Comments by "AtomicBabel" (@AtomicBabel) on "Drachinifel" channel.

  1. His Majesty's Ship Cat, Blacky Last known position, Singapore Overdue, still on patrol
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  2. "Actively made sure that all his academy mates graduate" and then demonstrated a 100% success rate. The man has my eternal admiration from that point alone!
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  3. Type 96 25mm AA. Why they were so terrible? Drydock 18 Why IJN kept using them? Drydock 55 This has been a public service message 🤓
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  4. After the action, Vice Admiral Whitworth wrote of the Swordfish floatplane, "The reports made by Warspite's aircraft were invaluable. I doubt if ever a shipborne aircraft has been used to such good purpose as it was in this operation." War Planes of the Second World War, Vol 6 Floatplanes. William Green 1962
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  5. Last time I was this early, an island landed on a flight deck.
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  6.  @pdogone1  on eternal patrol
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  7. Drack! I had sent you an actual picture of the unexploded shell still stuck in the Kearsage's rudder! It's at the USN museum in DC.
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  8. The Omaha Class has always perplexed with their gun arrangement, turrets and castmates on top of castmates. And then that rear turret that it's so far aft and with little freeboard. Drach, when you do the guide on this ship, find me! I have access to a 1/48 scale - yes 1/48 scale Richmond.
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  9. It is very tragic. In a few moments, the ship will explode, the deck elevator will be blown apart and the hangar will turn into a raging infernal. Many, too many of these men will slide down the flight deck and fall into the gaping jaws of that elevator and into the fire. That photp is erie and haunting.
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  10. VJ Day 15 Aug 1945 75 years ago today Please take a moment to remember.
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  11. Could you imagine if USN keep the Midway and Coral Sea names on a pair of CVEs? That's was the original plan for the 2 named, on CVEs.
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  12. Spoiler alert
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  13. Cows, dogs and bug juice machines, gotta love them. Thank you for standing the watch!
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  14.  @Stellar001100  cats are not binded by any regulations (nor anything really) of humankind 🐱. Cheers
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  15. Plus, the distinct sound of binoculars hitting the water
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  16. Drach, your fans in the US will always be ready and eager to welcome you, whenever and always.
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  17.  @giovannicorbarigasparini5352  picture chocolate ice cream dispensing into a bowl. 🐕
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  18. For a moment there, I thought that Drach was describing the design, construction and post delivery of recent USN new ship classes.
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  19. Memory is not precise. Do remember Dick Best"s picture in 1982 Smithsonian Air & Space, commenting on his lung injury from his oxygen system and medically out from flying after Midway. "I quit at the top!"
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  20. Plus HMS Illegitimate & Irreverent. A sub class that will be canceled
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  21. I remember reading an account in which the rotten meat was thrown overboard while the ships were in harbor. The tide came back in and carried the putrid jetsam all around every ship in the fleet.
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  22. By the end of the war a bunch of them were physically attached to USN and RN warships.
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  23. Yukikaze of the Kagero class did survive the war and was operated by the Republic of China Navy for a number of years and then scrapped. Her anchor is displayed at the Japanase Maritime Self Defense Force Academy at Etijima (please excuse the spelling).
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  24. I worked for a USN 2 star who used to play guitar with his band at holiday parties. He's a 3 star now.
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  25. She had a lot of experience doing that since it was the 3rd time yes the 3rd time that she lost her bow during the war. Yes seriously she did
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  26. My personal story about a different USS New York. I grew up in NYC with the Twin Towers as a backdrop to every single day in my younger life. The use of steel from the Towers in the hull of LPD-21, USS New York is therefore extremely significant to me. Alas, I was not there for her commissioning. However, that immediate Monday my flight into NYC was delayed 1 hr. When my flight finally descended below the clouds, we were over Coney Island Beach and Amusement Park. From this bird's eye view, there she was! USS New York! steaming towards the opening in the breakers. The 2 escorting chase boats turned away, and she crossed the harbor entrance. Proud, alone and underway for the open ocean as a Commissioned Combatant of the US Navy for the first time, USS New York! This will always be the greatest moment for me with ANY ship.
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  27. Martians to the right of them, Martians to the left of them, Martians to the front of them Onwards charged the Thunderchild! Oops , wrong story🤓
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  28. This brought back memories of an old "Shoe" comic strip, yellowed from time and forever posted for all our engineers and support people to see. Santa with his reindeers and sleigh feeling the warmth from the rising steam off the bow catapults as he prepares to depart after leaving presents for the crew of a CV in deployment somewhere far from home. Merry Christmas, peace on earth, good will to all!
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  29. When the order was given on Seydlitz, the entire crew roared out with a cheer.
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  30. Jolly good, jolly jolly good
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  31. Ha! Just wait until the next round. Hint: "night of the long lances" Spoiler Night of every cruiser on fire and/ or sinking
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  32.  @sarjim4381  thank you, I could almost understand the triples, but the single mounts always drove me raving mad. When they were flying around with a variation of the 20mm & 60 round drums, yet a single 25mm in free mounts. End rant. Thanks again!
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  33. U-haul rental trucks have the Hubakku as the "interesting fact" for Alberta 🤓
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  34. 6 hours of Drach!!! A terrific way to top this off is with fireworks! Happy Independence Day!
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  35. The guy had a 1 v 3 sniper shootout and won, that's plenty of bad yashery.
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  36. Is it pronounced very differently for the regent in the Swiss Alps? Thank you, this is an amazing episode
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  37. Yes! Friendly Sea mines. We miss you so dearly
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  38. Quiz: "I don't know about this logistic thing that _1_ keeps talking about, but I want some" _2_ Hint, US flag officers WW2
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  39.  @deeznoots6241  by USA law, the USN shall have 11 in-service carriers. Currently 68 thru 78. 68 Nimitz will decommission in a few years (after 50 yrs of service), and 79 Kennedy will Commission in about 2 years to replace 68. Then 80 for 69 ... etc.
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  40. In Brooklyn, the French sub captain that fired at the USN at Casablanca told the officers of his targeted ship (USS Brooklyn), that he would do it again.
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  41. Diego Garcia was a lonely place
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  42. That would also be an awesome collab!
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  43. You folks do realise that Goto's last words on Aoba's bridge translates to "fools, fools, fools"
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  44. Dare it be asked, if HMS Manxman had a ship's cat? Name and breed?
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  45. And the radio station crew greeted the raiding party with a congratulations for said Iron Cross. An honor which no one on Emden knew about.
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  46. Overdue, still on patrol.
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  47. I've seen deadloads plunge into the Delaware from the deck of Forestall, dolphins glisten the rays of the morning sun on the wake of Nimitz off La Hoya, walked from below the keel to above Fly 1 on Bush in a single day, felt the collective heart beat of many thousands as Champaign anointed the Ford, witness the island suspended above the flight deck on Kennedy. When I leave, all these moments will be lost forever like tears in rain.
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  48. Mr. M. Kaufman, WW2 USN submarine veteran, world traveler, a wonderful person and the best middle school social studies teacher in the world.
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  49.  @Snowstrider0001  chrome a submarine and named it Steely Dan. W.S.Burroughs reference. 🙂
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  50. Re: AA fratricide, men in desperate situations may easily fixate on a target and not notice friendly ships in the arch of fire. 40mm Bofors shells are "Self Destroying" (SD), the tracer base burns into the explosive filler and detonates the round. The "timing" is not adjustable, it is "set" as a requirement and implemented during manufacture. This results in some protection to other ships in the formation, from getting hit with a live shell.
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