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Sunday, April 29, 2012

USS HAZELWOOD (DD-531) A SURVIVOR

Her superstructure all but totally destroyed by hell-bent Japanese Kamikaze, the bloodied survivors of the destroyer Hazelwood refused to give up the ship.

You will not believe how much damage this ship and the crew endured.

Link:


Saturday, April 28, 2012

CHOPPERS: THERE HOME AWAY FROM HOME

By the end of the Korean War, helicopters had proved themselves as a new way to bring troops into, or out of battle.
Actually all they needed were ships up to the rigors of round-the-clock operation - ships like the tried-and-true Essex-class carriers.

Link:

Monday, April 23, 2012

SS A. J. CASSATT BECAME THE USS APPANOOSE (AK-226)

The SS A. J. Cassatt ...a Liberty ship started out being built as her name states....but then before she was finished the U.S. Navy stepped in and acquired her.....changed her name to USS Appanoose...and she view the war from a different perspective.

Friday, April 20, 2012

USS ALABAMA (BB-60)






One of the "Big Boys" that prowled the seas during those war years.....her massive powerful 13,000-hp engines....her 2500-man crew that kept her fit and trim as the true 35,000 ton "Battle Wagon" she was.

She lived up to her name in every aspect.



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

USS Enterprise Conducts Flight Operations



MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Apr. 1, 2012) U.S. Navy Sailors conduct flight operations on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). Enterprise is deployed as part of Enterprise Carrier Strike Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility.

Monday, April 16, 2012

AN EARLY WW II TROOP CONVOY

Many "Youngsters" have quizzed me on "What was it like being involved in a 'Convoy?'  Well this article will "enlighten" the reader 'just a tad' on the issues the early convoys had to deal with.

You have to keep in mind...this convoy was 'one' of the first...so we "Hadn't been there...nor done that!!!"..  Many mistakes were made...but we learned.

This will not give you a full blown version of it all....but it will cast 'some' light on how convoys became so efficient at "supplying" all elements of WW II.



Saturday, April 14, 2012

TORPEDO JUNCTION

Many articles that I've posted has been related to that vast body of sea referred to as "The North Atlantic, " but what about that less traveled area that was known as the lethal crossroad for German Subs?

The dreaded area of the South Atlantic.



Friday, April 13, 2012

COMMENDABLE AND EXPENDABLE

To the World War II media, the PT boat was a dashing, mysterious surface warrior, as glorified in the 1945 MGM movie "They Were Expendable."  The film dramatized the 1942 rescue by Lt. John D. Burlkeley's PT boat squadron of General MacArthur and his staff from the Philippines.


After reading some journals, news reports and some books on this subject my question prior to this article is: Did the media do justice to the PT's legacy as a small combatant?"


THEY WERE COMMENDABLE














After reading some journals, news reports and some books on
this subject my question prior to this article is: “Did the media do
justice to the PT’s legacy as a small combatant?”

Monday, April 9, 2012

SS DELFINA...FOUR LIVES LOST...U-172

She was on a short jaunt from the warm seas around San Juan to Charleston, SC with a load of Raw Sugar....when U-172 spotted her....followed her for seven hours.....fired several torpedoes....  Well that is all I'll mention here....but it is interesting

Here's the link:
SS DELFINA

Saturday, April 7, 2012

NAVAL GUNS

What you see at the left is the 14-in WW I railroad gun....which is the only survivor of the specially made railway mounts created for inland use in France.


From the agitation on French Gen. Henri Aubert's face it was clearly evident a problem of major proportions had brought him to the newly established Paris offices of U.S. Navy R/Adm. Charles Pershall Plunkett.  In charge of the military defense of the French capital, Gen Aubert was indeed confronted by a problem of perplexing disastrous proportion  - a problem only the U.S. Navy could solve - if the stubborn French would allow them.

If you'd care to read....here is the link:


THE NAVAL GUNS THAT SAVED PARIS


cshortridge73@gmail.com


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Thursday, April 5, 2012

COPPERED BOTTOMS FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY, 1794-1803

If you're interested in U.S. Naval History...and better yet if your interested in the problems of the early ships of the Navy....this article will be very interesting to you.

I tried to provide a fairly detail outline of how the U.S. Navy went from wood hulls....to copper coated hulls, but this was not really an easy task.

Reason is this was not a 'ready' product in the U.S.....then along came Mr. Paul Revere....

So...the link is below if you would care to read.



Tuesday, April 3, 2012

THE EMPEROR'S FORGOTTEN WARRIORS

The gentleman's picture you see to the left is Lt. Hiroo Onada, IJA whom was 'best-known" among thousands of Japanese troops who fought on after Japan's surrender....he actually eluded capture in the Philippine's for nearly 30 years. 

On 9 March 1974, exactly 30-yrs since Onada had arrived in the Philippines to teach guerrilla warfare to his hard pressed countrymen, tears filled the eyes of the grizzled and bearded Onada as he presented his sword to his former wartime commanding officer, now a successful Japanese bookseller and businessman

The link to this unusual story is below:








Monday, April 2, 2012

SS DEER LODGE A FIGHTER UNTIL THE END

This ole girl I would say really took a beating during the war.  She not only endured three separate attacks by German dive bombers....[and lived to tell about it]...but after repair of the damage.....she later encountered a U-boat where her luck didn't hold as good as her encounter with the dive bombers.

If you would care to give the history of this ole girl a gander....just click on the link below