We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:38:13 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification The narrows at Drøbak, called the Drøbaksundet, is the key natural chokepoint for the naval defence of Oslo, the capital of Norway. Accordingly, in the 1600s fortifications were built at the narrows for that purpose. In the early 1800s the fortress was modernized, upgraded, and in 1855 was named Oscarsborg, in honor of a visit by the King of Sweden (Norway at that time being unified with Sweden). Of course, as military technology has been wont to do during the era of the Industrial and post-Industrial Revolutions, military realities soon overcame the practical design of the fortress, and the... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:41:39 -0600 Mr. Lawrence, I'll have to take your word on the fact that firing torpedoes, up to 200 times, improves their performance and reliability - I freely admit to not having a rating for same, having rather more familiarity with cannon. As for the origin of the torpedoes, all the sources I ran into said they came from Austria-Hungary. As for the discussion of the airlandings, the post was about the fight at Drøbaksundet, not the entire Norwegian campaign. Except as noted all else was peripheral to the core of the post, and my experience of blogging is that most people don't stop by to read... books. They drop by for short, interesting articles readably written. The tidbit about the Allies and the Norwegians using German as their common language is an interesting little bit that if I knew, I had long forgot it, for that thank you. That may come off in pixels as rather more snippy than I intend it to - my real point being that I was talking the vignette, or scene, and not about the whole play. And, as ever, I've learned something, which is what makes blogging fun. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62371 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62371 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:27:36 -0600 not Austrian built. You might as well say they were Norwegian built because the Norwegians were customers; the only connection the Austrians ever had was from being customers. Also, test firing actually improved torpedo performance, up until the point where they were tested to destruction. It allowed individual variations to be measured and adjusted for, so improving their accuracy. The article could use more about the Luftwaffe landings. They were effectively unopposed and led to the rapid surrender. Without them, Allied reinforcements would have had a better chance. Incidentally, if you want irony, consider that British and Norwegian forces had to liaise in German, their most widely shared language.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62370 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62370 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:14:37 -0600 Great story. Thanks for sharing. As is often the case, it's not the gear so much as the man behind the gear that wins or loses the day. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62277 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62277 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:04:28 -0600 Great Minds liking the same great story. ;)]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62275 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62275 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:42:31 -0600 Why is it I hear horses neighing when I hear 'Blucher?' http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62273 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62273 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:32:38 -0600 I also believe Blücher is it only instance of a ship being hit and sunk by LAND based torpedoes. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62271 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62271 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:28:20 -0600 Excellent post! I linked to it. Would have done a trackback but that appears to not be working. MC http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62267 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62267 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:26:42 -0600 Geez, John, it's not enough that I give the Salamander a link today in the H&I, yer posting ads for him here! Sheesh! I may send him a bill! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62266 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62266 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:53:29 -0600 http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62265 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62265 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:46:36 -0600 Oh, and Jim, I jus took a break yesterday. Feeding the monster gets old sometimes, especially since the slugs I press-ganged manage to take weeks and months-long breaks! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62264 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62264 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:19:35 -0600 Wolfwalker, you're right. I got mixed up in my notes. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62262 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62262 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:17:03 -0600 Blücher was not a pocket battleship. She was a conventional heavy cruiser design, sister ship to Admiral Hipper. Lutzow was the pocket battleship in the Oslo attack force. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62261 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62261 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:07:01 -0600 Great story and an added bonus -- I learned something I hadn't known before. Glad you're back after yesterday I was wondering if the farm had knocked you down and pinned you. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62258 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62258 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:47:43 -0600 Excellent! This is why I like visiting. In school I always thought history was the most boring subject of all. It wasn't until my senior year when I got a teacher that knew how to present history that I found out about all the human stories behind the dates. I mean who really cares if the Battle of Hastings was in 1066 or 1966. It is the stories of the people involved in the battle that fascinate. Harald Hardrada once took a town by convincing the Christian priests that he was dying and wanted a Christian burial. When the 'funeral' procession with Hardrada in a coffin neared the town the priests opened the gates and came out to welcome the mourners. Hardrada rose up and his forces slaughtered the priests and took the town. That's a story. The story of Oberst Erikson is right up there as a great tale. Where's some mead when you really need it? Skal! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62255 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62255 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:23:57 -0600 great story, well told. gantlet, not a long sleeved glove. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62254 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/07/httpenwikipedia.html#comment-62254 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:42:59 -0600