In your opinion what do you think was the biggest mistake committed during operation Rheinubung that contributed the most to the loss of Bismarck?
@Boreas744 жыл бұрын
If the UK had gone ahead and built the Malta class carriers what would the impact on the RN have been? Could the UK have afforded to keep them in service? Would the RN have continued to use CATOBAR carriers up until the present day?
@Boreas744 жыл бұрын
How important was Harland and Wolff to the RN in WWII? In an alternate history where all of Ireland was independent and neutral by 1939 would the loss of the shipyard have had a major impact?
@RupertFoulmouth4 жыл бұрын
You mentioned one of the River class frigates was converted into a yacht. This has me windering at what point in history was it no longer legal for a private citizen to own a warship. By warship, i mean with military grade weapons intact.
@scrubsrc40844 жыл бұрын
Whats the difference between naval and merchant spec construction?
@longlakeshore4 жыл бұрын
"Frigate - the universal name for ship slightly smaller than whatever we happen to be calling a destroyer this year." lol... spot on!
@tfs2034 жыл бұрын
And what is a destroyer? Some Frigates/Destroyer Escorts(here), ended up weighing as much as some pre-Fletchers. Subchasers ended up being more of what a Corvette was supposed to be.
@m10cachilles434 жыл бұрын
The UK definition for a destroyer now seems to be a primarily anti-aircraft ship.
@pob6864 жыл бұрын
It’s ironic because the Halifax class frigates we’re a couple feet longer than the old destroyers
@davidjames49154 жыл бұрын
It's amusing - the Americans in the postwar period used "frigate" to refer to largish vessels between the size of a destroyer and a light cruiser (e.g. the Leahy class and the Farragut class; the British Tribal class destroyer and postwar County class would be examples of ships that would also fit that classification, as would arguably the Dido class AA cruiser), which is a reasonable reinterpretation of the ship type from the Age of Sail. But the US Navy was basically forced to redefine such ships as either cruisers or destroyers in the 1970s to avoid confusion with everyone else and to make an on-paper "cruiser gap" with the Soviets disappear. Yet today we're pretty much right back there again with recent frigate designs having displacements in the range of WWII light cruisers. Ironically, "corvette" likely would have been a better choice for what became frigates.
@qbi46144 жыл бұрын
The new Australian "frigate" has a larger disbarment as the new "Destroyers" both classes under construction. Their roll what distinguishes them.
@SammySathya4 жыл бұрын
Hi. I'm from Sri Lanka and I can confirm the old River class Gamabahu is no longer in service with the Sri Lankan Navy. She is still in Trincomalee as an inactive vessel
@nicholasarmstrong26764 жыл бұрын
Hi - Canadian Navy here. Is there any chance you could tell me exactly where she is in Trincomalee? I've searched using Google Maps, but no luck so far. Any help would be much appreciated!
@kalanaweerabahu34863 жыл бұрын
@@nicholasarmstrong2676 She is said to be in the Naval and Maritime Academy Trincomalee as a training ship. My grandfather served on the Gajabahu from 65-67.
@joelmontgomery48374 жыл бұрын
Just a suggestion but what if you made a series of videos going into detail about specific shipyards like vickers, kure, blohm and voss, new york naval yard, harland and wolff, ect. Maybe going into detail about their history, noteworthy warships they built, Strategic importance, ect?
@trifidos394 жыл бұрын
That would very interesting
@Paludion4 жыл бұрын
And mention some political or economical shenanigans that may have happened to them.
@WALTERBROADDUS4 жыл бұрын
Nice idea, but maybe next year...
@kpdubbs71174 жыл бұрын
LOL, having not yet read this, I just put in a similar question, but more specifically geared toward smaller, lesser known yards.
@ianhodgson2214 жыл бұрын
And don't forget HM Chatham, HM Dockyard Plymouth, HM Dockyard Portsmouth., and HM Dockyard Rosyth. Chatham was building submarines in to the 60s including Oberon class for Canada.
@MephiticMiasma4 жыл бұрын
"unless you especially like Uncontrolled Radiation Exposure and Heavy Metal Poisoning" ....sounds like a battle of the bands!
@michaelt.56724 жыл бұрын
Alice Cooper has entered the chat
@AzAvShip4 жыл бұрын
We had two of these frigates (HMS Awe and Avon) on our Portuguese Navy, the "Diogo Gomes" and "Nuno Tristão" that were extensively used in the war in Africa (I think in Portuguese Guinea) for shore bombardment and supply convoy escort. Most nobly they took part in Operation Tridente in Como Island in 1964.
@jlvfr4 жыл бұрын
And don't forget the "Nuno Tristão" was decomissioned only in 1970. 35 years, not bad for a rushed wartime class...
@USS_ESSEX_CV-94 жыл бұрын
When you accidentally pulled an all nighter and it's only drach who makes you realize what you've done
@LetsTalkAboutPrepping4 жыл бұрын
Same. Same. But he's there for you. Like a lighthouse in the night
@hisdadjames48764 жыл бұрын
Stand by for January Drydock⏰
@arjunarabindranath4 жыл бұрын
I feel you man. 5 am for me in India..
@josephthomas83184 жыл бұрын
A new Drach video at this time of night? Oh shit, is it 6am??
