The Drydock - Episode 094

Jutland (again) and two questions if I may. In reading Jellicoe's work "The Grand Fleet 1914 - 1916 Its Creation Development and Work" (1919) it seems clear that he is blaming the loss of the battle cruisers and other larger ships on their inferior armour as against the German ships of the same "class". i.e. the German ships were better protected than the RN ships which is why the RN suffered the losses it did. Question: When did the view form that some of the capital losses were due to poor amunition handling practices? Was Jellicoe clinging to a theme to protect bad practice or did the view really become cemented after his publication date (1919) Secondly, in his dispatch to the Admiralty following Jutland, I see he brought a total of 151 vessels to the "party". Any idea how many in total the other guests brought?

David Toyne

Friendly fire at sea: According to Norman Hanson's war memoir (Carrier Pilot, ISBN 0 85089 349 2), HMS Illustrious took two 5.25" shell hits from HMS Euryalus when the latter ship failed to check fire in time when shooting at a low-flying Japanese bomber. The shells hit below the windbreak on the front of the compass platform, and the starboard hull below the island. Casualties were 12 killed and 20 wounded.

Geoffrey Brown

At the 33 minute mark you took a question from a viewer concerning a World War One era battleship surviving the collision that sunk the Titanic. I have wondered this as well but specifically in regards to metallurgy.

I think you need to specify why the RN *cannot* use the USA and French as partners. Both have been traditional allies for a century now (and yes there have been Mers-El-Kebir and various less serious disagreements) and they are the obvious choices for partners as the navy on the other side of the Atlantic and the nearest European navy. In your scenario, are either or both neutral? hostile? Would make quite a difference.

Hugh Fisher

Australia, Canada and New Zealand would be the obvious ones. Aided by the fact that the RN actually does work with them on a regular basis.

Could we do a 'random bar brawl' comparison? I think Drach said something recently about getting surprised in a bar brawl with Spruance and Cunningham...

'General' Dipper

You'd have to choose the former colonies. Australia has a large and modern navy, (my own bias here) as well as very similar operating practices which would make cooperation easy. I'd also hazard that the Indian Navy would also make a good contributing power. The lazy answer would be someone like China for the sheer scale of their navy.

New subscriber, hope this is the right place: In Drydock 044 around minute 40 you talk about 'making the RN great again'. However, assume that the RN always works with other nations. So in the next Drydock I'd like you to consider how your 'great RN' could be achieved by teaming up with other nations. To increase the intellectual challenge, assume you can't use the USA and France as partners.

'General' Dipper

Hello! a question on your recent Lyon battleship video. the French seemed to have capital ships in the 1930's with all or most main guns pointing forward (presumable to be in offensive action against... Italian ships?), while the earlier designs had most guns Ponting backwards? why was that? what made them change?

Piero San Giorgio

The other admiral was Vian (sorry about the fragmentation of this comment I can;t get use to this return key sending off the comment and not creating a paragraph break.

John Hargreaves

continued : because of Spruance's focus on the job he had to do and strategically did exactly the right actions for the trust Nimitz and King had in him not to Gung Ho and was shown by other admirals. One other Admiral was on the list, confirmed by Dr. Clarke but I felt he was a little more destroyer - ish in his actions compared with the other two. Regards

John Hargreaves

You provided a good answer to my question and a good analysis of each of the characters. ai went through a very similar process myself and in the end I came down on the side of Spruance by a hairh

John Hargreaves

No relation.

john c driscoll

Any relation to the Driscoll's from Wisconsin?

The four Russian ironclads from the 1880s Georgey Pobiedonostetz, Sinope, Imperatrista Ekaerina II and Chesma had 6 12" guns in three turrets, two forwards side by side and a single aft. They don't have the ability for their forward guns to file aft, they are contemporaries of SMS Kronprinz Erzherzog Rudolf.

Elliott W James

Greetings from Gilchrist, Oregon USA

john c driscoll