Hypothetical: The Navy drafted you in WWII.

[Rain Man]

I found a database of major American WWII ships the other day and pulled it into Excel. Then I found information on crew sizes. Now I have a simple simulator.

So if you were drafted into the Navy in World War II and were assigned to a large ship (e.g., submarine, destroyer, cruiser, or larger), I can now randomly assign you to a ship. Report in this thread to get your assignment.

I'll tell you your ship, and then it's up to you to look it up and see where it went and what happened to it. If the ship took casualties, let me know how many were killed and wounded and I'll do a random draw to see if you would have survived.


As for me, I would have been one of 700 sailors aboard:

Juneau** Atlanta-class Light Cruiser**

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Juneau_(CL-52)

That's not really a good thing. I hung out with a nice set of five brothers from Iowa, the Sullivans, but we saw some bad things.

We launched early in 1942 and did some early runs in the Atlantic and Caribbean before heading to the Pacific Theater. Right out of the gate in the Pacific we had to rescue sailors from an aircraft carrier that sank from a sub attack, and then we headed to Guadalcanal.

Our task force fought off four attacks from the Japanese, one of which took down another aircraft carrier.

Then another big Japanese group attacked, and we took a torpedo. We headed off toward Vanuatu for repairs, running with two other damaged ships, when we were attacked again by a Japanese sub. We took another torpedo which blew the ship to smithereens and we sank in 20 seconds.

The other two ships assumed there were no survivors and took off running. In actuality, 100 of the crew survived the sinking, but only about 10 survived the next eight days until rescue aircraft found them.

Based on a random dice roll, I went down with the ship, so my naval career ended late in 1942. I hope America won.

[The Franchise]

Reporting for duty, Sir.

[Donger]

Commanding Donger, reporting.

[AustinChief]

Austinchief on deck!

[Rain Man]

Reporting for duty, Sir.

Welcome to the:

Yorktown (Yorktown-class)** Yorktown-class Aircraft Carrier**


I generally assume that if I've heard of a ship, something bad happened to it. Look it up and let us know.

[Donger]

Welcome to the:

Yorktown (Yorktown-class)** Yorktown-class Aircraft Carrier**


I generally assume that if I've heard of a ship, something bad happened to it. Look it up and let us know.

Nice. A very important carrier.

[Rain Man]

Commanding Donger, reporting.

You are on the:

Honolulu** Brooklyn-class Light Cruiser**


(Shrug.) I'll be interested to hear your story.

[Rain Man]

Austinchief on deck!

Welcome aboard the:

Ommaney Bay** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**


Hmm. Should be a good one.

[Dave Lane]

Aye Aye Captain.

[PastorMikH]

I wanna fly off a carrier

[RealSNR]

I want in. And you better not put me in Bumblescum, AL like you did last time

[KC native]

Assignment please.

[wazu]

Reporting for duty! (Also, sorry to hear of your untimely demise.)

[The Franchise]

Welcome to the:

Yorktown (Yorktown-class)** Yorktown-class Aircraft Carrier**


I generally assume that if I've heard of a ship, something bad happened to it. Look it up and let us know.

Son of a bitch.

USS Yorktown (CV-5) was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.


So far I can't find the number of casulties.

[Donger]

Son of a bitch.

USS Yorktown (CV-5) was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.


So far I can't find the number of casulties.

Not that many, IIRC. Over 100.

[Donger]

You are on the:

Honolulu** Brooklyn-class Light Cruiser**


(Shrug.) I'll be interested to hear your story.

Had to look her up. Nice record, except for this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/USS_Honolulu_after_Kolombangara.jpg

[Rain Man]

Aye Aye Captain.

You are on the:

Bunker Hill** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**


Ships have such great names.

[Rain Man]

I wanna fly off a carrier

Independence** Independence-class Light Carrier**

You got the first one of its class, apparently.

[Rain Man]

I want in. And you better not put me in Bumblescum, AL like you did last time

Franklin** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**


I had no idea that they named a carrier after Aretha.

[Donger]

I feel for the poor bastard who gets Indy.

[The Franchise]

Not that many, IIRC. Over 100.

My luck....it will probably include me.

http://donmooreswartales.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/dm-yorktown4_1.jpg

[Rain Man]

Assignment please.

Missouri** Iowa-class Battleship**

Oh, look at you with your big fancy battleship.

[Kman34]

Barely passed the physical...[flat feet]...Ready to serve my country.

[Rain Man]

Reporting for duty! (Also, sorry to hear of your untimely demise.)

I was sad. I was hoping to ride out the war.

You are on:

Wickes** Fletcher-class Destroyer**


Tell me more.

[Otter]

Joining the seamen

[Dave Lane]

You are on the:

Bunker Hill** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**


Ships have such great names.

USS Bunker Hill (CV/CVA/CVS-17, AVT-9) was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the second U.S. Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill was commissioned in May 1943, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific War, earning eleven battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. She was badly damaged in May 1945 by Japanese kamikaze attacks, with the loss of hundreds of her crew, becoming one of the most heavily damaged carriers to survive the war.

After the attack she returned to the U.S. mainland for repairs and was decommissioned in 1947. While in reserve she was reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA), then an antisubmarine carrier (CVS), and finally an Auxiliary Aircraft Landing Training Ship (AVT), but was never modernized and never saw active service again. Bunker Hill and Franklin were the only Essex-class ships never recommissioned after World War II.

Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1966, she served as an electronics test platform for many years in San Diego bay, and was sold for scrap in 1973. An effort to save her as a museum ship in 1972 was unsuccessful.

[Rasputin]

Put me in Coach

[BWillie]

I'll be quite honest with you, if I was drafted for any war of any kind that I would have over a 0.25% chance of death, I'm moving to another country. Not a chance in hell I'm risking my life.

I don't care what you call me. I'd be a terrible terrible person to be on your team in war. We'd be out in the trenches, you'd be like, okay I'm going in first, you come in behind me where all of those guys shooting are at and cover me. I'd be like, are you ****ing crazy, they are trying to kill people up there.

[Nightfyre]

In.

[AustinChief]

Welcome aboard the:

Ommaney Bay** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**


Hmm. Should be a good one.

Sweet! I dug up an old pic of me onboard.

[Dave Lane]

Reporting to the U.S. Pacific Fleet in the autumn of 1943, Bunker Hill participated in carrier operations during: the crucial carrier air raid on the major Imperial Japanese Navy base at Rabaul, along with the USS Essex and the USS Independence on 11 November 1943; Gilbert Islands operation, including support of the landings on Tarawa Atoll (13 November – 8 December); the air raids on Kavieng in support of the amphibious landings in the Bismarck Archipelago (25 December 1943, 1 January, and 4 January 1944); air raids in the Marshall Islands (29 January – 8 February); the huge carrier air raids on Truk Atoll (17–18 February), during which eight I.J.N. warships were sunk; air raids on the Marianas Islands (Guam, Saipan, and Tinian) (23 February); air raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai in the Palau Islands (30 March – 1 April); air raids on Truk, Satawan, and Ponape in the Caroline Islands (29 April – 1 May); raids in support of the U.S. Army landings around Hollandia (21–28 April); combat operations in the Marianas in support of the amphibious landings on Saipan and Guam (12 June – 10 August), including the titanic Battle of the Philippine Sea, just west of the Marianas.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Bomb_hits_near_USS_Bunker_Hill.jpg
USS Bunker Hill under attack, 19 June 1944.

On 19 June 1944, during the opening phases of the landings in the Marianas, Bunker Hill was damaged when the explosion of a Japanese aerial bomb scattered shrapnel fragments across the decks and the sides of the aircraft carrier. Two sailors were killed, and about 80 more were wounded. Bunker Hill continued to fight, with her antiaircraft fire shooting down a few IJN warplanes.

During the Battle of the Philippine Sea, about 476 Japanese warplanes were destroyed, nearly all of them shot down by Navy F6F Hellcat fighter planes, such as those carried by Bunker Hill

During September, Bunker Hill carried out air raids in the Western Caroline Islands, and then she and her task force steamed a to the north to launch air raids on Luzon, Formosa, and Okinawa, through early November.

On 6 November 1944, Bunker Hill steamed eastward from the forward area, and she was taken to the Bremerton Naval Shipyard, for a period of major overhaul/upkeep work and weaponry upgrades, as all warships must undergo periodically. She departed from the Port of Bremerton on 24 January 1945, and then she steamed westward back into the combat area in the Western Pacific.

1945

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Ensign_Kiyoshi_Ogawa_hit_Bunker_Hill_%28new%29.png
Kamikaze pilot Ensign Kiyoshi Ogawa, flying the second Zero, hit Bunker Hill on 11 May 1945.

During the remaining months of World War II, Bunker Hill fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima; the 5th Fleet raids against Honshū and the Nansei Shoto (15 February – 4 March); and the 5th and 3rd Fleet raids in support of the Battle of Okinawa. On 7 April 1945, Bunker Hill's planes took part in an attack by the Fast Carrier Task Force of the Pacific Fleet on Imperial Japanese Navy forces in the East China Sea. The superbattleship Yamato, one light cruiser, and four destroyers were sunk during this Operation Ten-Go, as it was called by the Japanese Navy.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/USS_Bunker_Hill_hit_by_two_Kamikazes.jpg/1920px-USS_Bunker_Hill_hit_by_two_Kamikazes.jpg
After two kamikazes strikes in 30 seconds.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Uss_bunker_hill_evac.jpg
Transfer of wounded from USS Bunker Hill to USS Wilkes Barre.

On the morning of 11 May 1945, while supporting the invasion of Okinawa, Bunker Hill was struck and severely damaged by two Japanese kamikaze planes. An A6M Zero fighter plane emerged from low cloud cover, dove toward the flight deck and dropped a 550-pound (250 kilogram) bomb that penetrated the flight deck and exited from the side of the ship at gallery deck level before exploding in the ocean.[3] The Zero next crashed onto the carrier's flight deck, destroying parked warplanes full of aviation fuel and ammunition, causing a large fire. The remains of the Zero went over the deck and dropped into the sea. Then, a short 30 seconds later, a second Zero, piloted by Ensign Kiyoshi Ogawa, plunged into its suicide dive. The Zero went through the antiaircraft fire, dropped a 550-pound bomb, and then crashed into the flight deck near the carrier's "island", as kamikazes were trained to aim for the island superstructure. The bomb penetrated the flight deck and exploded. Gasoline fires flamed up and several explosions took place. Bunker Hill lost a total of 346 sailors and airmen killed, 43 more missing (and never found), and 264 wounded. She was heavily damaged and was sent to the Bremerton Naval Shipyard for repairs. She was still in the shipyard when the war ended in mid-August 1945.

[dmahurin]

Im in.

[Sorter]

Aye.

[Rain Man]

Son of a bitch.

USS Yorktown (CV-5) was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.


So far I can't find the number of casulties.

I found a list of 86, so let's go with that. On a crew of 2600, that mean...(rolling dice)

You survived with a great story.

[bevischief]

Reporting for duty.

[Rain Man]

Oops, short meeting. This thread will resume in a half-hour or so.

[Sorter]

Also, Orlando Bloom was the worst pirate I've ever seen.

[Dallas Chief]

Cool thread I'm in too!

[InChiefsHeaven]

Reporting for duty sir.

[PastorMikH]

Independence** Independence-class Light Carrier**

You got the first one of its class, apparently.


She survived the war and also as a target for nuclear weapons testing in 1946. I sure hope I was off of it before the nuclear testing.

Can't find anything on casualties other than they were light in it's worst damaging fight.

[Sorter]

Oops, short meeting. This thread will resume in a half-hour or so.

The nerve of some people.

[wazu]

I was sad. I was hoping to ride out the war.

You are on:

Wickes** Fletcher-class Destroyer**


Tell me more.

The good news is I get to return home for the baby boom. Nothing real eventful. Commissioned in 43, had a few minor scrapes in the Philippines. Seems like somebody in charge didn't want us to be sunk as we had a few operations canceled and did a lot of training exercises and some boring stuff around the Alleutians. Best war stories come from the Battle of Okinawa in '45 where we took some fire and shot down some kamikazes. Went back to San Fran after that and the ship was decommissioned. The Navy finally blew it up during target practice in '72.

[The Franchise]

I found a list of 86, so let's go with that. On a crew of 2600, that mean...(rolling dice)

You survived with a great story.

Awesome.

[Donger]

Oops, short meeting. This thread will resume in a half-hour or so.

Who are you? Bull Halsey?

* Probably only one person here will get this reference without looking it up... *

[Nightfyre]

Oops, short meeting. This thread will resume in a half-hour or so.

Hurry up and wait. The story of my military career. And meetings. :cuss:

[Chief_For_Life58]

Sign me up im ready to kill some sourkrouts

[jLoy88]

Sign me up! hopefully on that fancy USS Arizona looks new and purrty.

[Al Bundy]

Bundy, reporting for duty. Sir.

[Mike in SW-MO]

Permission to come aboard, sir!

I'm ex-Navy. What the hell.

[DaveNull]

Sign me up.

