Ask An Expert- Battleships

[desertswo]

And then there is the Jarhead test

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They call away the Sanitation and Health Interdiction Team for incidents like that. You know, "S.H.I.T., S.H.I.T., S.H.I.T., S.H.I.T. in compartment 3-45-0-L, Marine Corps berthing, away the S.H.I.T. team, away. S.H.I.T. team will equip out of Repair Two. Now S.H.I.T. team."

[RustyBattleship]

Rusty, first of all, take care of yourself, because that's what really matters. Secondly, how "early" is early January. I still have plans to drive up from San Diego over the holidays to take a look at that shaft seal. Let me know what's up and I'll adjust fire accordingly.

Well, I was hoping to get together with you between Christmas and New Years. But let's see how the extra "spacers" they inject into my lower spine next week works. The first time they did it, I had to use a walker around the house. But only for one day. At least I caught up on some of the NCIS shows I missed but recorded.

[tbm3fan]

Well, I was hoping to get together with you between Christmas and New Years. But let's see how the extra "spacers" they inject into my lower spine next week works. The first time they did it, I had to use a walker around the house. But only for one day. At least I caught up on some of the NCIS shows I missed but recorded.

I sure hope it wasn't NCIS Los Angeles???

Looks like you might have a gofer come by, a Captain no less...

[RustyBattleship]

I sure hope it wasn't NCIS Los Angeles???

Looks like you might have a gofer come by, a Captain no less...

NCIS LOS ANGELES has filmed aboard the ship at least twice. The first time was when my wife went down to the ship with me to get her family pass. But with the filming going on (with a search dog as well) we didn't have a spare crewman to hold the other end of my tape measure while I inspected the after head of how to split it into women's on one side and men's on the other. So they made my wife a crew member and she was extremely helpful. She found two spots where one could have a diaper changing station installed, where to put as many lavatories (wash basins) as possible, etc.

As of yesterday THE AFTER HEADS ARE OPEN AND FULLY FUNCTIONAL. Thanks to NCIS Los Angeles allowing my wife to become not just a "guest" crew member but a WORKING crew member.

[bbvet]

Wasn't it George Dewey who said "Damn the torpedoes - full speed to the Head?" :red:

[RustyBattleship]

Wasn't it George Dewey who said "Damn the torpedoes - full speed to the Head?" :red:

Yes, it was Admiral Dewey who ordered that to Gridley during the battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War.

Dewey knew where all the torpedoes were anchored. Umm a little history lesson here. Today we call anchored but bouyant explosive weapons MINES. But in those days they were called TORPEDOES.

Dewey's knowledge of their location is due to thanks of the British Navy. The English never got along with Spain too well anyway and though they claimed a Neutral status, they provided the US Navy with highly accurate charts of all Spanish ports, locations of all Spanish warships and (in the case of Manila Bay) charts of the Minefields - er - anchored torpedoes.

So when Dewey ordered his fleet to do something like a cavalry charge to get into the best combat positions as fast as possible, Gridley signaled an objection because of the possibility of hitting torpedoes (mines). He didn't know that Dewey was given an accurate diagram of where all the mines were from the British.

Dewey didn't want to take the time to produce copies of the torpedoe locations and present them to every ship's Captain. Time was of the essense as the Spanish Fleet was gathering their ships in the Bay to later deploy them in better battle positions. Therefore, Dewey hastefully responded, "Damn the torpedoes Gridley. Full speed ahead."

[desertswo]

Yes, it was Admiral Dewey who ordered that to Gridley during the battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War.

Dewey knew where all the torpedoes were anchored. Umm a little history lesson here. Today we call anchored but bouyant explosive weapons MINES. But in those days they were called TORPEDOES.

Dewey's knowledge of their location is due to thanks of the British Navy. The English never got along with Spain too well anyway and though they claimed a Neutral status, they provided the US Navy with highly accurate charts of all Spanish ports, locations of all Spanish warships and (in the case of Manila Bay) charts of the Minefields - er - anchored torpedoes.

So when Dewey ordered his fleet to do something like a cavalry charge to get into the best combat positions as fast as possible, Gridley signaled an objection because of the possibility of hitting torpedoes (mines). He didn't know that Dewey was given an accurate diagram of where all the mines were from the British.

Dewey didn't want to take the time to produce copies of the torpedoe locations and present them to every ship's Captain. Time was of the essense as the Spanish Fleet was gathering their ships in the Bay to later deploy them in better battle positions. Therefore, Dewey hastefully responded, "Damn the torpedoes Gridley. Full speed ahead.

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, I will stipulate to the superior knowledge gained from experience about armor and such, but ya'all need to stick to your day jobs.:slap: Having been Chief Engineer in USS Gridley (CG 21), the famous, and really rather prosaic quote attributed to Commodore Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay was, "You may fire when you are ready Gridley." Gridley being the surname of the CO of USS Olympia.

"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead," may, or may not have been uttered by David Glasgow Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay, after the Monitor Tecumseh struck a mine, or "torpedo" as they were then known, and sank, causing other ships in the van to slow . . . which pissed Farragut off, hence the famous words. I used to pass the wreck of Tecumseh abreast Dauphin Island every time I took the frigate to sea, or returned to Mobile. Just sayin'. ;)

[bbvet]

And wouldn't a complete TECUMSEH be the perfect Civil War ironclad to be raised, renovated, and displayed (more so than the millions having been spent on preserving the MONITOR Turret) if it weren't for one important fact...Any takers?

