The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - U.S. Self Propelled Artillery - Sep. 7th, 2004

www.stardestroyer.net ^ | Michael Wong

[Professional Engineer]

I've never heard of The National Flag Truck.

I hadn't either. Try www.usflagtruck.com pretty cool.

[Professional Engineer]

Thank YOU sir. Your service was more challenging than mine.

[Professional Engineer]

Did you get bailed out of jail to finish your outprocessing like your humble servant?

Actually, I was sitting in a Differential Equations class, listening to the professor drone about Bessel Functions. Oy!

[Professional Engineer]

Did you get bailed out of jail to finish your outprocessing like your humble servant?

Do tell!

[Professional Engineer]

Howdy ma'am

[Darksheare]

"IDF Arty Girls"

Mee-yow.. Redleg Babes!

[Samwise]

Those are BIG flags.

[Aeronaut]

Hi Sam.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. We've got EGC and alfa6 in the middle, PE in Texas, feather and darksheare in NY and Foxhole folks all over. Heck, we have Gator Navy in Japan. Cannoneer just arriving in Afghanistan and Matthew Paul in Poland. We could rule the world!

[snippy_about_it]

Hiya Darksheare.

[colorado tanker]

I read somewhere that the Crusader could not fire the precision guided munitions that are now being developed.

The ultimate solution, IMHO, would be to take advantage of the Crusader technology but rework the system to fire precision guided over the horizon munitions that could be developed for it.

[Darksheare]

Hello.
Been wandering about as usual.

[colorado tanker]

It seems to me Afghanistan and to some extent Iraq have proved that the whiz kids are wrong that air-fired precision bombs can replace artillery and mortars. In Afghanistan, units trying to root bad guys out of mountains and caves needed the close support that airpower just couldn't provide. In Iraq, we need a counterbattery capability that air can't provide.

Artillery is also a darn effective weapon for infantry against tanks, I'm sorry to say. I still remember photos of small mountains of shell casings around arty pieces defending the infantry divisions that held the northern shoulder of the Bulge, forcing the German armor units to take the southern, and longer, route to Antwerp, where they were later stopped short. When the new precision guided and stand off mortars and missiles come on line, it'll get even worse for armor.

[aomagrat]

Today's classic ship, USS Greenwich Bay (AVP-41)

Barnegat class small seaplane tender

Displacement 1,766 t.
Length 310'9"
Beam 41'1"
Draw 13'6"
Speed 18 k
Complement 315
Armament 1 5", 6 40mm

USS Greenwich Bay (AVP-41) was launched 17 March 1945 by the Lake Washington Shipyard, Haughton, Wash. sponsored by Mrs. Francis B. Johnson, wife of the Commander Fleet Air Wing 6, and commissioned 20 May 1945, Comdr. Peter F. Boyle in command.

Departing San Diego 26 August after an intensive shakedown, the new seaplane tender sailed for Taku China, 5 October via Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Okinawa. Greenwich Bay spent the rest of 1945 along the China coast, touching at Tsingtao and Shanghai as well as Taku, tending seaplanes of the 7th Fleet. She operated in Japanese waters during January 1946, and after a short stint in the Philippines, sailed for the States 1 May. Reaching Norfolk 1 July 1946 via Hong Kong, Singapore, Naples, Casablanca, and Gibraltar, Greenwich Bay continued on to New York for overhaul.

Greenwich Bay reported to the Potomac River Naval Command 19 February 1947 to serve as escort to Williamsburg, the Presidential Yacht. This assignment ended 21 June 1948 as she departed Norfolk for an around-the-world cruise. During her 4 month sailing, Greenwich Bay made good will visits to Gibraltar, Port Said, Muscat, Bahrein, Kuwait, Trineomalee (India), Fremantle, Pago Pago, Papeete (Tahiti), and Coco Solo before returning to Norfolk 14 October.

Greenwich Bay sailed 30 April 1949 to assume duties as flagship for Commander, U.S. Navy Middle East Force. Every year since, she repeated this duty, sailing through the Mediterranean to operate as flagship in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean for 4 to 6 months. In addition to operating with Allied naval units in these areas, Greenwich Bay did extensive work in the People-to-People program, particularly in carrying drugs and other medical supplies to the Arabian and African nations, and operated as an important tool of diplomacy, helping to maintain peace in this oil-rich land.

In 1950 the tender's crew distinguished itself in Bahrein Arabia, as Air France planes crashed there on 13 and 15 June while attempting to make early-morning landings on a fog-shrouded field. Greenwich Bay sent out a total of six search-and-rescue missions on the 2 tragic days. On 15 June one of her launches, containing both her captain and medical-officer, succeeded in rescuing nine survivors of the crash. For her heroic action Greenwich Bay received the special commendation and thanks of both the Arabian and French governments.

When the Suez Crisis flared up in 1956 and seemed to threaten war, Greenwich Bay extended her normal cruise in the Persian Gulf to be able to evacuate American dependents and civilians if necessary. As a result of the blocking of the canal, she had to return to the States around the Cape of Good Hope. In her Middle East duties, which were punctuated by local operations and exercises out of Norfolk, Greerwich Bay was visited by many outstanding figures, including King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, the Shah of Iran, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and the Shaikh of Kuwait.

Ports which she visited as part of her official duties as flagship include virtually every major Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Red Sea City as well as several African ones. Among them were Recife, Lisbon, Malta, Bombay, Istanbul, Athens, Beirut, Mombassa (Kenya), Cannes, Karachi, and Madras. Greenwich Bay made 15 Mediterranean deployments protecting American interests and helping to maintain peace in the Middle East. In a conversation with Admiral R. R. Carney and Captain (later Rear Admiral) E. M. Eller Commander Middle Eastern Force, the late King Iban Saud expressed the Navy's role in this historic region: "The Navy loves freedom. It is the Bedouin of the sea."

Greenwich Bay was struck from the Navy List 1 July 1966 and sold for scrapping to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, Md in May 1967.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Then you, my dear friend, have my vote for Benevolent Dictator. :)

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. I'm honored.

[snippy_about_it]

I agree.

Artillery and mortars and most importantly infantry should never be relagated to an after thought or their importance diminished. In my uneducated opinion. :-)

[colorado tanker]

You don't really own real estate until you get boots (or treads) on it.

[w_over_w]

Evening Grace Snip & Sam~

Great read . . . I don't think I ever appreciated the purpose of artillary till I read this.

The M-110 8-inch Howitzer fired a 200-pound projectile out to almost 17 kilometers (16,800-meters) and was the most accurate weapon in the field artillery.

Mercy! No wonder the damn Iraq'ies surrendered so quickly during "Desert Storm."

[alfa6]

Trivia Question for y'all. In the "Classic" TV series 'Rat Patrol' what armored vehicle was used by the Germans, Hmmmm.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}