Posted 29 August 2007 - 12:44 AM
Good comments from all of you on the rudder critical hit issue. As written, a ship with a rudder jam that can't be repaired (i.e., rolled on the Damage Control table) is stuck and can't get home. There are several famous examples of this (Bismarck, Hiei, etc.) where rudder jams doomed the ship and caused her to be caught or scuttled. Lots of less famous ships suffered a similar fate as well. So, the rule as written simulates this very real problem.Those of you who want to consider all the possibilities for your campaign can take it a step further. Towing a warship with a jammed rudder with another warship is next to impossible. Tow lines wouldn't have been strong enough to drag thousands of tons sideways through the water, fighting endless inertia to keep turning. It would require lashing ships alongside to attempt to counter the rudder thrust and crab along at very low speed. And, think of all those tons of metal grinding against each other hour after hour after hour. Not very likely in a war zone. Further, both the damaged ship and her would be helpers would be sitting ducks, very easy targets for anything the opponents would care to throw at them. Hence, the decision was almost universally made to scuttle and save the damaged ship's crew and other ships from needless loss.The only practical way to move a ship with unrepairable rudder damage would be using salvage tugs. Not normally handy in a combat zone. Consider the famous Friday the 13th battle of Guadacanal. The Hiei was lost due to rudder damage while the Portland with unrepairable rudder damage was saved. The Hiei couldn't be towed all the way up the Slot and couldn't escape the tender mercies of the Cactus Airforce next morning. CAs and DDs couldn't counter her mass or tow against her massive inertia. And safety was far too far away. End result, inevitable aerial damage and eventual scuttle. Two nights later, Kirishima also suffered rudder damage, but that was only part of her problems after Washington was done. Had her other damage been less severe, rudder damage might still have posed a major problem. Portland was also still turning circles the morning of the 14th. But, the circumstances were different. The USN actually did have a salvage tug nearby to help get her moved a few miles. [Talk about the USN having some foresight to be ready to help ships damaged in Iron Bottom Sound! Somebody used his head.] The Americans were able to get her to nearby "safety" at Tulagi IIRC long enough to make enough major repairs to ready her for the long trip home. Cactus aircover was also nearby to protect her while the Hiei was at the very limit of IJN attempts to cover her with CAP. So, with certain special conditions (salvage tug, limited distance to temporary refuge and good aircover to buy the time needed for jury rig repairs), it could be done.In a more extreme case, Bismarck had no hope of any help. And, Jim, you're right. The divers on the Bismarck must have had an interesting time indeed! Her captain and the admiral even considered blowing off her rudder with explosives. But, they deemed the probability of success was too low. And, with only three propeller shafts, any resulting damage to a propeller would have prevented steering with her engines as well. Of course, considering her fate, maybe they should have tried anyway!So, can an unrepairable rudder damaged ship get away in a campaign? Probably not, unless special conditions - and special help - are present. You'll have to evaluate the circumstances on an exception basis.Finally, there's been lots of comment elsewhere on the Forum as to the ability of San Francisco's 8" guns to damage Hiei. I've found no evidence that her engineering spaces or belt armor were penetrated. Topsides and secondaries were thoroughly shot up and she had some flooding, but her citadel remained. Flooding of her steering room from various hits on her stern led to the fatal rudder jam that couldn't be fixed in a combat zone. Serendipity perhaps, but very much a "C•S•T" result. Something to consider...LONNIE