The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - Japanese Armor of WWII - Oct. 5th, 2004

www.wwiivehicles.com ^

[SAMWolf]

Morning alfa6.

The US spent a lot of time and effort trying to ensure rescue of downed crews. Something the Japanese never really understood.

[SAMWolf]

Hey, Cannoneer no. 4!

I'll keep bugging Snippy to get you a copy. :-) That'd be great if you could get some made. :-)

Thanks

[SAMWolf]

Morning GailA.

Looks like enough coffee there to last me a morning. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Morning Feather.


Missed seeing you in your mobile body armor.

[SAMWolf]

One of the most glareing problems of interservice rivalry with the Japanese was the fact that the suspension lugs on Japanese Army and Navy bombs were totally different. You could not hang Army bombs on a Navy aircraft and visa versa.

Morning CT.

Learned something new this morning.

A good book that covers the rivalry btween the Army and Navy is John Toland's "The Rising Sun"

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Baltimore (C-3)

Baltimore class protected cruiser

Displacement. 4,413 t.
Lenght. 336'
Beam. 48'8"
Draft. 20'6"
Speed. 20.1 k.
Complement. 383
Armament. 4 8", 6 6", 4 6pdr, 2 3pdr, 2 1pdr

The USS Baltimore (Cruiser No. 3) was launched 6 October 1888 by William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; sponsored by Mrs. Theodore D. Wilson, wife of Chief Constructor Wilson; and commissioned 7 January 1880, Captain W. S. Schley in command.

Baltimore became flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron 24 May 1890 and during 15-23 August conveyed the remains of the late Captain John Ericsson from New York to Stockholm, Sweden. After cruising in European and Mediterranean waters, she arrived at Valparaiso, Chile, 7 April 1891 to join the South Pacific Station. She protected American citizens during the Chilean revolution, landing men at Valparaiso 28 August. Arriving at Mare Island Navy Yard 5 January 1892, she cruised on the west coast of the United States until 7 October and then returned to the Atlantic. She took part in the naval rendezvous and review in Hampton Roads during March and April 1893. Proceeding via the Suez Canal, she cruised as flagship of the Asiatic Station, 22 December 1893-3 December 1895, protecting American interests. Returning to Mare Island 21 January 1896, she went out of commission 17 February 1896.

Recommissioned 12 October 1897, Baltimore sailed on 20 October for the Hawaiian Islands and remained there between 7 November 1897 and 25 March 1898. She then joined Commodore George Dewey's squadron at Hong Kong, 22 April 1898. The squadron sailed from Mirs Bay, China, 27 April for the Philippines and on the morning of 1 May entered Manila Bay and destroyed the Spanish fleet stationed there.

Baltimore remained on the Asiatic Station convoying transports and protecting American interests until 23 May 1900, when she sailed for the United States, via the Suez Canal, arriving at New York 8 September 1900.

Between 27 September 1900 and 6 May 1903 Baltimore was out of commission at New York Navy Yard. From 5 August to 23 December 1903 she served with the Caribbean Squadron, North Atlantic Fleet, taking part in summer maneuvers off the coast of Maine, in the Presidential Review at Oyster Bay, N. Y. (15-17 August), and in Santo Domingo waters. Between 28 May and 26 August 1904 she was attached to the European Squadron and cruised in the Mediterranean. On 26 September she sailed from Genoa, Italy, for the Asiatic Station and spent the next two years cruising in Asiatic, Philippine, and Australian waters.

Baltimore returned to New York 24 April 1907 and went out of commission at New York Navy Yard 15 May 1907. On 20 January 1911 she was placed in commission in reserve and served as a receiving ship at Charleston Navy Yard (30 January 1911-20 September 1912). During 1913-14 she was converted to a minelayer at Charleston Navy Yard and recommissioned 8 March 1915. During 1915-18 she carried out mining experiments and operations in Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast.

At American entry into World War I, Baltimore was training personnel. Early in March 1918 she was detailed to assist in laying a deep mine field off the north coast of Ireland in the North Channel. She arrived at the Clyde on 8 March and between 13 April and 2 May laid approximately 900 mines in the North Channel. On 2 June she joined Mine Squadron 1 at Inverness, Scotland, and for four months participated in laying the Northern Mine Barrage.

On 28 September 1918 Baltimore sailed from Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, for the United States. She carried out mining experiments in the vicinity of the Virgin Islands until the end of the year.