[Molitoth]

In

[TimBone]

Checking in!

[GloucesterChief]

Son of a Sailor here reporting for duty.

[jLoy88]

I am gonna defect to Canada if I don't get ship orders soon.

[mlyonsd]

I would but I volunteered for the Army Air Corp and I'm still flying around somewhere on a B-17.

[Rain Man]

Barely passed the physical...[flat feet]...Ready to serve my country.

Okay, the draft board is back up and running.

You are aboard...

Monaghan** Farragut-class Destroyer**


Probably a silent g in the silent deep.

[Rain Man]

Joining the seamen

Wasp (Wasp-class)** Wasp-class Aircraft Carrier**


Hey, I think I may have rescued you before I died.

[Buehler445]

In. Let's kill some nazis!

[Rain Man]

Put me in Coach

You are on ....

Juneau** Atlanta-class Light Cruiser**

Hey, we're shipmates! Oh, and you died on the ship, too.

[stumppy]

Been watching the AHC channel all day. I'm ready to kill some Jap bastards.

[Rain Man]

I'll be quite honest with you, if I was drafted for any war of any kind that I would have over a 0.25% chance of death, I'm moving to another country. Not a chance in hell I'm risking my life.

I don't care what you call me. I'd be a terrible terrible person to be on your team in war. We'd be out in the trenches, you'd be like, okay I'm going in first, you come in behind me where all of those guys shooting are at and cover me. I'd be like, are you ****ing crazy, they are trying to kill people up there.

Sorry, buddy. You can't run in World War II. We're killin' Nazis. You can be a pacifist on ...

Steamer Bay** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**

[Donger]

In. Let's kill some nazis!

It's been all Japanese (PACFLEET) so far, I think.

[Rain Man]

In.

You are on the ship with the beautiful large signature on the prow.

Hancock** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**

[Rain Man]

Reporting to the U.S. Pacific Fleet ...

... Bunker Hill lost a total of 346 sailors and airmen killed, 43 more missing (and never found), and 264 wounded. She was heavily damaged and was sent to the Bremerton Naval Shipyard for repairs. She was still in the shipyard when the war ended in mid-August 1945.

Great story. Oh, and (rolling dice) you died. Tough break.

[Rain Man]

Im in.

Independence** Independence-class Light Carrier**


Oh, hey. Someone else was also on the Independence.

[Rain Man]

Aye.

Intrepid** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**


Wait, I thought that was a Star Trek ship. It was also a carrier?

[TrebMaxx]

Just passed my physical ready for my orders.

[cmh6476]

I'm no draft dodger sir

[Mr. Laz]

U.S. should make 2 years of service mandatory directly out of High School .

maybe 4

[Donger]

Intrepid** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**


Wait, I thought that was a Star Trek ship. It was also a carrier?

And a museum!

[Rain Man]

Reporting for duty.

Massachusetts** South Dakota-class Battleship**


South Dakota class? Is that one of the older battleships? I have to look that up.

Eh, pretty new. 1938. I'm used to always hearing about Iowa-class battleships. This one had some interesting assignments, including attacking the French Navy. That's kind of unusual.

[Rain Man]

Cool thread I'm in too!

Guam** Alaska-class Large Cruiser**


You have to look this one up. I have no knowledge of it at all.

[Rain Man]

Reporting for duty sir.

Arizona** Pennsylvania-class Battleship**


Oh, dude. That sucks.

1,177 deaths, and (rolling dice), you're one of them. You never even knew what hit you.

[Pilsner]

http://www.mrsmanion.com/uploads/8/4/6/9/8469271/9847499.jpg

E-4!

Er... What's my assignment?

[Rain Man]

Sign me up im ready to kill some sourkrouts

Washington** North Carolina-class Battleship**


Man, we had a lot of big ships that I've never heard of.

Other than Pearl Harbor, did we lose a battleship in WWII? I think that probably ended up being safe duty.

[Rain Man]

Sign me up! hopefully on that fancy USS Arizona looks new and purrty.

Arizona** Pennsylvania-class Battleship**


Bwahaha. What are the odds of that? That was truly a random roll.

Oh, and you died.

[Rain Man]

Bundy, reporting for duty. Sir.

Bataan (Independence-class)** Independence-class Light Carrier**


We had a bunch of carriers, apparently.

[TLO]

Big Smoke reporting for duty, sir.

[Rain Man]

Permission to come aboard, sir!

I'm ex-Navy. What the hell.

Wasp (Wasp-class)** Wasp-class Aircraft Carrier**

Another guy that I rescued before my ship went down. Where were you when it was my turn in the drink?

[stumppy]

Didn't know, until just now, when the Bismark sunk the Hood there were only 3 survivors from the Hood.
Daaaaamn!

[srvy]

I wanna be a Squid! Anchors Aweigh!

[Rain Man]

Sign me up.

Saratoga** Lexington-class Aircraft Carrier**


Uh-oh. That's another one I've heard of. Let me know if there were casualties.

[Dayze]

I'm here for a tall glass of suds and some chlamydia. Reporting.

[Rain Man]

In


North Carolina** North Carolina-class Battleship**


Ah. Another one who got the new model-year battleship.

Someone tell me the difference between the battleship classes. I'm curious now.

[TinyEvel]

I'm in. As long as I don't get the USS Indianapolis :thailor:

[Rain Man]

Checking in!

Yorktown (Yorktown-class)** Yorktown-class Aircraft Carrier**

Oh, I know that story. (Rolling dice.) You survived.

[Discuss Thrower]

Lt. Discuss Thrower ready for duty

[Rain Man]

The carriers had big crews. There are lots of subs, but no one has managed to draw one yet.

[Rain Man]

Son of a Sailor here reporting for duty.


No sooner said than it happens. A submariner.

Carbonero** Balao-class Submarine**

[Rain Man]

I would but I volunteered for the Army Air Corp and I'm still flying around somewhere on a B-17.

You're in the Navy now. You're not behind a plow.

Hancock** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**

I think you're our second Hancocker.

[BWillie]

Sorry, buddy. You can't run in World War II. We're killin' Nazis. You can be a pacifist on ...

Steamer Bay**Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**
I want to be a nurse, then. I dont think im playing by the rules lol

[Rain Man]

In. Let's kill some nazis!

New Jersey** Iowa-class Battleship**


So were you at Pearl Harbor? Let me know and I'll see if you survived.

[Rain Man]

Been watching the AHC channel all day. I'm ready to kill some Jap bastards.

Did you watch anything about the...

Saratoga** Lexington-class Aircraft Carrier**

[Rain Man]

Just passed my physical ready for my orders.

Albert W. Grant** Fletcher-class Destroyer**


Cool. We don't have many destroyer members yet.

[Donger]

New Jersey** Iowa-class Battleship**


So were you at Pearl Harbor? Let me know and I'll see if you survived.

There weren't any Iowa-class BBs at Pearl on December 7.

[Rain Man]

I'm no draft dodger sir

California** Tennessee-class Battleship**


Perhaps you should reconsider. I think you were at Pearl Harbor if I remember right.

[Rain Man]

U.S. should make 2 years of service mandatory directly out of High School .

maybe 4

You'll do your tour aboard the ...

San Jacinto** Independence-class Light Carrier**

[Rain Man]

http://www.mrsmanion.com/uploads/8/4/6/9/8469271/9847499.jpg

E-4!

Er... What's my assignment?

Oh, cool. Another submariner. Tell me how it turns out.

Blackfish** Gato-class Submarine**

[oldandslow]

Got my orders, Admiral...I expect Command of a ship, lol.

[seclark]

i wanna serve my country. it don't have nothing to do w/that pregnant girl. i wasn't even in town back then. carriers ok w/me.
sec

[Rain Man]

Big Smoke reporting for duty, sir.

Where there's Big Smoke, there's fire.

Yorktown (Yorktown-class)** Yorktown-class Aircraft Carrier**


(Rolling dice.) You survived.

[Rain Man]

Didn't know, until just now, when the Bismark sunk the Hood there were only 3 survivors from the Hood.
Daaaaamn!


Wow, that's interesting. You'd think there would've been more. Weren't other ships in the area? I guess maybe it's a cold-water thing, but it must've sunk fast.

[KCCHIEFS27]

Here I am..I prefer to be on a minesweeper. That way I already know a few things about my situation..

[Rain Man]

I wanna be a Squid! Anchors Aweigh!

Long Island** Long Island-class Escort Carrier**

An escort carrier. I presume those are smaller.

[Rain Man]

I'm here for a tall glass of suds and some chlamydia. Reporting.

Shamrock Bay** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**


That sounds like a lucky ship. Let me know.

[Rain Man]

I'm in. As long as I don't get the USS Indianapolis :thailor:

Arizona** Pennsylvania-class Battleship**


Well, you didn't get the Indianapolis.

(Rolling dice.) However, I'm pleased to say that you survived. Maybe you were late getting back from leave or something.

[Rasputin]

You are on ....

Juneau** Atlanta-class Light Cruiser**

Hey, we're shipmates! Oh, and you died on the ship, too.


Oh I'm dead that's just great. :deevee:

[stumppy]

Did you watch anything about the...

Saratoga** Lexington-class Aircraft Carrier**

A quick ck says the Saratoga made it all the way through the war only to be sunk at Bikini Atol after the Baker test firing of the atomic bomb. She served her country well.

[GloucesterChief]

No sooner said than it happens. A submariner.

Carbonero** Balao-class Submarine**

Didn't do much during the war. The sub was commissioned in 44. Looks like the only action is saw was merchant raiding in the Pacific. Did get to go to Key West, Panama, Phillippines and Pearl Harbor though. Lots of nice places to go and not much danger. Its a great assignment.

[Rain Man]

Lt. Discuss Thrower ready for duty

Alaska** Alaska-class Large Cruiser**


These types of ships intrigue me. It's not a battleship or an aircraft carrier, but depending on the numbers you read it had a crew of 1,500 to 2,200 men. It was enormous.

[Pilsner]

Oh, cool. Another submariner. Tell me how it turns out.

Blackfish** Gato-class Submarine**

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/USS_Blackfish%3B0822102.jpg/300px-USS_Blackfish%3B0822102.jpg

Sunk a German Patrol Boat and a Japanese Cargo ship in its 4 year commission. I'm not reading any reports of casualties so I probably would have lived? :shrug:

Though I think I have syphilis now.

[Rain Man]

There weren't any Iowa-class BBs at Pearl on December 7.

What's the difference between the classes? I've seen at least three different classes.

[Rain Man]

Got my orders, Admiral...I expect Command of a ship, lol.

Monterey** Independence-class Light Carrier**

I'm confident that you can run it. Let me know if it saw action.

[Rain Man]

i wanna serve my country. it don't have nothing to do w/that pregnant girl. i wasn't even in town back then. carriers ok w/me.
sec

Natoma Bay** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**

You want a carrier? Sure. We strive to please. I'm not familiar with this one, though.

[Rain Man]

Here I am..I prefer to be on a minesweeper. That way I already know a few things about my situation..

Marcus Island** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**


Hopefully you don't hit any mines in it.

[Rain Man]

A quick ck says the Saratoga made it all the way through the war only to be sunk at Bikini Atol after the Baker test firing of the atomic bomb. She served her country well.


Ah, interesting. I was thinking something bad had happened to it. It's famous for something, though, right?

[Rain Man]

Didn't do much during the war. The sub was commissioned in 44. Looks like the only action is saw was merchant raiding in the Pacific. Did get to go to Key West, Panama, Phillippines and Pearl Harbor though. Lots of nice places to go and not much danger. Its a great assignment.

Yeah, that's pretty much the perfect gig other than maybe the underwater part. You shoot at vulnerable ships and then go to the beach.

[Fairplay]

Please don't put me on the Indianapolis sir.

[Rain Man]

Sunk a German Patrol Boat and a Japanese Cargo ship in its 4 year commission. I'm not reading any reports of casualties so I probably would have lived? :shrug:

Though I think I have syphilis now.


Yeah, as long as you didn't get crossways with any brothel owners in Singapore, you're good.

I wonder how many ships took out both a German and a Japanese ship? That seems like it would've been unusual.

[stumppy]

Wow, that's interesting. You'd think there would've been more. Weren't other ships in the area? I guess maybe it's a cold-water thing, but it must've sunk fast.

No, just as the battle began the Bismark scored a hit on the Hood that went through the decking and into the magazine. Blew it the hell up. I think they said it had a crew of either 1200 or 2000.

[Rain Man]

Please don't put me on the Indianapolis sir.

How about this?

Leutze** Fletcher-class Destroyer**

You'll have to enlighten me on your role.

[stumppy]

Ah, interesting. I was thinking something bad had happened to it. It's famous for something, though, right?

I've only done a quick scan but it was one of the ships in the task force pulled off of the Wake Island rescue. It was also a day late for the Battle of Midway.

My ship is starting to lose some of it's initial shine.

[Rain Man]

I've only done a quick scan but it was one of the ships in the task force pulled off of the Wake Island rescue. It was also a day late for the Battle of Midway.

My ship is starting to lose some of it's initial shine.


I'd still trade you.

