Archive for the ‘History’ Category
A starboard side view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine ex-USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) with the city of San Francisco visible in the background. The NAUTILUS is being towed from Naval Shipyard Mare Island to Groton, Connecticut, where it will become a museum. Photographer's Name: PHC J. Kristoffersen Location: SAN FRANCISCO Date Shot: 5/28/1985
She served 1954 to 1980.
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Bing, as usual, honors the day:
Bing homepage on 07 Dec 2011
Some other search engines with a history of special graphics and whatnot for special days, as usual, do not.
Here are some posts from Pearl Harbor Day in years past on MO:
In Drydock Number One at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on 7 December 1941, immediatly following the Japanese attack. Both ships had been severely damaged by bomb hits and the resulting fires. In the background, also in Drydock Number One, is USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), which had received relatively light damage in the raid. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, NHHC Collection.
"A Shot for Posterity -- The USS Ward's number three gun and its crew-cited for firing the first shot the day of Japan's raid on Hawaii. Operating as part of the inshore patrol early in the morning of December 7, 1941, this destroyer group spotted a submarine outside Pearl Harbor, opened fire and sank her. Crew members are R.H. Knapp - BM2c - Gun Captain, C.W. Fenton - Sea1c - Pointer, R.B. Nolde - Sea1c - Trainer, A.A. De Demagall - Sea1c - No. 1 Loader, D.W. Gruening - Sea1c - No. 2 Loader, J.A. Paick - Sea1c - No. 3 Loader, H.P. Flanagan - Sea1c - No. 4 Loader, E.J. Bakret - GM3c - Gunners Mate, K.C.J. Lasch - Cox - Sightsetter." (quoted from the original 1942-vintage caption) This gun is a 4"/50 type, mounted atop the ship's midships deckhouse, starboard side. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
USS Nevada getting underway on 07 Dec 1941
Finding the sunk Japanese midget sub in 2002
Plus today on Yahoo! News: Rare, Unseen Photos: Aftermath of Pearl Harbor
If you’ve got links to Pearl Harbor stories you particularly like, leave ‘em in the comments section.
This has now been expanded to include Southeast Asia War Gallery
The virtual tour site is pretty cool. Murdoc’s never been to the place, but it looks like out Boy Scout troop is going to go there next spring. Looking very forward to it.
Updating yesterday’s story:
The uncharted wreck found yesterday, off Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, is likely to be a World War II Japanese submarine.
Underwater vision taken by the Australian Minehunter, HMAS Gascoyne shows the wreck of a submarine, 55 meters below the surface in Simpson Harbour. The wreck is partially buried in the harbour floor but remains upright.
There had been initial media speculation that this may have been the wreck of HMAS AE 1 – Australia’s first submarine, lost in waters east of Rabaul during World War I in September 1914.
The imagery obtained by HMAS Gascoyne was examined by RAN historical staff, who concluded that the wreck is not AE 1 but a Japanese submarine.
The Royal Australian Navy will now work with Japanese authorities to assist in determining the wreck’s identity.
HMAS Gascoyne was taking part in Operation RENDER SAFE – the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) in the Pacific. This year, RENDER SAFE is being conducted in Rabaul over the period 18 October to 4 November.
I noticed that a story about this wreck made the front page of Yahoo News today.
RAN in Papua New Guinea:
The Royal Australian Navy is investigating an uncharted wreck, believed to be a submarine, which was found during the conduct of Operation RENDER SAFE 2011 off Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, on 26 October 2011.
The wreck was discovered in a joint activity by the New Zealand Navy survey ship HMNZS Resolution and the Australian Minehunter HMAS Gascoyne.
The wreck is located in Simpson Harbour, which was an area known for submarine operations during World War II.
As with any wreck discoveries, immediate identification is not possible and work will continue over the coming days to identify both the type and the nationality of the vessel.
Once further details are ascertained, the relevant country authorities will be advised.
Authorities from the USA, Japan, PNG and New Zealand have been informed of the discovery
Operation RENDER SAFE is the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to enduring explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) support to the nations of the south-west Pacific, being conducted over the period 18 October to 4 November.
