HMS Abdiel - Guide 207
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- The Abdiel class, fast minelayers of the Royal Navy, are today's subject.
Read more about the ships here:
Warship 2004 - Abdiel Class fast minelayers
www.amazon.co.uk/Very-Special-Ships-Abdiel-Class-Minelayers/dp/1848322356
www.amazon.co.uk/Conways-Worlds-Fighting-Ships-1922-1946/dp/0851771467
Naval photos and more - www.drachinifel.co.uk
Model ships of many periods - store.warlordga...?aff=21
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/drachinifel
Next on the list:
-Panserskib (Armoured ship) Rolf Krake
-HMS Victoria
-HMS Charybdis
-Eidsvold class
-SMS Emden (II)
-Ships of Battle of Campeche
-Tashkent-1934A Class
-HMS Plym (K271)
-Siegfried class
-HMS Caroline
Pinned post for Q&A :)
Why did the british want battleships to be limited to 14 inch guns in the 2nd london naval treaty?
How effective do you think force Z would have been if it had survived the attack that sank it?
Did any countries ever try mounting warship guns on a tank? E.g. a 5/38 on a Pershing
Hey Drachinifel, I heard that there was a submarine that the Royal Navy went and stuck a battleship gun into. Is there any truth to this or is it someone trying to troll me?
Also, I would love to see a guide on the Kormoran.
About the naval treaties. Can a rich person or like a "corrupt" politician just have warships build and just name them as "yachts"?
Drag racing a US carrier is a level of flex I wish one day to achieve.
Well I would be much more impressed it had been a more modern CVN
Reportedly, even the modern carriers can't quite match its speed.
@@toddwebb7521 It's not a CVN's speed it's their endurance they can keep up top speed for ages compared to gas turbine ships that could only do short burst's especially the first generation ones.
US carriers are all 32-34 knots from Essex class to Nimitz class (depending on sea condition were bigger carriers can go faster in worst conditions)
So an Abdiel class with a 38knot+ top speed is just faster in a sprint.
@@MravacKid I do believe at least enterprise could, maybe the nimitz class can if they push it beyond their designed power output (well all those max speeds are sort of uncertain...) the problem is the escorts, the escorts would have to be left behind if the carrier wanted (assuming she was able to) to sail at 40knots
"what's the retail on one of those?"
The Abdiel class. One of the few ships where the answer to top speed is "yes".
I'm just imagining the song "gas gas gas" playing in the background
Does submerged top speed count? Because there were 8 Soviet nuclear subs that could top 40 kts when submerged
_Le Terrible:_ "A worthy opponent!"
US Admiral: "What the hell was that?"
Helmsman: "It's the Manxman Sir, They've gone to plaid!"
What would the American Admiral think if HMS Manxman used its Infinite Improbability Drive?
I think its the extra leg the Manxmen have that helps. They are always boasting about it on their flag.
Ludicrous Speed?
I must watch this channel too much. The intro plays and my toddler comes running yelling "battleships" and commenced point to every picture saying "Ship"
sounds like the upbringing I wish I'd had.
Out.
Standing.
Bringing them up right!!!!
That is incredible!
magnificent
Fun fact: The Imperial siren in Star Wars is a sample of Manxman’s steam siren, recorded from ‘Sailor of the King’ when she portrayed a German Cruiser.
3:20 In the voice of Jeremy Clarkson: *POOOOOWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRR*
THE SPEEEEDDDDDDDDD
"GAS GAS GAS! I'm gonna step on the gas! TONIGHT!!"
"We hit Warp factor 11 sir!"
@Uncle Joe Sounds messy
‘Ery noice
7:20 “It does sound like something the Royal Navy would do.” Agreed. The best flex in naval history.
Sounds like something any Navy would do. If you've got it, flaunt it.
Leave it to the British to develop a ship and then try to fit it into every other role that it wasn't designed for.
The Americans and Japanese did that as well.
Yes. I mean, they did actually lay mines, right? A few times? Because they are remembered for everything else.
What else would you expect if you make a ship that can do 40 knots in WWII?
The Germans: Every ship, airplane and tank should be able to do everything. What could possibly go wrong? :D
@@untruelie2640 But they tried to design it that way. The British designed these ships for one purpose an then used them for everything else anyway,
That last story better be true. Manxman outrunning everyone is too funny
A very Royal Navy thing to do
"My flag has more legs than yours!"
