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Post by Achtung!! on Jan 2, 2008 14:04:58 GMT 1
Having read the latest issues about the Bismarck, I am amazed at the level of technology on this boat. For example the cables on the hull which helped against magnetic mines attaching to the hull. Or the 'bouys' that were deployed to cut through the floating mines metal cable.
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Post by eric on Jan 3, 2008 0:18:54 GMT 1
Ah, the Degousing cables, they reduced the magnetic field created by all the metal......most big ships had them during the war, and I think the 'bouys' are the paravine sweeps, they would push contact mines away from the ships hull, even a heavily armoured battleship like Bismarck was vulnerable to them.
What always impresses my was the computers they had on these ships, they could analize own ships speed and heading, enemy ships speed and heading, wind direction.... then fire a shell weighing a ton 30,000 yards and drop it onto the other ship. Time of flight about 45 seconds, so they were aiming at where the enemy ship would be when the shell arrived....not at where it was when fired. Quite amazing.
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Post by Mark on Jan 3, 2008 2:19:20 GMT 1
Wikipedia, as usual, has some interesting reading about mines and the de-gaussing coils. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_mine#CountermeasuresThe computers were quite amazing, considering that they were all valves and transistors. No Silicon chips then !! As an aside, I was watching the Special Features on a Blakes & DVD last night, and there was a bit about sound effects. The studio had a control panel the size of a football field with more knobs than you could shake a stick at. And they still used a microphone, with somebody gargling water as the initial sound source !!!! A far cry from a few mouse clicks that they use these days !!
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Post by jim on Jan 27, 2008 16:41:25 GMT 1
Bismarck also had an extendable boom at the bow underwater to which a cable was connected to clear mines from in front of her. I did not know this until I read page 130 of the magazine. also has a drawing.
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Post by swanrail on Jan 28, 2008 23:38:13 GMT 1
What I find rather sad, is that in spite of all this gear and they thought that they had covered every contingency, it only took a torpedo damaging the rudder gear that really finished her off. I shudder to think what the cost per mile worked out at..............
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Post by ps2k on Sept 7, 2008 2:30:52 GMT 1
What I find rather sad, is that in spite of all this gear and they thought that they had covered every contingency, it only took a torpedo damaging the rudder gear that really finished her off. I shudder to think what the cost per mile worked out at.............. Strategically the Bismarck was a waste of time and energy, however if you compare the model with the Yamato or say the Iowa it is the most sleek and sexy looking battleship ever made..
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Post by swanrail on Sept 7, 2008 22:41:02 GMT 1
I also found that the Vanguard had rather pleasing lines. (was lucky to go on board her in Bournemouth bay when I was a nipper).
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biz
New recruit
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Post by biz on Apr 29, 2009 8:12:23 GMT 1
you must always understand these where the bigist battleships build in europe at that time, they where only 20 feet shorter then yamato and around 20.000 tones smaller; if the h class came out you may be specking germen now, just luck for us.
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