Youtube hearted comments of COL BEAUSABRE (@colbeausabre8842).

  1. Glatton was an appropriate name for a ship defined by her armament. The HMS Glatton of 1795 was commanded by the "Carronade Mad" Henry Trollope, with legendary results as she destroyed an entire French squadron. "HMS Glatton was a 56-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. Wells & Co. of Blackwell launched her on 29 November 1792 for the British East India Company (EIC) as the East Indiaman Glatton. The Royal Navy bought her in 1795 and converted her into a warship. Glatton was unusual in that for a time she was the only ship-of-the-line that the Royal Navy had armed exclusively with carronades. Glatton was originally armed with twenty-eight 68-pounder carronades on the lower deck and twenty-eight 42-pounder carronades on her upper deck. All were non-recoil, which is to say that they were fixed to the deck. Within a month 32-pounder carronades replaced the 42-pounders. Under Trollope, Glatton first served in the English Channel where she engaged a French squadron on 15 July 1796. The French squadron consisted of a 50-gun ship, five frigates (two of 36 guns and three of 28), a brig, and a cutter. Glatton drove the French vessels into Flushing, having lost only two men wounded, one of whom died later, and despite having at times been surrounded by the enemy and exchanging fire at less than 20 yards." Trollope received a knighthood
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  2. One of my neighbors growing up had been the CO of an LCT during the great storm. She was blown ashore and had to wait for weeks to be salvaged. Due to fear of Luftwaffe attacks, no lights were to be shown at night and they were to lie low. Then, one night, it happened. Around dusk, first one ship, then another began firing, soon grounded vessels and Army AA batteries joined in. Artillery roared, small arms rattled and tracers sped into the night. Off shore, even the battleships and cruisers were giving their all. Flares and star shells illuminated a surreal scene. Convinced the Germans had broken through, and were headed to the beach, my neighbor sounded general quarters and rifles and submachine guns were issued to all hands not manning a gun. My neighbor strapped on his 45, determined to "take one with him." Then it occurred to someone to look at the calendar when making an entry into the log and yelled the news. That's how my neighbor and thousands of his brothers in arms celebrated July 4, 1944.
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  3. There werr a variety of changes to armament for the various ships in WW2 "Le Triomphant had been seized by the British in July 1940 and was turned over to the Free French. Later that year her aft superfiring 138.6 mm gun replaced by a British 4-inch (102 mm) Mk V AA gun and a Type 128 Asdic system was installed. The 35 kg depth charges and their rails were removed and the ship was fitted with four Modèle 1918 depth-charge throwers abreast the aft superstructure for 100-kilogram (220 lb) depth charges. During a subsequent refit in mid-1941, the Hotchkiss machine guns were relocated to positions on the forecastle deck and their former positions were occupied by single mounts for 2-pounder (40 mm (1.6 in)) Mk II AA guns. A quadruple mount for Hotchkiss machine guns taken from the battleship Paris was installed atop the aft superstructure and rails for British Mk VIIH depth charges were installed on the stern. A fixed antenna for a Type 286M search radar was also installed. A late 1942 refit in Australia exchanged the 13.2 mm machine guns for six 20-millimeter (0.8 in) Oerlikon light AA guns and the Type 286M radar was replaced by a Type 290 system with a rotating antenna. While Le Triomphant was en route to the United States in 1944 for a comprehensive refit, its British Mk V AA gun was replaced by a 138.6 mm gun from L'Audacieux. The Americans installed SA early-warning, SF surface-search and a British Type 285 fire-control radar, removed her aft torpedo tubes to save weight and converted some boiler feedwater tanks to fuel oil to improve her range. Her AA armament had been removed earlier and now consisted of six 40-millimeter (1.6 in) Bofors guns in twin-gun mount and eleven Oerlikon guns in single mounts. In early 1943 Le Terrible and Le Fantasque were similarly refitted in the United States although their anti-aircraft armament consisted of eight Bofors guns in one quadruple and two twin-gun mounts and eight Oerlikon guns in single mounts. After repairing damage suffered during the Naval Battle of Casablanca in November 1942 Le Malin followed her sisters to the United States and was similarly refitted. In 1944–1945, the supplies of the French 200 kg depth charges began to run out so the depth charge chutes were sealed off and rails for Mk VIIIH depth charges were added to those ships that lacked them. In December 1944, Le Malin had her worn-out Mle 1929 guns replaced by salvaged Mle 1927 guns. After these refits, the French re-rated them as light cruisers
