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All Star Metals to do what fire couldn't
- Thread starter jmcquate
- Start date
This story reminds me of the other day; I was in Bremerton for some medical stuff and, being on terminal leave, decided to hit up Seattle. I took a wrong turn to get to the ferry and ended up having to loop back north west of PSNS and NBK to get to the terminal. What a view of Ranger, Kitty Hawk, Independence, and Constellation just sitting there. The thought struck me that for all the boats we have on active service, we've got even more hulls just sitting there (more or less) structurally sound. If the world did threaten to come to an end, I'm sure it would be a complete money pit of a redass putting them back in service, but still. What other nation comes close?
Most of those hulls are pretty used up. An Essex CV at the end of World War Two might have had two-three years of sea time. Those hulls have over 40+ each, you just can't mothball them like the Navy did at the end of World War Two. Most of them are also pretty stripped of anything useful either as spare parts for other ships or to keep technology out of the wrong hands.
Even in this high alt. satellite view of the formerly Grand Old Ladies, the ravages of time, climate, and heavy use, is evident. Ranger (CVA-61), on the right. The USS Ranger Assn. had a shot to establish her as a museum in Portland, OR, but the Navy withdrew the offer due to unknown problems... (financial/sponsorship?).
The Forrestal fire occurred just 4 days after she relieved us (Connie) on Yankee Station, after which we departed for an 18-day port call in Cubi Pt. PI. After only 2 days in port, our crew was emergency recalled to return and retake her place on the line, and we departed just prior to Forrestal's arrival at Cubi, flight deck mangled and still smoking. Sadly, after her very first (ever) few days of combat in July '67, although having received extensive repairs stateside... she never returned to the Tonkin Gulf air war.
BzB
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Yep. I realize that. See my previous comment about "money pit" and "redass." They've all been stricken for 11+ years; they're not even in mothballs anymore. Of course it's not feasible. I just think it's impressive that as many boats as we have in active service, we've also got a significant fraction of that "just sitting there."
Not sure there are enough Boiler Techs and the other Engineering ratings required to re-commission. It was not only a different time…it was a different generation…in so many ways. Same as goes with the 16" gun BBs.