The Drydock - Episode 183

Joel Mullan

That's grand, thank you!

Excelsior One

always a great listen. makes my 600 mile trips trucking fly by

Amazing. Thanks, Drach!

Marc Griffiths

Joel I have a couple of books I found that might interest you if you can find them. Cocker, " mine warfare vessels of thecroyal navy - 1908- to date". Cowie, "mines, minelayers, and minelaying". Langmaid, "the approaches are mined!" Drach might have some other good references but thought might pass on some from my reading pile.

Tim Jacobs

Quite the marathon. Thank you!

Thank you Drach!

Sean Morrison

This is a great way to spend a Saturday evening, listening to Drach. Thanks for all you do.

Joel Mullan

Thanks for the answer regarding the Acacia class. My great grandfather served in HMS HONEYSUCKLE from 1915 to late 1918 as an Able Signalman so that contributes to my interest in them. Further to that I was a Signalman in the RCN for close to twenty years before being invalided out as a Sr NCO. The majority of my sea time was in MCM ships. Because of that I find minor warships quite interesting, especially those involved in MW. Having served in frigates and destroyers as well as the small ships I can say minor warships have a unique and very special atmosphere because of the small compliment -- the crew can become like a family. They may not have the glamour, but I loved them. In addition to communications I had specialised training in MW and find it to be a fascinating subject, very much ministry of dirty tricks. I'd very much like to learn more about both the ACACIA class and MW in the 1914 - 18 war. Can you recommend some titles that might help with that? I have found it difficult to get information on the ACACIA class and there doesn't seem to be a great deal of literature concerning RN MCM work either. I have come across a title from the 1930s called Swept Channel and have ordered it, but are there other titles you can recommend?

Sipping on whiskey and listening to drydock while watching snowpocalypse stuff

Matt Blom

Literally just bought rum for this :)

Capitano Lorenzo

WooHooo!!! 6 hours of joy. Thank you Lord Drach!

Daniel Freedman

I was just thinking that it had been a while since we had a Drach'a'thon, too many videos recently that don't risk a pressure sore if it is watched straight through

Andy1963

Add to that, Watchtower was planned well before we knew the Japanese were building an airfield on Henderson Field, so the pretext for the invasion doesn't stand up to scrutiny. With hindsight, the Guadalcanal campaign looks brilliant, but don't forget we damn near lost everything there. Had I been in charge, I would have judged the risks to outweigh the benefits of taking the island in 1942.

Andy1963

I've never quite bought the idea that a Japanese-held Henderson field would have cut off shipping to Australia. In the short term, Shipping could have been diverted further south, nearer New Zealand, and out of range of Guadalcanal based air attack. Later, land based aircraft from Espiritu Santo could have done to Guadalcanal what Guadalcanal did to Rabaul, and rendered it useless.