[srvy]

Long Island** Long Island-class Escort Carrier**

An escort carrier. I presume those are smaller.

She was the first of the converted cargo ships. She made it thru WWII with a distinguished career. Sent to reinforce Admiral Nimintz at Battle of Midway Islands then launched her aircraft at Guadalcanal and were the first to reach Henderson Field.
Long Island's actions at Guadalcanal are mentioned and seen in the movie Flying Leathernecks. Was I the Duke?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/Flyinglnecks.jpg

Isn't she pretty?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/USSLongIsland-in-camo.jpg

[Sorter]

My boat had quite the adventure it seems.

[Dave Lane]

Great story. Oh, and (rolling dice) you died. Tough break.

Damn it all. Well its still better than being stuck on the tarmac waiting for word from air command.

[stumppy]

I'd still trade you.

Now that I think about it she's a beaut.

[DC.chief]

Too late to report for duty sir?!

[GloucesterChief]

Damn it all. Well its still better than being stuck on the tarmac waiting for word from air command.

Should of signed up to be a submariner. Could be enjoying cocktails in the Philippines after blowing up some junks and sampans.

[Rain Man]

Too late to report for duty sir?!

Bailey** Benson-class Destroyer**


I loved that ship on WKRP in Cincinnati.

[oldandslow]

Monterey** Independence-class Light Carrier**

I'm confident that you can run it. Let me know if it saw action.

Among the sailors that I commanded was the only unelected president in US history...Gerald Ford. That was cool.

Saw action in the Battle of the Philippines along with several other smaller skirmishes...

No battle casualties, but seven crew members (out of 1560) were swept overboard during a big storm (the future President Ford almost was).

I think my command overall was a pretty damn successful one.

[TrebMaxx]

Albert W. Grant** Fletcher-class Destroyer**


Cool. We don't have many destroyer members yet.



CLASS - FLETCHER As Built.
Displacement 2924 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 5"(oa) x 39' 7" x 13' 9" (Max)
Armament 5 x 5"/38AA, 10 x 40mm, 7 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; Allis Chalmers Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 38 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 15 Knots, Crew 273.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Charleston Navy Yard. December 30 1942.
Launched May 29 1943 and commissioned November 24 1943.
Decommissioned July 16 1946.

The USS Albert W. Grant was one bad ass destroyer during WW2. Notable battles she participated in: New Guinea, Caroline Islands, the invasion of the Marianas, battle of Saipan, Tinian, and the assault on the Palaus. Conducted pre-invasion bombardment and supported the landings on Peleliu and Angaur.

Not done yet with more war to fight the Grant provided protection the fast transport landed troops on Suluan Island, Philippines. Then went on to provided fire support for the assault on Leyte. From Leyte the Grant sailed to engage a Japanese task force reported steaming northward from the Sulu Sea toward Surigao Strait. That American battleship group met the Japanese force in the Battle of Surigao Strait, and Grant, along with other destroyers in advance of the main battle line, conducted a torpedo attack. During this attack, she was hit and severely damaged by gunfire, not only Japanese naval forces, but also by its covering US battleships. Grant suffered 22 hits, many by six-inch shells. Fires broke out, and the ship lost steering control and all power. Thirty-eight men were killed and 104 were wounded. Although their ship was down by the bow and listing heavily to port, the destroyer's crew got her engines working again and enabled her to retire to American-controlled waters in Leyte Gulf.

After repairs the Grant sailed for the Philippines to escort the return of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

Grant then sailed southwest toward Brunei Bay, Borneo, her last action of the war for the assault on Brunei Bay.

So 38 out of 273 men lost their life on the Grant. I hope I was one of the survivors.

[Kman34]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/USSMonaghanDD354.jpg/300px-USSMonaghanDD354.jpg

USS Monaghan (DD-354) was the last ship built of the Farragut-class destroyer design. She was named for Ensign John R. Monaghan. Monaghan was laid down on 21 November 1933 at the Boston Navy Yard, and launched on 9 January 1935. She was sponsored by Miss Mary F. Monaghan, niece of Ensign Monaghan, and commissioned on 19 April 1935, with Commander R. R. Thompson in command. During the next few years Monaghan operated primarily in the North Atlantic, training US Navy personnel who served in World War II. Monaghan was present during the Pearl Harbor raid on 7 December 1941. She participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway in 1942. Monaghan was sunk in a typhoon east of the Philippines in 1944.
After training off California and Hawaii, Monaghan sailed for Ulithi 11 November. There she joined the escort for three fleet oilers bound for a rendezvous 17 December with TF 38, whose planes had been striking central Luzon in support of the Mindoro invasion. The ship was expecting to refuel and probably had reduced its ballast in order to take on fuel. Typhoon "Cobra" hit before the Monaghan was ready to ride it out. Typhoon Cobra claimed 790 lives in the 3rd Fleet, and sank Spence, Hull, and Monaghan. Six men survived the Monaghan sinking , reportedly rescued by Brown and/or Tabberer. After drifting on a raft three days, the men reported that Monaghan took roll after roll to starboard, finally going over. The Typhoon Cobra tragedy, Admiral Chester Nimitz said, "represented a more crippling blow to the Third Fleet than it might be expected to suffer in anything less than a major action".

I don't think I'm one of the six men that survived....

[Rain Man]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/USSMonaghanDD354.jpg/300px-USSMonaghanDD354.jpg

USS Monaghan (DD-354) was the last ship built of the Farragut-class destroyer design. She was named for Ensign John R. Monaghan. Monaghan was laid down on 21 November 1933 at the Boston Navy Yard, and launched on 9 January 1935. She was sponsored by Miss Mary F. Monaghan, niece of Ensign Monaghan, and commissioned on 19 April 1935, with Commander R. R. Thompson in command. During the next few years Monaghan operated primarily in the North Atlantic, training US Navy personnel who served in World War II. Monaghan was present during the Pearl Harbor raid on 7 December 1941. She participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway in 1942. Monaghan was sunk in a typhoon east of the Philippines in 1944.
After training off California and Hawaii, Monaghan sailed for Ulithi 11 November. There she joined the escort for three fleet oilers bound for a rendezvous 17 December with TF 38, whose planes had been striking central Luzon in support of the Mindoro invasion. The ship was expecting to refuel and probably had reduced its ballast in order to take on fuel. Typhoon "Cobra" hit before the Monaghan was ready to ride it out. Typhoon Cobra claimed 790 lives in the 3rd Fleet, and sank Spence, Hull, and Monaghan. Six men survived the Monaghan sinking , reportedly rescued by Brown and/or Tabberer. After drifting on a raft three days, the men reported that Monaghan took roll after roll to starboard, finally going over. The Typhoon Cobra tragedy, Admiral Chester Nimitz said, "represented a more crippling blow to the Third Fleet than it might be expected to suffer in anything less than a major action".

I don't think I'm one of the six men that survived....

(Dice roll.) Yeah, you died.

Going down in a typhoon seems like a bad way to go. That must've been one heck of a storm to sink three US Navy destroyers. It's one of the zillion interesting WWII stories that I didn't know.

[Rain Man]

So 38 out of 273 men lost their life on the Grant. I hope I was one of the survivors.


(Rolling dice.) Not only did you survive, but you weren't even one of the 104 wounded. Came through without a scratch.

A lot of these ships saw a lot of action, it seems. I was curious if most just kind of trolled around, but these ships really worked.

[Rain Man]

Among the sailors that I commanded was the only unelected president in US history...Gerald Ford. That was cool.

Saw action in the Battle of the Philippines along with several other smaller skirmishes...

No battle casualties, but seven crew members (out of 1560) were swept overboard during a big storm (the future President Ford almost was).

I think my command overall was a pretty damn successful one.


(Rolling dice.) Good news. You weren't swept overboard. And Jerry Ford anchored a mighty fine shipboard football team.

[bevischief]

Massachusetts** South Dakota-class Battleship**


South Dakota class? Is that one of the older battleships? I have to look that up.

Eh, pretty new. 1938. I'm used to always hearing about Iowa-class battleships. This one had some interesting assignments, including attacking the French Navy. That's kind of unusual.

The South Dakota-class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th State; the first designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty.

The class comprised four ships: South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Alabama. They were more compact and better protected than the preceding North Carolina class, but had the same main battery, nine 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 guns in triple turrets. The ships can be visually distinguished from the earlier vessels by their single funnel, compared to twin funnels in the North Carolinas. According to authors William Garzke and Robert Dulin, the South Dakota design was the best "treaty battleship" ever built.[1]

Construction began shortly before World War II, with Fiscal Year (FY) 1939 appropriations. Commissioning through the summer of 1942, the four ships served in both the Atlantic, ready to intercept possible German capital ship sorties, and the Pacific, in carrier groups and shore bombardments. All four ships were retired post-war; South Dakota and Indiana were scrapped, Massachusetts and Alabama retained as museum ships.

Main battery
South Dakota shows the range of independent elevation of her main guns

The South Dakota class battleships carried a main battery of nine 16-in (406 mm)/45 caliber Mark 6 guns in three triple turrets. Two of these turrets were placed in a superfiring pair forward; the third turret was mounted aft of the main superstructure. These guns fired a 2,700 lb (1,200 kg) Mark 8 armor-piercing (AP) shell at a rate of two per minute per gun. The guns could either use a full propellant charge of 535 lb (243 kg), a reduced charge of 295 lb (134 kg), or a reduced flashless charge of 315 lb (143 kg). This provided a muzzle velocity of 2,300 feet per second (700 meters per second) for the AP shell with the full propellant charge, while the reduced version provided a correspondingly lower muzzle velocity of 1,800 ft/s (549 m/s). 130 shells were stowed for each gun, which came to a total of 1,170. The guns in all three turrets could elevate to 45 degrees, but only I and III turrets could depress to −2 degrees; the superfiring II turret was not able to depress. This enabled a maximum range of 36,900 yards or 18.2 nmi (20.9 mi; 33.7 km) with the Mark 8 projectile. The turrets were able to train 150 degrees in both directions from the centerline, which enabled a wide arc of fire. The guns could be elevated or depressed at a rate of 12 degrees per second, and the turrets could train at 4 degrees per second.

Secondary battery
Massachusetts' 5-inch gun battery

South Dakota was built as a fleet flagship, with an extra deck on her conning tower for extra command space, so her secondary battery had sixteen 5-in (127 mm)/38 caliber Mark 12 guns in eight Mark 28 Mod 0 twin DP mounts, four on either side of the superstructure. This was two turrets fewer than her sister ships who had ten twin DP mounts of twenty guns, five on either side of the ship.[13] These turrets weighed 156,295 lb (70,894 kg) and could depress their guns to −15 degrees and elevate them to 85 degrees. The guns fired a variety of different projectiles, including anti-aircraft (AA), illumination, and white phosphorus (WP) shells, at a rate of fire of 15 to 22 rounds per minute. The AA shells were 20.75 in long (52.7 cm) and weighed between 54 and 55 lb (24–25 kg), depending on the variant. The illumination and white phosphorus shells were slightly smaller, at 20 in (50.8 cm) long; the illumination rounds weighed 54.4 lb (24.7 kg) and the WP shells were 53 lb (24 kg).[14]

The guns used three different charges, depending on the situation: a full charge, a full flashless charge, and a reduced charge. The standard full charge weighed 15.2–15.5 lb (6.9–7.0 kg), the flashless charge was slightly heavier at 16 lb (7.3 kg), and the reduced charge was significantly smaller, at 3.6 lb (1.6 kg). Both full charges provided a muzzle velocity of 2,600 ft/s (790 m/s) in new guns, but as continued fire wore down the barrels, muzzle velocity degraded slightly, to 2,500 ft/s (760 m/s). The reduced charge's muzzle velocity was correspondingly lower, at 1,200 ft/s (370 m/s). Each gun was supplied with 450 rounds, and was expected to fire 4,600 shells before it was worn enough to warrant replacement. At the maximum effective elevation to engage surface targets, 45 degrees, the guns could hit targets up to 17,392 yards (15,903 m) away. The maximum height at which aircraft could be engaged was 37,200 feet (11,900 m).[14]
Anti-aircraft battery
A variety of anti-aircraft weapons on board South Dakota

The ships had a variety of anti-aircraft weapons, and the weapons mounted changed over time. Initially, the ships were designed to mount twelve .50 in (12.7 mm) and twelve 1.1 in (27.9 mm) machine guns. By March 1942, when South Dakota was completed, the anti-aircraft battery was modified to eight .50 in (12.7 mm) and twenty-eight 1.1 in (27.9 mm) machine guns and sixteen 20mm Oerlikon autocannon. In September of that year, the .50 in (12.7 mm) guns were removed and the number of 1.1 in (27.9 mm) guns reduced to 20. In their place, the 20mm guns were increased to 16 weapons, and 16 Bofors 40mm guns were added, in four quadruple mounts.[13]

In February 1943, the 1.1 in (27.9 mm) guns and one 20mm gun were replaced with an additional 52 40mm guns, for a total of 68. In December 1944, the battery was again upgraded, with 72 20mm and 72 Bofors. In March 1945, the battery was modified for the last time: five 20mm were added and four 40mm removed. This provided the maximum number of anti-aircraft guns, at 145 guns. The other three ships followed a similar pattern of upgrades to the anti-aircraft armament.[13]
Armor

The South Dakota's internal armor belt was inclined 19° from the vertical, and was 12.2 inches (310 mm) thick, with 7/8 inch (22 mm) thick STS plates behind the belt. This was equal to 17.3 inches (440 mm) of vertical belt armor, and was proof against the 2,240 lb projectile fired by the 16-inch 45 cal. guns of the Colorado-class from a distance of 17,700 to 30,900 yd (16.2 to 28.3 km). The immune zone against the super-heavy 16-inch shells fired by the South Dakotas themselves was smaller; the armor was effective only at ranges between 20,500 and 26,400 yd (18.7 and 24.1 km).[13]

The side armor extended to the bottom of the ship, and tapered from its maximum thickness of 12.2 inches down to 1 inch at the lowest portion. This feature was chosen to protect against penetration of heavy-caliber gun projectiles that managed to hit the ship below the waterline. The underwater armor included four torpedo bulkheads, a multi-layered system designed to absorb the energy from an underwater explosion equivalent to 700 pounds of TNT.

