The Navy's Newest White Elephant.

[jblomenberg16]

USS New Jersey. Launched exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Commissioned the following May.

I love the lines of the Iowa class! The Baltimore Class of heavy cruisers has similar lines and is roughly 7/8th scale. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore-class_cruiser

Here is the USS Pittsburgh.




Iowa Class reposted, because they are awesome!

 

[Birds Away]

The Baltimore class was the pinnacle of the class that originated as the armored cruiser. Unfortunately, WWII was the last hurrah for the all gun cruisers. But, a few Balitmores were refitted as the first missile cruisers.

 

[IndyDave1776]

The Baltimore class was the pinnacle of the class that originated as the armored cruiser. Unfortunately, WWII was the last hurrah for the all gun cruisers. But, a few Balitmores were refitted as the first missile cruisers.

Unfortunately, this resulted in their being severely uglified in my reckoning!

 

[Birds Away]

Unfortunately, this resulted in their being severely uglified in my reckoning!

Yes, I was in Sydney, Australia when the Chicago visited there in '79. She was a very impressive looking ship....but not beautiful.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Just for a fun question, what do you consider the best battleship design of World War II?

Personally, while I have always liked the Bismarcks, I would have to put the Iowas in first place for the following reasons:

1. Superior speed of 33kts. compared with 31kts.
2. Armor is at least equal, although I see much merit to the German layout in the turtleback structure rather than the citadel structure.
3. One more gun per ship firing projectiles weighing almost 1000 pounds more per projectile capable of more damage per hit.
4. Locked train double-reduction gearing which afforded much greater fuel efficiency, hence more range without refueling.
5. Superior radar installed at the time. I do have to make note of the fact that this is because of German internal politics rather than techincal ability, but nevertheless, that is what was installed on the ship.

The British King George V class is out of the running in my reckoning on account of not having reliable main guns. When you can only count on two out of ten to go bang every time, you have a serious problem. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that 14 inch guns on a battleship were really smallish by World War II standards. I don't really count the Vanguard given that it was a modern hull and propulsion plant featuring reliable albeit outdated guns and turrets left in storage since World War I. The Italian Littorio class featured high-performance albeit high-maintenance guns on relatively weak hulls. The Pugliese anti-torpedo system featured a torpedo buffer that was actually too strong and transferred shock into the parts of the ship it was meant to protect. The French Richelieu class were technically good ships with an effective armament featuring quad 15 inch turrets that actually worked, unlike the 14 inch quads on the KG V class, but the layout, while technically efficient in its conservation of armor still makes me ask, "WTF?". The Yamatos were a handful if you ever went toe to toe with one, but at the end of the day, they were reheated front end of World War I technology fed some major steroids. Hell, the guns still had wire-wrapped barrels! Oh, and did I mention that they were slow? The one innovative feature that they did have is that the Japanese discovered that firing the three barrels of a turret simultaneously resulted in vacuum issues in the air around the shells which impinged upon accuracy and developed a device to prevent any two adjacent barrels from firing simultaneously allowing for some very accurate shooting. The 3.9 inch anti-aircraft guns were some of the best of the war, but this is a secondary feature in terms of the battleship's purpose for existing. That said, they were long on milking very old tech and short on innovation in general.

 

[Birds Away]

I think the Iowas hands down. For all the reasons you list plus one of them had a bathtub for Halsey.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I think the Iowas hands down. For all the reasons you list plus one of them had a bathtub for Halsey.

Halsey may have got some mileage out of it, but it was actually installed for Roosevelt when he used the ship for transportation of one of the conferences with the British and Russians.

 

[Birds Away]

Halsey may have got some mileage out of it, but it was actually installed for Roosevelt when he used the ship for transportation of one of the conferences with the British and Russians.

Hmm, I hadn't read that. Very interesting. I am pretty sure it was the New Jersey. But, I could be wrong.

 

[Birds Away]

An interesting read...

