Hello everybody,
@ Steve Crandell,
you asked :
Does the angle of the bridge hit correspond to the direction PoW was facing prior to the radical turn to port?
YES, it does precisely ! ... and it can be ONLY at that point, ... but also here I suppose few will agree on this well known fact.
All those info's have been submitted several times on this thread already.
Since I have understood you have been on the Navy for quite some time it should be easy for you to realize the received first hit on the compass platform came from an angle that was possible only before 06.01, and in fact was received at 06.00 and 50 seconds, just before the PoW salvo 16th that we can see on the PG Rheinubung film.
All this was already well discussed and covered and we have to thank again Thorsten Wahl for this discovery.
Here a chart with the PoW detail and the received hit, precisely positioned on the only point were the hit could have ben received.
- PoW_disengagement_1077.jpg (73.85 KiB) Viewed 771 times
I disagree about your this statement you wrote :
I don't believe it's possible for Capt Leach to react that fast. The report claims that one minute after the bridge was hit he decided to withdraw temporarily from the battle. I'd be somewhat surprised if he even knew where he was one minute after the bridge was hit.
He had been quite fast, and had to move only few meters, just some steps to go down to the Admiral bridge one floor below ( just look at PoW drawings for reference ).
Here from his biography what happened, but please consider the hit on compass platform at 06.00 and 50 seconds and the order to port 160° given at 06.01 and 30 seconds :
- Leach_book_09.jpg (99.98 KiB) Viewed 771 times
Now I like your opinion on my question : 06.03 being correct ( at least close since the Admiralty used PoW ceasing fire as reference ) or 06.13 ?
Bye Antonio
In order to honor a soldier, we have to tell the truth about what happened over there. The whole, hard, cold truth. And until we do that, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. ( Courage Under Fire )