I'm guessing that it probably is true. To have that capability, and not take advantage of the opportunity to thumb your nose at a colleague(?) would be unforgivable.
It's the third leg that did it.
@@bobjohnbowles and that is why all the ladies love a sailor!
My grandfather served on Abdiel, he told me the ships specs were classified at the time. Mountbatten on Kelly at the time came across Abdiel en route to Gibralter and challenged Abdiel to a race in, it being commonly thought Kelly was the fastest ship in the navy at the time. Needless to say Abdiel won having docked and unloaded before Kelly appeared on the horizon.
He also measured Abdiel at 43 and a half knots on a towed log if memory serves me right.
Sadly when sunk by mine in Taranto the paras they were transporting were still on board.
Imagine the crumbled ego of a destroyer captain when his ship loses a race to a bloody minelayer haha
That's freaking water ski speed💪💣〰⏩⏩
Ship Designer: How fast do you want this ship to be.
Royal Navy: *Clarkson voice* POWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
The Welshman was the saviour of Malta on many occasions
My father was proud to have served on Abdiel from commissioning until after the Battle of Crete. He said this was the only ship that could get in and out of Crete waters in darkness and therefore avoid being bombed.
The ships I would choose were I so filthy rich as to be acle to afford a warship as my personal yacht. Put 'em in victorian paint scheme: lovely!
they painted gun ports on the royal clipper, wich would be rather close to my personal transport, if i were filthy rich
In the late 60's the Danish Navy put the pair of Najaden-class torpedo boats up for sale. 900t, 35 knots and apparently still sea-worthy, although stripped. The price, if I recall correctly, was rather low. Something like $20-$30k. Would have made a nice little run-about for someone with deep pockets. :D
HMS Manxman played the part of the German Cruiser "Essen" in "Sailor of the King"
Oddly enough I’ve seen that, weren’t there a pair of Dido-class used for the movie as well? I don’t remember which two they actually were though
@@surbon110 It was one Dido class cruiser in the "British" cruiser roles (HMS Amesbury and Cambridge) - HMS Cleopatra. The movie was originally called "Singlehanded" but was renamed "Sailor of the King" for the US market. You can find it here on RUclips.
@@Chartdoc62 Based on C S Forrester's "Brown on Resolution" I think.
HMS Manxman: "What took you so long?"
US Fleet: "Trolling Royal Navy."
HMS Manxman: "Oh we haven't started sir, we got all kinds of jokes for you."
US Fleet: "Help!"
That's a fantastic photo of the mine deck with the doors open at 4:40.
It took a while to realize the sailor was looking at the surf behind the ship and not a compartment filled with snow...
but the sledges also confused me, did they really throw away a crate with every mine laid? Seems very wasteful.
@@Ugly_German_Truths I think that's the mooring. So the big lump at the bottom would sink to the seabed, and the chain would hold the mine in place at the required depth.
@@111doomer ah, so an anchoring component, that DOES make sense.
It looks like the foam of the wake is higher than the mine doors, must be at speed.
The yanks ought to've guessed from Manxman's name that she had the legs on them.
3 legs even...
Unless you're into motorcycle racing, no american will get that reference.
The Abdiels were speedboats, no doubt ... British 'hot rods.'
HMS Manxman shadowing the USS Coral Sea battle group, something one would normally expect of a Soviet cruiser or destroyer. Wiki lists Manxman's top speed as 39.5 knots, but as most seamen know a good Chief Engineer ALWAYS keeps a few more knots hidden up his sleeve. The 39.5 knots figure is only what the Admiralty would admit to just as 33 knots is only what the USN will admit to for Coral Sea and many other carriers. There is a saying in the USN that "only two or maybe three men aboard a particular ship know just how fast she can be pushed ... the Chief Engineer, the Captain and (if there is one embarked) the Flag Officer."
Just a note, I believe Coral Sea was perhaps the slowest of the post WWII carriers due to some hull deformation which I personally witnessed. From the 'plane guard' position astern to port of her I could easily see how she was 'hogged' and twisted with a definite rise amidships higher than bow and stern. Her aircraft would launch going 'downhill' and land heading 'uphill' in smooth seas when there would be very little pitching movement.
