Drachinifel

The Drydock - Episode 376

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:40 - What would you consider to be the best designed ships that the Germans built from the 2 World Wars?

00:07:13 - Why didn’t the Japanese remove all the casemate mounted 6” guns on the Kongo-class battlecruisers during their final rebuild and replace them with half a dozen twin 5” dual purpose gun mounts?

00:16:40 - Which was the biggest logistical bottleneck for each WWII navy?

00:25:11 - Given the outpouring of responses on your autis...

The Drydock - Episode 375

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:36 - Could CarDivs 1 & 2 at Midway survived if Zuihō was transferred to the Kido Butai prior to Midway instead of covering the invasion force?

00:05:14 - Considering how many heavy cruisers had poor armor, wouldn't it have made far more sense to build a bunch of light cruisers made to simply overwhelm and destroy whatever ocean commerce the intended enemy had?

00:08:55 - How would have Japan’s warship construction program in WW2 benefited if th...

The Drydock - Episode 374

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:36 - Could the Italian Navy have carried out a “Tokyo express” like attack on Malta?

00:04:57 - Would Hood have been built if the QEs were built with small-tube boilers?

00:08:30 - AA conversion of the San Giorgio?

00:12:56 - How would they go about making a ship remote controlled in the early 20th century?

00:17:02 - Did San Giorgio have wooden planking?

00:19:38 - Were there any battleship programs from Italy after the Littori...

The Drydock - Episode 373 (Part 2)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:30 - What was responsible for the 'Dark Ages' of the Victorian Navy?

00:04:08 - What kind of escort did the Kaiser usually have?

00:06:00 - RAAF skip bombing techniques?

00:09:24 - Why the Japanese love of linoleum?

00:13:08 - 12" armed Des Moines?

00:16:00 - Could the US have realistically had two Alaskas ready at the start of 1942?

00:20:25 - An ideal monitor?

00:23:48 - What if pre-1908 ships were immune from the WNT? 2025-10-25 13:00:17 +0000 UTC View Post

The Drydock - Episode 373 (Part 1)

Sorry for the delay!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:42 - What was the machining process used to machine a Welin breach?

00:04:37 - How much one could refit a wooden steam + sail ship if one was inclined to do so?

00:11:17 - Which of the never built ships from the 20th century (Fisher’s insane dreadnought up to A-150, H ships Lion class variants etc.) would be the most financially and strategically practical for each nation?

00:19:33 - Has there ever been a comparable w...

The Drydock - Episode 372

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:04 - When did twin turrets become the norm for cruisers?

00:04:09 - Between cruisers, battleships and carriers, which one had it's development hampered the most by the Washington Naval Treaty?

00:10:15 - Given the large number of funnels on some armoured cruisers, would it have made any sense to try to cluster the funnels into a tighter grouping to save deck space for additional armor or weapons?

00:13:01 - For a short and concise video on a sh...

The Drydock - Episode 371

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:04 - Were there any ships armed or planned to be armed with homing torpedos during WW2, if there weren't any/or a lot then why?

00:05:00 - Better escort designs for the IJN?

00:10:52 - S-Boat that could partially submerge?

00:12:36 - Which individual class of warship do you think is the most overblown in terms of strategic value or general utility?

00:19:14 - How do German armoured cruisers from the WW1 period compare with their contempor...

Japan 2025 Update No.2

The Drydock - Episode 370

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:58 - Using 16" HC against more lightly protected WW2 era cruisers?

00:05:22 - Storms in the Med in WW2?

00:09:02 - What do you think was the most revolutionary individual vessel in naval history in terms of design concept from the period the channel covers?

00:12:40 - Why were the last Spanish ships of the line not built in Havana?

00:14:23 - Why didn't the Spanish or French commit any major naval forces to fighting in the Jacobite rebelli...

The Drydock - Episode 369 (Part 2)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:35 - Would a German 15" gun armed Large Cruiser (four guns in two turrets), a true "Pocket Battleship" be effective as a commerce raider in 1939?

00:05:14 - Would a problem-free North Carolina class be sent to the Pacific in late 1941?

00:06:51 - Who would take command if HMS Lion exploded?

00:10:58 - Which actual civilian merchant vessel(s) was the most heavily armed, as compared to a warship of the same period?

00:13:10 - Would the Krieg...

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?<...

Japan 2025 - It Begins...

Japan Trip 2025!

This Friday, I'm off to Japan for 3 weeks, normal video schedule will continue as usual since I've been busy this month creating twice as many videos as usual!

If you want to try and meet up with either myself or whichever of the Shipshape crew make it over there, you can find the schedule here: https://www.drachinifel.co.uk/meetingdrach

The Drydock - Episode 368

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:43 - How destructive was the construction of a single capital ship to the environment?

00:03:58 - Before WW1 a number of times that the British and Germans obtained details of the other side's designs. Were their spies that good, or their security that bad?

00:10:08 - In 1805 was Victory the largest man of war in British service?

00:12:24 - What caused Gloire's sister ships to decay so quickly compared with other ships of that era, and even qu...

Upcoming Japan Trip

Some of you will have noticed a few less threads/polls and the others being released a little early this month.

This is due to my heading off to Japan for 3 weeks to visit various museum ships and museums, as mentioned in the previous set of polls the options/votes of the Wednesday videos were conducted for both September and October at that time. Normal service will be resumed when I return.

I will however be conducting a Patreon-exclusive livestream next week once everything is ...

The Drydock - Episode 367

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:35 - What if Glowworm got off a report that the enemy ships had troops aboard?

