Destroyers - Fletcher Class

[Boilermaker9]

Also on the CV the spaces are larger. I the DD everything is crammed in to tiny spaces. On my ship the engineers thought it a fine idea to put all the drain and warm up valves in one place. That is except for one problem how to access the valve when the packing started leaking!!!! We called these things Christmas Trees". Once they started to leak one could not access the valve to repair it as they were all welded to the respective system lines. So the packing leaked until we had an availability and an HP welder could remove the old one and install a new one. Not sure about the engineering thinking of the time!

[Boilermaker9]

WWII Desron 23 History / operation history and the story of Little Beaver” — companion to the title character in The Adventures of Red Ryder, 1938–1964 newspaper comic strip by Fred Harman. Subject of 27 feature films and, later, television programs. Adopted by Capt. Burke as an insignia for the squadron after viewing torpedoman James Bowler’s artwork decorating Claxton’s torpedo tubes, 25 October 1943. Sources: Jones, Pratt, DesRon 23, Tom Clyce, USS Claxton.

In February 1946, the squadron was deactivated and the ships placed in mothballs at Charleston, South Carolina. Braine recommissioned in 1951 and served as flagship of DesRon 21 before being sold to Argentina in 1971; Converse was sold to Spain in 1959; Charles Ausburne, Claxton and Dyson were sold to the German Bundesmarine in 1959–60.
DesRon 23 was reactivated in 1956, initially with the Fletcher-class Stephen Potter (flagship), Picking, Irwin, and Preston. It remains active today.

Didn't the Little Beavers become the Pineapple Fleet in Pearl or do I have it wrong? in the 60's I was working as a boilermaker on Bryce Canyon we serviced some reserve tin cans that were called the Pineapple Fleet but had the Little Beaver insignia painted on the fwd stacks. Back in those days before any of the 450,692, or 710's got underway for a deployment we were required to remove an RA tube from each boiler and send the sample to Navsess (NBTL) in Philadelphia. this to insure the boilers were in serviceable shape. FYI most were serviceable!

[Albany Rifles]

Also on the CV the spaces are larger. I the DD everything is crammed in to tiny spaces. On my ship the engineers thought it a fine idea to put all the drain and warm up valves in one place. That is except for one problem how to access the valve when the packing started leaking!!!! We called these things Christmas Trees". Once they started to leak one could not access the valve to repair it as they were all welded to the respective system lines. So the packing leaked until we had an availability and an HP welder could remove the old one and install a new one. Not sure about the engineering thinking of the time!

This reminds me of a story my dad told me. As some of you have heard me say he was a Fireman 1st Class on the USS Cabot, CVL-28, and Independence Class light carrier. Was in TF 38/58 from AUG 44 - SEP 45. Spent a lot of time in the engineering spaces as you would imagine. He served as Oil King and was the Throttleman at Battle Stations. From OCT 45 - APR 46 he was assigned to Philly Navy Yard to work on the mothballing the fleet. While there he got to go aboard the Prinz Eugen after it was captured. He marveled at how much more modern looking the engineering spaces appeared aboard her as compared to what he saw on the Cabot. Your story reminded me of some of those things...

[blidgepump]

Asbestos......

When these ships were built nearly all insulation was of asbestos. which to me that image shows. I believe this is why some museums have difficulty opening up spaces.....the lagging and insulation must be removed or incapsulated to protect the public. I know the Navy started an asbestos removal program however it became cost prohibitive so they began incapsulating it.

Yes sir, the asbestos issue has been the one limiting factor in touring museum ships.
Of the three Fletchers on display in the US of A, the Kidd remains the only one that I've not been able to perform a full inspection.
But... I trying to get off the "hot seat" and add that the engine and boiler rooms to the Tri-fecta card.

[Builder 2010]

Owning the Sumrall Iowa Book and using it extensively in building my Missouri model, I can image how good the Fletcher book is. I put it on my Amazon wish list.

[JCT]

Yes sir, the asbestos issue has been the one limiting factor in touring museum ships.
Of the three Fletchers on display in the US of A, the Kidd remains the only one that I've not been able to perform a full inspection.
But... I trying to get off the "hot seat" and add that the engine and boiler rooms to the Tri-fecta card.

I thought the heads in some of those old WWII era Quonset huts still used on Camp Pendleton were bad - the crappers were all in a row with no partition between them. At least there was some space between then and you weren't quite rubbing elbows with your neighbors!

[Gun Grape]

A quick read for those Fletcher DD fans is Dave McComb's book addressing WWII destroyers 1942-45.
Besides the war time crisis for more DD's in the Pacific it offers a review of development of the DD.

