Unit Descriptions: Air, Naval, Land

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: warspite1

HELP REQUIRED PLEASE [&:]

I am trying to find out the main details - particularly the main and secondary armament but the other technical details too - for the California and Maryland class battleships both just pre Pearl Harbor and after their reconstruction. Can anyone assist please? When talking about the 5-inch gun I need to know whether this is the 51, 25 or 38 too.

My usual source - Conways - seems confused between pre-Pearl and post.

Thanks

ADG Data :
California
Version shown after Pearl Harbor reconstruction.
34,858 tons
Max speed : 20,5 knots
Range : 12,100 nm at 15 knots
Length : 190.2 m
12 x 14-inch, 16 x 5-inch, 56 x 40 mm AA guns, 80 x 20 mm AA guns
Crew : 2375
Max belt armor : 13.5 inch
Min belt armor : 8 inch
Max deck armor : 6.5 inch
Min deck armor : 5.5 inch
Max turret armor : 18 inch
Min turret armor : ? inch

Maryland
Version shown at start of 1936.
32,600 tons
Max speed : 21 knots
Range : 8,000 nm at 10 knots
Length : 190.2 m
8 x 16-inch, 14 x 5-inch, 4 x 3-inch
2 x 21-inch torpedo tubes
Crew : 1080
Max belt armor : 13.5 inch
Min belt armor : 8 inch
Max deck armor : 3.5 inch
Min deck armor : 3.5 inch
Max turret armor : 18 inch
Min turret armor : 5 inch

Warspite1

I think I will layout the ships technical spec and comment upon this as at the start of the war and then mention the various re-builds post Pearl-Harbor within the write-up of each ship. Its all too complicated to do anything else.

Please see proposed intros for the two battleship classes I was having difficulty with:

[4073 California - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine output: 26,800hp
.B Top Speed: 21 knots
.B Main armament: 12 x 14-inch (356mm), 14 x 5-inch (127mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 33,190 tons
.B Thickest armour: 13.5-inch (belt)
.P The Tennessees were a class of two battleships built for the United States
Navy (USN) between 1916 to 1921. They were built to a similar design to the New
Mexicos, but featured modifications, particularly to their underwater protection.
As the penultimate class of battleship to be built before the battleship building
holiday began (as a result of the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty), the two ships of
the class were amongst the five most modern battleships of the USN at the time
the Second World War broke out in Europe.
.P The class did not receive a comprehensive pre-war modernisation program,
although detail improvements were made over time. Only after their design had
been finalised did the USN become aware of the Royal Navy`s 15-inch gunned Queen
Elizabeth-class and therefore the Tennessees continued with a 14-inch main
armament.
.P As with the New Mexicos, the secondary armament was altered so that by the
outbreak of the war in Europe, it consisted of fourteen 5-inch guns and eight of
the 5-inch/25 gun for anti-aircraft (AA) defence.
.P These battleships kept to the same levels of armour protection as the New
Mexicos and so featured a 3.5-inch main armour deck and a 13.5-inch belt. They
were the first class to fit an improved anti-torpedo defence, that featured a
series of void and liquid filled compartments to absorb torpedo hits.
.P Like all USN battleships of the period, the Tennessees were slow ships, with a
top speed of just 21 knots.
.P In line with naming convention of the time, these battleships - Tennessee and
California - were named after states of the US.

.P UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4084 Maryland - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine output: 28,900 hp
.B Top Speed: 21 knots
.B Main armament: 8 x 16-inch (406mm), 14 x 5-inch (127mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 33,590 tons
.B Thickest armour: 13.5-inch (belt)
.P The Colorados were originally to be a class of four battleships. However,
one of the ships was not completed as a result of the provisions of the 1922
Washington Naval Treaty. The class were built for the United States Navy (USN)
between 1917 and 1923, and this was the last battleship class built before the
building holiday imposed by the 1922 Treaty.
.P The class were constructed to a similar design to the Tennessees, but with a 16-
inch main armament, fitted in response to the Royal Navy`s building of the 15-
inch gunned Queen Elizabeth-class.
.P The class did not receive a comprehensive pre-war modernisation program,
although detail improvements were made over time. The secondary armament was
altered so that by the outbreak of the war in Europe, it consisted of fourteen
5-inch guns and eight of the 5-inch/25 gun for anti-aircraft (AA) defence.
.P These battleships kept to the same levels of armour protection as the
Tennessees and so featured a 3.5-inch main armour deck and a 13.5-inch belt. They
were fitted with an improved anti-torpedo defence, that featured a series of void
and liquid filled compartments to absorb torpedo hits.
.P Like all USN battleships of the period, the Colorados were slow ships, with a
top speed of just 21 knots.
.P In line with naming convention of the time, these battleships - Colorado,
Maryland and West Virginia - were named after states of the US.

.P UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[Taxman66]

Just an FYI, I believe the Maryland was the first BB to make it out of Pearl after the attacks.

[warspite1]

And now for the story of the Houston....