Yet another good offering Drachinifel, you always seem to have something new to teach me.
Having been EOW or throttle man while running flank speed many times, I definitely knew the top speed. And it was certainly our listed speed.
@@JoshuaTootell I'll be frank sir, the true top speed of any warship is usually a closely held secret and is not the official figure given to 'Janes Fighting Ships.' One example, USS Enterprise (CVN 65) was listed in 'Janes' and other open sources as having a top speed of 33+ knots. It is well known in the fleet that even under conditions ideal for her escorts she could outrun them easily, running them over the horizon in just a few hours. During her very last underway period before being taken out of service her Captain and crew 'opened her up' for one last speed run, the 'tired old Enterprise' outrunning her accompanying gas turbine powered destroyers and cruiser (one of them a brand-spanking new Burke class DDG,) much closer to 40+ knots than her 'rated' 33, perhaps more.
That 'listed speed' you mention is only what the public is told. The true top speed of any first line warship is classified information. I know from experience that the Spruance type hull is capable of far more than the 32 knots listed. They and the current 'Ticonderoga' class cruisers (same basic hull and power plant) are capable of speeds that will tear the sonar dome off of the bow when you take the governors off of the engines. Caron (DD 970) did it during builder's trials before she was turned over to the Navy.
The Iowa class battleships had a design speed of 33 knots at 212,000 hp, all four reached 35 knots during builder's trials (a LOT more than 212,000 hp) and proved able to keep up with Forrestal and Kitty Hawk class carriers (faster than the Essex class CVs) which could and did outrun their usual escorting cruisers and destroyers.
No, I agree @@robertf3479 . In most cases, the true top speed is secret. Just anecdotally, not all of them.
To be fair listed top speed of any ship is more of an average figure. I worked a number of years on fast craft pax ferries. Operational speed of incat 74's was around 35knts. Even loaded Seacat Scotland could regularly beat that by a couple of knots and light ship she could break 40 with still a little left to give from the engines. I was never aboard during any sea trials so no idea what she actually topped out at.
I was aboard one of her sisters(Hover Speed GB) during sea trials after some maintenance and even though technically slightly lighter than Scotland due to configuration of the main cabin, she struggled to hold 39knts with everything she had.
It was just one of those things. Scotland was always considerably faster and in operation quite a bit more fuel efficient but HGB handled better during slow maneuvers and berthing even though virtually identical ships 😂
@@robertf3479 Yes.. but builders trials have the ship nowhere near full load i think...
IIRC HMS Abdiel was in a Top Trumps pack we had at school in the early 70s. Always brought a grin when someone called "Speed" and you had her in your hand.
Thanks for that. My father served on Abdiel and was in her when they hit a mine in Taranto harbor after the Italian Surrender. They were one of the first ships into the harbor after the surrender and were loaded with troops who were ready to disembark. There was considerable lose of life as the soldiers had packs etc on. Some of the crew swam to a floating crane and kicked the resident Italians into the harbor. They believed the Italians had deceived them. In fact it was a German eboat who laid the mine as it evacuated the night before.
My Grandfather was on board. He told me that KGV or similat was due to drop anchor in that spot but swapped with Abdiel
Casual war crimes, nothing to see here
@@halfassedfart I mean, I would hardly considering kicking someone off a dock a war crime
I'm counting that Suez story as true until conclusively proven otherwise! Love it!
As a Manxman myself, lovely to see our namesake ship getting some love!
"...The Manxman would eventually go to the breakers yard in the 1970's due to a fire that broke out aboard that rendered her uneconomical to repair."
Probably because they kept sailing at flank speed against US carrier groups. :P
It's easy to forget, particularly today where many people's interest in naval stuff tends to extend to the exotic and famous big ships (Bismarck, Iowa class, Yamato being perhaps the best examples), that the Brits knew a thing or two about designing ships and could, on occasion, produce designs that reminded everyone of that fact. I love the fact you are frequently getting around to covering specific ships or classes that aren't at all well known (being an Aussie I of course enjoyed your one that included in the title, how did you term it, "adventures with angry Australians" or similar).