For the modeler, or detailed oriented folks the following books and web site are much help

Shipcraft #8 Fletcher class DDs- Lester Abby

Anatomy of the Ship The Destroyer The Sullivans- Al Ross

The Floating Drydocks Warship Data #1 USS Kidd

3 great photo books with lots of detailed photos of areas you normally don"t see

Classic Warships #31 USS Buchannon
Classic Warships #42 Round Bridge Fletchers
Classic Warships #45 Square Bridge Fletchers

All 3 by Steve Wiper. Any of you who have been on the Ship Models Forum know the name. I think the guy lives at NARA looking for pics.

And the 2 web sites

Historic Naval Ships Association HNSA.org Has booklets of general plans and many pamplets of various weapons in the Resources/manuals and documents section.

Snyder and Shorts Shipcamouflage.com Will tell you what camouflage scheme just about every US ship was painted during WW2.

[bbvet]

All of those books mentioned above are excellent reference materials for building a FLETCHER class DD.

But....you missed the Holy Grail of reference details for a FLETCHER class modeler - The Floating Drydock FLETCHER Class DD Plan Book. This is to DD modelers what their Plan Book USS MISSIOURI is for IOWA class modelers. While it is no longer available in print, it IS available as an EPlan Book.

Don't leave home without it!!!

[Boilermaker9]

All of those books mentioned above are excellent reference materials for building a FLETCHER class DD.

But....you missed the Holy Grail of reference details for a FLETCHER class modeler - The Floating Drydock FLETCHER Class DD Plan Book. This is to DD modelers what their Plan Book USS MISSIOURI is for IOWA class modelers. While it is no longer available in print, it IS available as an EPlan Book.

Don't leave home without it!!!

these are great reference material for the model builder and for general interest! Another site I found.. http://destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/0%5Fallnum/ ... this site uses to have the construction Plans from Bath Iron Works, however sad to report that the gentlemen passed on a couple of years ago and I have not been able to locate them anywhere else. However this site has official photos of the Fletchers! Does anyone else know where the Bath Iron Works plans may be found? Without navigating the National Archives?

[Gun Grape]

HSNA.org has a copy of DD-502 – USS Sigsbee – Booklet of General Plans, 1944, Fletcher Class if that helps.

http://www.hnsa.org/wp-content/uploa...4/08/dd502.pdf

[bbvet]

BM9 Wrote:

these are great reference material for the model builder and for general interest! Another site I found.. http://destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/0%5Fallnum/ ... this site uses to have the construction Plans from Bath Iron Works, however sad to report that the gentlemen passed on a couple of years ago and I have not been able to locate them anywhere else. However this site has official photos of the Fletchers! Does anyone else know where the Bath Iron Works plans may be found? Without navigating the National Archives?

Yes, and his widow donated those CD masters to the National Association of Destroyer Veterans (what used to be Tin Can Sailors - I've been a member since the 1970s) and they can't seem to figure out what to do with them to make them available to the public. I also would love to have a set of those blueprints. BoGPs are fine, but most of them now are photocopies that are skewed, out of shape and totally useless for scaling unless you can find a set of originals (EBay, for example). I was at NARA II last spring for a week researching both the FLETCHER class and IOWA class but did not have time to make scans of the FLETCHER material - I am wishing I had had another week to spend there.

Hope this helps,

Hank

[Boilermaker9]

Thanks Hank I will give them a try!

[blidgepump]

Rolling & sloshing, too ......

I thought the heads in some of those old WWII era Quonset huts still used on Camp Pendleton were bad - the crappers were all in a row with no partition between them. At least there was some space between then and you weren't quite rubbing elbows with your neighbors!

Camp Pendleton is on solid ground... the rolling and sloshing and sea surging about while pausing to sit and reflect aboard a DD .... oh the appreciation for the private privy back home on the farm!

[bbvet]

BP Wrote:

the rolling and sloshing and sea surging about while pausing to sit and reflect aboard a DD .... oh the appreciation for the private privy back home on the farm!

And keep in mind that the flushing is with SALT water, not fresh water. The Bidet has nothing on a line of crappers in a head all occupied at the same time - it's quite the FRESH experience, to be sure!

[Boilermaker9]

Battleship engines because of their size and shp they were shoe horned in to the space and the throttle board is along side as opposed to the front of the engine. I also believe there is a generator with switch gear in that space. I am not sure if the battleship engines had a crushing set of wheels or not. If not that would account for the 2 valve wheelers on the board as opposed to the three on the other.