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From: welty@algol.crd.ge.com (richard welty)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Ship armor
Message-ID: <6494@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 12 May 89 02:47:23 GMT
References: <5929@cbnews.ATT.COM> <6095@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: New York State Institute for Sebastian Cabot Studies
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From: welty@algol.crd.ge.com (richard welty)
livesey@apple.com (John Livesey) writes:

*In article <6095@cbnews.ATT.COM> wbralick@BLACKBIRD.AFIT.AF.MIL (Will Bralick) writes:

*> someone writes:

*>>Of course, as Henry Spencer pointed out, the Iowas aren't armored 
*>>everywhere;  the bows and stern, for example, are unarmored, and

*>Doesn't this have to do with the (a) the structure of the bow (long and
*>narrow hence more likely to deflect incoming munitions) and (b) the
*>method of engaging the enemy by turning one's side to the enemy
*>to bring the most firepower to bear (in a broadside)?

it is more a consequence of the all-or-nothing protection
principle -- there are no vital systems in the extended bow;
the bow is long and narrow for better speed -- the ship can
still fight effectively even if the bow is damaged.

*During the battle of the Denmark Strait, the Bismark took a hit through
*the unarmoured bow which had no effect on its gunnery, but which
*pierced a fuel tank.

the bow armor was a serious concern in the Iowa class ships;
there is a transverse bulkhead just forward of the barbette
of No. 1 turret.  it is 11.3 inches thick in Iowa and New Jersey,
and 14.5 inches thick in Wisconsin and Missouri.
Even with this bulkhead, there was considerable concern over
the bow armor in the Iowas (of course, there was considerable
concern because of the Navy's discovery that it was impossible
to protect the Iowas from 16/50 AP shell on 45,000ton displacement
anyway -- and so the Iowas are protected from 16/45 at best.)

(actually, if memory serves, fuel oil in capital ships was usually
stored around the sides of the ship to serve as buffers from torpedo
attack, so what happened to Bismark could have happened to many other
ships.)

richard
-- 
-- 
richard welty               welty@algol.crd.ge.com
518-387-6346, GE R&D, K1-5C39, Niskayuna, New York
    ``Every time I see an Alfa Romeo pass by,
         I raise my hat'' -- Henry Ford