South Dakota's keel was laid on 5 July 1939 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey. She was launched on 7 June 1941 and commissioned on 20 March 1942. She went on a shakedown cruise in June after her fitting out was complete. In August–September, the battleship voyaged from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Panama Canal; she struck a coral reef soon after arriving in the Tonga Islands and had to sail to the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for repairs, which took about a month. South Dakota was then assigned to escort the aircraft carrier Enterprise as part of Task Force (TF) 16; joined by TF 17 soon after, the combined fleet—now known as TF 61—was ordered to "make a sweep of the Santa Cruz Islands and then move southwest to block any Japanese forces approaching Guadalcanal." This led to the Battle of Santa Cruz, where in escorting Enterprise, South Dakota was credited with shooting down 26 Japanese planes. The battleship was hit once by a 500 lb (230 kg)-bomb on Turret I during the action.[16][17]

On 30 October, South Dakota and the destroyer Mahan collided while the latter was investigating a sonar contact with a submarine. Both ships were able to continue to Noumea, where Vestal repaired them. The battleship joined formed TF 64 with the North Carolina-class battleship Washington and four destroyers. The ships intercepted a Japanese bombardment force on the night of 14–15 November, and, in a battle now known as the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, they damaged the cruisers Takao and Atago in addition to forcing the battleship Kirishima and destroyer Ayanami to be scuttled. During the battle, a power failure incapacitated South Dakota and she received considerable topside damage—42 shells hit the ship, knocking out radio communications and three fire control radars along with destroying the main radar set.[16]

Partial repairs courtesy of Prometheus' crew allowed South Dakota to sail for New York; after the ship's arrival on 18 December 1942, she was given an overhaul and the battle damage was completely fixed. Departing the yard on 25 February 1943, South Dakota underwent sea trials before escorting Ranger in North Atlantic operations until mid-April, when she joined the British Home Fleet. This deployment lasted until 1 August; the ship then traveled to Norfolk and then the Pacific, arriving at Efate on 14 September. Moving to Fiji on 7 November, she joined Battleship Divisions 8 and 9, which supported Allied forces in the Battle of Tarawa, among other battles.[16]

Along with five other battleships, she fired upon Nauru Island on 6 December. 29 January 1944 saw the ship bombard Roi-Namur before she moved away to protect the carriers assigned to provide air support for multiple amphibious assaults on islands within Kwajalein Atoll. South Dakota provided anti-aircraft support for various fast carrier task forces until June, when she bombarded Saipan and Tinian. The battleship took part in the so-called "Marianas Turkey Shoot", where more than 300 attacking Japanese aircraft were shot down, though she was hit by a 500 pound bomb on the main deck that killed 24 and wounded 27.[16][18]

For the rest of World War II, South Dakota operated in the Pacific mostly as a carrier escort; the only times she did not was when she received an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard from July–August 1944, when five tanks of gunpowder for the 16-inch guns exploded on 6 May (putting the ship out of action until 1 June), and when she bombarded Okinawa (24 March 19 April), the Kamaishi Steel Works on Honshu (14 July and 9 August), and Hamamatsu on Honshū (29–30 July).[16] South Dakota was present at the Surrender of Japan aboard Missouri on 2 September 1945;[19] she left Tokyo Bay on 20 September for the west coast of the United States. The battleship set sail for Philadelphia on 3 January 1946 to be overhauled; she was designated as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet there in June. Decommissioned on 31 January 1947, South Dakota remained idle until she was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 June 1962 and sold for scrap to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers and Company, Inc. on 25 October.

[Kman34]

(Dice roll.) Yeah, you died.

Going down in a typhoon seems like a bad way to go. That must've been one heck of a storm to sink three US Navy destroyers. It's one of the zillion interesting WWII stories that I didn't know.

This is cool....Need to do an Air Force version... I always thought I was a pilot in WW ll in a past life. My favorite planes are German though, so I might have flown a FW 190....

[TheUte]

Is it too late to join up?

[Rain Man]

Among the sailors that I commanded was the only unelected president in US history...Gerald Ford. That was cool.

Saw action in the Battle of the Philippines along with several other smaller skirmishes...

No battle casualties, but seven crew members (out of 1560) were swept overboard during a big storm (the future President Ford almost was).

I think my command overall was a pretty damn successful one.

It looks like it was the same storm that killed kman34 a few posts ago.

Man, that was a heckuva storm. Check out this article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Cobra_(1944). It looks like it killed over 700 sailors, sank three destroyers, caused major damage to nine other ships, and started a fire on the Monterey.

[Marcellus]

Hit me Rainman. Dying on a ship is better than watching his ass kicking on TNF.

[Kman34]

I wonder how much damage a 16'' projectile would do to say.... Invesco Field

[Rain Man]

For the rest of World War II, South Dakota operated in the Pacific mostly as a carrier escort; the only times she did not was when she received an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard from July–August 1944, when five tanks of gunpowder for the 16-inch guns exploded on 6 May (putting the ship out of action until 1 June), and when she bombarded Okinawa (24 March 19 April), the Kamaishi Steel Works on Honshu (14 July and 9 August), and Hamamatsu on Honshū (29–30 July).[16] South Dakota was present at the Surrender of Japan aboard Missouri on 2 September 1945;[19] she left Tokyo Bay on 20 September for the west coast of the United States. The battleship set sail for Philadelphia on 3 January 1946 to be overhauled; she was designated as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet there in June. Decommissioned on 31 January 1947, South Dakota remained idle until she was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 June 1962 and sold for scrap to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers and Company, Inc. on 25 October.

I had no idea that we had battleship bombardments of the main islands of Japan.

[saphojunkie]

Gimme my ******* white uniform!

http://www.empireonline.com/images/features/classicfeature/jacknicholson/classicscene.jpg

[Rain Man]

Is it too late to join up?

It's never too late. Well, as long as it's 1945 or earlier.

Maryland** Colorado-class Battleship**

I bet you were at Pearl Harbor.

[KChiefs1]

KChiefs1 reporting for duty.

[Rain Man]

Hit me Rainman. Dying on a ship is better than watching his ass kicking on TNF.

Barbero** Balao-class Submarine**

Sounds like a fun ride. Hopefully your surfaces were equal in number to your descents.

[Rain Man]

Gimme my ******* white uniform!



Doneff** Evarts-class Destroyer Escort**


Oh, now that's a new one. We haven't seen a destroyer escort yet.

[stumppy]

Now that I think about it she's a beaut.

Upon further reading it looks like she had a pretty active role in The Guadalcanal campaign and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.

Badass.

[TrebMaxx]

Albert W. Grant** Fletcher-class Destroyer**


Cool. We don't have many destroyer members yet.

It looks like it was the same storm that killed kman34 a few posts ago.

Man, that was a heckuva storm. Check out this article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Cobra_(1944). It looks like it killed over 700 sailors, sank three destroyers, caused major damage to nine other ships, and started a fire on the Monterey.
I didn't mention this in my short version of the USS Albert W. Grant history but while en route to Leyte, damaged and limping on one engine the Grant weathered Typhoon Cobra before reaching the anchorage.

[Rain Man]

KChiefs1 reporting for duty.

Belleau Wood** Independence-class Light Carrier**


I know nothing about this ship. I presume it had noble service.

[Rain Man]

I didn't mention this in my short version of the USS Albert W. Grant history but while en route to Leyte, damaged and limping on one engine the Grant weathered Typhoon Cobra before reaching the anchorage.

I want to read more about this storm. Was it a juggernaut or were a bunch of ships just in completely the wrong place at the wrong time?

[TrebMaxx]

I want to read more about this storm. Was it a juggernaut or were a bunch of ships just in completely the wrong place at the wrong time? From what I have read so far it seems it was both.

[Marcellus]

Barbero** Balao-class Submarine**

Sounds like a fun ride. Hopefully your surfaces were equal in number to your descents.

Good news/ bad news?

Ship made it through the war with a lot of not eventful action though it did sink a Jap cargo ship full of troops.

Barbero's war operations span the period from 9 August 1944– 2 January 1945, during which she completed two war patrols. She is credited with sinking three Japanese merchant ships totaling 9,126 tons while patrolling in the Java and South China Seas.
On 2 November, after a lively passage of Lombok Strait (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombok_Strait) during which picket boats and shore batteries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shore_batteries) fired on her, Barbero sank her first ship, a 2,700-ton transport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troop_transport) loaded with troops.

On 8 November, she sent a 7,500-ton tanker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanker_%28ship%29) to the bottom during a coordinated attack on a small convoy carried out in cooperation with Redfin. Redfin received credit for sinking the other tanker in the convoy.
On 27 December, while she attempted the perilous repassage of Lombok Strait, fragments from an aerial bomb that narrowly missed Barbero close aboard aft damaged her port reduction gear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduction_gear). The damage forced her to cover the distance remaining to Fremantle on a single screw, and put her out of action for the remainder of the war. In 68 days away from Fremantle, Barbero returned having sunk four ships totalling 21,700 tons and claiming damage to a fifth of 5,000 tons.Now here is some history though. She was converted to a missle carrying sub and eventually was asigned to the get this....US Postal service!

Missile Mail

Main article: Rocket mail (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_mail)
In 1959 Barbero assisted the United States Post Office Department (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Post_Office_Department), predecessor of what in 1971 became today's United States Postal Service (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service) (USPS), in its search for faster, more efficient forms of mail transportation. The USPS tried their first and only delivery of "Missile Mail", though the idea of delivering mail by rocket was not new. Shortly before noon on 8 June 1959, off the northern Florida coast, Barbero fired a Regulus cruise missile towards the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Mayport, Florida (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayport,_Florida). Twenty-two minutes later the training type missile landed at its target; its training-type warhead having been configured to contain two official USPS mail containers.

Forgot to add n image.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&docid=uDQyzIqX-f34kM&tbnid=hIj-ArKucwa6IM:&ved=0CAUQjBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.navsource.org%2Farchives%2F08%2F0831725.jpg&ei=vDY3VKvXHYX4yQSl5oHYAw&psig=AFQjCNGfyc3leZmz2qwR7-sbKZiUdYkqdA&ust=1412991036599611

[GloucesterChief]

Good news/ bad news?

Ship made it through the war with a lot of not eventful action though it did sink a Jap cargo ship full of troops.

Now here is some history though. She was converted to a missle carrying sub and eventually was asigned to the get this....US Postal service!

Looks like you got to spend some time in Oz.

[Marcellus]

Looks like you got to spend some time in Oz.

Yup, I am sure chasing women was a priority while down under.

[Delaney37]

Sign me up Admiral Rain Man!

Uncle was on a Fletcher class destroyer running one of the 40mm bofor guns. His ship was running screen for the Bunker Hill in the Marianas Turkey Shoot. They took a kamikaze hit in the torpedo tubes during the engagement.

[KChiefs1]

Belleau Wood** Independence-class Light Carrier**


I know nothing about this ship. I presume it had noble service.


http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h97000/h97269.jpg
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g270000/g276768.jpg
USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24, originally CV-24), 1943-1960

USS Belleau Wood, an 11,000-ton Independence class small aircraft carrier, was built at Camden, New Jersey. Begun as the light cruiser New Haven (CL-76), she was converted to a carrier before launching and was commissioned in March 1943. Her original carrier hull number was CV-24, which was changed to CVL-24 in July 1943 at the time she arrived in the Pacific to join the war against Japan. During the rest of 1943, Belleau Wood took part in raids on Tarawa and Wake Islands and the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.

In the first half of 1944, Belleau Wood was part the carrier force that supported the Marshall Islands operation, raided enemy positions throughout the Central Pacific and helped conquer Saipan. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea, in mid-June, her planes sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyo. Following a brief overhaul, she rejoined Task Force 58 for further operations to take Guam, the Palaus and Morotai, as well as raiding the Philippines, Okinawa and Formosa. In late October 1944, Belleau Wood participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. While operating off the Philippines on 30 October, she was hit aft by a Kamikaze suicide plane and set afire. Badly damaged, with 92 of her crew killed or missing, she had to return to the United States for repairs.

