US Navy « Shipwreckology

Archives For November 30, 1999

Museum Ship Monday – LST 393

September 24, 2012 — Leave a comment

Photo: US Navy

World War 2 saw the perfection of modern amphibious operations with successful landings in North Africa, Italy, Normandy and throughout the Pacific contributing to the demise of the Axis Powers. Among the innovations which made these operations successful was the Landing Ship, Tank (LST). LSTs were designed with massive bow doors and a bow ramp that enabled Allied forces to deliver tanks, half-tracks, deuce and a halfs and other vehicles directly to the beachhead. After disgorging their cargo, the LST’s crew could use a winch system to extricate the ship from the beachhead and return to port for another load. Of the 1,051 LSTs produced for Allied naval forces, most were scrapped or converted to use as merchant vessels after the war while a few saw service through the Vietnam War. One even served as a produce carrier for Los Angeles Mafioso Jack Dragna, hauling bananas between Latin America and California.

LST 393, one of only 2 surviving LSTs, now serves as a museum ship in Muskegon, Michigan. The ship delivered 9,000+ troops and 3,248 vehicles to the beaches of Salerno, Sicily, and Normandy. Following her wartime service, LST 393 was renamed M/V Highway 16 and plied the Great Lakes as an automobile carrier for decades. In 2000, a group began restoring the ship as a memorial to the officers and crew who served aboard these important vessels. The ship is open for tours and can be rented for special occasions. More information can be found at the ship’s website: http://www.lst393.org/

In 20th Century, 21st Century, Merchant Vessels, Museum Ships, Royal Navy, US Navy, Warships

“I have not yet begun to fight!”

September 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

Battle of Flamborough Head
Photo: US Navy, Painting by Thomas Mitchell

One of the most famous battles in the US Navy’s history occurred 233 years ago today on September 23, 1779. Captain John Paul Jones and his converted East Indiaman USS Bonhomme Richard along with USS Alliance attacked a British convoy protected by HMS Serapis and Countess of Scarborough. In what became known as the Battle of Flamborough Head, Jones and his crew engaged the Serapis in a ship-to-ship duel. Captain Pearson of the Serapis demanded Jones’ surrender and in reply he uttered the now famous words, “I have not yet begun to fight.”

Though outgunned, Jones’ superior fighting skills carried the day and the Serapis eventually struck its colors. Despite having defeated the British forces (Countess of Scarborough struck her colors as well), the Bonhomme Richard sank the next morning and Jones transferred his flag to the Serapis. Jones’ victory was not the last in which an American naval force engaged British forces while penning a famous phrase.

The wreck of the Bonhomme Richard is considered one of the crown jewels of shipwrecks and has been the subject of several discovery expeditions. Unfortunately none have been able to locate the wreck and its final resting place off Flamborough Head remains a mystery. John Paul Jones is considered the father of the American Navy and his words “I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast for I intend to go in harm’s way” are just as famous in naval circles as “I have not yet begun to fight.” Sadly, Jones never held a significant sea command in the US Navy after the Battle of Flamborough Head and died an Admiral in the Russian Navy.

In 18th Century, American Shipwrecks, North Sea, Royal Navy, UK Shipwrecks, US Navy, Warships

US Navy to Commission Second Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship

September 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

USS Forth Worth during sea trials
Photo: US Navy

Tomorrow the US Navy is set to christen the USS Fort Worth in Galveston, Texas. The Fort Worth is the second vessel of Lockheed Martin’s Freedom class Littoral Combat Ships which are designed to operate in a multi-mission role in shallow waters. The Littoral Combat Ship was first devised in the 1990s when the US Navy recognized the need for a multi-purpose vessel to operate in the littoral zone where either deeper draft vessels couldn’t operate or the dangers of the zone (i.e. missile boats, mines, shore launched missiles, etc.) prohibited the exposure of more expensive ships. After the solicitation of various proposals, two designs were chosen for production – Lockheed Martin’s conventional Freedom-class and General Dynamics/Austal’s trimaran Independence class. Despite cost-overruns and serious criticism, the program has forged ahead and, for good or bad, the ships are entering service.

