Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: TheMercinary60 on November 21, 2012, 03:12:30 PM

Title: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: TheMercinary60 on November 21, 2012, 03:12:30 PM
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  :lol
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: Jabberwock on November 21, 2012, 03:44:16 PM
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.
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: MK-84 on November 21, 2012, 08:55:09 PM
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  :lol

 :rolleyes:  Where did you hear about that?
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: TheMercinary60 on November 22, 2012, 05:40:31 AM
:rolleyes:  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
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: Rob52240 on November 22, 2012, 05:58:20 AM
military channel, but im thinking now i wasnt listening completly and that was the plan for the FIRST worldwar

Yes, WWone.
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: RedBull1 on November 22, 2012, 09:51:46 AM
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.  :lol
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: B3YT on November 22, 2012, 02:41:14 PM
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.
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: Bruv119 on November 22, 2012, 02:46:58 PM
don't underestimate the force of a well placed mallet hit.    :old:
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: LCADolby on November 22, 2012, 03:09:03 PM
(http://www.brillianttv.co.uk/wacaday/images/pinky2b.gif)
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: B3YT on November 23, 2012, 08:13:03 AM
oh god i miss wack-a-day.
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: TheMercinary60 on November 23, 2012, 09:31:56 PM
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
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: Ack-Ack on November 27, 2012, 07:52:45 PM
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  :lol

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
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: Oldman731 on November 27, 2012, 08:43:52 PM
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
Title: Re: Britian's plan for defending their harbors
Post by: Ack-Ack on November 27, 2012, 09:05:50 PM

...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