Battleships

[79TransAm]

This is a two part question which the two parts are not really related.

First can you encounter allied battleships in the campaign mode. And can you encounter the bismark?

Second are there currently any nations that activly use battleships in their navy. I know some IOWA class battleships are in the reserve such as the Wisconsin.

Thanks

[DeepSix]

1. Yes. It's rare but it's possible. They're usually in task forces early in the war. Carriers, too.

2. Don't think there are any active. I think the U.S. is the only nation with BBs on reserve (but I might well be wrong about that).

[bookworm_020]

Yes you can encounter battleships in a campaign, mostly in taskforces but sometimes in convoys and at anchor. I don't think the bismark is shown in the stock standard game (by this I mean the sinking of)

No navy has battleships on active duty (discounting museum ships and one's kept on the active list for other reasons, eg. Arizona is still on the list despite been sunk)

[79TransAm]

Allright thanks guys

[Cerberus]

Slightly off the topic I suppose, but has anyone else noticed that some reports - even in 'intelligent' newspapers etc. will sometimes refer to any warship as a 'Battleship'?

Really bugs me when they do that.

[Wulfmann]

While the Whiskey and Might Mo are considered in reserve they are doubtful to say the least. The only battleships in existence are the US ones and the only old dreadnaught is the USS Texas.
There are ones like the Bismarck preserved in the Davy Jones locker museum.
There is also the British built Japanese flagship at Tsushima the Mikasa a pre dreadnaught and the second class battleship ergo armored cruiser Georgos Averroff of the Greek Navy, both as museum ships.

I was invited to join all the crews of the USS Wisconsin for her last ride from the Norfolk Navy yard to the Nautica museum and it was very cool. One of the Stories I wrote a female editor added a cut in the title calling it one of the navy’s most powerful “destroyers”. Needless to say she could not see what the problem was as if it was no big deal like wearing the wrong colored shows with an outfit or other “really relevant things!” When I explained it was like wearing white after Labor Day she apologized.

Wulfmann

[SkvyWvr]

Haven't you noticed that the media are a bunch idiots? A few years ago, when the movie Pearl Harbor was released, a radio reporter for ABC news reported that "Today" (it was June I think) was the 60th anniversey of the Japanese "Invasion" of Pearl Harbor. Proving that she was a moron and the entire editorial staff that allowed her to broadcast that garbage were idiots. :down:

[Type XXIII]

On a side note, it might be added that some consider the Russian Kirov class as battlecruisers. At 28,000 tons, these ships dwarves most WWI battleships. However, their main armament is rockets, not big guns as was the case with battleships/battlecruisers.

[Wulfmann]

Kirov's are good lookers and because they are big and near Scharnhorst sized westerners have so classed them but that is more nostalgic than reality.
They are classed as "Nuclear powered missile cruisers" in the Russian fleet and are compared more to US strike cruisers in concept.
They also carry VTOL aircraft
Making them nuclear added considerably to their size and they are intended both as escort to a big nuke carrier or able to operate independently.
They were instrumental in the thinking to rebuild and deploy the Iowa class but without ant armor they technically cannot be considered battle anything.

Wulfmann

[Keelbuster]

Just spotted Revenge moving at 6kts in the center of a convoy, BF25, heading SW out of the channel, Jan 20 1940. On my way back, and totally out of torpedoes. I considered trying to keel him with my conning tower and then deck gun him from the darkness (perfectly still night), but thought better of it and let them drift past.

Kb

[Khayman]

10th November 1940, grid BE35. Multiple fast contacts, heading straight for me. I took a look and what a beautiful sight.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5691/battle17fl.jpg

Turns out to be 5 destroyers and 2 Revenge Battleships. They crossed right in front of me and I let loose. They spotted the wakes and tried to dodge.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2040/battle26ns.jpg

I hit them both though.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7256/battle33ot.jpg

Shame only one of them went down. This one stayed afloat.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8935/battle43ma.jpg

You can see the destroyers zooming about trying to find me, but in all honestly they were pretty useless. They even sped off and left the Battleship on fire and listing. If only I'd had more torps. I certainly wasn't going to surface and use the deck gun!

First time I've ever seen a Task Force, but they certainly exist :)

[Rosencrantz]

Hello K! Nice pics. Just curious, did you aimed manually or are you using AI help? Because, if you were doing this by manually (two fast targets) have to say: A pretty good shot!

;) :up:

-RC-

[Der Eisen-Wal]

i'd concur.. salvos or singles? what was the range?

[DeepSix]

...
One of the Stories I wrote a female editor added a cut in the title calling it one of the navy’s most powerful “destroyers”. Needless to say she could not see what the problem was as if it was no big deal like wearing the wrong colored shows with an outfit or other “really relevant things!” When I explained it was like wearing white after Labor Day she apologized.

Wulfmann

ROFL :rotfl: Good one! :up:

[Khayman]

Hello K! Nice pics. Just curious, did you aimed manually or are you using AI help? Because, if you were doing this by manually (two fast targets) have to say: A pretty good shot!

;) :up:

-RC-

It wasn't manual :oops: . Much as I'd like to boast it was :D

The range was about 900m, and I had no time to do anything other than lock and shoot singles. Three torps at the first Battleship, one of which missed due to it trying to evade. The last torp I fired at the 2nd Battleship which was sailing directly behind it.

It all happened very fast, and I wouldn't have stood a chance of getting them with manual tagerting. I might have got a destroyer but the Battleships would have escaped. I was lucky I even got the first one, as you can see from the pics that the torps had to almost side-swipe it.

I was exteremely fortunate that they were heading straight for me, and that I barely had to maneuver. I just wish I could have got the other one!

