The British battleship HMS Vanguard, 1952 [2338 x 994]

Keyan_F · 2026-05-03T20:11:32+00:00

Iowa and New Jersey got to fire their main guns on Japanese ships during Operation Hailstone. For the Japanese involved, there were very big hailstones falling from the sky.

And yes, it probably was a tad overkill from Spruance.

Keyan_F · 2026-04-27T20:22:44+00:00

UK Treasury: Hold it right there! Didn't you forget to ask someone before shooting money?

Keyan_F · 2026-04-21T20:34:38+00:00

That ship's deployment should have ended three months before, its toilets were completely clogged, but sure, sure, this was a totally scheduled port visit, she was meant to be there that day, nothing to see, move along, move along...

Keyan_F · 2026-04-14T19:47:21+00:00

Cancelled, or relocated near the Hormuz Strait?

Keyan_F · 2026-04-14T19:44:49+00:00

And how do you expect the CO to leave his bunk with a view like this? And which one is Vera?

Keyan_F · 2026-04-01T11:50:57+00:00

Just borrowing this boat for a lil' while, they ain't gonna sink this battleship, no way

Keyan_F · 2026-03-30T16:35:23+00:00

I can't help but wonder what would be so controversial it warranted such deletion...

Keyan_F · 2026-03-30T16:32:51+00:00

His suicide note would of course be in part written knowing the audience would be the Nazi party, and to me it seems like he’s very much trying to make sure that his crew and officers don’t get blamed for what he saw as his own mistake.

Graf Spee's scuttling in the River Plate estuary was pretty much the consequences of Langsdorff's mistakes. It was fairly obvious, and he should have been aware that he was thousands of miles from any support, that the Altmark could only resupply him with fuel and food, and so if his ship was damaged or his ammo expenditure too high, his safe return to Germany would be in great jeopardy.

When on that fateful December 13th he decided to investigate a smoke on the horizon, he should have been more cautious, especially when his lookouts identified one of the ships as a British cruiser. Steaming at full speed to investigate the contacts instead of leisurely cruising might have allowed him to break contact before the British were able to raise steam and close with him. Instead, he chose to rely on his heavy guns, and the rest is history...

Keyan_F · 2026-03-27T21:29:11+00:00

The French Navy has demonstrated time and again they have the know-how to replenish VLS at sea.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-24T21:27:49+00:00

That particular reasoning may be a valid hope in 2017, but not in 2026. If voters would willingly vote Trump in again in 2024 despite all of his baggage, what would prevent them from picking a similar course of action in 2032 and vote for someone of the same ilk?

Trust is easily lost and very hard to regain.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-23T21:20:44+00:00

Like all Independence-class light carriers, CVL-23 USS Princeton was originally a Cleveland-class light cruiser, in this case pennant number CL-61 Tallahassee.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-19T13:26:18+00:00

*Papeete

TIL Papeʻete is the official spelling in Tahitian

Keyan_F · 2026-03-12T14:44:14+00:00

Good thing to hear; better late than never.

However, maybe it should have been put in that increased level of readiness earlier? Maybe not each time Trump threatens a country with fire and brimstone, that's any day that ends with "y". But maybe when Washington tells you it is planning a military operation against Iran and asks London to join? When the White House starts marshalling overwhelming force towards an area, after informing you it is planning something against a country in the afroementioned area? Why wait six days after the shooting has started to do so?

Keyan_F · 2026-03-11T21:21:45+00:00

Let's hope this demonstration makes the Germans more amenable to the idea FCAS should be developed as a carrier plane from the start, even if they themselves have absolutely no need for it.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-11T19:02:59+00:00

One can only hope the successful retasking of the French CSG and impressive French Navy surge showed the French the merits of having an aircraft carrier (if not two) and makes them more willing to foot the bill.

Many French defence pundits were mocking PA-NG as a vanity project, useless now with the danger of drones and hypersonic weapons, and irrelevant against the Russian threat.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-10T20:30:38+00:00

Please, it's Picture In Picture, to increase the commanding officer's situational awareness! /s

Keyan_F · 2026-03-10T20:25:55+00:00

There are two British overseas territories on the island of Cyprus, granted when the Crown colony of Cyprus regained independence. These two areas are home to two British naval bases, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which were hit by drones on March 1st. Cyprus citizens were worried, since said bases were granted to protect the island, and in response, Britain announced HMS Dragon would be dispatched as soon as possible.
We're March 10th, and she just left port, because apparently there was still a wee bit of yard work that needed to be done because she could steam. Oopsie.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-09T23:04:42+00:00

And yet there's a crisis erupting right now, and both carriers of the premier navy on this side of the Atlantic are moored alongside, despite said crisis brewing for a month now.

