Tag Archives: USS Wyoming (BB-32)

The More Things Change, Forward Mount Edition

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The guns may have shrunk, along with the ships, but the task remains.

Bluejackets standing atop turret No. 1 to clean the 12-inch/50 caliber Mark 7 guns in turret No. 2 aboard the brand new dreadnought battleship USS Wyoming (BB-32), circa 1913, likely during winter fleet gunnery practice off Puerto Rico. Wyoming carried six such Mark 9 twin turrets on her centerline and, as with coaling, was surely a massive undertaking to maintain her extensive fire-belching batteries.

Official caption: Sailors assigned to the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11), and the “Sea Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22, Detachment 3, conduct maintenance on the 57mm MK 110 gun while the ship is in port Ponce, Puerto Rico for a brief stop for fuel and provisions, May 12, 2021. Sioux City is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marianne Guemo/Released)

Happy Pi-Day

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In my own naval-heavy military history salute to Pi-Day (3/14), we take a look at the peculiar exhibition that was U.S. Navy pie eating contests.

Apparently, these were a regular occurrence at “steel beach” type gatherings on Uncle’s warships from the 1900s through WWII, especially on larger ships with well-equipped gallies.

I guess BBQ and pizza replaced it after that.

Pie eating contest On board a U.S. Navy battleship, circa 1907-1908. This view may have been taken during the Great White Fleet World cruise NH 106075

A pie eating contest On board a U.S. Navy battleship, circa the mid-1910s NH 106274

USS Wyoming BB-32, Pie eating contest on board, on 22 February 1915. NH 77036

USS Mercury.Pie eating contest during a recreation session held for embarked troops, probably while the ship was bringing personnel home from France, circa 1919 NH 98582

USS Maryland (BB-46). Pie-eating contest on board, during her cruise to Brazil in August 1922 NH 76520

USS Augusta (CA-31). Pie-eating contest aboard ship, circa 1936 NH 77855

Pie eating contest held during a happy hour aboard the USS SARATOGA (CV-3) at sea. NH 119205

Also, Marines like pie, too.

Three Marines hungrily wait for the first pie to come out of the field oven on Bougainville during WWII– Note the sweetheart grips on the center-most Devil’s 1911

 

Panama, class of ’21

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“Combined Atlantic and Pacific Fleets in Panama Bay, Jan. 21st 1921,” taken by M.C. Mayberry, of Mayberry and Smith, Shreveport, Louisiana:

Click to big up 1777x529 Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, D.H. Criswell Collection. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Catalog #: NH 86082-B

Click to big up 1777×529. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, D.H. Criswell Collection. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Catalog #: NH 86082-B

Among the ships present in this image are (from left to right): USS Stoddert (DD-302), USS Melville (AD-2), USS Texas (BB-35), USS Partridge (AM-16), USS Birmingham (CL-2), USS Arkansas (BB-33), USS Idaho (BB-42), USS Mississippi (BB-41), USS Wyoming (BB-32), USS New York (BB-34), USS New Mexico (BB-40) and USS Pennsylvania (BB-38).