Speeds at River Plate
- Dave Saxton
- Supporter
- Posts: 3148
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 9:02 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains USA
Speeds at River Plate
Does anybody know how fast each combatant was moving at the Battle of River Plate?
Entering a night sea battle is an awesome business.The enveloping darkness, hiding the enemy's.. seems a living thing, malignant and oppressive.Swishing water at the bow and stern mark an inexorable advance toward an unknown destiny.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4349
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:33 pm
- Location: Bucharest, Romania
Re: Speeds at River Plate
According to British accounts,Dave Saxton wrote:Does anybody know how fast each combatant was moving at the Battle of River Plate?
Exeter/Ajax/Achilles were doing 14kts at 6:14. AGS was doing 24kts and moving towards the cruisers at 6:14. Again, according to British accounts, AGS averaged 22kts during the battle phase (6:18 - 7:40)
All British cruisers started to accelerate towards maximum speed at 6:14. By 6:36, Achilles reports 31kts and Ajax was keeping steady with her, so it must have had 31kts also. It does seem a bit quick to come from 14 to 31kts in 22 minutes... Some info on power curves would be most welcomed.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4349
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:33 pm
- Location: Bucharest, Romania
Re: Speeds at River Plate
Thanks, Duncan. So they could accelerate in that time.dunmunro wrote:http://www.hmshood.com/ship/accelerationgraph.jpg
According to S.D. Waters' battle reconstruction, HMS Exeter was doing "more than 25kts" at 6:20 and continued to accelerate (towards 31kts).
"The British cruisers were rapidly working up to full power and were steaming at more than 25 knots when the Exeter opened fire at 6.20 a.m., with her four forward guns"
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarl ... vy-c4.html
- Dave Saxton
- Supporter
- Posts: 3148
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 9:02 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains USA
Re: Speeds at River Plate
So the Exeter accelarated from 14 knots to 25 knots in 3 minutes while executing a 180* turn?
Entering a night sea battle is an awesome business.The enveloping darkness, hiding the enemy's.. seems a living thing, malignant and oppressive.Swishing water at the bow and stern mark an inexorable advance toward an unknown destiny.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4349
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:33 pm
- Location: Bucharest, Romania
Re: Speeds at River Plate
The article says "Exeter was ordered to investigate at 6:14". She probably started accelerating at this time.Dave Saxton wrote:So the Exeter accelarated from 14 knots to 25 knots in 3 minutes while executing a 180* turn?
We know from British and German sources that Graf Spee spotted the cruisers before 6:00, and started accelerating , creating significant smoke. My guess is this smoke was visible from the cruisers significantly before 6:14.
Nonetheless, according to http://www.hmshood.com/ship/accelerationgraph.jpg, County class cruisers could accelerate from 15 to 25kts in 5 minutes and from 15 to 28kts in 10 minutes; from 15 to 30kts in 15 minutes...
- Dave Saxton
- Supporter
- Posts: 3148
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 9:02 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains USA
Re: Speeds at River Plate
What were the max speeds of Ajax and Achillies?
Entering a night sea battle is an awesome business.The enveloping darkness, hiding the enemy's.. seems a living thing, malignant and oppressive.Swishing water at the bow and stern mark an inexorable advance toward an unknown destiny.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4349
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:33 pm
- Location: Bucharest, Romania
Re: Speeds at River Plate
during the battle probably 31kts.Dave Saxton wrote:What were the max speeds of Ajax and Achillies?
- Dave Saxton
- Supporter
- Posts: 3148
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 9:02 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains USA
Re: Speeds at River Plate
It works out that they got a bit more speed than that.
Entering a night sea battle is an awesome business.The enveloping darkness, hiding the enemy's.. seems a living thing, malignant and oppressive.Swishing water at the bow and stern mark an inexorable advance toward an unknown destiny.
Re: Speeds at River Plate
With "clean" bottoms- I would say Ajax and Achilles could do 32kts max. Max Rated Speed=32.5 kts
Quo Fata Vocant-Whither the Fates call
Jim
Jim
Re: Speeds at River Plate
With regard to the http://www.hmshood.com/ship/accelerationgraph.jpg,
The curves will be different for HMS Exeter and a 'County'
Although Exeter had about the same SHP (80 000), she's shorter (575' - 630') and lighter (8,400 - 9,800)
(figures are from Jane's fighting ships WW 2)
Tom
The curves will be different for HMS Exeter and a 'County'
Although Exeter had about the same SHP (80 000), she's shorter (575' - 630') and lighter (8,400 - 9,800)
(figures are from Jane's fighting ships WW 2)
Tom