I -17'S WAR ON CALIFORNIA

I - 17'S

WAR ON CALIFORNIA

Here is an article that actually holds two articles.  It is about a group of Japanese cruiser submarines that carried a certain type of aircraft.  The Subs were "long range" cruiser's....which actually were the largest subs in the Japanese submarine force.  The "Float Plane" that was carried was a "Glen"...which held a crew of two.

Well one of these sub had provided hysteria to the US West Coast.....due to its sinking ships and she shelled an oil refinery shortly after Pear Harbor.  So California was a tad on edge.

These Kwajalein Glens that the Japanese had are a story in themselves....so that short story does accompany the main article.

Click: HERE

SINKING THE SHINANO

Yes, the "Super Carrier" did take place.  The Japanese always had an infatuation with size, and had this idea that "bigger was always better".

So this is what this article is all about....to develop the "biggest & baddest Carrier"  Well some will say they "Japanese" did just what they set out to do....but ....and "Yes" there is a "but".  The Japanese found out that size of a ship does not guarantee that it can and will  control the seas.  

The Japanese had their idea and thoughts crushed by the USS Archerfish (SS-311)....

Give it a read I think you will find it extremely interesting

click: HERE

I'LL TAKE A CRUISER!

I'll TAKE A CRUISER!

The USS Birmingham (CL-62)

Better known as "Mighty B"

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I run across this article several months back and after reading it felt is was extremely interesting for the simple fact it was written by the USS Birmingham's Captain.  

He explains how this valiant light cruiser suffered more damage more often than any other ship in her class......and lived to tell the tale.

I encourage you to give it a go if your interested in 

Nautical history.

Click : HERE

PIG-NOSED LAKER

McDOUGALL'S PIG-NOSED LAKER

SS CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

Now folks over the many years I've been writing nautical articles....this is the first time I've heard of a "Pig-Nose" vessel, but we all get surprised now and then.

And entrepreneur had a vision of an unsinkable cargo vessel for the Great Lakes trade.....well you'll be astonished at what he actually came up with.....except...his cargo was passengers...5,000 to 7,000 at a time.

Yes....this is interesting....so if you would care to give this a read just click: HERE 

OPERATION PEDESTAL

OPERATION PEDESTAL

THE END OF THE BEGINNING

I don't have a clue if any of my readers know about "Malta"....a very small island....and in the beginning of WW II they had a population of about 200,000.  Well early on in WW II they were being leveled by unrelenting Axis air raids,  Malta did not have the tools to protect itself.  This was all brought on by the Suez Canal and it's close proximity to North Africa during WWII.  They were getting pounded pretty hard....and badly needed help....actually they were hanging on by a thread.  They needed help so this is there story....many a ship went down in the convoy named PEDESTAL to get supplies, fuel, and weapons to the island.  Here is the story
click: HERE

THE HOWELL TORPEDO

NAVY TRAINED DOLPHINS DISCOVER HOWELL TORPEDO

This article of mine is something that you would not expect in the US Navy, but I think it provides the Naval History buff some insight on the beginning of torpedoes.

This is a short article....no long drawn out with a lot of words leading no where.

So if you like to tone up on history...here is a bit that you may know or you may not.  To read the article just click here: HERE

QUEEN OF THE U-BOAT KILLERS

USS CARD...REMEMBERED
        Queen of the U-Boat Killers
           

Yes readers she was "one" of the first....hastily converted escort carrier, CVE-11

She had to prove herself....and she did with a "fighting heart" and the champion of a

Dragon Slayer.

Actually the Card was actually called "The Lucky Eleven".  Let me tell you folks she

carried the fight to the U-boats and for the most part she won every fight she picked.

If you wish to give this article just click : HERE

USS TIMMERMAN

USS TIMMERMAN (DD-828)

Her History

USS Timmerman (DD-828)

DD'S FOR MISTER CHURCHILL

YANK DESTROYERS UNDER THE WHITE ENSIGN

In a controversial swap of 50 Great War destroyers for the right to use British bases, the Royal Navy gained a legendary warship that became exceptionally useful in the Atlantic War.

The more I got into producing this article the more interesting the details became to me.

Actually there is a good part of the article that becomes a first hand accounting of being on one of these beauties.

