Captain C

So much to write, so little time....

To my knowledge, the only British sea battle with the IJN was a battle of airplanes (they were navy planes but were land based) against Force Z which included a battleship, battlecruiser, some cruisers and destroyers. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse were sunk but the rest got away (IIRC)....... all other British involvement was intermingled with the USN. The Brits were astounded at how far and fast the American ships could travel before refueling..... The British never imagined needing ships with a long range due to their many holdings around the world. Remember the old saying "The sun never sets on the British empire"? The USN on the other hand knew it would have to operate at extremely long range and purpose built their ships for long range cruising from very early on.


As to the Germans matching the US in ship building..... Not a chance. The US Navy was basically in war mode from 1936 on. All those ships didn't just happen, they were planned for the most part well in advance and the US was just hitting its stride when war broke out. The Liberty ship program and the Jeep carrier programs were exceptions. However, the Jeep carriers were made from Cruiser hulls that were already partially assembled on the skids. The Montana's were cancelled so that more fleet cariers could be made. Steel was at a premium and the carriers were more valuable than battleships at this point. The US already had 8 fast battleships and around 7 slow battleships, and two battlecruisers with modern 12" guns (balistically equivalent to the 14" guns on the early BB's) in the Pacific. They had two fast battleships and several more older battleships in the Atlantic, albeit after 'D' Day they were moved to the Pacific as there was no longer any need for them in Europe.....

I started thinking, there was another battle in the Indian Ocean around Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka, BTW, I've been there). the British lost a couple of ships there and 23 ships a couple of days later as they tried to leave the area. Again, it was air power not ship to ship....

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Revelation 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
(Been There)

Commando

I just visited the pacific islands. The history of ww2 is amazing there. there are wrecks all over the islands available to be seen through tours. It realy is an amazing place. You guys should all get out there some time and see the amazing equipment.

Parihaka

Which Islands?

Master Chief

Can you please tell me if this destroyer is the USS Cassin Young? If so this ship can be toured in Boston naval yard.

Dreadnought

Sir,
The two destroyers pictured above are (DD372) Cassin and (DD375) Downes. Both of these ship that were ahead of (BB38) Pennsylvania in dry dock #1 were completely wrecked. Their machinery was salvaged and sent to Mare Island Naval Yard in which both were completely rebuilt and relaunched under the same name and numbers. However both were scrapped in late 1947.

I believe the destroyer you were referring to is (DD793) Cassin Young. It is in Charlestown Naval Yard and available to tour.

A link:http://www.nps.gov/archive/bost/Cassin_Young.htm

By chance the Constitution is also there. As well "Big Mamie" (BB59) Massachusettes is not very far from there in Battleship Cove as well as a sub, destroyer and Soviet corvette and i believe a PT boat.

http://www.battleshipcove.org/exhibits.htm

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Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

gunnut

One of the most impressive photos I've ever seen. Flyover during the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay.

Stolen from: http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/63i.htm

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"Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

Master Chief

Yes, that is the one. Thank my good man. Just last oct. we went to salem for halloween, and we stoped at boston. And we did a harbor tour and stoped there and took a free tour. Great ship. One hell-of-a battle record!

Dreadnought

Not a problem Sir,I've been meaning to get up that way myself. I have family in Holliston and would love to spend a few days checking out the museums in those areas.