@USS_ESSEX_CV-94 жыл бұрын
@@arjunarabindranath he uploads the videos at 7:00 a.m. my time
@ThePinkus4 жыл бұрын
1:51 best definition of "frigate" I've ever heard, which actually holds up to what is factually called "a frigate".
@99IronDuke4 жыл бұрын
HMAS Diamantina can be visited at the Brisbane Maritime Museum in QLD Australia and is well worth a visit.
@shaunbrennan52814 жыл бұрын
99IronDuke Yep, is a good day out. Tracked many a car on the road bridge with its gun. Fun stuff.
@99IronDuke4 жыл бұрын
@@shaunbrennan5281 She is a lovely old warship and bombarded, and took the surrender of, at least one Japanese Island in late WWII.
@indyrock81484 жыл бұрын
Yes nice ship and well displayed. Interested to find out it had hedgehogs as well. I can't remember seeing those (or didn't realise at the time)
@draco84oz4 жыл бұрын
The name HMAS Diamantina also lives on in an in-service RAN Huon-class minesweeper - commissioned 2001
@Goldy-zw7fp4 жыл бұрын
Sadly the maritime museum may close due to funding short falls due to the current covid crises.
@chrisgurney24674 жыл бұрын
HMS Plym: "So what happens when a nuclear bomb explodes?" Admiralty: "Well...... standard procedure is to jump a hundred foot in the air and scatter yourself over a wide area"
@VainerCactus04 жыл бұрын
Similar procedure to stepping on a landmine in WW1 then?
@chrisgurney24674 жыл бұрын
@@VainerCactus0 *gives cookie*
@byrdman500104 жыл бұрын
Baldrick, that’s a stupid plan.
@AdmRose3 жыл бұрын
I see you are also a man of culture
@Underwaystudios4 жыл бұрын
Love your work on these "Steel Veterans". I served aboard the USCG Cutter Taney during the early 80's and experienced the most memorable time of my life onboard her. From Hurricane Jeanne in Nov. 1980 to Search and Rescue and drug interdiction/LE. Wiki has a page on Jeanne-Nov-1980 but does not mention at all that Taney was there for 3 days in the eye to safeguard the 16 men aboard the supply barge. I was there along with her and the rest of the crew. Captain James Hobaugh (Captain who searched for the Edmund Fitzgerald onboard a CG buoy tender) took us into the eye where we made contact with the barge and endured over 100 mph winds and 40' seas. AWSOME! With her keel laid in 1936, Taney has a long list of accomplishments during her active service days of 50 years! She was in Honolulu Harbor Dec. 7th "41, later made Atlantic Convoy crossings and outfitted with four 5 inch 38's (the only one of 7 of her class built specifically for the USCG and always with CG crews) before returning to the Pacific where she served as Flag Ship for Navy Admiral Cobb during Okinawa and held station at anchor during Typhoons off coast of Japan in '45. She is now a Museum Ship and National Historic Landmark in Baltimore Harbor. The list goes on and on for her and her 6 Sisters, Duane, Ingham, Spencer, Campbell, Bibb and, Hamilton. The later was sunk by U-boat off Greenland I believe. PLEASE oh Please will you do a video on These incredible 327' Cutters. They deserve your attention as no else can or probably never will. Their story needs to be told! They were always CG commissioned and crewed and were "Always Ready" (Semper Paratus) wherever and whenever.
@lizardb86944 жыл бұрын
Greg from Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles channel mentioned USCG Taney at the end of his last youtube video. Regards.
@bullettube98634 жыл бұрын
I would add that an episode on the US Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, and British Coastal service would also be propitiate. Their role in the anti-mine and anti submarine service was never glamorous but tedious, sometimes very dangerous, and always important!
@les34494 жыл бұрын
I was on the decommissioning crew of the Ingham. Our 327' cutters were INCREDIBLE in what they took AND dished out. The ships highlighted in this video looked a lot like them. The Ingham (WHEC-35) was, as far as I know, also always crewed by CG sailors and, as all of the 327' Treasury class cutters, built exclusively for the Coast Guard. It is sad that the politically correct now want to eliminate the name "Taney" because the man was a slave owner and just refer to the ship with it's number. What a disgrace!
@Underwaystudios4 жыл бұрын
@@les3449 Taney and Ingham shared Home port in Portsmouth Va in the early 80's and yes, these 327's were incredible ships! Taney was named after Roger B. Taney who was at one time the Sec. of Treasury. Prior to that he had been Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and made the infamous decision that Dred Scott, a slave, was "property" even though he was in a free territory with his master. No doubt that he was racist so last year or so, his Statue in Annapolis Md. was removed. Then they went after Taney, the ship, and removed her name and refer to her as WHEC-37 only. I went aboard Ingham when she was in Charleston at the museum and she looked bad and needed help. Fortunately she was moved to Key west where she remains today I believe.
@Underwaystudios4 жыл бұрын
@@lizardb8694 Thanks, I subscribe to him also and will check it out.
@bullettube98634 жыл бұрын
As my dad used to say "The Destroyer Escort was the only ship in the US navy that pitched, rolled and yawed,,,all at the same time. Then when they left the dock it really got lively! It seems that in every navy the smaller the ship, the bigger job they had to do!
@ncmarmstrong4423 жыл бұрын
The used to say that Flower class corvettes "would roll on wet grass."