Belleau Wood returned to the Western Pacific war zone in February 1945, in time to help in raids on the Japanese Home Islands and support Marines on Iwo Jima. The rest of the war was spent on further attacks on targets in and around Japan. Her planes participated in the massed aircraft flyover that followed the Formal Surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945. After supporting occupation operations into October, Belleau Wood transported U.S. service personnel back to the United States until early 1946. Generally inactive from then on, she was placed out of commission in January 1947.

Belleau Wood was reactivated in 1953 for loan to France. Under the name Bois Belleau, she served the French Navy until 1960, when she was returned to U.S. custody and sold for scrapping.

USS Belleau Wood
Country United States
Ship Class Independence-class Light Carrier
Builder New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, United States
Laid Down 11 Aug 1941
Launched 6 Dec 1942
Commissioned 31 Mar 1943
Decommissioned 13 Jan 1947
Displacement 11000 tons full
Length 623 feet
Beam 109 feet
Draft 26 feet
Machinery General Electric geared turbines with four screws
Power Output 100000 SHP
Speed 31 knots
Crew 1569
Armament 26x40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns, 22x20mm anti-aircraft guns
Armor 5
Aircraft 30
Transferred to France Sep 1953

Contributor: C. Peter Chen
Originally laid down as New Haven, the hull was renamed Belleau Wood on 16 Feb 1942. She was commissioned in early 1943 with Captain A. M. Pride in command. After shakedown cruise, Belleau Wood joined the Pacific Fleet and arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States on 26 Jul 1943. On 1 Sep, she supported the occupation of Baker Island, which was situated about halfway between Hawaii and Australia in the Central Pacific. On 18 Sep, then again in the latter part of 1943, she assisted in the Gilbert Islands campaign. On 5 and 6 Oct, her aircraft raided Wake Island. Between 29 Jan and 3 Feb 1944, she supported the invasion of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls in the Marshall Islands, then sailed to Truk of the Caroline Islands and then to the Northern Mariana Islands to conduct raids against Japanese defenses in those locations. In Mar and Apr 1944, her aircraft struck Japanese-held islands in the Palau Islands, Caroline Islands, and off New Guinea. In Jun, she supported the invasion of Saipan in the Mariana Islands, where she was engaged in the Battle of the Philippine Sea; during that battle, her aircraft sank the Japanese carrier Hiyo.

Between 29 Jun and 31 Jul 1944, Belleau Wood underwent an overhaul at Pearl Harbor.

In Aug 1944, Belleau Wood supported the Guam, Mariana Islands campaign. Between 6 Sep and 14 Oct, she supported the Palau Islands campaign. In Sep 1944, she conducted several raids against the Philippine Islands. On 15 Sep, she supported the landings on Morotai Island between New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. On 10 Oct, her aircraft raided Okinawa, Japan, followed immediately by striking Taiwan and Luzon, Philippine Islands. On 13 Oct, her task force came under attack by four G4M Type 1 Bombers, but the anti-aircraft fire contributed by the fleet, to no small contribution by the gunners of Belleau Wood, prevented her from being damaged. Between 24 and 26 Oct, she participated in the Battle of Cape Engaño. On 30 Oct, the task force was targeted by kamikaze special attack aircraft. After one of them struck USS Franklin, the pilot of an A6M Zero fighter decided Belleau Wood, thus far undamaged, presented a better target; he was able to crash into Belleau Wood's fantail despite being hit by Belleau Wood's anti-aircraft weapon repeatedly, killing 92 men and destroying 12 aircraft, though the damage was able to be contained.

Between 2 and 11 Nov, Belleau Wood received temporary repairs at Ulithi in the Caroline Islands. Between 29 Nov and Jan 1945, she received permanent repairs in California, United States.

On 7 Feb 1945, Belleau Wood rejoined Task Force 58. On 15 Feb, she took part in the raids on the Japanese home island of Honshu, and then southern Japanese islands, including Iwo Jima. From 17 May until the end of the war, she conducted various strikes against the Japanese home islands.

Belleau Wood's aircraft took flight during the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay. She remained in Japanese waters until 13 Oct for occupation duties before being assigned to Operation Magic Carpet that brought American servicemen from Mariana Islands back to the United States. She returned to San Diego, California on 31 Jan 1946, and was placed in reserve one year later.

On 5 Sep 1953, Belleau Wood was transferred to the French Navy, which changed the spelling of her name to the French counterpart Bois Belleau. In Apr 1954, she set sail from the Toulon, France arsenal for French Indochina, where she remained until Jul. She was sold for scrapping in 1960.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Ready to die fighting, sir!

[GloryDayz]

OK Mr. Detailer.... I'll extend, but only for another tour as the weaps on the billy boat...


http://www.titantalk.com/forums/attachments/titan-pictures-media-post/1994d1087877355-submarine-emergency-blow-639blow.jpg

[Buehler445]

New Jersey** Iowa-class Battleship**


So were you at Pearl Harbor? Let me know and I'll see if you survived.

Nope. Launched on December 7 1942.

http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/history/

Pretty neat. Oh. And I lived. Because I said so.

[GloryDayz]

Even the WW2 version of the Billy boat will do...

http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/589880-4/uss+billfish+ss286

OK Mr. Detailer.... I'll extend, but only for another tour as the weaps on the billy boat...


http://www.titantalk.com/forums/attachments/titan-pictures-media-post/1994d1087877355-submarine-emergency-blow-639blow.jpg

[alanm]

OK Kevin. But first shouldn't you get me out of the Army Air Corps. I've been a Captain on a lost B-17 for most of the war so far. :D:p

[alanm]

I would but I volunteered for the Army Air Corp and I'm still flying around somewhere on a B-17.Heh. :D

[NJChiefsFan]

I'm ready to fight some of them Germans, sir.

[Hydrae]

I didn't mention this in my short version of the USS Albert W. Grant history but while en route to Leyte, damaged and limping on one engine the Grant weathered Typhoon Cobra before reaching the anchorage.

The Grant sounds as tough as it's namesake.

[InChiefsHeaven]

Arizona** Pennsylvania-class Battleship**


Oh, dude. That sucks.

1,177 deaths, and (rolling dice), you're one of them. You never even knew what hit you.

Man, that is some bullshit right there. BUT...I'm going to Hawaii in November, so I'll be visiting the old gal.

[trndobrd]

If joining the Navy will get out of this German POW camp. Let's do it.

[Kaepernick]

Ensign Pulver requesting permission to board, Sir!

Now what the hell is this about no movie tonight?

[Kaepernick]

Everybody here should have heard of the Sullivan brothers. Being older, I already knew their story, but not their ship name.

But the whole premise of Saving Private Ryan is based on the Sullivan brothers and in fact the opening of the movie talks about them and then Congress changing the law so that brothers could not serve together in the same unit.

Then private Ryan being saved because his mother had already lost all her other sons in the War.

[Kaepernick]

I take it none of us will pull submarine duty? I was hoping I might have torpedoed a few thousand tons of Jap scrap metal.

I am guessing this is surface ships only, not the Silent Service.


I am guessing no Patrol Torpedo boats either. We are not expendable. Warships only?

[Kaepernick]

USS Bunker Hill (CV/CVA/CVS-17, AVT-9) was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the second U.S. Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill was commissioned in May 1943, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific War, earning eleven battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. She was badly damaged in May 1945 by Japanese kamikaze attacks, with the loss of hundreds of her crew, becoming one of the most heavily damaged carriers to survive the war.

After the attack she returned to the U.S. mainland for repairs and was decommissioned in 1947. While in reserve she was reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA), then an antisubmarine carrier (CVS), and finally an Auxiliary Aircraft Landing Training Ship (AVT), but was never modernized and never saw active service again. Bunker Hill and Franklin were the only Essex-class ships never recommissioned after World War II.

Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1966, she served as an electronics test platform for many years in San Diego bay, and was sold for scrap in 1973. An effort to save her as a museum ship in 1972 was unsuccessful.


Such a shame she wasn't made into a Museum. I just went through the USS Hornet again docked in Alameda, CA, and we still didn't have time again this time to tour the super structure. What a huge boat and empty. At sea, this empty think would have been standing room only, it would have been so packed with content below decks. I look at the huge under deck level and I can't imagine it packed with aircraft and machinery and crates and men and whathaveyou.

[cmh6476]

California** Tennessee-class Battleship**


Perhaps you should reconsider. I think you were at Pearl Harbor if I remember right.

If it were WWI I might be in trouble, but I think I could have been ok in WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_California_(BB-44)

World War II[edit]





California after rebuilding




California's aft triple 14-inch (356 mm) 50-caliber gun turrets in August 1945.
On 7 December 1941, California was moored at the southernmost berth of Battleship Row and was with other dreadnoughts of the Battle Force when the Japanese launched their aerial attack. Watertight integrity had been impaired by preparations for a material inspection; and the ship suffered extensive flooding damage when hit.[9] One torpedo detonated below the armor belt between Frames 46 and 60, and a second detonated below the armor belt between Frames 95 and 100.[10] At 0845, a 551 lb (250 kg) bomb entered the starboard upper deck level at Frame 60, passed through the main deck, and exploded on the armored second deck, setting off an anti-aircraft ammunition magazine and killing about 50 men.[11] A second near miss bomb ruptured her bow plates.[9] Smoke from fires started by the bomb hit caused evacuation of the forward engine-room at 1000 and ended pumping efforts to keep California afloat.[9] After three days of progressive flooding, California settled into the mud with only her superstructure remaining above the surface.[9] When the action ended, 100 of her crew were lost and 62 wounded. Machinist's Mate 1st Class Robert R. Scott was one of the sailors who lost his life on 7 December, refusing to leave his battle station, even as it flooded, "as long as the guns keep firing". Also killed was Chief Radioman Thomas Reeves who organized hand delivery of anti-aircraft ammunition when the equipment to lift it to the guns was knocked out. He was overcome by smoke and fire below decks while leading this effort. Both men were awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for their heroism and Destroyer Escorts USS Reeves (DE-156) and USS Scott (DE-214) were named in their honor.

On 25 March 1942, California was refloated and dry-docked at Pearl Harbor for repairs. On 7 June, she departed under her own power for Puget Sound Navy Yard where a major reconstruction job was accomplished, including improved protection, watertight compartmenting, stability, antiaircraft battery, and fire control system. Her original twin funnels were combined into a single funnel faired into the superstructure tower as with the newer South Dakota class. The original 5 in (130 mm)/51 cal guns of the secondary battery and the 5 in (130 mm)/25 cal guns of the anti-aircraft battery were replaced by 16 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal guns in new twin mountings.[6] Her appearance was nearly identical to that of Tennessee and West Virginia, which were rebuilt after the Pearl Harbor attack to resemble South Dakota-class battleships. Like her sisters, she was a virtually new ship built on the bones of the old.[12]

As part of the two ocean navy policy, U.S. battleships had been designed within a beam constraint of 108 feet (33 m) in order to transit the Panama Canal; after their similar rebuilds, Tennessee, California and West Virginia were widened to 114 feet (35 m) feet, in effect limiting deployment to the Pacific theater.

California departed Bremerton, Washington on 31 January 1944 for shakedown at San Pedro, California, and sailed from San Francisco, California, on 5 May for the invasion of the Marianas. Off Saipan in June, she conducted effective shore bombardment and call fire missions. On 14 June, she was hit by a shell from an enemy shore battery which killed one man and wounded nine. Following Saipan, her heavy guns helped blast the way for the assault force in the Guam and Tinian operations from 18 July to 9 August. On 24 August she arrived at Espiritu Santo for repairs to her port bow damaged in a collision with her sister ship that was also present at Pearl Harbor with California, Tennessee.

On 17 September, California sailed to Manus to ready for the invasion of the Philippines. From 17 October to 20 November, she played a key role in the Leyte operation, including the destruction of the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Surigao Strait on 25 October. On 1 January 1945, she departed the Palaus for the Luzon landings. Her powerful batteries were an important factor in the success of these dangerous operations driven home into the heart of enemy-held territory under heavy air attack. On 6 January, while providing shore bombardment at Lingayen Gulf, she was hit by a kamikaze; 44 of her crew were killed and 155 were wounded. Undeterred she made temporary repairs on the spot and remained carrying out her critical mission of shore bombardment until the job was done. She departed on 23 January for Puget Sound Navy Yard, arriving on 15 February for permanent repairs.





A bell from California on display at the California State Capitol Museum.
California returned to action at Okinawa on 15 June, and remained in that embattled area until 21 July. Two days later, she joined Task Force 95 (TF 95) to cover the East China Sea minesweeping operations. After a short voyage to San Pedro Bay (Philippines) in August, the ship departed Okinawa on 20 September to cover the landing of the Sixth Army occupation force at Wakanoura Wan, Honshū. She remained supporting the occupation until 15 October, then sailed via Singapore, Colombo, Ceylon, and Cape Town, South Africa, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, arriving on 7 December. She was placed in commission in reserve there on 7 August 1946, out of commission in reserve on 14 February 1947, stricken on 1 March 1959, and sold for scrapping on 10 July 1959 to Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Sparrows Point, Maryland.

