RE: RHS Thread Ship Maneuver Ratings
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 2:08 pm
During a comprehensive review of ship class data, focused on making durability
consistent (and that based on full load displacement, the only meaningful standard
as taught by US Navy damage control schools - from which I hold a Gold Certificate
- meaning best in class), I found some amazing maneuverability values.
Originally an amphib sailor on the last APA ever built (for USN, and probably in
all nations), I strongly object to rating landing craft with extremely high maneuver
values. In the first place, even alone (which is not how landing craft normally
are employed), they maneuver like a shoebox. That is, poorly. But operationally,
a landing craft is NOT ABLE TO MANEUVER AT ALL. If it is to succeed in its combat
mission during an assault landing, the landing craft MUST remain in line with
the reset of the craft in its wave. If it does not do that, the craft will not
"hit the beach" together - and the enemy will concentrate fire on them, one at a time,
the closest one to the beach first. When they beach and drop the bow ramp, this is
particularly effective. [See the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, the only film
remotely doing a good job showing what an assault landing is like?]
This was so important that each craft has 3 sailors on board. It only takes one sailor
to steer a landing craft. No need for a mechanic, you are not going to fix the engine
during a landing. Anyone can throw a line if you are coming alongside. So why three?
Because sticking your head above the (hopefully) armored steering position likely will
get you killed. Someone has to take over steering the boat. It must be a sailor, not
the troops, who are needed when you hit the beach. Three makes it probable at least one
will still be alive when you hit the beach! So why would a sailor step into the blood
of the previous cox'n (the boss of a boat is a coxswain). Because if you do not, the
troops will shoot you! THEY know that they have no chance if someone is not keeping the
vessel in the line. Which is to say - the boat is NOT free to maneuver at all.
There are other anomalies, but that is the worst one.
So what should the maneuver value be?
Maneuver probably should relate to rate of change of position. This at first blush seems
to imply maximum speed limits maximum maneuver rate. A small vessel, particularly if
designed for maneuvering, might get a multiplier. For example, if a large ship gets
maneuver = maximum speed, a small fast ship (e.g. a destroyer) might get maneuver =
2 x maximum speed. Perhaps an intermediate fast ship (e.g. a light cruiser) might get
1.5 x maximum speed. One might also vary individual ratings for cause. Thus, USS Alaska
class BC - with their terrible turning radius - might be rated as large ships are -
Maneuver = Maximum Speed - or even Maneuver = 0.75 x Maximum Speed - to make them
worse than battleships - which they were. A class noted for outstanding maneuverability
might get a slightly higher multiple than normal for its category.
Requesting thoughts, opinions or any information about the "standards" used by AE
nominally. [The problem is, lacking formal definitions in a manual, people entering data
do not generally know what the standards are, even if they once existed. So data in the
database is inconsidtent, and no person ever reviewed new class data as an editor would
do in a professional organization - to insure consistency with the standard, even if
there was one.] But if there IS a theory nominally officially used - I want to know what
it was?