Battleship Comparison

 

[T.Lex]

Well, ya'all have posted some fine pics of some fine ships.

But, if you're gonna start down that path, I'm inclined to post a pic of the most beautifulest class of boats that ever sailed the seas: aircraft carriers.

 

[Birds Away]

To each his own. They are certainly impressive or, perhaps, awe-inspiring. Not sure I would characterize them as beautiful. Of course, when you are on an auxiliary or an amphib and, in a possible pinch, there is no ship you would rather see on the horizon.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Admiral Connolly earned the nickname from the troops doing the landings of 'Close-in Connolly' because he took his battleships right up to the reefs and blasted the dogsh*t out of the Japanese.

I remember reading The Caine Mutiny in High School. I remember how Queeg earned the nickname "Old Yellowstain".

 

[Birds Away]

I remember, back in the late '70's, being on a gator freighter out in the middle of the Pacific. I think the only other ship with us was a T. There was a Bear that was doing lazy circles around us. We had absolutely nothing with which to engage him if he decided to get nasty (not that there was any real danger of that). All of the sudden he turns and heads off. Next thing you know here comes the cavalry. Two Tomcats appear with their ears pinned back and their fangs out, shakin' and bakin' after him. While I knew there wasn't really a danger, it sure was nice seeing those guys show up. A couple of hours later we see a very distinctive silhouette on the horizon. It was the Connie.

 

[Woobie]

I remember, back in the late '70's, being on a gator freighter out in the middle of the Pacific. I think the only other ship with us was a T. There was a Bear that was doing lazy circles around us. We had absolutely nothing with which to engage him if he decided to get nasty (not that there was any real danger of that). All of the sudden he turns and heads off. Next thing you know here comes the cavalry. Two Tomcats appear with their ears pinned back and their fangs out, shakin' and bakin' after him. While I knew there wasn't really a danger, it sure was nice seeing those guys show up. A couple of hours later we see a very distinctive silhouette on the horizon. It was the Connie.

Boo-yah!

 

[actaeon277]

I remember reading The Caine Mutiny in High School. I remember how Queeg earned the nickname "Old Yellowstain".

That was a good movie. And... it made you think. Something modern movies seem to leave out.

 

[Alpo]

USS Missouri. Pressure deformations are awesome.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

That was a good movie. And... it made you think. Something modern movies seem to leave out.

Funny thing was, after reading the novel (which I did enjoy) I had to give an oral report. I had seen the movie before I had read the book, this was back before VCR's and other stuff, but when I gave my oral report, I evidently mixed in a few details that were in the movie but not in the novel. Then, I had some trouble convincing the teacher that I had in fact read the novel and didn't base my report just from the movie.

 

[actaeon277]

Funny thing was, after reading the novel (which I did enjoy) I had to give an oral report. I had seen the movie before I had read the book, this was back before VCR's and other stuff, but when I gave my oral report, I evidently mixed in a few details that were in the movie but not in the novel. Then, I had some trouble convincing the teacher that I had in fact read the novel and didn't base my report just from the movie.

Never read the book. Maybe I'll have to.

 

[Hohn]

In the tradition of the Littoral Combat Ship, the Navy presents its new, technology-rich, capability-poor, obscenely expensive answer to a question nobody asked.

America?s Newest Destroyer Is Already Outdated | The Diplomat

Exactly why having Congress get the buy things is such a problem for the services.

The services are generally very poor at leading Congress to buy it the things the Service really needs and wants, rather than the things that Congress wants to give it.


Then again, far too many in the services--uniform wearers at SPOs and such are corrupted by a desire to be the big program. Another "warfare center"-- be sure it has "joint" or "combined" or some other appropriate DoD Reorg-relevant catch phrase in it.

 

[Hohn]

I went on a west pac with her battle group.
I was on an Adams class destroyer, kept a radar working that used vacuum tubes.
my.... How destroyers have changed.

As an electric guitarist, I'd like to remind you there's nothing wrong with a vacuum tube!