The Drydock - Episode 118 (Live Segment) - 6th November 2020

[@davepeachey3072]

Uncle Drach: please pin this post if/when you get a round tuit; many thanks. Timestamps, Part 1: Patreon 'Alt-History' and 'What-If' questions (interspersed with a healthy dose of livestream questions). 00:00:58 - Preamble and introduction 00:01:17 - Describing the recording studio backdrop and setup -------- Patreon 'What-if?' and 'Alternate History' Questions -------- 00:05:20 - German/Japanese refuelling co-operation and combined German/Japanese Atlantic theatre of operations 00:09:40 - Regarding Admiral Fisher's 1910s HMS Incomparable: given the design constraints, how would you achieve the proposed speed and range? 00:11:54 - Post WW1 conflict between Chile and Brazil and/or Argentina 00:13:15 - If New Zealand had funded a QE class battleship, which other ship of the class would be renamed to take over the 'HMS Queen Elizabeth' name? 00:16:21 - How would you design a super battleship (along the lines of IJN Yamato) in the various 20thC eras? 00:19:04 - Alternate History: If you swapped Beattie and Nelson as commanders at Trafalgar and Jutland, who would fair better? 00:21:50 - If Prinz Eugen had stayed with Bismark, would it have increased Bismarck's chance of survival? What if Gneisenau or Scharnhorst had replaced Prinz Eugen? 00:24:04 - Would an Exocet missile penetrate a battleship's armour? If not, should we be building more heavily-armoured battleships? 00:25:02 - Why do British naval guns have flared ends whilst those of other countries do not? 00:26:28 - If the nuclear-powered CVN-65 USS Enterprise replaces the earlier CV-6 USS Enterprise how might the logistics work (e.g. replacement of supplies)? 00:27:41 - Did civilian maritime engineering have a noticeable effect on naval engineering? 00:28:50 - During the treaty era, why did other navies not seem to be as concerned about turret and barbette armour as the US Navy? 00:30:20 - Were WW2-era navies into drug use (amphetamines, etc.) to the same extent as the WW2-era German army and air force? 00:32:13 - Should the allied invasion of Norway have proceeded in light of the knowledge of the impending Kriegsmarine invasion? 00:35:23 - Alternate History: Given that the US 7th Fleet battleships each only had six salvos of AP shells left, was this taken into account in the 'alternate Samar' game-play? 00:36:43 - Regarding use of 4 inch AA ammunition in the Norway campaign 00:37:41 - Follow-up comment/question regarding battleship AP shell availability before the Battle of Surigao Strait 00:38:25 - 'Ship Designer Drach' is tasked with designing a Soviet 1930s-era hybrid battleship-carrier 00:41:28 - What is the earliest built US cruiser that would have reliably been able to take on Graf Spee in a one-on-one engagement? 00:43:00 - How important was Halifax harbour during the two World Wars? 00:43:33 - Alternate History: Admiral Karita's 'Centre Force' (as at the Battle of Samar) vs. the RN Grand Fleet in the later part of the Battle of Jutland - who would win? 00:46:25 - Did WW1-era 47mm 'saluting guns' serve any real combat purpose or were they purely ceremonial? 00:46:53 - How would a Japanese cruiser force have fared against the Admiral Spee's East Asia Squadron had they found it before Admiral Craddock had done so? 00:48:20 - Would we see any differences in naval technology if WW1 had never happened but rather a number of smaller conflicts? 00:50:27 - What is your opinion of Admiral Marc Mitscher? 00:51:09 - Alternate History: At the Battle of Midway, the IJN reverts to pre-war doctrine and sails the carriers as two twin-carrier divisions; if one division is taken out but the other remains intact, how does this affect the battle? 00:52:55 - If HMS Ark Royal had not been lost, might she have been refitted as a support carrier like HMS Unicorn? 00:53:40 - Do you have any information on the USS Pasco [sp?] supply ship? 00:54:22 - What might have happened if the Bismark had been able to surrender to a US Catalina flying boat before the allied naval force had caught up with her? 00:57:41 - Assuming equality of training, who would win in a fight between USS Reno, HMS Arethusa and IJN Agano? 00:59:04 - Alternate History: If Japan declares war on Germany instead of the US and sends its fleet into the Mediterranean to support the British, how would the Anglo-Japanese fleet interact and engage the axis forces 01:01:42 - Alternate History: What would change if Yamamoto's two-pronged attack on the Aleutians and Midway had been cancelled and, instead, had focussed on resting, refitting and capturing the Coral Sea area? 01:03:32 - As CiC Pacific Fleet in WW2, which historically attacked islands would you bypass? 01:04:25 - If you had a thousand USS Fletchers each with its own Captain Evans, what might be the outcome? 01:04:52 - Were there any instances where tanks or anti-tank guns sank a naval vessel (excluding submarines)? 01:05:48 - Why did the US Navy use city names for cruisers and state names for battleships? 01:06:44 - How would an axis vs. axis match-up (e.g. Kidō Butai vs. Regia Marina) work out? 01:07:45 - S-Ranking chart for major WW1 admirals in each navy in WW2 by nation or as a whole 01:08:02 - Which is your favourite dinosaur and why? 01:09:30 - What type/composition of fleet would you build given decent resources, limited manpower and a vast sea area to cover? 01:10:23 - Which one ship available by the end of WW2 would you use to sink 100 'First Rate' Ship of the Line? 01:10:47 - Alternate History: If Turkey had declared war on Germany at a much earlier date in WW2, what impact would there have been on the battle in the Mediterranean? 01:13:00 - Would you consider doing a 'Wednesday Special' on HVac and refrigeration in warships? 01:13:57 - Alternate History: If various historic admirals presented themselves to the RN/KM at the start of WW1, what would they do with them? 01:16:10 - Were the USS Iowa and USS Montana designed to fight the Bismark? Also, which ships would you take if you were tasked with hunting the Bismark? 01:19:10 - Can you please do a video on the history and development of amphibious assault ships and landing vessels? 01:19:42 - In a one-on-on, who would win between USS Iowa and HMS Vanguard? 01:23:16 - Assuming equality of training, who would win in a fight between HMS King George V, Bismark and RM Littorio? 01:24:11 - Is there one question that you would like to answer but which no-one has asked? 01:25:16 - Your views on the decommissioning of HMS Bristol 01:25:31 - Would you rather fight one Yamato-sized MTB or 100 MTB-sized Yamatos? 01:26:14 - CSS Virginia vs. a platoon of Sherman tanks (M4A3s with 75mm guns); would anything be different if there were one or more 76mm or 105mm support tanks involved? -------- Brief aside regarding the Blackburn 'Blackburn' and available model kits -------- 01:28:20 - What were the interiors of the 'Queen Anne's Mansions' like? 01:29:00 - Battle of Savo Island: Had the USN been properly trained with their radar and had decent command structures, how would the battle have worked out? 01:31:03 - How frequently did sailors get sealed into water-tight compartments and drown? 01:32:27 - Could you please do a video on RN aviation in WW2 at some point? 01:33:16 - As Chief of the IJN in 1900 (but with modern knowledge), how would you guide its actions and development to ensure it survived beyond 1945? 01:37:21 - If Admiral Scott had commanded the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal rather than Admiral Callaghan would the results have been different? Part 2: Live Drydock questions - these are in a reply to this post due to size restrictions for individual posts on KZbin.

