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Saturday, January 31, 2015

IT'S ALL A MATTER OF LUCK

Folks every once in awhile there happens to be a first hand accounting of a WW II adventure that comes to light.
This is an accounting of an Ensign, as wet as the gray paint of the ATR he was assigned too.....being placed to "re-place" the Captain on very, very short notice.  Hell he'd only been out of Candidate School a few days.

Well let me tell you....this gentleman had one exciting adventure...and he was just starting out.

This is the story: HERE

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

SS ELIAS HOWE

This is about a Liberty Ship that was put down by a Japanese Submarine.  The name of this ship was the Elias Howe, of which I do not have a picture of this particular Liberty Ship.  [if anyone of the readers has a picture of the SS Elias Howe and wishes to share....please contact me via my e-mail]

So....if you're into Liberty ships and or Merchant ships this detail of how this ship was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese then you may wish to give this a go.

Just click HERE to read about the sinking of the SS Elias Howe.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

JELLICOE AT JUTLAND

ADMIRAL JOHN JELLICOE

Now readers if you have not heard of this gentleman....then you may need to brush up on the "Battle at Jutland."  Admiral Jellicoe was an "up and comer" in the Royal Navy.
He was sent to all the "hotspots" to clear up all the "smoke" ....and the "top brass" was thinking he was the best thing since "white sugar."....that is until the "Battle of Jutland" came along.

Well here is Jellicoe's fall from grace.  What you never knew about Jellicoe at Jutland.

You can link to the article HERE.

Monday, January 19, 2015

SS ELDENA

The Eldena and the U510

Now folks this an interesting ship history....I've been writing ship histories for a long, long time and this one has where the U-boat is saying one thing and the Allies are saying another....so who is correct?

Well we may never know....but what the heck it is an interesting read.

If you wish to give this a go...click: HERE

Saturday, January 17, 2015

SS EFFINGFAM [FREIGHTER]

The freighter SS Effingham was to join up with the PQ-13, of which is well noted as the Murmansk Run.
She actually did accomplish this task....but eventually found herself 90 miles behind the convoy due to heavy seas....which was common in the area she was sailing in.
Well to top it all off she met up with the German sub U-435....and all hell broke loose.
If you wish to "know the rest of the story" just click HERE

THE MALE STRIPPER

THE MALE STRIPPER 





The following is a “Very
True” story about a Navy Diver.
He became “The Lead Diver” for a
“Mine Specialist & Body
Retrieval” dive group, of which
was involved with many “under
the sea situations”. Ok......so just
keep that in the back of your mind
as the pages of this story is flipped before
you. We’ll refer to this sailor in this story as
“The Navy Diver”.......
Well this group of fellows just pulled
in to “Sheepshead Bay” in New York from
several months at sea on a submarine. They
had pulled in on a Thursday, and “The Navy
Diver” granted “shore leave” to his group of
divers on the following Friday.
Friday very late morning arrived and
the group departed for the nearest “Watering
Hole”....or you non-Naval individuals, “A
Bar”. To be more specific they were in
search of a “Strip Club Bar”....and low and
behold!!!!!....it didn’t take them long to find
this “second home to a lonely sailor”
After the dive group, of which
consisted of 5 guys, planted there butts on a
bar stool, warmed it up a bit, had the
barmaid turn up music, settled in for more
beer, and the arrival of the “strippers”. In
the mean time, in walked “The Navy Diver”
to join the “well oiled group”. Then the
party, beer, and stories started to flow.......oh
my!!!!.......the “place” started to jump. Loud
music, plenty of beer, and just plain raising
hell !!!!!!
Ok.....well all this went on for
awhile, and for awhile all was forgot about
on “the strippers” to make there appearance
of “dancing on the bar”. Well....when
realized....was told that all would
begin
sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooooon!!!!!!!!
About an hour later, the music
developed that “down beat” of
stripper music and out stepped “The
Blond Shaker” upon the bar. Well this lady
strutted up and down the bar, dressed in her
“outfit”, of which would not hide the private
area of a mouse. Well of course it didn’t
make any difference what she had on......the
group.....[especially “The Navy Diver”]
voiced there disapproval of the time frame
of its removal.
Well.....the event did not unfold fast
enough for “The Navy Diver” whom had his
share of beer, and was voicing his wishes.
The “The Blond Shaker” came
down the bar, stood in front of “The Navy
Diver” and said, “Hey sailor, if you can do a
better job, and shake the butt any
better....come on up and do your
thing”.................sooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!......the group
looked at there leader.....and said with their
looks, “Hey boss, put up, or shut
up”..............so guess what folks.......HE
DIDN’T SHUT UP......
“The Navy Diver” put his beer down
on the bar, got up on the bar stool, stepped
on the bar...........motioned for the music to
be turned up....and let me tell you folks he
started to dance up and down the bar to the
“yelling....and encouraging comments” from
the Friday crowd. Oh yeah!!!!........”The
Navy Diver” really got into this
situation.....so......OFF----came the shoes,
socks, and the upper sailor uniform....man
was he into the beat of this thing.
Ok.....so he strutted his stuff up and
down the bar...a wiggle here....and a wiggle
there...and then he started taking off the
pants.......Whoa !!!!.....removing them real
slow to entice what “females” were part of
the bar group.....and “The Blond Shaker” she
was having a ball with this. Well he finally
got the pants off....and was whirling them
around above his head....[nothing on except
the shorts]....and the crowd was going nuts.
Then he started to “inch” the undershorts
down...........yep...you read correctly.....”The
Navy Diver” was going “all the way”.
So.....he danced up and down the bar
to the strong beat of music, each time
“inching” the shorts down lower......he got
just down to the middle of the bar, turned
around to jerk them shorts all the way
off.....the bar crowd was on there feet,
yelling “take it off, take it all off”.....and he
got them pups down to his knees.....with a
beer in his hand, hips swinging to the heavy
beat of the music....and in walks the
“COPS”. .......so that was an OOPS !!!!!!!
Well.........The Navy Diver...was
hauled off to jail.....the bar crowd put up
bail, and “The Navy Diver” was given an
open invitation for a return engagement.....of
which never occurred. The Navy Diver
never danced on any more bars....or
attempted to demonstrate his “stripper
skills”.....but the event seemed to entitle him
to be called “Stripper Bud” to his dive crew.
Yes folks........... “The Navy
Diver”...[alas “Stripper Bud”]...is still alive and well.

