HMCS Rainbow vs. SMS Leipzig

[The Gunslinger]

I was thinking about the Canadian Navy and I was always a little sad that we never saw more action.

Apperently in World War 1, she only missed the Leipzig docked at San Francisco by a single day. So my question becomes, what if they had actually met?

HMCS Rainbow
SMS Leipzig

I'm thinking that since the Rainbow was a fairly old protected cruiser, the Leipzig (a much more modern light cruiser) would most likely have gotten the best of her.

Would this affect the battle of Coronel at all if the Rainbow manages to miraculously win?

 

[TheMann]

Two six-inch guns against ten four-inchers may not work in either side's favor, though odds are the German ship would win. Mind you, if the Canuck one does, it would likely change the outcome of the battle.

 

[DD951]

A quick check of Navweaps shows that the 4.1" guns of Leipzig would have had about a 3,300 yard range advantage over the 6" guns of Rainbow (the old 4.7" guns on Rainbow had about 1000 yards less range), while the German ship would have been a couple knots faster, and the German gunners would likely have been more accurate than the Canadian ones. Barring the German CO doing something stupid or the Canadians getting lucky, Leipzig takes this one most of the time, & the best Rainbow could hope to do would be to mission-kill Leipzig by making her burn through too much ammo or causing enough damage so that she has to hole up in a US port before being sunk or battered to the point of having to seek refuge in US waters.

 

[Cockroach]

Using data off Navweapons and wikipedia:

Speed: 19.5 vs 22 knots "on paper"... actual speeds after losses in performance due to age and time out of dry dock uncertain. Probably close enough that it won't be that significant.

Fire Power: 2 by 6in (ROF 5-7 rounds/min, 45kg shell) and 6 by 4.7in (ROF 5-6 rpm, 20kg shell) vs 10 by 105mm (up to 15 rpm, 17kg shell).

Assuming both ships can maintain the highest rates of fire specified above, Leipzig can throw twice the weight of shells as Rainbow. So, in the very crudest of approximations a massive advantage to Leipzig. Of cause in real-life it's a bit more complex than that (are six inch shells arriving less frequenctly more or less efficient than 4.1in chells arriving more often?), but still likely a significant advantage to the Krauts.

Range: QF 6in 40 calibre, range of 9,100m at 20deg elevation or 13,700m at 30deg elevation (not sure what elevation the mounts on Rainbow were limited to); 4.7in Mk I-IV, range of 9,100m at 20deg elevation, 11,000m at 24 deg; 105mm SK L/40, 12,000m at 30 deg.

Minor edge with Rainbow's six-inchers, but only two of them; minor edge for the Leipzig's 105mm over the 4.7-inchers. Kinda dubious either vessel has the fire control capabilities to use "long" range fire to good effect, expect it'd actually end with a 5-8,000m range slugfest.

Crew Quality: Rainbow pre-war as used as a training ship, so, I would speculate had to draw upon a lot of new crew members to fill her complement out when war started... she's likely not not well worked up and her crew poorly trained. Leipzig is fresh from having served with the German Pacific Squadron, her crew will be properly worked up and well trained. Distinct advantage to Leipzig.

Armour: 2in protected cruiser style deck over vitals plus coal bunkers vs 80mm deck plus coal bunkers. On paper advanatage to Leipzig... in reality, well, quite a bit of uhming and ahhing over if protected cruiser type arrangement (sloped "deck" armour mounted deep in the ship) is better than the more modern arrangement (flat deck armour mounted high in the ship)...

Looks to me like odd are very much in Leipzig's favour.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

So. If the Rainbow dies, what does this do to the RCN?

Does canada avoid ships 'cause theyre too much trouble, or does 'Remember the Rainbow' be as effective as the Maine and the Alamo at striking up patriotic fervour?

If the latter, do we need to have the Leipzig mission killed, so she is out of the rest of the war?

 

[The Gunslinger]

So. If the Rainbow dies, what does this do to the RCN?

Does canada avoid ships 'cause theyre too much trouble, or does 'Remember the Rainbow' be as effective as the Maine and the Alamo at striking up patriotic fervour?

If the latter, do we need to have the Leipzig mission killed, so she is out of the rest of the war?

Canada's history with its navy has been... troubled. I'd like to think that Canadians would question why they sent an obsolete cruiser to do battle with a more modern one, but I'd suspect that the aftermath would hardly affect the virtually non existent RCN.

What I'd like to see happen is that heads roll to do to a popular outcry and the RCN (keen to avoid another disaster) builds a small but capable naval force to back up the Brits.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Canada's history with its navy has been... troubled. I'd like to think that Canadians would question why they sent an obsolete cruiser to do battle with a more modern one, but I'd suspect that the aftermath would hardly affect the virtually non existent RCN.

What I'd like to see happen is that heads roll to do to a popular outcry and the RCN (keen to avoid another disaster) builds a small but capable naval force to back up the Brits.

That would certainly be nice.

Maybe canada could be better prepared for wwii, and the first happy time might not be so much of one.

Ps. Saskatoon, eh? Thats where im from originally, lo these many years ago.

 

[Some Bloke]

Having read up a bit about the 2 protagonist, I think Rainbow is toast.

Timeline! Timeline! Timeline!