Search found 84 matches

by ufo
Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:40 pm
Forum: The Age of Sail (1571-1860)
Topic: Ships of the line
Replies: 33
Views: 48593

Many thanks for the prompt one on the cannon ball! If you have the weather gauge it means you are upwind of your enemy, so it is easier to shoot at the rigging, not the hull. The guns did have elevation adjustments, but they were crude and not very precise. ... I am puzzled about the weather gauge. ...
by ufo
Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:33 am
Forum: The Age of Sail (1571-1860)
Topic: Ships of the line
Replies: 33
Views: 48593

@Bgile I would agree that one ship that ever blew up in battle does not make it common. Did it sound like that? :oops: I do agree that less than 50% of all ships of the line ever build anywhere in the world did blew up. It is uncommon then. I stand corrected. :D Out of the top of my head I would thr...
by ufo
Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:35 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Tirpitz instead of Scharnhorst in North Cape
Replies: 65
Views: 34511

hey guys my opinion is that the Tirpitz would have defiantly escaped the weather and the radar problems are factors whihc really affected the Scharnhorst (she was a very wet ship) but not so much the Tirptiz first of all the Tirptiz HAD a better crew than the Scharnhorst! the Scharnhorst had just a...
by ufo
Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:54 pm
Forum: The Age of Sail (1571-1860)
Topic: Ships of the line
Replies: 33
Views: 48593

The normal was the cast iron ball. Besides you had all sorts of sophisticated cannon balls. Chain or bar shot, where two cannon balls were connected either by a solid bar or a chain – used to cut down the enemies rigging. To cut down the enemy’s men either to prevent boarding or to clear the enemy’s...
by ufo
Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:49 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Bismarck vs. Iowa
Replies: 322
Views: 85554

Re: Biz vs Iowa

...Iowa goes down in history, now that they are all stricken, as the best shooting battleship of all time. At a range purportedly to be 47,000 meters, using specially selected hand packed powder charges, in experiment to test the maximum theoretical accuracy of the rifle, some 5 out of 6 rounds fro...
by ufo
Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:16 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck´s un ending arguments
Replies: 56
Views: 29487

Oh, yes! And it’s not only that! Along comes Physics: A force induces a counterforce … if you (over)do a bit of Bismarck bashing up pop the statements like my Zeppelin model. If you ridicule a subject you must expect the counterarguments to be of the ridiculous type. And – whoops – filled are sevent...
by ufo
Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:11 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: German Battleshipbuilding program
Replies: 25
Views: 8345

Karl – your question opens a whole pot of maggots of politics, interwoven with tradition, mingled with recent defeat, mixed up with recourses, stirred with technical questions, seasoned with personalities involved. You might open that tin but out comes enough to fill three to four decent size books....
by ufo
Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:11 am
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: The most successful and most unsuccessful Warships
Replies: 150
Views: 114094

Success - well ... Trade warfare being of great interest to me I have to throw in a vote for CSS Alabama, the most successful raider to roam the seven seas. And one more for the grand old lady of the Dreadnought age: HMS Warspite; successfully fighting her ways through two world wars, never shy of a...
by ufo
Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:20 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck´s un ending arguments
Replies: 56
Views: 29487

... And it is not what Combined Fleet say... But neither it is what the Bismarck mythology sustain. For Combined Fleet you must accept that he falls into a very common trap. In comparing vessels within a certain class you have to apply some sort of filter to judge. By doing so you assume a certain ...
by ufo
Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:23 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck´s un ending arguments
Replies: 56
Views: 29487

Karl – about your points: You have to admit nearly all of them have been answered in the one or the other thread here over the years. And - as you pointed out – the answer is in nearly all cases somewhere in the middle. For the Baden class. Yes – Bismarck was a descendent of the Baden class! The Ger...
by ufo
Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:13 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck´s un ending arguments
Replies: 56
Views: 29487

I think it's almost certain that a lot of that damage was done to the already weakened rudders when the ship hit the bottom. For example, the stern didn't fall off while the ship was on the surface, either. Indeed.And there are witnesses, Antonio could report it, that said that while sinking Bismar...
by ufo
Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:54 am
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck´s un ending arguments
Replies: 56
Views: 29487

Speaking of Bismarck's last battle. Did the Bismarck hit any other ship? I don't recall this in any other discussion. Did he (the Bismarck) make any strikes on King George V or Rodney? The answer to that question can be found there: http://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414 Sorry for brush...
by ufo
Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:55 pm
Forum: Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games
Topic: Cameron it´s too political correct
Replies: 15
Views: 11326

Learn to live with it. :( Such documentaries are not meant to be historically correct. They are meant to sell. If you are into the topic it is often better to watch with the tone off, so you do not have to endure the rubbish told. There is a documentary out on TV and the next day you collect the com...
by ufo
Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:19 am
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Was Bismarck a mis-hitter?
Replies: 75
Views: 19681

... We should also consider that captain Martin of Dorsetshire left hundreds of german sailors to die in the cold water because of the "possible" presence of U-Boote... With all due respect – I would be interested what you think should come after the three dots?! It is so easy and so comf...
by ufo
Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:49 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck survivors’ interrogations
Replies: 19
Views: 8501

Always amazing what a well-sorted library does for one! :D Just ask and I have a look if I find it on your shelf! :lol: The term “firing charges” refers to the German practice to scuttle by not just reversing pumps but to blow up piping that hat connection to the sea like pipes of the cooling system...