OT: Battleship Bismarck

[spence]

I know I'm in the wrong ocean but it seems there are quite a few folks here who like to read about the Bismarck. In any case here's a link to the contemporary report of the British interrogation of the survivors:

http://www.uboatarchive.net/BismarckINT.htm

(A lot of links to contemporary British interrogation reports are to be found at uboatarchive.net: interesting reading).

[Chickenboy]

Interesting. But why so much fuss about a ship that was scuttled?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Interesting. But why so much fuss about a ship that was scuttled?

Niagara Falls...

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Interesting. But why so much fuss about a ship that was scuttled?

warspite1

Naughty [:-][;)]

[tigercub]

Scuttled! hehe can of worms...
After reading report
Amazing accuracy gunnery at 25,000 yards Bismarck only fired 32 15inch rounds at Hood to sink her the last 8 was a waste of Ammo...then first salvo at POW hits!
as I note the BB VS BB web site putts Bismarck gunnery as the worst! lol

Tigercub

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: tigercub

Mind you HOODS first Salvo Hit Bismarck.

Tigercub

warspite1

I would be interested to hear where you read that? All accounts I have read suggest Hood hit nothing during the engagement.

[tigercub]

"Hood," according to "Bismarck" prisoners, fired first, the salvo being over. A second salvo from "Hood" fell short, but the third hit, and three shells in all struck "Bismarck."

I miss read! Warspite

Tigercub

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: tigercub

"Hood," according to "Bismarck" prisoners, fired first, the salvo being over. A second salvo from "Hood" fell short, but the third hit, and three shells in all struck "Bismarck."

I miss read! Warspite

Tigercub

warspite1

The accounts I have read suggest Hood initially fired wrongly at Prinz Eugen and that she only belatedly switched fire to Bismarck. Even so, she hit nothing during the encounter. It was Prince of Wales, realising Hood's mistake, that fired at - and hit - the Bismarck.

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Interesting. But why so much fuss about a ship that was scuttled?

warspite1

Naughty [:-][;)]

I suppose it finds the same category as "How many IJN Carriers did the USN sink at Midway"

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Interesting. But why so much fuss about a ship that was scuttled?

warspite1

Naughty [:-][;)]

I suppose it finds the same category as "How many IJN Carriers did the USN sink at Midway"

You might ask "How many carriers did the IJN sink at Midway?" [:D]

[JeffroK]

Only one, but all 4 KB Carriers were scuttled by the IJN.

All 4 in a similar state to Bismark.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Only one, but all 4 KB Carriers were scuttled by the IJN.

All 4 in a similar state to Bismark.

So your one-word answer would have to be "Five!", eh? [:D]

[JeffroK]

Yep, the Brain was working so hard on my question ..........

[John 3rd]

I am reading the "Battle of the Denmark Strait" to my sons right now and it states Prince of Wales realized which German ship was which before a salvo was fired. Pretty impressive considering she had green crew and lousy guns. We haven't actually gotten to the point of opening fire but it has been pretty well written this point.

[geofflambert]

The correct procedure would have been to move PoW closer and have Hood maintain range, then both close. Hood's firepower was competitive with Bismark's and PoW's armor was competitive with Bismark. Hood would likely not have been lost if that had been done.

[John 3rd]

The British Adm fought an AWFUL Battle.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Only one, but all 4 KB Carriers were scuttled by the IJN.

All 4 in a similar state to Bismark.

Didn't a sub sink the Yorktown?

Along with DD Hammann, of course.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Interesting. But why so much fuss about a ship that was scuttled?

warspite1

Naughty [:-][;)]

I suppose it finds the same category as "How many IJN Carriers did the USN sink at Midway"

warspite1

JeffK by this comment are you recalling the "debate" from the World In Flames forum?

It was pointed out to me by a poster some time ago that although the Bismarck was sunk, all the honour and glory in that engagement fell to the Germans because the RN didn't actually sink the Bismarck.

He would not accept any argument to the contrary and I pointed out that under his way of thinking, Midway was a glorious victory to the IJN [8|].

He still couldn't see it though....

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

The British Adm fought an AWFUL Battle.

warspite1

To be fair Admiral Holland went into the fight with a largely unmodernised relic of World War I design. HMS Hood's lack of deck armour meant that she was most vulnerable to plunging shell-fire and thus Holland felt the best course of action was to close the range as quickly as possible. Hood was closing fast and at the point of turning, and thus being able to bring her broadside to bear, when her vulnerability was all too tragically exposed.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: warspite1


warspite1

Naughty [:-][;)]

I suppose it finds the same category as "How many IJN Carriers did the USN sink at Midway"

warspite1

JeffK by this comment are you recalling the "debate" from the World In Flames forum?

It was pointed out to me by a poster some time ago that although the Bismarck was sunk, all the honour and glory in that engagement fell to the Germans because the RN didn't actually sink the Bismarck.

He would not accept any argument to the contrary and I pointed out that under his way of thinking, Midway was a glorious victory to the IJN [8|].

He still couldn't see it though....

We were joking about those sort of exchanges, honest! [:D]