Effects of capturing a battleship in combat

Imho, the greates usefullness would be inteligence gathering: the chance to get hands on testing of the enemy guns, engines, fire control, etc. With some luck, even grabbing logs, code books, maintenance manuals, store lists...

As for repairing it, you have a ship for which you do not not have spare parts for the main systems (engines, fire control, etc) or (most likely) compatible ammo. So you'd have to pretty much rebuild it with your equipment, which will greatly increase the cost and time.
 
The Bombardment of the Hartlepools might be a option. If the German ships come in too close the water gets very shallow (The dredged channel into the port was only 20ft deep), if the tide's wrong a ship could easily ground on the rocks. Plenty have on the Longscar rocks over the years.
 
The Bombardment of the Hartlepools might be a option. If the German ships come in too close the water gets very shallow (The dredged channel into the port was only 20ft deep), if the tide's wrong a ship could easily ground on the rocks. Plenty have on the Longscar rocks over the years.

Now that would be a tadd embarrassing....
 

JSchafer

Banned
Thanks all for answers. To lead the discussion in a certain direction suppose that Bismarck surrendered after being disabled and didn’t scuttle. What impact does it have on British public and war effort as well as navy. And secondly suppose that after Hood blew up Prince of Wales was disabled and surrendered to Germans. What happens now with Bismarck itself, reactions in Britain and back in Germany etc?
 
Thanks all for answers. To lead the discussion in a certain direction suppose that Bismarck surrendered after being disabled and didn’t scuttle. What impact does it have on British public and war effort as well as navy. And secondly suppose that after Hood blew up Prince of Wales was disabled and surrendered to Germans. What happens now with Bismarck itself, reactions in Britain and back in Germany etc?

How was it going to surrender? When being pounded the smoke, debris, etc would make any attempt to signal difficult at the ranes they were being engaged at by multiple ships. The British just wanted to destroy it. They succeeded in doing that.
 
Thanks all for answers. To lead the discussion in a certain direction suppose that Bismarck surrendered after being disabled and didn’t scuttle. What impact does it have on British public and war effort as well as navy.
After sinking the Hood, the crew of the Bismarck knew what to expect. No-one was going to accept a surrender.

And secondly suppose that after Hood blew up Prince of Wales was disabled and surrendered to Germans. What happens now with Bismarck itself, reactions in Britain and back in Germany etc?
Why? Even if she were totally disabled, there were plenty of other British ships in the area, and Bismarck couldn't hang around.

More generally, neither the various Germany Navies nor the RN had a tradition of surrendering. It just wasn't done. On the rare occasions it happened, it was in very unusual circumstances.
 
To lead the discussion in a certain direction suppose that Bismarck surrendered after being disabled and didn’t scuttle. What impact does it have on British public and war effort as well as navy.

The painting of a pummeled and battered Bismarck being towed into Portsmouth replaces this as the UK most favorite naval painting
330px-Turner%2C_J._M._W._-_The_Fighting_T%C3%A9m%C3%A9raire_tugged_to_her_last_Berth_to_be_broken_%28cropped%29.jpg
 
The painting of a pummeled and battered Bismarck being towed into Portsmouth replaces this as the UK most favorite naval painting
330px-Turner%2C_J._M._W._-_The_Fighting_T%C3%A9m%C3%A9raire_tugged_to_her_last_Berth_to_be_broken_%28cropped%29.jpg

Every Condor, JU88, Uboat and surface ship in France and the North Atlantic would be sent to make sure Bismarck never reached the UK.
 
The RN hunting groups are almost out of fuel and low on ammunition.
What surface units could the KM send out for a rescue party?

All all kinds of 3 wheel Enigma 'encrypted' traffic with 'Bismarck' in it will be very helpful to the codebreakers
 
suppose that after Hood blew up Prince of Wales was disabled and surrendered to Germans.

Not bloody likely, if for no other reason that Prince of Wales's surviving officers would be bynged the moment the RN got their hands on them.

But I can think of two possible butterflies if POW was taken by the Germans.

1. No Force Z: KGV is the only other modern battleship available, so the RN tells Churchill they cannot spare it for one of his pet projects

2. Maybe no Falklands War: Capt. Leach, POW's commanding officer, had a son, Henry, who finished his naval career as First Sea Lord during the Falklands War. He's the one who actually convinced Thatcher to try and retake the islands. If his father had allowed POW to be captured, I doubt if his career in the RN would take him much past lieutenant. With a different person as First Sea Lord in April 1982, there may not have a Falklands War
 
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