Subject:
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Re: John E. Doolittle
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.pirates
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Date:
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Tue, 1 Feb 2000 19:02:16 GMT
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Viewed:
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4067 times
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Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
> In lugnet.pirates, Dave Schuler writes:
> > In lugnet.pirates, Lance Scott writes:
> > > The Ideal Tactic in the Wooden Ships Age was to 'Cross the T' with the enemy.
> > > That means to sail your broadside across the bow or stern of the opponent. • He
> > > could not bring his broadside to bear whilst you let him have a full volley.
> >
> > I think I read or saw somewhere that this same tactic was used in WWII
> > (Battle of Midway, maybe?). It's cool (insofar as war is cool) that such
> > venerable methods still see use in more modern times.
> >
> > Dave!
>
> The fleets never saw each other at the Battle of Midway (aircraft carrier
> warfare).
>
> The Battle of Jutland in WWI would be more appropriate. The entire british
> fleet crossed the T on the german fleet. The germans used their "battle turn
> away" tactic to get out with their skins.
That last is the classic example of how steam changed the tactical lexicon. The
Royal Navy hadn't even considered the possibility that this could be done, because
it couldn't be done under sail in anything approaching an orderly manner. The
Hochseeflotte however executed it twice without ill effect.
Why didn't the RN have a Battle Turn-Away or similar course-reversal tactic? Why,
because British ships would never *need* to turn away...sort of the same myopia
exhibited by the German army regarding withdrawal. Sometimes an exalted
institution ends up flawed by its exultation.
best,
Lindsay
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: John E. Doolittle
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| (...) Von Manstein's book, _Lost Victories_ came to the same conclusion. Von Manstein advocated a strategic retreat along the Stalingrad front for the winter, letting the Russians deal with reclaiming the land, then crushing them in the spring when (...) (25 years ago, 1-Feb-00, to lugnet.pirates)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: John E. Doolittle
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| (...) He (...) The fleets never saw each other at the Battle of Midway (aircraft carrier warfare). The Battle of Jutland in WWI would be more appropriate. The entire british fleet crossed the T on the german fleet. The germans used their "battle (...) (25 years ago, 28-Jan-00, to lugnet.pirates)
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