THE NAVY'S FIRST--ALL-METAL TWIN-ENGINE MONOPLANE

MR. STOUT'S

TORPEDO-BOMBER

The ST-1

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With the development of aircraft some of the 'thinkers' in the high levels of the U.S. Navy had some thoughts on how to use these new devices in the quest of sea power.  'Sea Power' always being referred too as "the best weapon"....as well as the 'best way to deliver that weapon'.....and so the 'Naval Brass' put "two and two" together..."How about the airplane and the torpedo??"

Hmmmmmmmmm....sounds like a heck of an idea to me.  Well along about 1917 or so there was some test done with a Curtiss R-6 float biplane, but these so called test were not as successful as was hoped for.

What the tests brought to the forefront was for a successful drop....the speed and altitude would have to be carefully monitored to ensure that the torpedo was entering the water at the right angle.....otherwise it would skip in and out of the water.  Also the airplane itself had to have the muscle to carry this "giant cigar shaped" weapon....so the idea the 'Brass' had was a good one....but they lacked the tools of delivery of this weapon.

So the hunt was on for this "tool"...the one airplane that could 'do it all'.......  Well here is where Mr. William Bushnell Stout came into the picture.  Ole Stout had his nose in alot of designing of anything mechanical....engines, motorcycles, model planes, and 'yes' even automobiles....and then all of sudden he got bitten by the bug of 'aeronautics.'

This article is about Mr. Stout building his airplanes....and one in particular....so as to sell to the U.S. Navy as the "tool" to deliver the torpedo......in the proper manner.....but he wasn't alone ...there were many that had the same idea.  Anyway, Mr. Stout done his thing....and if you are interested in Naval History...this article may enlighten you on what took place.....and was Mr. Stout successful?....and where did he end up in this quest for a new tool in the delivery system of the torpedo?

If you'd care to give this article a 'going over'....just click on this title: MR. STOUT'S TORPEDO-BOMBER

Hope you enjoy
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LAST OF THE U-BOAT ATTACKS

GRUPPE SEEWULF

U-805 surrenders off Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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The term "GRUPPE SEEWULF".....is somewhat of an unfamiliar term to most....but if you mention it too those in the 'know' in the higher ranks of the U.S. Navy....it referred to "Hilter's planned U-boat attack on the East Coast of the U.S."

Six German U-boats was to form up on April 14th, 1945 just north of the Azores....this 'Group' was to be known as "Gruppe Seewulf."  There mission.....as was generally described was to sweep across the North Atlantic convoy routes in order to draw some of the American Hunter-Killer Groups from British coastal waters.

The U.S. Navy got word of this "Group"...so they formed two lines of ships in the expected path of this 'group' heading for the U.S. East Coast......because the Navy had figured the "Gruppe Seewulf's" mission was to fire V-2 rockets from towed launching pads on too the U.S. coast.

So the push was on to stop this 'group' ....and 'stop them they did.'

This article is about the sinking, capture, and surrender of these six U-boats....as well as some details on how events lead up to this event.

If you think you'd care to give this 8 or 9 page article....by the way there is some excellent pictures imbedded in the article.....just click on this title: GRUPPE SEEWULF

Hope you enjoy

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A MODERN TORPEDO SHOT...AWESOME!!!

From time to time individuals that find and casually read a few of my Naval & Nautical articles will send me pictures, videos as well as documents that they happen onto during their searches of the net or in their visits to their local library.

In any regard I normally look it over and if I find it appropriate I'll offer to share what they send to my readers or anyone that is interested in this sort of material, and this is the case with the following video....

A Mr. Highton sent me this short video....which demonstrates the awesome power of the modern day torpedo.  In Mr. Highton's e-mail to me....he also sent the following text:

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Torpedo practice shot


This is an Australian Navy submarine doing a live torpedo practice shot on one of Australia's de-commissioned frigates. It used a Mk 48 torpedo developed in the USA. It is non-nuclear and not a contact weapon. It is designed to go off directly underneath the ship at about 50 feet under the keel. The effect is devastating as you can see from the video.


Quite an amazing display of 'hogging' and 'sagging' on the poor frigate's structure as well!

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Just 'click' on the 'forward arrow' to 'run' the video....and make sure your speakers are turned up.

If anyone wishes this particular video 'sent' to their personal e-mail 'inbox'...just send me your mailing address and I'll be glad to reply with the video attached.

 

Hope you enjoy this interesting video!!

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WHAT HAPPENED TO HITLERS "MILK COWS"

SLAUGHTERED

"MILK COWS"

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A fantastic Allied intelligence coup quickly sealed the fate of all ten Hitler's all-important submersible U-tankers.

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The signal was short and terse.  U-66 was dangerously low on fuel and in dire need of a doctor for a seriously injured crewman.  It's captain urgently wanted to know if there was a "milk cow" in the area - a supply sub that could render medical air and provide fuel.  The replay from Germany was a somber "nichts."  There had been on word from the milk cow assigned to that area of the mid-Atlantic for some time.  Headquarters had to assume the worst.  U-488 had disappeared without a trace; overdue and presumed lost.  The ninth of ten supply submarines sunk, she had vanished in the North Atlantic while trying to provide vitally needed provisions, fuel and torpedoes to German U-boats in mid-ocean rendezvous.

Unable to secure fuel to carry on its partrol, nor able to help a dying sailor because she carried no doctor.  U-66 had no choice but to cease its partol and return to Germany.  With her departure there was one less German U-boat for the Allied sub-hunters to be concerned with; one less torpedo-firing menace able to send an allies ship to the bottom.  But if fate of U-488 was an unconfirmed suspicion to the German High Command, its status was no secret to the U.S. Navy's Tenth Fleet, nor the hunter-killer group of destroyer escorts built around the escort carrier USS Croatan (CVE-25).  On that balmy 26th of April 1944, .........U-488 met a swift demise.

Above is the lead-in of how the U.S. detected the "Milk Cows"....and come to realize if we can get rid of the "supply source" to the U-boats....we can cripple them to the point of having to limp back to home base...and in the process being more vulnerable to complete destruction.

Ok folks....if you wish to give this one a read....you can get to the article by clicking on this title:  SLAUGHTERED "MILK COWS"

Hope you enjoy!!

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THE BATTLESHIP THAT INVADED UNION SQUARE

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Oh my goodness!!!...you never heard of the USS Recruit, and her being at dock side at "Union Square" in New York??

Well 'your not alone' if you have never heard of the above. 

Back in 1917 we Americans found ourselves at war with Kaiser Wilhelm's Imperial Germany....and we needed 'recruits'.....big time!!!  All around the nation quota's was set for enlistments....to acquire the men to fight in this first European War, and low and behold the 'quota's' were not being met.  As an example: New York had an assigned goal of 2,000 men....and only come up with 900 enlistments.  So some 'brain storming' had to be done to raise the number of enlistments.

Well New York City's flamboyant and imaginative mayor, John Purvoy Mitchel got involved.....and take a gander on what his idea was.....and believe it or not.....IT WORKED!!!!

This is just a short little article on some Naval History you may not be aware of ...so if I've tickled your interest....and if you want to take a few minutes to read the article....you can do so by clicking on this title: THE BATTLESHIP THAT INVADED UNION SQUARE

Hope you enjoy the article

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