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ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

What did you think of "The Fleet That Had To Die" by Richard Hough? I read that when I was in junior high, so I don't recall too much of the details...

Morning Tithe.....

Can't comment as i've not read the book. Sounds interesting though. Just about done with Tsar's last Armada (75%), Tsunshima the main event is over and now author is recounting the flight of the survivors which led to the famous surrender the next day and capture of the biggest prize (Orel)

Again i can see the validity of some negative complaints. Description of the battle itself is very sparce on details and devotes alot of attention to what Rozh. was doing (which was basically wandering around in a daze) or describing the carnage aboard one or more of the modern battleships in very colorful language. (i.e. very much like Hornfisher's recount of Savo Island)

It is disapointing but, in compensation there is both Rising Sun, Tumbling Bear as well as "Kaigun" for a more technical description of the battle. In the end i cut this author slack because when it comes down to it.....the book is more about the men and the voyage, not Tsunshima the battle. So i'm not gnashing my teeth. I think the author does a great job of immersing the reader and accusations that his English was typical of a Russian who had emmigrated during the cold war era (Think "Boris" from Bullwinkle) are totally unfounded. Author's english is on a par with our dear Termy's command of the language. I only detected one outright error. (GOSH!) [:D]

Author may be guilty of being a little too sympathetic towards Roszh. but it is hard not to be. The voyage alone was a mounumental undertaking and this with a hodge podge collection of ships and not the most efficient of crews. Author's descriptions of the battle though weight (IMO) a little too heavily on the limited ability of Rozh (or anyone) to control his ships admist hits and smoke/flame and the limited vision of the conning tower. It appears very certainly that Rozh's fighting spirit was lacking and he "gave up" to fate.

One very good technical point unrelated by any other book (including Kaigun IIRC), is that the a possible reason for the disordered Russian line at the battle's start and at the point where Togo's flagship was most vulnerable as he tried to cross the T and circle back, that Rozh had allegedly ordered a change of formation from Line Ahead to Line Abreast due to having spotted a line of torpedo boats cutting across his path. The lack of squadron hegamony combined with poor training in some key ships, led to the whole thing falling apart and Rozh cancelling the order. The Russian line was in the process of reforming when fire was opened by both sides, so Mikasa got off lightly while many Russian ships fire was masked allowing concentrated Japanese fire on the lead ships.

On the negative side, author is absolutely enamored of Japanese Shimose shells and basically puts forth the age old argument that HE shells were devestatingly effective against armored ships. True in the case of the Russians due to their condition, but the author fails to balance this by more definitively pointing out that it was the sheer weight of shells that did the job, not so much the Shimose which had some defects. In the end it's good AP that quickly sinks ships. Had the Russian ships not been so loaded down, decrepid and flammable, it would not have been so dramatic an effect.

But it makes for dramatic reading. [:D]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

and...

ORIGINAL: Terminus

You say the nicest things, LogBoy...

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

and...

ACK!!!!!!!

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: Terminus

You say the nicest things, LogBoy...

Its really all the more amazing given that CNN just broke the news that a company based out of Denmark admitted today that they'd been conducting experiments combing genes from a human male and a can of Spam.


the horror. Wonder what such a human would be like.....probably posts alot i'll bet.

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: Terminus

You say the nicest things, LogBoy...

Its really all the more amazing given that CNN just broke the news that a company based out of Denmark admitted today that they'd been conducting experiments combing genes from a human male and a can of Spam.


the horror. Wonder what such a human would be like.....probably posts alot i'll bet.

ORIGINAL: Terminus

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

and...

ACK!!!!!!!

Thread, that was a weird show...