[4126 Houston - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine Output: 107,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 32.5 knots
.B Main armament: 9 x 8-inch (203mm), 4 x 5-inch (127mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 11,420 tons
.B Thickest armour: 3-inch (belt)
.P Quickly following on from the preceding Pensacola-class, the Northamptons
were the second heavy cruiser class built for the United States Navy (USN).
They rectified some of the problems found with the Pensacolas but by no means
all. Six ships were built between 1928 and 1931, three of which were fitted out
to undertake the flagship role.
.P The main armament differed from the Pensacolas by reducing the number of
turrets from four to three. Partial compensation was achieved by making all three
turrets triple barrelled and so their broadside was only reduced by one.
.P Anti-aircraft (AA) defence was initially provided by four 5-inch/25 guns and
this was increased to eight prior to the outbreak of war. The AA armament was
further upgraded for the three surviving ships as the war progressed. Up to four
aircraft could be carried. The ships were originally fitted with six torpedo
tubes, but these were removed before hostilities commenced.
.P Armour protection was marginally increased compared to the Pensacolas with a
0.5-inch increase in the belt armour. The 1-inch armour deck remained, but the
armour covering the magazines was increased to 2-inches. Barbette protection was
doubled.
.P In line with naming convention, these cruisers were named after cities of the
United States.
.P USS Houston was based in the Philippines at the start of December 1941. After
the attack on Pearl Harbor she was ordered to sail to the Australian port of Darwin to
escort merchant vessels from Java. After the initial early success of the Japanese, in
January 1942 the Allies set up ABDA; American, British, Dutch, Australian Command
under the British General Wavell. The naval forces were placed under the command
of the American Admiral Hart, based in Java. The command was
made of up of whatever was to hand as the Allies sought to stem the Japanese
whirlwind sweeping through Malaya and threatening the Philippines, Singapore and
the Dutch East Indies. Houston`s first action with ABDA force was at the Battle
of Makassar Strait on the 4th February 1942. This was an action to try and attack
a Japanese invasion convoy but was unsuccessful due to Japanese air superiority.
During the battle, Houston took a bomb hit that wrecked her aft turret (see USS
Marblehead).
.P Just over a week later Houston was deployed with the destroyer Peary and two
Australian sloops in escorting a convoy of troop transports that were trying to
reinforce the island of Timor. However, with the Japanese fully in control of the
skies, the convoy had to be recalled; nothing was going right for the men of ABDA
command. Houston was then ordered to sail for Tjilatjap, southern Java in order
to join up with Rear-Admiral Doorman and his scratch force of Dutch, British and
American cruisers and destroyers. From there, on the 24th, Houston was ordered to
Soerbaya, in the north-east of the island.
.P On the evening of the 26th, Doorman sailing in his Flagship, the light cruiser
HNLMS De Ruyter, left Soerbaya accompanied by the heavy cruisers Houston and HMS
Exeter, the light cruisers HNLMS Java and HMAS Perth and nine destroyers. They had
received reports of Japanese activity off Java, but a search revealed nothing and the
force returned having come under air attack.
.P However, no sooner had the ships returned than Doorman received another report
about Japanese invasion forces heading for Java, and he sailed at once to try and
intercept. What developed over the next few hours became known as the Battle of
the Java Sea; and resulted in ABDA force effectively ceasing to exist.
.P The Japanese convoy was escorted by two heavy cruisers, Nachi and Haguro, two
light cruisers, Naka and Jintsu and fourteen destroyers, under the command of
Rear-Admiral Nishimura. The Japanese cruisers had the edge in the number of 8-
inch guns and this problem was made worse for Doorman thanks to the
damage to Houston`s aft turret. What made the Japanese particularly deadly was
the Long Lance torpedo that they were able to deploy.
.P The one goal for Doorman was to get at the troop transports and so disrupt the
Japanese invasion plans. However, try as they might, the Allied ships could not
get at their target. The two forces found each other on the afternoon of the 27th
and battle commenced at 1616hrs at extreme range. Just under an hour into the
battle, in a moment typical of the Allied luck that affected their whole
campaign, Exeter was removed from the battle. She was struck by a shell
that hit one of her boiler rooms, reducing her speed. She was ordered to
withdraw, escorted by the Dutch destroyer De Witte.
.P The next phase of the battle saw the Japanese launch a mass torpedo attack as
the range between the two forces closed. The deadly Long Lance torpedoes proved
their worth, sinking the Dutch destroyer Kortenaer with a single torpedo. She
broke in two and quickly sank. She was followed by the Royal Navy destroyer
Electra.
.P With things going from bad to worse, Doorman broke off at 1800hrs, harassed
by enemy aircraft. The four US destroyers had to return to Java as they had run
out of torpedoes and a second British destroyer, Jupiter hit a mine and sank at
2125hrs. Despite the losses, Doorman decided to try and get to the enemy convoy
once more and at 2300hrs, fire was once more exchanged. Once more the Long Lance
torpedoes were to prove fatal to Allied hopes; both De Ruyter and Java were hit
by this fearsome weapon. The two remaining cruisers, Houston and Perth retreated
to Tanjong Priok in the north-west of Java, arriving in the early afternoon of
the 28th.
.P For both, the reprieve was but temporary. They put to sea at 1900hrs, both
short of ammunition and fuel, and ordered to head for Tjilatjap. Perth`s Captain
Waller took command of the two ship flotilla as he was senior to Captain Rooks in
Houston. The cruisers had no destroyers to escort them as there was only one such
ship - the Dutch, Evertsen - left, and she was not ready in time to sail with
them. This lack of destroyer escort would prove crucial to the events about to
unfold.
.P The cruisers sailed westward toward the Sunda Strait, that separated the
islands of Java and Sumatra. At 2200hrs, at the entrance to the Strait, they
came across an invasion convoy that was taking Japanese troops to land in Western
Java. The convoy was defended by a light carrier and numerous cruisers and
destroyers, although for close escort the convoy could call on only the light
cruiser Natori and eight destroyers. The fifty-ship invasion convoy presented the
Allied ships with a most unexpected, but highly important target but they could
hardly have been in a worse position to take advantage of the fact; but that did
not stop the Americans and Australians from having a go.
.P What became the Battle of the Sunda Strait began just after 1100hrs, when the
cruisers opened fire on the Japanese destroyer Harukaze. They were then subjected
to a torpedo attack launched from Fubuki, but the torpedoes were avoided. The
Natori arrived with five destroyers shortly afterwards, and a fire fight broke
out. The Allied cruisers found their targets, damaging two of the Japanese
destroyers, and the enemy ships had to make smoke and withdraw. At around 1120hrs
the heavy cruisers Mikuma and Mogami arrived to assist the lighter forces and
this enabled the destroyers to get in close for torpedo attacks. Perth and
Houston were running out of ammunition but bravely fought on, giving at least as
good as they got. On board Houston, the crew were having to carry shells from the
useless aft turret to the forward guns which had fired until there was nothing
left in their magazines.
.P Despite this valiant effort, sheer weight of numbers told in the end and there
were simply too many enemy to keep at bay. The Japanese launched wave after wave
of torpedoes from both their destroyers and their cruisers and at 0025hrs, Perth
finally succumbed. Just eight minutes later, Houston was dead in the water and
she sank twenty minutes after Perth. Over 1,000 officers and men from the two
cruisers perished, of which almost 700 were from Houston. Many of the survivors
were later to die at the hands of the Japanese whilst prisoners of war.
.P By way of compensation, four Japanese transports had been sunk by friendly
fire, but this was of little comfort as the invasion of western Java was not
halted as a result.

