Destroyers - Fletcher Class

[blidgepump]

USS Salem, 139

Side trip to the USS Salem this morning.
Needle guns and primer are the order of the day before weather moves in. Many photos to follow. A small 😃 this morning, I was approahed by one of the docents to inquired if I was one on the contractors to help move the ship to its new berth.

[SlaterDoc]

Sorry that I did not clean out my inbox!
You are getting to the CS tomorrow at ??

[DonBelt]

Keep your eyes open- there was a B-29 flying around here this morning. "Fifi" was at Nashua airport from the 8th until tomorrow and has been making flights around the area.
The last time I saw the Salem she was in need of some upkeep. I wonder if her location doesn't work against her in terms of visitation?

[blidgepump]

Steve is picking me up at 0700 hrs. Plan is to spend the day in the naval yard...

[blidgepump]

500 + pictures added today... It will take a little time to organize the Salem pictures...

[blidgepump]

Bravo Zulu ......

500 + pictures added today... It will take a little time to organize the Salem pictures...

A brief update of today's 6 1/2 hour inspection of the USS CASSIN YOUNG.
My utmost appreciation to Navy Doc for connecting me with "Steve" !!
Over 830 + photos of the "best Fletcher - DD afloat were collected in today's visit".
I say this with no disrespect to the USS KIDD or the USS THE SULLIVANS.

Over the previous 6-years reading, questioning &touring all three (3) DD's, the CY is the best equipped, best maintained, best organized... based on my personal observations. Bravo Zulu !
It will take several days to organize the material collected for presentation ... so stay tuned.

[blidgepump]

Uss cassin young ....

Back home from Charlestown and downloading the SD Cards to the hard drive.
1350 pictures with 4.4 gig of memory burned thus far.
Should be enough material to generate some fresh interest in the thread using imagines of a Fletcher-DD.
If not would someone please reach for this PFD and fling it my direction .....

[blidgepump]

The teaser of things to follow ...

A pun of sorts as the 6 1/2 hours spent crawling over almost every inch of the Cassin Young was a great opportunity to explore and compare this Fletcher Class-DD with two previous DD's ( the Kidd & THE Sullivans). I'm exhausted but as I build my strength back ( and clear my desk, too) many interesting photos will follow.

[tbm3fan]

Tease...

[blidgepump]

Starting with a bang ....

Each morning the U. S. Navy fires a ceremonial cannon at the former Boston Naval Yard 0800 hours and 1700 hours.
On the morning on my visit the civilian staff surprised me with the honor of hoisting the colors on the USS Cassin Young.
It was one of many surprises in store for me during the daylong tour of this Fletcher Class-DD docked next to the USS Constitution.

[blidgepump]

A Fletcher for all seasons ....

The Cassin Young DD-793 berthed in Charlestown Navy Yard, part of Boston National Historical Park, is a destroyer that battled Japanese kamikaze aircraft several times. After the end of World War II, Cassin Young was decommissioned in May 1946. When the Korean War started, many destroyers including Cassin Young were called back into service. After being recommissioned in September 1951, the destroyer continued its service throughout the 1950s until being decommissioned for the final time in April 1960. The National Park Service acquired Cassin Young in 1978, and the destroyer was opened up to the public as a museum ship in 1981 after undergoing an overhaul. Recently the destroyer was is drydock to have its hull double plated. As the DD is a National Historic place, it awaits more funding to complete additional restoration.

[blidgepump]

Lines doubled up ....

While the Cassin Young is under the control of the NPS, the volunteers were obvious the strength of the ship.
Before boarding I walked the dock for the obvious maintenance items and noted the "blue lines".
The synthetic lines may prove superior over time ??? but the real value was the donation of the material and that is import important even if not authentic!!!

Compare the lines of the CS to "The Sullivans" in the following illustration .....

[blidgepump]

Fletcher class - DD date in history ...

"Fifty-two years ago on June 19, 1964, the USS KIDD (DD-661) was decommissioned for the final time and retired from active service in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard with Lieutenant Commander Porter Eugene May, USN, as her final commanding officer. She is seen here sometime in early 1964. Photo is courtesy of NavSource.org and was contributed to NavSource by Ed Zajkowski"

[blidgepump]

Well connected .....

AS the USS Cassin Young is on the National Historical Register and under the control of the NPS I noted some different and unique differences of how the CS is maintained.
A case in point are the Sacrificial Anodes! There are hull mounted anodes as viewed in the pictures, but there is also a shore mounted station for cathodic protection.

[DonBelt]

She needed it. I saw her when she was drydocked a few years ago and her hull was fouled pretty bad. It's lucky she has the drydock right there. I haven't been out to see her in a few years, but I'm glad she's in good shape now.