OT: USCGC Icarus brings the first German POWs of WW2 into the US

[spence]

https://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2017/11/ ... -of-u-352/

Among some of the minor irks I have with this game is the short shrift that the US Coast Guard has received in the computer world of WitP/WitP:AE. I'm sure that "old navy hands" feel a like unhappiness with the ratings that are accorded many ships etc so I'll excuse myself. But two of the "Packenschlag" were sunk by the same class of USCG cutter and the increased losses suffered by the Kreigsmarine almost certainly contributed to Doenitz's decision to shift the focus of his Uboats efforts to the Caribbean.

I just wanted to point out to those that don't know that the first German POWs taken in the @nd World War by US forces were captured when the USCGC Icarus sank the U-352 in May of 1942. Only one Uboat was sunk previously by US forces (USS Roper) but that Uboat sank with all hands. I should add that another Uboat was sunk by the USCGC Thetis in June of 1942 (also with all hands). In the 'vanilla' version of WitP:AE none of this class of cutter (165 ft Thetis class) appears at all in the game although there were 5 on the West Coast.

[Kursk1943]

I saw another famous USCG ship, the Ingham on my trip to Key West March this year. Inham sank several Uboats and also participated in Vietnam War. Unfortunately not able to upload pictures because of size restrictions.

[m10bob]

Dad in law Al Brew was a "Coastie" aboard the U.S.S.Wakefield when she was bombed by the Japanese at Singapore soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The original WITP, (prior to AE) did not even have this historic ship...the civilian luxury steamer SS manhattan, which once held the steam passenger liner speed record!)
Later, this ship took the Second Marine Division to Wellington N.Z.
At least one mod (RHS) has many Coast Guard vessels identified with a "CG"in their names.
According to the Coast Guard website, at least half of all U.S. landing craft were manned by Coasties, and that site lists them all by number.
My dad went close enough to Omaha Beach aboard the Coast Guard manned LCI 91 to swim in...(as it was sunk offshore.)

The old joke passed around by the USN was that the Coast Guard was the "shallow water navy"(which was not the case.
Following the navies joke was the question..."Why were all Coast Guardsmen over six feet tall?"...Answer was "So if sunk, they could walk in."

Well into his eighties, Al may have had an inch of height on me, and I am 6'2", lol.

[spence]

The Coast Guard is the hard core about which the Navy forms in time of war.

USCG 83 ftr in Rescue Flotilla 1 off Omaha Beach on 6/6/44.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: spence

The Coast Guard is the hard core about which the Navy forms in time of war.

USCG 83 ftr in Rescue Flotilla 1 off Omaha Beach on 6/6/44.

OK - I give up; What's in the wooden crate in the metal cradle, ready to be slingshotted at the enemy? Snakes? Inflatable love dolls? Paper board copies of WITP-AE?

[spence]

OK - I give up; What's in the wooden crate in the metal cradle, ready to be slingshotted at the enemy? Snakes? Inflatable love dolls? Paper board copies of WITP-AE?

Before my time. The last 83 ftr was decommissioned in 1963.

If you're interested the history of Rescue Flotilla One appears in the link below.

http://uscg83footers.org/d-day.htm

I sorta wonder if the photo has anything to do with the perjorative term "Puddle Pirates" that the Navy uses to feel better about themselves.

[fcooke]

Could it be a litter of some sort? She was working in a rescue role.....

[MakeeLearn]

A hatch to the lower level.

[MakeeLearn]

Oui?

[BBfanboy]

Da!

[rustysi]

the perjorative term "Puddle Pirates"

C'mon Spence, there're 'nicknames' for every branch of the service. Me I'm a 'ground pounder'... Add the rest if you like.[:D]

I must admit I didn't know of that particular name for 'Coasties' for quite some time. It was told to me by a 'Coastie', and is one of my favorites.

Here's a neat little story I have about the CG. While I was in HS back in the day many young guys went to join the CG before being drafted. Figured it'd get them out of Nam.[8|]

Well none of them asked whose coast they might be guarding. Myself, as a youngen', I used to read the paper. Now don't get me wrong, it was mostly the sports section, but I at least browsed the rest. Well one feature just behind the sports was a weekly POW list. Used to see, to my surprise, lots of 'Coasties' in there, and that made me do some research. Oh, riverboats in the 'Delta', yeah, no thanks.[:(]

So, I get it, all branches of service had their elements of danger. Doesn't mean we can't poke fun at each other. Does it?[:)]

Hell, I'll even go one further. I was in that greatest of oxymoron's, 'Military Intelligence'.[:'(]

[spence]

C'mon Spence, there're 'nicknames' for every branch of the service. Me I'm a 'ground pounder'... Add the rest if you like.

Oh I know and have used the assorted "perjorative" upon occasion. I'd heard the term "puddle pirates" previously but seeing the skull and crossbones on those guys' helmets and on the side of their ship got me wondering if the term originated on D-Day or before that or after that.