SCAPA 100
How to build a battleship
Sometimes you have to tell a lie to tell a truth . In the same way , this description is not strictly accurate , so the puritans among you may sniff . However , the uninitiated I hope will benefit from an explanation that illustrates the principles and mechanisms of the topic rather than being bogged down in esoteric technical jargon and detail .
There are three main controlling forces that govern the design of a battleship – defence , offence and machinery . The skill of the designer is to navigate through the compromises thrown up by each of these
facets . HMS Dreadnought swept aside all the previous rule books when she hit the drawing board in 1905 and formed the point of reference from which all subsequent battleships have evolved ( of whatever nation ).
OFFENCE A battleship ’ s prime role is offence . They are designed to pack a punch and give the enemy a bloody nose . The rules that HMS Dreadnought defined are the need for multiple , large guns of uniform calibre , all controlled from a central fire control point . This allows
Left : A diver explores the hawse pipe on the Kronprinz – the anchor chain ran out the side of the ship through this pipe
Below left A battleship ’ s superfiring turret
Below : The sharp end of a 12-inch gun from the penultimate turret of the Kronprinz
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