@joelvandermeulen27064 жыл бұрын
I’ve visited the Diamantina several times when I lived in Brisbane. The controls for the 4” were, surprisingly, not locked down.Traversing to track people crossing the nearby footbridge just forward of the bow was always amusing.
@randomguy-tg7ok4 жыл бұрын
Scrapping a ship? Nah, that's lame. Nuking it? That's where it's at. Setting off the nuke _inside_ a ship? 11/10 badass sendoff. Unless you happen to be on it.
@rblinson81364 жыл бұрын
Methinks that if you're on a ship that is being nuked from inside, the overpressure will ensure that your platform will be magically changed to air and a feeling of WEEEEEEEE will ensue.
@solidjb4 жыл бұрын
What a way to go
@RadioactiveSherbet4 жыл бұрын
The greatest overkill to ever overkill an overkill. No, I didn't have a stroke while writing that, thanks for the concern.
@peddler9314 жыл бұрын
I can't help but picture the people who did this as children packing firecrackers into a model ship.
@jimtaylor2944 жыл бұрын
@@peddler931 Ditto. They opted to go all the way with their vessel rapid omnidirectional disassembling hobby XD.
@shawnbauman54634 жыл бұрын
Drach, idea. How about covering the various PT boat type classes of each navy. They definitely contributed to their respective navies. Especially in the Pacific.
@WALTERBROADDUS4 жыл бұрын
It will come. Just not anytime soon.
@LordInter4 жыл бұрын
and in the English Channel and off the English coast, my nan from Gravesend remembers seeing them go off as the sun set and yet never return
@mikepette44224 жыл бұрын
oh I like that one a lot just a short episode maybe 6 -1/2 hours ?
@jimtaylor2944 жыл бұрын
Don't forget the Gunboats too. In the RN we called "PT Boats" *MTB* or *MGB* (Motor Torpedo Boat & Motor GunBoat), depending upon the armament. The Kreugsmarine had their own system (which had a lot of Destroyer'ish vessels), as did the IJN (often literal Destroyers that'd been demoted due to age).
@shawnbauman54634 жыл бұрын
If Drach does this, the screams of the Kamchatka will echo thru the waves.
@ranekeisenkralle82654 жыл бұрын
1:30 -ish Drach, your humorous/barbed remarks never fail to entertain me. Thank you very much for that. Keep it up!
@farmerned64 жыл бұрын
The Cruel sea The second Ship "HMS Saltash" is supposed to be a river class frigate unfortunately in the film they use a Castle class corvette ( HMS Portchester Castle) hence shes named "HMS Saltash Castle"
@myparceltape11694 жыл бұрын
Saltash, according to the book, was a tiny river in S England.
@braintransplantdonor4 жыл бұрын
@@myparceltape1169 Wearing my pedantic hat and, having lived briefly in Plymouth, I should point out that Monsarrat is applying a touch of poetic licence here. The town of Saltash stands on the opposite side of the Tamar from Plymouth and Devonport. There is no Saltash River, neither is there a Saltash Castle as such. There is a castle close to Saltash, but it is actually Trematon Castle. There was a Castle Class corvette of that name that was planned to be built for the Royal Canadian Navy, but HMCS Trematon Castle was never built as the order was cancelled in December 1943.
@myparceltape11694 жыл бұрын
@@braintransplantdonor That explains why I couldn't find it either. I think that an author should be allowed to write a book in which the R Thames does not exist. If that book included the story of a drunk captain of a corvette steering into a wooden Canadian pier, would it be true?
@GM-fh5jp4 жыл бұрын
Jeez that was a grim story. Read it quite a few times as a teenager and never forgot the story of Compass Rose, Bennet the awful Aussie 1st Lt etc. Saltash must have seemed like a Battle Cruiser by comparison. What a brilliant book by Nicholas Monserrat.
@peterflitcroft97564 жыл бұрын
@@GM-fh5jp Nicolas Monseratt actually served on corvettes in WW2 so had first hand experience.
@ant48124 жыл бұрын
I went for a walk through HMAS Diamantina at the Queensland Maritime Museum last time I was in Brisbane, about 2008-9. Took loads of photos. I could have spent the entire day there. The Sturmpanzerwagen A7V is also within easy walking distance, as are a bunch of rather nice pubs & restaurants. Unfortunately the museum is doing it hard at the moment and might be forced to close.
@John.0z4 жыл бұрын
If the museum is in trouble I will have to do my little bit and visit it again. I even heard they had to stop steaming the Forceful around the river! So I treasure that memory.
@gregwitczak24914 жыл бұрын
Massive mistake with the Co-60. It has a half-life of 5.3 years( the time for half of it to decay to a stable isotope of Nickel). Normal rule of thumb is that after five half lives all the radioactive isotope is gone. Thus by 1979 all the Co-60 is perfectly safe Ni-60
@LukeBunyip4 жыл бұрын
That's nice to hear. Had to go find the location of Trimouille Island, (part of the Montobello Group). Also, at the time, fallout was detected as far away as Queensland on the east coast of Australia.
@robertf34794 жыл бұрын
I love the treatment you give these lesser known but important ship types. Well done again sir.
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
Great video! The only thing missing was how the River Class was one of the only foreign ship designs adopted by the USN in their Tacoma Class escort frigates, which had US guns and were all-welded. Ironically, many of these were lease-lended back to the RN and were called Colony Class by them, rather then either River or Tacoma Class.