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  4. OK, here we go. One reason for the USN's dramatic cuts in ships under construction was that it had learned its lesson when it built up a huge fleet of Flush Deckers after the Kaiser War which were facing bloc obsolesence in the Thirties. Also, among the hangers on in the under construction category at the end of the WW2 Congress authorized that vessels 80 percent or more complete to be finished, vessels between 60 and 80 percent complete were to be suspended, less than 60 percent were to be scrapped. 1) All pre-war destroyers except two were either expended as targets at Bikini or scrapped. Two Porter class ships were converted as Radar Training ships and rated as miscellaneous auxiliaries (AG) but were scrapped in 1949. The four gun Benson and Gleaves classes went into mothballs, most never to return (some went to allied nations in the Fifties). The only active members of the class were those converted to 3 gun High Speed Minesweepers (DMS). They went into reserve after the Korean War (they were too vulnerable to modern mines) and had a paper re-rating to DD. Almost all the Fletchers also went into reserve, but a bunch were reactivated for the Korean War. Some were converted to ASW Escort Destroyers (DDE) with mount 52 replaced by a trainable Hedgehog or Weapon Able-Alfa, Mount 53 deleted in favor of a dual 3 inch gun and the torpedo tubes replaced by ASW tubes and an additional pair of dual 3 inchers. Many ended up their service being assigned to the Naval Reserve - a few in their 1945 configuration (maybe with updated radars) 2) All prewar subs were either targets at Bikini or were assigned as immobile (props removed) Naval Reserve dockside training ships rated AGSS. One reason for the number of subs remaining relatively high was the Navy was experimenting how to use them against something other than an island nation (Lookin' at you, Russia). It also converted a bunch to Fleet Snorkel, Guppy 1, Guppy 1A, Guppy 1B, Guppy Ii and Guppy III's. The Guppy 1's were a hurried conversion in 1945 - streamlined with more powerful batteries but no snorkel - designed to prove the concept and soon relegated to serving as ASW targets. The Fleet Snorkels were caused by a lack of funding to convert the number of subs desired to Guppy configuration. It removed the guns and installed a streamlined sail and snorkel. They retained their original batteries and unstreamlined hull, so had considerably reduced performance underwater compared to the Guppy's. Unconverted Fleet boats ended their careers as dockside trainers replacing the prewar boats and were eventually replaced by Fleet Snorkels and some Guppy's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Underwater_Propulsion_Power_Program 3) DE's were called by Freidman a perfect example of a WAR ship and demonstrating the folly of building a ship of limited capability to perform one mission - ASW in this case. By WAR ship, he meant a ship that had value to a war time navy, but either none or limited value in the missions navies perform in peace time. In addition to the DE's, he also included the Vietnam "Brown Water Navy", the RN's Hunt class, which disappered after WW2, and its Coastal Forces. Maybe the Danes and Germans needed them to fight in Baltic, the RN didn't. They were a waste of money for Britain (Tip of the hat to Jackie Fisher and his reforms of the early 1900's). The USN's DE program was huge - 1005 (!) ships were authorized. Of that number, 564 hulls were completed with 94 (of a planned 100) being either converted or completed as APD's (a huge over-strength compared to need) and two suspended at the end of the War being completed in the Fifties as the only steam powered Radar Picket Destroyer Escorts (DER) - part of NOARD's network of radar stations in the Cold War. As early as the Autumn of 1943, the Vice CNO reported that the