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The Regia Marina - Guns, Naval Policy and Early History
Today we take at a number of topics regarding the Regia Marine, the Italian Navy, alongside two Italian historians, with some interesting facts coming to light!
You can find their channels here:
/ kkfernet (Giulio Poggiaroni)
/ parabellumstoria (Mirko Campochiari)
Free naval photos and more - www.drachinifel.co.uk
Want to support the channel? - / drachinifel
Want a shirt/mug/hoodie - shop.spreadshi...
Want a poster? - www.etsy.com/u...
Want to talk about ships? / discord
Want to get some books? www.amazon.co.uk/shop/drachinifelDrydock
Episodes in podcast format - / user-21912004
Music - / ncmepicmusic
Пікірлер: 396
Pinned post for Q&A :)
@natthaphonhongcharoen
2 жыл бұрын
For WW2, what would have been more useful between a single G3 and a pair of Nelsons? Also how fast could the Nelsons be if they were build with 15"/42 when retaining the same armor? How much would that compromise the interwar battle line and how useful would they become in WW2?
@zordathian4922
2 жыл бұрын
What was the difference between the 5.25 Secondary armament on the KGVs and the Primary armament of the Didos? How did the different mountings and rangefinders/fire control systems affect the guns performance in both anti-aircraft and anti-shipping roles?
@2526ac
2 жыл бұрын
I find it interesting to say the over 180 rounds fired off Sirte was not significant due to the wind and visibility conditions on the day when compared to the Battle of the North Cape which was fought at very similar ranges in atrocious conditions but Duke of York was still able to place rounds on target, including the first salvo hit. Does this difference in performance only serve to highlight the importance of radar aided fire control?
@truekhmer7292
2 жыл бұрын
You mentioned that in 1943 the Italian battle fleet was ready to sail out and meet the allies in open seas to destroy or at least disrupt the supply lines or even bombard the allied positions on the coast. If the armistice was not signed before the two fleets started battling what should have happened in your view? Complete destruction of Italian battle line or successful disruption of supply lines? Maybe something else…
@d3faulted2
2 жыл бұрын
What would naval warfare look like in WW1 or 2 if smokeless powder was never invented. Or was invented and a series of disasters caused it to be deemed too dangerous and abandoned. But most other technology stays the same i.e. armor.
I love that the channel that started as a small passion project is now bringing brand new (in English language at least) scholarship to a wider audience and in the process challenging the popular history of a major part of WW2. This is proof that quality content will attract a audience. Keep up the great work Drach I’m glad so many like me love the channel.
@mumflurfumperdink2507
2 жыл бұрын
It’s truly amazing in a lot of ways
@barrydysert2974
2 жыл бұрын
Very well said, i couldn't agree more !:-) God bless you 🙏
@rictusmetallicus
2 жыл бұрын
Some of Drachinifels work should be translated to other languages. His video about Bismarck, the battle if Jutland or Pearl Harbour are outstanding documentaries in their own right. I'd gladly team up with others to translate some of his works to german to make it available for a wider audience
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
True, scholars and history lovers from other countries should also make the effort of speaking more English
@blabbitch
2 жыл бұрын
NONE of it is “brand new scholarship.” It is all previously known and published information.
I work sporting goods. Yesterday a customer handed me a display shoe they needed a size of from the back. I looked at the description on the display tag and said, "The Arashi? Oh, sorry, it's actually Arishi, the Arashi was a Japanese destroyer at the Battle of Midway." I looked up to find the customer staring at me blankly. I then said, "What size did you need?" and walked away. This is what you have done for me Drach, thanks!
@stefanebert7171
2 жыл бұрын
Ha. Great! Good one! Best from Germany
@B01
2 жыл бұрын
@@stefanebert7171 2022, the year Germans got humor AND helped out the right side of the conflict hahah
@stefanebert7171
2 жыл бұрын
@@B01 Yep. You're right. Must have been some kind of awakening. 'The Germans, for better or for worse, are simply obnoxious.' - Napoleon -
@B01
2 жыл бұрын
@@j.a.b.nijenhuis8124 truth!
@stephen1137
2 жыл бұрын
@@B01 the "right" side of the "conflict". The U.S through N.A.T.O. never had any reason to get control of UKRAINE, other than to pose a threat to Russia.
Thanks Drach for having us. We will be back!
@brothergrimaldus3836
2 жыл бұрын
Work on your smacking... you'll do fine.
