BB Massachusetts

[RogerJNeilson]

The forum was very helpful indeed, back home now and missing New England - a lovely place.

Only a few scary moments driving over there, but some helpful people kept tooting their horns until I got it right!

Already thinking of another mega trip for next year.....

Roger

[spence]

What I wondered while standing on it was what a hit directly amidship would do? All of those 5" and 40mm mounts, cranes, boats and radar/fire directors. Seems like a good shot from a main gun battery of a BB or a few big bomb hits could take out most of the secondary and AA guns on one side of the ship. maybe that's true of a lot of BBs, but it seemed a relevant question seeing how little room there was around the turrets of those 5" mounts especially

.

If you would like a description of this sort of thing you could read the descriptions of the attack on the Yamato in "A Glorious Way To Die" (the author was a Ltjg Gunnery Officer IIRC) . It has been a while since I read it but it seems the torpedo attacks were preceded by waves of F6Fs strafing the gun crews in the AAA mounts. Something about the blood cascading from one mount to the next one lower sticks in my mind.

[spence]

Only a few scary moments driving over there, but some helpful people kept tooting their horns until I got it right!

Yeah...exactly...RIGHT!!!!

[wdolson]

The first wave attack on the Yamato wasn't just strafing, the fighters had 5 inch rockets too. The attack pretty much disabled most of the AA on the ship.

Bill

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Bobdina1

The gunfire damage report on the South Dakota plus pictures are located here if anyone wants to see.http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Ships/ ... geRpt.html

Most interesting aspect of the report to me:

"From reference (f), however, it appears that this was probably a Japanese 8-inch AP projectile. From the damage produced it appears that the majority of the hits were AP projectiles. Reference (f) reported that the Japanese used a fuze with a time delay of 0.4 second, in 8-inch and larger AP projectiles and a time delay of 0.08 second in 6-inch AP projectiles as compared with a time delay of about 0.02 second to 0.035 second in U. S. Naval AP projectiles."

SD superstructure would have been shambles if not for this. Not discounting the lives lost at all, but it could be have been much worse if the fusing had been to USN specs. 18 x 8" hits if properly fused ... instead most of them were through and throughs ...

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3


Already thinking of another mega trip for next year.....

Roger

New Orleans, baby, get some of that Cajun food. Mobile is near enough, has good seafood too, and has BB Alabama where you can see everything almost, down to the bottom of at least one barbette. You might work Galveston in too, with the Texas. She came to your neck of the woods to fight the High Seas Fleet in WWI. If you can get there in the early spring, it's beautiful, not too hot and the mosquitoes are only as big as B-25's then. They get alot bigger in a month or two. You might also want to go up river a piece and see Vicksburg. Among other things, it has a beautiful restored wood-clad gun boat, the Cahokia, I believe. Natchez is nearby and that might interest you too. Lots of antebellum mansions with tours. Of course if you have time, Shiloh is not that far away either.

[RogerJNeilson]

Strange you should say that, we are looking at New Orleans and where else. A mega trip would be LA to New Orleans via Amtrak (we did the Californain Zephyr two summers ago) then possibly Atlanta then Washington.....

And we tend to travel in Spring.

So may well do another OTT topic on all that when we get closer to a definite trip plan.

Roger

[RogerJNeilson]

ORIGINAL: spence

Only a few scary moments driving over there, but some helpful people kept tooting their horns until I got it right!

Yeah...exactly...RIGHT!!!!

I understood you lot drive on the worng side of the road... not a problem, so do people like the French!

My problems were the overtaking on both sides of me at once, the tailgating, and the turning through a red light..... still with trauma conselling I should be all right in a decade or two says my shrink.....

Some of the busy roads up in Maine I managed though..... example here


Roger

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

ORIGINAL: spence

Only a few scary moments driving over there, but some helpful people kept tooting their horns until I got it right!

Yeah...exactly...RIGHT!!!!

I understood you lot drive on the worng side of the road... not a problem, so do people like the French!

My problems were the overtaking on both sides of me at once, the tailgating, and the turning through a red light..... still with trauma conselling I should be all right in a decade or two says my shrink.....

Some of the busy roads up in Maine I managed though..... example here


Roger

There's your problem. Sitting in the right-hand seat taking photos and steering with your left. Insanity! [:)]

[RogerJNeilson]

But I was told it was an automatic......?????

At least I didn't drive while texting on my phone, or checking route directions with it in my hand while driving.....

Roger

[Chijohnaok2]

I've visited the USS Alabama in Mobile.

She is something truly impressive to see in person.

I've visited her about 2-3 times and have still not had time to visit all the accessible areas on the ship.

They also have a WW 2 sub (Gato class I think, can't remember the name) there, as well as a building housing various aircraft and a few small boats.
Also have a small collection outside of ground and armored vehicles.


If you make it in the area, also consider visiting the US Naval aviation museum in Pensacola, FL.

[geofflambert]

Now if you do use Amtrak, realize that our pride and joy is closer to a buckboard than the transit systems there and in Europe.

[RogerJNeilson]

You obviously haven't travelled on our 'state of the art' railway in the UK......

Roger

[Chijohnaok2]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

You obviously haven't travelled on our 'state of the art' railway in the UK......

Roger

I've only had the opportunity to experience British rail during a short stay in London back in 2005.

