Of or pertaining to ships and or the sea, especially military vessels.
13
votes
5answers
954 views
Why weren't aircraft carriers utilized during D-day?
Why were aircraft carriers not used during and following D-Day? They could have added a great deal of range to the air support operations.
13
votes
3answers
497 views
Was the US Navy larger in 1917, and if so, why?
Following the recent discussion in the third US Presidental Debate about the size of the Navy, there actually seemed to be a good discussion buried in there.
How does the US Navy compare to its ...
13
votes
4answers
615 views
Why doesn't Russia maintain significant numbers of Aircraft carriers?
The United States has 11 aircraft carriers in total. Russia has only one. We saw in the past that the USSR also didn't put much importance on constructing aircraft carriers and putting them into ...
12
votes
3answers
251 views
What was the last battle fought mainly by sail-powered ships?
When and where has the last battle between sail-powered ships been fought? If possible, please include the countries involved as well as the armament and types of ships.
11
votes
2answers
166 views
In which situation is the broadside more preferable than every gun firing on their own time?
Mathematically, a ship should be able to fire more shots if each of the cannons fire at their fastest speed, instead of waiting for everyone to be ready, but it seems that a broadside is sometimes ...
10
votes
2answers
403 views
Did the U.S. and Soviet Union have a submarine battle in 1968?
There are books and articles about the Soviet submarine K-129 and the USS Scorpion in 1968, with various stories of attempted nuclear attacks and reprisals. Is there a factual narrative about these ...
10
votes
1answer
169 views
How did Napoleon evade the British fleet and return to France?
After the defeat of the French fleet off the coast of Egypt in 1798, Napoleon's army was cut off in a far away and hostile country.
One year later, after eluding the British fleet, he made it safely ...
9
votes
2answers
259 views
Why did the Monitor and Merrimac (aka Virginia) have such radically different designs?
This is something that's always baffled me. You have one ship that appears to sit just above the water with one little canon on a turret (the Monitor) and a second that sits high and is brimming with ...
8
votes
3answers
300 views
When did aircraft carriers eclipse battleships as the “King of the seas”?
During the 19th century and into the early 20th century, battleships were the Kings of the Sea, and every naval power of note had at least one. When did they lose this title to the aircraft carrier, ...
8
votes
2answers
231 views
When did navies stop giving out a drink ration to their sailors?
I seem to remember that the British Navy, and the US Navy maybe, used to give out a ration of alcohol to sailors each day. When did this practice stop, and why?
8
votes
1answer
322 views
In WW2, which midget submarine program was the most successful?
In WW2, which midget submarine program was the most successful? I know at least Great Britain and Japan had midget submarines and used them during the course of the conflict. Which WW2 combatant had ...
8
votes
1answer
179 views
Could the Russians Have Done Better at the Battle of Tsushima Straits Than They Actually Did?
In 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War, a Russian fleet sailing all the way from the Baltic was annihilated by the Japanese fleet in the Tsushima Straits. The Russian fleet was larger, with thirteen ...
8
votes
1answer
76 views
What kind of wood was the standard decking for Aircraft Carriers in World War 2?
I know that both Japan and the United States used wooden decks on their WWII Aircraft Carriers. Was there a specific, "ideal" standard type of wood that was utilized by either country? If so, what ...
8
votes
0answers
65 views
Are photos of WWII US Navy damage reports available online?
I have located a PDF of the USS Marblehead's Bomb Damage Report from 4 Feb 1942. The report lists plates of photographs which are not included in the report I have found.
Do copies of this report ...
7
votes
1answer
227 views
Did any of the 50 Destroyers swapped for bases with Great Britain in 1940 sink any Axis military vessels?
In 1940 the United States traded fifty mothballed WW1 Destroyers to England in exchange for land rights in areas of the British Empire. Were any of those fifty ships credited with sinking an Axis ...
