CPO Legacy Academy on USS Missouri on Ford Island
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Monthly Archives: September 2015
Egyptians to pick up the embargoed Russian Mistrals
France was long a warship provider to old Imperial Russia– producing a number of the Tsar’s pre-dreadnoughts. They even gave back the old White Russian fleet to the Soviets, exiled in Tunisia after the Russian Civil War in 1924. Even with these historical ties, it came as a mild shock when NATO-ish France agreed to sell new Imperial Russia a pair of Russified Mistral LPDs a couple years ago.
At 21,000-tons, the Mistrals are among the most capable amphibious warfare ships in the world, and the Russians bought two
Then came the whole Ukrainian thing and, under pressure from the rest of Europe, France pulled the plug and refunded Moscow’s money (about a billion dollars worth), leaving the Russians pissed and the French with two brand new ships on their hands with everything written in Russian (and loaded with some Warsaw Pact commo, radar, close in weapons systems and other and misc systems).
The Russians pushed to have the French either complete the deal or scuttle the ships, saying they couldn’t be sold with Putin’s toys installed. This eschewed plans to sell them to India and Singapore, both of which are looking to expand their navies on the cheap.
Except that Egypt now wants them and, with the Russians longing for a return to the Sadat-era where they sold billions of rubles of military gear to North Africa’s most together military force, Moscow is cool with that.
As noted by Defense News, Egypt will take the Russian ships as-is in a $1 billion deal (with Saudi financing).
“It was my preferred buyer because we already have military cooperation with Egypt,” French President Francois Hollande said of the deal he struck with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. “Egypt plays an important role in the Middle East and wants to move towards a democratic transition, which is not easy, and we should support their efforts.”
Of course, the prospect of leaving the door open for more weapons deals between Egypt and both France and Russia is likely part of the goulash as well.
The new SubSea Craft Diver Delivery Unit (DDU)
During DSEI 2015 which took place in London from 15-18 September, UK based engineering company SubSea Craft unveiled a revolutionary new submersible called the Diver Delivery Unit (DDU). The DDU is modular and offers mission-specific capability on and under the surface. It is scalable and reconfigurable for a variety of roles. The DDU features a unique catamaran design and can deploy up to 8 special forces operators including the crew of two.
Of course, it seems about 2-3 times too wide for U.S. Navy submarine dry deck shelters, but could have some use from surface ships with well decks such as LSDs, LPDs, LHDs etc. Or maybe Independence-class tri-hulled LCS platforms(?)
A shocking tale of a Springfield musket from 150 years ago
One of the more interesting exhibits at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site is a Model 1861 rifle and bayonet left over from a lightning strike.
You can be sure the sentry holding this thing had a severe case of static cling– for the rest of his life. (Photo: Springfield Armory NHS)
According to the tag on the rifle, a contract Springfield 1861 with a 1864-marked barrel equipped with a Confederate-made Tredegar socket bayonet:
During a thunderstorm, a sentry’s musket was struck by lightning which left it just as you see it. Despite the intense heat caused by the lightening, a regulation Civil War paper cartridge was found intact in the breech when the weapon was disassembled for cataloging and preservation. The identity of the sentry, who survived, is not known. It is believed that he was a Confederate since, while the rifle is a Springfield contract arm, the bayonet is apparently of Confederate manufacture.
When disassembled in 1981 it was found to still be loaded with a charge of century-old black powder and a .58-caliber Williams Type III “cleaner” bullet.
Records relate the sentry walked away unhurt, but that the soles of the shoes were burned away.
Warship Wednesday Sept. 23, 2015: Big Chris from Norway
Here at LSOZI, we are going to take off every Wednesday for a look at the old steam/diesel navies of the 1859-1946 time period and will profile a different ship each week. These ships have a life, a tale all of their own, which sometimes takes them to the strangest places.- Christopher Eger
Warship Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015: Big Chris from Norway
Christian Radich (center), Statsraad Lehmkuhl (left), and Gorch Fock (right) possibly in Plymouth Sound in the 1950s.
Here we see the fully rigged training ship Sk/S Christian Radich of Norway, doing what she has consistently done best in the past 75 years. Built in the twilight of tall ships, she was lost in World War II but has since been reborn and has been going strong ever since.
The dream of one Simeon Christian Radich, a wealthy sawmill owner in the Oslo area who left 90,000 Norwegian Kroner to build a training ship that later bore his name, she was built in 1937 at the Framnæs Mekaniske Verksted yard in Norway.
