Ship Photo of the Day

[Max the Mad Russian]

Multiple Red Octobers everywhere in USSR are named after second 1917 revolution, october-november, when those fucking commies seized power for 70+ years. They boasted flags and banners of purely red color, that is why that October of 1917 became Red. "Commie" and "The red one" are synonyms in Russian

she was built in Tsarist Russia in 1898 as a breaker-gunboat under the name Nadezhnyy

Little correction: 1897 and Denmark, Burmeister & Wain shipyard in Copenhagen, albeit possibly following russian blueprint, being pure icebreaker for Far East port of Vladivostok. Just single shaft and screw, too weak to work in Baltic ice, frozen from almost fresh water.
From May 5th 1924 to Nov 15th 1925 she wore the name Red October, being essentially coast guard cutter by adding a couple of 47-mm guns and been commanded by Boris Davydov, former imperial navy oceanographer, who died from lung disease Sept 30th 1925, and vessel had been renamed after him.

Noted raid in Pacific was nothing more than flag show action akin to Icelandic-British "Cod Wars" later in last century.

And most important:

Don't even touch russian chocolate! This crap's ruining the meaning of the word "chocolate", especially if you tasted Belgian or Swiss chocolate before.

 

[FloridaDad]

Multiple Red Octobers everywhere in USSR are named after second 1917 revolution, october-november, when those fucking commies seized power for 70+ years. They boasted flags and banners of purely red color, that is why that October of 1917 became Red. "Commie" and "The red one" are synonyms in Russian


Little correction: 1897 and Denmark, Burmeister & Wain shipyard in Copenhagen, albeit possibly following russian blueprint, being pure icebreaker for Far East port of Vladivostok. Just single shaft and screw, too weak to work in Baltic ice, frozen from almost fresh water.
From May 5th 1924 to Nov 15th 1925 she wore the name Red October, being essentially coast guard cutter by adding a couple of 47-mm guns and been commanded by Boris Davydov, former imperial navy oceanographer, who died from lung disease Sept 30th 1925, and vessel had been renamed after him.

Noted raid in Pacific was nothing more than flag show action akin to Icelandic-British "Cod Wars" later in last century.

And most important:

Don't even touch russian chocolate! This crap's ruining the meaning of the word "chocolate", especially if you tasted Belgian or Swiss chocolate before.

Oh the chocolate thing is very true! I did have some Polish candy recently that was really good though! Reminded me a lot of Belarusian candy and had honey in it. Polish guy at our local farmers market sells it. I buy borscht base from him sometimes.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Gosh! Polish borscht is really closer to ideal one, sometimes very close, but Ukranian is better yet!.

 

[Randy Daytona]

One of the first modern heavy cruisers in the USNavy was USS Pensacola CA-24 and the first after the Washington Naval Treaty which resulted in the unusual arrangement of triple superfiring turrets firing over the lower twin turrets.

She fought in many of the early engagements including Coral Sea, Midway and Guadalcanal before being nearly sunk at the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November 1942. Expert damage control saved the ship although repairs took a year to repair.

The Pensacola survived not only WW2 but also 2 atomic bomb tests before being sunk as a target.

USS Pensacola (CA-24) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

USS Pensacola (CA-24), underway at sea, September 1935.


Damage received in action 29 November 1942 during the Battle of Tassafaronga


Pensacola shown in August, 1942 off the Hawaiian Islands. Ships in the background are the USS Hornet (CV 8), an unidentified Atlanta class anti-aircraft light cruiser and an unidentified Sims class destroyer.


The ship's bell from USS Pensacola. This image was taken on Friday, 13 June 2008 at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, where the bell is now housed.

 

[Randy Daytona]

USS Pictor (AF-54) was an Alstede class stores ship from 1950-1969. Formerly, she was SS Great Republic, one of 5 refrigerated cargo ships built in 1942/1943 for the United Fruit Corporation. She was famous for the “The Great Turkey Lift of 1944” which brought 1.600 tons of turkey to Europe in November 1944 so all US troops could have a proper Thanksgiving meal.