@khaelamensha3624
2 жыл бұрын
Well see you soon on your channel, cousin😉 Regards from France!
@jayfelsberg1931
2 жыл бұрын
While I have you here please let me ask a question. Italian tank armor was recognized to be somewhat brittle due to lack of certain materials, Was there a similar problem with ship armor?
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
@@jayfelsberg1931 no evidence emerged regarding ship's armour. Only regarding tanks. This is also because all RM warships (besides a handful of destroyers and torpedo boats) were built prior to the war, when Italy could rely on imports. The tank production and the quality of armour was affected by the lack of resources and metals experienced by the axis in wartime
@jayfelsberg1931
2 жыл бұрын
@@Italian_Military_Archives Many thanks!
I love Italian warships of the 1930s, especially the Littorios and Zara class cruisers. They were works of art. Such a shame they had to be sunk or later got scraped.
@vietta6424
2 жыл бұрын
Too bad they were Italian.
@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat
2 жыл бұрын
@@vietta6424 still better than the Russians :)
@vietta6424
2 жыл бұрын
@@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat Danm right.
@phaasch
2 жыл бұрын
Lovely ships, shame about the artillery.
@Braindamagedpotato
2 жыл бұрын
@@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat the Russians had a navy !?
Enjoyed this My Dad was on the HMS Kingston when got hit by the Littorio Fortunately he was manning a gun on the back of the ship he was unhurt. His best friend lost several fingers holding on to one of the many holes that was torn into the deck by the shell. It was extremely rough and was trying to save himself from being washed overboard. My father was an artist and I have a couple of pictures that he drew of that day and more of other ships he was on.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Wow, thanks for your account
The Littorio-class and Zara-class design looked really beautiful and very distinguish for the Regia Marina in my opinion. Also Navigatori-class design was very interesting.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
I made a video on the interwar italian naval policy and naval constructions!
@Ah01
2 жыл бұрын
Don`t forget the rebuilt Dorias (or Duilios as the italians prefer) and Cavours, perhaps the most beautiful big warships ever. Their gunnery quality or overall usefulness, hmm, different questions alltogether.
@brandonlyon8632
2 ай бұрын
It was an era of beautiful, and terrible, machines, but it was people that made it all possible, what an awesome mess.
"I need [manufactured to proper tolerances] ammunition, not a ride." - Regia Marina creed circa 1940s
@TheAngelobarker
2 жыл бұрын
Stop stealing our motto-giarabub bros
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Or Naphtha would have been another option 🤣
@fieldmarshalbaltimore1329
2 жыл бұрын
Lmaooo nice
Theodore Ropp "The Development of a Modern Navy: French Naval Policy 1871-1904" shows that after the Franco-Prussian War Italy was seen as a major threat to French power in the Mediterranean. The Franco-Italian Tariff disputes on the 1880-1890s was a deliberate plan of the French to weaken the Italian economy to retard the growth of the Italian navy.
The entire Italian BB line was , in my opinion, the most elegant line of ships that ever sailed the Mediterranean Sea ....
@georgesoros6415
2 жыл бұрын
Truly, only the Bismarcks were prettier! The Rodneys and KGVs were piggish and freakish. But who was more deadly?
@VIDEOVISTAVIEW2020
Ай бұрын
@@georgesoros6415the Yamato and Musashi
Glad you go into the Regio Marina so much. It's often overlooked and underrated, as is the Regio Aeronautica. I found there is quite the demand for documentaries on them. My most viewed video is on the Italian CR.42 biplane fighter.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
We are trying to fill the gap
Drach, I would watch a series like this, with different channels featured talking about their native navies. Dutch, Canadian, Japanese, Indian, Brazilian, South African, Norwegian, etc.
it was a pleasure ^_^
Never had I considered an interest in naval history... Until I found your channel! Love the content & keep up the stellar work!
@jamesclouse9947
2 жыл бұрын
Same always liked history but never really cared for naval history until drach
They sure got some style don't they, whatever else may perhaps have been lacking. :) Great coverage/collab. So now Drach has done Bismarck with a native German and Regia Marina with two native Italians... Marine Royale/Marine Nationale with a Frenchman next?
@blabbitch
2 жыл бұрын
That’d mean there’d need to be major walking back of all the errors made in discussing the French in previous posts. Frenchmen generally disdain this channel for its bias against the French.
