Awe-Inspiring Boats

Discussion in 'Ship Comparison' started by Murchisonge, May 7, 2013.

  1. Tugboat

    Tugboat Facilitator RCWC Staff Admiral (Supporter)

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    The German fleet avenged the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Jutland; the Invincible and other British BCs tended to explode violently on contact with, well, anything.
     
  2. Anachronus

    Anachronus Well-Known Member

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    Especially high explosives. :)

    Though the RN's habit of ignoring their own cordite handling procedures didn't help either.
     
  3. Panzer

    Panzer Iron Dog Shipwerks and CiderHaus

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    This ^^^ Indeed!- Rn was pretty good at blowing up their own sailors!
     
  4. Kotori87

    Kotori87 Well-Known Member

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    Having done some research, it wasn't the cordite-handling procedures but the cordite itself that was the cause. German cordite was more stable, so it never exploded; only burned. This was true in both wars, and a number of German ships suffered magazine fires without huge explosions. The RN's cordite, on the other hand, was very energetic. Lots of hot gas in a short amount of time, could easily generate the pressure necessary to tear a ship apart. It was also enough to tear through the flimsy anti-flash protection of the day, as HMS Lion's cordite flash demonstrated. The ammunition boxes and cages did not protect the cordite, and her bulkheads buckled enough for the flash to reach the magazine. If Lion's magazine had not already been flooded, it would have been the next ship to explode.

    For more detail, check this out:
    http://jutland.wikia.com/wiki/Damage
     
  5. Anachronus

    Anachronus Well-Known Member

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    It's something of a chicken and egg story. The RN cordite was less stable than the German propellants, and the German practice of using metal casings help. Neither side had really good flash resistance but evidence from the Jutland wrecks (Invincible? I forget which one) found that the flash resistant doors were not sealed as they should have been. There is probably not one "big" reason, just a chain of smaller failings that when put together came out unpleasantly.
     
  6. Tugboat

    Tugboat Facilitator RCWC Staff Admiral (Supporter)

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    Either way, it equals a glass jaw for British battlecruisers!
     
  7. Knight4hire

    Knight4hire Active Member

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    It makes me wonder what would have happened if the German ships were armed 13 inch guns instead of 11 inch....
     
  8. Anachronus

    Anachronus Well-Known Member

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    Warspite would have been a bit worse for wear to be sure.
     
  9. Kotori87

    Kotori87 Well-Known Member

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    Ahoy Garret, if you need any more reasons to build an I-boat, how about a name? I'm sure you've heard of the famous HMS Invincible, and HMS Indefatigable, and HMS Inflexible, but are you aware of their lesser-known siblings? Ships like HMS Invisible and HMS Inaudible were also important ships in the fleet, but their contributions are often as overlooked as HMS Immemorable. Of course, HMS Immobile, HMS Innavigable, and HMS Incapable made less of a contribution. Then there were ships like HMS Informidable and HMS Inflatable, which for unknown reasons were always assigned second-line duties. And lastly I must mention the legend that surrounds the one time HMS Insufferable and HMS Irritable visited the same port of call. You can read the complete list of I-boats here: http://www.rcnavalcombat.com/Portals/0/Users/Kotori87/Complete%20List%20of%20I-boats.txt
     
  10. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

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    We've got dibs on the Inconceivable and the Insufferable out here - our resident i-boat is typically Insufferable and when it works, Inconceivable
     
  11. WillCover

    WillCover -->> C T D <<--

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    I did not see Incontinence not holding water!!
     
  12. Murchisonge

    Murchisonge Active Member

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    Hahaha I like the new I boat names. On a different note, has anyone had any experience with the K class cruisers from Battlers Connection?
     
  13. Tugboat

    Tugboat Facilitator RCWC Staff Admiral (Supporter)

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    They are very light boats and do not have much room inside.
     
  14. Murchisonge

    Murchisonge Active Member

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    What do you guys think of an Aoba or an Agano? Would they be a tad bit long for one rudder?
     
  15. Murchisonge

    Murchisonge Active Member

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    Whoops... Aoba has two rudders.
     
  16. jch72

    jch72 Active Member

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    All the 2.5 unit ww2 light cruisers have a single rudder and similar length and width. Agano, Glorie, Atlanta, Koln, etc. which makes them all near equivalents, with Agano having a slight edge due to hull shape. Personally I like them as a smaller beginner boat for learning cruiser tactics, and they make good secondary ships later. They have enough weight and hull volume to make a relatively easy build, but you do need to watch where you place your components and keep the superstructure light.

    Ron Hunt
     
  17. Tugboat

    Tugboat Facilitator RCWC Staff Admiral (Supporter)

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    +1 to what Ron said. :)