Category Archives: US Navy

And the Bears are Back over Guam

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http://www.guampdn.com/article/20130216/NEWS01/130216006

The two bomber aircraft were followed by two U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter aircraft from Andersen Air Force Base, according to Air Force Capt. Kim Bender, a spokeswoman for the Pacific Air Force in Hawaii. She said the jets “scrambled and responded to the aircraft.”

“The Tu-95s were intercepted and left the area in a northbound direction. No further actions occurred,” she said. Bender said no other details would be released “for operational security reasons.”

According to one military official, the Russian Bear bombers remained in international airspace, the encounter between the U.S. and Russian aircraft “stayed professional” and there was no incident.

The official said it’s impossible to determine whether the Russian bombers carried any nuclear weapons. The giant 188-ton Bear can carry up to 15,000 kg (33,000 lb), including the Raduga Kh-20, Kh-22, Kh-26, and Kh-55 air-to-surface missiles and have an unrefueled range of over 9000-miles.

An-F-A-18-Hornet-escorts-a-Russian-Tu-95-Bear-long-range-bomber-aircraft

Warship Wednesday, Febuary 13

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Here at LSOZI, we are going to take out 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.

– Christopher Eger

Warship Wednesday,  February 13

This week we are taking a brief look at US K-Class Blimps and their occasional teaming with Escort Carriers during and just after WWII.

On December 6, 1938 a prototype Goodyear blimp was sent to the US Navy’s lighter than air division for testing. This prototype proved so succesful that in October 1940 they ordered six more for use in escort and patrol work offshore. When the US entered WWII, this soon turned into a total of 134 of these 251-foot long helium nonrigid airships delivered by 1955.

The blimps were the P-3 Orion of their day and most of the equipment you are used to on these  sub-busters were present on these airships. They were equipped with the ASG-type radar, that had a detection range of 90 mi (140 km), sonobuoys, and magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment. The K-ships carried four Mk-47 depth bombs, two in a bomb bay and two externally, and were equipped with a .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine gun in the forward part of the control car. An aircrew of 10 normally operated the K-ships, consisting of a command pilot, two co-pilots, a navigator/pilot, airship rigger, an ordnanceman, two mechanics, and two radiomen.

The U.S. Navy airship K-69 launches from the deck of the escort carrier USS Mindoro (CVE 120), April 26, 1950

The U.S. Navy airship K-69 launches from the deck of the escort carrier USS Mindoro (CVE 120), April 26, 1950

After 1942 these airships increasingly started to patrol in concert with small converted merchant hulled ships, dubbed escort carriers. These roughly 10,000-ton ships carried about two dozen aircraft and, while not fast enough for operations with  the fleet, they were perfect for escorting merchant convoys. By pairing up blimps and small carriers, the blimps could be on constant search while the carrier kept depth-charge armed aircraft on alert to chase after sightings. The blimps were the eyes and the carrier planes the lightning of the gods called from above.

Here we see an unidentified K-class blimp approaching an equally unidentified escort carrier stern off the US East Coast in October 1944.

Here we see an unidentified K-class blimp approaching an equally unidentified escort carrier stern off the US East Coast in October 1944.

...and the landing.

…and the landing.

It’s unknown how many of these touch-and-gos happened, and if the Navy ever tried to refuel or rearm blimps from the decks of these jeep carriers, but its a possibility. More than a hundred ‘Jeep carriers’ were made during the war but by the late 1950s both the blimps and these hardy little flattops were discarded, replaced by new super carriers and converted Essex class fast carriers. It is known that both during the War and in the 1950s that navy blimps did in fact refuel from large fleet carriers at sea. In 1942 the Doolittle Raid probably wouldn’t have happened if Navy patrol blimp L-6 hadn’t delivered 2 boxes of navigators domes for B-25 to the Hornet while she was several hundred miles offshore.

In a future naval war with a littoral heavily contested by submarines, its possible that this concept could be dusted off once more. There are still blimps, the US still has the world’s largest supply of helium, and merchant ships could readily be converted with decking to carry expeditionary detachments of SH-60 helicopters for local ASW missions.