@1TruNub
2 жыл бұрын
@@blabbitch well it's Frances fault for being wrong in everything they do, they spent the better part of 100 years being the reserve for the Royal Navy. on top of that there's a reason why modern-day French ships have glass bottoms
@taccovert4
2 жыл бұрын
I mean, couldn't you just use a Brit to do the French, since the Royal Navy was the largest user of French Built Ships?
@silverhost9782
2 жыл бұрын
@@blabbitch Frenchman online tend to disdain anyone who isn't French, especially when history is brought up. Not a great loss tbh
@jeffbybee5207
2 жыл бұрын
I hope if he covers the scot navy with a scot that thenvhave American subtitles
The “Lissa complex “ is a good description for Italy during the Second World War. Mussolini needed to get into the war to get a seat at the peace treaty regardless of whether the military or the economy was ready and they paid the price.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
True, clear evidence of political decisions taken without taking in any consideration the military reality
Really enjoy these videos on the Italians. Anything that can minimise the 'haha Italy bad' internet meme is good in my book
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
We are trying to dismiss those myths and meme-based discussions
@silverhost9782
2 жыл бұрын
@@Italian_Military_Archives Appreciate your hard work👍🏼
I learned a lot from this. Thank you Mirko Campochiari, Giulio Poggiaroni, and Drachinifel for your continuing work to bring history to others.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Jack, I will continue to cover (also in English) the RM on my channel
Yes please, a second Regia Marina with Italian historians video would be fantastic
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
We will be back!
@Big_E_Soul_Fragment
2 жыл бұрын
@@Italian_Military_Archives Awesome and we'll be looking forward to more Italian Navy history!
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
@@Big_E_Soul_Fragment you can check my channel in the meantime, there are videos in English
@Aelxi
2 жыл бұрын
*"I've been looking forward to this"* - Admiral Dooku.
Wonderful to hear evidence from the Italian historians and perspective. Fascinating to hear some more in depth background and that amusingly as is the way even the Italian navy weren't 100% sure what caused some of their issues. Bravo drach and your guests.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@Jpdt19
2 жыл бұрын
@@Italian_Military_ArchivesMost welcome
Italian naval exports continue to this day. The desperately needed US Constellation class frigate is adapted from a design by Fincantieri.
What a pleasure it is to have this kind of content on YT. Thanks, Drach, Giulio and Mirko.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Really appreciated
many pictures of beautiful Italian ships I hope
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
And data..
@FandersonUfo
2 жыл бұрын
@@Italian_Military_Archives - the data is nice too - but Italian ships are very sexy - 🛸✨
The Italians made some good looking ships,no doubt about it
The Italian armored cruiser San Giorgio was the oldest italian warship in WW2, built in 1905 - 1908 she was scuttled in Libya in 1941. Her sister ship San Marco lasted until 1949.
@VersusARCH
2 жыл бұрын
Ah, the San Giorgio. The all-time torpedoeat champion.
@jmantime
2 жыл бұрын
@@VersusARCH yeah dodged or deflected 41 torpedos before being scuttled.
@TheAngelobarker
2 жыл бұрын
@@VersusARCH the torpedo nets had soooo many torpedos in them.
@mlccrl
2 жыл бұрын
The San Giorgio performed incredibly well when it shot down Balbo's plane on Tobruk. It is the most famous act of war it did 🙂🙃.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Yep, it was stationed in Tobruk as a floating costal battery and AA platform
Lots of other factors in gun dispersion, for instance powder stability and quality of storage can be a problem, even a slow seepage of humidty into the powder could change the ballistics. Also Barrel Lubrication, cleanliness, etc.
@tedeby5351
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, just smacks of incompetence. Somehow the USN and RN were able to deliver accurate battleship gunfire.
@Fulcrum205
2 жыл бұрын
There are a massive number of factors considering the fire director (the sights essentially) are at an entirely different location from the guns. Fluctuations in the signal voltage from something like a corroded ground wire could throw off the guns.
@TheAngelobarker
2 жыл бұрын
@@tedeby5351 it's not so much incompetence as fascist corruption
Maybe we Italians aren’t a race of warriors, but when it comes to design…. Anyway I really love the Regia Marina warships of the 1920s to 1940s. Many beautiful ships
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Grazie Andrea, ci ho fatto un po' di video se vuoi dare un'occhiata
@bluemarlin8138
2 жыл бұрын
Well there was that time when the Roman Empire conquered most of Europe and the Mediterranean world. Italian swordsmen and knights were also renowned during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. It’s only recently (20th century) that Italians haven’t done so well in combat. I agree that you did make some nice-looking ships.
