China Claims Their Zubr Class Are Largest Hovercraft.

 https://seawaves.com/?p=20466

Today we said goodbye to HMS Sabre and HMS Scimiter after nearly 30 years in service. The patrol ships were decommissioned at HMNB Portsmouth after long careers, which notably saw them serve as guard ships in Gibraltar.

HMS Sabre and HMS Scimiter were Patrol Boats based in Gibraltar.

HMS Sabre together with sister ships HMS Scimitar formed the core of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron. The small team – the two Scimitar-class patrol boats, 19 personnel, and three Arctic 24 rigid-hulled inflatable boats – is one of only two permanently deployed sea-going units.

The only other is HMS Clyde on permanent station in the Falklands. The role of the boats and people of the Gibraltar Squadron is to safeguard Gibraltar’s shores, while contributing to joint operations.

In addition, the Gibraltar Squadron provides a maritime Quick Reaction Force to support ships in the local area, and keeps a watchful eye over shipping passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. The craft of the squadron are often busy supporting British and NATO exercises in the region, or indeed other nations’ maritime forces.

On this day in 1984 the Royal Navy Dockyard at Chatham closed, ending 437 years of an RN presence on the site. Some of the site has been re-developed however the Dockyard Chatham preserved a large section of the old yard which is open to visitors and an excellent day out.

 

USS R E Kraus DD-849, USS Dyess DD-880 and USS Davis DD-937, in Newport RI 965.

 

USS WAINRIGHT (DD-419).

 USS Wainright (DD-419) being refueled by the cruiser HMS Norfolk (78) on 03 July 1942. The ships were on convoy protection duty in the North Atlantic. 

And USS Wainwright DD-419 photographed while escorting a convoy to North Africa, early 1943.

A Sims-class destroyer, commissioned in April 1940, USS Wainwright spent most of WW2 in the Atlantic on convoy escort duty, including one of the escorts for the ill-fated Convoy PQ-17 to Russia. Transferred to the Pacific in April 1945, after WW2 she was designated as a target ship for the atomic tests to be conducted at Bikini Atoll where she survived both blasts, afterwards Wainwright remained at Bikini almost two years until she was towed out to sea and sunk as target in July 1948. USS Wainwright earned seven battle stars for her WW2 service.

Congratulations to the second oldest operational ship in the Fleet, HMS Cattistock, 40 years young this month. The Portsmouth-based Hunt-class minehunter marked the milestone undergoing refit – which will keep her in service until she’s almost 50.

 

Floating Crane 'Herman the German', now known as the 'Titan'.

Titan, better known by its former nickname Herman the German (US Navy designation YD-171), is a large floating crane currently serving in the Panama Canal performing heavy lifts for lock maintenance. Prior to its move to Panama in 1996, the crane was based at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard from the end of World War II until the yard's closure in 1995. It was seized from the German Kriegsmarine following the end of World War II as part of war reparations. The crane was built by Demag Cranes AG as Schwimmkran nr. 1 in 1941 for the Kriegsmarine, where it had served in the Baltic Sea tending German U-boats.

The crane was one of four sister ships, two of which are still afloat and in service.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a22563978/titan-crane-herman-the-german/

https://tideworks.com/herman-the-german/

HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) on her recent visit to Liverpool, illuminated at night.

 

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA (March 18, 2022) – Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) conducts a passing exercise with Turkish Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate TCG Giresun (F 491), (ex USS Antrim (FFG-20), March 18, 2022. Mitscher is currently deployed with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of U.S., allied and partner interests in Europe and Africa.

 

On this day in 1984, Frigates HMS SHEFFIELD F96 and HMS COVENTRY F 98, laid down. Originally named BRUISER & BOADICEA, they were renamed before build in honour of the Royal Navy Destroyers lost 2 years earlier in the Falklands. Both were sold in 2003 to Chile & Romania.