[@hothoploink1509]

You Sir, are a Magnificent Bastard! Drach should pin this comment.

[@davepeachey3072]

Timestamps, Part 2: Live Drydock questions 01:39:41 - If Admirals Scheer and Jellicoe had met after WW1, what would be the first question that Scheer would ask? 01:40:27 - How did USS South Dakota avoid getting torpedoed during her power outage? 01:41:28 - Who would win in a fight between Scharnhorst and Gneisenau vs. Dunkerque and Strasbourg? 01:43:00 - Can you do a 'Five Minute Guide' on British and Australian mine sweepers and minelayers? 01:43:40 - In a standing battleship drag race, who would win from the following … fastest Iowa vs. fastest Kongo vs. faster Scharnhorst vs. HMS Vanguard? 01:45:26 - Is the poster with the Swordfish (part of Drach's backdrop) still available? 01:46:07 - Why did the RN keep the Fairey Swordfish for as long as they did? 01:47:28 - How could the Austro-Hungarian Navy have made the Tegethoff class work on the same tonnage? 01:48:22 - What would have been the outcome if Italian naval shells had worked properly in WW2? 01:49:30 - If infrastructure, time and money had allowed, how far would each country have been able to take the battleship and battlecruiser concept? 01:50:05 - How much influence did the Kiel Canal have on German ship design? 01:51:16 - What would have been the outcome if the USN had three Essex-class carriers instead of the Yorktowns at the time of Pearl Harbor? 01:52:50 - What is HMS Warspite's approximate scorecard in terms of numbers of ships/types sunk and damaged? 01:53:50 - Was there a sense of superiority amongst crews of newer ships over those of older ones? 01:55:04 - We seem to be running a bit short on the list of 'Five Minute Guides'; should we list some more and, if so, where can we do this? 01:58:14 - How might the Battle of Leyte Gulf have ended if all ships present had WoWs-style 19-point captains and were all controlled by Flamu? 01:58:59 - Is it true that the RN were replacing their 20mm multiple PomPoms with 30mm single guns during WW2 and how effective was this? 02:00:06 - Any chance you can do a video on the Jeune École doctrine in the same vein as that on the Kantai Kessen? 02:00:40 - If you send back the KGV and its equivalents to the start of the dreadnought race, what effect would this have? 02:01:20 - What would have happened if Beattie had been commanding an Omaha-class scout cruiser? -------- Short intermission for fast food delivery -------- 02:03:09 - Would there have been a major difference to Pacific Theatre strategy if the US had reinforced and defended Wake Island? 02:04:01 - How would an extra 2000 tons of displacement have affected the USS Hornet? 02:05:26 - Clarification regarding question regarding RN replacement of 20mm PomPoms (at timestamp 01:58:59) 02:07:00 - Repeat of question regarding sense of superiority of crews of new vs. older ships (at timestamp 01:53:50) 02:07:28 - In a naval force of any era or country, which fictional crewmen would you assign to which positions? 02:09:51 - If the Japanese had managed to beach Yamato on Iwo Jima, how would she have fared against a boarding action of US Marines? (see DD105 livestream at timestamp 01:04:26) 02:10:40 - Any insights on the norms or attitudes towards beards and moustaches in the WW1 or WW2 Royal Navy or other navies? 02:13:19 - If 3"/50 calibre guns with VT fuses had replaced 40mm Bofors guns in 1943, how much of a difference would that have made? 02:14:53 - Out of all modern battleship classes in WW2, which ones had the best and worst torpedo protection? 02:19:03 - Assuming an isolationist US at the start of WW2, what forces would the RN have to be able to contest the IJN in SE Asia? 02:21:20 - Any chance you can do a video on Stalin's 'Big Fleet' plan (in a similar vein to that done for 'Force Z') and how it would compare to other navies of the time? 02:22:02 - If you could somehow resurrect one ship from each naval power from WW2 (that was either sunk or scrapped), which would you like to see as a museum ship? 02:23:14 - Was Germany completely unaware of what was happening at Bletchley Park given there was no massive bombing campaign to destroy it? 02:24:37 - How realistic are the German aircraft carriers in 'World of Warships' and how effective would they have been in real life? 02:25:21 - What is your favourite WW1 battlecruiser? 02:25:55 - What do you think will be the future of navies taking into account developments such as railguns and CV-killing missiles? 02:27:17 - During their planning for the Pearl Harbor attacks, did the IJN take into account that any ships might be repaired and returned to service? 02:27:37 - Is it possible to find a good [quality] copy of both volumes of Mahan's 'The Influence of Sea Power Upon History'? 02:29:53 - How would you rate Sean Connery as Admiral Cochrane and Roger Moore as Admiral Nelson? 02:30:17 - If the IJN chose to scrap the Kongo class and build new ships using their 14" guns as fast carrier escorts, what would they do? 02:30:50 - If one had a 15" fully automatic naval gun, what would fail first … breech failure, loading mishap, barrel melting, etc.? 02:32:01 - Hypothesis: the only difference between Nelson's and Beattie's command styles (adjusted for technologies) was that Beattie lacked Nelson's vital attention to detail. Do you agree or disagree? -------- Short digression to discuss various resin models being built and/or painted -------- 02:34:12 - Returning to your views on the decommissioning of HMS Bristol (from timestamp 01:25:16) -------- Short digression to discuss the 'Bilge Pumps' podcasts -------- 02:37:38 - Will there ever by a Beattie-less Drydock? 02:37:59 - If the Soviet Navy had not existed in WW2, would this have affected WW2 in any significant way? 02:39:27 - Are you able to answers questions about the Soviet Navy? 02:40:46 - Should Japan have sent the surface action fleet to Midway, initially without the landing craft, to bait the fighters and provide some sort of reconnaissance? 02:42:28 - Winding up (inc. the planned trip to Sweden and upgraded photo-scanning ability) 02:47:24 - Travel-related questions: are you planning to go to Ireland and the USA? And that's it for this one!