Crafted during the Depression, Christian Radich was impressive at 240-feet overall when measured from stern to the tip of the bowsprit. Carrying 26 massive sails (over 13,000 sq. feet of canvas) when fully rigged, she was constructed with a 220hp diesel “steel topsail” that could chug her along at 8 knots when becalmed. Her mainmast, 192-feet long, stood a towering 128 feet above the deck.
Instead of cargo, her holds were designed as dormitories and classrooms for up to 100 youth to be trained in the ways of the sea, carpentry, engineering, and leadership in the Norwegian merchant navy.
Officially owned by the Kristiania Schoolship Association and operated by the Ostlanders Skoleskib, Christian Radich was crewed by a captain, 3 officers, six instructors (typically reserve naval officers), a doctor, ship’s engineer, cook, steward, and 10 merchant sailors. She replaced the 79-year-old brig three-master Statsraad Erichsen in service upon her completion and was designed by Commander Christian Blom of the Norwegian Navy.
Taking to sea, she made the 1939 New York World’s Fair with Crown Prince Olav (later King Olav V) aboard and returned home just in time to be taken into the Norwegian Navy as an accommodation ship in September of that year upon the outbreak of war. As she could float in 15 feet of water, could pack 200 hammocks in her berthing areas, and had classroom compartments that could be converted to HQ areas, she made a perfect fit for the task.
In April 1940, the Germans captured Christian Radich at her slip in the Horten Naval Base, her brief and uneventful tenure in the Norwegian armed forces during World War II at an end.
The Nazis seized her, impressed the fine ship into the Kriegsmarine in 1941, and used her as an S-boat mothership first in north Norway (at Skojomen) then in the Baltic.
July 1942: In the rear are two S-boats of the 6. SFltl in Skjomen (Ofotfjord near Narvik) alongside a camouflaged “Christian Radich”, in the foreground MT-“Kärnten” with U 408 and U 457 – Picture: Archives E. Skjold
When 1945 came, the Germans stripped her of anything useful and scuttled her in shallow water near Flensburg. Her masts were broken at the deck, her fittings gone or loose, she was literally a wreck although only eight years old.
The KSA recovered the stricken vessel in December 1945, paid for a 900,000 Kroner refit at Sanderfjord Naval Yard under the guarantee of Norwegian businessman Alf Bjercke, and once again took to the water training young seamen in 1947, aged 15-25.
Between 1956 and the present day she has participated in scores of tall ship races, placing in an impressive 39 of them, showing she has what it takes to fill the canvas and leave other windjammers to taste her spray.
USS Strong DD-758 and The Christian Radich under sail in “Windjammer”
Portuguese frigate NRP Pero Escobar was photographed in England with the Norwegian training ship Christian Radich on a mission to support the Oostende – Lisbon sailing race carried out in 1960
She starred in a Danish film, “Windjammer, the Voyage of the Christian Radich” racing against the Dane school ship Danmark, in which a 19-man film crew lived aboard her for six months at sea.
A beautiful ship, she is a favorite of maritime artists
Christian Radich in the Port Of Duluth Painting by Werner Pipkorn
She is currently run by a non-profit, The Christian Radich Sail Training Foundation, which endeavors to keep her at sea as much as possible, training and representing the country. They have a very informative webpage and social media account (from where most of these images originate).
Since 2005, she was used as a school ship for the Navy to train the country’s naval officers as part of the Befalsskolen for Sjøforsvaret program.
This changed earlier this year, as noted by the Foundation:
“We were informed that the Norwegian Navy’s officer school are unable to renew the contract with Christian Radich after April 2015, despite the fact that they are very satisfied with our services. There has been an intensive process to find alternative employment during the winter months. The Foundation offers now training for maritime students at Norwegian Colleges. They will have an apprenticeship on board during the schoolyear 2015/16.”
Still, she has celebrated her 75th year in almost constant service, which means something these days.
Specs:
Displacement: 1,050 tones
Length: 62.5 m (205 ft.) 73 m (240 ft.) including bowsprit
Beam: 9.7 m (32 ft.)
Height: 37.7 m (124 ft.)
Draught: 4.7 m (15 ft.)
Propulsion:
(As built) 26 Sails, 13.580 sq. ft., four-cylinder, four-stroke single acting diesel engine at 220 bhp built by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel.
(Post WWII) 27 Sails, (14,600 sq. ft.) Engine, Caterpillar 900 HK
Speed: Sails, 14 knots (26 km/h) Engine, 8 knots (1937) 10 knots current
Complement 15 permanent crew 88 passengers/trainees (current)
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The Glocks of Greenland
Greenland, if you don’t count Australia, is the largest island in the world. It is covered largely in deeply frozen polar ice and is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark ever since the time of the Vikings, this massive frozen subcontinent is patrolled by a crack team of volunteers from back home in Europe.