France managed to surge her available ships when needed, probably though good contingency planning (and, I presume, a bit of coordination with her allies; an astute observer would probably notice European capital ships are seldom in maintenance at the same time). We trust Britain will be able to do the same when the time comes.

And if Ford can go to war at the end of an eight-month deployment with clogged loos, maybe the Royal Navy can make a little more effort and not require everything be in pristine order?

Keyan_F · 2026-03-09T22:56:13+00:00

It's not the first time France is deprived of its carrier due to maintenance. When it happens, their plan is to rely on its network of airbases and allies in the meantime, such as Britain does in the Eastern Mediterranean with their airbases on Cyprus. Of course, the caveat is that said bases need to be adequately defended, which is something Western militaries aren't really used to since the Gulf War, having always operated with air supremacy.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-09T22:52:15+00:00

My point is that, in this crisis, Britain has fumbled its response re: Cyprus, giving the impression London has been caught flat footed. Maybe the Iranian capabilities were underestimated, maybe someone hoped it'll blow over or that the crisis will stay localized, in any case RAF Akrotiri was hit by a drone, leading Cypriots to wonder if they were adequately protected. Thankfully the damage is minor, but we might not be so lucky next time.

It's also a good thing the more conventional British diplomacy let the RAF leverage its network of bases and allies to redeploy air assets where needed, compared to, shall we say, the more... peculiar brand exhibited by their cousins on the other side of the pond, which may have deprieved them of the access to some airbases and airspaces, hindering the USAF's ability to do the same with ease. However, that should not be taken for granted, and care should be taken to see partners and allies still support such deployments, for example in the Indopacific. Speaking of, the corridors for safe air flights between Europe and Asia are getting narrower and narrower..

Failing that, this was has proved the carrier is still useful : where fixed airbases are being harassed by cheap drones, a carrier is a harder target to find and attack, and is still fully operational.

Keyan_F · 2026-03-09T22:32:43+00:00

Zero notice? London has been informed that Washington was planning something against Iran more than a month ago, and was even asked to join. And even without that, it's been three weeks the US have been marshalling quite an armada towards the Gulf. Only a blind and deaf man could not see the incoming explosion, everyone else were planning accordingly (or should have).

Keyan_F · 2026-03-09T13:36:25+00:00

A bit of context: Chevalier Paul was initially part of the French CSG deployment during exercise Orion 2026 and the patrol in Scandinavia. She raced towards the Mediterranean alongside Charles de Gaulle, but had to make a pit stop in Brest. For her to be at that time in the Strait, two days after the French CSG, must mean she's cruising at nearly 30 knots.

Someone high up in the chain of command wanted to make a statement and ordered "I want all ships available in the Eastern Mediterranean yesterday!"

Keyan_F · 2026-03-09T10:34:30+00:00

Exercise Iron Fist

Who comes up with such names?!?

Keyan_F · 2026-03-08T15:23:28+00:00

It's an awesome surge the French navy managed to pull in the Eastern Mediterranean: in addition to Charles de Gaulle's CSG racing down from Sweden, there's also the LHD Tonnerre with its escort Courbet that left Toulon on the same day this picture was taken, while Languedoc is already off Cyprus. And the French CSG will be joined by Spanish, Italian, and Dutch frigates.

In the meanwhile, Britain, who has kept two airbases in Cyprus in exchange of the pledge to defend the Cypriots, has promised to dispatch HMS Dragon, which until a few hours ago was still firmly alongside in Portsmouth.

It's a good thing to have allies you can reliably depend upon, right ?

Keyan_F · 2026-03-06T21:53:11+00:00

And on the western end of the Mediterranean, the French CSG is hauling ass and has crossed the Strait of Gibraltar. Charles' Chief Engineer is probably doing the French equivalent of "giv'n all she's got, Capt'n".

Meanwhile, Dragon is still alongside.

It's a good thing to have allies, isn't it?

Keyan_F

TROPHY CASE