Ship Photo of the Day

[Griz882]

Since I started with “target ships” I thought I should add one many of you might know.

The USAS American Mariner.


She started her life as Liberty Ship the SS George Calvert and served in WWII with the Merchant Marine. After the war she was transferred to the USCG as a training ship known as TS American Mariner. After the coasties were done she was mothballed only to be saved by the US Army and outfitted with the latest radar equipment as a test ship working closely with RCA and the fore-runner to DARPA. As the radar technology advanced the Air Force became interested and she was transferred again to do missile tracking and provide over watch and tracking for Wally Schirra’s space flight. Eventually the AF decided they didn’t like having a navy so they transferred her to the Navy to become T-AGM-12 doing essentially the same radar mission.

Having grown old in the service of her nation sense was towed out to the Chesapeake and scuttled in shallow water as a target where she remains today (although in a greatly reduced state). I guess she must be a good target for the guys at Pax River, but my limited research suggests she is used by military pilots from all along the East Coast.

So there you have it…if you have fired at this hulk you have fired on the only vessel in the US that has served the Merchant Marine, USCG, Army, USAF, and the US Navy!

 

[Randy Daytona]

What Chesty Puller is to the Corps and what George Patton is to Armor, perhaps Willis Augustus Lee is to the Navy Surface Warfare Community.

November 14, 1942 was a very dark night within the tight confines of Ironbottom Sound. Rear Admiral Lee, after some choice words in the clear to establish his identity to the local Navy PT boat base to prevent friendly fire, steamed with the massive hulks of Battleship Division 6 of Task Force 64. After losing all 4 screening destroyers and having the USS South Dakota go blind, deaf and dumb due to electrical problems, Rear Admiral Lee's highly trained gunnery crew aboard USS Washington proceeded to tear apart IJN Kirishima and several smaller ships.

Amazing biography from the hills of Kentucky where he learned to sharpshoot through the Naval Academy and to the 1920 Olympics winning 5 gold medals for shooting. Other interesting bits include his last command was Commander, Battleships, Pacific Fleet (ComBatPac)., the destroyer Willis A Lee DD-929 was named after him and he was a distant relative of General Robert E. Lee. Vice Admiral Lee died on 25 August 1945 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.




Bull Halsey presents Lee with the Navy Cross for his actions during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, circa January 1943

Battleship Commander

The U.S. Naval Institute provides an independent forum for those who seek to advance and strengthen the naval profession.

www.usni.org

Willis Augustus Lee - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Great article from HistoryNet as well as videos from the always superb Drachinifel.

Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal: Turning Point in the Pacific War

The Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal spelled the difference between victory and defeat for the United States in the Pacific war.

www.historynet.com

 

[number9]

Not sure if I'm allowed to post non-serious stuff here, but it seemed too good (???) not to share.



It doesn't quite make sense as those are Australian license plates and I'm pretty sure the RAN doesn't have any carriers...

 

[Notanaviator]

cc: Football Season Cometh.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Thanksgiving Day so why not the original Mayflower ?

Mayflower was square-rigged with a beakhead bow and high, castle-like structures fore and aft which protected the crew and the main deck from the elements—designs that were typical of English merchant ships of the early 17th century. Her stern carried a 30-foot high, square aft-castle which made the ship difficult to sail close to the wind and not well suited against the North Atlantic's prevailing westerlies, especially in the fall and winter of 1620; the voyage from England to America took more than two months as a result. Mayflower's return trip to London in April–May 1621 took less than half that time, with the same strong winds now blowing in the direction of the voyage.

The general layout of the ship was as follows:

Three masts: mizzen (aft), main (midship), and fore, and also a spritsail in the bow area[45]
Three primary levels: main deck, gun deck, and cargo hold

A reproduction, Mayflower II, was built in Devon, England in the late 1950's and sailed to the US. The ship is seaworthy and is docked in Plymouth.