Of course the Brits are also generally so understated (although none can be quite so devastatingly dismissive, condescending or insulting as desired through understatement as the Brits, something we in Australia have always loved and perhaps trued to produce our own variations on it, LOL) that they're perfectly happy to keep their cleverness hidden.
Their considerable lead in radar tech, perhaps nowhere more startlingly evident at the outbreak of WW2 in Europe than in the "Chain Home" network, is another that I suspect most these days aren't aware of. I believe it's true (going from memory) that they also were the first to achieve useful centimetric radar which of course meant much more precise, effective and longer range detection AND easier to mount in aircraft, crucial for the Battle of the Atlantic.
That story at the end certainly does sound like something the Brits would do, a reminder to their brash offspring that became the dominant power that it wasn't always thus. I bet morale on board following that had it happened would have been rather high. It's almost a universal law that a sailor will always prefer a faster ship, and a chance to show it off is better still.
For anyone interested...
Abdiel was the Seraph in Milton's "Paradise Lost" who, on hearing the rebellious speech, upbraided Satan for his blasphemy and returned to God. When war was joined in heaven, Abdiel opened the battle by landing a blow on Satan - one so great to his head that he was forced to take ten steps backward.
Uncle Drach; the comment about "See You In Egypt" reminds me of a similar comment made by the RN when asked by the USN "How does it feel to be the second largest navy in the world: to which the RN made a suitable reply :How does it feel to be second best"? cheers from the SF Bay
Designers: What design speed would you like for these new ships?
Royal Navy: *Yes*
I only found this chanel resently and only started watch to have a laugh at French naval designs. Naval warfare always was interesting to me since I did my military service on a naval battery converted to a coastal battery,but a sideshow. (So I know quite a bit about naval gunnery with and without radar) Now I cant stop watching videos :)
Thx for a great show mate.
the Manxman story reminds me of one told by an RAF Hampden pilot, who would pull alongside Gloster Gladiators, and then flip them the bird as he would further increase power and leave the RAFs then top-line fighter in his dust
Thanks for this. The Abdiel class was a unique group of ships that always perked my interest. Manxman and Welshman made names for themselves in the defense of Malta.
My Grandad served as a chief Petty Officer on HMS Latona. He did 6 years in the Royal Navy. Thankyou Grandad.
The engine power stat that I always remembered is the 2000 ton Abdiel's had about the same engine power as the 10,000 ton Town Class cruisers (72,000 Vs 75,000 shp), which weren't exactly slow ships.
Makes me think the Abdiel's were essentially a set of massive engines with a tiny hull strapped to it...
The story I read somewhere ( can't find the reference) was that Manxman was attached to an American TF in the Pacific. The Admiral, on noticing this apparently obsolete ship, advised fleet speed of 21kts. Manxman complied. The TF gradually increased speed to its maximum where upon Manxman was advised to maintain best speed. As Manxman disappeared over the horizon at 40kts she kept signalling "Why?"
If I ever find the reference I'll post it.
🤣 I love it!
When you get to Tokoyo Bay, STOP.
Not just speed, like the French Destroyers (they are such pretty ships though), but sustained speed.
Excellent ships. Malta couldn't have held without them.
love the carrier story... and as was said in the man who shot liberty valance: When the legend becomes fact, print the legend
My father told me that story when I got drafted to Manxman in the early 70's. He had been in the Med on a destroyer and Manxman had a slight boiler problem. The convoy escorts continued on to Alexandria hoping Manxman would be OK. Three days later when the convoy reached Alex, the Manxman had got there first and had reached Alex the day before. According to my father Manxman top speed was 40 plus knots. When I served on her she only reached 30 plus but was a very old lady then 7:43
Thanks Drach, nice talk. I saw HMS Manxman in drydock at Portsmouth in the early sixties, the sight of those nice clean, brightly polished HUGE propellers has stayed with me. Loved the story about the Suez trip, as you said - sounds like something the RN would do alright. 🤣
How many knots would you like?
All the knots.
Macrame joke goes here.
Just one Gordian Knot please.
the speed dial actually went up to 11.
Damn! That would be one exciting ship. You just filled a knowledge gap I didn't know I had.
"See you in Egypt." Has to be true, that is so typically British. LMAO.