In September 1919 she joined the Pacific Fleet. In July 1920, as the Navy implemented its system of ship hull numbers, she was designated CM-1. The old minelayer went to Pearl Harbor early in 1921 and decommissioned there in September 1922. For nearly two decades, Baltimore was inactive at that base, serving for part of the time as a storage hulk. She was present, though in derelict condition, during the devastating Japanese air raid that opened the Pacific War on 7 December 1941. Sold in February 1942, the partially-scrapped ship was finally scuttled at sea on 22 September 1944.

[SAMWolf]

1969 Monty Python's Flying Circus begins airing on BBC

Mind if we call you "Bruce"?

This here's the wattle,
the emblem of our land.
You can stick it in a bottle,
you can hold it in your hand.

Australia, Australia, Australia, Australia,
we love you
amen.

[Soaring Feather]

WOO HOO, Sam!

It's 46F at my house right now. I see Portland is having a Pumpkin Festival today! You going? LOL

[SAMWolf]

Morning aomagrat.

She was present, though in derelict condition, during the devastating Japanese air raid that opened the Pacific War on 7 December 1941. Sold in February 1942, the partially-scrapped ship was finally scuttled at sea on 22 September 1944.

What a striking difference between the 1890 and 1941 pictures! A sad end for a good ship.

[SAMWolf]

I see Portland is having a Pumpkin Festival today! You going?

Too many other things to do. :-(

[aomagrat]

At least she was given a burial at sea.

[alfa6]

The Japanese failure to succeed in WWII lies in two main areas IMHO:

1] The Japanese thought that the warrior spirit of the Japanese soldiers and sailors would overcome the lazy, decadent Americans. To a point that would be true, but as the Japanese military found out spirit alone is no match for BARs, Corsairs and ultimately Fat Man and Little Boy. Along these lines was the way the IJN traiined their pilots. The IJN emphasized excllent quality over almost everything else. As such the IJN air arm featured highly trained and skilled aviatiors, the problem was that there was no way to turn out these types of aviators en masse.

Not to denigrate the American system but the Americans turned out skilled aviators en masse. While the skill and quality of the American aviators may not have been on the exact same level as the IJN aviators it was good enough to beat the IJN. The Japanese system of pilot traing was a good example of the adage "perfect is the enemy of good enough".

2] The Japanese nation never went on a total war footing until it was way to late. Alone among the Japanese leaders, Yamamoto realized that the United States could outproduce the Japanese with one hand tied behind our back. A few years ago there was an article in Wings/Airpower concerning the qualitative differnces between Japanese and American aircraft. Of an interesting note in the article was that the Grumman Aircraft Co all by itself produced almost as many aircraft from 19451 to 1945 as did the whole of Japan.

Well so much for my meanerings this AM. On a related Treadhead note I was in the bookstore a couple of weeks back and there was a book on US Marine Armor Operations in WWII. I took the trouble to look through the book and found it quite interesting. However the price at $39.00 was a bit to steep and all the photos looked like they were at least fourth generation Xerox copies.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[SAMWolf]

Yeah, better than being sold for scrap.

[SAMWolf]

It wasn't the first or last time an enemy misjudged us.

Germany had the same problem with pilots, for the most part the same pilots who started the war were still flying in 1945 (If they survived) we rotated pilots out and used the skilled ones as instructors.

As for production, I believe it was Stalin who said "Quantity has a quality of it's own"

There was no one in the world who could out produce the United States in the 40's.

[snippy_about_it]

Hiya Light Speed. Look what we gave the Japanese. They aren't stupid anymore. We rebuilt them and they ran with it. That'll never happen with the Islamists.

[snippy_about_it]

Hey radu. Good to see you.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Japan also purchased the very popular FT-17 which they called Ko-Gata Sensha.

Popular in World War I, maybe. It was arguably the worst tank to see action in World War II.

The points regarding tactics are interesting in this article. It can be argued that the most effective wheeled conveyance in the IJA in 1941-42 was actually the bicycle (Snippy, take note! A new use for the bicyclespankengruppen!)

Some American tanks in the Pacific also made significant use of canister ammunition, which was nearly unheard-of in European fighting. It was all part of the terrain and the kind of fighting the Pacific war entailed.

I hope you're all having a great day!

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Iris. Good tag-line.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut.

[snippy_about_it]

Yeah! A Binnie/SpaceshipOne flag-o-gram!