@MrDgwphotos4 жыл бұрын
The River class was developed into the Tacoma class Patrol Frigate in the US Navy, some of which were provided to the Royal Navy, where they were known as the Colony class.
@thomassalois35084 жыл бұрын
I had an uncle who served in the Coast Guard in the World War II on the American version of the river class the Tacoma class
@louiswernol19674 жыл бұрын
HMS Plym documentary film. 'This Little Ship' (Can't find source but must exist somewhere.) It's of its time of course. My father was one of six civilians tending to the needs of the bomb bolted to the keel. This was very much cutting-edge technology with precision of electronics required that was at the absolute limit at the time. Bang that around in a seaway from the chilly Channel to the humid tropics and who knows how everything will stay within spec. ISTR that the core was flown to Australia separately. Fun fact about the first test: The only biologist was an electronics boffin who smuggled his camera and paints to investigate the flora and fauna in his spare time. This was FROWNED UPON. So there was no record of the effects on the environment at all.
@robertguttman14874 жыл бұрын
A version of this type of warship was also built in large numbers the U.S. Also built to merchant marine specifications, it was known to the Maritime Commission as the S2 and to the U.S. Navy as the Tacoma-Class Patrol Frigate. A total of 100 were ordered, mainly from shipyards in the Great Lakes, of which 96 were eventually completed. Of those, 21 were given to the Royal Navy as Lend-Lease, while another 28 went to the Soviet Navy. On May 5, 1945 one of the Tacoma-class frigates, the USS Moberly, sank the last U-boat to be sunk off the East Coat of the U.S. during World War II after U-853 torpedoed and sank the collier SS Black Point off Block Island, near the entrance to Long Island Sound.
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
The ones handed over to RN were classified as Colony Class.
@benwilson61454 жыл бұрын
The Nuclear test in Australia was Operation Hurricane, carried out near to the Monte Bello Islands in Western Australia
@John.0z4 жыл бұрын
Plus the Maralinga ones.
@jonmce14 жыл бұрын
Knowing the British they probably thought the ship would survive.
@Delgen19514 жыл бұрын
Any word on Angry Green Glowing Wombats on the island?
@jonmce14 жыл бұрын
@@Delgen1951 This is not something that should be discussed on such a forum. Since their defeat by a bunch of birds for the last century, Australia has been working on a whole range of secret weapons.
@benwilson61454 жыл бұрын
@@John.0z It was a tough job getting a River Class Frigate to Maralinga
@hazchemel Жыл бұрын
I remember seeing the Diamantina, as she moored at Trinity Bay. She was an active warship and only simple chance that I encountered her, since the mission was tending crab pots with a piscatorial friend.
@stephenbritton92974 жыл бұрын
The US built a decent size class of these, modified to USN specs and weapons. Oddly, many were L/L'd back to the UK (and Russia). The Frigate or Patrol Frigate as the US called them vs the similar Destroyer Escort was based on their merchant scantlings vs the DE's naval scantlings.
@verbotn4 жыл бұрын
A great uncle of mine was lost with the river class frigate HMCS Valleyfield (K239) when it was sunk by a U-boat 50 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland
@davidbrennan6604 жыл бұрын
It is a rainy horrid day in the lockdown UK, but Drach has a video...... things are looking up.
@rayopeongo4 жыл бұрын
Thank you. First a video on the RCN that my uncle served in, then a video on the River class, the class of ship he served on. Dare I hope for a video about the HMCS New Glasgow and the accidental sinking of U-1003 that he took part in?
@strathadam14 жыл бұрын
HMCS Strathadam (K682) was named for the community I grew up in. After being decommissioned in late 1945, she eventually ended up as part of the fledgling Israeli Navy as "Misgav" (K30), before being broken up in 1959.
@abes.40404 жыл бұрын
Dominican Republic Navy had two of this. ARDO Mella and ARDO Juan P. Duarte. I got to see the Mella when I was a kid, it was damaged during a Hurricane and was scrapped latter. Too bad, there were efforts to turn it into a museum.
@erehwon804 жыл бұрын
Visited the HMAS Diamantina many times as a kid, as my grandfather was ex-RN and ex-RAN and had donated a few items for display at the Queensland Maritime Museum.
@The_Modeling_Underdog4 жыл бұрын
Loved the uplifting note at the end. Very heartwarming.
@Boksburg19824 жыл бұрын
I toured through the Diamentina in 2019 and noted that she was built in Australia with parts from all over the world. Depth charge throwers built in Kingston Ontario and steering gear manufactured in Edinburgh Scotland to name a couple. The Assies must have liked those 40mm Bofors as she was bristling with them. My father served on HMS Ettrick during WW2 which was also a River Class .
@br-v3883 жыл бұрын
Kingston? Interesting, probably built by the locomotive factory there. Australia used 40mm as they faced a much greater probability of aerial attack. The Canadian navy used power-operated dual 20mm mounts built by General Motors in Oshawa, Ontario.
@ncmarmstrong4423 жыл бұрын
Dave - Don't forget that DIAMANTINA probably lost much of her original gear post-war and the museum probably had to scour other countries for the appropriate equipment. Our HMCS SACKVILLE, the last Flower class corvette, had a similar problem during her restoration when they were looking for a 2 pounder pompom. A local family in Nova Scotia actually had one in their front garden from the Flower HMCS HALIFAX, but the stingy sods refused to part with it. Despite this the restorers eventually found their pompom - in the Republic of Ireland! I eventually got the pompom from the questionable Nova Scotia family, but only because they were selling the house and realised front garden artillery does not enhance the value of a home.