Considering their exceptional speed and relatively small size I'm surprised they weren't purchased by civilian companies to be converted into luxury yachts. Most warships are more ruggedly built than similar size civilian vessels, thus easier to convert/refurbish and than maintain in service, plus their unique history would considerably increase commercial value.
Man, if I had the ungodly funds required to do so I think buying something like this would go to the top of my list.
Probably too expensive to refit
A cruiser is a bit much for a yacht.
@@demonprinces17 Also probably too expensive to operate, that huge powerplant would be complex and when operating would go through fuel like a kid through soda-pop. You would probably have to re-engine her, diesels perhaps though she would probably still have a good top speed ... just not ridiculously so.
@@Jon.A.Scholt Watching the boat 'for sale' market you will occasionally see a mineclearer or old small warship for sale on the market...the Turkish mineclearer I am thinking about was 1mil USD...The reason they stay on the market so long is for the price to refit/repair/update everything into a party boat you'd beable to have a brand new yacht built custom.
It always strikes me as sad when one of these ships is sent to the breakers.
why? Nothing human built is for eternity. As you'll see when they try to preserve one or two notable class ships as museums, they need a LOT of upkeep to stay afloat and presentable.
@@Ugly_German_Truths yeah, just look at the USS Texas, it's barely staying afloat these days
@@seancritchlow5888 That's because she's horribly neglected and our government is more concerned about lining it's pockets and sucking off the oil companies than preserving anything. In general we actually have a pretty good economy compared to most states, though if you look around enough you realize just how little money goes to anything for the people.....I mean the city of Houston had a vote for a public train system, majority voted in favor and instead they just spent 5 years expanding the highway leading to the same horrible traffic they always had...and then when a private investor said fuck it and tried to get a bullet train going from Houston to Dallas like was either then or some time later proposed the oil companies fought tooth and nail to keep it from going....damn thing was supposed to be up and running already but it's had so many delays between that and some technical issues. Another good example is our education and mental health care systems....don't even get me started with those...
My father in law's first ship, back in the 50's was the Manxman. He never mentioned the US carrier racing but he did say that his hammock was slung above a mine. Be careful getting out of bed in the morning.
It is such a shame that more ships were not retained to become museums. This would have been fun and shown that not all the important ships are big with huge guns.
The battleships were actually some of the LEAST important ships (in WWII and beyond), even. Especially the newly built ones, which were a case of "obsolete upon/before commissioning" and "pointless waste of resources".
@@bkjeong4302 bro, we fucking get it, battleships are useless. But can you chill with the constant essays about it? Every fucking RUclips video, every comment section has you in it talking about this. Can you let people enjoy their battleships in peace? It’s not like they’re coming back, it’s like ships of the line, they’ve long been obsolete, but they’re still interesting to talk about.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the Iowas returned to service many times and I believe Reagan activated them as a counter to ths new Russian battlecruisers. They made handy can openers with those nine 16 inch main guns.
@@ONECOUNT Except in reality they'd have been horrible at dealing with the Kirovs, and their 16" guns utterly useless, since a Kirov would never bother getting into shooting distance and just rely on missiles. More DDGs or even just sending a carrier would have been a much better counter for Kirovs.
@@ONECOUNT We had 2 Iowas in the Gulf in 1991!
This is the result of dropping a colony class engine unit into a large destroyer, a 3000 ton power boat lol.
[USN Observer, openly agog] "I don't believe it! The Limeys put a Hydrofoil on a Destroyer!"
[RN Captain, sidling up] "That's no Hydrofoil. She's fast enough that she's mostly just, well, flying.
[USN Observer is caught between crippling shock and something near disgust]
[RN Captain, seemingly innocently]" We reckon reckon that if we stuck some wing on her, she'd fly proper. Even thought about it. Brass shut it down. Worried the RAF would try take it over, scuttlebutt says."
[USN Observer has somehow acquired a monocle so it can fall out of his shocked face.]
They looked very County Class though.
Basically the warship version of a muscle car.
A work colleague was on one of the fast Minelayers on the ice-land patrol (A fishing disagreement) and the ship sprung a leak so they had to head south to dry dock and as docking required fuel bunkers empty they did a full power trial down the east coast to use up the fuel. The following day in the papers they read about a freak tidal wave washing the deck chairs over on holiday beaches and realised hey were responsible => Sadly I cannot ask him for further details of Ship & date as he is no longer has a phone
My grandad was on the abdiel when it went down. I’ve still got the original newspaper report my grandma cut out regarding its sinking.