 

HMS Richmondhas been carrying out patrols and working with NATO allies in the Baltic Sea. The ship has been escorting British supply ships which are delivering military vehicles and equipment to re-supply the UK-led NATO Battlegroup in Estonia.

 

14M Atlas Elektronik UK Sea-class PTB, ‘Walrus’, one of three passenger transfer boats Diverse Marine built with AEUK for the Royal Navy.

 

HMS Tyne, HMS Someret and RFA Tiderace anchored inside Plymouth breakwater yesterday evening.

 

USN comissioned first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer yesterday. (Flight III ships feature radar upgrades enabling simultaneously Anti-Air Warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense)

 

US Navy to decomission 5 Ticonderoga class crusiers this year. Ticonderogas were intended to have service life of 30 years already average 35. Too expensive to replace directly and modernisation costs 175-200% above original estimate.

 

After 102 years of combined active service, the US Coastguard decommissioned three Island-class patrol boats, March 22, in a ceremony at Naval Support Activity Bahrain. USCGC Monomoy (WPB 1326), USCGC Maui (WPB 1304), and USCGC Wrangell (WPB 1332) sit pierside in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Operations.

 

The frigate shed. HMS Somerset entering the frigate shed. After a four year gap, the welcome sight of HMS Somerset passing Plymouth Hoe, heading out to sea. The frigate became the latest in the flottila to complete a mamouth overhaul with Babcock in HMNB Devonport to begin sea trials.

 

USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37). The New Orleans-class cruisers were a class of seven heavy cruisers built for the United States Navy (USN) in the 1930s. These ships participated in the heaviest surface battles of the Pacific War. Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes were all sunk in the Battle of Savo Island, and three others were heavily damaged in subsequent battles in the Guadalcanal campaign. Only Tuscaloosa, which spent most of the war in the Atlantic, got through the war without being damaged. Collectively, ships of the class earned 64 battle stars. The four surviving ships were laid up immediately after the end of the war, and sold for scrap in 1959. Outwardly, the New Orleans ships had a distinctive appearance and were considered very good-looking vessels, though the 1942-43 refits of the surviving ships changed the appearance substantially. The forward superstructure had the bridge wings cut back, and all of the large size windows were plated in with just a few port holes taking their place. The forecastle deck extended back to the second funnel and the main superstructure was constructed without the ungainly tripod mast seen on the previous cruisers.

 

The Rauma-class missile boats (Finnish: Rauma-luokan ohjusvene) are a class of missile boat in use by the Finnish Navy. It is the predecessor of the Hamina-class missile boats. The ships were constructed at the Rauma shipyard (initially by Hollming and after the merger Finnyards) in Rauma, Finland. All the ships have their home port in Pansio

 

On this day in 2018, the Helicopter Carrier and former Fleet Flagship, HMS OCEAN was decommissioned in HMNB Devonport after 20 years of service with the Royal Navy. She was sold to Brazil where she still serves as PHM Atlantico.

 

Japanese Cargo submarine Yu-3, was found in Lingayen Gulf, and taken to the US aboard USS Rushmore (LSD-14), June 1945.

 

The Blue Ridge-class command ship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) entering into Gaeta Harbour, Lazio, Italy.

 

HMSPortland arrived at Naval Station Mayport, Florida yesterday for planned port visit.

 

Arguably one of best value for taxpayer money ships of all time. Built 1980, served in Falklands war. Conversion to aviation training ship 1988, medical facilities added 1991. Due out of service 2024 without immediate replacement.

 

On Wednesday, the hull of the first of the Royal Australian Navy’s two new amphibious ships, HMAS Canberra, arrived in Australia aboard Dockwise’s MV Blue Marlin, following a 13,000 nautical mile trip from Spain. The HMAS Canberra is the first of two Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) for the Royal Australian Navy and, upon completion, will be the largest ever warship to serve in the RAN.

 https://gcaptain.com/ship-photos-heavy-lifting/