Thread: Destroyers - Fletcher Class

Originally Posted by blidgepump

Looking at the photo of the steel deck of the USS Kidd on the previous post a question came up

Were BB's & CV's the only surface warships to have wooden decks in WWII?

Also the Carriers used Douglas Fir for their decking on the flight deck. It was cheap and easy to replace when damaged -- which happened a lot either by enemy attack or really bad landings.

The Battleships and Cruisers used Teak decking as it is a hard wood that is resistant to absorbing water and will not swell up when wet. It served as insulation for the compartments below but it's primary purpose was to cover over riveted but straps in the deck plating to provide a smooth surface free of tripping hazards. Since there were too many Japanese soldiers roaming around Burma, we did not use Burmese teak but what was loosely called "American Teak". Actually it was Plantation Teak grown in Brazil but American Black Locust from the Appalacian Mountains is just as good.

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

Also the Carriers used Douglas Fir for their decking on the flight deck. It was cheap and easy to replace when damaged -- which happened a lot either by enemy attack or really bad landings.

The Battleships and Cruisers used Teak decking as it is a hard wood that is resistant to absorbing water and will not swell up when wet. It served as insulation for the compartments below but it's primary purpose was to cover over riveted but straps in the deck plating to provide a smooth surface free of tripping hazards. Since there were too many Japanese soldiers roaming around Burma, we did not use Burmese teak but what was loosely called "American Teak". Actually it was Plantation Teak grown in Brazil but American Black Locust from the Appalacian Mountains is just as good.

I didn't know that Black Locust was a good replacement for Teak.
We think of it mainly as as a fast growing shade tree here in the flatlands of the Great Plains. If CV's no longer use wood, what about new FG's and CL's ?

Originally Posted by blidgepump

I didn't know that Black Locust was a good replacement for Teak.
We think of it mainly as as a fast growing shade tree here in the flatlands of the Great Plains. If CV's no longer use wood, what about new FG's and CL's ?

They utilize a haze gray slightly rippled non slip weatherproof coating on the decks. It is apparently some sort of composite coating from what I have seen. If you look closely enough, you can see the ripple in the coating.

Originally Posted by blidgepump

I didn't know that Black Locust was a good replacement for Teak.
We think of it mainly as as a fast growing shade tree here in the flatlands of the Great Plains. If CV's no longer use wood, what about new FG's and CL's ?

Black Locust is within the same hardness scale and water reisistance as Burmese Teak and Brazilian Plantation Teak. There are harder woods that could be used but would wear out cutting tools to fast and slow production down. Softer woods are too susceptible of soaking up water causing them to swell and squeeze out the caulking in the seams. Then when dried up, it shrinks back down and if the caulking isn't immediately replaced water will get under the decking and start rusting out the steel plating.

PS: If ship restorers have to replace decking, be careful not to get Honey Locust. It is a pretty wood but softer and more liable to soak up water than Black Locust.

The teak decks aboard your BB's and Cruisers also would not shatter and shower the crews with splinters if hit with a bomb or shell as easily as your softer woods can and did.

Having recognized the best wood for the decks on a warship, of what material are keel blocks made?

Originally Posted by blidgepump

Having recognized the best wood for the decks on a warship, of what material are keel blocks made?

Reinforced concrete

BTW, what's the story on the three propellers?



Over the years at the shipyard, the second gate to the "CIA" area had everything from US Marines to Rent-A-Cops checking badges for entry.

After the truck bombing at the US Marine barracks in Beirut, they installed some keel blocks and a cable and pulley system in the ground at the CIA gate at the shipyard.

I guess in theory, if a suspicious truck went flying through the main gate, they could call to the guard at the CIA gate and he/should could activate a switch in the guard shack and the cables would come out of the ground and stop the truck, causing it to blow up right there.

Actually there was the same keel block, pulley and cable system setup at the back gate near drydock 3.

At the time there were Rent-A-Cops working as guards around the shipyard so I really doubt that one would activate the switch and stop the truck, thus blowing themselves to itty bitty bits.... for minimum wage.

For those interested, the "Sprucan" Authur W Radford was sunk yesterday as a natural reef south of Cape May NJ.

Former sailors gather for a final farewell to the USS Arthur W. Radford | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/11/2011

Speaking about keel blocks this site offers some rather unique imagines of a place which must of worked on one or two Fletchers during their service career.

Dry Dock #1, Brooklyn Navy Yard - Brooklyn, NY : citynoise.org

This photograpgher captured some interesting illustrations of the 3rd oldest and still operational dry dock in the US of A.

Originally Posted by Dreadnought

For those interested, the "Sprucan" Authur W Radford was sunk yesterday as a natural reef south of Cape May NJ.

Former sailors gather for a final farewell to the USS Arthur W. Radford | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/11/2011

If it had not been for her prominent bow, I don't believe that I could of recognized her as a Sprucan ?!?

Someone did a great job of stripping her down to the bare essentials !!

[QUOTE=Ytlas;823929]Reinforced concrete

BTW, what's the story on the three propellers?

Reply to Ytlas :

I was looking for some keel blocks and thus a picture of a BB rose from the depths. It is the USS Massachusetts in Dry dock. Interesting is the change from a three blade to a four blade inboard prop from the SIAM to the IOWA class. Something I was not aware of when I toured a few years back when I visited Battleship Cove.

A lot of keel blocks......

Originally Posted by blidgepump

If it had not been for her prominent bow, I don't believe that I could of recognized her as a Sprucan ?!?

Someone did a great job of stripping her down to the bare essentials !!

That work was done in the former PNSY. This is a pic taken earlier this year when I was in the yard while she was being worked on.

The date on the pic is wrong. The pic was taken in 2011. I have a new camera since.

Originally Posted by Dreadnought

That work was done in the former PNSY. This is a pic taken earlier this year when I was in the yard while she was being worked on.

The date on the pic is wrong. The pic was taken in 2011. I have a new camera since.

The openiness of the super structure and missing foretop / Mast ?... will probably make her a safer ship for divers, too! Thanks for the picture.

Looks way different then when she was the Advanced Enclosed Mast Sensor System (AEMSS) test ship