Sunday, January 11, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
British Aircraft Carrier Illustrious History and Specs.
British Aircraft Carrier Illustrious
The British Aircraft Carrier Illustrious was the namesake of her class and included the sister ships Victorious, Formidable and Indomitable. These ships were all laid down in the late 1930 and were completed in the early 1940s. The Illustrious class were the first aircraft carriers of any Navy to have fully armored hangars and the 3 inch flight deck armor proved valuable in preventing serious damage to the Illustrious on more than one occasion. However, the extra armor weight limited the amount of planes carried, with the normal complement being only 33, which included the bi-wing (Stringbag) Swordfish torpedo planes and the Martlet fighters. The Illustrious carried a crew of approximately 900 and had its largest gun be sixteen 4.5 turrets. The Illustrious was most famous as the ship that launched the two waves of Swordfish against the Italian Fleet anchored in Taranto. With the loss of only two men the British pilots caused damage to three Italian Battleships, which were the new Littorio and the Conte di Cavour and Duilio. Many say this successful attack laid the blueprint for the Pearl Harbor attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The British Aircraft Carrier Illustrious was the namesake of her class and included the sister ships Victorious, Formidable and Indomitable. These ships were all laid down in the late 1930 and were completed in the early 1940s. The Illustrious class were the first aircraft carriers of any Navy to have fully armored hangars and the 3 inch flight deck armor proved valuable in preventing serious damage to the Illustrious on more than one occasion. However, the extra armor weight limited the amount of planes carried, with the normal complement being only 33, which included the bi-wing (Stringbag) Swordfish torpedo planes and the Martlet fighters. The Illustrious carried a crew of approximately 900 and had its largest gun be sixteen 4.5 turrets. The Illustrious was most famous as the ship that launched the two waves of Swordfish against the Italian Fleet anchored in Taranto. With the loss of only two men the British pilots caused damage to three Italian Battleships, which were the new Littorio and the Conte di Cavour and Duilio. Many say this successful attack laid the blueprint for the Pearl Harbor attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Japanese Aircraft Carrier Akagi History and Specs.
Japanese Aircraft Carrier Akagi
The Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carrier Akagi was originally laid down in the early 1920's as a Battlecruiser but after the Washington Naval Treaty was converted to an aircraft carrier and was completed in 1927. The Akagi was modernized in the mid 1930s and its airplane capacity was increased from 60 to 91 warplanes which included dive bombers, torpedo bombers and fighters. The Akagi maintained a crew of approximately 2000 officers and men and was armed with ten eight inch guns. The Akagi served as the First Air Fleet Flagship of Vice Admiral Nagumo during the first six months of the war and led the Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. However, while leading the Fleet during the attack on Midway on June 4, 1942 she was attacked by Dive Bombers from the USS Enterprise and suffered such severe damage that she was scuttled the following day.
The Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carrier Akagi was originally laid down in the early 1920's as a Battlecruiser but after the Washington Naval Treaty was converted to an aircraft carrier and was completed in 1927. The Akagi was modernized in the mid 1930s and its airplane capacity was increased from 60 to 91 warplanes which included dive bombers, torpedo bombers and fighters. The Akagi maintained a crew of approximately 2000 officers and men and was armed with ten eight inch guns. The Akagi served as the First Air Fleet Flagship of Vice Admiral Nagumo during the first six months of the war and led the Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. However, while leading the Fleet during the attack on Midway on June 4, 1942 she was attacked by Dive Bombers from the USS Enterprise and suffered such severe damage that she was scuttled the following day.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
German Battleship Tirpitz Specs and History
German Battleship Tirpitz
The German Battleship Tirpitz was the sister ship of the much more famous Bismarck. The Tirpitz was the last Kriegsmarine warship larger than a destroyer that was put in commission. The Tirpitz main armament was eight 15 inch guns in four double turrets, with a secondary armament of twelve 5.9 inch guns. She carried a crew of approximately 2100 officers and men. The only time the Tirptiz fired her main guns in anger was in September 1943 when she bombarded the shore installations on Spitzbergen. Probably the Tripitz' greatest contribution to the war was during an action she never participated in. In July 1942 the Tirpitz set sail with the Admiral Hipper and Admiral Scheer to attack the convoy destined for Russian number PQ-17. Although these ships were recalled and never contributed to the attack, the mere threat of them at sea caused Admiral Dudley Pound to order the convoy to scatter. This fateful message resulted in the Germans sinking 17 of the 33 ships in the convoy by U-boats and the Luftwaffe. The rest of the war the Tirptiz served at the Fleet in being off of Norway and was finally sunk by the RAF November 12 1944.
The German Battleship Tirpitz was the sister ship of the much more famous Bismarck. The Tirpitz was the last Kriegsmarine warship larger than a destroyer that was put in commission. The Tirpitz main armament was eight 15 inch guns in four double turrets, with a secondary armament of twelve 5.9 inch guns. She carried a crew of approximately 2100 officers and men. The only time the Tirptiz fired her main guns in anger was in September 1943 when she bombarded the shore installations on Spitzbergen. Probably the Tripitz' greatest contribution to the war was during an action she never participated in. In July 1942 the Tirpitz set sail with the Admiral Hipper and Admiral Scheer to attack the convoy destined for Russian number PQ-17. Although these ships were recalled and never contributed to the attack, the mere threat of them at sea caused Admiral Dudley Pound to order the convoy to scatter. This fateful message resulted in the Germans sinking 17 of the 33 ships in the convoy by U-boats and the Luftwaffe. The rest of the war the Tirptiz served at the Fleet in being off of Norway and was finally sunk by the RAF November 12 1944.
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