NAVY MOP EXPERIENCE

MY NAVY MOP EXPERIENCE




Well folks, the ship you see
above was my very first ship, USS
Sheldrake (AGS-19), a minesweeper, one of
the many that I was proud to serve on, and I
would have to say had the cleanest decks in
the U.S. Navy.
I do believe, I along with all us other
divers, during the course of our “time
aboard” mopped, cleaned, and painted every
inch of that ship many times over. When I
was not over the side playing with a mine,
and trying to stay alive....I either had a mop,
broom, or paint brush in my hand....just like
every other “sea mate”.
Now you may think to “swab” a deck
is no big deal, but let me tell you it is not an
easy task....especially when you’re a “greenhorn”
kid....fresh out of “Navy dive school”,
and this is your “first ship”.
First day we headed up to
“Greenland” along the eastern seaboard. I
mean to tell you it was cold as hell, waves
about 6 to 10 ft. with sea swells way above
that. A fine morning mist, cloudy, and just a
“Yuk” kind of morning to be on the main
deck of a pitching & rolling ship.
Well you see my duties of diving did
not begin until a mine was spotted, and that
was not expected until we reach the northern
corners of that god awful place of
Greenland. So, until that time I was
expected to get my butt up on main deck,
along with the rest of the crew and keep that
cork in the water clean.
So....we gathered on the main deck
to get our assignments....and since I was the
“new man” on the pole....yep, you got it I got
the “crap detail”.....mopping!!!!!!
So the Chief Boatswains mate
assigned me an area, and stood around in his
warm foul-weather gear, and cup of coffee
to see that I “mopped correctly”.
Now how in the world can “you not”
mop correctly...hummmmmmmmm.....well
he instructed me several times, and each
time he chewed my butt, but I did
accomplish the task eventually....surprise,
surprise!!!!!
You would think that would be the
end of this “Sea Story”.....well not
yet....there is one more “stupid” thing that
the “Green-horn” kid accomplished...and let
me tell you it was a real jewel.
Ok, it came about “chow time” and
the ole Chief Boatswain Mate was getting
tired of watching us mop....[in my opinion I
do believe he was getting tired of walking to
the chow hall to get his coffee]...can’t you
tell I “just love this guy”.
Anyway....he tells us all to go clean
out our mops, clean ourselves up and report
to the “mess deck”.
So.....here I am holding this damn
mop...wondering now how do you clean this
darn thing???? So...I follow the rest of the
crew...and do as they do......I mean that seem
reasonable to me...if you don’t know you ask
or “do as others do”.
Well we went to the “fantail” of the
ship....to you “non-seaman” that is the back
of the ship. I learned that you tie a line on
the mop, throw it overboard, and as it
tumbles in the “wash” of the propeller of the
ship...it cleans the mop. Hey, that look like
a great thing to me....so while we went to
“chow” the mops would clean
themselves....all we had to do later was “dry
the mops”. Looked like a heck of a deal to
me.
So....I tied mine with a line and
threw that puppy in the “backwash” of the
seawater from the ship.....and went and had
my navy bean soup, and corn bread.
Well later that afternoon....I was in
the “crew compartment” helping to clean the
area, and some crew member ask me to go
get my “dry mop” and help mop the crews
quarters.
Oh my God!!!!!....I forgot my mop
was not only dry...it was still “tumbling”
behind the ship.
So....I hustled my butt up to the
fantail of the ship....well everyone else had
gotten there mops...except ole Bud.
I started to haul mine in...and guess
who show up....Yep, you guessed right that
Mr. Good-natured Boatswain Mate.
So....in I pulled.....and as I lifted my
mop up...I could see there was no “cotton
strands” on my mop....”IT WAS ALL
GONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!”.
Well Mr. Good-natured
Man...couldn’t laugh enough....you see I left
the mop in that “tumbling action for so long
it tore all the cotton stands from the mop”
When I pulled up the mop ....all I had left
was the “nub” where it is attached to the
handle. I mean to tell you ....there was not
enough left on the mop to dry a fly nest.
So....the ole Boatswain grabbed that
mop...took it down to the crews quarters,
along with instructing ole Bud to come
along....and showed the “whole crew” what
happens when you leave a mop to long
behind a ship.
Then he “pats my back” an says,
“And this fine young man that provided this
for us, is the same individual that is going to
keep us from getting blown up”.
Tell you what folks.....that only
happened once.....but over the course of a
few months....there was a time or two that
the ole Boatswain Mate said a few
prayers.....and thanked me....that he was not
“food for the fishes”....but that is all of
“another story” at “another time”.
Yep folks the Navy was “short one
mop”....but ole Bud gain one heck of a

“Mop Education”.