Stranger things have happened.

By the way, if you know the blimp/carrier involved in the 1944 pictures, let me know. Thanks!

(Specs of the K-class blimp)
Crew: 9-10
Length: 251 ft 8 in (76.73 m)
Diameter: 57 ft 10 in (17.63 m)
Volume: 425,000 ft3 (12,043 m3)
Useful lift: 7,770 lb (3,524 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-2 radials, 425 hp (317 kW) each
Maximum speed: 78 mph (125 km/h)
Cruise speed: 58 mph (93 km/h)
Range: 2,205 miles (3,537 km)
Endurance: 38 hours  12 min
Armament

1 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun
4 × 350 lb (160 kg) Mark 47 depth charges

Specs of the Casablanca-class escort carrier (one of the most common in US service)

Displacement:     7,800 tons
10,902 tons full load
Length:     512.3 ft (156.1 m) overall
Beam:     65.2 ft (19.9 m)
Extreme width: 108.1 ft (32.9 m)
Draft:     22.5 ft (6.9 m)
Propulsion:     Two (2) five-cylinder reciprocating Skinner Uniflow steam engines
Four (4) × 285 psi (1,970 kPa) boilers, 2 shafts, 9,000 shp (6,700 kW)
Speed:     20 knots (37 km/h)
Range:     10,240nm at 15 knots
Complement:     Ship’s Company: 860 officers and men
Embarked Squadron: 50 to 56 officers and men
Total Complement: 910 to 916 officers and men.
Armament:

1 × 5 inch/38 caliber gun
16 × 40 mm Bofors guns (8×2)
20 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannons

Aircraft carried: 28

If you liked this column, please consider joining the International Naval Research Organization (INRO)

They are possibly one of the best sources of naval lore http://www.warship.org/naval.htm

The International Naval Research Organization is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the encouragement of the study of naval vessels and their histories, principally in the era of iron and steel warships (about 1860 to date). Its purpose is to provide information and a means of contact for those interested in warships.

Nearing their 50th Anniversary, Warship International, the written tome of the INRO has published hundreds of articles, most of which are unique in their sweep and subject.

I’m a member, so should you be!

The Navy’s Mk 22 ‘Hush puppy’ Pistol

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So you are a Navy SEAL crawling around deep in the enemy’s back yard. You are vastly outnumbered which means your primary weapon is stealth. You are a shadow—you have to be if you expect to get out of this alive. The thing is, the enemy’s camp has dogs that are bound to bark. What do you do to keep hidden?

Bring a Hushpuppy.

Today the US Navy’s 2000+ Special Warfare operators, commonly referred to as SEALs for their mastery of SEa, Air-and Land insertion and extraction techniques, are well-known. In the 1960s, however the concept was brand new and just a few hundred men formed two small teams of frogmen. The majority of these divers, trained to fight in small groups, were forward deployed in a nice slice of green hell and brown water known as Vietnam. Operating in an intensive and unforgiving environment, these early Seals were always on the lookout for non-standard firearms to help give them an edge. Besides the myriad of standard-issue military weapons in Uncle Sam’s deep closets, the Seals used Swedish K-guns, commercial shotguns, and non-standard pistols.

Among these was the Smith and Wesson M39, a 9mm handgun. Originally bought as a commercial off the shelf design this compact semi-auto pistol was coupled to an effective detachable suppressor and dubbed the Mk 22. Since its use was in taking out sentries and the occasional yapping stray dog, it was commonly referred to as the Hush Puppy.

Read the rest in my column at GUNS.com

hushpuppy in seal museum

Navy Hemms Up Own Carriers

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With the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) decommed, the US Navy is down to 10 Nimitz class flattops until the USS Gerald Ford commissions in 2015. One of these ten, the USS Lincoln, is basically up on blocks at Norfolk waiting to begin a 4-year refueling of her reactor cores (RCOH). Sistership Theodore Roosevelt is still in RCOH until this summer at the earliest.

The thing is…the Navy can’t afford it.

