Search found 1224 matches

by paul.mercer
Sat Jan 28, 2023 10:13 am
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Design "feature" of R-class
Replies: 87
Views: 84624

Re: Design "feature" of R-class

Double post!
by paul.mercer
Sat Jan 28, 2023 10:12 am
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Design "feature" of R-class
Replies: 87
Views: 84624

Re: Design "feature" of R-class

One interesting point to note is that earlier RN 12 inch Dreadnoughts had heavier middle deck armor (both flat and slope) than the 13.5 inch super Dreadnaughts and the QE are the worst in terms of deck armor because of the 1 inch middle deck and the lack of any coal bunkers. It is totally true that...
by paul.mercer
Mon Jan 16, 2023 10:24 am
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL
Replies: 7
Views: 2866

Re: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Gentlemen,
I'm a bit late as we are now half way into January, but Happy New year anyway.
Looking forward to more debates in 2023.
by paul.mercer
Sun Jan 15, 2023 10:56 am
Forum: Military Conflicts Today
Topic: Buzzed by Russian jets
Replies: 1
Views: 7556

Buzzed by Russian jets

Gentlemen, In one of the national papers yesterday was a story about HMS Queen Elizabeth being 'buzzed' by three Russian fighters in 2021 while being filmed for a documentary as she sailed towards the Suez Canal, the documentary apparently states that an officer says "I've got three Russian jet...
by paul.mercer
Wed Jan 11, 2023 10:35 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Best battlecruiser
Replies: 26
Views: 4094

Re: Best battlecruiser

Gentlemen, I would agree that the 'twins' were very fine ships although under gunned, 6 x15" would have made them very formidable opponents for any RN ship including the KGv's. But when under full load, Renown weighs in at around 33,000 tons, whereas Scharnhorst is around 38,000 tons full load ...
by paul.mercer
Tue Jan 10, 2023 9:16 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Best battlecruiser
Replies: 26
Views: 4094

Re: Best battlecruiser

Yes. A good deal of the discussion would first have to be devoted to exactly how one might define a "battle-cruiser" in the first place... Bill Jurens. Hi Bill, A difficult question I know. My definition would be a fast reasonably well armoured well armed (6x15") ship capable of arou...
by paul.mercer
Sun Jan 08, 2023 11:00 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Best battlecruiser
Replies: 26
Views: 4094

Best battlecruiser

Gentlemen, Just spent an idle moment looking at the specification of HMS Renown and HMS Repulse, it seems that both were well armed, fairly well armoured and at 32 knots very fast, could the be classed as the best battlecruisers ever built? (I'm not including HMS Hood as I regard her more as a 'fast...
by paul.mercer
Wed Dec 21, 2022 10:31 am
Forum: World War II
Topic: The B29 Superfortress
Replies: 34
Views: 6605

Re: The B29 Superfortress

Ran across an article last night that was highly critical of the B29 on several technical grounds - - that the remote control fire control system was a calamitous unreliable failure, so bad that short circuits in the FC computer would cause one bomber to indiscriminately fire upon neighboring B29s ...
by paul.mercer
Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:01 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: High towers on Japanese battleships
Replies: 16
Views: 3030

High towers on Japanese battleships

Gentlemen,
Looking at some film of Japanese battleships on TV the other day I wondered if their very high 'towers' affected the stability of the ship in heavy weather or if it was starting to list after being hit with a torpedo.
What are your opinions?
by paul.mercer
Mon Oct 24, 2022 4:30 pm
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Wreck of the Scharnhorst
Replies: 2
Views: 1336

Re: Wreck of the Scharnhorst

Gentlemen, As I stated in my last post on the debate about tracer shells, I have been reading a book about Scharnhorst by A R Jacobsen who chartered a ship in 2000 in order to find her - which he eventually did and employed a ROV and discovered that she was lying capsized with her bow completely bl...
by paul.mercer
Sat Oct 22, 2022 5:56 pm
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Wreck of the Scharnhorst
Replies: 2
Views: 1336

Wreck of the Scharnhorst

Gentlemen, As I stated in my last post on the debate about tracer shells, I have been reading a book about Scharnhorst by A R Jacobsen who chartered a ship in 2000 in order to find her - which he eventually did and employed a ROV and discovered that she was lying capsized with her bow completely blo...
by paul.mercer
Sat Oct 22, 2022 5:27 pm
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Tracer shells question?
Replies: 27
Views: 5909

Re: Tracer shells question?

Gentlemen, Still on the subject of tracer shells, I found this in a book on the Scharnhorst by AR Jacobsen where is quotes comments from many of the RN participants and some of the Scharnhorst survivors. This bit is a quote from Lt Ramsden who was in HMS Jamaica: "DoY fired her 14" and eve...
by paul.mercer
Fri Oct 21, 2022 9:18 am
Forum: Military Conflicts Today
Topic: What is Putin up to?
Replies: 98
Views: 35766

Re: What is Putin up to?

Hi Byron,
He couldn't be any worse than the previous occupant!
by paul.mercer
Thu Oct 20, 2022 9:45 am
Forum: Military Conflicts Today
Topic: What is Putin up to?
Replies: 98
Views: 35766

Re: What is Putin up to?

Hi Steve, Hi Wadinga, "As for the "encroachment" of NATO to the east, as soon as a little piggy gets clear of the wolf, he is bound to want to make friends with a bricklayer."! What a wonderful expression! I don't think anyone wants to seize control of Russia, I think the world j...
by paul.mercer
Sat Oct 15, 2022 9:35 am
Forum: Naval Technology
Topic: Tracer shells question?
Replies: 27
Views: 5909

Re: Tracer shells question?

Hi Bill, I'm afraid I had to look up the meaning of Purple Prose', which infers that it is a sort of way of exaggerating or perhaps putting a more 'flowery' statement on a subject. While I would not disagree with the points that you have made, I do wonder why an experienced naval officer in the spot...