Re: Historical DD's and torpedos - was Re: [OFFICIAL] Missile Ideas

> 
> Sounds good.	In reality, they were originally rated as "Armoured
Ships" and
> were re-rated as heavy cruisers during WW2.  Size-wise, they were
fairly
> similar to the "Hipper" class, and were overtaken by e.g. US "Salem"
CAs and
> the assorted "Large Cruisers" (CB) built (e.g. "Alaska") or planned
(e.g.
> IJN "B65") during the war.  Just remember to make it slow!

	What do you mean by overtaken ???  Bear in mind than the German
pocket battleships were built to stay within a very constricting treaty
and were some 10 years before the Salem class.... 
It is not really a fair comparison to compare a 21000 ton ship launched
in
1945, with a 12000 ton ship launched 

For there time they were revolutionary, and the 26kts-28kts a pocket
battleship could manage is not slow by anymeans.  It was on this
princible
that they were designed...  To fast for anything that could shoot them,
and heavily enough armed and armoured to cope with lighter, faster
aggressors.  

The key to this was 11" guns and reasonable armour.  Something that even
the more modern US cruisers you mention would have been pushed to cope
with. Correct me if I am wrong, but the Salem class was still on 8"
guns,
which would damage Graff Spee, yes.... but would they do it faster than
her 11" could dish the damage out to you.  You only have 5-7 kts closure
and Graff Spee gets to start firing first....  Maybe I should run a
hypothetical 'what if' and see :)

-Michael