Britian's plan for defending their harbors

[TheMercinary60]

apparently the British plan for defending scapa flow from u-boats in the beginning of the war, and maybe further was to send sailors out in rowboats with a mallet, and when they saw a periscope they were supposed to row up and hit it with the mallet 

[Jabberwock]

Errm, not quite.

The defences at Scappa Flow were allowed to be run down during the inter-war period, but when war was declared, things changes pretty quickly.

More block ships were sunk, a new airbase for RAF/FAA fighters and Coastal Command observation aircraft was built, a destroyer squadron and a flotilla of MTBs were based there and the whole area had more AAA than London did until the Battle of Britain started in 1940.

[MK-84]

apparently the British plan for defending scapa flow from u-boats in the beginning of the war, and maybe further was to send sailors out in rowboats with a mallet, and when they saw a periscope they were supposed to row up and hit it with the mallet 

   Where did you hear about that?

[TheMercinary60]

  Where did you hear about that?

military channel, but im thinking now i wasnt listening completly and that was the plan for the FIRST worldwar

[Rob52240]

military channel, but im thinking now i wasnt listening completly and that was the plan for the FIRST worldwar

Yes, WWone.

[RedBull1]

Just imagining some guy in a sailors outfit on a tiny rowing boat in the middle of the ocean bashing away at a periscope trying to run, while he gives chase at about 1 knot. 

[B3YT]

in WWI they also trained seagulls to spot periscopes but alas they a) only recognised British ones and b) don't go far from land . It was a fantastical failure.

[Bruv119]

don't underestimate the force of a well placed mallet hit.   

[LCADolby]

[B3YT]

oh god i miss wack-a-day.

[TheMercinary60]

in WWI they also trained seagulls to spot periscopes but alas they a) only recognised British ones and b) don't go far from land . It was a fantastical failure.

sort of like the russian tank hunting dogs haha

[Ack-Ack]

apparently the British plan for defending scapa flow from u-boats in the beginning of the war, and maybe further was to send sailors out in rowboats with a mallet, and when they saw a periscope they were supposed to row up and hit it with the mallet 

It was a wartime joke and not real orders.

military channel, but im thinking now i wasnt listening completly and that was the plan for the FIRST worldwar

During WW1, Scapa Flow was rather well protected and defended with only two failed attempts by the Germans to enter the harbor.  It was protected by minefields, shore artillery and concrete barriers.  It also had a system of hydrophones to detect submarines, which is how it detected the 2nd German attempt to sneak a sub into the harbor.

ack-ack

[Oldman731]

During WW1, Scapa Flow was rather well protected and defended with only two failed attempts by the Germans to enter the harbor. 

...well...then there was that thing with Gunther Prien and the Royal Oak....

- oldman

[Ack-Ack]

...well...then there was that thing with Gunther Prien and the Royal Oak....

- oldman

That was WW2 and the Brits had let the harbor defenses decline in the inter-war period.

ack-ack