@sophiepaterson74444 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for posting this. The Diamantina is one of the best museum ships around. Ever since I was a kid I have loved exploring the ship and attached exhibitions. I still have so much sentimental attachment to it. I know your list is long, but I'd really love to see a special devoted to the Diamantina. Such a worthy subject.
@stekarknugen92584 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this vid, my grandfather served on one of these!
@CAUSELESSREBEL4 жыл бұрын
Love your commentary. Two things I enjoy in your videos. The content of warships, and your witticisms.
@77thTrombone4 жыл бұрын
As ex-Navy myself, I hereby endorse Drach's definition of _frigate._ So much more concise than _torpedo boat destroyer escort._
@Alex-cw3rz4 жыл бұрын
One River class frigate HMCS Stormont, was bought by Aristotle Onassis and then turned into a superyacht called Christina O. And it costs €560,000-€700,000 to hire per week!
@malusignatius4 жыл бұрын
Sadly the Queensland Maritime Museum, home of HMAS Diamantina, was forced into receivership at the beginning of the year, so the Daimantina's restoration's on indefinite hiatus. I'm hoping money will be put aside to preserve her, but it's very unclear at this time.
@shaunbrennan52814 жыл бұрын
malusignatius What? I didn't know that! That's a huge loss. Been a couple of times, very good day out.
@malusignatius4 жыл бұрын
@@shaunbrennan5281 Yeah, I love that ship... It's a real kick in the guts.
@Goldy-zw7fp4 жыл бұрын
They had an open day a couple of weeks ago (limited numbers), managed to get on board a gets some photographs. I hope the Government might help with funding. I understand they need about 3 million to keep a float.
@Boksburg19824 жыл бұрын
Very sorry to hear this news. My wife and I were given a personal tour of the ship by one of the curators in March 2019 while we were staying in Brisbane It was very special for me as my father served in the same class of ship during WW2 on HMS Ettrick as a radar operator.
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
That's terrible news! DIAMANTINA has been on my bucket list for years, since we didn't save any Rivers in Canada. Best of luck to Australia in preserving one of their most important historical warships.
@patfontaine59174 жыл бұрын
Thanks for such an informative post! I knew very little about the UK’s nuclear program - other than it started off as a shared technology effort with the US, and was somewhat suddenly brushed aside after the end of the war. But I had no idea of the details. So after watching this presentation, I looked up the HMS Plym and read the details of the test. That took me to google maps where you can see (I think) the faint remains of the blast crater offshore. Amazing, and thanks for launching a great half-hour quest to learn more about this.
@sarjim43814 жыл бұрын
A River class frigate, the HMCS _Carlplace_ served as both the presidential yacht and then kind of a party boat after the overthrow of Presidente Trujillo. Her correct name would have been _Carleton Place_ after the city in eastern Ontario of the same name, but the RN said the name was too long, so _Carlplace_ it became. In between some apparently lavish parties for the naval elite, she did some shore bombardment in support of several coups and a civil war in the 1960's. From 1970--1974.She became the flagship of the Dominican Navy because she was the only large vessel capable of going to sea. She was offered to Canada as a museum ship in 1998. Her condition was what one would expect after an all-night party in mom's basement, so Canada politely refused the offer. She hung around the main navy base in Santo Domingo until 2003 as an accommodation ship, at which point she was the last River class frigate still afloat. She was once again offered to any taker as a museum ship but no one, including the Dominicans, would bite, so she was sold for scrap in 2004.
@flyinflea3 жыл бұрын
Good video. My grandpa spent his wartime on River Class Frigate HMS Lossie (K303), North Atlantic convoy escorts followed by Indian ocean... only died a few years ago and never learned to swim!
@Duke_of_Petchington4 жыл бұрын
yes, the origin of the Modern frigate
@lukedogwalker4 жыл бұрын
Problem is that the modern use of the term is effectively meaningless. It just means "warship". Only certain navies still assign specific roles to them, such as ASW, and even then they are much more multirole, or specialist, depending on equipment fit. Thanks to modern technology, which requires less specialisation of the ship hull itself (no big barbettes for large calibre gun turrets, for example) it's less about the ship itself and more about what you plug into it.
@Duke_of_Petchington4 жыл бұрын
@UNSCForwardontodawn most modern warships are General Purpose these days. Corvettes: Short range GP Escorts, commonly geared for ASW, AA is very limited. Frigates: Long range GP Escorts, commonly geared for ASW, AA is Decent but not on par with Destroyers. Frigates Tend to be around the same size and weight class of Destroyers. Destroyers: Long range GP Escort, Geared towards AAW. ASW is descent but not on par with Frigates and sometimes even Corvettes. Cruisers: Large, Long range GP Escorts, due to their large size these vessels can be fitted to excel in both AAW and ASW roles. Have enough space to house command staff and Comms/Sensors to lead Flotillas of Frigate in hunting Submarines or be the Centre AA Defence coverage of a CSG with supporting destroyers. All GP vessels excel in ground attack and AShW. Hope this defines them a bit more.