[paulderynck]

"What became the Battle of the Sunda Strait began just after 1100hrs..."

I recently read "Ghost Ship" about the USS Houston and although I don't have the book handy, it seemed to me the battle of Sunda Strait was entirely at night, plus if they put to sea at 19:00 and entered the Strait at 22:00, then the battle must have begun just after 23:00 hours. There is a further reference to 1120 that ought to be 2320 as well.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

"What became the Battle of the Sunda Strait began just after 1100hrs..."

I recently read "Ghost Ship" about the USS Houston and although I don't have the book handy, it seemed to me the battle of Sunda Strait was entirely at night, plus if they put to sea at 19:00 and entered the Strait at 22:00, then the battle must have begun just after 23:00 hours. There is a further reference to 1120 that ought to be 2320 as well.

Warspite1

Thank-you. I am of course guilty of mixing up my 24-hour clock with a 12-hour half way through a story.... Amendments duly made [:)]

[warspite1]

having done the legendary Yorktown and the Lady Lex, its back to the Royal Navy and the carrier Victorious.

[4550 Victorious - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine(s) output: 110,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 30.5 knots
.B Main armament: 16 x 4.5-inch (114mm) guns and 48 x 2-pdr pom-poms
.B Aircraft: 36
.B Displacement (full load): 28,620 tons
.B Thickest armour: 4.5-inch (belt)
.P This class of aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy (RN) between 1937
and 1944 numbered six ships, split into three groups. The first group contained
three ships, Illustrious, Formidable and Victorious; the second just one ship,
Indomitable; and the third, two ships, Indefatigable and Implacable.
.P The original design called for a displacement of 23,000 tons, 4,000 tons below
the then current limit as the British were hoping to get agreement for the lower
figure at the next naval conference. However, even when the treaty limitations
expired, the remaining ships of the class still to be built were kept to roughly the
same weight on the grounds of cost and speed of completion; although modifications
were made to subsequent ships.
.P Despite the 1,000 ton increase in weight compared to the earlier Ark Royal,
aircraft capacity was reduced by almost half due to the requirement for a 3-inch
armoured flight deck and an armoured box around the hangar. Aircraft capacity
ranged from thirty-six in the earlier group, to sixty in the later ships, although by
the time these ships were part of the British Pacific Fleet in late 1944, the capacity
had risen to between fifty, for the earlier ships and eighty, for the latter. This was
achieved through the use of outriggers and deck parks.
.P The cost in weight of the extra armour meant that the first three ships had
one hangar only. Indomitable was then ordered with a view to increasing aircraft
capacity and so a reduction in hangar side armour was made to allow the addition
of a half hangar. The last two ships added a second full hangar, but in an
effort not to increase displacement, a restriction in hangar height of 14ft was
made. A consequence of this decision was that later in the war, Corsair fighters
could not be carried. Another major drawback of this design, particularly when
operating far from port, was the limited aviation fuel storage which limited
sorties to five per aircraft in the later ships.
.P Each ship had two lifts, with the latter three ships incorporating a slightly
larger type. The catapult in the earlier ships catered for aircraft of 14,000lbs
at 66 knots, while the later two ships could operate 16,000lb aircraft. Anti-
aircraft (AA) defence was similar to the Ark Royal-class and consisted of eight
twin 4.5-inch guns. Close-range armament differed from ship to ship and was
increased during the war.
.P In line with naming convention, these ships were given "inspiring" names that
gave at least a hint of the RN`s past glories - even if the reality was that by 1939
the United Kingdom`s financial and industrial situation meant that the RN`s
undoubted domination of the sea was but a distant memory.
.P HMS Victorious was completed in May 1941 and was deployed with the Home Fleet
for work-up. Her first operation was supposed to see her sail with the military
convoy WS8B and, having detached from that convoy, sail for Gibraltar, where she
was to deliver aircraft bound for Malta. For this operation she was loaded with
Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters, meaning that she carried a much reduced Fleet Air
Arm (FAA) component. At this time the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy
cruiser Prinz Eugen had broken out into the Atlantic and after they had sunk the
battlecruiser HMS Hood, the Home Fleet and all available RN ships were deployed
with one objective; sink the Bismarck. This included Victorious and she was
therefore deployed for the search with just a handful of her own aircraft aboard.
During the search she launched an attack on the Bismarck using nine Swordfish,
bi-plane torpedo bombers, but the one torpedo that hit the battleship, did little
damage (see HMS Hood).
.P She played no further part in the destruction of Bismarck and after the German
ship was sunk by units of the Home Fleet (see HMS Rodney), Victorious finally got
to escort WS8B. Whilst en route, her aircraft carried out reconnaissance flights
to search for German supply ships and one of these, the Gozzenheim, was
intercepted and sunk by the cruiser Neptune as a result. Victorious then detached
from the convoy with Neptune and sailed for Gibraltar. At the beginning of June
Ark Royal and Victorious, escorted by the battlecruiser Renown and seven
destroyers, sailed for Malta to deliver the RAF aircraft. Forty-five of the forty
-eight fighters made it safely to the island.
.P Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22nd, the RN`s first
operation to assist their new ally was Operation EF. This was a carrier based
attack by the FAA on the ports of Kirkenes and Petsamo in July. The targets lay
in the far north of Norway and Finland respectively and the plan involved the
carriers Victorious and Furious; the cruisers Suffolk and Devonshire; the fast
minelayer Adventure and four destroyers. Adventure sailed with the fleet before
detaching and continuing alone to Archangel after the flying-off point had been
reached. The carriers then split into two groups, with Furious tasked with the
attack on Petsamo. Two attacks were launched, using nine Albacore torpedo bombers
and three Fulmar fighters in the first strike, and nine Swordfish and three
Fulmars in the second. The harbour was almost empty at the time and the enemy
flak was heavy. For little damage to the enemy, one Albacore and one Fulmar were
lost. However, worse was to follow at Kirkenes as the Luftwaffe, which had
previously been alerted to the presence of the RN ships, were waiting with Me-109
fighters. Victorious flew off twenty Albacores and nine Fulmars for the attack
and for the sinking of two vessels, damage to the port and three enemy aircraft
shot down, they lost eleven Albacores and two Fulmars with many more planes
damaged. 827 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) had been decimated in the attack. On the
return journey, Furious transferred her operational aircraft to Victorious and
returned home due to a shortage of fuel. Aircraft from Victorious then attacked
the port of Tromso, losing one aircraft in the process.
.P In August, Victorious provided distant cover for the first Arctic convoy to
the Soviet Union, and a follow up aircraft delivery mission by the old carrier
Argus (see HMS Suffolk). On the return journey she launched air strikes against
the port of Tromso but to little effect. Then, at the start of October, she was
escorted by the battleship King George V, the cruiser Penelope and six
destroyers as part of another air strike mission against coastal shipping, this
