Cruisers and cruiser actions

Norfolk's shells were magic. They automatically hit battleships in the worst possible place.

 

Magic shells

But could they turn through 90 degrees and go straight down the stacks???

:lol:

 

Re: Magic shells

Sure, you can laugh, but I did have one person try to argue that Hood was sunk by friendly fire from one of the shadowing cruisers.

 

Re: Magic shells

I think I remember that discussion - weren't StarBattlecruisers mentioned at one point??

 

Re: Magic shells

I may have intimated some Klingon involvement.
It was my finest hour.

 

Before we get too silly ( ), could somebody please explain about HMS Norfolk?

 

What we're refering to is the County Class heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk. Norfolk was the first ship to sight the Bismark and it is believed shot away one of Bismarks primary fire control positions thus taking away her ability to shoot acturately. Later in the war Norfolk was one of three RN cruisers that engaged the Scharnhorst. Again Norfolk shot away a primary fire control position and probably crippled Scharnhorst's radar thus allowing HMS Duke of York to get the drop on her.

 

Re: Magic shells

I mentioned an Imperial Star Destroyer; much cooler than a Klingon ship, IMHO.

 

Wow! Nice shooting, NORFOLK!!! 8)

 

I guess we can consider the Norfolk the "lucky ship", but "luck" usually goes to the aggressor. It also helps that the Norfolk's excellent radar system enabled it to track the Bismarck and Scharnhorst while staying out of firing range and choose when to engage.

 

Not with Bismark it didn't. At that stage Norfolk only had a forward fixed navigation radar. Usefull for stopping you from sailing into something like, say a country but useless for search roles. Suffolk was the vessel that had the search radar so severly screw things up for Bismark.

 

Were either of the 2 cruisers hit by Bismarck during their "shadowing" operation? Did anyone else besides the Hood and Prince of Whales got hit during the Bismarck's breakout?

 

Prince of Whales... :lol:

Neither Suffolk or Norfolk were hit by Bismarck (or PE). Well, Bismarck got hit during this breakout. Norfolk knocked out Bismarck's radar and PoW hit Bismarck three times.

 

Pacific Cruiser Actions

Light cruiser HMAS Sydney engaged the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran (ex-Steiermark) about 150 miles west of Shark Bay, Western Australia, 19 November, 1941. With both ships moving SW at 15 knots, Sydney closed to within one mile of Komoran, which was pretending to be a Dutch merchantman. Unable to properly identify herself as a Dutch, Kormoran surprised Sydney and opened fire at 1730 at a range of 1640 yards with her starboard battery and launched two torpedoes, one of which hit. In about one hour Kormoran fired over 450 150mm shells obtaining numerous hits on Sydney. Early hits probably damaged Sydney's forward turrets and bridge, possibly accounting for the lack of return fire from the Sydney. Kormoran was damaged badly damaged by three six inch hits from Sydney's aft turret and with uncontrollable fires raging, was abandoned and scuttled around 2400. Survivors from Kormoran reported that Sydney was last seen, on fire and heavily down by the bows, as a burning glow on the horizon. The Sydney and her crew of 645 were never seen again, the greatest loss of life suffered in the loss of an Australian ship. All 315 Kormoran survivors were captured.

 

Not quiet right. Norfolk was the first British ship to spot Bismark when she emerged from a fog bank. Bismark took a pop Norfolk and unfortunately for her the recoil knocked out her own forward radar. So I don't think we can give Norfolk credit for this one unless we believe she was so dangerous to Battleship she just had to get close to start doing damage .

 

Ah, I think you're on to something. Norfolk was actually a carrier of a deadly battleship virus.
The hit that Norfolk did get on Bismarck (later, in the final fight) hit the forward (main) FC director. I believe this also killed the gunnery officer.

 

Another vain attempt to get off the silly Norfolk thread:

Here's an action in which the cruisers really distingusehed themselves:

24 January, 1942, USN Night raid on Japanese shipping at Balikpapan Borneo
USN DDs John D. Ford, Pope, Parrott, and Paul Jones under USN Commander P.H.Talbot attacked Japanese troop transports escorted by destroyers.
CL Boise did not participate due to straining her bottom plates on an uncharted rock. Boise left the far east for repairs.
CL Marblehead developed engine trouble and returned to Surabaya.
After firing 48 torpedoes, the destroyers opened fire with their deck guns. At least two (Morrison claims four and a patrol craft) Japanese transports were sunk and an undetermined number damaged. A Dutch submarine watching the action reported 13 Japanese ships sunk, including a destroyer. USN losses were one hit on John D. Ford, with one KIA and three MIA. It is interesting to imagine what could have happened if Boise and Marblehead had been able to join the fun.

 

You are probably right, I'm not very familiar with that incident.

 

The damage inflicted on the Japanese would have likely been a lot worse had the two cruisers been able to join in the festivities. It might also have been worse had the American destroyers been equipped with decent torpedoes at the time! Bloody Bureau of Ordnance! :angry:

What's really sad about this engagement is that despite the courage and skill of the American sailors, this battle didn't even slow the Japanese invasion down one bit.

 

The torpedoes used aboard the old flushdeckers were perfectly okay. They were not carrying the dreaded Mk 15 that caused so many troubles for modern DD.
I do not like any scenario that forces an Omaha into serious combat. Marblehead herself was nearly destroyed by bombs weighing about the same as 5in shells--two hits and one near miss.