[@kenmader2548]

C

[@adenkyramud5005]

Drach didn't pin it, but take a like to boost this up in the comment section.

[@PepRock01]

I like the fact that you acknowledge John Sheridan's brilliance in commanding a fleet. He gets forgotten but he commanded a campaign against adversaries far more powerful than most fictional captains. Well said.

[@rocketguardian2001]

I liked your picks for the fictional crews in the Napoleonic era. Some additions I would make: 1. James Kirk on your best frigate. 2. Geordi Laforge at R&D (with Scotty and Leah Brahms working with him) 3. The crew of Serenity as privateers.

[@pickle7056]

54:00 - *Spits out Mountain Dew* That's it, sir! I was going to limit myself to one Boston Tea Party joke when you eventually visit, but now all bets are off!

[@theleva7]

Now you absolutely have to take him to a vegan restaurant and then tell Tea Party jokes if/when he visits a city near you.

[@pickle7056]

@@theleva7 Damn, Satan. What he said wasn't THAT offensive. O_O

[@presidentmerkinmuffley6769]

@@pickle7056 hell some parts of the country i am sure they would have cheered, those ignorant fuckers....

[@jamesb4789]

With regards to islands to bypass in the Pacific war, there was an interesting study done on this subject I believe back in the 1980's. The USN always wanted to drive island by island to Japan proper. Their plans were to take Iwo Jima immediately after the Marianas and then take either Formosa or Okinawa. FDR intervened to support Douglas MacArthur's quest for greater glory and ordered the Philippine operations. The Navy sent a task force to bombard Iwo Jima after the Marianas Turkey shoot and the island was virtually defenseless. Nimitz had enough Marines still on transports to grab the island with minimal fighting but he decided his orders did not allow it. At the time there were maybe 1800 IJN and IJA personnel on the island, most supporting the two airfields. There were no heavy weapons and the aircraft were wiped out. USN studies indicate the final crucial Naval battle would have happened off Okinawa in 1944 and the Japanese empire effectively would have been cut in two. FDR's direct intervention was based on his personal connection with MacArthur. MacArthur repeatedly bypassed the chain of command to get his way. The Philippines campaign was very bloody and no one actually knows how many civilians were lost. It also lead to the destruction of all of the Philippine cities and the repercussions have lasted to this day since the post war Marshall plan went to Europe and the few funds went to rebuild the Philippines.

[@richardmeyeroff7397]

This is some thing that I have always wondered about. If you are looking to cut off Japan from the supplies it was receiving from South Asia It makes more sense to take Okinawa as it is directly in the path of those supply lines. it also means that ships, plane and submarines could be based there.

[@jamesb4789]

The muzzle flare was mostly a manufacturing feature going back to the wire bound barrel designs. The RN continued the practice since it limits the stress cracking, but in the built up barrels it can actually cause issues with assembly and stress. I believe the RN switched over is when they phased out the wire bound designs.

[@silverfox575]

The Stars and Bars was the name for the national flag of the CSA. The Stars and Stripes is the name for the USA national flag. Both flags for America and a similar name and at the time look. The similar look is why the battle flag was made for the CSA so the generals could distinguish between the two on the field of battle. It wasn't until later in the war that what was just the battle flag was adopted as the official flag.

[@viking1236]

Is it also used as a name for the national markings on US aircraft? I'm sure I've heard Stars and bars used in that context.

[@davidbrennan660]

The Battle Flag.

[@bluemarlin8138]

The battle flag was actually the battle flag of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, and was never adopted as the official flag of the CSA. It was incorporated into one corner of the CSA Third National Flag, which was the final flag of the CSA. The CSA First National Flag was the “stars and bars.”

[@davidbrennan660]

It still got took, this whole video might get cancelled on Twitter because it got mentioned...... as if we cared. “The War of Northern Aggression” is still tender to many excitable types..

[@scotthill8787]

Its so nice to listen to an intelligent man talk.

[@toddwebb7521]

The lack of questions about the 1870s-1880s ironclads is largely down to the lack of big naval wars in that era. It kind of skips from US civil war to Russo-Japanese war.

[@toddwebb7521]

One of the few 1870s wars I can think of is the Franco-Prussian war but that was pretty much a land war, and a really short one sided curb stomp at that.

[@richardrich5093]

Mk

[@whiskeytangosierra6]

REALLY looking forward to downloading and perusing the books and manuals you will scan in. That is significant news!

[@TheEDFLegacy]

Thanks for answering my questions! 😊

[@galbert117]

Thanks for releasing this on my birthday! A worthy present! Not going to lie...I laughed with Drach.