Length: roughly 110 ft, Beam: about 25 ft, Displacement: 180 tons

Mayflower II

Visit Mayflower II, Plimoth Patuxet's full-scale reproduction of the tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

plimoth.org

The Mayflower ‑ Ship, Compact & Pilgrims | HISTORY

The Mayflower was a merchant ship that carried 102 passengers, including nearly 40 Protestant Separatists, on a journey from England to the New World in 1620.

www.history.com

Mayflower - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower, docked at Plymouth, Massachusetts


Mayflower II cabin interior
Kenneth C. Zirkel - Own work


Mayflower II, a replica of the Mayflower, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 100005762.
Paul Keleher - "Mayflower II" on flickr

 

[Griz882]

Thanksgiving Day so why not the original Mayflower ?

Mayflower was square-rigged with a beakhead bow and high, castle-like structures fore and aft which protected the crew and the main deck from the elements—designs that were typical of English merchant ships of the early 17th century. Her stern carried a 30-foot high, square aft-castle which made the ship difficult to sail close to the wind and not well suited against the North Atlantic's prevailing westerlies, especially in the fall and winter of 1620; the voyage from England to America took more than two months as a result. Mayflower's return trip to London in April–May 1621 took less than half that time, with the same strong winds now blowing in the direction of the voyage.

The general layout of the ship was as follows:

Three masts: mizzen (aft), main (midship), and fore, and also a spritsail in the bow area[45]
Three primary levels: main deck, gun deck, and cargo hold

A reproduction, Mayflower II, was built in Devon, England in the late 1950's and sailed to the US. The ship is seaworthy and is docked in Plymouth.

Length: roughly 110 ft, Beam: about 25 ft, Displacement: 180 tons

Mayflower II

Visit Mayflower II, Plimoth Patuxet's full-scale reproduction of the tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

plimoth.org

The Mayflower ‑ Ship, Compact & Pilgrims | HISTORY

The Mayflower was a merchant ship that carried 102 passengers, including nearly 40 Protestant Separatists, on a journey from England to the New World in 1620.

www.history.com

Mayflower - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 33870

View attachment 33871
Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower, docked at Plymouth, Massachusetts

View attachment 33872
Mayflower II cabin interior
Kenneth C. Zirkel - Own work

View attachment 33873
Mayflower II, a replica of the Mayflower, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 100005762.
Paul Keleher - "Mayflower II" on flickr

Been on that…not a plank-owner.

 

[GroundPounder]

Thanksgiving Day so why not the original Mayflower ?

Mayflower was square-rigged with a beakhead bow and high, castle-like structures fore and aft which protected the crew and the main deck from the elements—designs that were typical of English merchant ships of the early 17th century. Her stern carried a 30-foot high, square aft-castle which made the ship difficult to sail close to the wind and not well suited against the North Atlantic's prevailing westerlies, especially in the fall and winter of 1620; the voyage from England to America took more than two months as a result. Mayflower's return trip to London in April–May 1621 took less than half that time, with the same strong winds now blowing in the direction of the voyage.

The general layout of the ship was as follows:

Three masts: mizzen (aft), main (midship), and fore, and also a spritsail in the bow area[45]
Three primary levels: main deck, gun deck, and cargo hold

A reproduction, Mayflower II, was built in Devon, England in the late 1950's and sailed to the US. The ship is seaworthy and is docked in Plymouth.

Length: roughly 110 ft, Beam: about 25 ft, Displacement: 180 tons

Mayflower II

Visit Mayflower II, Plimoth Patuxet's full-scale reproduction of the tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

plimoth.org

The Mayflower ‑ Ship, Compact & Pilgrims | HISTORY

The Mayflower was a merchant ship that carried 102 passengers, including nearly 40 Protestant Separatists, on a journey from England to the New World in 1620.

www.history.com

Mayflower - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 33870

View attachment 33871
Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower, docked at Plymouth, Massachusetts

View attachment 33872
Mayflower II cabin interior
Kenneth C. Zirkel - Own work

View attachment 33873
Mayflower II, a replica of the Mayflower, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 100005762.
Paul Keleher - "Mayflower II" on flickr

Not a shipologist , but sailing ships of that era seem to be very top heavy.