@agaspversilia
2 жыл бұрын
@@bluemarlin8138 and in the end, is far better being knows for food, art and scenery 😂😂
@agaspversilia
2 жыл бұрын
@@Italian_Military_Archives certo 👌
@empath69
2 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't sell yourself short; the Italian submariners and frogmen were arguably the best in the world in WW2!
Hey! Italian Military Archives. I follow him on IG and KZread. Great to see them noticed by big guys like you Drach
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Victor!
Rum ration! Let’s go!! Always excited to see what kind of varied things I’ve never heard of that Drach manages to pull up. Always such fantastic presentation! Well done, sir!
Admiral Fioravanzo stated in his book "l'organizzazione della marina durante il conflitto" at page 105 " with the german 149mm guns of the world war 1 ships given as reparations to Italy by germany the dispersion, using german ammunition, was so tight that the fire directors would open it up un purpose to get on target faster, when the ammunition was changed to the italian made ones the dispersion got 10 times larger than before".
@NeuKrofta
2 жыл бұрын
Doesn't mean there was poor quality of ammo, the weight and length may have been different and not optimised for the rifling twist
@artyomascaron3985
2 жыл бұрын
@@NeuKrofta Fioravanzo continues in the same page " one of the causes of such phenomenon was the excessive tollerance that was allowed in the shell weights, for wich it was permitted an approximation around 1%, which produced a initial velocity difference of + or - 3m/s for the 900m/s shells adopted in the italian navy"
@NeuKrofta
2 жыл бұрын
@@artyomascaron3985 That may have had an impact for sure, I am surprised however that noone mentions rifle twist.
@artyomascaron3985
2 жыл бұрын
@@NeuKrofta though there were differences in the various tipes of shells for every nation I've never heard that the tipe with one strong ring and a secondary bevel used on the italian shells had any problem, if you refer to some differences in the design between italian and german shells for this 149mm gun none are described.
@NeuKrofta
2 жыл бұрын
@@artyomascaron3985 a difference in warhead and explosives could affect the distribution of weight, change in weight has an effect in regards to the rifling just as length or shape would. There are a lot of variables in ballistics and to say it is just "poor Italian quality" is an over-simplified excuse in my honest opinion.
Love the images of all the ships. Kept getting distracted from the conversation as I kept focusing on the ships. Will have to 'listen" to the video a second time. They are indeed beautiful.
Oh boy. Drach has guests. Bring out the fine silverware!!!
Probably one of the best KZread channels to date. Very informative and genuine. Great show and well presented. Respect!
Thank you for this great special! The Mediterranean theater I find the most interesting
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
True, and there are tons of fasinating stories and aspects which are extremely overlooked
I was really surprised to see some Italian Armoured Cruiser classes with ~8 ships. Of these only a pair or so would be in Italian service, with rest being in Japan and various South American Navies. So yeah, Italian warship export market was really successful.
Good morning from Massachusetts, Drach!
That artwork at the beginning is gorgeous
Loved this one, Drach! These guys are great!
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
thank you Robin!
Lovely thumbnail .. always liked these italian battleships.. pity about the sabotaged propellant charges.... The 6 inch battery is a bit of a throwback to nelson style but as they had to counter the French navy with its powerful destroyers is quite understandable. ...
@kemarisite
2 жыл бұрын
It isn't much of a throwback, though. Mixed secondary batteries were used by the majority of powers building new capital ships in the run up to WW2, with only the US and UK using dual-purpose unified secondaries. Guns around 6" (say, 150-155 mm) had been seen as the ideal anti-destroyer gun in a number of navies, from the Iron Duke class in the UK, the Andrea Doria class in Italy, and the Nassau class in Germany. Even the Yamatos, laid down three years after the first two Littorios, used a mixed secondary battery with 155 mm guns in addition to the 5" dual purpose guns.
@janwitts2688
2 жыл бұрын
@Frank DeMaris Yup.. it's definitely an excusable choice considering those big french destroyers ...
I've been looking more into the Regia Marina, and its crazy/cool that you have a video on it.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
We will be back with Drach. In the meantime, my channel solely focuses on the Regia Marina
Several pictures of Italian ships I have never seen, as well as an interesting and informative discussion. Thanks guys.
The machinist in me wonders if it’s stacked tolerances. Bad steel, stability issues, tolerances for charges, and shell tolerances would be to many variables to trace.