[JSalinger]

Excellent shooting, Herr Kaleun!

Don't worry...Onkel Karl'll give you an Iron Cross for them anyway. :D

[Loaf]

Here's a slightly off-topic question prompted by this thread:

What countries ever operated true dreadnought battleships in the first place?

USA
UK
Germany
France
Japan

I know these ones for sure... Not sure if Italy ever had dreadnoughts? Any other countries missing?

[Saukko]

Hmm, what is the difference between dreadnoughts and battleships...

Italy had dreadnoughts, I believe. Russia had several dreadnoughts, large part of the Russian navy met her fate at Tsushima strait thought.
Austro-Hungary had also battleships, and one of those, the Szent István, is the only battleship besides HMS Barham, and USS Arizona whose sinking has been filmed. She was sunk by Italian torpedo boats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Szent_Istv%C3%A1n

You can view the video here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2558353157451992210&q=sinking&pl=true

[79TransAm]

YES I finally got a BB. First patrol on my new campaign using U-boat war ace, at least i think its working? Any who i get notice of a task force like right near me, 30 game time mins later i get the first contact of the destroyer. I was thinking id see an escourt carrier because thats what i got the other time i got a task force. any who I am greated by a Nelson battleship. I thought it was kinda funny because i have done like 60 patrols and have never encounterd one and I have even gone out of my way to try and find one. Anywho. I got 4/5 fish on her and got her to tip over and sink. I then fired a shot at a J class destroyer that was behind it at 0Kts to avoid a collision and got him sunk as well. Well i then dove to about 115mtrs and almost hit the wreckage of the ship. It was very exciting :)

I have 2 screen shots but i have no idea how to post em

[Sailor Steve]

Hmm, what is the difference between dreadnoughts and battleships...
There were no dreadnoughts at Tsushima.

Pre-Dreadnought battleships characteristically crowded all the armament they could on a relatively small hull, almost always having a turret at each end with two large guns (usually 11 or 12") and a number of smaller guns arranged on the sides.

HMS Dreadnought of 1906 was the first "all-big-gun" battleship, having five turrrets with two 12" guns each. Any battleship having only large guns and very small anti-torpedo-boat or anti-aircraft guns is by definition a "Dreadnought", though starting with the British Queen Elizabeth class (15" guns) the later ones are commonly refered to as "Super-Dreadnoughts", and include all big battleships from 1915 onward.

[Khayman]

I have 2 screen shots but i have no idea how to post em

It is exciting isn't it :D

You can use http://imageshack.us/ which will host your pics for free, then the Img tag to post them. I look forward to em :arrgh!:

[79TransAm]

http://img241.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bbsinking3tp.png




http://img123.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bb28cc.png



Ummm Ok try this link
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/5258/bb28eh.png

[Loaf]

Regarding dreadnoughts vs. battleships:

In my post about what countries operated dreadnoughts I deliberately did not say "battleship" because that term covers capital ships that pre-dated the 1906 launch of HMS Dreadnought (after which all pre-Dreadnought battleships were rendered obsolete).

So my question refers to "modern" battleships - in other words, capital-class battleships whose main armament is contained in rotating turrets on the vessel's centreline - essentially, all the battleships ever launched since 1906.

I do not believe Russia ever operated true dreadnought battleships...

[Saukko]

My mistake.

I searched and managed to find this site, that lists U.S. and other nations capital ships:
http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/battleships/

[Wulfmann]

Russia did operate true Dreadnaught class battleships albeit not great ones they were of interest and one was sunk by the legandary Hans-Ulrich Rudel in WWII.
There were 7 total built all armed with 12 12 inch guns in 4 triple turrets on the center line and classed as dreadnaughts.

Wulfmann

[Dutch]

Was on the way to port from attacking some convoys in the BE quadrant. I was heading back around England when I got the radio contact of a warship. I just wanted to see what it was so I changed my course and headed towards it.

Alittle while later I recieved a more detailed report, it was not a single ship, it was a taskforce! i like to have **** myself seeing as I have never seen one and I have owned the game since its release. So I charged ahead at brake neck speed.

I soon recieved a ship spotted message and went to the bridge, on the horizon, smoke!

I ordered a course correction to what I believed would be the best point of intercept and continued to charge ahead. I got within 5000m and decided to dive, I identified at least 7 DDs, 5CLs, a Nelson and a Revenge. Needless to say I was very happy to see this monturous beauties, but was forced to allow them to live to fight another day.

They are there, you just have to find them, and catch up to them!

[ref]

Recieved a task force contact report 700 km off my position heading to the north of england, I made a few numbers, and I plot an intercept course, nearly missed them because they change course, but thanks to a fellow Kaleun that sent a report I was able to correct my mistake just in time to put my sub in a nearly perfect shooting position, less than 1000 meters 90 aob, as it was my first carrier I didn't want to miss it so I fired a 4 torps salvo...

I was getting a little fast so I've to hit the breaks...

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/5899/0014vy.jpg

While I was waiting I take a few pictures

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/2687/0022nz.jpg

First two impacts

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/342/0032ac.jpg

Second two...

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/6749/0047oz.jpg

Running from the escorts

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/7946/0051vp.jpg

After four hours I decided to finish her off

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/8638/0061nt.jpg

Yahoo!!!

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3929/0074lb.jpg

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/6427/0084ur.jpg

It wouldn't be complete without the sunset...

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/4179/0091sn.jpg

Without more news to report we returned to our patrol zone.

Ref

[Khayman]

Well done! Great pics :arrgh!:

I've yet to see a Carrier so I'm slightly jealous. Make that extremely jealous :D