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Originally Posted by Torpex752
Where do we get "real" numbers? I cant offer anything but 200+ interviews with WWII sub vets that say anything different, I've been told that thats not good enough. Their memory isnt accurate.
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Anyone who knows anything about memory knows that it is extremely unreliable. Notes taken at the time are very reliable. When you have either contemporary notes or memory it's best to go with the notes.
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When I spoke to Ned Beach in Groton before he passed away, he assured me that the minimum rate of fire in combat that any CO decided was acceptable was 4-5 rounds a minute, fully respecting that 1 out of 5 was a missed shot.
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Look, if every CO decided that 4 - 5 rounds per minute was acceptable the evidence indicates that no CO can ever have been satisfied with his guns' rate of fire. That may be the case. But it doesn't change the fact that Wahoo's 4th patrol featured a gun engagement that had an average rate of fire of one shell per 23 seconds. This is the fastest sustained rate of fire I've seen in a combat report. Wahoo was one of the US Navy's best subs and on its 4th patrol it was crewed by arguably the best crew in the navy and its 4th patrol was the most effective patrol of its career. To suggest that its deck gun performance was below what 'any CO decided was acceptable' is simply not believable. Like I said, memory is unreliable.
But either way, I will never change RFB's rate of fire based on memory, gut feeling or opinion. If you want me to change RFB's rate of fire based on any of those things I assure you Antarctica is more likely to become a rainforest and the blue sky is more likely to turn pink before it happens. I've stated quite clearly the criteria I will accept. To be honest I don't care if you choose to believe sailor's memories over notes made by sailors at the time. The important thing is that I don't and I will only resort to sailors' memories if no more reliable evidence exists.
How anyone can argue that 50 year old memories are more reliable than notes made on the day is incredible to me. I mean if I make a note of my actions on a particular day just two weeks ago I know for a fact that my memory will be less reliable than the notes. The same is true for events years ago, except that the memory will be far less reliable.