[Kaepernick]

Sorry, buddy. You can't run in World War II. We're killin' Nazis. You can be a pacifist on ...

Steamer Bay** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**


I'm not entirely sure how many Nazis the US Navy killed. My recollection is that the British Navy had things pretty well tied up in the Atlantic and Mediterranean while almost all US ships operated in the Pacific Theater of war.

Did a US naval vessel ever tangle with the Germans or Italians?

[Kaepernick]

Albert W. Grant** Fletcher-class Destroyer**


Cool. We don't have many destroyer members yet.


The numbers are deceptive. You have less big boats but they have 2000 men crews. You have many many small boats but with 300 man crews. So all in all, there may have been more men on all the aircraft carriers than there were on all the Destroyers and escorts. I just don't know. Those big boats really sucked up the manpower.


A Yorktown class aircraft carrier had 2200 crew.

A North Carolina class battleship had 1800 crew.

An Alaska class cruiser had a crew of 670.

A Fletcher class destroyer had a crew of 330.

So a Yorktown class aircraft carrier carries as many men as 7 Fletcher class destroyers.

[Kaepernick]

Oh, cool. Another submariner. Tell me how it turns out.

Blackfish** Gato-class Submarine**


I had a video game using the Gato class Submarine, so it must be a fast attack sub.

Cool. You are a hunter and you are going to be taking down a lot of tons of Japanese tankers and freighters.

[Kaepernick]

Still praying for the USS Enterprise -- the most decorated ship in the US Navy.

Watch, I will be assigned to a Liberty Ship, unless your database only has warships, in case their won't be any merchant ships or transports.

[Dartgod]

Hook me up.

[Rain Man]

Good news/ bad news?

Ship made it through the war with a lot of not eventful action though it did sink a Jap cargo ship full of troops.

Now here is some history though. She was converted to a missile carrying sub and eventually was assigned to the get this....US Postal service!


That may be the best trivia I've ever read.

[Rain Man]

Sign me up Admiral Rain Man!

Uncle was on a Fletcher class destroyer running one of the 40mm bofor guns. His ship was running screen for the Bunker Hill in the Marianas Turkey Shoot. They took a kamikaze hit in the torpedo tubes during the engagement.

Ticonderoga** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**

No destroyer for you, but I bet this is a cool ship. It's got a great name.

[Kaepernick]

Long Island** Long Island-class Escort Carrier**

An escort carrier. I presume those are smaller.

Yeah, escort carriers were half the length and a third the weight (displacement) of the Essex and Independence class flattops.

[Rain Man]

Ready to die fighting, sir!

You get a big ship with big guns, named after a big state.

Nevada** Nevada-class Battleship**

[J Diddy]

I'm throwing my draft card at you right now.

[Rain Man]

OK Mr. Detailer.... I'll extend, but only for another tour as the weaps on the billy boat...


http://www.titantalk.com/forums/attachments/titan-pictures-media-post/1994d1087877355-submarine-emergency-blow-639blow.jpg

You get to see the fish from underneath.

Gurnard** Gato-class Submarine**

[Rain Man]

OK Kevin. But first shouldn't you get me out of the Army Air Corps. I've been a Captain on a lost B-17 for most of the war so far. :D:p


You'll find your way eventually.


Here's an interesting one for you. You'll have to research this.

Sanborn** Haskell-class Attack Transport**

[Rain Man]

I'm ready to fight some of them Germans, sir.

The only Navy cruiser that served fried ravioli.

St. Louis** Saint Louis-class Light Cruiser**

[Rain Man]

If joining the Navy will get out of this German POW camp. Let's do it.


You're still in the camp, but you're dreaming of life aboard ship.

Pensacola** Pensacola-class Heavy Cruiser**

[Rain Man]

Ensign Pulver requesting permission to board, Sir!

Now what the hell is this about no movie tonight?

Maybe you would have gotten a USO concert from Springsteen's grandfather.

New Jersey** Iowa-class Battleship**

[Chiefs4TheWin]

I'm in! Lemme know!

Edit: messed up the theme!

Reporting for duty sir!

[Kaepernick]

What's the difference between the classes? I've seen at least three different classes.

North Carolina Class -- 3500 Tons, 2 were built, 12 each 14" guns

South Dakota Class -- 35,000 Tons, 4 were built, 9 each 16" guns

Iowa Class -- 45,000 Tons, 6 were built, 9 each 16" guns

[Rain Man]

I take it none of us will pull submarine duty? I was hoping I might have torpedoed a few thousand tons of Jap scrap metal.

I am guessing this is surface ships only, not the Silent Service.


I am guessing no Patrol Torpedo boats either. We are not expendable. Warships only?

We have tons of submarines in the pool, but since they had small crews they're less likely to get drawn relative to the massive surface ships. One of my learnings from this exercise is just how big those ships were.

[Rain Man]

I'm not entirely sure how many Nazis the US Navy killed. My recollection is that the British Navy had things pretty well tied up in the Atlantic and Mediterranean while almost all US ships operated in the Pacific Theater of war.

Did a US naval vessel ever tangle with the Germans or Italians?


I think there were some, but they were generally taking out U-boats and not surface combatants. Someone earlier in the thread was on a ship that sank a German ship and a Japanese ship, which I bet was really unusual.

[Rain Man]

Hook me up.


Monterey** Independence-class Light Carrier**

You got one of the storm ships. Take your dramamine.

[Rain Man]

I'm throwing my draft card at you right now.


Louisville** Northampton-class Heavy Cruiser**

You got a real slugger of a ship.

[Rain Man]

I'm in! Lemme know!


Hornet (Essex-class)** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**

Just to clarify, you got the second Hornet, not the one in the Doolittle raid.

[J Diddy]

Louisville** Northampton-class Heavy Cruiser**

You got a real slugger of a ship.

Here's a curious thing. The ship was sold in 1959 to the Marlene Blouse Co. After doing some research it appears the Marlene Blouse Co. bought several ships in 1959.

Anyone know the story here?

[Chiefs4TheWin]

Hornet (Essex-class)** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**

Just to clarify, you got the second Hornet, not the one in the Doolittle raid.

USS Hornet (CV/CVA/CVS-12) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier of the Essex class. Construction started in August 1942. She was originally named USS Kearsarge, but was renamed in honor of the USS Hornet (CV-8), which was lost in October 1942, becoming the eighth ship to bear the name.

This guy?

[Rain Man]

USS Hornet (CV/CVA/CVS-12) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier of the Essex class. Construction started in August 1942. She was originally named USS Kearsarge, but was renamed in honor of the USS Hornet (CV-8), which was lost in October 1942, becoming the eighth ship to bear the name.

This guy?

Yup. I'm now curious about Hornets 1 through 6 before the two carriers.

[Rain Man]

Here's a curious thing. The ship was sold in 1959 to the Marlene Blouse Co. After doing some research it appears the Marlene Blouse Co. bought several ships in 1959.

Anyone know the story here?

Dunno. A quick google search indicates that they were involved in plenty of lawsuits. I'm guessing that Blouse was a last name and not a product.

[Chiefs4TheWin]

Hornet (Essex-class)** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**

Just to clarify, you got the second Hornet, not the one in the Doolittle raid.

Well I got a real gem of a ship. Not only was this guy in world war 2, it survived the war after sinking some Japanese ships, and supporting attacks on the islands like Saipan.

This guy was also a huge part of the space race. It was the recovery ship for all astronauts.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/President_Nixon_welcomes_the_Apollo_11_astronauts_aboard_the_U.S.S._Hornet.jpg/220px-President_Nixon_welcomes_the_Apollo_11_astronauts_aboard_the_U.S.S._Hornet.jpg

It also made it to Vietnam of which my dad was a part of, and supported our troops there as well.

after that it was decommissioned 26 June 1970 and mothballed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. Hornet was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 25 July 1989. In 1991, she was designated a National Historic Landmark

It is now and open to the public as a museum.

and finally, apparently it's haunted.. lol quote from wiki.

Hornet is said to be one of the most haunted warships in the American Navy, with numerous reports of supernatural events occurring on board.[16] Hornet was the subject of the television paranormal-related programs MTV's Fear.[17] Beyond Investigation Magazine performed an instrumented investigation[18] of large areas of the ship for Scariest Places On Earth. It was investigated by the TAPS team on the Syfy Channel show Ghost Hunters.[19] In 2011, the ship was featured on Ghost Adventures, Season 4, Episode 8.

[Rain Man]

The space race thing is cool. That would be a fun gig as a sailor.

[Kaepernick]

Maybe you would have gotten a USO concert from Springsteen's grandfather.

New Jersey** Iowa-class Battleship**

The USS New Jersey - BB62



http://en.valka.cz/files/bb_62_uss_new_jersey___1943.09.07_a_richelieu_.jpg



Iowa Class fast battleship

Commissioned December 7, 1942. One year to the day.

Decommissioned Feb. 8, 1991 at 49 years old.



She is currently a museum at Camden, New Jersey.

http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org



The New Jersey is the most decorated battleship of World War II, nicknamed the Black Dragon.

http://www.ussnewjersey.org/USS_NEW_JERSEY_BB-62_PLAQUE_JPEG.jpg



She was Admiral William Halsey's Flagship for the 3rd fleet.

Her main roles were to screen carrier tasks forces to prevent enemy aircraft from bombing the carriers, or to bombard Japanese held islands in advance of US landings.

She saw action at Marshall Islands, the invasion of New Guinea, Saipan, the Marianas, the Philippine Sea, Manila, Leyte Gulf, Formosa, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima.

She was a good and proud ship and I can assure you that unless I died from food poisoning, this gal probably kept me safe and sound until I returned home to marry my high school sweet heart.

Better lucky than good to be serving under Admiral Halsey on his Flagship.

Whats that you say? My hearing is not quiet the same these days. :D


https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8434/7848317586_0d59fba1fc_z.jpg

[Buehler445]

The USS New Jersey - BB62






Iowa Class fast battleship

Commissioned December 7, 1942. One year to the day.

Decommissioned Feb. 8, 1991 at 49 years old.

She is currently a museum at Camden, New Jersey.

http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org



The New Jersey is the most decorated battleship of World War II, nicknamed the Black Dragon.

She was Admiral William Halsey's Flagship for the 3rd fleet.

Her main roles were to screen carrier tasks forces to prevent enemy aircraft from bombing the carriers, or to bombard Japanese held islands in advance of US landings.

She saw action at Marshall Islands, the invasion of New Guinea, Saipan, the Marianas, the Philippine Sea, Manila, Leyte Gulf, Formosa, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima.

She was a good and proud ship and I can assure you that unless I died from food poisoning, this gal probably kept me safe and sound until I returned home to marry my high school sweet heart.

Better lucky than good to be serving under Admiral Halsey on his Flagship.




http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/016224.jpg

Welcome aboard!

I was here first motherfucker. I get top bunk.

[Kaepernick]

Hornet (Essex-class)** Essex-class Aircraft Carrier**

Just to clarify, you got the second Hornet, not the one in the Doolittle raid.


The Doolittle Hornet was sunk. So sad.

[Kaepernick]

Welcome aboard!

I was here first mother****er. I get top bunk.

Whatever, just as long as you behave and don't get us busted and on KP duty. I don't want to miss shore leave this weekend.

[Mojo Jojo]

Reporting for duty

[cavtrp1]

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) South Dakota-class battleship
My grandfathers ship.

[Kaepernick]

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) South Dakota-class battleship
My grandfathers ship.

Hey, I toured that boat in Fall River, Massachusetts.

What a day and what a story...

I was about half way through my 11 week motorcycle tour on my BMW R100RT.

I think I was in Brockton MA where there should have been a BMW dealer where I could service the bike. I searched but couldn't find it and in a fit of anger just wanted to get on the highway NOW! and get to Fall River to tour the battleship Massachusetts and see the PT boat museum.

I hit a loop on ramp and I was still so mad over not finding the dealership, I cracked the throttle and found myself going way faster than the loop would allow.

Training says to lean, and lean some more, and if you run out of lean then you already screwed up, so tough.

Did I lean? Nope! I stood the bike up, hammered the breaks and bled off most of my speed, before bailing into the grass in the middle of the loop on ramp.

Well that stuff may look like a manicured golf course, but I can ASSURE YOU it is not! It is rutted and potholed to beat the band. I rode that bucking bronco until I think I was only doing maybe 15 or so, and the front wheel dived into a hole flipping the bike end over front.

I am convinced to this day I would have been a quadriplegic with a broken neck excepting for 2 things. the big plexiglass windshield on the front of the bikes fairing acted like a big spring to prevent me being crushed by the bike, and my full face helmet limited my head travel, because I can remember seeing the windshield compress into my chest, then the crown of my helmet hit the ground and the back of my bike flipping on to me compressed my head down into my chest as if to snap my neck, and I think the only thing that saved me was the chin portion of the full face helmet. If I was in an open face helmet, I would have snapped my neck.

