Most fearsome ship navigating the Atlantic??

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Kaan Caglar
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Most fearsome ship navigating the Atlantic??

#1

Post by Kaan Caglar » 04 May 2004, 22:51

Hi,
I wonder; What was the most fearsome ship navigated the Atlantic throughout the war?? I mean what was the ship that all the others were afraid to counter in the whole war period?
Except the Bismarck and U-boats :)
Best Regards
Kaan
Last edited by Kaan Caglar on 06 May 2004, 10:42, edited 1 time in total.

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Windward
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#2

Post by Windward » 05 May 2004, 04:59

RMS Queen Mary, for she was nightmare of every U-boat captain and RN light cruiser capitan, especially captain of HMS Curacao. :lol:

Just kidding. Maybe Tirpitz?


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redcoat
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Re: Most fearsome ship navigating the Atlantic??

#3

Post by redcoat » 06 May 2004, 10:27

Kaan Caglar wrote:Hi,
I wonder; What was the most fearsome battleship navigated the Atlantic throughout the war??
Best Regards
Kaan
Not a battleship, but how about HMS Starling, Captain Walkers ship.
It frightened the hell out of the U-boat crews :wink:

Kaan Caglar
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#4

Post by Kaan Caglar » 06 May 2004, 10:40

Very true :lol:
Maybe I should change it to "Ship" then "battleship".
Best Regards

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Englander
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#5

Post by Englander » 06 May 2004, 12:18

Not a battleship, but how about HMS Starling, Captain Walkers ship.
The Great man commanded a group of ships!

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redcoat
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#6

Post by redcoat » 06 May 2004, 16:22

Englander wrote:
Not a battleship, but how about HMS Starling, Captain Walkers ship.
The Great man commanded a group of ships!
Yes, from HMS Starling :roll:

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Englander
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#7

Post by Englander » 06 May 2004, 18:01

What bit didn't you understand!
HMS Starling, Captain Walkers ship.
It frightened the hell out of the U-boat crews
Don't you think the other ships counted? Wild Goose, Cygnet, Wren, Woodpecker and Kite. This proved to be a formidable team.

So the U-boats would be frightened of the escort group commanded by Walker. Jesus!

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Lord Gort
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#8

Post by Lord Gort » 06 May 2004, 19:32

Redcoat, you ok, I mean thats quite a sarcasm streak you got there.

is it because the big museum in Stockport is the all glorious "Hat Museum"!! :D :lol: :lol:


regards,

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Tim Smith
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#9

Post by Tim Smith » 10 May 2004, 19:27

Tirpitz .... and she never navigated the Atlantic once! :lol:

But she was the most feared! :lol:

So much so that the British went to the trouble of developing a whole class of midget submarines (X-craft) and a 10,000 pound Tallboy bomb just for her benefit! :lol: Not to mention keeping a powerful battle fleet of battleships and a carrier at Scapa just in case she broke out! The British Admiralty remained obsessed with Tirpitz for three whole years.

The British abandoned and scattered convoy PQ17 on the mere THREAT of Tirpitz coming out of her Norwegian lair! Tirpitz went straight back home, never sighting a single British ship - while U-boats and bombers massacred the defenseless merchants.

Considering the immense effort and expense that the British put into keeping Tirpitz OUT of the Atlantic, I think she justified her building costs several times over!

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Luftman129
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#10

Post by Luftman129 » 10 May 2004, 20:59

Would have to be the surface raiders.

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#11

Post by varjag » 11 May 2004, 12:58

I would humbly suggest the four IOWA-class battleships that transited the Atlantic for lack of worthy opponents - to the Pacific. Apart from the two YAMATO's they were matchless.

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genstab
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#12

Post by genstab » 24 Jun 2004, 16:49

varjag wrote:I would humbly suggest the four IOWA-class battleships that transited the Atlantic for lack of worthy opponents - to the Pacific. Apart from the two YAMATO's they were matchless.
Exactly! I was waiting for someone to mention them. Aside from heading for the Panama Canal though, I believe only the Iowa herself crossed the Atlantic- to take FDR to one of his conferences in 1943-Teheran? I understand a special bathtub installed for him is still on board.

USS Washington also worked with the British Home Fleet in 1942; if she had met Tirpitz I believe she would have prevailed. But she doesn't compare to the Iowa, which has to be the most powerful warship to have appeared in the Atlantic war zone, albeit briefly.

Best regards,
Genstab

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Andy H
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#13

Post by Andy H » 25 Jun 2004, 04:17

Depends on your definition of fearsome. Certainly the case for the Iowa's when comparing like for like is compelling.

However if you had one of 3 ships to command against the others, would you choose a Battleship, a Fleet A/C or the most modern U-Boat?

Andy H

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#14

Post by varjag » 25 Jun 2004, 14:05

Yep - let's keep the thread going...but Kaan did initially ask 'what would u most dread....' I suppose to spot at dawn - ten knots away and with the matelots NOT wearing my uniform. IF it had been the ENTERPRISE/YORKTOWN/HORNET I would net even have spotted them before I was badly hurt by their planes, because they would'nt be stupid enough to let me that close. But if my life depended on it - put me on one of the IOWA's and let 'em come, BISMARCKS/KGV's/NELSON's/Roma's - I'd take my chances on what I've learnt about battleships.

kelty90
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#15

Post by kelty90 » 30 Jun 2004, 09:54

From the Germans point of view, how about the US Liberty Ships as the most fearsome thing!.
Cheap, mass-produced, easily replaced if sunk...and conveying US military might; men and equipment, to Britain and later Europe.
There is also a case to be made for US trucks as being the most "fearsome" item of Allied land equipment (how else would the Red Army have got to Berlin?).

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