If you wish to give it a read then click: HERE

TYPE XXI: SAVING GERMANY

The past has always been an interest of mine, especially the past World Wars and how fate inter-acted with "Chance" on who won the War.

Well here is an article that provides some insight on how close Germany came to tilting the scale in there direction in having a "one up on the US."

The following is an intro into the article: In a last-ditch attempt to win the Atlantic War, Hitler's production geniuses created a fast, silent-running, deep-diving, hard-to- detect submarine that revolutionized Naval warfare even though it came along too late to save the day.

If you would like to give this a "look see"....just click: HERE

CHUCK DOWNEY YOUNGEST NAVAL AVIATOR IN WWII

Ok so a lot of us know that former President H.W. Bush was the youngest Naval Aviation Pilot in WWII.......Well folks it has been learned that ....that is not the case at all.

Come to find out by a recent survey that there was a 'Young buck' that beat the former President by a few days.  Now this did not go unnoticed by the then Vice President Bush....he acknowledged this and sent the gentleman congratulating Mr. Downey  of this status.

So....here is his story of how all this took place, and of his encounters as a teen Naval Aviator in WWII.

As far as I know the gentleman is still alive and kicking today

It's a good article click HERE to read.

BAD BEEF=MVTINY

Now folks here is a tad of history that you may have heard of if you are somewhat interested in some of the early wars of our time..

Actually this article describes "How the lowly maggot and mistreatment of Russian sailors aboard the battleship POTEMKIN changed the world

The POTEMKIN was a different design from the usual French-influenced battleships of the day.  As well even the name of the ship had an unusual flare.  

Well I could go on and on here....but if you want to roll your eyeballs over this article I do believe you'll find some interesting historical facts that you did not realize.

To give this a read click: HERE

SHIP LISTING:[Alcoa Pioneer; Alcoa Prospector; Alcoa Puritan; Alcoa Rambler; Alcoa Ranger; Alcoa Shipper;Alcoa Transport; Alexander Graham Bell; Alexander Macomb; Alexander Major.

• SS ALCOA PIONEER - A 6, 711 gross ton C1-B-Cargo freighter her encounter with enemy aircraft at Pearl Harbor.
• SS ALCOA PROSPECTOR - Part of the convoy PA-44 and she had an encounter with a Japanese Submarine I-27, and it did not turn out well.
• SS ALCOA PURITAN - A C1-B freighter built in 1941.  She was in the Gulf sailing toward Mobile Alabama on May 1942, when she was spotted by German U-boat U507.  Then all hell broke loose. 
• SS ALCOA RAMBLER - When laid down she was named "Waxhaw" when completed was named "Mercer Victory" then in 1941 was acquired by Alcoa Co. and named "Alcoa Rambler." Her demise was with German Submarine U-174.
• SS ALCOA RANGER - A Hog Island freighter - completed in 1919 as "Sarcoxie" ...another name change to "Alcoa Ranger" in 1940 when Alcoa took her over.  Involved in convoy PQ-17 & her very serious encounter with German Submarine U-255.
• SS ALCOA SHIPPER - A freighter built in 1920 named "Davenport" .  Acquired by Alcoa in 1940 and renamed to "Alcoa Shipper".  Returning to the U S she encountered the German Submarine U-404 about 500 miles from Cape Charles.
• SS ALCOA TRANSPORT - Was a freighter completed in 1918.  Before acquiring her Alcoa Transport she was assigned names of "Lake Medford, H. J. Lawrence, Elwyn C. Hale, and Ocean Doninion" - met her demise on May 2, 1042 by German Submarine U-201.
• SS ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL - A Liberty ship freighter and troop ship.....struck a mine....details.
• SS ALEXANDER MACOMB - A Liberty ship freighter....coming into the Boston Harbor of Massachusetts she happened to run into German Submarine U-215, and was torpedoed.
• SS ALEXANDER MAJOR - A Liberty ship freighter, built in January 1944.  She was struck by a plane and suffered a fire.

BORIE'S DUEL TO THE DEATH

One of the strangest sea battle of World War II.....yes it was very strange.  You know it is strange when it is referred to as "Battle of the Treacherous Tubers."  Yes readers I kid you not....Tubers are potatoes.....and they were used in this battle you can read about.

