Posted on Jan 3, 2017
5 Times 'Outdated' Weapons Saved the Day - Under the Radar
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Posted 8 y ago
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I remember seeing a documentary on the History Channel (remember when they actually aired such things as opposed to stupid reality TV?) about the Bismarck battleship and how it took a bunch of WW1-era biplane bombers to finally deal a bad blow to that ship. The AA guns on the ship weren't designed to counter aircraft that flew so slow so they couldn't shoot down any if I remember correctly.
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
SGT Aaron Atwood Mostly right. The planes did fly too slow to be targeted by AA, they were able to hit her where every ship across history has been vulnerable: the rudder. Without the ability to maneuver properly, she became a bit of a sitting duck for the British ships and aircraft that did her in. I also agree that it is sad that the History Channel has gone from thought provoking to Aliens Vs. Hitler, with some idiots thrown in for good measure. No more shows of any real value to History lovers. They followed the MTV model, and turned into a giant turd like MTV.
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MSgt Darren VanDerwilt
To clarify, those were Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers that cause the critical hit to the Bismarck prior to it sailing close enough to occupied France and German air cover. The damage to the rudder caused the ship to reverse course toward the British battleships, King George V and Rodney. As a side note, it was a U.S. Navy Ensign on board a RAF PBY Catalina that spotted Bismarck, alerting British forces of it's position and heading.
Incidentally, it was this aircraft that conducted the British Navy attack in the Battle of Taranto, providing the Japanese the idea for their later attack on Pearl Harbor.
Incidentally, it was this aircraft that conducted the British Navy attack in the Battle of Taranto, providing the Japanese the idea for their later attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Lt Col (Join to see)
The Bismark was also one of the first uses of ELINT in aviation history. They tracked the Bismark's location by triangulating its radio transmissions.
https://www.wired.com/2009/05/dayintech_0527/
"Had Bismarck maintained radio silence, it’s unlikely the British would have found her again. But five hours after giving them the slip, Lütjens chose to send off a lengthy message to Gruppe West. It was intercepted by the British, who were able to plot an approximate position."
https://www.wired.com/2009/05/dayintech_0527/
"Had Bismarck maintained radio silence, it’s unlikely the British would have found her again. But five hours after giving them the slip, Lütjens chose to send off a lengthy message to Gruppe West. It was intercepted by the British, who were able to plot an approximate position."
May 27, 1941: Sink the Bismarck!
1941: The German battleship Bismarck, her steering gear knocked out by a torpedo and unable to maneuver, is finally cornered and sunk by ships and planes from the Royal Navy, ending one of the most intensive naval manhunts in history. Schlachtschiff Bismarck, pride of the Kriegsmarine, was a state-of-the-art warship in all respects save one:…
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SSgt (Join to see)
I didn't see it last week. I really don't understand the RP feed, but I know I miss a lot of posts for sure.
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I was expecting to see mention of the Swordfish biplane, responsible for dropping the torpedo that disabled the Bismark's rudder.
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