The Drydock - Episode 369 (Part 1)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:45 - What exactly was the role of the signalman?

00:07:59 - How do you think other nations existing BBs would have performed in place of the Washington and South Dakota at the naval battle of Guadalcanal assuming all commander decisions and the electrical failure are the same?

00:15:36 - Day in the life of a cruiser floatplane pilot?

00:17:56 - Could you tell us more about the Operation Sea Lion academic war game that was played in the Cold War?

00:22:59 - Why was the RNAS responsible for the Air Defence of the United Kingdom until 1916?

00:25:41 - Is there any recorded information on how WW1 and WW2 disrupted fishing operations in contested waters?

00:29:57 - Did HEIC Nemesis have a letter of marque?

00:35:40 - How did the IJN refine it's skills in China?

00:39:35 - Given the difficulties the Japanese experienced invading Wake Island, had Adm Pye not recalled Task Force 14, could the US have held Wake?

00:43:16 - What went into designing a larger gun?

00:47:01 - How big could a First rate wooden sailing vessel theoretically have got?

00:53:18 - Records of HMS Glorious' loss?

00:55:55 - During the rein of Queen Elizabeth I did ships like Drake’s Revenge and the Golden Hind have the same almost American level of guns of various size and types like during her fathers rein as seen on the Anthony Scroll?

00:58:43 - Fit Bismarck vs Fat Bismarck?

01:03:53 - Paddle wheel questions?

01:07:59 - In a recent Drydock, you mentioned that there were many difficulties facing navies who wanted to transition from two-gun to three-gun turrets. What were some of the most challenging?

01:13:54 - It seems the Germans never recovered from the loss of their many destroyers in the Norwegian campaign. Why did they not replace them?

01:18:02 - When it comes to warships that had their batteries controlled by a central fire control, was it ever noticed or recorded that a particular turret or even a particular gun of a turret was more accurate than the rest?

01:21:16 - How knowledgeable were the Allies of the rivalry between the Japanese Navy and Army and were there efforts to try and exploit this?

01:23:52 - Ships with plot armour that aren't Enterprise or Warspite?

01:25:55 - What happens if Pearl Harbor is worse for the Japanese?

01:31:59 - Why weren't the Nelson's 'C/Q' turrets superfiring as opposed to 'B'?

01:36:37 - Were plans prepared for more extensive upgrades of the R class and what was the ultimate limiting factor, as compared to the QEs'?

01:42:07 - How did the Axis powers view the interwar treaties?

01:48:49 - How effective was naval minesweeping in the time period the channel covers?

01:52:22 - Why so few destroyers named after cities/towns?

01:55:34 - Would swapping around the outcome of Denmark Strait have had knock-on effects on other RN ship losses?

02:04:45 - What was the US Navy's plan to deal with the Kongos if a war did occur in the 1920's - early 1930's?

02:08:25 - During and after the battle of the Denmark Strait, were there any consequences of a bunch of British ships suddenly leaving their existing duties to go after Bismarck and PE?

02:10:34 - Coastal and port fortifications in the Age of Sail?

02:14:41 - What subs were sunk or significantly damaged by merchants without significant assistance from escorts? Did it happen often?

02:17:01 - How often did coal bunkers in coal-fired ships explode?

02:20:10 - Issues in recomissioning Type 21 and 23 U-Boats post-war?

02:22:25 - If PQ-17 had not been ordered to scatter and the four heavy cruisers actually did end up facing off against a more aggressive Tirpitz, what could they have reasonably hoped to achieve?

02:29:43 - What kind of RN officer do you think a WW2-era James Bond should be?

02:32:31 - What size would a tree need to be to be suitable for warship construction?

02:36:10 - Raising and preserving ships?

02:40:18 - On balance do you think it was worth arming ordinary freighters (such as the Liberty ships) during WW2?

02:43:41 - Why did the RN only briefly flirt with the 5.5" gun?

02:46:24 - Why did the British invite the Russians to Jutland?

02:49:27 - How many DP guns could you fit on a fast-battleship hull?

02:53:40 - Did navies deploy new crew who had never been to sea?

02:56:21 - Did the French really put capital ship armour on tanks?

02:58:14 - Stern extensions?

03:00:31 - Who was in charge of USS Washington at Guadalcanal?