The Freedom class variant utilizes a conventional monohull and Lockheed Martin was assisted in its design by veritable naval architecture firm Gibbs & Cox. Gibbs & Cox, founded by America’s greatest naval architect, has designed more than 60% of the US Navy’s surface ships as well as ships for 15 other world navies. Among the Freedom-class’ notable features is its jet propulsion system which allows it to reach speeds of 40 knots/hour, its 12.8 foot draft which enables it to operate in shallower water than most US Navy vessels, the ability to launch and recover watercraft while underway and its 40% re-configurable space.

Freedom class LCS Diagram

The LCS ships are intended to fulfill the roles previously performed by Oliver Hazard Perry guided missile frigates, MCM Avenger class mine countermeasure vessels and Osprey class coastal mine hunters. In order to perform to possess this flexibility, the ship and its crew must rely on interchangeable mission modules that are installed based on mission needs. These plug and play modules include an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) module, surface warfare module, and mine countermeasures module. The ship can also be configured to support special operations.

The thinking behind the modules is that if the Iranians mine the Straits of Hormuz, then the ship’s mine countermeasure module is quickly swapped in (projected time is a couple days) and the ship deployed to sweep the Strait clean. Discounting the fact that much of the mission modules’ substance has yet to be created, this is where the biggest criticism of the ships come into play. As any military officer will attest, you fight with what you’ve got on the battlefield. An LCS outfitted with its surface warfare module is largely ineffective against a diesel submarine strike. Unfortunately, “time out I’ve got to go change modules before we can fight” will never work on the battlefield. Ultimately, the Navy’s LCS fleet will most likely spend most of its time equipped with a single module and 3 or more LCS kept on station to perform dedicated roles. For a more detailed discussion of the LCS’ origins see here.

In 21st Century, US Navy, Warships

Arrgh – International Talk Like a Pirate Day

September 19, 2012 — Leave a comment

CC Image Pirated From Scott Vandehey on Flickr

To recognize International Talk Like a Pirate Day, here are a few piratical items of note…

Captain Morgan, the Diageo owned rum distiller, funded excavations at the site of the real Admiral Morgan’s shipwreck this summer. No word if any rum has been found aboard the wreck or if the salvage crew were cited for operating an ROV under the influence.

Excavations continue on both Captain Sam Bellamy’s Whydah and Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge. Artifacts from both wrecks can be viewed at their respective museums in Provincetown, Massachusetts and Beaufort, North Carolina.

According to the Maritime Executive, there were 17 pirate attacks just last month. This month, pirates even fired upon an Italian naval helicopter. A map of pirate attacks in 2012 can be viewed here.

Last year, 35 people lost their lives while being held hostage by Somali pirates. As of August 30, there were 11 vessels and 188 hostages being held by Somali pirates. In addition to the human costs of piracy, experts estimate that the financial costs of piracy was around $6.6 – 6.9 billion in 2011 alone.

Piracy along the coast of Somalia has become such a problem that one of the primary reasons for the 2007 creation of the US’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) was the fighting of piracy. It’s rumored that the servicemen of AFRICOM will star in Disney’s upcoming film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Somali Tides.

In 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century, American Shipwrecks, Indian Ocean, Royal Navy, Treasure Hunting, US Navy, Warships

Book Review – War on the Waters

September 19, 2012 — Leave a comment

Pulitzer Prize winning author James M. McPherson’s latest book, War on the Waters, is a concise naval history of the American Civil War. Most authors and historians focus on the great generals (Lee, Jackson, Grant, Sherman, etc.) or the great battles (Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Shiloh etc.) and often ignore the vital role the navies played in the conflict both on the rivers of the western Confederacy and the high seas. Entire books have been written on various aspects of the naval war – riverine warfare in the west, blockade running, Confederate merchant raiders, foreign intrigue in Europe and the innovations that made their debut in the conflict. McPherson neatly summarizes each of these topics and arranges them in easily digestible chapters that proceed in chronological order.

