 6:30 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Were battleships actualy usefull in WW 2 ?
Replies: 81
Views: 13939

Re: Were battleships actualy usefull in WW 2 ?

There was some debate about that even before WW1, with Fisher IIRC arguing that id didn't matter how many battleships you had if the other side had lots of fast long range cruisers that could ravage your trade at will, which the battleships could never hope to catch. The advent of the fast battleshi...
by Ersatz Yorck
Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:15 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: HMS Hercules
Replies: 28
Views: 24898

Re: HMS Hercules

..... See von Hase regarding Derfflinger's early ranging difficulty, which was due to an initial drill error on the part of the FC party. Once sorted, Derfflinger proceeded to score 3 hits on Princess Royal between 1558 and 1600 hrs, 3 hits on Queen Mary between 1621 and 1626 hrs, then another 3 hi...
by Ersatz Yorck
Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:52 pm
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: HMS Hercules
Replies: 28
Views: 24898

Re: HMS Hercules

In theory yes, but practice does not seem to bear this out, at least not in the short term. For example, in the run to the south, the ship initially left unfired on, the Derfflinger, did not shoot very well during the inital phase. Converesely, purely mathemathically, at least one of the British shi...
by Ersatz Yorck
Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:59 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Could the Type XXI U-boat have won the war?
Replies: 64
Views: 26100

Re: Could the Type XXI U-boat have won the war?

The Arctic Convoys gave the KM something to do, as that was the only place German surface ships could or would operate after the Bismarck debacle. This inevitably drew the RN that way, as soon as they had ships to spare. Given that the proportion of supplies going to the Soviet Union via the arctic ...
by Ersatz Yorck
Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:46 am
Forum: The Dreadnought Era (1906-1921)
Topic: HMS Hercules
Replies: 28
Views: 24898

Re: HMS Hercules

Studies of hit rates at Jutland does not really support the oft stated belief that a ship not under fire would fire with greater accuracy than a ship not under fire, at least not in the short perspective. Other factors seem to play a much larger part.
by Ersatz Yorck
Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:41 am
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: First USN Warship sunk in WW2
Replies: 7
Views: 2700

Re: First USN Warship sunk in WW2

Hmmm, difficult one. Either it is; During WW2 regardless of if the US was at war or not, in which case the Panay would qualify; or it is when the US was actively at war, which started in december 1941, in which case it would be whatever ship touched the bottom of Pearl Harbor first; or it when war w...
by Ersatz Yorck
Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:27 am
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Intercepting Force H
Replies: 78
Views: 21818

Re: Intercepting Force H

A. Speed differences of 1 knot this way or that in theoretical maximum speeds cannot be used as a basis for deterministic predictions on who will outrun whom in an engagement. Weather, maintenance status, minor engineering failures, fouling etc etc will all change this in practice. And decisions by ...
by Ersatz Yorck
Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:40 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Bismarck v Warspite
Replies: 20
Views: 8775

Re: Bismarck v Warspite

Nonniey wrote:As earlier poster pointed out Warspite was an extremely lucky ship, lucky enough, I'd say to knock out the weakly protected fire control system on the Bismark, which would have doomed the Bismark.
Warspites sister Barham was a lucky ship until she took three torpedoes in the Med...
by Ersatz Yorck
Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:44 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Triple and quatruple turrets
Replies: 54
Views: 28901

Re: Triple and quatruple turrets

Quoted from Campbell: With the exception of the Lutzow, the German ships fired APC shell with salvos of one gun per turret, but the flagship fired her four forward and four after guns alternately and used uncapped semi-AP. One full salvo was tried but it fell mostly short, obscuring the Lion with it...
by Ersatz Yorck
Thu Jan 03, 2013 1:26 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Triple and quatruple turrets
Replies: 54
Views: 28901

Re: Triple and quatruple turrets

But in WW1 it seems that one gun per turret per salvo was the standard practice. From Campbell's Jutland for example it is clear that this was the most common method of firing both for Germans and British. While turret group salvoes did occur, it seems they were the exception rather than the norm. S...
by Ersatz Yorck
Wed Jan 02, 2013 6:54 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Triple and quatruple turrets
Replies: 54
Views: 28901

Re: Triple and quatruple turrets

Thanks! That is interesting! In comparison, the Austrians in WW1 apparently fired one gun per turret in each salvo with the Tegetthof class.

But isn't three rounds too few for good spotting, given that some shells might be outliers? I have gathered that four rounds is optimal?
by Ersatz Yorck
Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:46 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Ersatz Yorck/Mackenson vs Hoods
Replies: 6
Views: 3064

Re: Ersatz Yorck/Mackenson vs Hoods

The big advantage Hood would have had over both Mackensen and Erzatz Yorck would have been gun range. With her 30 degree elevation versus 16 degees on the German ships and with her greater speed (a 4-5 knot advantage) she could dictate range and control the battle. It would have been more challengi...
by Ersatz Yorck
Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:30 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Triple and quatruple turrets
Replies: 54
Views: 28901

Re: Triple and quatruple turrets

Does anyone know what the normal salvo size was for the German nine-gunned ships (S&G). Did they fire three guns to a salvo, and if so, one turret or one gun from each turret? How about the Deutschland class, did they normally fire one turret to a salvo?
by Ersatz Yorck
Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:06 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Ersatz Yorck/Mackenson vs Hoods
Replies: 6
Views: 3064

Re: Ersatz Yorck/Mackenson vs Hoods

Well, "every time" might have been a bit of an exaggeration, especially as we know that British battlecruisers have a tendency to blow up. But still, the much maligned Hood was actually a well protected battlecruiser by WW1 standards.