Tag Archives: Vought OS2U kingfisher

Old Mary at Peace

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On the road at an industry event all week in Louisiana, so we’re taking a knee on Warship Wednesday.

In its place, how about this amazing photo essay by LIFE Photographer Peter Stackpole of the Colorado-class “Super 16” dreadnought USS Maryland (BB 46) with embarked floatplanes of Observation Squadron Four (VO-4) seen in the waters of the Territory of Hawaii in August 1941 during the tense lead-up to the Pacific War, some 85 years ago this month.

Holystoning the deck, a ritual known throughout the old wooden-deck Navy for generations. 

Note the “meatball” roundels on the Vought OS2U Kingfisher. The floatplane began deliveries to the Navy in August 1940. 

While some 1,500 Kingfishers were produced, they never fully replaced the biplane Curtiss SOC Sea Gull, which remained in service until 1949

Note the searchlights on the masts

The third warship to use the name of the seventh state, USS Maryland (Battleship No. 46) was laid down 24 April 1917 by Newport News, launched 20 March 1920, and commissioned 21 July 1921.

Maryland was hit by two armor-piercing bombs during the attack on Pearl Harbor, causing localized fires, flooding, and structural damage but only 17 casualties. Meanwhile, her own batteries fired 7,450 rounds and claimed seven enemy planes shot down, so there is that.

Patched up, she soon returned to service, and steamed 152,697 miles during 1942-45, during which she shrugged off a Japanese aerial torpedo (22 June 1944) and two kamikazes (29 November 1944 and 7 April 1945). In return, she sent aloft 3,479 16-inch, 13,972 5-inch, 4,093 40mm and 10,500 20mm shells aimed at the subjects of the Emperor.

From her official War History:

Maryland received seven battle stars for World War II service, and, after spending 13 years in post-war mothballs, was scrapped in 1959– only after the Russian Gangut-class battlewagons Sevastopol and Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya were sent to the breakers.

Super BB vs America’s Largest Cruiser

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This great overhead shot at Norfolk Naval Base’s piers, on 20 August 1944, gives a good comparison of two of the Navy’s newest surface combatants at the time. The newly commissioned Iowa-class battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) is the largest ship in the center, and she is flanked by the large (not battle) cruiser USS Alaska (CB-1). Meanwhile, the jeep carrier USS Croatan (CVE-25), her deck crowded with Wildcats and Avengers, brings up the rear while assorted tin cans of the Fletcher, Four-Pipe, and Flush-Deck classes dot the far pier.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. 80-G-190547

A closer inset of just the heavyweights, fresh off their East Coast shakedown cruises, shows off the 45,000-ton/887-foot Missouri and her main battery of nine 16″/50 guns in three triple turrets and 20 5″/38 DP guns in 10 twin mounts. This compared to the 30,000-ton/808-foot Alaska’s nine 12″/50 guns in three triple turrets and 12 5″/38 DP guns in six twin mounts.

With very similar layouts, one almost seems like a slimmed-down version of the other.

Both ships were fast– capable of 33 knots– and had long legs– over 12,000 nm unrefueled– while armor on Alaska (9-inch belt, 12.8-inch around the conning tower) was only incrementally less than Missouri who sported a 12-inch belt and up to 17 inches in the CT.
However, Alaska, while she would have no doubt proved her worth in the Java Sea in 1942, just two years later was too little too late and was never properly utilized. Hence, this faux battlewagon, used to provide AAA screens to aircraft carriers and deliver the occasional naval gunfire support, only saw six months of active service and was decommissioned for good in 1947. After 13 years in mothballs, she was scrapped.
Meanwhile, we all know Missouri’s history.

Mighty Mo, Stretching Her Sea Legs

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If you have followed this blog for more than five minutes, you know I am a sucker for period Kodachromes and classic warships, so this superb 80-year-old photo essay of the brand new Iowa-class battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) on her shakedown cruise alongside the large (not “battle”) cruiser USS Alaska (CB-1), circa August 1944, should not come as a shock. 

Enjoy.

Missouri In port during her shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. USS Alaska (CB-1) is in the left distance, with a K-type blimp overhead. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4523 (Color)

Missouri anchored in port during her shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. A K-type blimp is overhead. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4576 (Color)

Missouri was photographed while on her shakedown cruise, in August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4575 (Color)

USS Alaska (CB-1) maneuvers in front of USS Missouri (BB-63) during their shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-5584

40,000 tons at 30+ knots! View along the battleship’s port side, during a high-speed run while on her shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4533 (Color)

Missouri’s signal flags flying from her port halyards during her shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-14527 (Color)

Signal flags fly from her port side halyards, as the battleship speeds along during her shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. Note 5/38 twin gun mounts below. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4571 (Color)

The pilot of a Vought OS2U floatplane unstraps his flight log from his leg, after returning from a flight. The airplane is on the catapult behind him. Photographed during the ship’s shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4597 (Color)

Missouri Electricians’s Mate First Class Kenneth McNally and Seaman First Class George Skiratko operate a 36-inch searchlight, during the ship’s shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4560 (Color)

Missouri Fire Controlman Third Class James Tucker adjusts the canvas bloomer on a 16/50 gun while standing on the gun turret’s face plate ladder. Photographed during the battleship’s shakedown period, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4535 (Color)

Missouri fires the center 16/50 Mk.VII guns of each of her forward turrets, during a shakedown cruise night gunnery practice, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4549 (Color)

This looks so crisp and sharp that it could have been taken in the 1990s! “Missouri fires a salvo from the forward 16/50 gun turret, during her shakedown period, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4546 (Color)”

Missouri Fires her 5″/38 secondary battery during a shakedown cruise night gunnery practice, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4550 (Color)

The old man: Captain (future VADM) William McCombe Callaghan (USNA 1918) the ship’s Commanding Officer, on the navigating bridge during her Summer 1944 shakedown period. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4600

A bit of light reading occupies the spare time of one of the ship’s crew members, during Missouri’s shakedown cruise, circa August 1944. His booklet is the Public Affairs Committee publication What About Girls?. Note helmets stowed on the 40mm gun tub shield behind the sailor. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4541 (Color)

WAVES Yeoman Third Class Betty Martin exiting the rear door of a 5/38 twin gun mount while touring the ship in an east coast port during Missouri’s shakedown period, circa August 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Lieutenant Rival Joe Hawkins, Chaplain, leads a congregation of sailors in prayer, during services on the battleship’s fantail. Photographed during her shakedown period, circa August 1944. Note the portable organ at the right, the 16-inch triple gun turret in the center background, and the censored ship (which is USS Alaska, CB-1) at the right distance. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. 80-G-K-4531 (Color)

The Brooklyn-built battlewagon conducted her cruise down the Eastern Seaboard to the Chesapeake, then left Norfolk after post-shakedown availability on Veteran’s Day 1944, headed to her destiny in the Pacific.