Monday, January 31, 2022
End of a River.
On this day in 1956, the Modified River Class Frigate, HMAS Murchison decommissioned in Sydney. Since her commissioning in 1945 the ship steamed 175,712 miles. Murchison was ordered as part of Australia's shipbuilding program during the Second World War.
Sunday, January 30, 2022
Swedish Minelayer/Cruiser.
Built as a large, well-armed minelayer/cruiser of sorts, Göta Lejon could carry up to 150 heavy (300 warhead) contact mines in a hold below decks and rapidly drop them over the stern after running them down her topside deck on fitted rails. She could sow mines at 20-knots.
The Tre Kronor class (English: Three Crowns class) was a class of two cruisers built for the Swedish Navy during World War II, comprising Tre Kronor and Göta Lejon. Tre Kronor was discarded in 1968 and Göta Lejon was sold to Chile in 1971. Renamed Almirante Latorre, she remained in service until being discarded in 1986.
Sir Winston Churchill.
On this day in 1965, the state funeral of the greatest of Britons, Sir Winston Churchill, took place at St Pauls. All of the Armed Forces were involved but it was the privilege of the RoyalNavy to pull his coffin on a gun carriage. Churchill held post of 1st Lord of the Admiralty twice.
Saturday, January 29, 2022
'Vixen' Drones.
Carrier based ‘Vixen’ drones are being considered for a range of missions including combat, aerial refuelling and airborne early warning but what could they look like?
According to an official Royal Navy publication, titled Future Maritime Aviation Force, which was originally published in December 2020, the Royal Navy aims to replace its helicopter-based airborne early warning (AEW) platform, the Merlin HM2 Crowsnest, with a fixed-wing UAV, currently known as Vixen, by 2030.
Friday, January 28, 2022
Ex Royal Navy.
FS DECOUVERTE, LUCIFER 11, Ex HMS WINDRUSH.
Former WW2 Escort frigate HMS WINDRUSH was used as a training ship for the French 'Marine Nationale' at Querqueville, near Cherbourg.
USS Mineapolis WW II.
Heavy cruiser USS Minneapolis (CA-36) refueling at sea from a Navy AO, during the Marshall Islands operation, Jan. 1944. Photographed from USS Cowpens (CVL-25). The oiler is one of the few that were fitted with a Mark 37 gun director, visible atop her bridge.
M-class submarines.
Royal Navy M-class submarine sailing past the ocean liner RMS Aquatania.Armed with a single 12-inch gun, with a distinctive tompion to seal the gun when diving, is visible.
Due to the limitations imposed on submarine armament by the Washington Naval Conference, M2 and M3 had their guns removed. M2 was converted to carry a small seaplane and M3 was made into a minelayer.
Tonga relief.
HMAS Adelaide sits alongside Nuku'alofa, Tonga, as humanitarian stores and medical supplies are unloaded as part of Operation Tonga Assist.
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Combat Support Ship.
USS Sacramento AOE1, fast combat support ship. Commissioned 1964, served in Vietnam, decommissioned 2004. Largest ship built on the West Coast, underway in the Pacific Ocean, in 1988.
Dual operability times.
F4F Wildcats and TBF Avengers on the deck of HMS Victorious (R38), last time US aircrafts fly from foreign aircraft carrier for combat missions 1943.
On 12 July Victorious replenished under way from the USN tankers Cimarron and Kaskaskia, taking on 3,270 tons of furnace fuel oil, 30,283 gallons of avgas, 625 gallons of lubricating oil and 20 gallons of ice cream. On 20 July, however, she ran out of potatoes and 800lb of dried potato powder were flown from Saratoga in an Avenger dubbed the ‘Spud Express’, which also brought a Chief Commissary Steward who demonstrated to the RN chefs how he considered the powder should be reconstituted with water to make four tons of ‘perfect’ mashed potato
Tonga relief.
HMS Spey refuelled alongside New Zealand auxiliary ship HMNZS Aotearoa after delivering aid to Tonga.
Gibraltar Dry Dock.
On this day in 1953, Battleship HMS VANGUARD entered No. 1 Dry Dock in HMNB Gibraltar for refit, making her the largest warship ever to Dock in Gibraltar. The 3 dry docks were built in the early 20th century by the Royal Navy, and were privatised in the 1980’s and are now run by Gibdock Ltd.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
WW II Convoy Duties.
