Search found 1528 matches

by tommy303
Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:36 pm
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Need Technical Assistance for a WWII Action Novel
Replies: 10
Views: 12343

Re: Need Technical Assistance for a WWII Action Novel

If the destroyer were deploying to Pacific Fleet at Pearl from say a refit at Bremerton Naval Yard in Puget Sound, WA, her captain would probably have followed the currents of the North Pacific gyre a part of the way to conserve fuel and come in towards Hawaii from north-northeast. This could have p...
by tommy303
Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:24 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...
Replies: 158
Views: 58720

Re: Graf Spee trying to escape back to Germany...

I believe Raeder was promoted Admiral and posted commander-in-chief of the Reichsmarine in 1928. During the Hitler era he was promoted Generaladmiral in 1936 as the Navy began to grow in size and in April 1939 received his Grossadmiral's baton from Hitler.
by tommy303
Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:47 pm
Forum: Naval History in General
Topic: Need Technical Assistance for a WWII Action Novel
Replies: 10
Views: 12343

Re: Need Technical Assistance for a WWII Action Novel

I can tell you a few things about the Clemsons: Generally, the major faults with the 4 stackers were relatively short range although this was negated by the post WW1 introduction of underway oiling; very wet boats forward due to the lack of sheer and flare to the bows; fairly wide turning radius due...
by tommy303
Thu May 26, 2016 5:15 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Royal Navy became oil-addicted thanks to Churchill
Replies: 7
Views: 7512

Re: Royal Navy became oil-addicted thanks to Churchill

In some navies, such as the German Imperial Navy, larger ships frequently had a mix of oil and coal fired boilers--i.e. Derfflinger for instance had 8 oil fired boilers and 14 coal fired ones. This arrangement was planned for the RN R class battleships, but the idea was nixed by Fisher who insisted ...
by tommy303
Wed May 25, 2016 10:31 pm
Forum: Naval History (1922-1945)
Topic: Royal Navy became oil-addicted thanks to Churchill
Replies: 7
Views: 7512

Re: Royal Navy became oil-addicted thanks to Churchill

I could be mistaken, which of course would not be the first time, but I have been under the impression for quite a few decades, that the oil carried in coal burning ships was largely used to help light up the boilers, but i suppose could be sprayed into an already lighted up boiler fire box to produ...
by tommy303
Tue May 24, 2016 8:09 pm
Forum: Military History and Technology
Topic: Martini Henry rifles
Replies: 8
Views: 9196

Re: Martini Henry rifles

Hi Paul, Another little bit of info came my way via John Sukey, a collector of my acquaintance. It would appear the modified original breech blocks, which had a new face dovetailed in and a sleeved firing pin chamber caused most of the problems, as the dovetailing milled away the casehardening, allo...
by tommy303
Sat May 21, 2016 12:06 am
Forum: Military History and Technology
Topic: Martini Henry rifles
Replies: 8
Views: 9196

Re: Martini Henry rifles

A little more info came my way concerning the breech blocks. On conversion, a sleeved block for the smaller firing pin was used as well as a new facing of the breech block to fully support the smaller rimmed 303. Apparently, while the older 577-450 base was adequately supported by original blocks, t...
by tommy303
Fri May 20, 2016 7:13 pm
Forum: Military History and Technology
Topic: Martini Henry rifles
Replies: 8
Views: 9196

Re: Martini Henry rifles

I know Enfield barrel Martini's usually came with a new breech block having a smaller diameter firing pin so as to avoid the possibility of rupturing the primer. It was found that the older, larger firing pin tended to do so due to the higher sustained breech pressure. It is also possible that the r...
by tommy303
Tue May 03, 2016 6:21 pm
Forum: Hypothetical Naval Scenarios
Topic: Hood v Vittorio Veneto
Replies: 559
Views: 63603

Re: Hood v Vittorio Veneto

To the best of my knowledge, the firing trials against Hessen were conducted with nose fuzed shells instead of the much more expensive and difficult to produce base fuzed HE and AP. Consequently, there would be little penetration of armour
by tommy303
Tue May 03, 2016 5:17 pm
Forum: Naval Weapons
Topic: Artillery shells dropped by planes
Replies: 15
Views: 28199

Re: Artillery shells dropped by planes

Hi Wes,

You might take a look at:

http://japanese-aviation.forumeiros.com ... el-bombers

To my knowledge, the bomb was actually a converted 16-in shell with a filler of trinitroanisol.
by tommy303
Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:18 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck firing procedures at DS
Replies: 967
Views: 131554

Re: Bismarck firing procedures at DS

I don't think there are too many mysteries in Bismarck's relatively low rate of fire. Because of the converging courses of the two squadrons, there was a fairly rapid rate of change taking place which would have to be checked and accounted for, and probably Schneider was taking his time to mark fall...
by tommy303
Wed Apr 06, 2016 11:54 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck firing procedures at DS
Replies: 967
Views: 131554

Re: Bismarck firing procedures at DS

fire for effect would have been normally turret groups, A+B, C+D at regular intervals. Delays or long pauses would be if the MPI wandered off target requiring a correction.
by tommy303
Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:38 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck firing procedures at DS
Replies: 967
Views: 131554

Re: Bismarck firing procedures at DS

In the case of Bismarck, it was actually preferred that the three Gabel Gruppe salvos be fired with turret groups. This was because four shells were better for determining mean points of impact, since it was possible for two shells to fall in line and be difficult to tell one from the other, or one ...
by tommy303
Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:47 pm
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck firing procedures at DS
Replies: 967
Views: 131554

Re: Bismarck firing procedures at DS

Both guns elevated individually and fired independent when reached the individual calculated firing angle. A delay coil between the guns was not necessary. This would be true when the guns were set to fire an an arbitrary angle as the ship turned or if rolling heavily, and at times when the firing ...
by tommy303
Wed Feb 24, 2016 12:57 am
Forum: Bismarck General Discussion
Topic: Bismarck firing procedures at DS
Replies: 967
Views: 131554

Re: Bismarck firing procedures at DS

Bismarck's fire control system was highly automated in some respects, particularly when operating in central fire control mode, and I suspect that with a fairly new crew and without the usual intensive gunnery training while steaming underway, Schneider may have preferred to let the automated gyro s...