 |
|
Zylka
|
|
I hadn't a clue they were officially out of service. Thought even a few might be put away for shelling use of beach-heads in campaigns with less threatening opposition
|
|
|  |
 |
|
Zylka
|
|
The fact that pretty much any backyard nation could sink one with a small shore based missle is a serious issue probably.... 1700 people are a lot to risk to one shot, for the minimal advantages gained
|
|
|  |
 |
|
Zylka
|
|
mmmk
I just vaguely remember stories of a British cruiser/destroyer being sunk off of Argentina by a single exeter missle
Granted battleships have much heavier hulls... but the risk seems plausible
|
|
|  |
 |
|
Alexander's Horse
|
 |
Panmunjon, hands up!
Jan 1970 time: 15:26
|
|
Gassed British soldiers, World War 1. Cool makeshift bandages over their blind eyes.
Attachment: gassedl.gif
This has been downloaded 234 time(s).
Last edited by Alexander's Horse on 19-03-2003 at 09:44
|
|
|  |
 |
|
Eli
|
|
Israel
Jul 2000 time: 07:26
|
|
Poor MiG goes down...
Attachment: 61.jpg
This has been downloaded 205 time(s).
|
|
|  |
 |
|
MichaeltheGreat
|
|
Apolyton Grand Executioner
|
 |
mooning the house that Ruth built.
Oct 1999 time: 21:26
|
|
quote: Originally posted by Zylka
mmmk
I just vaguely remember stories of a British cruiser/destroyer being sunk off of Argentina by a single exeter missle
Granted battleships have much heavier hulls... but the risk seems plausible |
The missile you're thinking of is the French-made Exocet, which was used to sink / damage several British frigates or destroyers. In those cases, shipboard fires, plus large holes near the waterline did a lot of damage, but the Exocet couldn't even penetrate battleship armor (above the waterline, you're talking around 18" vs. about 2"
The largest ship lost (and the major loss of life in the Falklands) was the Argentinean cruiser General Belgrano, which was a WW-2 vintage US cruiser sold to Argentina after WW2. It had no ASW capability, no escort, and was operating where British subs were known to be operation. Sheer stupidity, and three torpedo hits in rapid succession made for a very fast sinking, and some 500 men lost.
The four battleships (four Iowa class) recommisioned by Reagan for the cold war were pretty quickly decommissioned - not only did you have the direct cost of operating them, but they needed to have battle groups built around them to give them fleet air defense and anti-submarine protection. Their shore bombardment range is too limited, and it was too much cost (and too little effiency) to refit the gun turrets with Tomahawk launchers.
The final fatal problem happened with the turret #2 explosion on the USS Iowa - the 16 inch main guns haven't been made for decades, nor does anyone make their ordnance, so once it was found the ordance had problems, the ships were just SOL.
|
|
|  |
 |
|  |
 |
|  |
 |
|  |
 |
|
Dis
|
 |
Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 2000 time: 21:26
|
|
bah!
USS Nevada. Only battleship to make it out of Pearl Harbour on Dec 7, 1941. Of course it was badly damged.


Nevada is the one that isn't capsized 


perhaps they only got underway. It says it was beached by torpedo hits

A little history:
On 7 December 1941, Nevada was moored singly off Ford Island, and had a freedom of maneuver denied the other eight battleships present during the attack. As her gunners opened fire and her engineers got up steam, she was struck by one torpedo and two, possibly three, bombs from the Japanese attackers, but was able to get underway. While attempting to leave harbor she was struck again. Fearing she might sink in the channel, blocking it, she was beached at Hospital Point. Gutted forward, she lost 50 killed and 109 wounded.
Refloated 12 February 1942, Nevada repaired at Pearl Harbor and Puget Sound Navy Yard, then sailed for Alaska where she provided fire support for the capture of Attu 11 to 18 May. In June she sailed for further modernization at Norfolk Navy Yard, and in April 1944 reached British waters to prepare for the Normandy Invasion. In action from 6 to 17 June, and again 25 June, her mighty guns pounded not only permanent shore defenses on the Cherbourg Peninsula, but ranged as far as 17 miles inland, breaking up German concentrations and counterattacks. Shore batteries straddled her 27 times, but failed to diminish her accurate fire.
Between 15 August and 25 September, Nevada fired in the invasion of Southern France, dueling at Toulon with shore batteries of 13.4-inch guns taken from French battleships scuttled early in the war. Her gun barrels were relined at New York, and she sailed for the Pacific, arriving off Iwo Jima 16 February 1945 to give Marines invading and fighting ashore her massive gunfire support through 7 March.
On 24 March, Nevada massed off Okinawa with the mightiest naval force ever seen in the Pacific, as pre-invasion bombardment began. She pounded Japanese airfields, shore defenses, supply dumps, and troop concentrations through the crucial operation, although 11 men were killed and a main battery turret damaged when she was struck by a suicide plane 27 March. Another two men were lost to fire from a shore battery 5 April. Serving off Okinawa until 30 June, from 10 July to 7 August she ranged with the 3rd Fleet which not only bombed the Japanese home islands, but came within range for Nevada's guns during the closing days of the war.
Last edited by Dis on 19-03-2003 at 13:06
|
|
|  |
 |
|  |
 |
|
Eli
|
|
Israel
Jul 2000 time: 07:26
|
|
The Iraqi Navy :
Attachment: iraq-fleet.jpg
This has been downloaded 227 time(s).
|
|
|  |
 |
|
lightblue
|
|
L'Boro, UK
Oct 2001 time: 05:26
|
|
Dutch Royal Navy Minesweeper clearing up the mess in the Gulf...
Attachment: 3571939urbcoksdio_ph.jpg
This has been downloaded 207 time(s).
|
|
|  |
 |
|
lightblue
|
|
L'Boro, UK
Oct 2001 time: 05:26
|
|
The Goalkeeper close distance ship defense system:
Attachment: 4009154fpckegpksk_ph.jpg
This has been downloaded 205 time(s).
|
|
|  |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:26. Apolyton Time is 00:26. |
top of page
|
| archivepost |
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|