[@Halinspark]

As Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy, see if you can get better relations with the Army. If you can get them to work together, that'll reduce a lot of unnecessary complications from infighting.

[@michaelkaylor6770]

An Engineer and a Chemist walk into a bar. The Chemist asks for an H2O, the Engineer asks for an H2O too. He died!

[@catfish552]

Johnny was a chemist's son, but now he is no more. What Johnny thought was H2O was H2SO4.

[@DanielsPolitics1]

On beards in the RN, BRd (3)(1) Naval Personnel Management at 3818 sets out the current rules, which is essentially that beards are at discretion of CO, moustaches are allowed if not hipster, and you have two weeks to grow a proper, non-patchy beard, or it comes off.

[@jochenheiden]

I’m in the US military, and personally when I see other countries militaries with beards I think they look extremely unprofessional and like a pack of Boy Scouts.

[@PlymouthT20]

The Pioneer Sargeant is also allowed to grow a full set in the army. They also parade with a white apron and an Axe instead of a rifle.

[@alganhar1]

@@jochenheiden Try telling Sikh's that, the beard for them is a cultural thing. Point is, the US perspective is not the same world wide. Some British Personel serving in Afghanistan for example were encouraged to grow beards if they had regular contact with the Afghans for again, cultural reasons. Personally I am of the opinion that a well maintained beard actually tells a lot that is GOOD about a person, at least in a personal hygeine/grooming perspective. Keeping a beard neatly maintained takes more time and effort than simply shaving, by a long margin.

[@davidbrennan660]

Drach himself has to ask for permission for altering his current beard status

[@presidentmerkinmuffley6769]

@@jochenheiden You would hate to see the photos from when my father was a squid in the late 70s, early 80s. About a third of the ones pictured had beards, it looked better with the dress whites than the work blues for sure.

[@kemarisite]

This article (www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-079.php) at navweaps includes a table of ammunition load and expenditure for the BBs at Surigao Strait. None either start or end the battle with only six salvos worth of AP shells. Six salvos is either 48 shells for the two Colorado class ships, or 72 for the four ships with 14" guns. The smallest number of AP shells is Mississippi with 201 shells (16.75 salvos), but Mississippi only fired one salvo to clear its guns when the action was over. Next was California with 240 shells (20 salvos), which fired 63 shells leaving 177 (14.75 shells). I have no idea what Tully is smoking to claim they only had six salvos worth of AP shells. On second thought, California was down to 78 high capacity shells left for 12 guns, for 6.5 salvos, so that be his error.

[@bkjeong4302]

Anthony Tully is the same guy who, on his battleship comparison page, claims that the KGVs had awful armour protection (when they're probably the best protected of the 1930s/40s battleships), that Yamato didn't have All-or-Nothing armour (when literally everything we know about the class suggests she did), and, IIRC, that the Japanese didn't have fire control computers at all (they did, what they didn't have was radar input for said computers). He really does mess up badly in many places. Hard to believe this is the same man who coauthored Shattered Sword.

[@jetdriver]

Link is broken.

[@pantherace1000]

Love the Babylon Five starfury on the top shelf.

[@davidbrennan660]

One of the better designs of Fighters ..... great man cave.

[@davidbrennan660]

It is a sweet gag, but then it would not be historically correct would it?,......I mean I like the Caunter camouflage scheme but I wouldn’t paint an Italiano L3-35 in it.....

[@watcherzero5256]

@Andreas Glad I really loved the Psi Corps livery, all black with a white Omega.

[@jonathan_60503]

@Andreas Glad Mine's about half built. I got to the point where it suggested that for more authenticity you could drill out the cannons; and then just paused - for a couple decades

[@zaraxxis1466]

Dang! I missed another one! Need to figure out the schedule for these. And of course with that new backgrounds I'm glad to see a nice NX-01 refit... Andddd I suddenly find myself asking if the wingspan of a Swordfish is narrow enough to fly through a Stargate. Either way, looking forward to watching this :D

[@CanuckWolfman]

Comparing the wingspan with a Puddle Jumper's beam, I'm afraid not. The Swordfish would clip her wings right off.

[@philvanderlaan5942]

The diameter of a normal stargate as shown in the show appears to be about 4 to 5 meters so fly through No, fit through with the wings folded maybe.

[@alexandersteel7272]

according to wikipedia the full size Stargate props were 22 feed in diameter and a Swordfish has a wingspan of 45ft 6 in, HOWEVER with wings folded the Swordfish is only 17 ft 3 in wide and 12ft 4in high so you could transport one through the gate but not fly it through

[@philvanderlaan5942]

@@alexandersteel7272 ok so as most of us surmised, you cant fly it through a stargate , as for transportation is the diameter you quote for the inner or outer diameter? The rings look to me to be about 2.5 feet wide if 22 feet is the outer diameter then that is cutting it real close, of course it would be doable if you just took the wings off and sent them through separately. So the real question is not can you get a string bag through a stargate it is what would a jafa stalf weapon do to it? Cause the whole aircraft to burst into flames or just singe little round holes in the skin. ( Stargate, H.M.S. Thunderchild, Drydock has taken a pretty sharp turn into SCI Fi is the next question going to be how long would it take to fit H.M.S. Hood with a wave motion gun and how many times the speed of light could she do? ( secretly hoping the answer is yes))

[@stevevalley7835]

On the question of Essex vs Yorktown class carriers, iirc, the Essex has staggered boiler and engine rooms, so one golden BB would not take out all the boilers or all the turbines. As long as you have power, keeping a ship afloat and moving becomes a lot easier.

[@ph89787]

Time constraints aside. I’m kinda disappointed that Hornet (CV-8) wasn’t made into some Yorktown/Essex hybrid.

[@ph89787]

Also Enterprise at the end of her 1943 refit was 1200 tonnes heavier.

