Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
K Class (1913) used Steam turbines to match the speed of the Dreadnaughts. they were supposed to be fleet subs and protect the capital ships.
Only problem was that the idea of using a nuclear reactor to make the steam in a closed system was still 38 years away.
Only problem was that the idea of using a nuclear reactor to make the steam in a closed system was still 38 years away.
US Admiral King fought tooth and nail to have the President decline British offers of naval forces in the Pacific when the fight against Germany was winding down. He despised the English for whatever reason. I have a book on related matters and an RN officer found it incredible that the US Navy had such an abundance of resources compared to the RN. He was told to inquire about getting a replacement aircraft from the USN for a Corsair in RN service that had been damaged irreparably. The USN supply officer told him, "We don't issue less than six but if you have a case of whiskey you can have a dozen."
Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
K Class (1913) used Steam turbines to match the speed of the Dreadnaughts. they were supposed to be fleet subs and protect the capital ships.
Only problem was that the idea of using a nuclear reactor to make the steam in a closed system was still 38 years away.
It is a wonder that the Brits didn't have sails on it, too.
The Germans could crash dive a U-boat in under a minute. How long did it take the Brits to put out the boiler fires and dive the boat?
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
That big Roman nose is not a flattering shape. I know it likely had a functional purpose, but sheesh.
Much better, no?
Yes I understand this. My main point was the nothing the Missouri did that could not have been done with far less cost and less manpower. As an ex navy man I fully understand the time involved in building ships of the Missouri's size and capabilities but the simple fact that two of her sister ships and a subsequent class of battleships were cancelled is an indication that the navy understood the diminished value of battleships. I actually think the Iowa class were the best looking and most capable battleships ever built, the world of naval warfare just moved on. Naval gunfire was not that effective against ground targets as the shells come in too flat and her antiaircraft capacities would have been more than made up for with three or four more AA cruisers at less cost and manpower. I know you use what you have and she was built before naval warfare had moved on but she was basically outdated before she entered service.
Change is incremental especially in the military. The "Battleship Men" of the US and Royal navies refused to see the writing on the wall regarding aircraft serving at sea. The Imperial Navy of Japan handed out a few harsh lessons to each using torpedo and dive bombers. The loss of two capital ships(Prince of Wales and Repulse off Singapore in a matter of a few minutes) drove home the lesson to the British that aircraft carriers were the future in naval warfare. The RN officer in command felt his ships had adequate AA capability to deter any air attack and had no air cover at all even though it was available if it had been requested. Battleships functioned as floating artillery for the island hoping invasions the US undertook though the Japanese were able to dig in deep enough that their use was of limited value often cratering the land so badly that they impeded the attacking forces.
Not sure I entirely agree with your assessment of naval gunfire, at least not in the sense of whether it was ever useful as a shore bombardment tool. (I don't think there is any doubt that airpower had already overtaken the battleship by the time Missouri had joined the war.) There were times when it was effective, and times when it wasn't. Artillery in general tends to work that way. The Japanese bunkers and dug-in positions in the Pacific were resilient to virtually every form of explosive thrown against them, regardless of the method of delivery. Sand and coconut palms proved very absorbent.
Recall also that the 16 inch Mark 7 rifles of the Iowa class went on to serve in conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, and were well known for being very accurate, even at long range. And although the Iowa class is long gone, the US Navy and other large navies still push naval gunfire support and shore bombardment (in some ways trying to find a way to revive the capability that the 16 inch gun offered), e.g. Zumwalt class. The cruisers, meanwhile, had long moved on to a primarily missile armament (primarily for an air defense role, at least until VLS came along).
I served in the US on an exchange posting during operations in Lebanon in the early 1980s. The US Navy used the USS New Jersey to engage Syrian targets there and it was fascinating to read the SITREPs as they came into the ops center.
Carrier based air support gives a lot more flexibility and range than naval gunfire, but there probably still is a role in a big navy for the 8 inch guns on a heavy cruiser.
Carrier based air support gives a lot more flexibility and range than naval gunfire, but there probably still is a role in a big navy for the 8 inch guns on a heavy cruiser.
DeadeyeDave
CGN Regular
- Location
- Norseman Capital of the World
K class. Submarines with funnels make as much sense as tanks with sails.
King despised everyone. Including the US Army and Air corps!
His own daughter said of hime "He was the most even tempered man in Washington, mad all the time!"