Most interesting, especially as I've just upgraded to Man The Guns in HOI4 and battling with what to do with my old V/W and C-class ships as I try to build the more useful E/G/F/H and Leander class ships.
Huh, thank you for this video Drach, I'd never heard of these ships before now, and am glad to know at least a bit about them.
At last! An exceptional class of ships, I would love to have seen Manxman at flat tack. A ship that size at 40 knots!
Good one, nice to hear the detail behind the bland phrase "fast troop carry ships landed reinforcements"
Very interesting ships I did not know much about until seing this. Thanks
Abdiel means "Servant of God" in Hebrew if you were curious.
Follow ups for my, with the Black Swans, joint favorite ships.
Can you think of any ships that were as, nearly as, or more flexible than the Abdiel class? I don't mean conversions, DEs were converted into a number of types, but they couldn't switch from task to task like the Abdiels could by simply changing what they were carrying in the mine spaces.
Given hindsight, should more have been built? In place of what?
They were quite successful as minelayers. How many would it have taken to effectively bottle up the Italian fleet?
Abdiels were used to run supplies to Malta. How many Abdiels would it take to fully supply Malta, making Operation Pedestal and the like unnecessary?
A potential downside; how much of a strain would 20-30 Abdiels put on fuels supplies for ships? Enough to make them not worth the logistical footprint?
Alternate history, what do you think Cunningham would have done with a couple dozen Abdiels at his disposal? As minelayers and also as flexible ships.
Would the Absalon class be the closest (except in terms of speed) modern or cold war equivalent in terms of flexibility?
I do so want the story about the Manxman overtaking the Coral Sea to be a true one. Thug Life.
Retired USN here. While this is the first time I've heard this particular story I can believe it. For clarification, I'm old ... but not THAT old. I had the opportunity to operate with the Royal Navy from time to time and once watched the 'Harrier Carrier' HMS Invincible show off, accelerating and maneuvering like a much smaller and lighter destroyer, so yeah ... I can believe it.
@@robertf3479 As Drach said. It is the sort of thing that the Royal Navy would take delight in. A rare opportunity as well. All good fun.
@@robertharrison3593 I hear ya. On the same day Invincible showed off for us an oiler in company with her began harassing a Soviet AGI (intelligence trawler) off Chesapeake Light (Hampton Roads VA) by making what for the oiler was flank speed passes close aboard the AGI. As we watched the oiler would pass close, her wake causing the much smaller ship to toss, roll and pitch, then turn around and do it again and again. By the time we passed there were Russian sailors hanging over the rail.
While we normally would mess with the Soviets ourselves in our own way ... our Skipper decided to show a little bit of mercy. Besides, an 8,000 ton destroyer doesn't throw up the kind of wake a 25,000 ton oiler would.
@Robert Harrison
Suez has been a LONG time ago. There shouldn't be any classified ship logs or similar documents any more. if it DID happen, we would KNOW from at least the logs mentioning the incident in passing. (And probably even from communication between Manxman and the british force at the canal!
I call "lighthouse hoax" on this one too. Sounds fitting, but it does not quite turn out the right way if you dig deeper.
@@Ugly_German_Truths See my comment oh well, same Logs HMS Manxman October 1956 (Suez Crisis era) discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1608770 Not digitized. Hopefully the won't be re-classified prior to reopening after covid. Even as a Yank, I retain my right to giggle (if or even if not true).
40 knots is crazy. Thank you again for your work.
I know I'm not a Patreon, and this has nothing to do with this specific video, but could you do a "What if" on the Battle of the North Cape, if Scharnhorst had been refit with the 15" guns like they wanted to. Thanks. These are some of the best videos on RUclips.
1:28, try telling that to the B-29's mining the Japanese Home Ports in 1944-45. A ten THOUSAND pound payload could & would provide a pretty dense minefield, ESPCIALLY if dropped in squadron strength. But yes, until the arrival of Lancaster's & B-24's in the 43-44 era air dropped naval mines were a bit of diminishing returns for the attackers.
Americans: where is that Brit
British: already in Egypt and having a great time
Manxman was the last warship broken up at Cashmores in Newport, in 1973.
