Posted on 02/11/2021 7:46:52 AM PST by Onthebrink
I served on that submarine in the early 60's.
and I’ll raise you...
“Over the next four years, US shipyards would produce 2,751 Liberty Ships.”
Add that they also had to build new ship yards on both coasts and the gulf of Mexico.
Couldn’t get an Environmental Impact Statement approved for even one ship yard in that time frame today.
The Bismarck was a 50,000 ton hulking mass of awesome, that was only sank after an exhaustive chase through the north sea, and into the mid-north Atlantic where she suffered a lucky torpedo strike on her rudder, making her spin in circles.
In Bismarcks case, her size and armor plating made it almost indestructible, as it took a majority of the British fleet, hours and hours of point blank shots (turned out to be bad tactics), including multiple torpedo strikes, and they still never sank the ship. Bismarck crew scuttled her flaming husk.
I think Bismarck isn’t a good example of bigger isn’t better. My opinion.
Yep! However there were trade-offs for their use. A caustic version of their designation of CVE was "Combustible, Vulnerable, and Expendable". A RN version was sunk by a single torpedo.
Of the 151 US-Built aircraft carriers, 122 (81%) were these Escort (CVE) types (including 6 for the Royal Navy). Initial incentive was to give protection to the North Atlantic convoys, especially in the GIUK Gap (Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom) where German U-Boats roamed un-menaced. These 'Jeep' carriers, plus better anti-sub surface ships plus longer ranged land aircraft, closed that 'hole' in late 1943-44. By late 1944-45, these carriers were not just protecting but also hunting these submarines.
In the Pacific, these ships were excellent at bringing forward replacement aircraft from the US, covering smaller landings and being utility players in that theater. They did earn bloody glory though, as in the Battle off Samar (1944) where Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague's Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3") lost two CVEs, this pictured USS Gambier Bay and the USS St Lo, while holding off IJN Admiral Kurita's big gun force of the super BB Yamato and 3 smaller battleships plus 19 other warships. Taffy 3 won a Presidential Unit Citation for this action, where they lost 5 ships but cost the IJN (with other USN units) 26 ships and near 10 times the tonnage.
Same fate would have waited waited as for the Yamato and Musashi.
Sunk by aircraft and submarines.
Think Titanic.
“she suffered a lucky torpedo strike on her rudder, making her spin in circles.”
My recollection was that a WWI biplane did the job. Like you said it was a hulking mass of awesome, but like many great designs it had a fatal error, being the rudder.
I watched a TV show recently where some ship had built in directional water jets that jettisoned water much like a jet ski propulsion unit. This ship had one on both port and starboard side near the aft. It had the effect of turning the ship on a dime with little or no forward motion.
My point is, if modern warships had this (maybe they do), then they do not have to depend on a rudder.
powered by steam reciprocating engines.
Home port was Chicago. Planes from Glenview Naval Air station would fly out and practice landings and take offs. At night they would fly back to base.
We were permitted 2 naval ships of not above 100 tons in Lake Michagan.
Slide:
The treaty provided for a large demilitarization of lakes along the international boundary, where many British naval arrangements and forts remained. The treaty stipulated that the United States and British North America could each maintain one military vessel (no more than 100 tons burden) as well as one cannon (no more than eighteen pounds) on Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain. The remaining Great Lakes permitted the United States and British North America to keep two military vessels “of like burden” on the waters armed with “like force”. The treaty, and the separate Treaty of 1818, laid the basis for a demilitarized boundary between the U.S. and British North America.[2]”
“snip”
In 2004, the U.S. Coast Guard decided to arm 11 of its small cutters stationed on Lake Erie and Lake Huron with M240 7.62 mm machine guns. The U.S. decision was based on a climbing number of smuggling operations as well as the increased threat of terrorist activity after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The Canadian government decided that the armament did not violate the treaty, as the guns were to be used for law enforcement rather than military activities. Canada reserved the right to arm its law enforcement vessels with similar weapons.[4]”
Always pleasantly surpised that Freepers enjoy the same out of the ordinary ytube channels.
Anything to learn. Drachinfel’s 3 part series on the salvage of the Pearl Harbor ships was amazing.
bump for later
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.