[@Rauschgenerator]

Irn Bru. The best discovery I made when the first time being to Scotland. Nice landscape and people as well :-D

[@craiggilchrist4223]

The fleet air arm museum in Yeovil is one of the best museums in the country. Love it there.

[@colinhaggett8088]

British Majestic Class Light Fleet Carriers followed by that most successful sinker of destroyers since WW2 - HMAS Melbourne

[@VanderNugget]

Your voice says Brian Cox, but your face says Brian Blessed. Thanks for all the great content good sir!

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

Just checked out drachinifel.co.uk, was particularly amused by the 'forever' disclaimer at the bottom of the front page, 'In the event of the end of the world, content may be subject to change.' Nicely done Sir, nicely done.

[@edwardstables5153]

Panzerchocolate is probably the best thing I've heard today.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

The next best thing to Panzer Chocolate would be this en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scho-Ka-Kola Some of the best dark chocolate I have ever tasted. 1 tin probably packs the same punch as 3 cans of redbull!

[@nichtvorhanden5928]

I read a book some years ago. It was a biographic/autobiographic novel about 3 boys joining the Kriegsmarine some time before operation Cerberus and he mentions that sho-ka-cola was used on minesweepers and small harbour/coastal protection vessels.

[@robert506007]

You got Panzer Chocolate! I want some!

[@nichtvorhanden5928]

@@robert506007 Sho-KA-Kola is coffee in solid form with a good chunk of dark chocolate so no meth included. But I could imagine that it is tasty. The Meth thing was called Pervitin wich was medicine. There was chocolate with pervitin as ingridient but with other names.

[@Boxmediaphile]

@@jon-paulfilkins7820 many thanks for introducing me to this product

[@richardcutts196]

When it comes to HMS Incomparable, you forget, according to Jackie Fisher 'Speed is Armour'.

[@gerardmdelaney]

R & D is Sonja Hemphill, Baroness Low Dehli, Admiral of the Red, Fourth Space Lord, Royal Manticoran Navy.

[@ph89787]

2:04:30. Hornet weighing an extra 2000 tonnes is not out of the realm of possibility. Considering Enterprise post 1943 weighed 21,000 tonnes compared to her original 19,800. Most of it went into the torpedo bulge, more Anti-Air mounts and a larger flight deck. If Hornet was constructed to 21,800 tonnes. She would probably be something of a Yorktown/Essex Hybrid. Having the same basic design but probably slightly larger. This may include thicker torpedo belt or a bulge. Possibility of alternating the machinery spaces like what the did on Essex and maybe add in a deck edge elevator. If the 2000 tonnes went into better underwater protection and redundancy. She may have survived the Battle of Santa Cruz. Though would still be withdrawn from til 1943.

[@jonathan_60503]

On the Bismarck surrender scenario I just have this vision of the nearby little 240 foot USCGC Modoc leading the surrendered Bismarck back to the US :D

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

Late question for Drachinifel, A friend of mine last night introduced me to "Old Skool Iron Brew Gin Liqueur", I thought it was OK, but not my thing.What is your opinion on this, blasmephy that we must not mention again, or, an interesting proposition.

[@GLahlum]

Greetings from Boston, Massachusetts

[@georgewnewman3201]

Drach: In regards to this question "00:05:20 - German/Japanese refueling co-operation and combined German/Japanese Atlantic theatre of operations" As I see it there are 4 problems and you addressed 3 of them here and a fourth which I think you have addressed in future videos: (1) Britain letting Japan into the Med, (2) Japan wanting to go to the Med, (3) Germany/Japan having enough oil to get the IJN to the Med, and (4) Germany/Italy/Japan having enough tankers/fleet oilers to get IJN to the med. Before Dec 7, the move with German/Italian ships will tip off the British of the alliance; after Dec 7, full kill attacks on the IJN as soon as they try to get into the Med. As you said, under the "Greater Asian Co-Operation Sphere" doctrine, the Japanese have no interest in affairs outside of the Pacific except when they impact Japan/Pacific area. Neither nation has the oil to get the IJN to the Med, but they can stop at DEI (Borneo) to top off their oilers, but I'm not sure even that would give them the range to get the IJN to the Med.

[@therepguy1]

Good evening (as my clock here in Houston moves showing in the direction of 1AM).

[@richardcutts196]

I was under the impression that the French Pre-Dreadnought strategy was to create ships so hideous that the enemy couldn't bring themselves to look at them. Then sink the enemy while their gaze was averted.

[@jamesb4789]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Imperial Russia used French battleships and the Japanese sank them!.

[@jonathanerickson1543]

That first question is a serious what if.... hindsight 20/20

[@michaelkaylor6770]

@drachinifel any question? “With your current knowledge, how do you get Adm Jellico to listen to you about what Beatty, and lesser his flag officer, are doing to the Battle Cruisers at Jutland?”

[@jon750t]

NX-01 refit! Nice! A video over the Enterprise Drach style would be fun.

[@johnfisher9692]

What is you favorite capital ship from Babylon5? Any navy, Earth, Narn, Centauri, Minbari etc, you can even include the first one's/ I loved the Narn Heavy Cruiser, it was a nice design and the outrage one causes Londo when Sheridan protected it.

[@paulbrozyna3006]

He was asked in a previous video, Omega class and Warlock class.

[@VintageCarHistory]

Stars and Bars is the colloquial term for the Confederate flag during Lincoln's war. There is a large portion of the US population that was not offended but rather was quite tickled.

[@PSPaaskynen]

As to a vice versa between German 88mm and naval forces, in 1940 a Dutch gunboat (3 x 150mm) silenced a German 88mm battery in the North of the Netherlands. Just days later a German 88mm battery forced a Dutch minelayer (3 x 75mm) to scuttle in the South of the Netherlands.

[@M167A1]

During the invasion of Panama a classmate of mine sunk a Panamanian patrol boat with a 20 mm Vulcan cannon.

[@jayfelsberg1931]

Keep in mind that the German Imperial Navy also named battleships and light cruisers after states and cities respectively.