SS Great Republic and the Great Turkey-Lift of 1944 - Turnstile Tours

On Thanksgiving, we're looking back at an unsung hero of the holiday during World War II, a merchant ship called SS Great Republic.

turnstiletours.com

Pictor replenishing Yorktown and Bausell, 1957

 

[Randy Daytona]

A few photos of USS Tennessee (BB-43) which ended up as Oldendorf’s flagship at Okinawa.

For comparison, the Iowa class was 887’ long with a narrow beam of 108’ while the Tennessee- after the addition of torpedo bulges - was a stocky 624’ long but 114’ wide.




Tennessee at the invasion of Okinawa, April 1945


USS Tennessee (BB-43), underway on 12 May 1943.

May 1943 photo. Radars either have not been equipped or have been erased by the censors.


Pearl Harbor Veterans, the Tennessee (BB-43), California (BB-44)and Nevada (BB-36) steam out of Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 17 July 1945. All had been sunk or damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

[Griz882]

Since the Army announced the winner of the FVL competition I thought a look back might be nice so, I give you, the US Coast Guard Cutter Cobb. As part of its rapidly growing ASW program during WWII, the Coast Guard began experimenting with ship-based helicopter operations. Initially, a series of flights was conducted from the deck of a US Navy ship at anchor. When these trials proved successful, the Coast Guard moved to open sea trials.

For the sea trials, the Coast Guard acquired an ageing passenger steamer, SS Governor Cobb, from the War Shipping Administration. The Coast Guard carried out major modifications to the ship, including removal of much of the ship's superstructure for the installation of a 38 × 63 foot flight deck for the use of helicopters, plus the addition of armor and weaponry. Following these modifications, the ship was commissioned on 20 July 1943 as USCGC Cobb (WPG-181)—America’s first helicopter carrier.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Some nice photos of the pre-WW2 battleline. In this case, it is the Colorado class Standard battleships leading the way, identified by the twin turrets mounting 16” cannons over the previous classes triple turrets with 14” rifles.


The United States Battle Fleet steaming in column off the California coast during the middle or later 1920s. The three leading ships are (in no particular order) Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46) and West Virginia (BB-48) followed by Tennessee (BB-43) and three older battleships. Photograph taken from California (BB-44).


New York (BB-34) ahead of Pennsylvania (BB-38). The next ship ahead is a Tennessee class (BB-43 /44) based on the slope of the turret roofs. (Uniform slope back to front - no kink like the twin 16" mounts on the Colorado's (BB-45). Based on the relatively full appearance of the forward superstructure, I am leaning toward California (BB-44) which had an enlarged flag bridge as Battle Force Flagship. The other three are obviously Tennessee (BB-43) and/or Colorado class (BB-45 / 48) but are too indistinct to ID specifically. Because of the boom cranes on the sterns, the photo was taken between 1931 and 1934.


Shown here entering New York in 1934.

 

[Randy Daytona]

According to Drachinifel, of the 15 ships over 3,000 tons present at Dunkirk, half of them were sunk. One that survived was HMS Calcutta, a 4,300 ton C-Class light cruiser.

Commissioned in the summer of 1918, she just missed WW1. In the 1920’s, Calcutta served as the flagship of the 8th cruiser squadron out Bermuda and later as the flagship of the 6th cruiser squadron out of Simon’s Town, South Africa.

In 1939, she was converted to an anti-aircraft carrier by removing all 5 single 6” cannons as well as torpedoes and replaced with 4 dual 4” cannons and significantly more lighter weapons. In addition to Dunkirk, Calcutta served in the Norwegian Campaign. While in the Mediterranean, she was attacked and sunk by 2 Junkers 88 bombers on 01 June 1941 off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Was looking through Drachinifel’s videos and saw this odd looking ship, HMS Raglan. An Abercrombie class monitor, it was the result of WW1 starting and Bethlehem Steel not being allowed to deliver 4 twin 14” turrets and cannons designed for the Greek battleship Salamis being built in a German shipyard.

