Favourite warship

[General Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Slipdigit

HMS Nelson, sister ship of the Rodney.

It had 3, 3x16in turrets forward and smaller bore weapons to th rear. Designed and built to save weight, as to remain within treaty limitations and still shipping 16in guns. I'm sure these have been discussed here at sometime or another.

Thanks again Jeff great picture! Now tht refreshes my memory, do recall the Nelson and the Royal Navy's methods for keeping within treaty limits.
Aye swabbies this was a beautiful ship.

[General Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Slipdigit

If I can do it, a bonehead can do it.

Hey how did you find out what my girlfriend's "cute" nickname is for me?
At least the one that can be used in polite company.
Well next time I come up with a topic clever enough to interest anyone I shall try it. I've made a lifelong pursuit of boneheadedness and why quit when I'm just stating to get a handle on it.
Thanks again
GM

[Slipdigit]

One of my favorites, for the fight she put up off of Okinawa. The USS Aaron Ward DD773/DM-34. This is just one of several favorites; favorites for the fights they were involved in.

In better days:



This is after the events of 30 April 1945. She was dove on by no less than 11 kamikazes, most carrying ordinance. It is amazing that she made it to port. Two other US ships were lost in the same attack to kamikazes.


I took care of a man* one time who's brother was KIA on this ship. He was a member of the 40mm gun crew that was just foward of the dual 5in turret visible above. His body was never found, as were none of the men of the gun crew, the entire gun mount being swept overboard.

* I was a Registered Nurse in my younger days.

[General Mayhem]

Back in the 60's (oh my) I must have built a dozen Bismark Models. Ships of the Royal Navy were non-existent in the states at that time. (At least in Ohio BFE)
Now of course you cn get most anything for a price. I wond if there's a list anywhere of the number of warships sunk by air as opposed to those by sea action?
Given that some historians say the battleship was obsolete at the start of the conflict. Would not the success of the German pocket battleships at least in part dispute that? I know they endedup on the bottom thanks to the British Navy, but didn't they do quite a bit of damage as well as Jaeger's favorite the Prinz Eugen?

"damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!" Admiral Farragut
Bold and successful move.
"Icebergs, Schmicebergs. Full ahead Mr. Lightoller!" Capt. Smith
Bad move. Very bad move.

[cash_13]

The following is a poem which was found in the possessions of Thomas Samuel Austin by his son Ianthe Exall:

Have you ever heard of the “Warspite” and how she made her name,
How she smashed the German Army near the wide Catania Plain,
The Herman Goering Regiment was badly mauled that day,
When the “Warspite” used her 15”, for the Eight she cleared the way.
Then came the day of invasion, the 5th.on Italy’s soil,
Battled with desperation, their object nearly foiled,
By “Tiger Tanks” and Pancers, who were waiting, so it seemed,
When into the Bay of Salerno, the “Warspite” slowly steamed.
She swung around and waited until she got in range,
Then with a noise like thunder, her 15” spoke again.
We had our own observer, a captain of Royal Marines,
And he shouted with glee, only he could see
How the tide of the battle had changed.
There were tanks and troops together smashed up like they never had been,
More terrible wreckage and carnage never before had been seen.
General Clark of the gallant 5th. Army, there on the field
Thanked the ”Old Lady” in a signal, for the lives of his men she’d redeemed.
Then she did another bombardment at a standstill, to make her aim sure,
And the fall of the shell was perfect, no guns aim had ever been truer.
It must have been ‘hell’ for the Germans, as the shrapnel just blew them away,
Then a bomb came down from the heavens, it was 2000lbs. maybe more
And smashed right down by the funnel, we were only two miles from the shore.
Right down through her decks it travelled, a rocket bomb was its name,
We lost some good chums, all good shipmates, Hard luck, it was War it’s no game.
She shuddered and lurched as it struck her, for a minute she couldn’t be seen
As the debris shot up towards heaven, closely followed by white scalding steam.
We all thought the “Old Lady” was finished, a true blood, she proved it that day,
As the tugs raced out to her rescue, she lurched up again, to her keel.
Under tow she set out for Malta, for six days and nights at 4 knots,
And the lads did plenty of thinking, especially the wounded in cots,
T’was a nerve wracking strain for the lads there, true Britons they stuck to their guns,
And the engine room branch worked like Trojans, all spattered in oil, twas no fun.
Down thro the Straits of Messina, the “Old Lady” made her way,
We were all sure then that she’d make it,
That she’d live to fight on another day.
It’s all over now, we’re not sorry, to our homes we’re now on our way,
But I’ll always be proud of the “Warspite” , God Bless her, she once won the day.
Author Unknown

[cash_13]

Warpsite has a soft spot for me because my step father Cyril Phillips was a leading stoker on her...RIP Cyril

[machine shop tom]

I think the Scharnhorst was a really good-looking, effective ship.

tom


http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachm...1&d=1205026875

[freebird]

Originally Posted by General Mayhem

Rodney is my 2nd favorite. It's unique design. I don't know if any othr ships of it' type were commissioned by te Royal Navy or the reasons behind mounting three turrets forward only.

Intersting design, if you think of it. If she was approaching another ship exactly head on it could only fire 6 of the guns, but if the angle was 10 - 15 deg. off the bow it could fire all 3 turrets when pursuing, as opposed to only 4 guns on Bismarck. Perhaps designed to get the most power firing forward when charging into a fight.

I've included a firing diagram. {note that "Nagato" should have firing arc like Bismarck, not like "N. Carolina}

[MikB]

Originally Posted by cash_13

But I’ll always be proud of the “Warspite” , God Bless her, she once won the day.
Author Unknown

But that doesn't tell half the story!

What about Windy Corner, and the hits she took there?
What about the destruction of half Germany's destroyers at Narvik?
What about Giuglio Cesare at 26,000 yards?
What about Cape Matapan?
What about the ship that fired more rounds at the enemy than any other WW2 capital ship?

She's the one that should be sitting preserved by the tower, not that little cruiser!

[Warlord]

Boy, what do you do when you´re in love with them ugly ducklings?

For me, it has got to be the four stackers of the US Asiatic Fleet, the Erebus class monitors (HMS Terror) and the gunboats of the Yangtze Patrol, out of being there when the smelly stuff was thicker, uniqueness, and the glamour of the China Station respectively.





Sorry, didn´t get pics on the HMS Peterel, but here´s a link to a vault full of them: Attack on HMS Peterel and taking of USS Wake

By the way, for beauty´s sake, let´s throw in the USS Houston, to go along the DD´s.