An article at USNI News   states that a navy spokesmen passed on “CVN-72 will remain at Norfolk Naval Base where the ships force personnel will continue to conduct routine maintenance until sufficient funding is received for the initial execution of the RCOH.”

uss

This comes only a week after the USS Truman’s Carrier Battle Group was sidelined the day before they were due to head to the Persian Gulf for a six month deployment due to budgetary reasons. Its deployment had been affected earlier by the Nimitz, now pushing 40 years of age and scheduled herself to strike around 2020, having increasing mechanical issues.

So to recount in the past few months : Enterprise stricken, Nimitz cranky, Lincoln laid up, Truman sidelined due to funding, Theodore Roosevelt still in RCOH…

Then again, in terms of carrier math, China still only has one as does Russia.

Good thing.

German Subs Stalking US Fleet in Atlantic

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Ok, Ok, I know it’s an overly dramatic title, but its true.

u32
Here we see crew members carry supplies on board the German Navy’s U32 submarine (L) at the navy harbor in Eckernfoerde, Germany, 07 February 2013. The submarine is expected to sail on 10 February 2013 to join the four-months lasting international maritime maneuver ‘Westlant Deployment’ on the east coast of the United States. A central exercise during the maneuver will be a simulated maritime combat between the submarine and a US aircraft carrier battle group.

The U32 is a Type 212 submarine of the Bundesmarine that was launched in 2003 and in current service. A fast diesel SSK boat, she is 183 feet long and carries a baker’s dozen of the worlds most advanced torpedoes. She is AIP and has such a low emission profile that she is considered 183-feet of the quietest ocean wherever she is– a literal black hole in the water. This coupled with the fact that she can operate submerged in as little as 45 feet of water, makes her a littoral specter.

However with the Truman’s deployment put on hold…who knows. If so, the U32 will have to get a lot closer to Norfolk.

Operation Drumbeat Part Zwei!

Warship Wednesday, February 6

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Here at LSOZI, we are going to take out 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.

– Christopher Eger

Warship Wednesday,  February 6

ussconn_trials_color

Here you see is the mighty new battleship USS Connecticut (BB-18) with ‘a bone in her teeth’ charging forward at absolute full speed of 18+ knots on acceptance trials in 1906. A century ago she was the best and most intensely beautiful warship in the US Navy.  She was such an important ship that a crowd of some 30,000 civilians as well as most of the entire active battle fleet of the Atlantic Squadron was present for the event. As a 15,000-ton ship with 11-inches of armor belt and carrying 4 12-inch guns, she was a hoss.

Of course the commissioning of the all big gun HMS Dreadnought the same year, with her 10 12-inch guns, 21-knot top speed, and upto 12-inches of armor in a 21,000-ton package, the Connecticut was already obsolete.

The Great White Fleet was impressive during the day.....

The Great White Fleet was impressive during the day…..

....And even more so at night. And Connecticut was there for every mile.

….And even more so at night. And Connecticut was there for every mile.

Nevertheless the brand new ship became the flagship of an impressive American fleet of 16 battleships in 1907. Dubbed the Great White Fleet, this impressive armada sailed 46,729 nmi around the world in 15 months. They made twenty port calls on six continents and flexed US Naval power to the world while Teddy Roosevelt smiled for the cameras. On each of those port calls, Connecticut led the fleet in, and then led the fleet away.

After 1909, the ornate bow shields, scrollwork, and white paint was removed and a sleek haze gray warship was left in its place

After 1909, the ornate bow shields, scrollwork, and white paint was removed and a sleek haze gray warship was left in its place

She remained a flagship for most of her service with the Navy. Painted haze gray in 1909, she intervened with quiet force in Mexican waters and then carried Smedly Butler and 400 marines to the  US occupation of Haiti in 1915. During WWI, outclassed by the newer battleships, she staid inshore in protected waters and was used as a training ship carrying the flag of Admiral Herbert O. Dunn of the Fifth Battleship Division.

After the war, by then considered just a large cruiser, she was used for training until scrapped in 1923 to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty at the ripe old age of 19 years old.

