Here ya go:
"On 8 February 1984, New Jersey fired almost 300 shells at Druze and Syrian positions in the Bekka Valley east of Beirut. Some 30 of these massive projectiles rained down on a Syrian command post, killing the general commanding Syrian forces in Lebanon and several other senior officers. This was the heaviest shore bombardment since the Korean War."
That would be 30 hits on the command post, not 1 as the author of the book you quoted states.
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...y/bb62-nj.html
(That site also contains a brief overview of the Jerseys entire battle history, which is quite an awesome read. Note also that it is the official USN site, so the 30 hits is the official USN version of events).
Here's an interesting article written by one of my local papers during the Beirut ops:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/bat...p/u121583a.htm
And another one. Note how much differently the navy spoke about the Jerseys capabilities back then:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/battleship/u122982.htm
On the Jerseys abilities as a flag:
"The last cruise of New Jersey included highlights as New Jersey flexed her muscle in several applications. First was her participation in PacEx '89, the largest peacetime naval operation since the World War II era. Throughout the rest of the cruise, New Jersey was the centerpiece of battle groups or surface action groups, exercising the battleship's versatility and flexibility. New Jersey cruised through the India Ocean and was the first to enter and operate in the Persian Gulf. On her return, she hosted the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, change of command onboard. She returned February 25, 1990."
http://www.qsl.net/bb62/njhistory_recent.html
(The Iowas were the flag ships for the new BBBG's that were formed at the time.)
"Modernization During 1981-82
Eight armored box launchers for 32 Tomahawk cruise missles
Four quadruple canister launchers for 16 Harpoon anti-ship missles
Four Vulcan/Phalanx weapon systems for aircraft/missle defense
Advanced commnications(C3I) systems, air-search radar"
http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/index.cfm?fa=facts
As far as fleet replenishment duties:
"Fuel Capacity: 2,500,000 gallons"
I'd say that makes it useful in such a role.
On the BB's abilities to be the centerpiece of SAGs:
"NEW JERSEY's next deployment was to be significant for another reason. It would be the first deployment of a battleship group since the Korean War. As centerpiece of the battle group, NEW JERSEY and her escorts operated from Hawaii to Thailand as the only United States Naval presence in that area from May to October, 1986, relieving a portion of the much-strained carrier commitment. The battleship battle group included anti-air and anti-submarine warfare capable cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and support ships. It was not intended to replace an aircraft carrier group. However, in areas of lesser enemy air and submarine threat it complemented the carriers with the great and unique fire power of its missiles and 16-inch guns. As a result of NEW JERSEY's deployment, the battleship battle group concept and the battleship modernization program were validated."
http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/index.cfm?fa=history
Janes website used to have a very detailed battle history of all four Iowas(including beirut), but it's apparently a subscriber feature now, or has been taken off the site.
Shame.
I have a lot of data on a harddrive, but it's not going to be very useful to me sitting on my desk as it currently is, lol.
"On 8 February 1984, New Jersey fired almost 300 shells at Druze and Syrian positions in the Bekka Valley east of Beirut. Some 30 of these massive projectiles rained down on a Syrian command post, killing the general commanding Syrian forces in Lebanon and several other senior officers. This was the heaviest shore bombardment since the Korean War."
That would be 30 hits on the command post, not 1 as the author of the book you quoted states.
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...y/bb62-nj.html
(That site also contains a brief overview of the Jerseys entire battle history, which is quite an awesome read. Note also that it is the official USN site, so the 30 hits is the official USN version of events).
Here's an interesting article written by one of my local papers during the Beirut ops:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/bat...p/u121583a.htm
And another one. Note how much differently the navy spoke about the Jerseys capabilities back then:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/battleship/u122982.htm
On the Jerseys abilities as a flag:
"The last cruise of New Jersey included highlights as New Jersey flexed her muscle in several applications. First was her participation in PacEx '89, the largest peacetime naval operation since the World War II era. Throughout the rest of the cruise, New Jersey was the centerpiece of battle groups or surface action groups, exercising the battleship's versatility and flexibility. New Jersey cruised through the India Ocean and was the first to enter and operate in the Persian Gulf. On her return, she hosted the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, change of command onboard. She returned February 25, 1990."
http://www.qsl.net/bb62/njhistory_recent.html
(The Iowas were the flag ships for the new BBBG's that were formed at the time.)
"Modernization During 1981-82
Eight armored box launchers for 32 Tomahawk cruise missles
Four quadruple canister launchers for 16 Harpoon anti-ship missles
Four Vulcan/Phalanx weapon systems for aircraft/missle defense
Advanced commnications(C3I) systems, air-search radar"
http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/index.cfm?fa=facts
As far as fleet replenishment duties:
"Fuel Capacity: 2,500,000 gallons"
I'd say that makes it useful in such a role.
On the BB's abilities to be the centerpiece of SAGs:
"NEW JERSEY's next deployment was to be significant for another reason. It would be the first deployment of a battleship group since the Korean War. As centerpiece of the battle group, NEW JERSEY and her escorts operated from Hawaii to Thailand as the only United States Naval presence in that area from May to October, 1986, relieving a portion of the much-strained carrier commitment. The battleship battle group included anti-air and anti-submarine warfare capable cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and support ships. It was not intended to replace an aircraft carrier group. However, in areas of lesser enemy air and submarine threat it complemented the carriers with the great and unique fire power of its missiles and 16-inch guns. As a result of NEW JERSEY's deployment, the battleship battle group concept and the battleship modernization program were validated."
http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/index.cfm?fa=history
Janes website used to have a very detailed battle history of all four Iowas(including beirut), but it's apparently a subscriber feature now, or has been taken off the site.
Shame.
I have a lot of data on a harddrive, but it's not going to be very useful to me sitting on my desk as it currently is, lol.
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