Just recently I watch a RUclips vid of - British ww2 Paratrooper Talks About Combat In Italy and Greece. Alec Sutton. He describes how he was on board HMS Abdiel when they hit a mine. It’s a great video, well worth a watch.
An over sized under gunned destroyer that will give a PT boat a good race and then booby trap a Harbor approach.
Nice.
I'd love to see that last story checked!
Only if its true XD
Very interesting, and not something I've ever heard of before. Thank you!
Manxman should have been kept preserved just for comedy value alone xD
obviously, the best minelayers would be the courageous class. In fact they were so good, that the RN considered using them as such unfair and never game them any mines
Owing to their flexibility, I think the Abdiel is my favorite class of Royal Navy ships
Along with the Black Swans they are my favorites of any Navy of the war.
1974 or 75- I'd just finished A levels and my dad, who was captain of Severn Division RNR (HMS Flying Fox) "wangled" me a trip on HMS Fearless who was going round the coast taking parties of school kids out for jollies. I sailed from Avonmouth to Plymouth and coming into Devonport, the kids were offloaded into an LCI to keep us out of trouble whilst Fearless docked. We were taken up "Dead Ship Row" and the PO in charge of us pointed out a ship he said had once been the fastest in the Navy. I found out later she was one of the Abdiel class minelayers. Sad to say, today our Navy doesn't seem to have enough ships to have a "Dead Ship Row"...
Drachism of the day:
USS Coral Sea, 32 knts: wtf are you doing?
Hms Manxman, 40 knts: just sailing... See you in Egypt lads!
See you in Egypt! 😆
Sounds like the RN. See you in Egypt!
Can you imagine Admiral Fisher seeing these ships? He would have immediately started planning an even faster ship. That would have been epic.
I detect a theme about Admiral Fisher; excess is required.
Good man that Admiral Fisher.
Always a quality presentation. And your penchant for understatement... fantastic.
Thanks, Drachinifel.
Manxman's trolling has got to be in the top ten, especially because it was directed at an "ally" 😂
An interesting class of ships. Thanks for this one Drach.
Very beautiful looking class of ship.
can you do a video on the history of mine laying? what patterns were successful and how to avoid hitting your own mines etc.
Beep beep, beep beep his ship went beep beep beep...
I shoulda watched this the first time it popped in my recommendations, that ending was hilarious.
Check out `Sailor of the King`. Film based on CS Forester Book. That surely has to be Manxman, playing the Enemy!
When the crack cocaine of french naval architects gets in the hands of the british naval engineers
Carrying 150 very large explosive balloons would make me nervous the first time someone fired anything larger then a pistol at me.
Fantastic video as always Drach.
Me too. But would it be worse in a Submarine with mines?:-)
@@andrewl5127 Yeah in a sub..just no....especially a WW2 submarine.
That's a terrifying thought.
In an alternative history book, I've quite forgotten the name, its the late 90s and France, Germany are at war with the US, UK etc. A German minelayer is hit with a Stonefish mine layed by a British sub. The explosion is so powerful, its almost nuclear in its appearance. Plus mines are being thrown from the ship and exploding as in the air, on the ground etc.
I've wondered if accounts of ships blowing up while under air attack by strafing fighters are cases where a cannon shell or larger caliber bullet penetrated and detonated a depth charge or torpedo. I would think if a destroyer such as USS Johnston at Samar would jettison all of its depth charges. The idea of racing around with a number of what are effectively 500 pound bombs on your stern in the middle of a surface action is insane
@@mpetersen6 i believe you can rig a depth charge to "safe" no amount of pressure will make it explode, it'll just fall to crush depth. Though I'm sure a large enough shell will still make them go boom. And in some battles the depth charges were not placed into safe mode, the ship sinks then the DC goes off at whatever the setting was and kills men who are in the water.
@@mpetersen6 Can't give you a source for it but I do have memory of reading of destroyers etc dumping their depth charges over the side before going into a surface action. Take that for what it's worth, a memory from some random on the internet :-)
I'm always surprised more of these kinds of ships weren't built after the class in WWI proved so successful.
Clever ship, important in the victory in the Mediterranean
As an American I do love a well done trolling even when against us.