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- Looks like the conning tower and periscope
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- Stern section
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- Submarine wreck near Papua New Guinea
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- Submarine wreck near Papua New Guinea
UPDATE: It appears that the sub is Japanese.
The XP-59A, America’s first turbojet-powered airplane. On October 1, 1942, as Bell test pilot Bob Stanley completed the final series of high-speed taxi tests, the aircraft's wheels lifted off from the surface of Rogers Dry Lake and, for the first time, an American turbojet became airborne. The official first flight took place October 2. (U.S. AIr Force Photo courtesy AFFTC History Office)
Murdoc was unfamiliar with the XP-59A Airacomet. When the test planes were on the ground, they were sometimes fitted with a false prop to disguise their true nature. Below is a photo apparently showing an XP-59 fitted with one:
Read the rest of this entry »
67 years ago today:
Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 24 October 1944. Task Force 38 aircraft attack the Japanese battleship Musashi (foreground) and a destroyer in the Sibuyan Sea. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
The ship was hit by 17 bombs and 19(!) torpedoes. It sank later that day.
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- P-38 Lightning
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- P-38 Lightning
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- P-38 Lightning
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- P-38 production was completed on the flight line due to limited production facilities during WWII.
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- P-38 machine gun firing test. 50 caliber machine guns firing with every 5th shell a tracer in 3 second bursts.
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- The P-38 Lightning, was first produced in 1941. Here a female Lockheed employee works on one in Burbank, California, 1944.
Murdoc’s got little to add to all that’s being said about the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
He will say that the homily in this weekend’s Mass, which focuses on the Christian duty to forgive, was a good one. Clearly, this topic on this weekend is one that could easily press a lot of my buttons, and the previous priest in our parish said some things on different occasions that pushed Murdoc into DEFCON 1 mode, but this message was probably about as close to on the money as you’re likely to get in church.
Our priest pointed out that to forgive someone did not necessarily mean to pardon them, and that it certainly did not mean to forget what it was that they had done to need forgiving for. He also pointed out that to act out of anger or to get revenge on an enemy is not what we’re taught, and Murdoc agrees.
We don’t make war upon those who war against us out of hatred or anger or a desire for vengeance. We make war upon those warring against us out of a desire and need to see justice done and a peace return. And if those who declare themselves our enemies refuse to co-exist in the modern civilized world and we believe it’s in our best interest and the interest of our allies and the other peaceable nations of the world to fight, so be it. America and her allies are not lashing out in rage and anger, blindly striking at anything that looks like a target, in an attempt to strike back after 9/11. Critics at home and abroad would have you believe that that is exactly what’s happening (or we’re trying to steal the oil…it’s always so difficult understanding exactly what most critics are saying) but anyone who’s paid much attention to what’s actually happening instead of listening to the blowhard pundits and entertainers knows that the critics are not telling the truth.
Several years ago I wrote a summary of the first chapter of the 9/11 Commission Report entitled Planes. As in plural. The title of that chapter is “We have some planes”, which is something transmitted by the hijacker pilot of American 11. It is believed that he meant to make the announcement on the internal PA system but accidentally keyed the transmit button and was overheard by Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center. The statement is chilling because it indicated that this was not an ordinary hijacking and it wasn’t carried out by a lone group of terrorists but it was, as we learned, part of a large horrific plot orchestrated by skilled enemies who were very serious about their business.
“We have some planes.”
The man who said that is no longer in this world, and Murdoc strongly suspects that he is disappointed about how things turned out for him in the next one. But if he were taking messages, Murdoc’s transmission would be this:
“You have some planes? I’ll admit that’s bad. Even a little scary. But I’ve got a message for you, too. You don’t have ENOUGH planes. Not nearly enough. In fact, I don’t think there are enough planes in the whole world. Not for you to win. So you do things your way and we’ll do things ours; my kids and grandkids will see who was right.”
Today we remember the fallen. We honor those who went into the fires or who fought back on this day ten years ago. We respect those who keep us safe. And we know who will prevail.
God Bless America.