time in northern Norway. This operation resulted in the destruction of over
10,000 tons of shipping.
.P In November, Victorious was deployed with the Home Fleet after a report that
the battleship Tirpitz was about to attempt a break-out into the North Atlantic
(see HMS King George V); this proved to be a false alarm. Victorious remained
deployed with the Home Fleet into the early months of 1942, although she was
involved in no major operations during that time.
.P In February 1942, the Kriegsmarine launched Operation Cerberus. This was an
operation designed to get the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the
Prinz Eugen back to Germany from France via the English Channel. Victorious took
no part in this operation but the episode is mentioned here in order that the
story of Lt-Cdr Eugene Esmonde, a Victoria Cross winner, may be told. Esmonde was
the man that had launched the attack from Victorious against the Bismarck (see
above and HMS Rodney) the previous May. His squadron, 825 NAS was subsequently
embarked on Ark Royal before being effectively disbanded after the latters
sinking that November. 825 NAS was reformed in January 1942 and was based in the
south of England with Lt-Cdr Esmonde as its commander.
.P When the German ships were spotted trying to make their "Channel Dash", six
Swordfish, led by Esmonde, were tasked with trying to stop them. On 12th February
the six old FAA torpedo bombers took off as the German ships were entering the
Straits of Dover. On the way to the target, the aircraft were attacked by German
fighters and they became separated from their fighter escort. Despite this set-
back, Esmonde and his small force continued to fly toward the enemy ships. They
flew through a barrage of AA fire put up by the enemy ships and their escorts.
Esmonde`s aircraft was hit twice, the first hit smashing into his port wing, and
the second, causing his plane to crash into the sea. The remaining aircraft
pressed ahead regardless and each one was in turn knocked out of the sky. There
were just 5 survivors from the 18 airmen. The courage and bravery of these men
was not lost on the Germans. Admiral Ciliax, in the Scharnhorst, described "The
mothball attack of a handful of ancient planes, piloted by men whose bravery
surpasses any other action by either side that day". For his actions that day,
Esmonde was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery in the face
of the enemy.
.P At the end of February, the Germans moved the Prinz Eugen and Admiral Scheer
to northern Norway to join the Tirpitz. Victorious was tasked with trying to
intercept the German ships, although she was unsuccessful (see Submarine Counter
4736). The presence of Tirpitz in Norwegian waters meant that the RN had to
employ a strong covering force for Arctic convoy PQ12 and future Arctic convoys
(see HMS Trinidad) and Victorious continued in this distant covering role until
July, covering all Arctic convoys during that time (see HMS Norfolk, ASW Canadian
Counter 4286 and ASW Carrier Counters 4701 and 4703).
.P In August, she was sent to the Mediterranean to take part in the most famous
of all convoys; the Malta relief convoy, Operation Pedestal (see HMS Sirius).
Victorious was hit by a bomb during this operation, although she was not
seriously damaged. Upon the successful completion of Pedestal, she returned to
the UK and was sent for a repairs ahead of her next deployment. This took her
back to the Mediterranean to cover the Allied invasion of North Africa; Operation
Torch (see HMS Delhi). Victorious was released from Torch as soon as the landings
were consolidated and she returned to the UK. During her return journey, she was
attacked by a U-boat which was destroyed by her aircraft.
.P In December, the RN agreed for Victorious to be lent to the US Navy to cover
recent losses to their fleet. She sailed with a destroyer escort on the 20th and
sailed for Pearl Harbor, which she reached in March. Victorious took part in
exercises with the USS Saratoga at the beginning of May, prior to her joining the
US Third Fleet. The two carriers were deployed in support of the landings on New
Georgia in August, before Victorious was released the following month and
returned to the UK.
.P She arrived home in mid-October and rejoined the Home Fleet. She was then sent
for a refit at the end of the year and upon completion she returned to the Home
Fleet. She took part in the attack on the battleship Tirpitz in April; Operation
Tungsten (see ASW Carrier Counter 4709). After the partial, but not total success
of Tungsten, the RN sought to follow-up with further strikes at Tirpitz. In May,
two further operations designed to destroy her had to be cancelled (see HMS
Anson) and Victorious was to have been part of both. She was not to get another
crack at the German ship though, as she was sent to the Far East to join the soon
to be formed British Pacific Fleet (BPF). She arrived in the Indian Ocean in July
and that same month took part in Operation Crimson. This was a carrier strike and
bombardment of enemy positions around Sabang, Sumatra (see HMNZS Gambia).
.P At the end of August, Victorious took part in two operations involving almost
the entire Eastern Fleet, Banquet and Boomerang. Banquet involved an air strike
against Padang, southern Sumatra and the latter was an air sea rescue operation
to assist US air force B-29 attacks against installations in northern Sumatra
(see HMS Ceylon). In September, Victorious was part of the small fleet that
carried out a diversionary raid against Sigli, northern Sumatra to try and assist
US forces about to assault Peleliu and Morotai (see HMS Howe). Then the following
month, she was part of Force 63 that undertook another diversionary operation;
Millet, against the Japanese held Nicobar Islands. This operation was designed to
try and assist the US forces attacking Leyte (see HMS Cumberland).
.P Victorious missed the BPF`s first operation, Robson, as a result of repairs
being required to her steering gear. After this set-back though, she played a key
role in the BPF`s Pacific war. She took part in the two subsequent operations
against Japanese held oil refineries on Sumatra; Lentil (see HMS Argonaut) and
Meridians One and Two (see HMS King George V). Sadly, during the latter operation
Victorious was hit by two shells from the cruiser Euryalus, causing many
casualties. These three attacks had been requested by the US Admiral Nimitz,
Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet and were carried out by the BPF while
on their way to Australia. However, when the BPF arrived there, it was by no
means certain what, if any, role they would play.
.P Ultimately it was agreed that the BPF would operate as Task Force (TF) 57,
part of the US 5th Fleet. At the end of March they were tasked with assisting the
5th Fleet during the invasion of Okinawa. The BPF had a subsidiary operation;
Iceberg One, against Japanese airfields and installations on the Sakishima-Gunto
island chain, west of Okinawa (see HMS Swiftsure). After a period of
replenishment, TF57 returned for a repeat operation, Iceberg Two in May (see HMS
Howe). During both these operations, the fleet had been subjected to Kamikaze
strikes and all BPF carriers were hit at least once. However, their armoured
flight decks had saved them from destruction and kept them in the fight.
.P In June, the BPF sailed for replenishment once more and to prepare for the
final strikes against mainland Japan. Once more Victorious was a key part of the
fleet, which was now operating as TF37, part of the US 3rd Fleet. Victorious took
part in operations during July and August (see HMS Black Prince and HMS
Formidable). Problems with getting fuel to the fleet resulted in a much smaller
RN presence from the 12th August onwards, and Victorious was one of those that
headed back to Australia. Having fought with distinction in the Atlantic, the
Arctic, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, her long war was
finally over.
.P HMS Victorious was scrapped in 1969.