I woke up flat on my back to a guy standing over me asking if I was alright, and I had no clue how long I was lights out or why my bike had landed so far away from me. I wiggled my fingers and toes and finally decided miraculously nothing was broken beyond repair, and he helped me struggle to get up. He righted my bike.

Everything stowed in my bungee net on the back seat was all strewn over the ground -- kayak bags, storage bags, etc... But I thought, good no damage done. Pack the bike and get the hell out of here before some Mass state trooper comes over and tickets me!

Well, no sooner did I say that, then here comes Mass Smokey the Bear.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, I swerved to miss a cat in the lane. I just have a headache. I'm fine".

OK, now here comes the firemen.

Ah, now the trifecta, the paramedics in they ambulance.

And me, all I want is to sneak out of here and get down the road without a ticket.

The firemen were the first to me, and as God is my witness, I will never forget the look in that man's haunting eyes. The eyes were the eyes of a man going into combat, I suppose. It was the eyes of a man on a sheer adrenal rush of uncertainty what he would find at a motorcycle accident but hasn't yet had the time to register that the victim is up and around and seems fine. It was a "fight or flight" look of intensity in his eyes that I have never seen before or since.

The ambulance guys wanted me to get checked at the hospital but I declined, because I was SURE the Smokey would ticket me if I did. So I sent them and the firemen packing.

Smokey Joe stayed to watch while I bent over and gathered all my belonging one by one to arrange on the back seat and secure under the red bungee net, my back muscles tightening and screaming in anguished pain every time I bent over to lift an item, all the while telling Smokey Joe, "I'm good. I'm fine. Just a tiny bit sore".

I never had time to thank the guy who stopped to help me. He saw me crash.

Packed, and gingerly remounting my shattered steed, cracked plastic on both sides of the bike and not a panel on the bike that didn't show the evidence of the recent catastrophe -- I bid Smokey farewell, and crept onto the ramp where I headed south.

End Chapter. See next post.

[Kaepernick]

Packed, and gingerly remounting my shattered steed, cracked plastic on both sides of the bike and not a panel on the bike that didn't show the evidence of the recent catastrophe -- I bid Smokey farewell, and crept onto the ramp where I headed south.

Battered and bruised on a broken motorcycle from the crash, but being the stubborn SOB I am, I retained my resolve to tour the battleship Massachusetts, crash victim or no. It was a must see venue on my 11 week, 9000 mile once-in-a-lifetime dream USA motorcycle tour, and I was gonna be dammed if I was going to skip the Mame just because I was beginning to stiffen up from head to tow with a screaming headache.

I swept south down highway 24 in the right lane at 45 miles per hour while the commute traffic raced by at 70.

I WAS TERRIFIED. I WANTED OFF THE BIKE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD.

Suddenly, I realized I was praying, saying, "Our father who art in Heaven, please don't let me crash", over and over and over. It felt good. I kept saying it.

I got to Fall River in one piece, dismounted, and really felt the bruised muscles beginning to stiffen from head to toe.

I went into the PT boat museum and nobody was there but the guy in charge. Half way through the video, my back was on fire in my sitting position, so I quit watching and checked out the PT boats.

Then I walked all over the Battleship Mame. I must have spent a good 3 hours touring that wonderful tub, my body always stiffening more and more, until I had to use my arms to help lift my legs over the sills of the water-tight doors, and I was shuffling my feet like an 80 year old man.

Did I mention I am a stubborn SOB?

So I didn't leave until I was good and ready.

When I went to mount the bike, I literally couldn't get on it. Suddenly it was a heartless evil foe that was just itching to throw me and shatter my bones, rend my ligaments, and twist my body into a pretzel.

Eventually I realized I could not stay all day. The map on my tank bag showed I was 20 miles from Newport, RI, and that seemed like it would be a dandy location for some R&R while I healed up form the bruises.

I screwed up my courage as much as I could, got back on the bike, powered it up and headed south. It wasn't long before I found that I was panting like a hot tired dog, in rapid shallow breaths. It was immensely painful in my chest to breath normal breaths, so I was just panting. Looking back now, I probably cracked a rib or 2 and just didn't know what the symptoms were -- because I swear to you, it was a SOLID 2 weeks before I could do more than just pant breaths. It was a good 2 weeks before I could draw a long deep breath without a searing pain in my chest.

I pulled into old town Newport and right there, right smack dab in front of me on the T intersection was this gorgeous old historic hotel called the "Hotel Viking". Very old money and like 4 or 5 star service.

I went in and asked their rates for a 4 night stay. I figured I would need that long to recuperate. The super model behind the counter said, "$200/night tonight and Saturday, $100/night Sunday and Monday.

This is in 1997 money.

I walked out thinking I would find a cheaper place. I took one look at the evil monster that had thrown me earlier and I swear I could hear a sinister mocking laugh as it taunted me, "Go ahead chump, try to ride me to Connecticut. You like wheelchairs, don't you, CHUMP!".

I turned on my heel and told the super model, "4 nights please".

[Kaepernick]

The Hotel Viking became my private hospital ward, with stunning sunset views of the harbor, and all the amenities you could ask for.

Meanwhile...

I put a "DO NOT DISTURB" card on the door, and I commenced to sleep, getting up only once to pee in a 36 hour period. I kid you not. I slept, rested, lie in the bed for 36 hours solid, getting up on only once to pee -- the first night.

It is beyond incredible what your mind can make your body do when you are driven to it and beyond. Good or bad.

I woke up right around Midnight to complete darkness in my room at the Hotel Viking in beautiful, swank Newport, Rhode Island, where the rich like to play. I had to pee. I HAD TO PEE BAD.

I was on my back and rolled every so slightly to roll onto my right shoulder when my entire body SCREAMED in agony at the slight movement. Is this what pro football players feel like after every game, I wondered?

I had to pee.

I began slowly shifting and moving to try to find some angle where the pain was moderate enough that I could slide out of the bed and work myself into a standing position to shuffle my 220 pound bruise into the restroom.

I had to pee.

Nothing worked. I mean NOTHING.

I lay there flat on my back staring up at a black ceiling I knew was there but could not see and I told myself, "You do NOT have to pee. Go back to sleep. You are NOT going to pee. You are NOT going to wet your bed. You do NOT have to pee. Go back to sleep." There was a bit of a fight with the bladder making his best argument, bu tin the end mind over matter carried the day and I found that I could squelch the physical urge to pee and I drifted back off to sleep.

Zzzzzzzzzzz.

Suddenly, It is 3 am and I HAVE TO PEE.

I arrogantly repeat my mind over matter exercise and quickly find that my bladder isn't having any of it. I am going to pee. I can pee in the bathroom, or I can soak the mattress I am still going to need for 3 more days, but either way, I AM GOING TO PEE.

It took forever. I moved this leg an inch, the hip an inch, a shoulder here, an ankle there. After an eternity, I finally got into a half semi position sort of but not quite fully rolled over to my right side. I was on the verge of catching it, but the excruciating pain just wouldn't let me take it all the way. I realized I need to get my feet out of bed and handing in mid air if I was to make this work, and after a 2nd eternity, I managed that.

With an engineer's infatuation to find a mechanism for success - a physical mechanism - I discovered by accident that if I could use my arms as a lever by driving my right elbow into the mattress -- I am sort of almost rolled up on my right side now at the edge of the bed -- if I jam my right elbow into the mattress, and then clench the fist of my right hand into my left palm and wrap my left fingers around my fist, and then align them so they are perfectly in line, I found that I could push with all the might of my left shoulder and I experienced NO PAIN whatsoever. Whatever motion I was making was avoiding the use of any of the 10 billion muscles I had strained in the motorcycle accident.

I pushed with all my might trying to lift my torso off the mattress and then scoot my hip a half inch closer to the edge of the bed. This battle went on a long while to the ultimate outcome that eventually my legs swung down off the bed and my torso righted itself to enough extent that I was almost sitting up on the mattress.

Now, don't misunderstand me here... The brevity of these few paragraphs and the abbreviated description don't do justice to the agonizing hour or more that it took me get out of bed repositioning by trial and error and falling back in defeat, only to redouble my efforts and try again and fail. Then make some little correction that advanced my cause but almost insignificantly. Sweating profusely with pain and effort and all the while fighting the tingling, tickling, pins and needles feeling of holding back urinating while in my heart I just want that waterfall to flow with reckless abandon.

This was an ordeal. An ordeal I overcame, but it was a truly agonizing ordeal.

After all this time and effort and getting so close to achieving my goal, despite my swollen bladder yearning to be set free, it would do no good to pee all over myself now so I really tried to race to the bathroom when all I could muster was a chipmonkish shuffling. I ultimately made it to the bathroom and when I cut it loose, I am telling you. It was that once in a decade pee that is not only better than sex, but that you dream of experiencing again in the future.

Then I hopped back into bed. Well, not hopped, but having mastered the levering technique to get out of bed, I found it was just as useful to get back into bed.

After 48 hours from checking in at the Hotel Viking, my bruises had healed enough that the dull pain became a cherished companion and a badge of honor and the torturous agony of blinding pain I previously endured finally passed. The bruises on my butt where my flipping motorcycle had compressed all my gear into me left me with bruises that looked like a 3 week old decaying peach, with that sickening rancid yellow ring around another disgusting pinkish-red ring and inside that is just a big blob of bluish purple black, and all of it as big as a dinner plate.

Looking at that sickening, horrifying bruise all I could think of was one thing...

"I am immortal! I crashed my motorcycle and lived to tell the tale. I should be paralyzed. I should be wheelchair bound. I am a god! I am IMMORTAL!"

I stayed 2 more days and toured 4 of those crazy opulent mansions, enjoyed the waterfront, walked on the beach, saw a once-in-a-lifetime sunset, and somehow ended up with an enchanting, vivacious 18 year old girl sitting in my lap at the public Laundromat with her inviting me to her mother's house party that night while her dark haired friend sat nonchalantly thumbing her magazine.

But that is an entirely different story for another time.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

You get a big ship with big guns, named after a big state.

Nevada** Nevada-class Battleship**

Amazing. I had a great run with the old girl:

USS Nevada (BB-36), the second United States Navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy) ship to be named after the 36th state (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada), was the lead ship (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_ship) of the two Nevada-class (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada-class_battleship) battleships (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship); her sister ship (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_ship) was Oklahoma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oklahoma_%28BB-37%29). Launched in 1914, the Nevada was a leap forward in dreadnought (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadnought) technology; four of her new features would be included on almost every subsequent US battleship: triple gun turrets,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-triple_turrets_debut_15-0">[c] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nevada_%28BB-36%29#cite_note-triple_turrets_debut-15)</sup> oil in place of coal for fuel, geared steam turbines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_turbine#marine_propulsion) for greater range, and the "all or nothing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_or_nothing_%28armor%29)" armor principle. These features made Nevada the first US Navy "super-dreadnought" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadnought#Super-dreadnoughts).
Nevada served in both World Wars: during the last few months of World War I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I), Nevada was based in Bantry Bay, Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantry_Bay), to protect the supply convoys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convoy) that were sailing to and from Great Britain. In World War II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II), she was one of the battleships trapped when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor). She was the only battleship to get underway during the attack, making the ship "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning" for the United States.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBonner1996101_16-0">[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nevada_%28BB-36%29#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBonner1996101-16)</sup> Still, she was hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while steaming away from Battleship Row (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_Row), forcing her to be beached (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_%28nautical%29). Subsequently salvaged and modernized at Puget Sound Navy Yard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puget_Sound_Navy_Yard), Nevada served as a convoy escort in the Atlantic and as a fire-support ship in four amphibious assaults: the Normandy Landings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_Landings) and the invasions of Southern France (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dragoon), Iwo Jima (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima), and Okinawa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa).
At the end of World War II, the Navy decided that Nevada was too old to be retained, so they assigned her to be a target ship (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_ship) in the atomic experiments that were going to be conducted at Bikini Atoll (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikini_Atoll) in July 1946 (Operation Crossroads (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Crossroads)). After being hit by the blast from the first atomic bomb (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bomb), Able, she was still afloat but heavily damaged and radioactive. She was decommissioned on 29 August 1946 and sunk during naval gunfire practice on 31 July 1948.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Uss_nevada.jpg

[Dartgod]

Monterey** Independence-class Light Carrier**

You got one of the storm ships. Take your dramamine.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/USS_Monterey.jpg/640px-USS_Monterey.jpg

Though enemy planes had been unable to damage Monterey, she did not complete her first full year of service unscathed. In December, she steamed into the path of howling Typhoon Cobra, with winds over 100 knots. At the height of the storm, which lasted 2 days, several planes tore loose from their cables, causing several fires on the hangar deck. During the storm future US President Gerald Ford, who served on board the ship, was almost swept overboard. Ford, serving as General Quarters Officer of the Deck, was ordered to go below to assess the raging fire. He did so safely, and reported his findings back to the ship’s commanding officer, Captain Stuart Ingersoll. The ship’s crew was able to contain the fire, and the ship got underway again.