@braintransplantdonor4 жыл бұрын
I know the overall story of Convoy PQ17 has been covered extensively elsewhere, but just as a suggestion Drach, is it possible please to do a video on the PQ17 escorts that didn't actually disappear over the horizon when the Admiralty gave the order to scatter? HMS Palomares, HMS Pozarica, and HMS Ayrshire (2 banana boats and a trawler as you probably know) all have stories worth the telling.
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
The only convoy escorts to "disappear over the horizon" were the destroyers, which Jackie Broom (the escort commander) attached to the retiring cruisers as he thought they were on their way to engage German surface units. It was only after an hour or so he realised they were in fact moving away due to a perceived U-boat threat by which time it was too late to return to the convoy since he was now under the command of the cruisers' flag officer. The Royal Navy has never run away from the enemy, even in the face of overwhelming odds, like RAWALPINDI and JERVIS BAY.
@alexjacobs83994 жыл бұрын
Strontium 90 Cobalt 60 Thanks for all the wonderful videos.
@shayanperis76814 жыл бұрын
As a viewer from Sri Lanka I can confirm that ex-HMCyS Gajabahu is still in use as a training ship.
@ncmarmstrong4423 жыл бұрын
Can you tell us where she's berthed? There's no sign of her on Google maps.
@patrickforrester84254 жыл бұрын
Thank you for making this my grandfather served on a riverclas hmcs antigonish
@balsumfractus4 жыл бұрын
I drove by the hulk of K444 for years in it's final service as a breakwater. I never knew what kind of ship she was until now. Sadly, it was deemed to be an eyesore, and was blown into smithereens - but in a more conventional fashion........😄
@mathewkelly99684 жыл бұрын
0:56 me who works on 60 feet , 60 ton trawlers wishes I got to work on something as large as a flower class ........ like we mock navy types for their lack of seamanship this just confirms it . If you get motion sickness you have no business being out at sea . I've had to take people home after 3 days because they can't even keep water down , which needless to say isn't safe for them .
@petesheppard17094 жыл бұрын
Sadly, in wartime many of those poor slobs weren't given much choice.
@dollcet3084 жыл бұрын
Dont forget that some Countries have/had Navys with drafted People and Seasickness can depend much on your station. Served on 150feet long Fast-attack Boats, normally no trouble with Seasickness on my regular station underneath the frontal Turret or while doing Outlook even in rough to stormy seas,. However when in the tiny kitchen with zero ventialtion , no horizon (at 12-15 feets seas the order would be given to lock vents and bulleyes), the warmth and smell of food got to me, grabbed a barfbag and stuck a finger down my throat to avoid hurling at the wrong moment over peoples food.
@jimmiller56004 жыл бұрын
You've never been Drafted, eh?
@brucemckean28484 жыл бұрын
I have a friend that was invalided out of the Navy because of chronic seasickness (and he was a submariner so you know he was a sensitive chap when it came to motion sickness)...so he switched to the army/special forces and jumped out of aircraft instead. Go figure.
@peterlovett58414 жыл бұрын
Please Sir, may we have a guide to the Black Swan and modified Black Swan class of sloops.
@jerry23574 жыл бұрын
It's a great pity one of these wasn't available when they made the film "The Cruel Sea", so they used a Castle class corvette instead. The CO of an escort group needed something bigger than a corvette...
@Simon_Nonymous4 жыл бұрын
nice trivia thank you
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
I've read about that. I did like though that they changed the name of the frigate, SALTASH from the novel to SALTASH CASTLE, since they were using a Castle Class in the film to represent the frigate.
@darkraven81034 жыл бұрын
If they had just waited a year or two they could have used an RCN River class frigate (Prestonian class upgrade).
@agesflow68154 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Drachinifel.
@DrSmallarms3 жыл бұрын
The 4th of your videos I have watched in a row and you have earned an new Subscriber
@adamcrookedsmile4 жыл бұрын
great stuff, these unsung ships contributed so much to the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. Would love to know more about destroyers, corvettes, escort carriers and frigates.
@deltavgaming34474 жыл бұрын
i love listening to you while playing wows keep it up
@engineermole26884 жыл бұрын
Nice video. Would you ever consider covering the German Type IX U-boats that wherein Imperial Japanise service and how they got there? Where they sent as part of the shearing of tec like when the Germans tried to send the plans for there 20mm and 40mm Autocannons and Mercury shipments. Or where they part of the German pacific Fleets at some point. Stuff like that
@hdanny20054 жыл бұрын
My father served as wheelsman on the new frigate HMCS Runnymede '44-'45 which carried the Canadian Admiral in charge of Halifax Londonderry convoys.
@AsbestosMuffins3 жыл бұрын
HMS Plym; Now with 200% more cobalt-60!
@rybuds474 жыл бұрын
Thank you Drach!
@darrenharvey60844 жыл бұрын
HMAS Diamantina is in the dry dock at the Queensland maritime museum in Brisbane Queensland .
@Maddog30604 жыл бұрын
The capital ships get all the attention, but the real purpose of navies is to protect the merchant shipping, and these little ships were as valuable as an entire battle fleet when it came to protecting their nations.
@jrd334 жыл бұрын
Depends on the country. Russian and German navies certainly weren't about protecting merchant shipping, for example.