The elite Slædepatruljen Sirius (Sirius Sledge Patrol) or informally Siriuspatruljen (Sirius Patrol) is a 14-man Royal Danish Navy unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the arctic wilderness of Northern and Eastern Greenland, an area that includes the largest national park in the world.
They are all volunteers who sign up for a two-year tour of duty. If selected they spend the first six-months of their deployment at their home base where they learn their dogs, build their sled (I’m not making this up), and round out their equipment choices while making short trips into the interior.
When the time is right, they pair up and head out on longer patrols, which can cover as much as 2,000 miles, working around the huge island’s coastline. On those deployments, the two sledders are on their own, making reliance on their gear paramount.
![Candidates for Slædepatruljen Sirius learn to hunt near Mestersvig, Greenland. [2048x1366]](https://i0.wp.com/laststandonzombieisland.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/candidates-for-slc3a6depatruljen-sirius-learn-to-hunt-near-mestersvig-greenland-2048x1366.jpg?ssl=1)
Their longarm of choice to ward off invasion, polar bears, and frozen space aliens found in the ice: the M17/M53 rifle. This weapon is a (slightly) modified M1917 Enfield 30.06 made in the U.S. during World War 1 for the US Army. They were supplied to the Danish military in 1953 (hence the M17/M53 designation) and are still used by both the Danish Home Guard, a more informal version of the US Army National Guard, and other units.
The regular Danish military issues the 7.62x51mm HK G-3 rifle made in Germany or the modified 5.56mm M-16 made in Canada. However, the Sirrus Patrol, who walks a beat on one of the most inhospitable places on earth, still use a bolt-action rifle made nearly a hundred years ago. Why? Because it works and they find it and its 30.06 round utterly reliable in sub-zero nightmare weather.
As a sidearm, each member of the patrol also carries on him at all times an early-generation Glock Model 20 pistol in 10mm Auto. Those 10mm aficionados out there know of its power and mystique, but for those who do not lets break it down.
Back in the late 1970s, a group of firearms engineers working on what would later be the controversial Bren 10 pistol visited firearms guru Colonel Jeff Cooper to get his input on the ultimate handgun round. After several months of talks and some final tweaking by Norma cartridges of Sweden, the Centimeter round was fully developed. As you know, a centimeter is 10mm and by 1983 the 10mm Auto burst onto the scene. Using the case of the old .30-caliber Remington carbine round with a 25mm length, the 10mm Auto remains one of the hottest and most powerful production handgun rounds in history.
Typical loads range from 135-200 grain bullets but all deliver over 550 ft. /pounds of energy and approach speeds of almost 1600fps. The 10mm outperforms the .40 S&W by 200–250 ft. /s on average for similar bullet weights and has a pressure of more than 37,500 psi, some 2,500psi higher than the .40S&W. However it still delivers about 100-ft pounds more energy than the average .357SIG round, for about 2,500psi less pressure.
In short, this superhot, hard-hitting round is hard to beat. Moreover, coupled in the G20, you get 15+1 rounds good to go with a loaded weight of 39-ounces, which is about the same as an (unloaded) Colt M1911A1 Government, which is the generational equivalent to the Dane’s old Enfield rifles.
Sirius Patrol recruiting ad (in Danish but with English subtitles), in which you will see a Glock 10mm show up several times. If I had to tackle a polar bear with a pistol, the G20 would be high on our list of options…right behind a sawn off double barrel 8-gauge with an underslung flamenwherfer.
But you can’t beat the views of the neighborhood
Saudis serious about LCS
Apparently the Kingdom of Saud is for real on their intentions to pick up one of the U.S. Littoral Combat Ship designs– that of Lockheed’s mono-hull Freedom-class
150428-N-TC437-320 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 28, 2015) The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) transits alongside the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in preparation for a replenishment-at-sea training exercise. U.S. Navy ships are underway conducting an independent deployer certification exercise off the coast of Southern California. The exercise provides a multi-ship environment to train and certify independent deployers in surface warfare, air defense, maritime-interception operations, command and control/information warfare, command, control, computers and combat systems intelligence and mine warfare. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ignacio D. Perez/Released)
“The Saudi ships are expected to be armed with a 76mm OTO Melara gun, replacing the 57mm found on US LCSs.
The Saudi ships will still feature an aft mission bay with a stern ramp, as in Freedom-class ships, but will do away with the forward two mission bays fitted in those LCSs.
The propulsion plant is likely to be the same as in Freedom-class ships, although the Saudis may choose different waterjets. Top speed is expected to be in the 37-knot range.
Earlier LoRs specified six corvettes of about 2,500 tons, able to operate an MH-60R helicopter. It’s not clear what designs are considered front-runners, but the Saudis are said to be in discussions with Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, which builds several designs that could be considered.”