[mariandavid]

Warspite: Very good on the Victorious. A couple of points
 
- I think the section on naming convention needs to be changed. They were chosen to follow the pattern and in some cases duplicate those of the WW1 battle-cruisers (inspiring was not appropriate in view of the loss of three at Jutland!). Also the comment on the RN 'past glory' is premature. At the time these ships were laid down it was still the most powerful navy in the world and had been notably successful in the war! It would be appropriate for a 1945 ship!
 

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: mariandavid

Warspite: Very good on the Victorious. A couple of points

- I think the section on naming convention needs to be changed. They were chosen to follow the pattern and in some cases duplicate those of the WW1 battle-cruisers (inspiring was not appropriate in view of the loss of three at Jutland!). Also the comment on the RN 'past glory' is premature. At the time these ships were laid down it was still the most powerful navy in the world and had been notably successful in the war! It would be appropriate for a 1945 ship!

Warspite1

Mariandavid - happy to review the naming convention but how would you describe the following words - Victorious, Illustrious, Indomitable, Formidable, Indefatigable and Implacable?

"Following the pattern from some of the WWI battlecruisers may be the right explanation" - (although other names were -Australia, New Zealand, Lion, Princess Royal, Queen Mary, Tiger). Three of the later battlecruisers became carriers after the war - Furious, Courageous and Glorious and I can say they followed this pattern, but I would group this set of words with the six above. Can someone come up with a better word that describes what these words convey than inspiring? Happy to use it if so.

I don`t think the fact three ships blew up is a reason to deny what a word means.

MORE than happy to re-word the paragraph re "past glory", although what I tried to convey was the sad truth - and I hate even writing this - that although the RN was - in 1939 - the largest navy, I think the most powerful is wrong.....but that is another story. By the way, I completely agree, the RN had a successful war and thanks to the professionalism of the officers and men of the senior service, they punched well above their weight, particularly given some of the ancient tubs they had to go to sea in.

I will have a think about that paragraph, but in the absence of any other suggestion I will use Inspiring and mention the three battlecruiser conversions. Thanks for the feedback [:)]

[warspite1]

Okay - with thanks to Mariandavid - here is my suggested wording:


.P The ship names used for the class followed the pattern adopted in naming the
last three battlecruisers built for the RN; all three of which were converted to
carriers after the First world War. They were given "bold and inspiring" names;
names the six ships of the class more than lived up to during the Second World
War.

The above replaces that whole paragraph.

[warspite1]

Deleted - question answered

[warspite1]

Two amendments to spelling required:

The US cruiser Montpellier should be spelt Montpelier

The Japanese cruiser Niyoyodo should be spelt Niyodo

I have amended the naval master list only - but I think the counters should be amended too.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Two amendments to spelling required:

The US cruiser Montpellier should be spelt Montpelier

No no no, I live 150 km from the real Montpellier city, and it is spelled with 2 "l".
The US city is spelled the same way, so is the cruiser.

