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They Always Have Seemed a Bit Overrated to Me
US Naval Institute: "The Iowa class battleship is NOT the greatest battleship in American naval history." The article gets really technical, so I'll just nod sagely and let others get in a fight over it. Oh, and that site allows comments, so don't go posting no six page refutation here. My eyes'll cross at that just as fast as they did to the original article.
It's simple really and the author touches on it from the get go (Then of course ignores it)
The term "Battleship" is derived from shortening the old "Line of Battle Ship"
In order to steam in the line of battle (Thus being considered a "Battleship") you must be able to both deal damage out as well as TAKE damage.
This isn't true for ABs (Or anything really up to CVs and/or real BBs)
I think somebody posted on there that they have far more in common with Battlecrusiers (Eggshell armed with sledge hammer) as opposed to battleships.
Posted by: Jeff on January 29, 2009 02:52 PMI think he also commented early on, if you read between the lines, that he's trolling and wanting to spark controversy.
Worth noting is that, considering our edge in technology and skill as well as the introduction of these new-fangled aeroplanes, we'll probably not have a good line of battle fight going on again.
Ever.
Posted by: ronaprhys on January 29, 2009 03:42 PMI think David Drake wrot the book surface action where in the future BBs ruled supreme again
It was because the rail gun had made airplanes obsolete. With a rail gun if you can see it you can hit it (Because of the speed the projectile goes) there isn't any real way to dodge it.
It's SF at it's finest but it would seem to make sense (Unless you get into energy and partical shields) that once weapons get going THAT fast something as small and fragile as a plane or missle would have a hard time surviving.
Posted by: Jeff on January 29, 2009 06:43 PMI'd also assume that once you get things going that fast, you'd also destroy pretty much anything you hit dead on. I'd have to have someone who really knows that math run the calculations, but if you can get something going that fast, you'll destroy the BB you hit as well.
Plus, planes can fire from over the horizon.
It'd be an interesting read as Drake does pretty decent war books. I've always been a fan of Hammer's Slammers myself. Though I do prefer David Weber's Honor Harrington or Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series for sci fi naval battles.
Posted by: ronaprhys on January 30, 2009 08:36 AMI think you can read it on www.baen.com's free library section.
It's been awhile since I read it but I think the railguns were all very small (Couldn't fit a large one on) and they were effective because you can't dodge them (The ultimate in point and shoot)
If you launch something at Mach 10 at the horizon there isn't a hell of a lot of time to dodge before it gets there.
Posted by: Jeff on January 30, 2009 12:31 PM