Posted on 07/23/2016 5:43:03 PM PDT by dynachrome
How big will the white flag they will be flying on the mast?
My response to you was too harsh. ( I’ve taken some pain pills since then <{) My first comment was aimed at the yahoo in the earlier post. This France bashing is getting so tiring just like the “Amish” crap and our little anti blogger clique who never seem to have any problems with the News Cartel.
The French have so many leftists in government; it has hurt them for many decades. The Navy wanted a second carrier but could not get it funded and
Richelieu now Degaulle took @ 12 years from keel laying to commission.
Nuclear power was an excellent choice though since they have so much
experience with it in electric plants ashore. Also using two catapults instead of a ramp.
A little technical tidbit that I’ve never heard of anyone else doing is a weight balancing system on tracks crossways under the flight deck to help keep the vessel on a more even level during operations.
After the US, China and Russia the French have the most well rounded
industrial capacity in the world for naval and military production. India is improving but still a ways out.
PS, I can’t stand it that major warships are named after politicians or royals.
Don’t worry about your temporary harsh response. I am quite accustomed to dodging the slings and arrows of outraged partisans.:>)Yup, the deGaulle had some real problems in the beginning, but they got them ironed out. What most people don’t know is that the French citizenry is right wing conservative in the majority. The problem is there are so many splinter political parties that elections are pieces of the puzzle that have to be put together with alliances that seldom work. It’s a nightmare when you have seven or more parties in an election!
I’m interested in the fact that you are so knowledgeable about the French Military. I’ve had loved ones in the Maquis during the 2nd world war and in the Onzieme Choc in the War in Algeria. French history is fascinating and I am always amazed at the enormous contributions to the world that have come from such a small country. Am glad to have found someone who shares a balanced view on France. I DO get a bit bent out of shape by the constant snarkiness often found here.
The weight balancing system sounds innovative and much needed. Would always love to hear more info you might care to share. I’ve learned much throughout my life from others and always have open ear, so to speak.
I have a large French scarf I often wear. It carries the name of the Porte - Avions Clemenceau, with Tridents, Oars and various other nautical items with a large Compass. Picked it up in a market in France for a song.
Agreed. Warships should be named for Warriors, not politicians. IMHO.
I am just an aging nobody not one of them thar eggspurts.
The foundry that cast the DeGaulle props went bankrupt plus their records burned up in an “accidental” fire. Personally, I think someone should have gone to jail.
They ran on the spare props from the old carriers for several years.
At least those hadn’t been scrapped.
DeGaulle is a two shaft ship so losing a blade off of one was quite serious.
Love the “them that eggspurts” line. May I borrow it sometime?
Come on, confess. Our Navy or theirs? You know just a bit too much to just be a bystander. I remember the prop problem but didn’t know what they did to resolve it....thought they just recast.
That reminds me of one time the serviceman told me it would cost a lot to order a new impeller for a unit in my commercial building....several hundred dollars or so.....and advised that I should perhaps replace the pump entirely.
Sounded like a song and dance to me so told him I’d think about it. Impeller.....propeller....hummmmmmm. Took the impeller to a big private yacht construction and they braised the impeller perfectly. Worked just fine for years afterwards.
Your name made me laugh as I had a sixteen foot outboard I ran all over the place with....fishing and waterskiing.....and the darn thing had a cast aluminum clamp holding the two steering rods together. The thing kept breaking....Once I almost ended up on the rockpile at the head of the inlet jetty coming in from the ocean....another time almost slammed the bridge pilings and had another problem running up the river...with that I’d had enough. Took the darn thing to the machine shop in town and told them to make me a clamp in brass. Mr. Jenkins told me it would cost quite a bit but I told him I didn’t care...it wouldn’t cost as much as my boat. He made it for me and I Never had a problem again. People who know how to make things for boats don’t mess around. I agree with you, something was very fishy about the deGaulle problems. Somebody got rich real quick.
No, no I was just another Leatherhead, young and stupid enough
to want to go fight Charlie but I have been interested in ships since
I was a kid. Living 500 miles from the Gulf of Texas I do not see very many.
You reminded me of an experiment some years back where an airplane company was hired to make a certain part along with a shipyard making
the same part. The marine part was steel and cost 1X. The airplane part
was aluminum and cost 5X.
As a kid I saw the Enterprise under construction but have never set foot on
a carrier. Have seen a few other carriers in the past.
Every time I pass by Charleston, I have to go walk the decks of the Yorktown. It’s something I can’t control.....just have to. Ships fascinate me, but then I grew up on a beach in Maryland and was surrounded by water. Just after the war, my parents took me to Norfolk for Navy Day. Got to go on Mighty Mo...the battleship Missouri. Will never forget it. Have visited the North Carolina and a few others as well as the Constitution and the Constellation. I’m a nut for planes too. Never miss an airshow if I can help it. My favorite is the P 51. Second favorite is the WW I SPAD S XIII. Gotta get the British Spitfire up there too along with the Grumman Hellcat. My dad was too old for WW II so after he closed the business for the winter he would move us all to Baltimore where he worked at Martin building bombers. Said he had to do something for the war effort. Until the day he died, he remembered the number of a certain part he spent almost an entire day at work trying to find. Said if only someone would set up a better, more efficient system of distribution within the plant, much time would be saved in getting the planes built. Pissed him off too that a B 17 that brought its crew back safely was parked at the rear of the plant. He said if anyone in management had a brain, they would park the plane up near the front gates where everybody who drove by could see it. He said it was so shot up that nobody would believe it could still fly, even part of a wing was missing. He felt it would be an inspiration to people.
Had a young friend who served on the Enterprise. He fell off the flight deck...or was blown off...and survived. Good thing he grew up on the beach too.
What’s a leatherhead? I know what a leatherneck is. My oldest son spent 20+ years in the Marines.
Were you in Vietnam? Not from Oklahoma are you?
The technology of the fighting forces was critical.
Looks like Germany lost the battle again but wins the War.
Looks like Germany lost the battle again but wins the War.
...........................................................
You’d better do some tall explaining.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.