00:03:47 - The British letter class destroyers often get such interesting and/or odd names. What's your favorite names from these ships?

00:06:05 - Why didn't Britain build up more substantial naval yards and other facilities in Canada?

00:10:36 - When are you going to Chatham Docks next?

00:11:09 - Would Glowworm have been better off shadowing the German destr...

The Drydock - Episode 366

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:44 - Could you build a K-class in the late 19th century?

00:03:41 - Did the united states ever think about building a milk cow type submarine for their own forces in the Pacific?

00:08:54 - Warships that vanished without a trace?

00:12:33 - Could HMS Leviathan had served in the late 20th century?

00:14:42 - Would anything from the "HMS Leviathan\Great Eastern" have actually been possible?

00:17:07 - What was the fate of the U-Boat HM...

Coming later this month to a 5-minute guide near you...

The Drydock - Episode 365 (Part 2)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:30 - You have mentioned a formula for determining the odds in battle, based on the square of the difference in numbers or capability. Can you go into more detail and provide examples of when it works and fails?

00:04:43 - Did Yudachi fly a white flag when sinking?

00:08:38 - In later ironclads and early steel vessels some warships had coffer dams as part of their internal subdivions. How effective were coffer dams?

00:12:23 - The fate of the cre...

The Drydock - Episode 365 (Part 1)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:30 - Was refitting USS West Virginia more for pride or more for practicality?

00:08:22 - How common was keelhauling and and what happened to survivors?

00:12:36 - Every so often, the idea Admiral King coerced the British into D-Day by threatening to "take his ball and go home" pops up. Is there any evidence to support this assertion?

00:16:32 - PT-305 and her mortar?

00:22:54 - Dr. Alex Clarke has made the argument that in Star Trek the St...

The Drydock Episode 330/334 Alt-Hist Livestream - Wednesday 27th August @ 2000 (UK Time)

The Drydock - Episode 364

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:40 - When did the deck gun on submarines become obsolete as an effective weapon of war in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theaters during WW2?

00:06:42 - Why was HMS Warspite half of Puget Sounds AA defences in WW2?

00:11:10 - How much improvement could be gained from a GUPPY-style U-Boat upgrade program?

00:16:15 - Battleship gun barrels elevation individuallys vs collectively?

00:23:25 - When the British attempted to erase St Malo?

0...

The Drydock - Episode 363

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:45 - How fast could a sub accelerate from let's say the 12 kts cruising to the 18 kts max?

00:02:57 - Any news on U-534?

00:05:30 - Could Bismarck's shells have penetrated Hood's main belt?

00:14:56 - How do you think the American submarine fleet would have faired if it had been subject to the same calibre of Anti-submarine warfare that the Uboat fleet faced?

00:21:28 - Would any of the RN's old ironclads have made a good WW1 carrier conv...

The Drydock - Episode 362

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:38 - How did Taiho's lift wells contribute to her sinking?

00:05:01 - Did the Germans ever try to get input for proper surface ship designs from the other Axis powers?

00:09:20 - Could the Imperial Japanese Navy have instituted an effective submarine blockade of British India in 1942 and 1943 using captured ports in the Dutch East Indies as supply bases?

00:13:48 - Did the Germans share their homing torpedo tech with the Italians or Japanese? 2025-08-09 08:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

The Drydock - Episode 361

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:38 - Was there ever any concern about the security of steel mills when making armour?

00:06:09 - How would small navies choose what ship to buy/build?

00:12:10 - Were 'intermediate' heavy/super cruiser guns a good idea?

00:17:37 - Late WW1 German destroyer designs?

00:23:24 - How useful would Cork/Cobh be to the UK in WW2?

00:29:53 - In your opinion, how much did the success of Q ships influence the Germans decision to go to unrestric...

July Patreon Drydock Livestream - 30th July 2025 @ 2000 UK time

The Drydock - Episode 360 (Part 2)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:26 - If the Royal Navy hadn't exchanged the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron and 5th Battle Squadron, what would some likely effects be on Jutland?

00:06:28 - Naval Arms Race without Germany?

00:12:41 - Please tell us you won't use AI to produce your videos!

00:18:52 - Dutch Merchant Aircraft Carriers?

00:25:27 - How did the 2nd Pacific Squadron pay for supplies?

00:30:36 - Could HMS New Zealand have been a QE-class?

00:38:18 - What h...

The Drydock - Episode 360 (Part 1)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:30 - At what scale ratio do models start to give usable data in testing?

00:04:59 - Would a better funded USN in the post-ACW era with armoured frigates affect European naval development?

00:11:28 - What could be gained if the Nelson class was built without torpedo tubes?

00:15:03 - RN and IJN night-fighting training in the inter-war period?

00:25:11 - What is the optimal size for a seamine?

00:29:38 - When a nation sells a warship r...

A Slightly Different October...

Hello everyone!

As you hopefully know by now I will be making a trip to Japan in October. This does however pose a little bit of a problem as while I'm there I obviously can't make videos at home!

Thanks to the timing of things schedule disruption should be minimal, however, the following changes will be in place to cover that month:

1) The September polls will cover both September AND October, so even if you usually don't, make sure to vote twice. I will be taking the top T...

The Drydock - Episode 359

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:37 - What cruisers could the USN have had in WW1?

00:04:18 - Had the Soviet Navy been more sucessful in their initial naval building attempts during the interwar period, how would that have affected the London Naval Treaty?

00:07:38 - What would a Kirov class have looked like if it was built by another Navy? Say the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Royal Navy, Kriegsmarine, etc.?

00:10:44 - What is the Kirov's real classification?

00:13:23 - How...