The snow covered quarterdeck of HMS Duke Of York showing destroyers alongside, in an Icelandic Fjord, Dec 1943 during WW II convoy duties.
Modern in 1873.
USS ALARM (Experimental Torpedo Boat) CLASS - Alarm As Built. Displacement 800 tons. Dimensions 158' 6" x 28' 0" x 10' 6". Armament 1 x 15" fixed SB gun, 1873 to 1897.
Russian Bear on the move!
Yesterday afternoon, a Norwegian P-3C Orion followed a Russian group of vessels off the Norwegian coast. The Russians sailed legally in international waters, but Norway continuously follows all movements in the High North. Our Orion aircraft are central to this mission.
Norwegian forces monitoring group of 3 Russian warships, Vice-Admiral Kulakov, Admiral Kastanov, Marshal Ustinov with tanker and tug. (Likley also acompanied by submarine/s) On their way to live firing exercise to be held 240km southwest of Ireland in early February.
1970's Ark Royal.
HMS Ark Royal R09, with Phantom FG.1s of No.892 SQ and Buccaneer S.2B of No.809 SQ and a Fairey Gannet AEW.3 plus a Westland WS-61 Sea King.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Norwegian Frigate.
Former Norwegian Frigate HNoMS Helge Ingstad that sank in shallow water after being rammed by the tanker Sola TS back in the Novermber 8, 2018, it's said she will be scrapped due to the costly repair cost.
Norwegian Navy divers removing British-made Stingray Anti-submarine torpedoes from the wreck of HelgeIngstad for disposal .
The Royal Navy big gun.
1. The BL 15-inch Mark I succeeded the BL 13.5 inch /45 naval gun. It was the first British 15-inch gun design and the most widely used and longest lasting of any British designs, and arguably the most efficient heavy gun ever developed by the Royal Navy. Shell weight: 1,938 pounds (879 kg) Shell: separate charges and shell Rate of fire: 2 rounds per minute Wars: World War I, World War II, Cold War Barrel length: 630 inches (16 m) L42 Used by: United Kingdom Calibre: 15-inch (381.0mm).
2. A 14" (356mm) gun is lowered into B turret on HMS Duke of York during her construction, July 1941.
1. The BL 15-inch Mark I succeeded the BL 13.5 inch /45 naval gun. It was the
The last goodbye.
USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) departing Yokosuka for the final time in 2008. The last fossil fuelled carrier.
US Navy Detains 'Stateless' Ship Carrying Bomb-Making Material From Iran.
U.S. service members conduct a boarding on a stateless fishing vessel transiting the Gulf of Oman as a rigid-hull inflatable boat and patrol coastal ship USS Chinook (PC 9) sail nearby, Jan. 18, 2022.
HMS Montrose drug seizure.
HMS Montrose helps seize £15m of drugs in Gulf of Oman.
The operation, which involved the seizure of more than a tonne of drugs including heroin, lasted almost 10 hours.
Seizure included 663kg of heroin, 87kg of methamphetamine and 291kg of hashish and marijuana.
Monday, January 24, 2022
Little and large!
HMS Hurworth outbound from Portsmouth this afternoon, with HMS Prince of Wales as a backdrop.
Southampton.
RMS Mauretania using Southampton's floating dry dock. Then behind is RMS Olympic preparing to get a coal refill, and the big 3 Funnel liner is the RMS Empress of Britain.
USS Grayback. (SSG 574).
When RADM John Davis was assigned as Commander Amphibious Task Force 76, he wanted to visit every ship and unit in the force but was told USS Grayback was submerged to conduct Underwater Demolition Team launch and recovery training. Undeterred, Davis put on scuba gear and swam down to the Grayback. He entered through the air lock and then toured the sub.
USS Blueback (SS-581), USS Darter (SS-576) & USS Grayback (SSG-574).
Tonga relief.
HMAS Adelaide with three Australian Army CH-47 helicopters on the flight deck. Adelaide is en route to Tonga to provide humanitarian supplies and assistance.
Sunday, January 23, 2022
The story of Submarine USS H-3.
USS H-3 grounded at Samoa Beach. A bridle of towing tackle is rigged to the submarine for her attempt rescue by the crusier Milwaukee that ended in failure. circa January 1917.
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British ship to support US military builds new Gaza pier.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-ship-to-support-us-military-builds-new-gaza-pier/
