Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!sdd.hp.com!mips!apple!veritas!amdcad!amdcad!military From: wbt@cbema.att.com (William B Thacker) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Bismarck torpedoed? Message-ID: <1991May23.054907.13805@amd.com> Date: 22 May 91 14:25:12 GMT Sender: military@amd.com Organization: AT&T Network Systems - Columbus, Ohio Lines: 49 Approved: military@amd.com From: wbt@cbema.att.com (William B Thacker) In article <1991May16.052552.17198@amd.com> William Aldo writes: >Re: Quiz answers >>1. Name the only Battleship ever to torpedo another battleship. >> HMS Rodney torpedoed the Bismarck during there battle. > >Weren't the battleships too low on fuel to manuever for torpedo-shots? Well, Rodney was certainly getting low, but Bismarck had more than enough, given her circumstances; rudder locked and unable to steer straight. Of the battleships present, only Rodney carried torpedoes. >In fact, the battleships actually left for 'home' before Bismarck was >torpedoed by HMS Dorsetshire, with Bismarck sinking shortly thereafter. This is correct; nevertheless, during the gunnery engagement the Rodney did come very close (1600 yards, if memory serves; so close that at least one of her 16" guns jumped out of its cradle because of the low angle of elevation). That's well within torpedo range. I don't recall the exact number, but I believe Rodney fired 4 torpedoes. I'l add that these were 24" torpedoes, not the 21" variety carried by destroyers and cruisers of the period, and therefore carried a larger warhead. >The Germans have a valid point, in that while Bismarck is resting on the bot- >tom, there doesn't appear to be much damage below the waterline My understanding is that the pro-scuttling argument has gained support from the fact that the ship is intact. Apparently subdivided warships in watertight condition tend to implode from water pressure; the fact that Bismarck did not do so is taken to indicate that the watertight doors were open and therefore, she was scuttled. BTW, there is evidence of damage below the waterline; the stern is missing, having been weakened by the torpedo which damaged Bismarck's rudder and then broken off when she capsized. [Ahem! All of you off to soc.history or email for further discussions on this. You too, Bill. :-) --CDR] - - - - - - - - valuable coupon - - - - - - - clip and save - - - - - - - - Bill Thacker AT&T Network Systems - Columbus wbt@cbnews.att.com "C" combines the power of assembly language with the flexibility of assembly language.