Monterey departed Japanese waters on 7 September, having embarked troops at Tokyo, and steamed home, arriving in New York City on 17 October. Monterey left behind an impressive and enviable war record. Her planes sank five enemy warships, and damaged others. She was responsible for the destruction of thousands of tons of Japanese shipping, hundreds of planes, and vital industrial complexes. She was assigned "Magic Carpet" duty, and made several voyages between Naples and Norfolk. She was decommissioned on 11 February 1947, and was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia Group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monterey_(CVL-26)

[Amnorix]

Ensign Amnorix reporting for duty SIR!

[Amnorix]

Everybody here should have heard of the Sullivan brothers. Being older, I already knew their story, but not their ship name.

But the whole premise of Saving Private Ryan is based on the Sullivan brothers and in fact the opening of the movie talks about them and then Congress changing the law so that brothers could not serve together in the same unit.

Then private Ryan being saved because his mother had already lost all her other sons in the War.


The Civil War was horrifying in this regard. Units signed up by town, and would serve together. So the, whatever, 12th Ohio was ALL from Ohio (or nearly all), and many times the brigades/squads were from the same town.

So the 12th Ohio goes into combat, and suddenly an entire townfull of parents in Ohio gets the bad news a few weeks later. Parents losing multiple kids in one engagement, etc. etc.

Joshua Chamberlain had his brother with him at Little Roundtop, for one example.

[Steron]

Reporting for duty. (heh heh, I said duty)

[GloryDayz]

I take it none of us will pull submarine duty? I was hoping I might have torpedoed a few thousand tons of Jap scrap metal.

I am guessing this is surface ships only, not the Silent Service.


I am guessing no Patrol Torpedo boats either. We are not expendable. Warships only?

Ummmmm, I think I've offered to extend on the Billy boat (Billfish)...

Hell yeah, let's dive this pig!!!

Chief of the watch, on the 1MC.................................

[Graystoke]

Sign me up.
Btw I am only 17. But my Mom says its ok.

[Pennywise]

Let's go :usa:

[MagicHef]

Yes, please.

[KC native]

Missouri** Iowa-class Battleship**

Oh, look at you with your big fancy battleship.

Woooo

I love being part of the win.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/KoreanWarNavyGunfire.jpg/640px-KoreanWarNavyGunfire.jpg

The Missouri was the last of the four Iowa-class battleships to be completed. She was ordered 12 June 1940, laid down 6 January 1941, launched 29 January 1944, and commissioned 11 June 1944. Missouri conducted her trials off New York with shakedown and battle practice in Chesapeake Bay before transferring to the Pacific Fleet, where she screened U.S. aircraft carriers involved in offensive operations against the Japanese before reporting to Okinawa to shell the island in advance of the planned landings. Following the bombardment of Okinawa, Missouri turned her attention to the Japanese homeland islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, performing shore bombardment and screening U.S. carriers involved in combat operations. She became a symbol of the U.S. Navy's victory in the Pacific when representatives of the Empire of Japan boarded the battleship to sign the documents of unconditional surrender to the Allied powers in September 1945. After World War II, Missouri conducted largely uneventful training and operational cruises until suffering a grounding accident. In 1950 she was dispatched to Korea in response to the outbreak of the Korean War. Missouri served two tours of duty in Korea providing shore bombardment. She was decommissioned in 1956. She spent many years at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Reactivated in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan, Missouri was sent on operational cruises until being assigned to Operation Earnest Will in 1988. In 1991, Missouri participated in Operation Desert Storm, firing 28 Tomahawk Missiles and 759 sixteen-inch (406 mm) shells at Iraqi targets along the coast.[118][129] Decommissioned for the last time in 1992, Missouri was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for use as a museum ship in 1999.[130]

[Kaepernick]

The Civil War was horrifying in this regard. Units signed up by town, and would serve together. So the, whatever, 12th Ohio was ALL from Ohio (or nearly all), and many times the brigades/squads were from the same town.

So the 12th Ohio goes into combat, and suddenly an entire townfull of parents in Ohio gets the bad news a few weeks later. Parents losing multiple kids in one engagement, etc. etc.

Joshua Chamberlain had his brother with him at Little Roundtop, for one example.

That does sound terrible. I never thought of that, but it is human nature to want to be with familiar folks. I can't imagine an entire town having most of their kids wiped out.

That is brutal.

[TambaBerry]

To late to get assigned?

[Rain Man]

Reporting for duty

South Dakota** South Dakota-class Battleship**


We appear to have a big need for battleship crews. I don't know if anyone else has been assigned to this one yet.

[Rain Man]

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) South Dakota-class battleship
My grandfathers ship.

But you draw the...

Jack** Gato-class Submarine**

I bet you get some good war stories out of that.

Whoa, this sub was productive, if you count destroying stuff as productive: http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3005.html

[Rain Man]

Amazing. I had a great run with the old girl:




I am agog. This ship was in WWI, survived Pearl Harbor, helped with landings in Normandy and the Mediterranean, and then added Okinawa and Iwo Jima to the mix? And then it survived a nuclear bomb? That may be the best story yet.

If you were Forrest Gump or a time traveler, this is the ship to be aboard.

[Rain Man]

Ensign Amnorix reporting for duty SIR!

Anzio** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**

I'm really curious why these are called "Casablanca-class". Why was the first ship named after Casablanca?

[Rain Man]

Reporting for duty. (heh heh, I said duty)

Crevalle** Balao-class Submarine**


This was apparently one of the bigger submarines with an 82-man crew. I'm sure it was quite spacious and comfortable.

[Rain Man]

Sign me up.
Btw I am only 17. But my Mom says its ok.

We'll look the other way. Because we need you on the ...

Boston** Baltimore-class Heavy Cruiser**


This is clearly an American League East ship that is a designated hitter.

[98 SR20]

Sign me up.

[Rain Man]

Let's go :usa:

Hey! Ho! Let's go! To the ...

Tuscaloosa** New Orleans-class Heavy Cruiser**


A New Orleans class? Not sure we've seen one of those yet.

[Rain Man]

Yes, please.

Petrof Bay** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**


I don't know. That sounds more like a Soviet lend-lease ship. I want to know more about it.

[Rain Man]

To late to get assigned?

Not as long as a single Jap is standing. You're on the ...

Copahee** Bogue-class Escort Carrier**


Okay, that's a new one. I haven't seen a Bogue-class yet.

[Rain Man]

Sign me up.

Croaker** Gato-class Submarine**


That really seems like an unlucky name for a warship. Whose idea was that? I hope you have a good experience on it.

[Chief Roundup]

Reporting for duty, Sir.

[Amnorix]

I'm waiting to see if anyone gets assigned to the Indianapolis. :eek:

[Donger]

I'm waiting to see if anyone gets assigned to the Indianapolis. :eek:

See #20.

:D

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

I am agog. This ship was in WWI, survived Pearl Harbor, helped with landings in Normandy and the Mediterranean, and then added Okinawa and Iwo Jima to the mix? And then it survived a nuclear bomb? That may be the best story yet.

If you were Forrest Gump or a time traveler, this is the ship to be aboard.

No doubt. I was blown away by the history of that ship. That has to be incredibly rare.

[Rain Man]

Reporting for duty, Sir.

Yorktown (Yorktown-class)** Yorktown-class Aircraft Carrier**

At some point we can have a Yorktown reunion. I think you're at least the third crew member there.

[Amnorix]

Anzio** Casablanca-class Escort Carrier**

I'm really curious why these are called "Casablanca-class". Why was the first ship named after Casablanca?


My initial thought was that they were developed in '43 and named after the Casablanca Conference. Nope, they were developed starting in late '42, and the first ship was named the Casablanca after a sea battle there. Specifically, the naval battle clearing the way for American amphibious landings in North Africa.

During that battle, our Navy proudly sunk one Nazi sub and nine FRENCH ships and damaged many others. This was Vichy France, of course, and the very complicated relationship between the French Navy, the British Navy, and the Germans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Battle_of_Casablanca


The class itself was a boxy, ugly escort carrier, nicknamed "Kaiser's Coffins", after the name of the shipyard that made them off -- Kaiser Shipyards -- specifically their shipyard in Vancouver, Washington.

Casablanca Class Pics:

USS Sargent Bay:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/USS_Sargent_Bay_%28CVE-83%29_underway_1944.jpg/300px-USS_Sargent_Bay_%28CVE-83%29_underway_1944.jpg

The hideous thing you have ordered me to report to, USS Anzio:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/USS_Anzio_%28CVE-57%29_lies_at_Shanghai%2C_China%2C_1_December_1945.jpg

USS Kasaan Bay:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/USS_Kasaan_Bay_%28CVE-69%29_in_Narragansett_Bay_1944.jpg



The Casablanca class was the most numerous of the escort carriers. The US built 151 carriers during the war, and 1/3rd of them were of the Casablanca class. Of the 50 built, 5 were lost during the war to enemy action.

The ship was hideously slow. 20 knots being its best speed. This was due in large part to its uniflow engine, necessitated by gear shortages in the United States due to wartime constraints. This pathetic speed limited its post-war usefulness, and most ships were scrapped for salvage at some point after the war.

That covers the class. Next post will be my ship, the USS Anzio (nee Coral Sea).

[Old Dog]

No doubt. I was blown away by the history of that ship. That has to be incredibly rare.

If you look even further: (from Wiki)
As a result, she was assigned to be a target ship for the first Bikini atomic experiments (Operation Crossroads) of July 1946.[1] The experiment consisted of detonating two atomic bombs to test their effectiveness against ships.[86] Nevada was designated "ground zero"[87] for the first test, codenamed 'Able', which used an air-dropped weapon; as such, she was painted an "ugly"[88] reddish-orange to help the bombardier's aim. However, even with the high visibility color scheme, the bomb fell about 1,700 yd (1,600 m) off-target, exploding above the attack transport Gilliam instead.[88]
Nevada also survived the second test—'Baker', a detonation some 90 ft (27 m) below the surface of the water — but she was damaged and extremely radioactive.[55] Nevada was then towed to Pearl Harbor and decommissioned on 29 August 1946.[1]

After she was thoroughly examined at Pearl Harbor, her final sortie came on 31 July 1948, when Iowa and two other vessels[n] used Nevada as a gunnery target for practice.[4][70] The three ships did not sink Nevada, so she was given a coup de grâce with an aerial torpedo hit amidships

[Amnorix]

See #20.

:D

No doubt. I was blown away by the history of that ship. That has to be incredibly rare.



I clearly need to read this entire thread...

[Rain Man]

I'm waiting to see if anyone gets assigned to the Indianapolis. :eek:

It's definitely in the mix, but we have 454 ships. It's slightly larger than average, and has about a 0.3% chance of being assigned. So someone may get it.

I'm not completely convinced that it's the worst story, though it may be. Those guys on the destroyers that swamped in Typhoon Cobra met a tough end, as did the survivors of my own Juneau. And then of course you've got the Arizona, but at least that happened fast.

I think one of the worst things about dying in a war, aside from the dying part, would be not knowing how it ends. If you're a Juneau crew member in 1942 or a Pearl Harbor guy, you died without knowing the great ending to the story, and that would be very unappealing.

[Old Dog]

I did my time in the Army, go ahead and give me a spot in the Navy as well Rain Man

[98 SR20]

Croaker** Gato-class Submarine**


That really seems like an unlucky name for a warship. Whose idea was that? I hope you have a good experience on it.

Man I had the time of my life on that Sub! We were sinking ships left and right. Sank 19,710 tons of shipping :D. Made it through the war with no damage, no causalities either. She's now a floating museum in Buffalo New York. :)

[Amnorix]

Welcome to the:

Yorktown (Yorktown-class)** Yorktown-class Aircraft Carrier**


I generally assume that if I've heard of a ship, something bad happened to it. Look it up and let us know.


Awesome history there.

[Amnorix]

I feel for the poor bastard who gets Indy.


Oh I see. You were just saying you beat me to the punch, in your typical bastardy fashion. :p :D

[Donger]

And then of course you've got the Arizona, but at least that happened fast.

Not for all the crew, unfortunately.

[Rain Man]

I did my time in the Army, go ahead and give me a spot in the Navy as well Rain Man

Cabot** Independence-class Light Carrier**

What an elegant-sounding name. I'm guessing that you dined on fine china in the Cabot's mess hall.

[Rain Man]

Man I had the time of my life on that Sub! We were sinking ships left and right. Sank 19,710 tons of shipping :D. Made it through the war with no damage, no causalities either. She's now a floating museum in Buffalo New York. :)

I looked it up, and yeah, that sub was a rock star. It even sank a cruiser in its first at-bat.

I'm going to be passing through Buffalo in a couple of weeks. If I have time, I may visit it. I wouldn't have guessed that there would be a sub museum in Buffalo.

[Rain Man]

Not for all the crew, unfortunately.

Well, good point. (Shudder.)

On another note, one of the worst parts about being in a shipwreck would be floating around all covered in oil. I've seen pictures of them pulling guys out of the water, and I bet it took forever to get cleaned up.