These are great, archie- thanks!
Also- did you know one of these was very famous indeed. USS Buchanan (DD-131), renamed HMS Campbeltown, was disguised as a German vessel and expended as a blockship in the St Nazaire Raid, where it rammed the Normandie dock gates (the only German-held drydock on the European coast of the Atlantic that was large enough to service the Tirpitz, and considered a major threat to Allied shipping because of this). The ship had been packed with delayed-action explosives, well hidden within a steel and concrete case, that detonated later that day, putting the dock out of service for the remainder of the war and up to ten years after. Of the 360 German casualties from the raid, most were caused by the explosion of Cambeltown.
A few facts about HMS Cambeltown- she had been subject to many modifications for the raid. These included removing her third and fourth funnels, and having the remaining two funnels raked to simulate the structure and appearance of a German Raubvogel-class torpedo boat. A 12-pounder gun was installed forward and eight 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons were mounted on the upper deck. Some extra armour was provided to protect the bridge structure, and unnecessary stores and equipment were removed to lighten the destroyer.
For what the Cambeltown achieved that day, she must be considered the most successful of all the Wickes class destroyers!
Its great that these ships are being built for IL2- I would love to see the Hunt class built one day.
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Topic: Wickes class destroyers (Read 11105 times)