You don't do too badly yourselves and your American trolls are epic trolls ... for example: "Bridge too Far" ....Bridge over The River Kwai ... etc etc etc
I'm a Brit, and yeah we appreciate a good troll against us too. It is healthy to have the ability to laugh at oneself I think!
@@Davey-Boyd I am English and britain/british to me is these Islands and not a Country. London refuse to recognise us and uses the term ...british ...to deny us English our proper place in the World. In that way they make us entirely dependent on them. They are the lowest form of life we know of it's time we had a Capital City which recognised us! Manchester would do very nicely....
@@englishpassport6590 I am a Staffordshire lad, I am a Midlander, I am English, I am a Brit, I am a European, I am a citizen of the world. Don't get hung up on words mate.
So you don't live in Central England you live in the midden section of ...britain no you don't really do you since England doesn't exist to you? . The Centre of England can go all the way from Portsmouth to The Scots Border for instance I live in Central England in Yorkshire .. Why have a place called North of England which to me is Spitzbergen or The Faeroes I consider the term derogatory......@@Davey-Boyd
40 knots! Almost able to keep up with the (somewhat later) SS United States ;)
Seriously though, it would have been cool if someone had staged a publicity stunt of HMS Manxman and SS United States in formation at around 40 knots. Maybe bill it as a demonstration of carrying rapid reinforcements to NATO forces in Europe.
40 Knots! Practically a speed boat at that point ;)
Lovely looking ships, I always thought this class was known as the "Manxman" class however, I'm sure it is referred to as such in a book I have somewhere.
I've seen them as both as well.
Sounds like a great class for a BFG "converted" Ork Kroozer. Just gotta paint it red!
Well, and add more dakka.
Red hull,yellow guns.. purple superstructure for some sneakiness.
This ship seems to be the prototype of every fast ships that followed. Once you have a ship displacing 3,000 tons and capable of 40 knots navies will start thinking why not a fast missile carrying ship as well? You could call it a frigate and assign it anywhere a fast ship is required. You could also build a bigger ship that also can go 40 knots and call it a destroyer, as calling it a cruiser is old fashioned.
Lovely ships
MANXMAN was I believe the largest ever ship to.transit the Menai Strait between Anglesey and the Welsh mainland. Her speed enabled her to enter the Strait on the rising tide and transit the Strait befure the falling tide made the water depth insufficient to complete the transit.
See you in EGYPT. Very funny
The speed of US carriers is amazing when you consider their size (and that the Iowas could keep up with even modern CVNs!). Something that big and massive doesn't seem like it should able to go almost 40 mph (land miles). Bravo for the Brits who beat one in a race.
Its a function of physics. In a straight line larger ships should always have the top speed advantage unless they are deliberately designed to be underpowered for their size, its only thru design that powerplant space is sacrificed as a proportion of the ship to make the space available for other things. The same physics will apply in space in the future, larger craft have the propulsion advantage and its the smaller craft that will have to be designed specifically for speed if they are to keep up.
“You’ll never leave me behind, Yankees! I’ll see you in Egypt, lads!”
I am happiest when the youtube 'up next' column is filled with Drachinifel videos top to bottom with a couple of MST 3000 movies thrown in for variety (Like the day the Earth froze..hilarious)
These were fast, but not much faster than the six Swedish destroyers of the Göteborg class, of the same era. They were delivered between 1936 and 1941, so a little earlier than the Abdiel class. They had a design top speed of 39 knots, but could reach 40 knots if pushed hard. At least when new. I think that must have made them some of the fastest destroyers of WW2. I didn't know that the RN fast minelayers were even faster! Impressive!
This has to be my new favourite class of ship that i'de never heard of!
I mentioned this class of offensive minelayer on one of the World of Warships forums during beta testing and the thread was quickly shut down. I can only assume that they had some plans for at least one of the ships as a special feature of the UK tech tree and wished to keep it under wraps.
LOL "See you in Egypt!"
Reminds me of the story about the SR71 that had engine trouble and decided to fly over France. The French sent up an interceptor who asked for an identification number.
The pilot asked the back seater if he knew what he was talking about and the backseater said not to worry about it because he was giving the Frenchie the 'You're #1' internationally recognized symbol.
Reignition procedure on engine and max thrust engaged!