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Master and Commander
Posts: 1893
Location: Patterson, New York | Subject: USS San Francisco back in the water
Link to story here:
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/10/navy_sub_surgery_102108w/
Near the end of the article there is something new I learned. I knew at the close of WWII there was a USS Kentucky at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It was interesting to read that the bow from that ship was used 10 years after the war to fix another ship. |
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Old Salt
Posts: 338
Location: Oak Island, NC | Subject: RE: USS San Francisco back in the water
USS ARTHUR W. RADFORD (DD-968) also was the recipient of another ship's bow in 1999. I believe the donor was ex-USS COMTE DE GRASSE (DD-974). RADFORD collided with the tanker Saudi Riyadh off the Virginia Capes, while conducting navigation calibrations around a buoy. I remember her dry docking next to USS ATLANTA (SSN-712) who was being decommed. I watched the drydock pump down, saw the damage and how close it came to her forward 5"/54 gun mount. Of course, they quickly covered her bow with a tarp.
For all the gripes and complaints I've heard (and said) about shipyards and shipyard workers over the years, they truly do amazing work.
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Plankowner
Posts: 9165
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: USS San Francisco back in the water
It was interesting to read that the bow from that ship was used 10 years after the war to fix another ship.
That other ship is the USS Wisconsin. Even though the Iowa class ships were all built from the same plans they were not quite identical. When the measurements were taken as where to cut both ships to install the replacement bow, Wisconsin ended up being 6 inches longer than she use to be making her the largest battleship built by the US.
On 6 May, 1955 the battleship collided with the destroyer Eaton (DDE-510) in a heavy fog; Wisconsin put into Norfolk with extensive damage to her bow and, one week later, entered drydock at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. A novel expedient speeded her repairs and enabled the ship to carry out her scheduled midshipman training cruise that summer. A 120-ton, 68-foot long section of the bow of the uncompleted battleship Kentucky was transported by barge, in one section, from New Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Newport News, Va., across Hampton Roads to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Working round-the clock, Wisconsin's ship's force and shipyard personnel completed the operation which grafted the new bow on the old battleship in a mere 16 days. On 28 June 1956, the ship was ready for sea. |
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Old Salt
Posts: 338
Location: Oak Island, NC | Subject: RE: USS San Francisco back in the water
I remember in early 1999 in Norfok Naval Shipyard, as we had just brought ATLANTA in for decommissioning, walking past WISCONSIN every morning while transiting to the crew's barge. She was there after her final decom in storage, while trying to decide if she would actually be berthed next to NAUTICUS. What an awesome sight she was! I'm a submariner through and through, but seeing an IOWA-class battleship up close is a beautiful sight. If it were not for the locked plywood door on her brow, I would have certainly risked the trouble I would have gotten to take an unescorted tour of that historic ship.
I know warships are beautiful to those who served on them, but battleships are truly special. They have style, at least in my eyes, equal to the most beautiful automobiles ever made.
Edited by rjs2005 2008-10-22 9:28 AM
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
Location: Belleview, Fl | Subject: RE: USS San Francisco back in the water
Wisconsin is here in Norfolk at the Nauticus and she is the main piece of their museum, it is truly awesum to walk her decks but even better to look through the attack scope at an active battleship.. Had that opportunity when the USS Missouri came to Pearl after the Gulf war was over, even having to wait at the entrance of Papa Hotel for her and her battle group to pass because we had the junior Commander of the battle group was pretty interesting. Little did we know that they were filming the move "Under Siege" at the time when she left, and now the Missouri sets in Pearl at Ford Island as a memorial. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1107
Location: Tucson AZ | Subject: RE: USS Eaton
With the description of damage to Wisconsin, I figured the tin can Eaton would have been totaled. But this pic from NavSource indicated the DC crew did their jobs well and she made it back in to fight another day. http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0551018.jpg
Oh well, their pix don't always post well to these BBS; just copy and paste the above url to your browser address box.
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1893
Location: Patterson, New York | Subject: RE: USS San Francisco back in the water
I spent a night on the USS New Jersey when she was reactivated in 1968ish for Vietnam.
I was at A School in Damneck, VA and she was in Norfolk. A friend of mine from back home was assigned to the ship as a photographer mate. I went aboard for a tour and ended up spending the night because the photo locker had bunks.
Now, the problem was to get off without being noticed. So I put on a pair of dungees and with my friend, we carried the trash to the pier via an aft gangway.. Actually, my blues were in the trash bag and I changed in some shack.
Edited by Thomas Courtien 2008-10-23 4:20 PM
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Old Salt
Posts: 461
Location: Medina, OH | Subject: RE: USS San Francisco back in the water
According to Dan Ashley, Joey's dad, official re-launch will be in February. Pentagon, Navy, SUBFOR have assured Dan and Vicki that they should be on hand at dock when SF makes official patrol departure. Joey, the sole submariner on eternal patrol from uncharted sea mount incident, will be with them as will "Moondog."As for former crew of USS Honolulu, your boat lives on with SF. Some small consolation, probably, but she does live on.
Edited by nancy 2008-10-23 7:22 PM
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USS San Francisco back in the water