Britain was in need of shore bombardment vessels and 4 hastily designed ships (barges) of 6,000 tons and 6 knots were built. Originally called General Grant, Admiral Farragut, General Lee and General Jackson, they were renamed M1 - M4 until new names were given as the US was still neutral.

M1, M2 and M4 survived the Great War, but M3 and other similar ships were caught and sunk by the Turkish flagship (formerly the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben) at the Battle of Imbros in January 1918.

The Abercrombie class were 334 ft long with a beam of 90 ft and a displacement of 6,150 tons. 2,300 HP gave 6 1/2 knots. Main armament was 2 14”/ 45 caliber cannons (same weapon as on the New York, Nevada and Pennsylvania class battleships) firing a 1,400 lb shell.


The starboard profile of HMS Abercrombie off Gallipoli in July 1915


The 14-inch (356 mm) gun turret of an Abercrombie-class monitor during World War I. It mounted two 14-inch (356 mm) Mark II guns.


HMS Raglan



Raglan leaving Malta for Brindisi during the First World War.

 

[Randy Daytona]

HMS Glowworm was a “G” class destroyer of the Royal Navy. On April 8, 1940, she engaged 2 German destroyers near Norway and then engaged the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. At the end of the uneven battle, the Glowworm turned and rammed the Hipper, causing damage before the British destroyer sunk.

After the battle in an extraordinary display of respect, Captain Heye of the German cruiser wrote the British Admiralty via the Swiss Red Cross the details of the battle and recommended Lieutenant Commander Roope for an award for showing exceptional gallantry. Lieutenant Commander Roope was eventually awarded the Victoria Cross based upon the testimony the opposing captain.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/a-british-destroyer-rammed.html?ios=1&safari=1

 

[Randy Daytona]

Friend of mine gave me the book “Unsinkable: Five Men and the Indomitable Run of USS Plunkett”. The Plunkett DD-431 was a Gleaves class destroyer commissioned in July, 1940.

The Plunkett operated in the Atlantic on convoy duty primarily. In Jan 1944, she came under sustained attack by JU-88 bombers and glide bombs, eventually being hit severely with the loss of 23 killed.

After the war, the Plunkett was transferred to Taiwan where she remained in service until 1975.



August 5 1942, New York, NY.


The Plunkett painted in Measure 32 3D scheme, sometime between March 1943 and November 1944.


USS Plunkett (DD-431) underway in March 1945. Location may be off Brenton Reef, near Newport, Rhode Island. The ship is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 3D.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Another book is “The Ghost Ships of Archangel” about the ill-fated convoy PQ-17. The 35 ships of the convoy dispersed to the threat of the battleship Tirpitz.

Sister of the Bismarck, the Tirpitz (like the Japanese dreadnoughts) carried a heavy anti-ship secondary armament of 6” guns, unlike US and British battleships which carried lighter dual purpose 5” guns.

The Tirpitz was eventually sunk by RAF Bomber Command. The final attack was a force of 32 Lancaster heavy bombers using 12,000 lb Tallboy bombs, 2 of which struck the battleship.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Probably my favorite 2 channels on Youtube: Battleship New Jersey and Drachinifel. Last year, Drachinifel toured multiple naval museums in the US - here is a discussion with Ryan Zemanski (curator of USS New Jersey) discussing the sinking of the HMS Hood at the Battle of Denmark Strait.

Drachinifel brings up a number of items, in particular that the Hood as one of the first capital ships to have a substantially higher speed as well as a narrow beam to length ratio developed a bow wave and following trough deeper than anticipated. Combined with the shorter depth (not thickness) of Hood’s main armor belt, meant that Bismarck got a lucky shot at the moment the Hood rolled into a 20 deg turn. Of note, British capital ships kept their shells at the bottom and the powder a deck above, US warship design had the powder at the bottom.

 

[jollygreen07]

Three survivors… Jesus…