@ludditeneaderthal
2 жыл бұрын
Actually, those of us who hand load ammunition can tell you it's just "wrong components". Every firearm has a very few impressively accurate load combinations, a huge pile of decently accurate load combinations, and a fairly large collection of incredibly lousy accuracy load combinations. When one wanders into "maximum velocity load" territory, the latter pile becomes far larger, the first even smaller (often just a single load combo of components), and the "ok for plinking" pile shrinks a bit. The Italian big guns were hamstrung by multiple gremlins of "maximum velocity" load development well known to hand loaders. Every gun has their own "pet load" combination of components at any velocity range. 2 seemingly identical rifles will most often have divergent component specs to achieve that "pet load", sometimes a matter of a less than 1% in charge weight, often an entirely different mix of components, with "gun a sweet load" being "gun b garbage". The Italian big guns were doomed to ho-hum accuracy as a battery by the gremlins of maximum velocity load development, compounded by the harmonics gremlins of turret battery fire. At extreme ranges those alone explain the observed "shotgun pattern groups" delivered. This would also explain the "incurable" nature of the problem, as a test gun could work up a VERY impressive load, only to have the same load deliver very poor results in other guns. The ONLY fix would be development of an ideal combo for each barrel, then working our a"staggered fire" pattern to chase away the harmonics gremlin. As the guns in question had a barrel life of less than 200 shots, even that "fix" would likely be a technical impossibility, as they'd be shot out (or nearly so) during load development.
@RedProdductionsInc
2 жыл бұрын
Id tend to agree. If you have fast wearing barrels, steel with variable expansion at +.5% tolerance and the same shell at -.5% tolerance might expand and have their nose pointing in different directions coming out of the barrel, left or right, combined with over stabilization pointing the nose up accelerating sideways movement and possible deformation of the shell itself. Smacks of simply an industry unable to manufacture what was asked in both the numbers and quality asked of it, and started to cut corners to get there. Powder might’ve caused problems in the end, but this is a top to bottom problem. Maybe you could make a battleship or two in twice the time with a 14 inch gun that was properly built, and half the ammunition. Perhaps even imported german steel for certain critical parts to ensure quality. Just cant cut every corner and fit everything loose and expect it to fire like a swiss watch.
@rupertboleyn3885
2 жыл бұрын
@@ludditeneaderthal The other solution would be the one everyone else used - cut back the velocity and pressure a bit so that the guns were less fussy and then find a load that was acceptable in (almost) all the guns. Then just dump the barrels that won't behave with that standard load. With that done fixing the harmonics and interference issues would be doable. WRT to guns and favourite loads, I know what you mean - I had an M1 Garand that shot 1 MOA groups with just *one* bullet and powder combo, and that happened to be one that was right about the point where you'd be saying "time to ease back a bit" (primers starting to flatten, etc.). No more reasonable load was ever as good. Also, I had a 10-22 that was rather more accurate than your average 10-22 - but only when using expensive 'hyper velocity' ammo and a couple of other expensive hunting loads. Anything else and it was junk.
@ludditeneaderthal
2 жыл бұрын
@@rupertboleyn3885 agree 100%, my "insurmountable" diagnosis assumes "hyper gun" loads were a carved in stone requirement. Considering the state of Italian industry in the period, my bet would be component choices being quite limited as well. There was probably also a dash of "il duce wants it, so that's what we're shooting" too. Allow a change of performance spec to "plain vanilla" velocity ranges, those sprinkler heads may well have converted to tack drivers AND had a reasonable service life, assuming no major flaws in cradle and training system engineering
@Fulcrum205
2 жыл бұрын
Luddite has it right. As velocity (in actuality chamber pressure) goes up the weapon becomes more and more sensitive to extremely small variations in mechanical, ammunition, and environmental factors. I have a 25-06 that shoots a hot 100 grain load extremely well in cold weather. On a hot day my dispersion doubles. My solution (similar to the USNs heavy shell) was to step up to 120 grain Nosler Partition and roll back the velocity a bit. There are also barrel harmonics and shell length/rifling/velocity stabilization factors that interact with accuracy. The old 303 Enfield military load was famous for becoming more accurate as the bullet slower down. It would exhibit pretty average dispersion at short to medium range due to the bullet yawing. As the range got long the bullet spin and velocity slowed and it "settled down" to become very accurate at long range. I have no idea how much these factors were accounted for when the Regia Marina was developing their guns. I do know that they were known at least as early as the 1890s. I've read some of original US Army ordnance documents on the development of the 30-40 Krag and the 50 caliber Browning cartridge. There are very many long winded technical discussions about sectional density vs rifling twist vs penetration vs velocity vs accuracy vs trajectory vs...... Both incidentally were selected to maximize retained energy and penetration (ie a longer, heavier bullet) instead of velocity and a flatter trajectory.