@DavidConnor4 жыл бұрын
A few comments mentioned three ships left on your list. You replied you are updating the list. I do not see the USN 6" gunned V-boats that I've requested several times. They occansionaly get a passing mention but never a dedicated guide. Argonaut and near sisters Narwhal & Nautilus may have been older, large and clunky but they provided vital wartime service. Argonaut is still on patrol. SSN-571 Nautilas and SSN-671 Narwhal were each unique & effective boats and we shared a hull number sister ship bond well into the Cold War. Please?
@claudecarrier28424 жыл бұрын
My father served on the Flower-class HMCS Midland K-220 and there was a picture of a River Class with a K-221 designation. I am quite certain the Midland was not the last Flower built so I guess they gave ship designation numbers as they were ready ?
@ncmarmstrong4423 жыл бұрын
Not necessarily Claude. The four Canadian Tribal class destroyers were ordered and laid down as a batch of four yet their pennant numbers were G07, G24, G63 and G89 (HMCSs ATHABASKAN, HURON, HAIDA & IROQUOIS). In fact, IROQUOIS was one of the first, yet she had the largest number. I wonder if numbers were assigned to be quite different for ships potentially serving together so there'd be no confusion, say for example between G06, G07, G08 & G09?
@Big_E_Soul_Fragment4 жыл бұрын
Armament: *Yes*
@kylehardman91354 жыл бұрын
now you should do river class opv drach i know its to modern but its a good april fools suggestion
@rachelmiles58604 жыл бұрын
A absolutely stellar idea for a April Fool's presentation! Bravo~
@jimtaylor2944 жыл бұрын
Or he could do the classic Teeside Battlecruiser myth ;-) .
@kylehardman91354 жыл бұрын
@@jimtaylor294 maybe even aliens over Pembroke Dock sci fi from star wars click bait from aliens and navy as well space navy is the future 😂
@Cdntrvler544 жыл бұрын
Just got a message from a young Facebook friend, (he is a naval trainee) in Sri Lanka that the HMCS HALLOWELL is still in active service as a training ship SLNS Gajabahu
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
Hello Cdntrvler54 - Can you ask your friend where HALLOWELL is berthed in Sri Lanka? I've made a few searches using Google maps, but couldn't find her, so I'd assumed that the Sri Lankan Navy had scrapped her after all. I'm in the RCN myself.
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
Are you certain your friend isn't confusing her with the new SLNS Gajabahu (P626) - the former USCGC SHERMAN which commissioned into the Sri Lankan Navy in 2018?
@Cdntrvler544 жыл бұрын
I will send him a msg. I was searching but Google Really Really pixelates when zooming in. He was pretty certain. I will ask if he can get a picture as well.
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
@@Cdntrvler54 That would be great - many thanks!
@ncmarmstrong4423 жыл бұрын
Hi Cdntrvler54 - any news on HALLOWELL?
@darrellsmith42044 жыл бұрын
Waking up on Saturday morning knowing that a 5 Minute Guide to Warships is waiting is the best way to start a weekend..
@pbr-streetgang4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the vid sir.👍🏼👍🏼
@AlexanderMinakoff4 жыл бұрын
Thank You.
@johnfisher96924 жыл бұрын
It shows just how an emergency wartime design proved so successful that so many Navy's accepted these ships into service. While not glamorous they filled a vital role and were very good at it.
@toveychurchill64684 жыл бұрын
When all the planet in the solar system lineup in a straight line, Drach would make a video 5 minutes long
@robertf34794 жыл бұрын
I'm happy with things the way they are. He takes the time he actually needs to tell the story intelligibly without abridging too much.
@Commandmanhardcore4 жыл бұрын
I'll make sure to keep my eye out on 6 May 2492, the next predicted date XD
@tcpratt16604 жыл бұрын
@@Commandmanhardcore For RoboDrach 2084 Mk XXXVII, a distingushed mark, to be certain...
@miamijules21494 жыл бұрын
You guys see Drach being referenced on Battleship New Jersey’s channel?! Making moves Drach.... making moves homeboy!
@AlteryxGaming4 жыл бұрын
Darn the british nuclear program really did it dirty to the Plym, not even the USS Nevada had to experience the misfortune of being blown apart by a nuke from the inside!
@whatdafarkenhell71104 жыл бұрын
HMAS Diamantina was placed in reserve in 1946, then used as a survey ship 1959 to 1980 and being taken to the Queensland Maratime Museum where I have seen her.
@Primarch3594 жыл бұрын
Looked up the yacht. It's been a yacht since 1947. And was for a time the presidential yacht of greece. And according to wikipedia "The bar stools...retain the original upholstery crafted from a very soft, fine leather made from the foreskins of whales"
@pedenharley62664 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I'd love to see you take a look at "The Cruel Sea" (book and film).
@jerry23574 жыл бұрын
It would be difficult to critique those from the point of view of historical accuracy, because Nicolas Monsarrat, the author, actually served on and commanded escort vessels during the war, both corvettes and frigates, so he knew what he was writing about...
@lastcraft4 жыл бұрын
Could we have a vid on some atlantic sub hunting actions by the escorts/frigates to give a flavour of the decision making of their captains? Also, what were German sub hunting tactics?
@bobcohoon96154 жыл бұрын
There is a bit of footage of one in the last part of " The Cruel Sea" , a 1953 movie about convoy escort in WWII
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
SALTASH was a River in the book, but none were available for the film so she became SALTASH CASTLE as they had to use a Castle Class corvette in the film.
