Since because Beaver has no facts for the moment , I decided to post a trivia question. This is a picture of the mighty DKM Scharnhorst in her first sea trials, right after she was completed. However, by the end of her career, two major changes were made to her. What were they?
The Germans installed an "Atlantic Bow" (Clipper type overhang to help with sea-keeping and reduce green water on the foredeck), and they moved the mainmast back behind the aircraft hangar.
John, you are correct with both. But for the second one, I was looking for something else. But your still up, John!
The third major change was the addition of two banks of torpedo tubes, but that occurred in France, not right after the sea trials.
Alright another Hullbusters related trivia question: What ship had the first documented RC combat use of a smokescreen to escape combat and what was the captain's mistake?
You are correct. Also, at the time when the picture was taken, there was no cap on the top of the Scharnhorst's smokestack. It would be added later on.
On Scharnhorst's earlier question, the one modification that wasn't mentioned was the addition of a bunch of holes, courtesy of the Brits.
Found the article about the russian river gunboat (with tank turret!) sunk by a Ferdinand (German tank destroyer / tank) entertaining. Reminded me of a story I read years ago about an elderly Brit DE on the North African coast. Pulled into a tiny harbor to drop of supplies to some of the "Desert Rats". Suddenly a Tiger tank popped into view over a hill. Picture the scene: essentially unarmored ship in limited maneuvering space, but armed with 3x 3" guns vs a heavily armored semi-mobile pillbox armed with the legendary 88mm gun. Result: One thoroughly shot-up hillside, a whole bunch of daylight in the ships spaces that weren't used to seeing it, one (finally!) knocked out Tiger. Oh, and a whole lot of skivvies in need of changing!
That is just one of the flukes of war. . Don't forget that not more than two months earlier, both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau scampered away from the Renown with their tales between their legs, refusing to fight.
Ah, well, it wasn't really a full scale question anyway. The first documented use of a smokescreen in r/c combat was the Zara of Larry Manofsky at the fall Southeast regionals in 1983. His mistake was not adequately fireproofing the area around the smoke bomb. Hullbusters Dec 1983. Anyhow I found a better question: When and where did the first combat damage to a USN aircraft occur? Warship International no.1 1972 pp 96
How about the sinking of the USS Langley off the Philippians. It had been "demoted" to seaplane tender by then, but still was a CV at one point.