Specs
Displacement:     16,000 long tons (16,300 t)
Length:     456 ft 4 in (139.09 m)
Beam:     76 ft 10 in (23.42 m)
Draft:     24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Propulsion:

12 × 250 psi (1,700 kPa)[6] Babcock & Wilcox boilers;
8 Ship Service generators, reciprocating, at 100 kW each

Speed:     18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement:     827 officers and men
Armament:

4 × 12 in (305 mm)/40 or 45 cal guns (2 × 2)
8 × 8 in (203 mm)/45 cal guns (4 × 2)
12 × 7 in (178 mm)/45 cal guns
20 × 3 in (76.2 mm)/50 cal guns
12 × 3-pdr guns
6 × 1-pdr automatic guns
2 × 1-pdr semiautomatic guns
2 × .30 in (7.6 mm) machine guns
4 × 21 in (533 mm) submerged torpedo tubes

Armor:

Belt: 11 to 9 in (279 to 229 mm), tapering to 7 in (178 mm), 5 in (127 mm) and 4 in (102 mm) at bow and stern
Lower casemate: 9 in (229 mm)[
Upper casemate: 7 in (178 mm), with 1.5 to 2.5 in (38 to 63 mm) transverse splinter bulkheads between 7 in (178 mm) guns
Bulkheads: 6 in (152 mm)
Barbettes: 10 in (254 mm)
Turrets: 11 in (279 mm)/2.5 in (64 mm)/9 in (229 mm) in for 12 in (305 mm) guns, 6.5 in (165 mm)/2 in (51 mm)/6 in (152 mm) for 8 in (203 mm) guns
7 in (178 mm) around 7 in (178 mm) guns, 2 in (51 mm) around 3 in (76 mm) guns
Conning tower: 9 in (229 mm)/2 in (51 mm)

If you liked this column, please consider joining the International Naval Research Organization (INRO)

They are possibly one of the best sources of naval lore http://www.warship.org/naval.htm

The International Naval Research Organization is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the encouragement of the study of naval vessels and their histories, principally in the era of iron and steel warships (about 1860 to date). Its purpose is to provide information and a means of contact for those interested in warships.

Nearing their 50th Anniversary, Warship International, the written tome of the INRO has published hundreds of articles, most of which are unique in their sweep and subject.

I’m a member, so should you be!

USN Tests Griffin For Littorial

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To give the lightly armed LCS, the remaining 179-foot Cyclone class coastal patrol craft, and the new 85-foot MK VI boats, the US Navy is testing the lightweight Griffin missile. This economical ($45,000 a pop, which is cheap as far as this type of stuff goes) little bottle rocket is just the thing for splashing a small boat (such as a Iranian Boghammer) or a quiet sea-side hut full of pirates. Small in profile, it can be used in an 8-pack launcher that is all above deck, fitting in any area that can accept a Mk38 sized mount.

Cheap and effective, the Griffin is smaller even than the vaunted Hellfire missile. And they could be coming to a LCS near you.

Cheap and effective, the Griffin is smaller even than the vaunted Hellfire missile. And they could be coming to a LCS near you.

Designed for small UAVs to be used in precision strikes against buildings and vehicles, the AGM-176 Griffin has a proven track record in air-to-ground use. The 45-pound missile uses components of the FGM-148 Javelin and the AIM-9X Sidewinder. It can send a 13-pound warhead guided by laser, GPS, or INS out to 12-miles. The Navy is at least using a proven missile for once. In its surfaced launched version it can reach out to 5500-meters (3.5-miles), which is still well past the range of heavy machine guns and RPGs which are the probable weapons of any small boats that the Griffin would defend against.

One has been mounted on the USS Monsoon (PC-4) for trials and seems to work just fine so far.

Seal Sniper Chris Kyle killed by Gunman at shooting range

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Details are sketchy but it seems that the greatest American sniper in US history, SOC Chris Kyle, USN, was killed by a gunman at a range in Texas yesterday.

Nicknamed Al-Shaitan Ramad (English The Devil of Rahmadi), he had an estimated 160 confirmed kills and wrote the book “American Sniper” that currently sits on my desk. Like myself he was 38.