The Japanese cruiser Niyoyodo should be spelt Niyodo

I have amended the naval master list only - but I think the counters should be amended too.

Are you 1000 % sure for the Japanese cruiser ? It is built in 1942, maybe it is a "what if" cruiser.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Two amendments to spelling required:

The US cruiser Montpellier should be spelt Montpelier

No no no, I live 150 km from the real Montpellier city, and it is spelled with 2 "l".
The US city is spelled the same way, so is the cruiser.

The Japanese cruiser Niyoyodo should be spelt Niyodo

I have amended the naval master list only - but I think the counters should be amended too.

Are you 1000 % sure for the Japanese cruiser ? It is built in 1942, maybe it is a "what if" cruiser.

As far as I can see, all US cities are spelt MONTPELIER including Montpelier, Vermont, the city that USS Montpelier is named after. My core data source is Conways, and this tome - and others - spell USS Montpelier as just that.

I guess the French named both the Green Mountain state and its capital - Montpelier - in the first place, so if you think it should be spelt LL, well thats understandable [;)][;)]. However, its not what the history/geography and reference books show!

I happen to think color is spelt colour and center is spelt centre, but hey, its up to the Americans what they do with the language we gave them [;)][;)]

Niyoyodo or Niyodo IS a "what if" counter. She was the second projected vessel of the Oyodo-class, but whether she was officially named or not I cannot tell.

NIYODO is a river in Japan, which of course is what most, if not all Japanese cruisers were named after.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Two amendments to spelling required:

The US cruiser Montpellier should be spelt Montpelier

No no no, I live 150 km from the real Montpellier city, and it is spelled with 2 "l".
The US city is spelled the same way, so is the cruiser.

The Japanese cruiser Niyoyodo should be spelt Niyodo

I have amended the naval master list only - but I think the counters should be amended too.

Are you 1000 % sure for the Japanese cruiser ? It is built in 1942, maybe it is a "what if" cruiser.

As far as I can see, all US cities are spelt MONTPELIER including Montpelier, Vermont, the city that USS Montpelier is named after. My core data source is Conways, and this tome - and others - spell USS Montpelier as just that.

I guess the French named both the Green Mountain state and its capital - Montpelier - in the first place, so if you think it should be spelt LL, well thats understandable [;)][;)]. However, its not what the history/geography and reference books show!

I happen to think color is spelt colour and center is spelt centre, but hey, its up to the Americans what they do with the language we gave them [;)][;)]

Niyoyodo or Niyodo IS a "what if" counter. She was the second projected vessel of the Oyodo-class, but whether she was officially named or not I cannot tell.

NIYODO is a river in Japan, which of course is what most, if not all Japanese cruisers were named after.

OK my friend, it looks like you're right on both, so let's rename both. [;)]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Montpelier_(CL-57)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_c ... %C5%8Cyodo

Thanks for the enlightenment.

I was abused by the belief that Americans had not enough imagination to choose city names, and that was the reason for having multiple Cairo and Montpelier in the USA, but it looks like Americans also can't spell the original cities' names !!! [:D]

OF COURSE I AM JOKING !!! [:D]

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Froonp


No no no, I live 150 km from the real Montpellier city, and it is spelled with 2 "l".
The US city is spelled the same way, so is the cruiser.


Are you 1000 % sure for the Japanese cruiser ? It is built in 1942, maybe it is a "what if" cruiser.

As far as I can see, all US cities are spelt MONTPELIER including Montpelier, Vermont, the city that USS Montpelier is named after. My core data source is Conways, and this tome - and others - spell USS Montpelier as just that.

I guess the French named both the Green Mountain state and its capital - Montpelier - in the first place, so if you think it should be spelt LL, well thats understandable [;)][;)]. However, its not what the history/geography and reference books show!

I happen to think color is spelt colour and center is spelt centre, but hey, its up to the Americans what they do with the language we gave them [;)][;)]

Niyoyodo or Niyodo IS a "what if" counter. She was the second projected vessel of the Oyodo-class, but whether she was officially named or not I cannot tell.

NIYODO is a river in Japan, which of course is what most, if not all Japanese cruisers were named after.

OK my friend, it looks like you're right on both, so let's rename both. [;)]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Montpelier_(CL-57)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_c ... %C5%8Cyodo

Thanks for the enlightenment.

I was abused by the belief that Americans had not enough imagination to choose city names, and that was the reason for having multiple Cairo and Montpelier in the USA, but it looks like Americans also can't spell the original cities' names !!! [:D]

OF COURSE I AM JOKING !!! [:D]

The typical approach to naming American cities was to add the word 'New' in front of the name of a city in Europe (the Old World): New York, New Orleans, ... and the same for the names of regions: New Hampshire, New Mexico, ... I guess a variation was to spell the city name slightly differently?[;)]

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Two amendments to spelling required:

The US cruiser Montpellier should be spelt Montpelier

The Japanese cruiser Niyoyodo should be spelt Niyodo

I have amended the naval master list only - but I think the counters should be amended too.

Better ?

[Froonp]

Better too ?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Two amendments to spelling required:

The US cruiser Montpellier should be spelt Montpelier

The Japanese cruiser Niyoyodo should be spelt Niyodo

I have amended the naval master list only - but I think the counters should be amended too.

Better ?

You da man!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

Better too ?

Warspite1

You da man II !!