[@Kellen6795]

Another thing with the PE being with the Bismarck is if it DOES still take that torpedo, it can be helped along closer to the French ports before the Royal Navy catches up. Also more people to think of options for how to fix the rudder issue as well as more fuel available that can be transferred if they really need to.

[@Kellen6795]

@Andreas Glad Something like that but if they can't fix it they can attach tow lines to the PE and the power of both ships engines should have no problem going against the force of the rudder to keep it on course

[@Kellen6795]

If someone knows what video it's from I want to watch that one again :3

[@bluemarlin8138]

But Bismarck would be less likely to have been able to evade the tail from Norfolk, Suffolk, and POW in the first place with PE tagging along. And if Biz doesn’t lose them then it never gets that close to France in the first place.

[@Kellen6795]

@@bluemarlin8138 Why would it not be able to avoid the tail then? The PE as far as I know is both smaller and Faster then the Biz making it in theory a non issue.

[@bluemarlin8115]

@@Kellen6795 They can only move as fast as the slowest ship. And in any event, two ships moving probably a mile or so apart are going to be easier to spot with either radar or the eye than one ship.

[@geoffreyyang5906]

Drach just looks like your chill friend and super nice person type of guy

[@davidbrennan660]

Close up for Action! Special on HVAC and Refrigeration? You interest me strangely Sir! When the odd fire work goes off the turrets track as per Drachs’s fire control protocol. Drach has reference libraries like a Battleship has Magazines for various turrets of various batteries. #allhailtheblackburnblackburn.

[@na3044]

That a starfury up there on the shelf? Kudos!

[@Kapitaen_Flauschbart]

Greetings there! Thats some nice content over the years, many thanks for that! Thats a nice looking star fury too, I just cant remenber, which nation had that during WWII? :-P

[@cdogger4078]

If you do visit California, you should definitely check out the USS Hornet (CV-12) in Alameda - it's very close to San Francisco, in fact better than San Francisco because you see San Francisco without having to be in San Francisco. Very good dim sum as well.

[@JazzWithJakeInSF]

Then he'd miss the Maritime Museum, along with the Jeremiah Johnson and the U.S.S. Pompano. Oh, and even better dim sum.

[@michaellewis1545]

A Starfury, Death Glider, along with videos on Warhammer 40K ships. I must complement you are your excellent taste in Scfi properties.

[@davidbrennan660]

Drach, keeps up with all current and projected developments in ship doctrine and technology.

[@nicholusmenard9176]

Where did you acquire the gun turrets?

[@ComradeBenedict]

5 minute guides on dinosaurs when?

[@Depipro]

I'm sure Stars and Bars is a thing, but it's for when US sailors are off-duty I suspect. ;)

[@ogscarl3t375]

Hopefully someone will make a timeline for us here in the comments to make getting to the subjects discussed that we are most interested in easier :D

[@collins.4380]

I know that Corellian Corvette (and its stand) from anywhere, Drach. Do you play or just collect X-Wing miniatures?

[@JackDrinkn2DollarJim]

The Japanese fleet in the Mediterranean would also suffer from incompatible ammunition and parts and the rich European food would cause no end of troubles for crew readiness.

[@robertseum1279]

Better yet when the USN replaced the 40mm Bofors with the 3" autos, helped with aa but how did that affect anti ship

[@toddwebb7521]

Well a 3" is capable of hurting an unarmored ship like a destroyer and unarmored parts of battleships and cruisers like the bridge and fire control so if they either have a surface action mode or even manual aiming option they would pretty much render torpedo runs by destroyers or torpedo boats dead as a viable tactic.

[@Keaperman]

Regarding the Swordfish model. If it is what I think, from what I can see, there is a great 1/72 die-cast available from a reliable eBay store.

[@eric24567]

Enjoy that Sweden trip and please stay safe. US of A looks about as safe as a seemingly deserted wolf's den right now though, as much as I hate to say.

[@jayfelsberg1931]

Bypassing is;lands....well, Peleliu was where the 1st Marine Division was basically decimated (6,500 casualties one-third of the division), and three others (3rd, 4th and 5th) suffered equally bad casualties at Iwo Jima (26,040 total casualties, 6,821 killed). Marine divisions at this time were about 18,000 men, so the US basically decimated four divisions. to take two tiny islands. One was of very questionable strategic worth and the rationale for Iwo was to give damaged USAF aircraft a place to land coming back from Japan. Do the math...

[@charleshite7707]

Yes sir you r on

[@georgewnewman3201]

02:03:09 - Would there have been a major difference to Pacific Theatre strategy if the US had reinforced and defended Wake Island? There may have been some plans before Dec 7, but those were discarded due to Dec 7 events. The first Japanese invasion attempt on Dec 11 was repulsed. There was then an attempt to reinforce Wake using USS Tangier to carry the second battalion of 1st Marine Defense Battalion and USS Saratoga carrying more Wildcats to reinforce the Wake air group plus escorts, but they did not leave Pearl until Dec 15. As the Kido Butai is passing near Wake on their return from the Pearl Harbor attack, the carriers Sōryū and Hiryū and escorts are detached to aid land based bomber groups from the Marshall Islands/Kwajalein hitting the island on a daily basis since Dec 8. The USN/USMC relief force was still enroute but recalled on Dec 22 then the second amphibious assault was successfully carried out on Dec 23. Trade routes to Australia - all but one of the trans-Pacific trade routes to US had been cut prior to Guadalcanal campaign.