@lezardvaleth23044 жыл бұрын
Wait, I can hire a Royal Navy frigate as a _yacht?_ *DOES IT STILL HAVE GUNS?!?*
@jeffreyknickman55594 жыл бұрын
No, Stormont was bought by Aristotle Onassis (the guy who married jackie Kennedy), and was renamed "Jackie O. I forget what happened to it after that
@toddwebb75214 жыл бұрын
If only that was a thing and someone had a BB for it. I can picture Drach trying to organize a chanel group cruise to get enough people that the per person wasn't rediculous.
@Cdntrvler544 жыл бұрын
@@jeffreyknickman5559 Name for his daughter, Christina.. CHRISTINA O.. Still in service, owned by a close friend of the Onassis family now, after she died..
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
@@jeffreyknickman5559 Onassis left the ship to his daughter Christina Onassis (STORMONT was actually renamed CHRISTINA O, after her), but she donated the ship to the government to become the presidential yacht. The Greek government didn't really use her and the ship deteriorated until another Greek billionaire bought her from them and fully restored her, as well as restoring the name CHRISTINA O.
@ncmarmstrong4424 жыл бұрын
The renovation to a yacht was so extensive that you can barely see the frigate in her new lines. She does have a swimming pool that has a bottom on an elevator that rises to create a dance floor. Apparently, when they were both quite old, Onassis used to invite Winston Churchill aboard and they'd enjoy themselves sitting in deckchairs going up and down on it.
@paulcarter26634 жыл бұрын
I have one of the american ships as a 1/125 scale RC, that I use to scare the RC subs at my local RC pond.
@Dave_Sisson4 жыл бұрын
I doubt the model submarines would be that scared... unless your River Class frigate has tiny depth charges that it launches at them?
@paulcarter26634 жыл бұрын
No live weapons just fun at playing the hunter and the hunted
@Dave_Sisson4 жыл бұрын
@@paulcarter2663 Not even the occasional mock ramming, just to keep the subs slightly nervous? ;-)
@paulcarter26634 жыл бұрын
Those have happened,no damage done, but fun to see
@riripebby4 жыл бұрын
River liked this.
@Angrymuscles4 жыл бұрын
Drach tells us not to recover wreckage from HMS Plim. Within the next month, Ebay is inundated with new items for sale.
@paulflak28234 жыл бұрын
Correction, the flower class corvettes could cross the Atlantic but at reduced speed to conserve fuel and allow for short charges at a sub over multiple encounters. Speeds less then a destroyer but more then enough to go after a submerged u boat trying to evade at 4kts. Please feel free to contact me as I am a historian, and have extensive books and access to knowledge that you may find advantageous.
@kryts274 жыл бұрын
Hi Mr Drachinifiel. Can you do a program on the U-boats? Their changing designs through the war & crew training & gongs earned by successful U-boat captains for carrying off daring missions. Maybe some short footage from Das Boot.
@WALTERBROADDUS4 жыл бұрын
Did a vid on U boats, 2 weeks ago.
@thehandoftheking33144 жыл бұрын
Row row row your boat, gently up the river...
@Voron_Aggrav4 жыл бұрын
Well that's certainly better than gently Down the street
@thehandoftheking33144 жыл бұрын
@@Voron_Aggrav it's when the entire crew go "Belts off!" We have a problem
@geoffburrill98504 жыл бұрын
Hi. Could we please have a vid on pre dreadnought ship HMS Devastation? Thanks.
@barrybend71894 жыл бұрын
Can you please do a video on the Cannon class destroyer escorts?
@robinblankenship92344 жыл бұрын
Good old HMS Plymn.
@davidbcousins184 жыл бұрын
Had a friend who told me in a heavy sea they would go and hold onto the rail on the stern. Was quite a ride
@MrTurboTurkey4 жыл бұрын
The australian museum housing the one in Brisbane went bankrupt from covid.. Its not good, its up on the hard and everything too.
@bigblue69174 жыл бұрын
Are you keeping up with all the designations he asks. It's a Saturday. I am in need of refreshments, coffee specifically. And then I find there is an exam. Pretty damn sneaky if you ask me.
@gerritvoogt714 жыл бұрын
Another flower class would be the hmcs port author biult 20 minutes from my house another is not a flower class but also has some history is the hmcs fort William
@kevinsullivan34484 жыл бұрын
Fun fact, you can pick up those irradiated fragments with a magnet as Cobalt is one of two magnetic elements.
@aldenconsolver34282 жыл бұрын
Aahhh, but on the other hand pieces of the Plim should be easy to find. A Geiger counter and a hand lens should do itl
@petermaher86334 жыл бұрын
HMAS Diamantina is in some difficulties ATM, as the Queensland maritime museum is in financial trouble due to covid. Hopefully the government will step in with some funding measures.
@matthewrobinson43234 жыл бұрын
Excellent video, as always. When I served (1964-1968) in the USN (onboard a proper DD), the Destroyer Escort designation was being dropped for Fast Frigate. We couldn't use Frigate because that was what we called Destroyer Leaders, which in our case we're about half way between destroyers and cruisers in size. We currently call Frigates what we used to call Destroyer Escorts. As to the one use in nuclear testing, just think of how much money one could save on their electric bill each month!
@Thirdbase94 жыл бұрын
What kind of guns do you want? Whatever is available.