In this animation, the ship near the top is crossing theT of the ship on the bottom.The blue ships are crossing theT of the red shipsBlue crosses Red'sT, animation
Crossing theT orcapping theT is a classicnaval warfare tactic used from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries in which a line ofwarships crosses in front of a line of enemy ships to allow the crossing line to bring all their guns to bear while it receives fire from only the forward guns of the enemy.[1]
It became possible to bring all of a ship's main guns to bear only in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, with the advent of steam-powered battleships with rotating gun turrets, which were able to move faster and turn more quickly than sailing ships, which had fixed guns facing sideways.Missiles andaircraft largely obsoleted this tactic as long-range strikes are less dependent on the direction the ships are facing.
When going into battle, ships would assume abattle line formation called "line astern", in which one vessel follows another in one or more parallel lines. This allows each ship to fire over wide arcs without loftingsalvos ofprojectiles over friendly vessels. Each ship in the line generally engages its opposite number in the enemy battle line which moves in aparallel course.
However, moving ahead of the enemy line on aperpendicular course (crossing theT) enables a ship to launch salvos at the same target with both the forward and rear turrets, maximizing the chances for a hit. It also makes ranging errors less critical for the ship doing the crossing, while simultaneously more critical for the ship being crossed. In military terms, this is known as "enfilade fire". The tactic, designed for heavily armed and armoured battleships, was used with varying degrees of success with more lightly armed and armouredcruisers andheavy cruisers.
Advances in gun manufacturing andfire-control systems allowed engagements at increasingly long range, from approximately 6,000 yards (5.5 km; 2.9 nautical miles) at theBattle of Tsushima in 1905 to 20,000 yards (18 km; 9.8 nautical miles) at theBattle of Jutland in 1916. The introduction ofbrown powder, which burned less rapidly thanblack powder, allowed longer barrels, which allow greater accuracy; and because it expands less sharply than black powder, it puts less strain on the insides of the barrel, allowing guns to last longer and to be manufactured to tighter tolerances. The addition ofradar allowed World War II-era ships to fire farther, more accurately, and at night.
Notable battles in which warships crossed theT include:
Battle of Trafalgar (1805) Franco-Spanish ships crossed theT of the British fleet in Trafalgar.
Battle of Tsushima (1905) – Japanese AdmiralTōgō Heihachirō, by use ofwireless communications and the proper deployment ofreconnaissance, had positioned his fleet in such a way as to bring theRussian fleet to battle, "irrespective of speeds".[2] Tōgō had preserved for himself the interior lines of movement, while forcing the longer lines of movement upon his opponent, whichever course the Russian admiral should take; and by his selected positioning had the effect of "throwing the Russianbroadsides more and more out of action".[3] "He had headed him"[4] (crossed his T). The Russian admiral, other than retreat or surrender, had no other option other than "charging Tōgō's battle line" or "accepting a formalpitched battle".[5] AdmiralZinovy Rozhestvensky chose the latter, resulting in his total defeat in the onlydecisive fleet action in naval history fought solely by modern battleships. Rozhestvensky was severely wounded during the battle and was taken prisoner. Seven battleships were sunk, and one was captured by the Japanese.
Battle of Cape Esperance (1942) – the firstUnited States (U.S.) naval night battle victory over the Japanese when a U.S. force of cruisers anddestroyers under AdmiralNorman Scott crossed theT of a cruiser–destroyer force underAritomo Gotō. Gotō's force was approachingGuadalcanal on October 11, 1942 to bombardHenderson Field in support of aTokyo Express reinforcement mission when it was surprised and defeated by Scott's force in a confused night battle. Gotō died of his wounds shortly after the battle, and lost the cruiserFurutaka along with three destroyers. Scott's forces were in an ideal position in many respects, but squandered their advantage with a navigational error that eventually resulted in friendly fire on out-of-formation destroyers. Also the available radar data was not reaching the commanders of the flotilla and/or was not properly interpreted.
Battle of Surigao Strait (1944) – the most recent time a battle line crossed theT, this engagement took place during theBattle of Leyte Gulf, in thePhilippines duringWorld War II. Early on October 25, 1944, Rear AdmiralJesse B. Oldendorf was guarding the southern entrance toLeyte Gulf at the northern end ofSurigao Strait. He commanded a line of six battleships flanked by numerous heavy and light cruisers. A smallerJapanese force underVice AdmiralShoji Nishimura came up the strait, aware of the formidable strength of the American force but nonetheless pressing on. Half of Nishimura's fleet was eliminated by the Americans' destroyer torpedoes includingFusō, but the Japanese admiral continued on with his remaining few ships. Oldendorf's battleships were arrayed in a line perpendicular to the direction of the approaching Japanese ships, upon which they unleashed their radar-directed fire-power. The Japanese return fire was ineffectual due to the lack of radar fire control and earlier battle damage, and at bestYamashiro's guns, along with cruiserMogami, managed to severely damage an American destroyer.Yamashiro turned around attempting to retire from the battle but sunk after further hits from destroyer torpedoes, with Nishimura and most of the crew lost. This was the last time theT was crossed in an engagement between battleships, and the last occasion on which battleships fought each other. Another Japanese flotilla, the "Second Striking Force" of three cruisers and seven destroyers commanded by Vice AdmiralKiyohide Shima, did retreat before getting into range of the American battleships and cruisers, although Shima'sflagship, theheavy cruiserNachi, collided withMogami.
Mahan, Alfred Thayer (1906).Reflections, Historic and Other, Suggested By The Battle Of The Japan Sea. By Captain A. T. Mahan, US Navy. US Naval InstituteProceedings magazine, (Article) June 1906, Volume XXXVI, No. 2, Heritage Collection.
Morison, Adm. Samuel Eliot.History of Naval Operations in World War II.[ISBN missing]
Larrabee, Eric.Commander-in-Chief: Franklin D. Roosevelt, His Lieutenants and Their War.[ISBN missing]
_animated.gif)