Don’t let anyone tell you carrier ops are ‘routine’
30th June 1970 USN F-4B Phantom Bu. No. 153913 Tailcode NL 1 of VF-151 aboard USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
Crashed into the Pacific off California during launch when nose gear collapsed.
Sadly both the pilot and RIO were killed.
A quick reference for Japanese NCO swords
Just to help keep you straight.
Authorized for production in 1935, the Type 95, commonly referred to as the NCO sword was all-machine made unlike the more expensive and higher-quality Officer’s sword. Of the eight army arsenals active in the war only Kokura, Tokyo First and Nagoya were involved in the Type 95 program. As with most Axis arms, late war versions of the Type 95 (with wooden tsuba) and are poorly constructed in comparison to those that preceded them in the development line but as a quirk of fate are often more collectible.
Integrally suppressed pistols: The New Maxim 9 and how we got there
This week the good folks over at Silencerco dropped a number of new suppressor designs to include an integrally suppressed 9mm handgun design dubbed the Maxim 9 after the inventor of the Silencer—Hiram Maxim. The thing is, the concept, while super sweet in its latest form by Silencerco, really isn’t that new.
Somewhere in occupied Europe…
In the darkest days of World War II, the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and American OSS ran a myriad of operations behind the lines in both Nazi-occupied Europe and Japanese occupied Asia. They set up resistance groups of local insurgents and supplied them with weapons, training, and equipment to help set the Axis rear aflame.
The SOE went to new places and made friends like this mustached Brit operative seen in the center of this group of French resistance
One of the weapons they supplied was meant especially for assassination. This mysterious suppressed pistol was known as the Welrod. The Welrod was not a traditional pistol fitted to a detachable silencer, it was a pistol built *around* an integral silencer.
To keep gas from escaping due to a cylinder like on a revolver, or a cycling action like on a semi-automatic, the Welrod was bolt action. The simple and effective bolt action could be worked rapidly for a follow-up shot if needed, and doubled as a safety device. The integral suppressor built around the barrel was made up of 12 thin metal washer baffles separated in groups by three leather wipes.
The baffles would start to deteriorate with use and typically was no longer suppressed after about 15-20 rounds. The nose cap of the suppressor was hollowed out to allow it to be pressed into an intended target without undue back blast. The magazine itself, encased in a rubber sleeve like a bicycle grip, formed the pistol grip. With few moving parts, it could be broken down and stored in pieces that did not resemble a firearm. In fact when disassembled it rather looks like a bicycle pump.
Chambered in either the British and German army’s standard submachine gun round, 9x19mm Parabellum; or 32ACP (7.65x17mm), the same caliber as many popular Italian, German, and Japanese pistols, they were heavy at 52-ounces besides being large with an overall length of 14.22-inches. Nevertheless, they were quiet and word is although just over 16,000 were produced, at least some have remained in service with the British military for those special moments even though they are now some 70+ years of age.
Custom integrally suppressed pistols
Over the past couple of decades, a number of companies here in the U.S. have been in the business of taking otherwise factory-stock rimfire semi-autos and making them integrally suppressed. These companies include SRT who take a Browning Buckmark or Challenger; or Ruger MkIII, MkII, or MkI and add a 7-inch tube directly to the gun designed for the US military specifically for use with 40 gr CCI MiniMags.
SRTs Rugers
The cost $725 and up.
Others who do similar are Dark Horse, Norrell, AWC and Coastal but you can be sure with something like 3,026 National Firearms Act Special Occupational Taxpayers (SOTs= gunshops cleared to make suppressors) there are likely far more.
AWC’s awesome Ruger-based Amphibian
However, these are all rimfire designs. Sure, you can get a screw-on can for the heavier .45/9mm stuff, but where is the fun in that?
The BT Vet gun
Several years ago the Swiss company of B+T AG (formerly known as Brugger & Thomet) came up with the spooky quiet VP-9 “veterinary pistol.”
Can you say, “polymer welrod?”
This modern take on the WWII Welrod made with polymers and modern metallurgy is a single-action (cock it each time) 6-shot 9mm that tips the scales at just 30-ounces and is (only) 11.3-inches long which is something of an improvement size-wise over the 1940s tech its based on. However this rare bird is meant to put down sick and injured wildlife, not make hits on random SS sentries guarding der fuhrer.
Although it could be used for that purpose if you really wanted and had a time machine.
Nevertheless, you can’t walk into your average gun shop and place an order for a VP-9 here in the states.
Which brings us to the…
Maxim 9
No, that’s not a holster on the end of that SW M&P