Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
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Story 1803
Northeast Makassar Strait 2045 January 2, 1943
Men were drinking tea and eating rice balls. They had been at their battle stations for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine action during the daylight. Since dusk, shifts had been rotating for food and short rests. A third of the guns were manned and ready, while the rest would be ready to shoot in mere minutes. This quasi-relaxed state aboard the mighty Yamato would cease in another hour as the main turrets would be fully manned and buttoned up. Until then, the crews could rest so that they could shoot their best tonight.
The drone of engines broke the quiet of the night. Sharped eyed look-outs were straining their night adjusted eyes to connect noise with objects. The pale sliver of a moon did not help. The first machine guns did not fire until after an Avenger from Ark Royal had dropped a string of flares between the two columns of battleships.
Hyuga was bathed in the descending glare. She turned out of line and guns started to fire in the general direction of the anticipated attack. Every second brought her bow slightly more to the west while the rest of the fleet continued to head south. Every second brought another gun on line. Star shells were now being fired by her secondary battery and the brilliant white light offered glimpses of stubby attackers skittering along the surface like dragonflies hunting a meal. A brilliant red ball erupted as somehow shells intersected with an attacker.
It did not matter. Ten torpedoes were in the water. Eight torpedoes were running close to the track of the battleship, two were clearly ahead as the pilots had not anticipated the turn. The attacking squadron turned away even before a pair of detonations caused an impromptu braking by seawater to slow the battleship from twenty three knots to twelve knots. Power was out in half the ship and an engine room was flooding from the damage. Within minutes, damage control crews had isolated the damage and dogged every hatch as they then started to battle to save their ship and themselves.
Seven miles away, Yamato continued south even as more aircraft engines were heard and a few blips were seen on radars.
Men were drinking tea and eating rice balls. They had been at their battle stations for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine action during the daylight. Since dusk, shifts had been rotating for food and short rests. A third of the guns were manned and ready, while the rest would be ready to shoot in mere minutes. This quasi-relaxed state aboard the mighty Yamato would cease in another hour as the main turrets would be fully manned and buttoned up. Until then, the crews could rest so that they could shoot their best tonight.
The drone of engines broke the quiet of the night. Sharped eyed look-outs were straining their night adjusted eyes to connect noise with objects. The pale sliver of a moon did not help. The first machine guns did not fire until after an Avenger from Ark Royal had dropped a string of flares between the two columns of battleships.
Hyuga was bathed in the descending glare. She turned out of line and guns started to fire in the general direction of the anticipated attack. Every second brought her bow slightly more to the west while the rest of the fleet continued to head south. Every second brought another gun on line. Star shells were now being fired by her secondary battery and the brilliant white light offered glimpses of stubby attackers skittering along the surface like dragonflies hunting a meal. A brilliant red ball erupted as somehow shells intersected with an attacker.
It did not matter. Ten torpedoes were in the water. Eight torpedoes were running close to the track of the battleship, two were clearly ahead as the pilots had not anticipated the turn. The attacking squadron turned away even before a pair of detonations caused an impromptu braking by seawater to slow the battleship from twenty three knots to twelve knots. Power was out in half the ship and an engine room was flooding from the damage. Within minutes, damage control crews had isolated the damage and dogged every hatch as they then started to battle to save their ship and themselves.
Seven miles away, Yamato continued south even as more aircraft engines were heard and a few blips were seen on radars.
IJN
Optics superb.
Radar shit.
VS
RN
Optics good.
Radar superb.
&
USN
Optics good.
Radar okay.
Would the Yamato and Musashi's 155 mm cruiser batteries give them an advantage in star shell range over American and British battleships?