It's great to hear about these "smaller" navies that often get overlooked.
@peterasp1968
2 жыл бұрын
I would hardly call the Italian Navy of WW2 small.
Yay! A Drachnifel video with the no-radar fleet. 😂
@artyomascaron3985
2 жыл бұрын
the italian navy had radar, what do you mean?
@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat
2 жыл бұрын
They got radar in late 1941 after Matapan
@Plasma438
2 жыл бұрын
@@artyomascaron3985 When the Regia Marina needed it most, it was not there. I have a history book languishing somewhere on my bookshelf that had the quote "Italian equipment is a generation out of date". Edit: When I posted my initial comment, I had just gotten home from my shift at the lab. I played the video as I got ready for bed and promptly dozed off shortly after.
@artyomascaron3985
2 жыл бұрын
@@Plasma438 yeah I agree, it's absence in the first operations of the war was absolutely felt by the italian navy.
Only 382 likes out of 3671 views at this point? Best get cracking on the like button!
love me some spaghettiboat history
@stefanebert7171
2 жыл бұрын
Haha! Good one!
This made the unwanted all nighter worth it. Now to absorb this information while starting at my ceiling
Could you make a video about a path warship takes between a finished design and entering service? In your videos you often mention dates for when ship was laid down, launched, finished and entered service, but what exactly happens?
Can we get a check on Royal Navy dispersion when firing against the Regia Merina?
Nice to hear more about the Italian navy in WW2.
I love Wednesday, solely because that means I have a long Drach video to watch while I sip my coffee.
Fantastic video, as an Italian-American, I really appreciate the attention paid to this neglected period!
@Italian_Military_Archives
6 ай бұрын
On my channel I cover the Italian Navy with videos in english
@darrenrenna
6 ай бұрын
@@Italian_Military_Archives I'll take a look!
I don't know if I have stated this before, the shots from Littorio are missing in bearing, that is super unusual. Most misses are in range (Over and Short) based on range estimation errors, bearing errors (with shots falling all over the line left and right of the point of aim) to my mind screams projectile or GFCS/Stabilizer problems. Then again I am mentally assuming parallel courses for the sips in question...Need more data here.
Good to hear some Italians speaking about the Italian armed forces as so much literature about them is written by those that aren't.
Always wanted more info on the Italian navy as most historians don't even acknowledge Italy did anything.
Drach, If we’re covering the beautiful Regia Marina rn, does that mean a little bit of French La Royale in the future?
The 15 inch gun discussion was very interesting, thanks for starting on that! Correct me if wrong, but it seems like the conclusion is that their were many factors that impacted these guns and we can't draw a final conclusion due to the relatively small sample size. Although it also seems like the blanket assertion that this was a bad gun with uniformly high dispersion is false, it was simply more sensitive to issues of barrel wear and manufacturing tolerances and the Italian navy did not have the time to work out how to get the best of out of them.
My Internet comes back after 5 weeks of it being down only to be greeted by this wonderful video
A variable effecting dispersion not mentioned, is insufficient rifling twist rate effecting shell stabilization; enough yaw, pitch and roll could conceivably cause dynamic variations between each shot.
Time for Al dente high seas escapades I see!
That float plane at the bow looks a bit.... in danger of getting blasted off if the guns ever need to be fired before the plane is launched.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
actually, this placement was not that bad. The most flawed one was that on the heavy cruisers (on the bow section).
Italian ships are the definition of *sexy*
@lorenrogers9269
2 жыл бұрын
True enough. Something about Italy, ships, cars, wine, paintings…women. ;.)
The video I definitely most wanted to see ever
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
thanking all
It is heartening to learn that the Regia Marina was contemplating the problem, it seems to me there was simply not enough time to sort out the problem, events were moving too fast.
@brandonlyon8632
2 ай бұрын
I certainly don't wish for a different outcome, but can simply appreciate the struggle.