He survived multiple tours in Centcom, won 2 silver stars, 5 bronze stars, and got zapped by a clown in the US.

What a waste. He deserved to die an old man in his sleep decades from now.

You will me missed Chief Kyle.

(photo by ABC news)

(photo by ABC news)

Warship Wednesday, January 30

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Here at LSOZI, we are going to take out 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.

– Christopher Eger

Warship Wednesday,  January 30

0820204
Here you see is the Tambor class diesel sub USS Trout (SS-202) at Hunters Point, 11 December 1943. In a little less than 3 months after this photo was taken, the boat and her entire crew would be reported overdue and never heard from again.

She was commissioned in 1940 as part of the 6-ship class of fleet submarines (which all had ‘T’ names). She was brand new when the war broke out.

On patrol off of the outpost of Midway island on December 7, 1941, the sub was ordered back to Pearl Harbor as soon as possible to try to catch Yamato’s fleet. Missing the Japanese strike force, she was soon given a new mission . Trout sailed to the Philippines with a cargo of 3500 rounds of 75mm anti-aircraft ammunition and malaria drugs. She arrived at Corregidor, the island citadel at the entrance to Manila Bay in the Philippines in February 1942 after an epic 57-day war patrol through waters infested with Japanese navy ships.

There, Trout drew ten torpedoes and took on over twenty tons of gold and silver. It had been taken from Manila banks and moved to Corregidor for safekeeping from the approaching Japanese invasion force. Five hundred eighty-three gold bars and heavy canvas bags containing eighteen tons of silver coins were carefully loaded in Trout‘s bilges to be delivered to Pearl Harbor.  Each of the bars weighed 40-pounds and at  the time were worth $23K each. In today’s prices the gold alone was worth over $300-million dollars. Over $30 million in paper currency left behind on Corregidor was burned to prevent capture. General Wainwright disposed of some  350 tons of silver that could not be moved by dumping it in Manila Bay.

0820213

After landing her cargo at Pearl, she rejoined the fleet. She captured survivors of the sunken cruiser Mikuma during the Battle of Midway. Over the course of 11 war patrols she sank 23 Japanese ships amounting to some 87,000-tons in 32 torpedo and six gun actions. For this she was depth charged by the Japanese Navy no less than 8 times. Her combat including sending the  Kaidai class submarine I-182 to Davy Jones locker.

The Trout is on eternal patrol and has never been found. Her 81 men likely entombed with her on some forgotten stretch of sandy bottom deep in the South Pacific.

patch of the trout
Specs:

Displacement, Surfaced: 1,475 t., Submerged: 2,370 t.;
Length 307′ 2″ ; Beam 27′ 3″; Draft 13′ 3″;
Speed, Surfaced 20 kts, Submerged 8 kts; Max.
Depth Limit 250′;
Complement 5 Officers 54 Enlisted (as designed, enlarged during the war to help man larger gun crews;)
Armament, ten 21″ torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3″/50 deck gun, two .50 caliber machine guns, two .30 caliber Lewis machine guns;
Propulsion, diesel-electric, four General Motors diesel engines, 5,400 hp, Fuel Capacity 93.993 gal., four General Electric motors, 2,740 hp,
Battery Cells, 252, two propellers.

If you liked this column, please consider joining the International Naval Research Organization (INRO)

They are possibly one of the best sources of naval lore http://www.warship.org/naval.htm

The International Naval Research Organization is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the encouragement of the study of naval vessels and their histories, principally in the era of iron and steel warships (about 1860 to date). Its purpose is to provide information and a means of contact for those interested in warships.

Nearing their 50th Anniversary, Warship International, the written tome of the INRO has published hundreds of articles, most of which are unique in their sweep and subject.

I’m a member, so should you be!

SIGS in the US Military

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The standard sidearm for the US armed forces as everyone knows is the Beretta M9 (92F). Before 1984, it was the legendary Colt 1911 .45 (versions of which are still in use with special operations units.) However, what you may not know is that several variants of the SIG P-series pistol also serve.

Read the rest in my column at GUNS.com

Digital StillCamera

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