I am using the plans of the Emden for the layout of Nürnberg and Leipzig. The ships were not identical, but followed the same basic layout. Spoiler Alert: Condenser, at Frame 25. Nürnberg was a protected cruiser with a 3.1"/ 8 cm armoured deck. The range from Signal Hill at that point was around 16,000 yards, so the big gun would be near its maximum elevation of 15 degrees. This would have the shot striking the armour at the best possible angle for penetration.
The Rainbow. A World War One on Canada's West Coast Timeline
- Thread starter YYJ
- Start date
I get the feeling that this battle will very much be a core part of the RCN's identity for a long time to come in this timeline and that the current Rainbow won't be by any means the last Canadian ship to bear her name
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They've been pretty careful so far in their raiding to not hand the Entente a propaganda victory, the Entente might be able to sell them bombarding Rainbow with her ensign down as war crime or something to the public.
(This is separate from above)For the remaining part of the battle, I think there are several things likely to happen:
1. We know the Germans like to use their torpedoes, I think Leipzig finishing off Rainbow this way is pretty likely, and the latter likely won't be close enough to return the favor with a Whitehead.
2. It sounds like Rainbow's speed is shot, and I imagine Leipzig will recognize a ramming attempt and torpedo Rainbow before she gets close. Maybe Rainbow will get the less agile Nurnberg and make sure her raiding career is over?
3. I think Leipzig is getting away, the subs are way too far away to reach the fight in time and the 9.2 getting another hit is really unlikely. (Sequel where she gets hunted? I'd read it.)
YYJ, as someone who rarely roots for the Axis/Central Powers in a timeline, this has been a great read!
It's not happening every day that reading a post on this board sends shivers down my spine, but these three words did it.
I can already see the propaganda poster with the sentence in big white bold letters!
Rainbow has now entered Canada's legend, at least in TTL. Wonderful chapter, the description of the action was exciting and well described.
May as well. It's not like any of Rainbows shells are going to be punching into the German vitals, and Nurnberg is so low on crew that any casualties caused will hurt.
Speaking of casualties caused, this hit does that in spades along with really messing up signals, comand and control and a handful of other functions. With the Captain in the conning tower, he'll probably not be dead, but others are.
...And, these hits will end Nurnbergs life pretty quickly. Damage control and water flow management were less understood back then, and this poor girl lacks the crew to path her up while fighting.
It's a shame that she can't lend the Canadians a hand, as the Saint Louis outruns both Germans ships combined at this point. Of course, as noted, she doesn't have a war load of ammunition aboard.
Well, there are a load more casualties along with further control and command issues. Between fires and flooding, Nurmberg might not be sinking, but she's near to combat ineffectiveness.
Adios to your engine spaces! Thankfully, the 9.2" gun should be about out of ammunition, and this should have been solid shot. (Thus no explosion). It doesn't seem like Nurnberg lost all engine power though, so she can probably make cruising speed still. With no visible listing, I doubt she is sinking, meaning that she can probably sail again.
Unfortunately for her, her armament is smashed, and her crew situation is beyond critical.
That instant steam venting from the hit is exceptionally dangerous. Steam leaks like that were liable to fill much of the vital internal space with deadly superheated steam. There is a lot of variability, but it's entirely possible that Nurnberg just took 30+ casualties from that hit. These are horrendous casualties too.
Having treated a couple serious steam burns, being steamed has about the same effect on flesh as it does to anything else.
I remember reading in a book either about Escort carriers or about the Battle off Samar ( i can't remember) but the author mentioned a perspective from a sailor aboard the USS Gambier Bay when Yamatos 18 inch shells slammed through the boiler room, and how the sailor saw the men in the compartment who essentially got steam pressure cooked alive in there and how they looked like, colorwise, the shade of pink and white one would see on boiled shrimp. Probably one of the worst ways to die.
Certainly would look awful, though I imagine it would be a fairly instantaneous death.
Nurnberg was also hit by a 60 pounder field gun in Burrard Inlet at 6000 yards while moving at 20 knots. That was a pretty lucky shot too.
Correction: This shell hit Nuremberg while she was still in the inner harbour, so it was more like at 9000 yards, indirect fire with no line of sight, although the fire was being corrected by spotters. Even more lucky. In the chapter entitled Shrapnel.
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Yes. I have chosen to not write about the gore. Right about now both Nuremberg’s and Rainbows’s decks would look like a yard sale of body parts.
Driftless
Donor
Given that two ships could be sinking before the day is out - on the Canadian side, but very close to the border, would the St Louis cross the (invisible) line to participate in a mission of mercy? The US Captain would be taking a career risk, I'd think, but supportable from both a humanitarian and maybe legal standpoint? Where would international law see that situation?
Kudos, YYJ.
Exceptionally well written update!
A map certainly will be helpful, if anyone is up to it.......
Exceptionally well written update!
A map certainly will be helpful, if anyone is up to it.......
If she rescues survivors from both sides, I can't really see the Germans and Canadians taking issue with it.
Bavarian Raven
Banned
Hopefully the second German ship is able to escape "relatively" intact, to make a "dash for freedom". Would make a good sequel or "part two". The hunt for the Nurnberg.
Not the Germans or Canadians at issue I think but his own superiors. I think the US government would be very unhappy with any involvement at all or anything that could be remotely construed as involvement unless its extremely clear that any and all combat was very much done and no further actions were going to be taken by either side.
That was a thrilling read. Rainbow is fighting an unequal battle. She and her men have given all that could be asked of them. I don't think the Rainbow has anything left beyond her torpedoes. It doesn't seem like she is taking on water yet. Nurnberg must be though. Rainbow would be a great name for an aviation ship of some kind.
Nurnberg is done as a raider. Leipzig is still a viable raider. I can see the Germans sailing to a quieter place to transfer men, shells, and coal from Nurnberg to Leipzig. What of the wounded? I'll guess the Nurnberg is left with a skeleton crew and all of the badly wounded, then sent into internment. Seattle would be the best place for the German wounded to be. The hospitals of Victoria and Esquimalt will be packed.
The US cruiser got quite a show. Hmm, it would be something if there was a film crew aboard. It would have been a sight to see the cruiser give a full broadside of warning shots, like if Canadian or German overs got too close.
Nurnberg is done as a raider. Leipzig is still a viable raider. I can see the Germans sailing to a quieter place to transfer men, shells, and coal from Nurnberg to Leipzig. What of the wounded? I'll guess the Nurnberg is left with a skeleton crew and all of the badly wounded, then sent into internment. Seattle would be the best place for the German wounded to be. The hospitals of Victoria and Esquimalt will be packed.
The US cruiser got quite a show. Hmm, it would be something if there was a film crew aboard. It would have been a sight to see the cruiser give a full broadside of warning shots, like if Canadian or German overs got too close.
I should be clear the two American protected cruisers out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca right now are the St Louis class USS Charleston, a recently reactivated depot ship, and USS Milwaukee, on active service. Commander Hose spoke of them earlier in the chapter entitled Splice the Mainbrace, but he was too busy in this chapter to identify which ship was close to him.
USS Milwaukee
USS Charleston
USS Milwaukee
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