I took the Tube to get around London; and then also took some sort of commuter train from where I was staying in/near central London out to Stansted to catch a flight to Germany. The experience was not bad.

I grew up in Chicago which had a fairly decent public transportation system consisting I subways, busses and commuter rail.
There are gaps though. For instance, I used to live in a near west suburb of Chicago but worked in a far west suburb.
There was a commuter rail line from where I lived out to the town where I worked. Unfortunately, the destination train station was about 2 miles from my worksite. There was no bus that ran from the station to the worksite; so public transit could travel 11 of the 13 miles to work, but I would be forced to walk the last 2 miles (some parts of which contained no sidewalks/walkways). Not a terrible option during the summer, but no option during the Chicago winters.

I now live in the Tampa area and public transportation is a joke. My commute each way is 25 miles and would require a 1 mile walk, then two buses for a total commute time (at best) of 2 1/4 hours each way. Neither practical nor acceptable.

The US rail system between major cities is spotty. If you need to get from Washington DC to NYC or Boston, there is a good system in place, but outside of that, not so good. The US is so large that in many cases rail travel is not practical.

A non-stop one way cross country flight from NYC to LA costs about $200 and will take around 6 hours.
A one way cross country train for the same route (with stops and a train change with a 3 hour layover in DC, then a 6 hour layover in Chicago) will cost about $300 and take about 65 hours. (And that is for a coach seat---no sleeping compartment for that price).

[RogerJNeilson]

I know what you mean. I have been staggered at how cheap internal flights are in the USA - you can fly across from one coast to another for less than it would cost me to use our rail here to get 300 miles...........

I take what you say about the rail travel - but having done the Chicago to San Fran last year it may be expensive and it may be unpredictable in timing - but you see the country and you experience things that flying through some clouds doesn't offer. As a person who can now take his time I like the views from the trsin.

Our public transport is a joke too....

Roger

[Symon]

Living on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, these days. Close to the USS Alanama and Pensacola NAS. Had Historiker come to visit a while back. Tried to get him up in a plane, but it wasn't right. It was too prompt. If you visit, and give readonable notice, I can take you up in a nice, tight, two-seater and we can fly the perimeter and watch the Navy pukes do their maneuvers in their ultralites. But you have to ride back-seat on a Harley. Don't thnk the people at Barin NOLF like to see unknown autos caming to town.

You're a kinda fun kinda guy, yeah? Your SO will let you off the leash for an hour of utter upside down fun, yeah? On your next visit to the Colonies, if you come by Alabama, give me a call. You got my number. J

[geofflambert]

I know, I was the first to suggest Mobile, but I had no idea Symon was lurking there. Beware. Pack your own parachute as well.

[TOMLABEL]

ORIGINAL: Symon

Living on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, these days. Close to the USS Alanama and Pensacola NAS. Had Historiker come to visit a whilr back. Yried to get him up in a plane, but it wasn't right. It was too prompt. If you visit, and give readonable notice, I can take you up in a nice, tight, two-seater and we can fly the perimeter and watch the Navy pukes do their maneuvers in their ultralites. But you have to ride back-seat on a Harley. Don't tjhnk the people at Barin NOLF like to see unknown autos caming to town.

You're a kinda fun kinda guy, yeah? Your SO will let you off the leash for an hour of utter upside down fun, yeah? On your next visit to the Colonies, if you come by Alabama, give me a call. You got my number. J

OK, I'm up for it John. Sounds fun!!!! I promised you I would come visit ya!!!

I'll even throw in a over-night deep sea fishing excursion if you would like. Was down P'cola way a couple of weekends ago for a quick work trip. Wished I had time to give you a visit then, but will be back down home to Mobile several times this summer.

If I'm not staying on Ono Is. or north Mobile Co., I usually like to stay at the Battle House which has a good view of the Austal shipbuilding facility with a littorial under construction often across the river.

Oh, have you been to the Flora-Bama yet or Thunder Beach last weekend? No rush, just wondering...

ORIGINAL: chijohnaok

They also have a WW 2 sub (Gato class I think, can't remember the name)

That would be the USS Drum.



Roll Tide!!

[Symon]

ORIGINAL: TOMLABEL
OK, I'm up for it John. Sounds fun!!!! I promised you I would come visit ya!!!
Oh, have you been to the Flora-Bama yet or Thunder Beach last weekend? No rush, just wondering...
Roll Tide!!

Anytime, anywhen, Kelley. You know where I live. Love to have you.

Getting a sissy bar for the bike so I can take some local ladies down to Flora-Baba for fun and frolic. Been there often, but alone; silly Skinner won't just trust my hard 64 year old body and wants a sissy bar ... she's got a really cute butt, so what's a boy to do?

Yeah, I hear that Uncle Henry, Roll Tide, crap every morning when I go for coffee. Eat me!! War Eagles!! Better yet, GO GATORS !!!

Ciao, John

[TOMLABEL]

Alrighty then, I'll give you a hollar soon!

ORIGINAL: Symon

Yeah, I hear that Uncle Henry, Roll Tide, crap every morning when I go for coffee. Eat me!! War Eagles!! Better yet, GO GATORS !!!

[:D][:D][:D][:D]Too funny!!! Busted my gut laughing!!![:D][:D][:D]