[warspite1]

In celebration of my new Avatar [8D] - thanks Froonp [:)] - I thought I would finalise the write-up of the greatest battleship of them all - HMS Warspite [&o][&o] (subject to any comment)

[4604 Warspite - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine(s) output: 80,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 24 knots
.B Main armament: 8 x 15-inch (381mm) guns, 8 x 6-inch (152mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 36,096 tons
.B Thickest armour: 13-inches (belt)
.P The Queen Elizabeths were a class of five World War I vintage battleships
that were developed from the Iron Duke class. A sixth ship, Agincourt, was
cancelled before being laid down.
.P For their main armament, they used a new, and as then untested, 15-inch gun
that was to prove a highly successful weapon. They were originally to have five
twin turrets, but by removing the centre turret, additional boilers could be
added to boost speed from 21 to 24 knots. This gave the Royal Navy (RN) the fast,
well armoured battle squadron that it desired and made these ships the most
powerful vessels afloat at their time of launch.
.P The speed of these ships was one of the key factors in ensuring that they
would be suitable for modernisation during the inter-war years, unlike the later
R-class. Three ships, Warspite, Valiant and Queen Elizabeth were substantially
reconstructed in the thirties, but financial and resource constraints meant that
the remaining two ships - Malaya and Barham - failed to receive the same level of
upgrade.
.P Having had bulges fitted to improve underwater protection in the twenties,
Warspite was the first of the class to receive a comprehensive overhaul; the work
taking place between 1934 and 1937. Improvements included the fitting of brand
new, smaller and lighter machinery which increased power and extended her range
by almost double the old figure to over 14,000 miles.
.P The main guns had their elevation increased; so extending their range by 30%
and the 6-inch secondary armament was reduced from twelve to eight guns by the
removal of the fore and aft guns. The anti-aircraft (AA) armament was entirely
new; four twin 4-inch guns and four 8-barrelled 2-pdr pompoms for close-range
cover.
.P The horizontal armour was greatly increased with a maximum thickness of 5.5-
inches over the magazines and 3.5-inches over the machinery spaces. This was not
ideal, but she was a good deal better protected than when first completed.
.P The biggest visual change was the completely new bridge and superstructure, as
a result of which, she was a remarkable vision of new (superstructure) meets old
(hull).
.P The names of the ships of the class had no common theme. Warspite, meaning "to
treat war with contempt" was originally used by the RN during the reign of Queen
Elizabeth I in the 16th Century.
.P HMS Warspite was completed in March 1915. She was destined to become one of
the best known warships in the long, proud history of the RN. She was a veteran
of the fleet encounter at Jutland. There, she survived a staggering twenty-nine
hits after her steering jammed and she sailed straight for the German
battlefleet. Curiously the steering malady would never entirely disappear. She
earned great affection within the fleet and at the end of her life, she became
known as the "Old Lady" although veterans prefer the title "Grand Old Lady".
.P At the outbreak of World War II she was deployed with Mediterranean Fleet but
the sinking of the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow, meant that she was ordered back to
the UK to join the Home Fleet. Having arrived at Gibraltar in early November, she
was diverted to Halifax, Canada to assist the escort of a large, homeward bound
convoy, HX.9. On the journey back to the UK she was ordered to detach from HX.9
and join the search for the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
following the sinking of the armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi (see ASW Counter
4698). By the time Warspite arrived off Iceland, the enemy ships had made it back
home (see HMS Newcastle).
.P In December she became Flagship of the Home Fleet and was engaged in convoy
escort and patrol duty in northern waters. She remained in this role until April,
when she returned to the Mediterranean. However, she was recalled to the Home
Fleet in response to the German invasion of Norway.
.P As a result of the RN`s inability to stop the German invasion of Norway (see
HMS Valiant), their main task became helping Allied forces trying to stop the
conquest of the Scandanavian country. It must be remembered that although the RN
had failed to stop the Germans from landing, they and the Fleet Air Arm had
dealt the Kriegsmarine a number of blows during the course of the landings and
shortly after.
.P On the 10th May, Captain Warburton-Lee won the RN`s second V.C of the
Norwegian campaign during a set-piece destroyer action that became known as the
1st Battle of Narvik. Warburton-Lee commanded a force of five destroyers, Hardy,
Havoc, Hostile, Hotspur and Hunter. He led them in darkness through Ofotfjord,
where they attacked a force of ten larger German destroyers. Two enemy
destroyers, Wilhelm Heidkamp and Anton Schmidt, six cargo vessels and the
ammunition ship Rauenfels were sunk for the loss of Hardy and Hunter and severe
damage to Hotspur. This success was followed by Fleet Air arm Skuas, operating at
extreme range sinking the cruiser Konigsberg, and HM Submarines Truant,
Spearfish and Sterlet sinking the cruiser Karlsruhe, damaging the pocket-
battleship Lutzow and sinking the minelayer Brummer respectively. In addition,
numerous transports, tankers and other merchant vessels were sunk by the
submarine service (see Submarine Counter 4736).
.P On the same day as Warburton-Lee`s heroic action, Warspite had joined Admiral
Forbes Home Fleet in the North Sea. Three days later she led a force of nine
destroyers: Bedouin, Cossack, Eskimo, Forester, Foxhound, Hero, Icarus, Kimberley
and Punjabi, into Ofotfjord, the scene of the 1st Narvik battle, to deal with the
surviving eight enemy destroyers. What followed became known as the 2nd Battle of
Narvik. Warspite`s floatplane caught the U-64 on the surface and sank her. Then
three RN destroyers turned the Erich Koellner, which was guarding the entrance to
the fjord, into a blazing wreck. The RN ships then continued into the fjord.
Erich Geise met her end at the entrance to the harbour, followed by the Von
Roeder. Next, the Kunne beached herself before blowing up and the four remaining
German vessels retreated into Rombaksfjord, where they were beached. It was a
resounding victory for the RN. Warspite remained off Norway until the end of
April, taking part in bombardment operations in support of efforts to take the
