Why did the RN in WW2 have open bridges for some vessels?

[ReFaN]

Fresh air is always good

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Originally Posted by ReFaN

Fresh air is always good

Heh. You'd say that during an arctic gale escorting a convoy to Murmansk?

[Jimbuna]

IMHO UnderseaLcpl was pretty close if this article is accurate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_(nautical)

Note the caption from the photo of the Royal Navy destroyer compass platform:

The Royal Navy favoured the open bridge for the unique tactical view it gave the Captain, long after other navies had moved indoors.

Edit: For some reason my rig won't allow me to get the link above right. After clicking on it click on the option 'Did you mean Bridge (nautical)'

IMHO UnderseaLcpl was pretty close if this article is accurate:

But undermined by USN ships moving to open bridges

[August]

I think Randomizer has the answer:

the enclosed bridges were unpopular with some of the old guard who had spent the Great War on open bridges. So essentially there was no reason to retain open bridges other than an institutional resistance to change and a "It was good enough for me dammit" mindset.

[Sailor Steve]

Partly tradition, partly necessity.

The first steel battleships had to have open bridges for the simple reason that flying glass was a very real danger, and portholes too small for conducting battle strategies, so the captain (and admiral) had to be where they could see. The bridge was built above the armored conning tower, which housed and protected the helmsman and other crew essential to driving the ship. Between the wars saw the development of armored glass, and by World War Two all battleships had enclosed bridges with big windows. The conning tower behind them was the most heavily armored part of the ship, and the bridge continued to be built from thin plates of mild steel, but that is where the leading officers still had to be because they still couldn't see from the conning tower.

The original Torpedo Boat Destroyers had a small unarmored conning tower, only big enough for the helmsman. The captain stood on the 12pdr gun platform, which was mounted directly on top of the conning tower. The Germans used an actual bridge on their TBDs, which practice was followed by the British 'River' class, but for the reasons given above these continued to be open. World War Two destroyers started to have enclosed bridges, but these were too small for armored glass windows so the officers stood outside unless the weather was bad. True enlosed bridges didn't come to the smaller ships until the 1960s.

[edit]

First I type up a big long post, hit 'Submit' and find that I've been logged out.

So I retype it, with changes, make sure I copy it first and everything is fine.

Then I notice the linked Wiki article.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Partly tradition, partly necessity.

[edit]

First I type up a big long post, hit 'Submit' and find that I've been logged out.

So I retype it, with changes, make sure I copy it first and everything is fine.

Then I notice the linked Wiki article.

[boatguy]

I'm no expert but I've always appreciated the aesthetics of Royal Navy vessels.
I've read that when America built destroyer escorts for England, England requested that we not outfit them with ice cream makers, standard on the American ships. The DE's also came with open bridges.

Not sure if it has to do with visibility or "stiff upper lip".

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

IMHO UnderseaLcpl was pretty close if this article is accurate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_(nautical)

<snip>Edit: For some reason my rig won't allow me to get the link above right. After clicking on it click on the option 'Did you mean Bridge (nautical)'

Jim, reason for your link's inoperability is that ")" is not included in it.

EDIT: @Skybird: Good point Sky! So I just corrected Jim for two year old small error in linking. Nice!

[frau kaleun]

And you've won a prize!

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

And you've won a prize!

Is that from Skyrim, Frau?

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

Is that from Skyrim, Frau?

Of course, it's where I get all my good stuff these days.



Edit: altho to be honest that staff isn't all that "good" any more since nothing I want to reanimate is weak enough to be affected by it. Still, gotta have one in the collection to complete the set.

[Oberon]

I used to be a zombie...but then I...braaaaains...