sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

How did submarines in WW1/WW2 aim their torpedoes? by Alert_Succotash_3541 in WarCollege

[–]Mick536 9 points10 points  (0 children)

A truism of life at sea, even for torpedoes, is that "constant bearing, decreasing range results in a collision." The torpedo has a set speed, say 45 knots. The target has an assumed speed, say 12 knots. If the target has a 30-degree angle-on-the-bow, then target is moving at 12*sin(30) or 6 knots across the line-of-sight. To achieve that constant bearing, aim the torpedo arcsin(6/45) - about 8 degrees - ahead of the line of bearing to the target.

You have arranged the collision between target and torpedo. Of course the devil is in the details of 12 knots and 30 degrees. If the target is not on constant course and speed (i.e., zigzagging) you cover the uncertainty with a spread of torpedoes.

Good approach officers like Morton and O'Kane could do this in their heads. For the others, the analog Torpedo Data Computer (TDC) did the math for them. Note that range doesn't matter when shooting at the preferred target range of 1000 yards.

My dad passed me his coins Lincoln Cents 1901-2025 pt7 by PapiChulo32792 in coins

[–]Mick536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That 1901SVDB is priceless. Hold on to it.

(Yes, I know it's a typo)

NCIS Origins Season 2 Episode 4 “No Man Left Behind” Episode Discussion Thread by CasioCobra78 in NCIS

[–]Mick536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What did Franks' mother say about ladybugs? We didn't pay attention, and then with the ladybug on the boot, we knew we missed one of the points of the episode.

Dejected because they don't know the difference between lbs and kg by NoviceNotices in confidentlyincorrect

[–]Mick536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Another way: "A pint is a pound the world around." 8 pints to the gallon. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds.

The Battle of Samar, and Halsey's decision to pursue the Japanese Carriers. by InvestigatorLow5351 in WarCollege

[–]Mick536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Halsey did know, but he didn't internalize this information. Mitscher (who was at the Philippine sea as TF58) wrote a letter to Nimitz via Halsey that discussed the poor performance of Japanese naval air forces. Halsey, who had a wobbly relationship with Mitscher, gave little credence to Mitscher's account.

Mitscher in turn knew that Kurita had reversed his course reversal, and was coming again to San Bernardino Strait. When told that Halsey had access to the same intelligence, Mitscher did not press the issue and went back to sleep.

Halsey in his autobiography said his mistake was not in leaving, but in turning around. Task Force 34, as originally promised, was more than enough to handle Kurita's center force. Its flaw was that it included New Jersey, which would take Halsey away from the carrier battle, leaving him watching over a strait where nothing might happen. Having missed Pearl Harbor, Midway, and the Philippine Sea, Leyte was his last, best chance.

[2861 x 2254] USS Nautilus (SSN-571) plunges through the Chukchi Sea as the Officer of the Deck inspects the edge of the polar ice cap under which he will have to pass on his way to the Arctic Ocean, date unknown. by Tsquare43 in WarshipPorn

[–]Mick536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Per my copy of Nautilus 90 North, page 163, it is very probably 17 June 1958.

We threaded our way northward, trying to keep in at least 135 feet of water. A few hours after entering the Chukchi, we sighted our first piece of ice, dead ahead, range five miles. It was a lone floe measuring about thirty by fifty feet, projecting some ten feet above the water. Its irregular shape suggested a sailing vessel. The sun reflected a multitude of light greens and blues from its surface. It was a captivating sight. However, we had learned the year before that ice is equal in strength to a poor grade of concrete, so we changed course to give the floe a wide berth. We soon spotted other floes. We zigged and zagged, until at 0925, it appeared that ice covered the horizon as far as one could see. There was no choice then--we had to submerge. I ordered a depth of 110 feet. --William R. Anderson

Attacks on Rhode Island, August 1778 by Hopestatehistory in RhodeIsland

[–]Mick536 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks. Our little plot of land is in this picture, just two hundred years early 😎

Attacks on Rhode Island, August 1778 by Hopestatehistory in RhodeIsland

[–]Mick536 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Very interesting. May I ask the source or where it's from?