[@nickierv13]

Question for the drydock: With the recent mention of nuclear 16" shells and just how well ships can tank nuclear blasts outside of basically point blank hits, how viable is a nuclear torpedo? Obviously the ship that gets hit suffers critical existence failure, but it seems like it will suffer the same problem of unless the ships are running each other over, its 1 hit 1 kill. Enter the obvious issues with WW2 era torpedo. Hypothetical: WW2 either starts late or is running long, the US (BuOrd is assigned to bilge pumping detail or can make good torpedoes), Germany and Japan (shared technology) manage to make a Mk27 (US)/T5(axis) equivalent guidance with Davy Crockett (~20T) yield warhead. Assuming the warheads are as clean as conventional weapons are these of any use in either a very limited use (say a dozen at most per side) or if both sides are able to make them only slightly slower than conventional options (all the ships get at least a few). Any major changes that need to be made assuming someone is willing to use the silver bullets (too valuable) or do things devolve to everyone throwing nuclear torpedoes around?

[@bluemarlin8138]

Well, just look at Operation Crossroads to see the difference between an airburst nuke and an underwater one. Test Able did mostly superficial damage and irradiated the outer surfaces and lightly protected areas of the ships except for the ones nearest the blast. Had a crew been on board, most would have been protected from the worst effects of the blast and radiation. On the other hand, test Baker threw ships in the air and caused much more damage to the ones nearby due to the weight and incompressibility of water. Moreover, even if the ship survives, all the irradiated water thrown into the air could get into any seams opened up by the blast, as well as radioactive steam getting into the ship’s ventilation system. If that happens, then the crew is going to be severely affected by radiation. Also, even if you towed the ship back to a port where radiation could be kept away from the population, it wouldn’t be practical or safe to clean it out if radioactive water and steam has infiltrated a bunch of interior spaces. So a nuclear torpedo is pretty viable IMO.

[@nickierv13]

@@bluemarlin8138 I sort of hand waved the fallout issue for reasons, but I was thinking of the Baker test exactly for the water incomprehensibility. But my hypothetical 20T warhead is 1000x smaller to account for size issues. But there is still the issue of ship density, Yes Jutland had ships about to run each other over, but that is battleship grade construction. DDs and merchants are going to be CEF, but even in convoy... 1, maybe 2 per shot. It just seems like overkill in the lines of 'make everything nuclear , needed or not'

[@bluemarlin8115]

@@nickierv13 yeah, I think I was really tired when I responded and basically zoned out after the first couple of sentences. To answer your actual question, I don't think a 20T yield nuclear torpedo would be all that viable to take out a fleet or squadron unless it was in a very close-quarters situation like Iron Bottom Sound. In the open sea, the ships are likely going to be too far apart for the blast to seriously damage multiple ones. Even if you took fallout into account, as long as the ships quickly batten down the hatches they might be able to keep any radioactive steam or spray from entering the crew spaces, and then they could just wash the ship down once they got out of the area. If, as you said, there were only a few of them on each side, I'd think they'd be used either (1) in very confined waters, (2) against major targets, or (3) in sneak attacks against ships in harbor or port infrastructure.

[@ovk-ih1zp]

With the apparent election win of the Biden/Harris team to the Presidency give your America trip at an absolute minimum of late spring. It's pretty much a guarantee that they will at least attempt to force another lock down for a minimum of 3 months after the end of January 2021. So I wouldn't schedule anything till late April or early may no matter what.

[@michalsoukup1021]

@Andreas Glad Caps lock won't make your arguments more factually correct. Nor is it gonna get you many fans around these parts of KZbin...

[@ovk-ih1zp]

@Andreas Glad I wouldn't both placing any money on Barrett or Roberts actually following the Constitution IF any of Trumps suits get in front of SCOTUS. I expect to see a 6-3 loss for Trump simply because both of those two are establishment hacks that are more concerned about their careers & historical legacies than the law or the Constitution. When an assorted high 100's of billions are putting ALL their support behind a candidate, people with a little bit of power seem to just go with the flow & hope to pick up a little more green & a bit more power & Biden/Harris HAS that billions of support behind them.

[@tomhsia4354]

@@michalsoukup1021 Yeah, Drach's fans are fans of facts and memes based on facts. Evidence or it didn't happen. Comments like Andreas Glad's make me worry that if Biden wins the election, Trump supporters will riot. Biden supporters may also riot if Trump wins, I don't know. The US is basically a powder keg with two boxes of matches sitting atop right now, it's frightening living north of the border.

[@michalsoukup1021]

@Andreas Glad I used argument in the sense of "statement supportive of X" Not in the sense of fighting words, for that miscommunication I apologise. hope you still manage to have a nice evening.

[@michalsoukup1021]

@Andreas Glad I would know quite well as I am something of NRA type in Czechia (we have sane gun law that essentially demands a permit for most cartridge stuff but it is "must issue" unless you are a felon or a psycho). Good luck with that Starfury, and hope that when the smoke clears up that you find the elections were valid. closing on 50 valid elections for a single office is not a track record I would like losing.

[@reginaldbentworth9159]

2:08:30 "captain sisko" and thats when i fell in love with drac

[@nathanbrown8680]

He is the sort of solid and aggressive leader you want for that era. Unfortunately, I don't recall any evidence he knows one end of a sailing ship from the other. No, this is a job for Picard. IIRC one of his hobbies is playing age of sail naval captain on the holodeck. That means that, almost unique among SF captains, he knows what to do with a ship. A lot of the RMN from the Honor Harrington books did yachting at the academy, but a yacht is not a frigate. I think, though, that since any genre is allowed it might be useful to put, oh I don't know, Horatio Hornblower in some role. I think some of the other captains in the series are based on real people, but Hornblower himself is fictional.

[@richardmeyeroff7397]

@@nathanbrown8680 If you remember Sisko built and sailed with his son a solar sail ship between Bajor and Cardasia.

[@Boxmediaphile]

48:30 interesting that WW1 haunted innovation while WW2 innovations were quite quick during that war

[@briancox2721]

After capture, what does the Bismarck get renamed to for commissioning into the USN, and then renamed again for RN use?

[@AndrewPalmerMTL]

re WW1 moustaches at about 2:12 - the "Hitler moustache" was a mark of a WW1 veteran, as it was the most moustache the German army generally accepted (the big waxed moustache wasn't allowed for gas reasons). So the fact that Hitler kept it was a way of him signalling "I'm a veteran".

