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Letters
Fleet Formations
Mac, In Kurita's Formation, I'm curious about why the battleships were last in the formation. I presume that, as the most valuable ships, that gave them the best protection and must be standard naval tactics. TK TK,
I think thats right, but in making it through the Palawan Passage, its more restrictive in terms of sea room, and that is probably why the Japanese ships formed up in columns.
Out in the open ocean the Americans always assumed a circular formation, their really important ships such as the carriers and battleships were maintained in the centre, with the next ring made up of the cruisers, then the outer ring would come the destroyers.
When the course was changed, an order would be hoisted by signal flags, or sometimes Talk between Ships phone would order, Stand by to rotate the fleet axis to the right or left by a number of degrees. Before that order was executed, one had a few mad seconds to work out your ship's new position, and the course and speed you needed to order to get to the new spot. ( after the change onto new course, you held the same relative place you had before any change was ordered ) Then when the execute was ordered everyone charged off to take up their new station as quickly as possible, It could be mayhem, with ships flying in all directions, I nearly had a litter of kittens the first time I faced such a move as Officer of the Watch on Shropshire's bridge, but after a time one became qite adept at it all. You didn't expect that response from a simple question on your part, oh the perils of talking to me Terry!!
Mac. Mac, I expect there are whole books on fleet formations and manouvering. It must be very complicated for a formation to wheel around and maintian it's shape. TK
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