port of Narvik. She was then relieved by the battleship Resolution (see HMS
Valiant and HMS Curlew).
.P With the threat of war with Italy looming, Warspite was then transferred back
to the Mediterranean. On the 11th June, as the Flagship of Vice-Admiral
Cunningham, she led the first Mediterranean Fleet sortie after the declaration of
war by Italy the previous day (see HMS Calypso). The following month saw Warspite
taking part in the Battle of Calabria, during which she hit the Italian
battleship Giulio Cesare from 26,000 yards, a record for naval gunnery against a
moving target (see HMS Royal Sovereign).
.P At the end of the month Warspite was again at sea with the fleet, covering
convoys in the Aegean (see HMS Capetown). On the 17th August, Warspite took part
in the bombardment of Italian positions at Bardia and Fort Capuzzo, Libya (see
HMS Malaya). Her next operation was HATS at the end of that month. This was an
operation to re-supply Malta and get reinforcements to the Mediterranean Fleet
(see HMS Calcutta).
.P At the end of September Warspite covered the cruisers Liverpool and Gloucester
as they delivered troops to Malta (see HMS Liverpool). She was then deployed with
the fleet as distant cover for convoys MF3 and MF4 (see HMS Calcutta). Warspite
took part in fleet operations in the Eastern Mediterranean in November (see HMS
Malaya) and later that month she was involved in Operation MB9 (see HMS
Despatch). The last month of the year saw Warspite involved in Operation MC2 (see
HMS Malaya) during which she and Valiant bombarded the Albanian port of Valona.
.P The New Year saw Warspite take part in the second bombardment of Bardia (see
HMS Terror) quickly followed by the important Operation Excess (see HMS
Southampton), during which she was very lightly damaged in an attack by the newly
arrived, crack German anti-shipping force, Fliegerkorps X. Following this, in
March Warspite covered the Lustre convoys that took the ill-fated Commonwealth
Expeditionary Force to Greece, and she also covered convoy MW6 to Malta (see HMS
Bonaventure). At the end of the month she played a key role in the successful
Battle of Cape Matapan that saw the sinking of three Italian heavy cruisers and
damage to the battleship Vittorio Veneto (see HMS Barham).
.P The following month, Warspite took part in covering two convoy operations (see
HMS Ajax) that included a shore bombardment mission against Tripoli. At the start
of May, Warspite was part of a complex operation that involved the sailing of the
famous Tiger convoy through the Mediterranean to Egypt (see Transport Counter
4729) and two convoys being sent to Malta from Alexandria. The Mediterranean
Fleet covered the latter two convoys and then the Tiger convoy once it had passed
Malta.
.P Warspite was sent to Crete in mid-May to cover the cruiser and destroyer
forces patrolling the island in an effort to stop the Germans reinforcing their
earlier airborne landings by sea (see HMS Fiji). During this action, Warspite`s
luck finally ran out. A force of three Messerschmitt 109`s in a fighter-bomber
role, attacked her west of the Kithera Channel and she was hit by a bomb which
caused extensive damage. Warspite returned to Alexandria for temporary repair
followed by permanent repairs in the USA.
.P The repair work was completed in December and in March 1942 she was ready to
take up duty as the Flagship of the 3rd Battle Squadron, Eastern Fleet in
company with the four remaining elderly R-class battleships. Warspite survived
Vice-Admiral Nagumo`s Indian Ocean raid in April due to the Eastern Fleet failing
to find the Japanese fleet (see HMS Cornwall). Two months later, following the
Battle of Midway, with four of Nagumo`s carriers at the bottom of the Pacific,
the Indian Ocean theatre suddenly became relatively quiet. The remaining months
of Warspite`s duty there was limited largely to convoy defence and she took part
in Operation Stab (see HMS Mauritius), a diversionary exercise in the Indian
Ocean. Before leaving the region, Warspite took part in Operation Stream (see
HMNZS Gambia), the operation to complete the conquest of the Vichy held island of
Madagascar.
.P In March Warspite returned to the UK for a refit and on completion she was
sent to the Mediterranean, where she arrived in mid-June. In July, she assisted
the landings on Sicily (see HMS Cleopatra) and the follow-up operations to
secure the island (see HMS Howe). Warspite remained in the Mediterranean to
assist the landings against mainland Italy at the end of August (see HMS Erebus)
and then in September, she covered the Allied landings at Salerno (see HMS
Abercrombie and HMCS Uganda). Whilst off Salerno on the 16th, she was badly
damaged when hit during a Glider Bomb attack. This resulted in severe flooding
and she had to withdraw from the action. There was a very real possibility that
she would not survive, but heroic efforts by her crew saw her eventually reach
Grand Harbour, Malta. After repair work in Malta and then Gibraltar, Warspite
returned to the UK. Because of other priorities, she was not fully repaired and
only had the use of three of her main turrets for the remainder of the war.
.P In June, Warspite provided support for the Allied landings in Normandy - D-Day
- as part of Bombarding Force D, Eastern Task Force (see HMS Ramillies). Two days
after the initial assault she was transferred to the Western Task Force area,
providing support off Utah Beach. She briefly returned to her original position
before returning to the UK for replenishment and to make good damage caused by
the incessant firing of her own guns. While en route home, she detonated a mine
that caused additional damage, although she was able to continue to port. Partial
repairs were carried out, but she was only able to achieve a speed of 15 knots
thereafter. Given that she was to be used for shore bombardment only this was not
an issue and after receiving a new outfit of 15-inch guns, Warspite returned to
Normandy in mid-August, remaining there until October.
.P Warspite`s last contribution in the Second World War took place in support of
the assault on Walcheren Island, Belgium. Here, along with the monitors Erebus
and Roberts, she bombarded the enemy shore batteries with three hundred and fifty
-three shells. Just before 0530hrs on 1st November 1944, her six remaining
serviceable 15-inch guns opened up for the last time. Warspite was then withdrawn
from service and placed in Reserve.
.P HMS Warspite was due to be scrapped in 1947. Despite protests that she should
be saved as a museum ship, she was destined for the breakers. Even then the Old
Lady had other ideas and whilst on route to the breaker’s yard, she ran aground
off Cornwall. Sadly, even Warspite could not cheat the end although her break-up
was not completed until 1956.