Ironically, Somerville is pretty much following the Japanese pre war "Combined Fleet" playbook against them
- and while that playbook was very carrier heavy throughout, at the last it required a battleline
The Japanese expected to have the initiative at first but eventually be significantly outnumbered so they planned to:
- Initially seize locations that block the way to resources that the enemy must deny them (or have for themselves) before the enemy can concentrate to respond
doing as much damage to the scattered enemy forces as they can in the process. - Later, as the enemy starts to rebuild/recover, pick another similar target that the enemy absolutely must respond to (whether for practical or psychological reasons)
thereby deciding the time and place of the decisive battle - Use their own land base air to suppress any enemy land air power requiring the enemy to commit their mobile fleet
- Deploy their own long range air as reconnaissance and if possible attrition
- Deploy submarines as further recon and attrition both as the enemy approaches and retreats
- Use their own mobile force especially their superior carriers to eliminate the enemies distant strike power and recon
forcing them to close to surface action range - Use torpedoes to prune the enemies screen and battle line
especially in a night action where your own technology, training and practice is superior - Finally, meet the enemy battle line head on expecting to have individually superior ships even if still some what outnumbered.
Seriously, what is different are the technical means by which the three navies have chosen to achieve practical fighting superiority.
As mentioned,
- the Allies have bet heavily on radar and numbers ... men and machines
- the Japanese on torpedoes, elite training and extra heavy ships
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One question I haven't seen raised: How well were all of these battleships armored against each other? Washington was only armored against 14" shells. South Dakota's were armored against 16". I believe that the KGVs were well armored also. How well are any of them going to stand up if they start getting hit by 18'' shells from the Yamato class?
For that matter how well are the Japanese BBs going to stand up to American 16" shells? btw, have the British got the bugs out of the quad 14" turrets yet in this TL? In otl when Duke of York went up against Scharnhorst in Dec 1942 the quad turrets still weren't as reliable as the twin turret. This would be a bad day to have guns jam.
For that matter how well are the Japanese BBs going to stand up to American 16" shells? btw, have the British got the bugs out of the quad 14" turrets yet in this TL? In otl when Duke of York went up against Scharnhorst in Dec 1942 the quad turrets still weren't as reliable as the twin turret. This would be a bad day to have guns jam.
AIUI, at the close ranges of a night action, nobody is really armoured against anyone else, assuming low inclinations. You could put an obsolete R-class 7k yards from Yamato and have them engage, in guns and armour terms, on surprisingly equal terms.
I doubt Lee will close the range below 15k and may be nearer 20k.
That's what was used at Surigoa and AIUI a sweet spot for radar over optical fire control at night
(Though that may apply more to centimetric sets)
If the radar technology supports it, indeed. Or will it be more like Guadalcanal?
Story 1804
Central Makassar Strait, 2048 January 2, 1943
HMS Liverpool turned to the west and accelerated. She was dark again. Off to the north, the noise of a dozen aircraft engines receded. Victorious’ Albacores were still on their way. The light cruiser was a navigational checkpoint for the strikers. She was also a checkpoint for some of the Avengers that were already returning. Ark Royal’s and Furious’ squadrons had passed. Indomitable strikers were on the radar although at least one flight was missing. When they got close, Liverpool would turn on her search lights and wave them south before fleeing the datum.
HMS Liverpool turned to the west and accelerated. She was dark again. Off to the north, the noise of a dozen aircraft engines receded. Victorious’ Albacores were still on their way. The light cruiser was a navigational checkpoint for the strikers. She was also a checkpoint for some of the Avengers that were already returning. Ark Royal’s and Furious’ squadrons had passed. Indomitable strikers were on the radar although at least one flight was missing. When they got close, Liverpool would turn on her search lights and wave them south before fleeing the datum.
That just tells us what KIND of fire control they have, but it doesn’t tell us how GOOD the fire control is.
I ask this because:
IOTL, at Leyte, IJN fire control stank.
If you read about the sinking of the USS Edsall. Two BB’s (Kongo’s) & 2 Cruisers (Chikuma & Sentai) fired over 1,300 rounds and got, at best, 2 hits.
I do not believe that incident has occurred ITL, it was tied in to the sinking of the USS Langley, so the IJN didn’t have that report to show them how bad their shooting is.
