Our submariner brethren are a special breed. To crush depth and lived to tell the tale. From Drachinifel this morning- the story of USS Salmon SS-182.
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Ship Photo of the Day
- Thread starter Randy Daytona
- Start date
Two UH-1B gunships from HAL-3 "Seawolf" sit on the deck of the USS Garret County, Mekong Delta, South Viet Nam.
Gator Navy and Naval Aviation's joint ops. An important and oft overlooked contribution to the Viet Nam War.
Note the painted "runway" next to the helo pad/ramp/parking deck.
Gator Navy and Naval Aviation's joint ops. An important and oft overlooked contribution to the Viet Nam War.
Note the painted "runway" next to the helo pad/ramp/parking deck.
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Arguably one of Naval Aviation’s best.
If you have the time this is a decent documentary about HAL-3
One of the most decorated small boats of WW2 was PT-59. It sank the Japanese submarine I-3, later it had its torpedos removed and added 40mm Bofors forward and aft to hunt barges.
Its second C.O. was LtJg John Kennedy, who declined to go home after his first boat PT-109 was sunk. In addition to the future President, an intelligence officer Byron “Whizzer” White setved with Kennedy on several missions, Kennedy later appointed him as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. Remnants of the boat are now at Battleship Cove in Massachusetts.
en.wikipedia.org
In September 1943, Lt. (j.g.) John F. Kennedy went to Tulagi and accepted the command of PT 59 which was scheduled to be converted to a gunboat. In October 1943, Kennedy was promoted to Lieutenant and continued to command the motor torpedo boat when the squadron moved to Vella Lavella until a doctor directed him to leave PT 59 on 18 November. Kennedy left the Solomons on 21 December and returned to the U.S. in early January 1944
October 1943
Deck plan and side profile of PT-59 from "Allied Coastal Forces of World War II: Volume II" by John Lambert and Al Ross
After conversion to a "Gunboat"
Its second C.O. was LtJg John Kennedy, who declined to go home after his first boat PT-109 was sunk. In addition to the future President, an intelligence officer Byron “Whizzer” White setved with Kennedy on several missions, Kennedy later appointed him as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. Remnants of the boat are now at Battleship Cove in Massachusetts.
Patrol torpedo boat PT-59 - Wikipedia
In September 1943, Lt. (j.g.) John F. Kennedy went to Tulagi and accepted the command of PT 59 which was scheduled to be converted to a gunboat. In October 1943, Kennedy was promoted to Lieutenant and continued to command the motor torpedo boat when the squadron moved to Vella Lavella until a doctor directed him to leave PT 59 on 18 November. Kennedy left the Solomons on 21 December and returned to the U.S. in early January 1944
October 1943
Deck plan and side profile of PT-59 from "Allied Coastal Forces of World War II: Volume II" by John Lambert and Al Ross
After conversion to a "Gunboat"
Attachments
The French cruiser De Grasse started life as a traditional light cruiser but her construction was interrupted by WW2. When building resumed afterwards, she was built as an anti-aircraft cruiser with 16 (8x2) 127mm/54 caliber cannons as well as 20 (10x2) 57mm auto cannons. It did have an interesting design with all weapons forward or aft and nothing amidships.
Redesigned a 3rd time in the 1960’s, she was the command ship for all French nuclear tests in the Pacific before being decommissioned in the mid-1970’s.
naval-encyclopedia.com
Redesigned a 3rd time in the 1960’s, she was the command ship for all French nuclear tests in the Pacific before being decommissioned in the mid-1970’s.
The French AA Cruiser De Grasse (1946)
The light cruiser De Grasse was first designed in 1936, started in 1938, suspended, then rebuilt as a modern AA and command cruiser (1956-72)
naval-encyclopedia.com
After looking at the De Grasse, the unusual gun layout of 2 main guns side by side reminded me of a ship we saw in port in Sigonella: the Horizon class destroyer Chevalier Paul. It has the same gun layout with 2 side by side 76mm auto cannons.
It is class of 4 ships, 2 French and 2 Italian with small differences.
Chevalier Paul underway in the Mediterranean Sea on 15 July 2017
Twin OTO Melara 76 mmturrets on Chevalier Paul
Chevalier Paul with an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea
It is class of 4 ships, 2 French and 2 Italian with small differences.
Chevalier Paul underway in the Mediterranean Sea on 15 July 2017
Twin OTO Melara 76 mmturrets on Chevalier Paul
Chevalier Paul with an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea
An interesting new Chinese "ship" type (actually a barge) that is towed into position and jacked up. Multiple units can be connected to allow access to beaches that would otherwise be unsuitable for beaching amphibious assault ships.
Like the Mulberry barges used in 1944 to increase ship-to-shore capacity after the Normandy landings.
Like the Mulberry barges used in 1944 to increase ship-to-shore capacity after the Normandy landings.
Looks like oil rig jackups that I have landed on in the past. Here is one of the first - by DeLong from the 1950’s.
Most of the modern ones are 3 legs and can work in water up to 400 ft although the Gorilla class from LeTourneau can work up to 700 ft and robust enough to handle the worst weather in the North Sea.
Worked for a maritime construction and dredging company for ten years. Jack up barges are some of the most interesting devices out there. Thank heaven for coefficient of friction!
Not the best idea. In WWII the primary target at any amphibious landing were the landing and support ships. Without absolute air superiority these are good for one time use only.
Given the overwhelming Chinese advantage against Taiwan, they may be able to achieve that pretty quickly. That said an ASCM, ATGM or artillery could make short work of those as well.
If France’s excellent Richelieu class battleship was the equivalent of the South Dakota, then the follow on Alsace class would be their Iowa. Although the design was never finalized, it would have been a formidable ship with the same speed, slightly thicker armor and better torpedo defense than Iowa, her likely primary armament were twelve 15” cannons throwing 2,000 shells.
Like most European battleships, she had a strong anti-surface secondary battery of 6” cannons at the cost of increased anti-aircraft defense, reflecting the 1939 view of the comparative threats of surface vs air. The fall of France in 1940 prevented these beautiful ships from being built. A good comparison article below:
www.navygeneralboard.com
Like most European battleships, she had a strong anti-surface secondary battery of 6” cannons at the cost of increased anti-aircraft defense, reflecting the 1939 view of the comparative threats of surface vs air. The fall of France in 1940 prevented these beautiful ships from being built. A good comparison article below:
Iowa Class vs Alsace Class : Fast and Powerful - Navy General Board
iowa class vs alsace class , battle of the Fast Battleships. In this article we compare the Iowa class and the No. 3 design of the Alsace class.
www.navygeneralboard.com
If France’s excellent Richelieu class battleship was the equivalent of the South Dakota, then the follow on Alsace class would be their Iowa. Although the design was never finalized, it would have been a formidable ship with the same speed, slightly thicker armor and better torpedo defense than Iowa, her likely primary armament were twelve 15” cannons throwing 2,000 shells.
Like most European battleships, she had a strong anti-surface secondary battery of 6” cannons at the cost of increased anti-aircraft defense, reflecting the 1939 view of the comparative threats of surface vs air. The fall of France in 1940 prevented these beautiful ships from being built. A good comparison article below:
Iowa Class vs Alsace Class : Fast and Powerful - Navy General Board
iowa class vs alsace class , battle of the Fast Battleships. In this article we compare the Iowa class and the No. 3 design of the Alsace class.
View attachment 44944
From what little I know the few quad battleship turrets out there, the King George V and Richelieu classes are the only ones I'm aware of,
never worked that well.