FYI - My Dewey MISquote was obviously missed by all...

[desertswo]

And wouldn't a complete TECUMSEH be the perfect Civil War ironclad to be raised, renovated, and displayed (more so than the millions having been spent on preserving the MONITOR Turret) if it weren't for one important fact...Any takers?

FYI - My Dewey MISquote was obviously missed by all...

Oh no, I got the joke. I just alerted on the historical error is all, and it took precedence. It used to be my job for ten years after I retired and old habits are hard to break. We used to render honors to Tecumseh every time we passed by. All you can see from the surface is the buoy that marks her spot so that no one runs over it.

[bbvet]

SWO wrote:

Oh no, I got the joke. I just alerted on the historical error is all, and it took precedence. It used to be my job for ten years after I retired and old habits are hard to break. We used to render honors to Tecumseh every time we passed by. All you can see from the surface is the buoy that marks her spot so that no one runs over it.

Ah, yes...but, no one has answered the question re. why TECUMSAH has never been raised as I threw out there in my original post. Hint - in actuality, I had never given it much thought until I was speaking with one of the leading experts working on MONITOR's turret restoration after her address at the 2013 NRG Conference in Charleston, SC and I brought up the subject of TECUMSAH.

[desertswo]

SWO wrote:

Ah, yes...but, no one has answered the question re. why TECUMSAH has never been raised as I threw out there in my original post. Hint - in actuality, I had never given it much thought until I was speaking with one of the leading experts working on MONITOR's turret restoration after her address at the 2013 NRG Conference in Charleston, SC and I brought up the subject of TECUMSAH.

It's a grave in which USN sailors are entombed, which is why we rendered her honors. It would be like raising Arizona. Just not done.

[bbvet]

SWO Wrote:

It's a grave in which USN sailors are entombed, which is why we rendered her honors. It would be like raising Arizona. Just not done.

Exactly!!! And, unfortunately for Pearl Harbor due to that time honored tradition, the collapse of ARIZONA's hull upon itself will be an environmental disaster releasing thousands of gallons of bunker oil unless steps now are taken to alleviate that impending situation. Personally, I think the obvious can (and should) be done with minimal invasion of those entombed within.

[desertswo]

SWO Wrote:


Exactly!!! And, unfortunately for Pearl Harbor due to that time honored tradition, the collapse of ARIZONA's hull upon itself will be an environmental disaster releasing thousands of gallons of bunker oil unless steps now are taken to alleviate that impending situation. Personally, I think the obvious can (and should) be done with minimal invasion of those entombed within.

I'm not disagreeing with your basic argument, but just for the sake of some context here, there are disasters and disasters. How many tankers, oilers, cargo ships, and warships were sunk during WWII with full fuel loads and in the case of tankers and oilers, full cargo tanks? I don't even want to hazard a guess, but the sea survived to some degree, yes? We do need to do something about Arizona's bunker stores, but should leaks, greater than those that already exist (and there are a bunch of those) occur, it just may not be the end of the world either. Oil spill containment is something we all learn these days in the Navy, and between DFM or JP-5 and bunker crude, I'll take the crude.

[bbvet]

SWO Wrote:

I'm not disagreeing with your basic argument, but just for the sake of some context here, there are disasters and disasters. How many tankers, oilers, cargo ships, and warships were sunk during WWII with full fuel loads and in the case of tankers and oilers, full cargo tanks? I don't even want to hazard a guess, but the sea survived to some degree, yes? We do need to do something about Arizona's bunker stores, but should leaks, greater than those that already exist (and there are a bunch of those) occur, it just may not be the end of the world either. Oil spill containment is something we all learn these days in the Navy, and between DFM or JP-5 and bunker crude, I'll take the crude.

Agreed/Understood - but, thinking of the Exxon Valdese spill in the Prince George Sound and its lingering effects, the ARIZONA situation could only prove to be a worse case scenario given the way the public perceives things today and the 'BLAME' that would be placed on the Navy for not handling this in a proper fashion PRIOR to the actual spill occurring and its aftermath. I would rather that things be done now when they can be to alleviate the potential situation that will occur. This, of course, will occur in sight and in full news coverage (to be sure) for all to witness; whereas, those fully laden tankers that went down in WWII were, for the most part, unseen by the public - and, a public not so entrenched in the knee-jerk politics of today.

[desertswo]

SWO Wrote:

Agreed/Understood - but, thinking of the Exxon Valdese spill in the Prince George Sound and its lingering effects, the ARIZONA situation could only prove to be a worse case scenario given the way the public perceives things today and the 'BLAME' that would be placed on the Navy for not handling this in a proper fashion PRIOR to the actual spill occurring and its aftermath. I would rather that things be done now when they can be to alleviate the potential situation that will occur. This, of course, will occur in sight and in full news coverage (to be sure) for all to witness; whereas, those fully laden tankers that went down in WWII were, for the most part, unseen by the public - and, a public not so entrenched in the knee-jerk politics of today.

Fortunately, that oil is in something like 200 tanks spread all over the ship and across four decks. They will not all "collapse" at once. Seriously, the cheapest, and safest in terms of safety of the operation, most especially for divers, is to maintain the boom around her that already exists, and the sweep gear standing by. There is a Coast Guard Strike Team there to do just that. Once one or even a few tanks collapse, the problem can be maintained and vacuumed up. Then you wait for the next one. This show isn't going to be over, if ever, for another 100 years or more.