battle they were designed to fight - the Battle of the Atlantic - was won and there was going to be huge over supply of escorts, when what the USN needed was amphibious shipping. There was considerable debate (including the impact on morale at shipyards where workers had been told the ships they had been building were vital and were now going to be told were unneeded) as to what to do with a large number of seaworthy hulls and eventually the decision was made to complete the last as APD's. I know that may hurt some families who had relatives serve on DE's and APD's but I refer you to Friedman https://www.amazon.com/U-S-Destroyers-Revised-Illustrated-History/dp/1682477576
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  5. Defenses of the Canal Zone (Battery Name/Number/Caliber/M = Mortar RY = Railway DC=Disappearing Carriage PM = "Panama Mount" P = Pedestal Mount BCLR = Barbette Carriage Long Range CBC = Casemented Barbette Carriage AMTB = Anti Motor Torpedo Boat) Panama Mount "The term Panama Mount describes a gun mount developed by the U.S. Army in Panama during the 1920s for fixed coastal artillery positions. Panama mounts were widely used during the buildup to and during World War II by the United States military. The mounts could be constructed as either full, 3/4 or half circles of steel rail set in concrete with a diameter of approximately 36 feet (11 m). A concrete column with a diameter of ten feet (3.0 m) was constructed in the center of the circle to support the gun and carriage. The concrete column was connected to the outer concrete ring by concrete beams for alignment/stability. Originally traverse was accomplished with several men and prybars to move the trailing arms around the steel ring. Later installations included a geared steel ring just inside of the outer steel rail for improved traverse. The Canon de 155mm GPF, designated 155 mm gun M1917 (French-made) or M1918 (US-made) in U.S. service, was often married with Panama mounts; these were the primary weapons of the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps' tractor-drawn mobile units 1920-1945." The Harbor Defenses of Cristobal, Panama (Panama Canal Zone, Atlantic side ) FORT RANDOLPH / Margarita Island / 1911 to Panama, 1979; commercial development / KK Webb /2/14″/ DC /1912-1948 #1/2/14″/ RY / 1928-1948 / 2 guns for Panama, 4 empl. (#1 & #8) 1 empl. destroyed Tidball /4/12″ / M /1912-1943 Zalinski /4/12″/ M /1912-1943 Weed /2/ 6″/ DC /1912-1946 X(4A) /4/155 mm / PM /1940 2C / 4 /155 mm / PM 5A / 4 /155 mm / PM FORT DeLESSEPS /Colon / 1911 /to Panama, 1950s /KK Morgan/2/ 6″/P /1913-1944/modified casemate mounts M1910 AMTB #3b/4/90 mm/F/1943-1948/Cristobal mole, built over FORT SHERMAN / Toro Point / 1911 / MD, MC /to Panama 1999/KK #151/2/16″/CBC/NB Mower/1/14″/DC/1912-1948 Stanley/1/14″/DC/1912-1948 Howard/4/12″/M/1912-1943 Baird/4/12″/M/1912-1943 Pratt/2/12″/BCLR/1924-1948/Iglesia Pt., casemated-WWII MacKenzie/2/12″/BCLR/1924-1948/Iglesia Pt., not rebuilt Kilpatrick/2/ 6″/DC/1913-1946 W/4/155 mm/PM/1940 Other sites / ? U/4/155 mm/PM/1918/Tortuguilla Point V/4/155 mm/PM/1940/Naranjitos Point Y/4/155 mm/PM/1940/Palma Media Island Z(1A)/4/155 mm/PM/1940/Galetta Is. 1B/4/155 mm/PM//Galetta Is. The Harbor Defenses of Balboa, Panama (Panama Canal Zone, Pacific Side) FORT KOBBE (ex-Ft. Bruja)/ Bruja Point /Howard AFB to Panama 1999/ KK Murray/2/16″ /BCLRN/1926-1948/Bruja Pt., casemated-WWII Haan/2/16″ /BCLRN/1926-1948/Batele Pt., not casemated, empl. buried AMTB #6/4/90 mm/F/1943-1948 Z (3A) FORT AMADOR / Balboa / to Panama, 1997; commercial development /K Birney/2/ 6″/DC/1913-1943/buried Smith/2/ 6″/DC/1913-1943/buried FORT GRANT /Balboa /to Panama, 1979 private development /MD, MC /KK Newton/1/16″/DC/1914-1943/Perico Is., filled to loading platform level Buell/2/14″/DC/1912-1948/Naos Is. Burnside/2/14″/DC/1912-1948/Naos Is./ Warren/2/14″/DC/1912-1948/Flaminco Is., empls. filled to parapit edge Prince/4/12″/M/1912-1943/Flaminco Is. Merritt/4/12″/M/1912-1943/Flaminco Is. Carr/4/12″/M/1912-1943/Flaminco Is. Parke/2/ 6″/DC/1912-1948/Naos Is. #8/2/14″/RY/1928-1948/Culebra Is., empl (see #1, Randolph), covered T/2/155 mm/PM//Flamenco Is. U (10A)/2/155 mm/PM//Flamenco Is. V(10B)/2/155 mm/PM//Culebra Is. Other sites /? W (1B)/4/155 mm/PM//Taboquilla Is. 2B/2/155 mm/PM//Taboquilla Is. unnamed/4/155 mm/PM//Paitilla Pt. X/2/155 m/PM//Urara Is. Y (1A)/4/155 mm/PM//Taboga Is.
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