Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadoWarrior
If the Germans didn't see how much of a game changer radar was, then how do you explain why the Bismark had both sea and air search radars, and a better integrated fire control system than those on the Brit battlewagons it faced off against, allowing for both a more accurate and higher rate of fire?
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Its true the Bismarck was a fine battleship, probably the most powerful in the world at the time of its sinking in 1941, but whereas Britain and America had abided by the terms of the naval washington Treaty before and up to WW2, Germany and Japan had consistantly cheated, giving their capitol ships and even cruisers some advantage over them two main Western naval powers Britain and America.
Bismarck did indeed have radars, 3 x FuMo23 and FuMO21 radars, and German rangefinders, and gunnery control in general, was highly regarded. However her main armor deck was too low in the ship, leaving her vital communications and fire control systems vulnerable, and her fire control systems were knocked out early in her final battle against British heavy units. While German machinery tended to be too complex, and unreliable throughout the war. There are also questions about how effective her armour was, as its intersting to note that the British Rodney was instrumental in her sinking, despite being built in the 1920's and being considerably slower. Rodney quickly overwhelmed Bismarck with her accurate 16in gunfire, and pretty much pounding her into a flaming junk with some help from King George V, while Bismarck never hit Rodney at all.