Drach, Giulio, Mirko. Just found this. Very informative. I was particularly interested in the possible corruption by Ansaldo! Regards, Bob
Totally off topic, just came to my mind cause you said maybe there will be part two: when will you do the second part of the civil war video (river edition)?
@Drachinifel
2 жыл бұрын
Coming next month :D
@andreasfasold9841
2 жыл бұрын
@@Drachinifel yippieh
@incompetentobjectivist3850
2 жыл бұрын
Seconded!
@incompetentobjectivist3850
2 жыл бұрын
@@Drachinifel thank you! For that, and everything.
I always look forward to these longer form Wednesday videos. Much appreciated.
I suspect the Italian navy ship designers must have had an office labeled,"Make our ships look Cool". They just seem to be pleasing to look at.
Thank you for this video. It's MUCH appreciated. I'm looking forward to the next instalment. ^^
Another thing to consider would be different rates of wear for individual barrels of differing quality of steel. So you may have a dispersion of rifling quality across all the guns on a single ship at any particular time.
I can assure you that in proper cases poor steel can cause horrid dispersion. If the ductility is too high the barrel can slightly bulge behind the projectile allowing a larger than normal gas cloud at the muzzle. This is a microscopic effect on small arms and can be noticeable but the problem is inherent to any size. There is also a very disturbing amount of barrel movement when viewed in slow motion as a rifle fires. It forms a sin wave and you need that wave to be in the same spot every time when the projectile exits to have accurate shots. Soft steel could have different wave forms per barrel of a turret leading to the single turret having a massive spread.
That damn thumbnail pic is just a stunner !! 🚬😎
All of this further higlights, how much Mussolini miscalculated when he entered the war. He misread Hitler in a fatal manner and boxed himself and Italy in a war that wasn't theirs and which they weren't ready to fight. I am so glad people are reassesing this in recent times because mischaracterisation of Italian army and people during WWII is trully criminal. They were brave and capable but not ready for a major and prolonged conflict. And it was Germany's war, not Italy's war. Why would they even fight with USSR? Fascist Italy had pretty good relations with Soviet union.
@MrNicoJac
2 жыл бұрын
Could you elaborate on what you mean/refer to with "Mussolini misread Hitler"? (and how did he box Italy in?) Also, I find it curious that fascist Italy and the Soviets had good relations. Today, fascism and communism are usually seen as polar opposites to each other. Is that wrong? (overall, or at least in the case of Italy)
@jakublulek3261
2 жыл бұрын
@@MrNicoJac Mussolini, as many others, thought that Hitler could be satisfied by territorial concessions and played (with great pomp) role of peace arbiter between Germany and France and Britain. He was cautious against Nazis trying to overthrow friendly regime in Austria and even threatened Hitler with military action if he continues. But Ethiopian campaign in 1936 greatly annoyed British and French, so Mussolini started to play all powers against each other to get some advantage. He wasn't, at that point, ally of Nazi Germany, that came much later. Churchill was talking highly about Mussolini and Pierre Laval in France was openly his ally. It was after Munich Agreement Italy started to drift towards Germany. And on relationship with USSR, Mussolini was a member of Marxist party of Italy before WWI, Lenin exchanged correspondence with him and they had common friends. And many Marxists joined Fascist party. Italy and USSR weren't exactly friends but they were not enemies, they weren't stepping on each other's toes.
@TheAngelobarker
2 жыл бұрын
@@jakublulek3261 correct except the stresa front being broken by the anglo German naval treaty the news of which news broke DURING a conference where Italy was advocating for war against Germany was what drove a wedge between the allies and Italy. Mussolini and Lenin actually visited each other while in Switzerland. Italy and the USSR WERE friends since Mussolini was the first to recognize the USSR. Italy also sold many war ship and designs to the USSR like tashkent
@jakublulek3261
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAngelobarker I think that one of the biggest ifs of WWII is what would happen if Italy joined Allies. How was Mussolini's relationship with Stalin, by the way? It seems to me that during his reign Italian-Soviet relations somewhat cooled.
@davidpnewton
2 жыл бұрын
@@MrNicoJac "today Fascism and Comminism are usually seen as polar opposites of each other." That "usual" view is utter bunkum. Nazism and Communism are nearer bedfellows it's true, but Fascism is a close cousin as well. About the only real difference between Communism and Nazism is that one is defined in terms of "class struggle" and the other is defined in terms of "racial struggle".