Just click HERE to bring up the story

SHIPS LISTING [Frank Lever; Abbot L. Mills; Acme; Adoniram Judson; Afoundria; African Star; Agwimonte; Alamar; Alaskan; Albert F. Paul]

SHIPS LISTING [Frank Lever; Abbot L. Mills; Acme; Adoniram Judson; Afoundria; African Star; Agwimonte ;Alamar; Alaskan; Albert F. Paul]

• SS A.Frank Lever = A Liberty ship.  Named after an extremely interesting man, and the ship itself had a very interesting ship life.  And interesting read if you are interested in ship history.
• SS Abbot L. Mills = A Liberty ship that encountered a mine, en route to Dubrovnik Yugoslavia with over 8,000 tons of wheat....a rough sailing that did not end well.
• SS Acme = A steam tanker completed in 1916 by Union Iron Works, of San Francisco, CA.  Doing well until she met up with German U-boat U-124.
• SS Adoniram Judson = A Liberty Ship freighter helping in getting material to Leyte Islands in the Philippines for the up and coming invasion.
• SS Afoundria = She sailed many an ocean after being built at Hog Island in 1919, but many of those oceans she sailed as SS Haddix. This is her encounter with U-108..
• SS African Star = A Merchant freighter...She got into a fight with the German Sub U-172. This is how it all turned out!
• SS Agwimonte = A Merchant freighter that was launched as "Cape Mendocino" in Long Beach, CA.  Her tangle with German Sub. U-177.
• SS Alamar = A Merchant freighter that was built as "Eurana" in 1916 in San Francisco, CA.  There is a sad story that is part of the "Alamar Sinking".
• SS Alaskan = Former name of "Wheaton"  laid down as "War Jupiter"...her detail of events with U-boat U-172and her sinking.
• SV Albert F. Paul = A schooner that was doing her part in the war, left her home port and just disappeared on March 13, 1942.

FLIGHT OF THE L.59

Some would call this " ON THE WINDS OF AFRICA"...but actually it is a flight of a blimp from point A to point B.

Some claimed trying to supply a German bush army 2500-miles away in East Africa by Zeppelin was tantamount to a suicide mission.  But as you know some don't realize what they are talking about or it is just a dream to them.

So if your interested in the Zeppelin and what they took part in ...in the early 1900's.....this will be interesting to you

Just click on this HERE for the story

OH YES....MISTAKES WERE MADE!!!!!

Did you ever think of "how in the world did we ever get to where we are now with the design of war ships?"

Well you have to chuckle about it but actually poorly conceived ships were built to everyone's embarrassment.

So.....this is an article that comes up with the five worst warships ever built, and if you indulge in reading you'll understand how these five were "the top five" of many.

If you wish to give this article a go just click HERE

"WEE VEE:" THE BATTLESHIP THAT ROSE FROM THE ASHES

Not often do you get the chance to read about detailed history of one of US Navy's devoted battleships.  They are "no more"...during their sea life, and during WW II these ships were "larger than life itself".

Yes we lost many of them on Dec. 7th, 1941, but one of these giants of the seas, arose from that dreadful attack....was rebuilt....and took out retribution against the very enemy that put her on the bottom during that damning event.

The USS West Virginia (BB-48)...she got her revenge.

Read about her ...and how she got her revenge....HERE

THE STONINGTON NIGHT BOAT

THE LEXINGTON

You know folks, when you really think about it, at least in 'nautical history' not much in the "safety" aspect to passengers only comes about due to a disaster.

Well this is the case with the "Lexington"....or at least impart due to the "Night Boat"...as it was usually referred too.

If you're into 'nautical history' I really do think this article has a lot to do with features we take as 'common' in sailing on the cruise ships of today.

In my opinion 'a good read' if you wish to give it a go....click:  HERE

SS ELIHU B. WASHBURNE

THE SS ELIHU B. WASHBURNE

AND THE U-513

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She was a Liberty ship freighter, and she didn't have a "long ship's life".  She didn't get a lot accomplished due to her short life, but her story involved some interesting people and situations.

Even the Commander of the U-513 was interesting.....oh yes both vessels were sunk ......well...I'll let it at that....if interested you can give it all a go.  Just click HERE for the whole story.