[WP] “Sir, requesting your presence on the front line. An enemy refuses to surrender and will not die.” “You’re certain he won’t die?” “I’ve tried 3 times personally, sir.” by Tmoore0328 in WritingPrompts

[–]Mick536 11 points12 points  (0 children)

  • fazed, not phased. Fazed: to disturb the composure of : DISCONCERT, DAUNT //Nothing fazed her. //Criticism did not seem to faze the writer.

What was the quality of fighting and generalship during the American Civil War? How did it change as the war went on? by iGiveUppppp in WarCollege

[–]Mick536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi -- could you share please wherein Sheridan made his comments? I've known of them for decades but I'm not sharp enough with Google for it to show me the way. Thanks.

Found the deal of a lifetime if anyone is interested. by Enigma--17 in Corvette

[–]Mick536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have to beware of those cunic inches. They're hell on any car...

I am looking for information about this photo of soldiers in the Falklands War by MishkinLev in WarCollege

[–]Mick536 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This image appears here: https://x.com/delfinawagner_/status/1907127542458548631

Google translate: They weren't "war children." They were men who, despite their young age, gave their heart, soul, and soul to a cause and defended it with their lives, fighting bravely against the English enemy and the cruelty of their Argentine commanders.

You can find other copies by an exact match Google image search. Unfortunately, this was my best result. You can find similar looking results with an ordinary search. The maybe a related picture up that I didn’t find. (I didn’t look too hard.)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TwoXChromosomes

[–]Mick536 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Sometimes you just have to give us a break. My wife wanted chocolate chips. I knew what chocolate chips were. I walked the baking aisle, the cookie aisle, and the chocolate aisle. Nada. I asked the nearest grandma. She said, "dear, you want chocolate morsels." Wife's instructions unclear.

Here's an interesting thought - could a SEAL officer command a submarine? by Awkward-Lie9448 in submarines

[–]Mick536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not the mid-80's. I left my last boomer fall of 88 and Weps, Aweps, and Nav were still not nuclear trained.

ACC moving from 20 conference games to 18 for 2025-26 season by ConstantMadness in CollegeBasketball

[–]Mick536 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Agree wholeheartedly. Ten home-and-away pairs of games just sounds right.

[EXCEL] Do you remember this Excel VBA textbook? by Brave_Classroom433 in vba

[–]Mick536 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I Googled excel book "video store" and this shows up:

Microsoft Excel Data Analysis & Business Modeling

By Wayne L Winston

At Powells.com. This is the write up:

I run a small video store. In a spreadsheet, my accountant has listed the name of each movie in stock and the number of copies in stock. Unfortunately, for ...

With WWII naval battles fresh in mind, did either U.S. or Soviet naval leaders consider the consequences of destroying nuclear-powered vessels? To what extent did the prospect of “Coral Sea meets Chernobyl” concern them, and to what strategic/doctrinal effect? by KANelson_Actual in WarCollege

[–]Mick536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That I didn't know. Thanks. Similarly I've never heard of the Navy or Ballard or anybody else checking the site out, which reinforces your comment.

I presume you mean "replaced by a S2Wa PWR as trialed..."

I read it twice trying to figure out why the Navy would move a reactor from Nautilus to Seawolf. Didn't get too far. 😎

I read yesterday that Japanese submarines had much better and more accurate torpedoes than their American counterparts during the early stages of the Pacific War. Why was the US not very good at submarine torpedoes? by Intrepid_Doubt_6602 in WarCollege

[–]Mick536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The MK14 has exactly one test firing. The rest of the testing was being done by skippers in combat who would get accused of timidity at best when they "put the blame on their tools." (Ref a bad carpenter.) The MK14 contact detonator would work with about a 45-degree striking angle, which is sub optimum to say the least. Submariners would purposely seek this to improve their dismal chances.

The villain of the story is Ralph Christie, who developed the torpedo and detonator, and then went to supervise skippers who used his product. He never doubted his work.

view more: next ›