[@RemusKingOfRome]

There's those cutting-edge British aircraft again - Fulmar, swordfish and ...... ????

[@RadioactiveSherbet]

If Japan were to try to rush the Suez Canal or the Straits of Gibraltar, I could see the British dumping their entire stockpile of mines in the way, and worry about cleaning it up at their leisure.

[@tonyvancampen-noaafederal2640]

Stars and Bars -- LOL "we are amused." you did just come out of a bunch of counter factual questions so we'll allow you one alternate victor for the war of "Northern Aggression."

[@joealmond8608]

Hello from Texas

[@robertseum1279]

How many of the Warspite's records were the QE class ship and from the others of her name

[@GLahlum]

It is working

[@peterdiaz3796]

Has drach ever addressed how he lives? He’s an engineer, married, paints miniatures, and puts in so much work for his naval history hobby. How does he balance it all?

[@chriscw3487]

i have often wondered how he make the time ...."makes the time" ...engineer ...hummmm

[@Khalifrio]

Gotta love a man with a Starfury model.

[@larrytrail2865]

Well, it hasn't been easy but I've bingewatched every episode of "The Drydock" since episode 1. And it's taken almost 3 months. Not only that but I shared "The Drydock" with my (now former) friends as they're too busy watching to be friends,,,,

[@CTXSLPR]

Have to ask, Why Atlanta with 5in vs. Dido with 4.5in?

[@alganhar1]

I personally think facial hair going out of style during WWI was not as much due to gas masks as people assume, primarily because most gast masks of the era did not in fact create a gas tight seal. I have a reproduction British Box Respirator, circa 1918, and it is a horrifying thing. While the mask itself will form moderate protection against gas, it is not air tight. They work by filtering the air through the external 'box', there is a tube which is held in the mouth, rather like a snorkel, and a metal clip that holds the nose closed. The tube runs into the box which is basically full of carbon and other neutralising chemicals. All in all rather crude, though effective. They are nasty, uncomfortable things to wear for any length of time, even if you are not trying to run through No Mans Land, with your perspiration fogging up the eye glass and the circulation through the respirator box being rather less than optimal! Personally I think facial hair went out of fashion in the army not because it stopped a gas seal, but because its seriously damned uncomfortable to be wearing one of those god aweful respirators with a full beard and tach! Take it from me, I know, and I was only sitting in my living room with the damned thing, not running, jumping, diving for cover and otherwise trying to avoid all that unpleasantness being sent your way! EDIT: Oh, also... LICE..... Lice were impossible to avoid in the trenhes, they would be bad enough in your hair, could you imagine how bad they would be in a beard and tach as well?

[@phluphie]

Holy crap! You have a Starfury! Where'd you get a Starfury?

[@ritaloy8338]

That DiHydrogen Oxide can be deadly.

[@presidentmerkinmuffley6769]

So many useless deaths... if only we could find a solution for this scourge.

[@MartinCHorowitz]

If you were put in charge of the Japanese Navy wouldn't better damage control procedures be a priority?

[@MartinCHorowitz]

Do we get a special on jobs done by Dinosaurs in the Royal Navy?

[@thomaslinton1001]

Light level keeps going bright and dim. ?

[@LostBeaver]

Ankylosaurus is clearly the best dinosaur

[@gazeboist4535]

Don't you guys have a rhyme about not forgetting Guy Fawkes Day in particular?

[@Itsme-t4v4t]

Are you the dracnifiel That guy I am seeing in this video???

[@kurumi394]

Yes

[@RobertEliason]

Nice stargate! :D

[@Duececoupe]

I find your lack of Bismarck and HMS Hood in 1/200....disturbing! 😉😆😂

[@richardorta8960]

jealous of the beard if only mine was half as nice

[@andrewdesmarais737]

Stars and bars ain’t too bad

[@caminojohn3240]

So you're coming to the USA? If you make it to SF, I would love to meet you since I'm in Sacramento. I assume you're hitting the SS Jeremiah O Brien. Took the tour years ago but to see a working triple expansion engine is worth it. The joke on board is the lead weight balast came from Hanford so all the rats glow at night. Also if you hit Fredericksburg Texas to see the WWII museum of the Pacific, plan 1.5 days so you can take in the Battlefield Pacific Museum up the street.

[@karlthekillergamer]

Did the german fleet at scapa flow have is magazines filled if not they lets sat they did. Could they have done a surprise attack on the British fleet or fire on the shore or even trying a suicide explode near a ship

[@v8mufflerboy84]

Panzer Schokolade could be a winner edible today

[@dezeekat]

STARS N BARZZ

[@richardcutts196]

Alt Battle of Samar as WoWS?

[@nomar5spaulding]

When I heard "stars and bars" I almost had to go back in time 13 months to kick the ass of my favorite KZbinr.

[@craighagenbruch3800]

had the bismarck survived and made it to France what would have been the next step for her

[@clangerbasher]

Visits from the RAF.......... :)

[@jochenheiden]

Looking for someone in the UK to import some IRN BRU to Southern California for me!!

[@michaelkaylor6770]

Probably hide like the Tirpitz!

[@philvanderlaan5942]

@Andreas Glad embarrass everyone by mooning Dover castle at high speed in broad daylight.

[@scottgiles7546]

@Andreas Glad 5 ton bomb....?? Just have one swordfish show up and watch them sweat!

[@calvingreene90]

If CV(N)-65 Enterprise was still carrying A-4 Skyhawks when brought back to WWII the USofA would probably would have been able to get the Skyhawks into production within a year. Do to the fact that the plane was designed as a lightweight Mig killer it would make an excellent fighter and bomber in WWII even if the performance was degraded by an under performing engine.

[@PepRock01]

Starfury FTW!

[@dM0PvEShzCR]

Babylon 5 it is )

[@PepRock01]

I had a model of one that I built but sadly it broke years ago.

[@paulbrozyna3006]

+1 For Starfury.