Another wonderful obit

Thanks. Wrong paper! My bad.

 

Me too, so thanks for posting to bring this to my notice. Seems like a
nice thread to watch.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\ | /`/ DS#8 BOTAFOT#3 SbS#2 UKRMMA#13 DFV#8 SKA#2 IBB#10
`\\ | //'
`\|/`
`

 

Handbrake didn't hold then?

 

Indeed. After my visit to Bletchley Park this week I find it
particularly interesting.

 

In fairness, older British ships did tend to be rather vulnerable to
plunging fire.

 

Also radar, which enabled fighters to be concentrated. Britain was
virtualy alone in actually having an effective radar 'force
multiplier'. Others had radar but didn't use it effectively.

I read/saw something on this recently, but can't remember where.
Possibly Wikipedia.

 

I'm not so sure it was new, as much as a development of what the Brits
did towards the end of WWI, with attacks combining tanks, infantry,
artillery, and air support acting in a coordinated way.

What made the development blitzkreig as we know it a possibility was
the development of suitable radios and message enciphering, allowing
fluid control of tactics. Plus the development of Aufragetaktik -
empowering all and any down to private soldier to act towards mission
success.

 

Coventry was a radio-navigation-aided (X-Gerate) night raid; most of
the Battle of Britain was fought in daylight without radio-navigation
aids.

 

I did read somewhere that instead of the famous salvo at twenty miles
sinking the Hood, the captain had ordered full speed towards the
Bismark simply in order to close the range in order to take shell-fire
on the ship's sides rather than on the (less-well-armoured) deck.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out.

Hood was the last of the WWI type about which it was said that
"There's Something Wrong With Our Bloody Ships" - as they blew up one
by one under bombardment.

 

And never forget that ignoring a pooh-pooh is a fatal error. A
regiment once had to be disbanded after its morale was destroyed by
pooh-pooh.

 

Recent discoveries while diving these ships show that although the ship
itself was heavily armoured the gun turrets weren't. This plus the
improper and against regulation stock piling of shells and cordite in
the gun turrets and at staging point from magazine and gun to facilitate
rapid fire lead to a catastrophic chain reaction. When the lighter
armoured gun turret was hit this exploded the stock piled cordite. This
blew through the safety 'flash fire' traps and ignited the next stock
pile of ammunition right back to the magazine.

Thin armour at a critical point and dodgy handling procedures.

 

Piss off.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"A scone and tea at half past three
Makes the day a little brighter
Keep your cakes and fancy tarts
And stick them up your shiter."

 

Beatty, IIRC.

If we're talking about Jutland, ISRT there being something about
anti-flash doors on the ammunition hoists being left open, too.

 

Oh yes. That to was discovered too.