DaveB -> RE: Technical fact stuf about WWII (5/30/2008 12:32:31 AM)
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Oh billhooks! John Wayne eh? Well, that's my theory sunk! I can't be held accountable, I watched a lot of John Wayne movies as a kid. (At least it wasn't James Garner). You'll be telling me next that General Custer didn't parachute into Burma.... (5 smartie points for the first poster to make the link). I'd still be inclined to disagree - very politely - with your interpretation... p436 of Silent Victory carries an extract from the patrol report which says (first off) they fired 4 and believe 2 hit, seeing splashes forward. Following that there's a chronological report that says (typically) "1011 Fired eighth torpedo. Hit. No apparent effect." Forgive me if my memory plays false here, but I seem to recall air flasks causing small 'explosions' which would occur short of the target, but appear, in the scope, to be small exlosions on the target. They were prematures. I'm not saying the torps didn't hit (although it would be remarkable if they did, as torpedo depth keeping was in fact a large part of the problem, and a good proportion of the 13 torps would have passed UNDER the keel if correctly set) just that the combination of problems: ie 1) Magnetic exploder didn't 2) The closer to a 90 degree hit you got, the more likely you were to damage the contact exploder 3) Premature magnetic detonations were interpreted - no doubt as they were on the line of sight to the target - as hits when the warhead was actually prematurely triggered 4) Torps didn't run at the preset depth, (11 feet deeper than set is one quoted figure)...it's hard to hit something you are passing below. I'm not, for a single moment, looking to downplay the achievements of the crews - it must have been heartbreaking to go where they did, only to find their weapons didn't work. I think it's unlikely, however, that all 13 actually hit for Tinosa - I am pretty sure that most of the 13 were properly aimed, set, and sent on their way - it's Bu Ord's fault they didn't sink the Tonan Maru. It must have been, for the most part, a bit like some sort of shotgun blast - aim a dozen torps along the same bearing and depth, and watch each and every one go its own way at a random depth. Dave
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