What a pleasant surprise to wake up to
"The disaster at cape matapan" Yup, he's Italian
@TheAngelobarker
2 жыл бұрын
Well it was a disaster. The heavy cruisers still had their gunstops in and were collecting survivors. Imagine if the littorio rolled up on an English cruiser picking survivors out the water the English would scream war crime
@thedude3803
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAngelobarker Thanks to Admiral Cunningham I don't have to
@TheAngelobarker
2 жыл бұрын
@@thedude3803 they did cry about that in the Atlantic. U-boats shooting ships picking up survivors.
This was really cool! Looking forward to part two!
Oh man, can't wait to watch this one!
1:10:10 "The Austro-Hungarian fleet was quite sizeable comparable to the " (Shore size?) - Yes, and meanwhile the A-H MERCHANT fleet was the 4th or 5th biggest one on the planet (or 7 seas) around the early XXth century.
@rupertboleyn3885
2 жыл бұрын
The size of merchant navies tended (and tends) to reflect how secure ships flying that flag are and how strict the rules and regulations around registration, clear ownership, health and safety, etc. are. For example, during the US Civil War the US merchant marine shrunk enormously and the British one grew accordingly as owners re-flagged their ships as British to avoid commerce raiders.
@karlvongazenberg8398
2 жыл бұрын
@@rupertboleyn3885 In A-H's - while the dual Monarchy lacked overseas colonies it had extensive commercial ties to the world, for example brown cane sugar or molasses was imported, refined into diamond sugar and exported. From and to between Fiume/Rijeka and INDIA of all places... And it was a prospective business even in the late XIXth century, when merchantmen were still sailing ships.
very interesting, looking forward to the next one. Thanks.
i like the star trek security shirt, drach
Good looking ships , Unfortunately. WW2 says : it does'nt matter
Thanks Drach!
The Bofors 40mm gun is a great example of an over stabilized shell. I'm not sure if this pertains to the L60, but I recall the stability factor of the L70 is over 2. Shells strike tail first if they don't hit an aircraft, and they occasionally don't go off. A former colleague of mine actually picked up an unexploded shell on the test range. the shell didn't go off, but he nearly cause the safety officer to have a heart attack.
Question for anyone that can confirm: this photo @1:58. Is that an actual color shot ? Is it the real hues/colors ? Or was it a b&w photo that someone took artistic liberties with ? It is a stunning image, and I'd truly like to verify it's accuracy as to a future model building endevor.... thank you for any info on this !! 🚬😎
Ah perfect thing to listen to while I grind the new Italian mini event in Azur Lane.
Thank you for the great content! For the Algorithm... and also thanks for introducing 'us' to these guests and their channels.
Littorio class battleships are the sexiest things in the universe and nothimg can change my mind!
sono qui dopo gli apprezzamenti di "the man of the lowcloset" su Liberi oltre
Q&A could do a deep dive into what the US was doing between Dec 8, 41 and Apr 18, 42..
Interesting material. Thanks for posting.
@WildBillCox13
2 жыл бұрын
100-130 round barrel life? Wow! That's short!
Awesome!
Thank you, Drachinifel.
It's interesting, that the Cavours we're rebuilt as a stopgap, instead of the more modern Duilios.
51:30 Italians defeating Italians is a pretty good description of Italian history in general. Especially when the French and Austrians get involved.
@stipicaradic
2 жыл бұрын
Of the 7871 sailors on the Austrian side about 5000 were Croats. Nikola Karković even took the Italian flag after boarding Re d'Italia.
@Italian_Military_Archives
2 жыл бұрын
Very accurate
Maybe things change as you go up in size. With small arms over stabilization isn't really a thing that affects accuracy. What typically happens is high spin rates and high velocity will cause the bullet to fragment in mid air. You can see this with the 5.56 nato. And how you need to be careful of the twist rate for your application. That being said I wonder if maybe the high velocity was causing the driving bands to fragment or other damage to the shell.
@TheAngelobarker
2 жыл бұрын
The littorio was a 15 inch gun that out ranged the 18 inch Yamato and 16 inch Iowa. At those velocities every little thing is a pain
This was GOOD STUFF. How about expediting part II?
This mention of how many ships and designs Italy exports is something I think about a lot playing world of warships on console. After a year of bitterly waiting they finally released the Italian battleships, meanwhile for some reason the Russians have multiple full trees of paper ships, and some of the best real ships russians have in the game are just the itialian exports. Yet they show the Italians no love in that game!
Outstanding talk - thanks much
i want something about the danish navy if you need help translating im game for help