Our Islands in the Storm: Carriers as the new phalanxes.

National Review Online ^ | December 13, 2002 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Long Cut]

Thanks for the info. History, especially military and political, is one of my hobbies. Sounds like the ship would have been finished if not for Goering's territorialism. Good thing Hitler chose generals less for skill than for blind, doglike loyalty.

Guess what...I'm no longer going to the KENNEDY. Can you say, "ORD-MOD"?

[G Larry]

USS clinton....
Ummm....
a bent phalanx??

[Poohbah]

If the Germans in WWII ever constructed a CV, I never heard of it. I'll have to look that up.

They (bleeped) around with a couple of carrier designs: a CV named Graf Zeppelin, and a CVL named Seydlitz.

[Poohbah]

One wonders how the war would have gone had she ever been commissioned.

Germany would still have lost.

[Junior]

Of course they would have. And Graf Zeppelin would probably have spent the war in some fjord in Norway. But, the fun of "what if" is contemplating the outcome if, say, the carrier had accompanied Bismark and Prinz Eugen (sp?) on their dash to the Atlantic. Could the German pilots have kept the British torpedo planes at bay? Would there have been a carrier clash in the Atlantic? Would Bismark have escaped its doom and wreaked havoc among British commerce?

[backhoe]

All the more so since, come next fall or thereabouts, I will be reporting aboard the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV-67) for duty.

Best of luck, neighbor- Jacksonville's about 70 miles south of here. My wife was in the symphony there in the early 1980's.

[SamAdams76]

Even at $5 billion - or even $10 billion - our aircraft carriers are one of the greatest bargains the taxpayer has ever benefitted from. They are floating pieces of U.S. territory that can deliver awesome firepower anywhere in the world within hours. Despite all the criticism of aircraft carriers as being "sitting ducks" - we haven't lost one since WW2. And even by then, we were building them faster than any enemy could hope to sink them.

My only regret was that I never had the opportunity to serve on one during my time with the Marines.

[Junior]

My only regret was that I never had the opportunity to serve on one during my time with the Marines.

Honestly, you didn't miss anything. I served aboard IKE for four-and-a-half years; I didn't miss it one iota when I transferred off.

[SamAdams76]

Our carriers aren't the sitting ducks they are made out to be. They are surrounded by carrier groups with formidable power and defensive (as well as offensive) capabilities. Should such a long-range attack be made with cruise missiles, it is unlikely that these missiles would survive making it to the carrier. Also understand that a carrier group is usually aware of anything bigger than a rowboat within a radius of several hundred miles.

The USA is making great strides with the "Star Wars" missile defense system. You can be sure that our carriers will have such "umbrellas" of their own (if not already).

Even if a future enemy is able to take out one or two, we still have 10 others and the ability to build new ones faster than any other nation. In the meantime, we will destroy with our other assets whatever navy they have.

[P8riot]

Ike bites

USS Eisenhower 1983 - 1987 Reactor Mechanical Division

[Junior]

IKEatraz -- April 1, 1987. Paroled Sept. 25, 1991. X-4 Division (PAO).

[P8riot]

Must've passed you on the brow, just as I was leaving.

Seriously, we were onboard together for about two months. Left for the Theodore Roosevelt in June 1987.

[P8riot]

Hard to believe, but the Ike was run alot better than the other two carriers I was on (the Theodore Roosevelt and Nimitz).

[Honcho]

Damn, I almost cried reading this. What a great article.

[oyez]

Way to go!

[P8riot]

I notice you said "almost"

[denydenydeny]

Victor Davis Hanson bump.

[MattinNJ]

Incoming|||||||||| Hanson ping.

[Sparta]

Thanks for the pings denydenydeny and MattinNJ.

If you want on or off the Western Civilization Military History ping list, let me know.

[prophetic]

I've always wondered what the USS clinton would look like and if anyone would ever serve on it?? It would probably sink on it's maiden voyage anyway!

ROTFLMAO!!!