D.K. Brown > Quotes

“Though Fisher was often to proclaim his choice of C-in-C as the new Nelson to win a new Trafalgar, it is more likely that he saw the cautious Jellicoe as a man who would play safe.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“The battleship died because it was far less capable than the carrier of inflicting damage on the enemy.”
― D.K. Brown, Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923–1945

“Wartime paints had a simple oil base and did not adhere well in Atlantic seas, particularly when applied to wet or dirty surfaces, and model-makers interested in the period are recommended to incorporate a generous measure of ‘rust’ in their work.”
― D.K. Brown, Atlantic Escorts: Ships, Weapons & Tactics in World War II

“Models can also be a very useful training aid for both designers and seamen but there is no evidence of any being made after the Inflexible of 1876 whose model was used to train constructors up to the Second World War.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“This drew Lord St Vincent to remark: ‘Pitt was the greatest fool that ever existed to encourage a mode of warfare which those that command the sea did not want, and which, if successful, would deprive them of it.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“Up till the war, very little thought had been given in any navy to limiting the effect of an explosion; efforts had rather been devoted to keeping the projectile out in the first place.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“There was an impression that sailors were tough and almost revelled in discomfort; in particular, it was thought that discomfort was necessary to keep men awake when on duty. It was also claimed that hammocks were more comfortable than bunks in rough weather, though there was no obvious desire amongst officers, most of whom had used hammocks, to give up their bunks. The traditional RN messing was unlikely to provide a balanced diet.”
― D.K. Brown, Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923–1945

“The peacetime Navy had, understandably, avoided the worst conditions. Visits to the Arctic were very rare and certainly not in winter. The Eastern fleet went north during the worst of the summer etc. Ships which did experience extreme heat opened everything up and certainly did not close down to action stations.”
― D.K. Brown, Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923–1945

“Ten microns of roughness adds about 1 per cent to the power required for a given speed.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“DNC Department had a small modelmaking section and a simple model would be made at an early stage – Lords of the Admiralty could not read drawings.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“There are many complications; notably it is often difficult to find out where the axis lies. With a computer it is all done at the push of a key, in days gone by, a lengthy spell of boring arithmetic was required.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“However, length is expensive as it will usually increase the stresses on the structure and, in a capital ship, will add to the extent of the armoured citadel.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“High speed is always expensive and its tactical value is limited unless one side has a very considerable advantage, say 4kts or more.”
― D.K. Brown, The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

“No government could accept that one of the biggest items of expenditure should be outside their control.”
― D.K. Brown, Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923–1945