Pages

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

WW II NAVAL TUGS: REMEMBER THEM WELL

ATA: SIZE DIDN'T MATTER
Designed to assist the Fleet's large ATF tugs, their small but powerful ATA-class cousins gave the Navy 30-years of unpublized but distinguished service.

------------------------------------------------
The big "battlewagons" and all the other fighting ships that helped win the wars we were involved in.....when you get right down to it are only as good as those that keep them seaworthy and in fighting trim.

Oh yes...the "Big Boys" are in the news...they get the eyes of the public, throwing there huge shells seveal miles inland to pound the beachs and dug-in pill boxes....but what happens when they are 'hit'....or a serious mal-function happens with her power-plant....they can't manuver to stay out of harms way???  Most of the time when this takes place they are thousands of mile from established bases that can offer to assistance to "fix the problem"....and put them "back to what those fighting ships do best"....

So....some how those battlewagons has to get from point A to point B....Point B being that haven of a repair base....well low and behold ....this is where the "mighty of the mighty show up....the "fleet tugs" as they were called or "ATAs".

So....this is what this article is all about....first there were the ATF's [kind of a 'Jack-of-all-trades' tug]....then this led to a smaller version....and 89 of these might migets were built....limited deck space, could not carry much in food for the crew...[most of the time they would run out of provisions in under a week]....and limited in 'bunks'...crew had to 'hot bunk' (share beds in shifts)....but despite all this...they got the job done.

So...if you'd care to give this article a read....just click: HERE  to read the article titled

cshortridge73@gmail.com

No comments:

Post a Comment