McPherson’s organization and writing style allow both the uninitiated reader and the Civil War buff to understand the ebb and flow of the conflict and the various personalities, events and inventions that influenced the war. Perhaps most importantly, McPherson accompanies his chapters with strategic or tactical level maps that enable the reader to understand the events which occur in the chapter. McPherson understands the unwritten rule that the inclusion of a relevant map is worth multiple pages of text in helping a reader establish an awareness of the events being described. Along with the maps, various etchings and photos accompany each chapter and neither maps nor illustrations are confined to a few pages in the center or the beginning of the book. This allows the reader to visually grasp the crux of each chapter and makes both the maps and the illustrations more relevant to the narrative being told.

Overall, War on the Waters is a fantastic single volume history of the Civil War’s naval history. McPherson hits all of the highlights of the Civil War – CSS Virginia vs. USS Monitor, blockade running, William B. Cushing’s daring raid on the CSS Albemarle, and the first successful attack by a submarine – in only 225 pages. War on the Waters is a welcome addition to the naval literature of the Civil War and will be enjoyed by anyone interested in American history, naval history or the Civil War.

In 19th Century, American Shipwrecks, Atlantic Ocean, Book Reviews, Civil War Shipwrecks, Gulf of Mexico, Indian Ocean, Inland Seas, Merchant Raiders, Merchant Vessels, Pacific Ocean, Polar Regions, Riverine, US Navy, Warships

Museum Ship Monday – USS Batfish

September 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

Photo: US Navy

One wouldn’t expect to find a museum ship in Oklahoma, much less an American World War 2 submarine, but the USS Batfish has made its final resting place in Muskogee, Oklahoma just southeast of Tulsa. The Batfish, a Balao class submarine, was commissioned on August 21, 1943 and made 7 war patrols during the course of World War 2. She is officially credited with sinking 6 Japanese ships, however, her ship’s crew claimed 15 ships sunk and such discrepancies are not uncommon. Among those 6 ships were 3 Japanese submarines, granting Batfish entry into the exclusive fraternity of submarines that have sent other submarines to the bottom. The Batfish and her crew earned a Presidential Unit Citation, 10 Bronze Stars, 4 Silver Stars and a Navy Cross for their actions in World War 2.

Following World War 2, the Batfish served as a training vessel in the Pacific Fleet and was decommissioned in 1969. In 1973, after much political wrangling by various parties, the Batfish made her final voyage up the Arkansas River to Muskogee where she now continues her service, this time as a museum and memorial to the valiant submariners who perished defending liberty and freedom in World War 2. The ship is open to visitors from March to November.

In 20th Century, American Shipwrecks, Museum Ships, Riverine, US Navy, Warships, WWII

“We have met the enemy and they are ours”

September 10, 2012 — 2 Comments

CC Image courtesy of Archives de la Ville de Montreal on Flickr

Today marks the 199th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie fought between American and British forces for control of the Great Lakes region on September 10, 1813. After British forces captured Detroit, MI, American military planners decided to build a small fleet near Presque Isle to wrest back control of Lake Erie and allow the recapture of Detroit. A force of 9 ships were quickly hewn from local forests and Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry sent to take command of the force.

On the morning of September 10, 1813, 6 ships under the command of Royal Navy Commander Robert Heriot Barclay moved to sweep the American force from the lake. While outnumbered 6 to 9, the Royal Navy squadron possessed more cannons (63) than the Americans (54) and the British cannons had a longer range than the Americans which had primarily equipped their ship with close-range carronades.

In a tribute to Captain James Lawrence who had lost his life aboard the USS Chesapeake earlier that year, Perry’s battle flag stated “Don’t Give Up the Ship.” At the outset of the battle, Barclay’s squadron had the advantage over the American vessels as possession of the weather gauge allowed his ships to outmaneuver the Americans and use their longer range fire power to pound the Americans. The British used their advantage to batter Perry’s flagship USS Lawrence into a hulking wreck, but undeterred, Perry transferred his flag from the Lawrence to the USS Niagara where he continued the action. Perry’s fleet had not let the British escape unscathed, though, as Commander Barclay and several of his officers had been wounded, putting command of the ships in the hands of less experienced officers. The British attempted to wear-to in order to bring their opposite broadsides to bear on Perry’s bruised fleet, but miscommunication and poor seamanship caused two of the British vessels to collide. Perry then split the British column, a maneuver even more deadly than “crossing the T,” allowing his ships to pour fire from both broadsides into the British squadron. This effective maneuver by Perry and his squadron devastated the British ships and one by one the squadron surrendered, giving Perry and his squadron the greatest American naval victory of the War of 1812.