ITTL there already is a fuel crimp in the Japanese supply so the IJN isn’t doing as much live exercises.
Also, was the IJN BB’s night training as good as the cruisers and the destroyers?
Story 1805
Southern Celebes Sea 2050 January 2, 1943
USS Grouper was motoring on the surface. The moon was hidden behind clouds. Look-outs were straining to see bumps and breaks of the horizon. The radar was probing the darkness. Four other fleet boats were also motoring to the northeast out of the Makassar Strait. Cripples were out and about.
The patrol line was tightening up to only two thirds of the normal intervals for this type of mission. Any ship spotted would be mobbed. An initial miss would only matter as to who would be able to brag and who would need to buy beers at the O-club at Batavia or Pearl Harbor. Beneath the sail, the radar operator focused. The young man fresh from qualifying for his dolphins had only been looking at the scope for the past half hour. The other radarman on the watch was alternating short shifts with him so that their eyes would stay fresh and their minds alert.
There was fuzz. His eyes lit up and his brain sharpened. The twenty two year old focused and within seconds, there was a firm enough contact to tell his PO.
The PO glanced and confirmed.
The chase was on.
USS Grouper was motoring on the surface. The moon was hidden behind clouds. Look-outs were straining to see bumps and breaks of the horizon. The radar was probing the darkness. Four other fleet boats were also motoring to the northeast out of the Makassar Strait. Cripples were out and about.
The patrol line was tightening up to only two thirds of the normal intervals for this type of mission. Any ship spotted would be mobbed. An initial miss would only matter as to who would be able to brag and who would need to buy beers at the O-club at Batavia or Pearl Harbor. Beneath the sail, the radar operator focused. The young man fresh from qualifying for his dolphins had only been looking at the scope for the past half hour. The other radarman on the watch was alternating short shifts with him so that their eyes would stay fresh and their minds alert.
There was fuzz. His eyes lit up and his brain sharpened. The twenty two year old focused and within seconds, there was a firm enough contact to tell his PO.
The PO glanced and confirmed.
The chase was on.
All Battleships had reliability issues - the problem with the KGVs 14" rifles was not so much the Quad turrets but that 3 of them were involved in 3 intensive Surface actions which have subjected to a great deal of scrutiny that other actions have not been subjected too.
1. POW vs Bismarck - well she should still have been working up and not even handed over to the Navy - but needs of the service and all that and managed to fire
2. KGV vs Bismarck - fired 30 salvos (as many as 300 rounds but probably less as this included salvos where the rear turret might no have been in arc?) before starting to experience issues
3. DOY vs Scharnhorst - fired 52 broadsides (which could be upto 520 rounds if full salvos!) and then more later in the battle with only one major failure when a shell dropped of the cradle into the ammo hoist. Well if you will have a fight in a force 10 gale!
By comparison far less was recorded or investigated (certainly seems to be less available if it is!?) at the other surface actions of WW2 and the total number of Salvos is significantly less than in examples 2 and 3 above.
I mean how many complete salvos did the standards conduct at battle of the Surigao Straits?
Best I could find is:
Tennessee fired 69 14in shells during the battle, California fired 63 14in shells and West Virginia fired 93 16in shells. Of the less modernised ships the Maryland did best, firing 48 16in shells, taking her range from the West Virginia's fire. The Mississippi only fired a single salvo while the Pennsylvania was masked by the other American ships and didn't fire.
None of the examples I found gave data on any reduced salvos due to malfunctions
Washington vs Kirishima
She fired a total of 117 16-inch rounds (which is 13 or more salvos) in her mugging of the Japanese Battleship and I cannot find a example of more rounds fired by a US BB during a surface engagement but again have been unable to establish if she suffered any malfunctions or failures during the action
So with the exception of POW no other ships seemed to match the KGVs output in a single action but it would be interesting if anyone has any data on other battleship main gun reliability in action?
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