 

[Notanaviator]

Not a shipologist , but sailing ships of that era seem to be very top heavy.

to wit:
Vasa, early 17th c Swedish flagship. Really pretty ship! For about fifteen minutes…

Interesting story, and the names aren’t immediately coming to mind but there were several high profile flagships that took the design dynamic you note and coupled it with a lot of heavy cannon/bling, and didn’t go so hot…

Vasa (ship) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[hlg6016]

That looks more like a floating ginger-bread house than a warship.

 

[Jim123]

to wit:
Vasa, early 17th c Swedish flagship. Really pretty ship! For about fifteen minutes…

Interesting story, and the names aren’t immediately coming to mind but there were several high profile flagships that took the design dynamic you note and coupled it with a lot of heavy cannon/bling, and didn’t go so hot…

Vasa (ship) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The ship sank after sailing roughly 1,400 yd into her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628...

The use of different measuring systems on either side of the vessel caused its mass to be distributed asymmetrically, heavier to port. During construction both Swedish feet and Amsterdam feet were in use by different teams. Archaeologists have found four rulers used by the workmen who built the ship. Two were calibrated in Swedish feet, which had 12 inches, while the other two measured Amsterdam feet, which had 11 inches.


LCS program manager points to this and says "See? We're not doing so bad."

 

[AllAmerican75]

The ship sank after sailing roughly 1,400 yd into her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628...

The use of different measuring systems on either side of the vessel caused its mass to be distributed asymmetrically, heavier to port. During construction both Swedish feet and Amsterdam feet were in use by different teams. Archaeologists have found four rulers used by the workmen who built the ship. Two were calibrated in Swedish feet, which had 12 inches, while the other two measured Amsterdam feet, which had 11 inches.


LCS program manager points to this and says "See? We're not doing so bad."

The ship sank after sailing roughly 1,400 yd into her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628...

The use of different measuring systems on either side of the vessel caused its mass to be distributed asymmetrically, heavier to port. During construction both Swedish feet and Amsterdam feet were in use by different teams. Archaeologists have found four rulers used by the workmen who built the ship. Two were calibrated in Swedish feet, which had 12 inches, while the other two measured Amsterdam feet, which had 11 inches.


LCS program manager points to this and says "See? We're not doing so bad."

LCS Program Manager: "Hold my beer. . . "

 

[Randy Daytona]

With the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor fast approaching, a few of the ships involved seemed appropriate.

The first US ship to sight the Japanese was the wooden hulled, 85 ft long coastal minesweeper USS Condor (AMc-14) which sighted a periscope at 03:50 on the morning of December 7th.


USS Condor (AMc-14) Photographed in 1941, probably off San Diego, California

Admiral Halsey on this day issued “Battle Order #1” instructing his crew to be prepared for imminent hostilities and that the 12 Marine Corps Grumman Wildcats and pilots of Marine Fighter Squadron 211 were to go ashore at Wake Island.

Battle Order Number One: Nov. 28, 1941

Aboard Enterprise, steaming towards an island 500 miles closer to Japan than Oahu, Halsey was determined his force would not be found unprepared.

www.cv6.org

Meanwhile, the Japanese carrier task force had departed the Kuril Islands on November 26th under radio silence and was progressing across the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Randy Daytona]

USS Isabel, PY-10 was a 245 ft, 710 ton yacht that served as a destroyer in WW1 and then had a fascinating mission at the beginning of WW2. Although some say President Roosevelt sent it out as bait in the Philippines, here is the wikipedia account:

In December 1941, as the threat of war with Japangrew ever larger, Isabel was given a secret mission by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to make a reconnaissance of the coast of Japanese-occupied French Indochina. Personally briefed on the plan by Asiatic Fleet commander Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Isabel's commanding officer, Lieutenant John W. Payne Jr., took her to sea on 3 December 1941, with all excess topside weight removed and her motorboat replaced by a pulling whaleboat, heavily fueled and provisioned, carrying additional life rafts, and with all of her codebooks except for one prearranged cipher left ashore. She left Manila under a cover story that she was searching for a PBY Catalina flying boat missing off the Indochinese coast. Payne was under orders to approach the coast under the cover of darkness, showing lights that would mislead observers to think that she was a fishing vessel, and report on Japanese ship movements; if forced to fight, he was to fight back as best he could and try to escape, but, if necessary, to destroy Isabel rather than allow the Japanese to capture her.[2][4]

USS Isabel - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

USS Isabel (PY-10) at Hankow, China, in 1937, dressed overall for the coronation of King George VI of the United Kingdom


USS Isabel (SP-521) making smoke ca. 1919. (The photograph has also been identified as showing her on the Yangtze River in 1921).

 

[Griz882]

USS Isabel, PY-10 was a 245 ft, 710 ton yacht that served as a destroyer in WW1 and then had a fascinating mission at the beginning of WW2. Although some say President Roosevelt sent it out as bait in the Philippines, here is the wikipedia account:

In December 1941, as the threat of war with Japangrew ever larger, Isabel was given a secret mission by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to make a reconnaissance of the coast of Japanese-occupied French Indochina. Personally briefed on the plan by Asiatic Fleet commander Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Isabel's commanding officer, Lieutenant John W. Payne Jr., took her to sea on 3 December 1941, with all excess topside weight removed and her motorboat replaced by a pulling whaleboat, heavily fueled and provisioned, carrying additional life rafts, and with all of her codebooks except for one prearranged cipher left ashore. She left Manila under a cover story that she was searching for a PBY Catalina flying boat missing off the Indochinese coast. Payne was under orders to approach the coast under the cover of darkness, showing lights that would mislead observers to think that she was a fishing vessel, and report on Japanese ship movements; if forced to fight, he was to fight back as best he could and try to escape, but, if necessary, to destroy Isabel rather than allow the Japanese to capture her.[2][4]

USS Isabel - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

View attachment 33982

USS Isabel (PY-10) at Hankow, China, in 1937, dressed overall for the coronation of King George VI of the United Kingdom

View attachment 33983
USS Isabel (SP-521) making smoke ca. 1919. (The photograph has also been identified as showing her on the Yangtze River in 1921).

She was among the last ships to see the old Asheville (PG-21) afloat. Her only survivor died in a POW camp.

USS Asheville (PG-21) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The story of that early period is fascinating, old “covered wagon” four-stack destroyers and WWI built Light Cruisers holding the line against the IJN. It is part of the WWII naval history story we glide past to reach Coral Sea and Midway, but the history is great to read.

 

[Randy Daytona]

December 2nd, 1941 saw the Japanese carrier force refueling in the North Pacific at coordinates 42 deg north, 170 deg east. At 20:00 hours, they were given the code “Niitaka Yama Noboru 1208” for the attack on Dec 8th (Japan’s timeline)

Flagship of the highly trained Japanese carrier force was IJN Akagi, which was originally an Amagi class battlecruiser but converted to a carrier under the Washington Naval Treaty.


Akagi conducting flight operations, April 1942


Akagi on trials off the coast of Iyo, 17 June 1927, with all three flight decks visible


Akagi underway in 1929 with aircraft on the upper flight deck and two gun turrets on the middle flight deck


Akagi at Sukumo, Kōchi, in April 1939 with her new, single deck flight platform and island superstructure

Also, it is probably a good time to recommend (again) the absolutely superb 6 part Hardcore History series “Supernova in the East” by Dan Carlin

Hardcore History 62 – Supernova in the East I – Dan Carlin

www.dancarlin.com