RE: Another possible way of looking at it was [ Re: Tin Cans versus Dreadnoughts ]

That one was predreadnoughts of mixed caliber. Battleships of that era
were
almost all armed with two twin 12" turrets fore and aft, 4 twin 9.2" on
the
corners and an assortment of 5-8 inch in broadside sponsons. quickfiring
4-6" and 6-12 lb guns were fairly common, the larger for wrecking
superstructures on BBs and ACs, and the smaller for torpedo boats.
Armored
cruisers were small battleships. Protected cruisers had quickfiring guns
and
little armor but did carry torpedos. Destroyers were very small with
light
guns and 1-2 torpedos. Torpedo boats might have a small gun or two, and
2-3
tubes.

Fleet speed was about 20 knots. Expetced engagement ranges were 3000
yards,
but the Japanese surprised everyone (except their gunnery instructors
but
specifically including the Russians) by getting main battery hits out
around
8000 yards. At 3-4000 yards the engagement was a hailstorm of light
explosives, and big shells fired over open sights.

The dreadnougtht actions with salvos came into play at around 1910. Note
that the "all big gun" armament on dreadnoughts was intended to
facillitate
salvo fire. Armored cruisers were still in use at Jutland, they followed
the
twin turret fore and aft layout of the predreadnought era.

------Original Message------
From: John-Martin Lotz <jmlotzn1@pacbell.net>
To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
Sent: March 12, 2001 7:02:12 PM GMT
Subject: Another possible way of looking at it was [ Re: Tin Cans versus
Dreadnoughts ]

Hmmm,

When I consider FT type space combat the analogy that I use is "Age of
Sail"
Whaile admittedly lower tech then other periods concidered, the tactical
and
stategic ethos is much closer, in my opinion.

Actually, pre-dreadnaught iron clad steam ships might even be a better
analogy, except I don't know of any fleet actions using them, unless the
the
battle in the Straights of Tsushina where Admiral Togo and the Japanese
fleet destroyed the Russian fleet in the Russo-Japanese war on 1905 was
faught with predreadnaughts mixed caliber mixed sized fleets or with
dreadnaught oriented fleets.

John-Martin Lotz

jmlotzn1nospam@pacbell.net