On Jan 19, 1:11*am, Tim wrote:
I've always wondered why the "modern" ironclads of the late 1800's had
an odd bow design. After probably thousands of years of ship building
from around the world, it seems that the bow always well overlapped
the keel, that is... untill the later 1800's when the "new navy"
decided that a "swept back" bow was the way to go. like *for
instance,the USS Main:http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/i...00/h60255a.jpg

Now I know there's a lot more under the waterline than what one may
realize forexample the HMS Nile. seems like the bow is almost a direct
vertical, but really isn't that is unless you look below the waterline

http://www.cww2.net/bbs/attachment/M...f8a67f7a4f.gif

i take it the Russian Gangut is the same way:

http://vmk.vif2.ru/gallery/EBR_LK_Ru.../LK_Gangut.jpg

I suppose that what I'm asking is what cause the engineers to go for
this design hull for about 50 years then revert back to the
overlapping hull like the USS Wisconsin?http://www.usswisconsin.org/Pictures...SS%20Missouri%...

Any ideas?

In my very limited opinion it all has to do with avoiding the bow
wave, think speed. The last pic you showed was actually pretty
vertical at the water line, and there will could be a bulb or cut
under the water. Look at some of the modern oil tankers and such. They
have a big bulb under and forward, I have not looked at it closely but
it is to disrupt the formation of a huge bow wave I would think..