Destroyers - Fletcher Class

**blidgepump** · 25 Jan 12, 23:54

Originally Posted by NavyDoc

I am assuming you reposted that about DD-724, as she is now back at Patriot's Point all spruced up and ready for service once again!
Attachment 28250
She has taken her position up next to Yorktown and the sub has been moved to where the cutter was.

What is an average gpm for the bildges on a DD?
My own little pocket cruiser @ 32-ft gets by with a itty bitty diaphram pump ( 50 gallon an hour ) x 3....

2000 gph sounds like many leaks on DD-724 before the hull work commenced.

**NavyDoc** · 26 Jan 12, 00:52

Originally Posted by blidgepump

What is an average gpm for the bildges on a DD?
My own little pocket cruiser @ 32-ft gets by with a itty bitty diaphram pump ( 50 gallon an hour ) x 3....

2000 gph sounds like many leaks on DD-724 before the hull work commenced.

Well, you got me on that one! No experience with water in the bilges here! Our little DE is tight and dry! The only thing we have pumping is the waste pump for the septic tank!

2000 gph sounds like a really big leak to me! Either that, or a whole lot of little ones! Good thing she got her hull maintenance!

Now, here's an idea I had that you might comment on! There are companies that manufacture custom rubber inflatable bags. Like the ones they used to roll the vessels back into the water in New Orleans or the type they use to lift trucks. Why not have an inflatable air bag made to the interior dimensions of a leaky compartment, when it leaks inflate it and seal it off until repairs can be made. The air filed bag would displace any possible flooding and also add to buoyancy.

**Ken_NJ** · 26 Jan 12, 00:55

Here are a few links to the repairs back in 2009 for the USS Laffey. Check out how they trimmed the propellers.

2009 Dry Dock Photo Page

**blidgepump** · 26 Jan 12, 05:51

Originally Posted by Ken_NJ

Here are a few links to the repairs back in 2009 for the USS Laffey. Check out how they trimmed the propellers.

2009 Dry Dock Photo Page

Great pictures!

Appears someone had a long straight edge ??

If the hull was in that bad of shape the props may of been totalled but I suspect a shallow draft? But with the carrier near by ???

**Ken_NJ** · 26 Jan 12, 06:48

I did post the same link to the Laffey repairs in a previous post in this thread, but not sure where among the 74 pages of this great thread!

WWII destroyer returns to S.C. after repairs - Navy News

**tbm3fan** · 26 Jan 12, 07:33

Absolutely fantastic job. Where there is a will there is a way. Then to think this can't be done for the Olympia...

**blidgepump** · 26 Jan 12, 14:05

Originally Posted by Ken_NJ

I did post the same link to the Laffey repairs in a previous post in this thread, but not sure where among the 74 pages of this great thread!

WWII destroyer returns to S.C. after repairs - Navy News

Ken,

That is a great feature of the filmstrip styled scrolling of the Laffey maintenance work. I was not aware that feature was available on the WAB.

**Ken_NJ** · 26 Jan 12, 16:53

It's not a WAB feature, it's called GIF and has been around since 1987 from the Compuserve days. Much like picture JPG files, GIF allows you to have so called 'animations' in the compressed file. If you right-click on your dancing banana guy and select view image, you will see the file name ends in GIF. Animated Avatars are also GIF files. Cool & nifty things you can do on the internet!

More here about GIF...
Graphics Interchange Format - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[IMG]

**NavyDoc** · 26 Jan 12, 16:57

Her screws have been cut even with the bottom of her rudders and were apparently cut well before dry docking. The pictures from when she first went in show no signs of recent cutting (no burn marks on the crustaceans covering them) The closer one looks, the more one sees a straight edge was not employed!

What a shame they will never turn again!
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So, it appears it was to keep her draft somewhat out of the mud at Patriot's Point. Yorktown is already sitting in the mud, which is why they are going to repair her in place by building a coffer dam around her!

With those that experienced WW2 leaving us so quickly these days, only their ships will be left to tell the story! If we don't save as many of them as we can, that history will be lost forever! Then, are we (our children) doomed to repeat it?

**blidgepump** · 28 Jan 12, 06:21

NavyDoc, that photo of the DD's hull before cleaning is testiment enough for o/m to keep a ship afloat.
Even the rudder's show the surface pitted after sandblasting and application of a new coating system.

I didn't realize the CV was already resting in the mud.

**blidgepump** · 29 Jan 12, 18:28

The first 15-months of this thread has focused on the WW-II days of service from the Fletcher Class DD's. The Famous Little Beavers, the running gun battles of Capt Burke, the lessons learned from aerial attacks from the IJN and sailing into Japan escorting the BB Missouri for surrender.

If there is no objection, I would purpose that the next chapter of the DD's be considered by those interested and following this thread..... specifically, the "FRAM" ing of the DD's.... the era from 1945 to 1965.

**Gun Grape** · 29 Jan 12, 21:31

That will be a short chapter. Only 3 Fletchers recieved the FRAM Update. Radford (446), Jenkins(447) and Nicholas (449). The other Fletchers got designated as DEs

You can also throw in Hazelwood. She wasn't FRAMed. But had most of the same equipment. Kept her DD designation. Was the Dash prototype ship.

**Gun Grape** · 29 Jan 12, 21:41

Three views of Nicholas

As built for WW2 service.

The post war (DE) period. Where the #52 5in gun was replaced with a trainable hedgehog. The#53 was removed. The #54 was replaced with twin 40mm.

And the Fram years where the Hedgehog was replaced with Weapon Alpha. And the aft became a DASH deck. Leaving the #55 Gun.

**blidgepump** · 31 Jan 12, 01:47

Originally Posted by Gun Grape

Three views of Nicholas

As built for WW2 service.

The post war (DE) period. Where the #52 5in gun was replaced with a trainable hedgehog. The#53 was removed. The #54 was replaced with twin 40mm.

And the Fram years where the Hedgehog was replaced with Weapon Alpha. And the aft became a DASH deck. Leaving the #55 Gun.

GG, that one word says it all.....

**Gun Grape** · 31 Jan 12, 02:32

I'll do the same for Hazelwood. The Dash test ship.

WW2 standard Fletcher, before she was hit by Kamikaze, in Measure 32/6D paint scheme.

The damaged superstructure after taking a direct Kamikaze hit.

Post antiaircraft mod. With fixed hedgehog launchers in the old forward 40mm spots and a new tripod mast. Sometime in the 1950's

Dash Test ship.

Aft view of dash deck

Thread: Destroyers - Fletcher Class

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You are correct....

Straight edge.....

New feature ????

Really fouled bottom....

Moving on to the Post WW-II Era of the Fletcher's

Naked !!!!

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