Perry’s victory at the Battle of Lake Erie opened the door for an American invasion of Canada and the recapture of Detroit. It also was the first time an entire British squadron had surrendered in battle. Oliver Hazard Perry became an overnight American hero and his notification of victory, “We have met the enemy and they are ours,” has been forever written in American naval history. More than half a dozen ships, including a class of modern-day frigates, have been named in his honor and the latest ship to bear his name is currently under construction in Perry’s home state of Rhode Island.

In 19th Century, American Shipwrecks, Canadian Shipwrecks, Inland Seas, Royal Navy, US Navy, Warships

September 5, 1923 – US Planes Sink 2 Battleships off Virginia Coast in Bombing Test

September 5, 2012 — Leave a comment

89 years ago today, air power advocate General Billy Mitchell sank the battleships USS New Jersey and USS Virginia in his third demonstration of the potential of air power in naval warfare. General Mitchell proved that only a handful of bombers and airmen could render impotent 2 former crown jewels of the US Navy.

Two years earlier, in July of 1921, General Mitchell had successfully sunk the former German dreadnought SMS Ostfriesland and vindicated his theory that precision bombing could sink naval vessels. General Mitchell followed up several months later with further tests on the USS Alabama. While tactical bombing had been performed on both sea and land during World War I, no naval vessel had yet fallen prey to air power until Mitchell’s successful tests off the Virginia coast.

After World War I, General Mitchell returned to the US convinced that air power could fundamentally change the way naval warfare was waged. Facing opponents both within the military and in the halls of Congress, Mitchell’s tests on the Alabama, New Jersey, Ostfriesland and Virginia helped pave the way for the age of the aircraft carrier and the obsolescence of the big-gun battleship. General Mitchell was later court-martialed for statements he made about the competence of certain Army commanders. Although Mitchell passed away prior to World War II, his foresight proved prescient as numerous battleships succumbed to air power during the war, most notably HMS Prince of Wales & HMS Renown and the Japanese super-battleship Yamato. The North American B-25 Mitchell bomber was named for General Mitchell – 16 of which would later be launched from the USS Hornet in the Doolittle Raid against the Japanese home islands in 1942.

In 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, German Shipwrecks, US Navy, Warships, WWI, WWII

US Navy’s First Joint High Speed Vessel Completes Acceptance Trials

August 31, 2012 — 1 Comment

Joint High Speed Vessel Concept Rendering

Despite Hurricane Isaac disrupting Austal’s Mobile, AL shipyard operations for two days, the USNS Spearhead has now completed its performance and acceptance trials for the US Navy. Successful completion of the trials means the Navy should soon be accepting the first of 9 Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) into service. The second ship in its class, USNS Vigilant, is set to be christened September 15th.

The JHSVs were designed to act as fast transports for deploying US servicemen throughout the world in support of combat and humanitarian missions. Austal, the winner of the Navy contract for design and construction of the vessels, drew upon its experience building civilian catamaran ferries to produce the ship. The JHSV can embark 312 troops in airline style seating and has on-board berthing for 150 plus 41 crew. Its rear loading ramp can accommodate vehicles up to the size of an M1A Abrams tank and can operate a single helicopter off of its landing pad. The JHSVs are designed to operate in austere conditions and can disembark their troops and cargo without advanced port facilities. A single JHSV can move a Marine or Army company with all of their equipment or an entire battalion if operating solely as a troop transport. Additionally, the vessel can transport troops and equipment 25% cheaper than an airlift operation and around 50% faster than current seaborne options.