Ship Photo of the Day

[Randy Daytona]

The USN needs two or three ships to serve as flagships for numbered fleet commands. I'm not aware of any plan to replace these two ancient LCCs. Maybe a modified LPD?

I read that these ships are supposed to go to the late 2030’s, but a modified LPD might be a good choice.

USS Midway CV-41 (now a magnificent museum in San Diego) is a great example of how a ship can be modified and updated to handle new technology. Commissioned at the end of WW2 in 1945 with Helldivers and Corsairs, she served through the Gulf War finally being decommissioned in 1992 handling Hornets and Tomcats. During that time she went from a straight deck carrier of 45,000 tons to a catapult equipped angled deck carrier of 65,000 tons.


With reports of China now building up to 9 carriers and thus the need to maximize our nuclear carriers in the Pacific, could the big America class gators undergo a similar upgrade to handle other theaters with either tailhook manned aircraft or drones?


USS Midway steaming off the Firth of Clyde in September 1952.


Midway en route to Southeast Asia in April 1972


Midway departing Yokosuka for the last time in August 1991

 

[Randy Daytona]

Was watching the Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me” and was curious about the oil tanker that swallowed the submarines. In real life it was the Liparus, one of 6 nearly identical tankers built in Denmark for Shell. The tanker is nearly 1,000 ft long but a model ship for the movie was about 65 ft long.

The story behind it:

BMT 216A: Tanker Liparus

And although the Roger Moore movies were not my favorite, the opening sequence of The Spy Who Loved Me is iconic.

 

[jmcquate]

finally being decommissioned in 1992 handling Hornets and Tomcats

No Tomcats. I think it was because the JBDs weren't wide enough for F-14s, although one did trap, and had to be craned off.

 

[Randy Daytona]

No Tomcats. I think it was because the JBDs weren't wide enough for F-14s, although one did trap, and had to be craned off.

Thanks for the correction.

The battleship USS Texas BB-35 is undergoing a major restoration. As the last surviving dreadnought in the world, really looking forward to visiting it one day.

Battleship Texas Foundation

The most powerful weapon in the world in 1914 - Battleship Texas was on the front line of innovations in gunnery, aviation, and radar throughout her career. A veteran of both World Wars, today she is the world's last surviving Dreadnought. Over her 34 year career she was home to tens of...

battleshiptexas.org