[TML] Anternate histories and "space men" technical advisers.

[Charles Prevatte]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tml-bounces at travellercentral.com
> [mailto:tml-bounces at travellercentral.com]On Behalf Of Leon Wu
> Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 12:13 PM
> To: The Traveller Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [TML] Molding Ships
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: tml-bounces at travellercentral.com [mailto:tml-
> > bounces at travellercentral.com] On Behalf Of Charles Prevatte
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 11:05 AM
> > To: The Traveller Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [TML] Molding Ships
> >
> >
> > Not true, I know how each were built then, and could build them myself
> > today.  The Prox fuse was not really "radar", it used a priciple
> similar
> > to
> > it.  If you have ever noticed how a radio or TV that is tuned in will
> > detune
> > if you move near it, then you have seen that principle at work.  The
> fuse
> > you mentioned used only one small and very simple circuit, and was
> based
> > on
> > radio technology like that of the common AM radio of the time.  It was
> > very
> > simple to build in large numbers and had a high failure rate.
> >
> > Also you are incorrect about the TV guided bombs.  They were guided
> true,
> > but no TV.  Just simple radio remote control.  The first listed camera
> > bomb
> > was in the 1960.  There was Operartion Aphrodite that had a TV equiped
> B17
> > loaded with explosives in WW2 but that failed.  It was ment to take
> out
> > hardened german targets.  The Azon was the closest to a "smart bomb"
> but
> > it
> > was a flare guilded bomb not a camera bomb.
> >
> > There was the Baka bomb of course, but not something I would suggest
> to
> > use
> > short of a very desparate situatuion.
>
> The Fritz X guided bomb actually took out a few ships when used:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_X
>
> The germans stopped using it when they couldn't protect the bombers
> launching them.

Yes, it was one of the "flare" guided bombs.  An early version of some of
the flare pot anti tank rocket later in common use before tracking bombs
like the laser guided bombs and rockets took over.

If you are cold blooded enough the Baka and Kaiten are very workable
concepts.  Both only suffered operationally from lack of developement.

The Kaiten could have been devistating had it been further developed.  It's
limited depth limited it's mother ships depth and made it a good traget for
destroyers.  It also had a to limited range.  With a longer range and/or
greater speed to could have been launched from such a great distance as to
have made finding the mother sub imposible.  If it's range had been increase
to multi day then it could have been used as a mobile self targeting mine.

The Baka could have with very little redesign been as effective as a
tomahawk missle.  The original V1 was piloted during testing.  The Baka is
basicly a piloted V1 with greatly less range because of it's solid fuel
engine.  If the V1 pulse jet had been fitted on to the Baka and the pilots
had the never, the result would have been something very nearly the equal to
the tomahawk missle.  With a little inlargement it might have even matched
the range.

If you are could blooded about the calculation 1 man to pilot the Baka and
it kills a 1000+ man carrier, that a pretty good trade.

There were plans to be able to launch Baka from subs, coastal launchers, and
ships.  If they were improve only to the point of V1 then you could hit
ships at 150 miles range.  Pretty good for WW2.  If they were enlarged for
greater endurence and no larger a warhead, you could get ICBM ranges and the
USA would no longer be 'fortress america'.

A few spies and a few well picked targets could have had far more effect on
WW2 than the lives lost by the pilots.

The idea of a sub launched version would have been even worse.  The Sub
spots a target and follow it at a distance at night.  Just before dawn it
surfaces and launched it's Baka or several Baka if it spoted a squadron, and
then just after sunrise....boom!

Add some long range Kaiten to that same sub for a follow on attack and you
can pick off the rescuers.

You could also reverse the attack, launching the Kaiten first at night from
closer in and then stopping any waiting till dawn to launch the longer
ranged Baka for a combined attack.  And finally if the sub skipper was
daring enough, move in for a torpedo attack on the cripples.  Or if ther
eare more sub in the area call in a coordinated series of attacks.

Also a Baka armed sub could have been used as a stand off weapon to attack
carrier in perl harbor.  The sub just waits until a japaneese flying boat
sees a carrier in port and call in the Baka attack.  A spy parashooted in
with a radio could do the same over a longer time period, and could have
been carried in by the same flying boats.

Nasty.

Charles L.
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