The Drydock - Episode 399 (Part 1)

00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:41 - Agincourt as a battlecruiser? 00:07:49 - How good (or bad) were the naval intelligence services of the other belligerent powers in WWII? 00:16:27 - How did the SS City of Rome end up so compromised? 00:20:28 - Did early sailors have maps of similar tools when sailing? 00:26:34 - Do you think the Royal Navy would have been better off continuing to refine the BL 15"/42 guns used on Hood and the Queen Elizabeths for subsequent battleship classes vice the BL 16" Mk I guns on the Nelsons and the BL 14" Mk VII guns on the King George Vs? 00:31:32 - Given your experience at the John W Brown Steam School, did you find anything you learned particularly surprising or unexpected? 00:40:16 - How can we learn more about Admiral Philip Vian without spending over $300 for a used copy of his memoir? 00:41:58 - Submarine resupply of Malta in WW2? 00:47:14 - Could you briefly talk about the final days and hours of Bismarck, in particular the viewpoint of the typical sailor aboard? 00:50:30 - Why did the Ottoman Navy fail in 1877? 00:53:39 - How much did private companies' contracts contribute to Naval technological development? 00:56:59 - Was the Ayanami known as the 'Black Panther'? 01:00:09 - How much armour could the Invincibles' have gained with 3 centreline turrets? 01:05:33 - What ship would you characterize as "The Thagomizer"? 01:10:08 - Why did many French ships at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries lack a forecastle? 01:14:52 - After the Battle of Jutland, the British modified their armor-piercing shells to improve their ability to survive the initial impact with their targets. What flaws were found in the older shells, and what changes were made to the new ones? 01:20:33 - There are many original turret setups, from actually built like Agincourt's 7 turrets, to design, like the G3's all forward. What are some of your favourite original turret setups, even if only in design? 01:24:10 - Deadliest individual ships in history? 01:27:56 - Crossing the T in the Age of Sail? 01:34:09 - Submarine painted pink? 01:37:00 - What was the motobomba? 01:43:52 - Navies getting 'locked in' to a certain technology to their detriment? 01:51:48 - When did polite packaging of messages disappear? 01:55:17 - Ship looks and paint 01:59:56 - Would the 11"guns on the Sharnhorst class have made a difference if they were the standard type of guns on the 11" gun armed ships of the German High Seas Fleet? 02:03:58 - Captain Hara and torpedo tactics? 02:07:49 - How did torpedoes paths get set? 02:11:23 - Admirals flags? 02:18:33 - What would be necessary from time & financial standpoints to increase the armament of the 1930s King George V’s like the North Carolina’s? 02:23:46 - Modified PT boats? 02:25:49 - How common was it to actually wear anti-flash gear in the WW2 timeframe? 02:28:15 - Which AA light cruiser turret layout was more effective: De Grasse, Worcester, Dido, or Atlanta? If none of these are ideal, what armament and layout would you make? 02:32:11 - Hulls with over/under-size guns? 02:35:28 - Were the Yamatos the first and only Japanese battleships with triple gun turrets? Were there any known difficulties in developing those compared to the previous twin turrets? 02:37:32 - Who is your favorite person from English Naval History whose career took place prior to the year 1500? 02:41:57 - Thoughts on large surface raiders? 02:48:46 - If you built lightly armed/armored but easily upgradable ships to comply with the treaties (as discussed in a recent drydock) and then refit them as soon as war started, wouldn’t this be a bad idea because you’d need those ships and also the drydock space pretty desperately for the war? 02:51:07 - When did CIC/Ops Rooms make a significant difference? 02:54:13 - Balance of speed/protection/firepower? 02:59:53 - How much of a threat was Henderson Field?