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Posted on 04/01/2005 10:42:40 PM PST by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 USS North Carolina At the time of her commissioning on 9 April 1941, she was considered the world’s greatest sea weapon. Armed with nine 16-inch/45 caliber guns in three turrets and twenty 5-inch/38 caliber guns in ten twin mounts, NORTH CAROLINA proved a formidable weapons platform. Her wartime complement consisted of 144 commissioned officers and 2,195 enlisted men, including about 100 Marines. During World War II, NORTH CAROLINA participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific area of operations and earned 15 battle stars.  In the Battle of the Eastern Solomon’s Islands in August of 1942, the Battleship’s anti-aircraft barrage helped save the carrier ENTERPRISE, thereby establishing the primary role of the fast battleship as protector of aircraft carriers. One of her Kingfisher pilots performed heroically during the strike on Truk when he rescued ten downed Navy aviators on 30 April 1944. In all, NORTH CAROLINA carried out nine shore bombardments, sank an enemy troopship, destroyed at least 24 enemy aircraft, and assisted in shooting down many more.  Her anti-aircraft guns helped to halt or frustrate scores of attacks on aircraft carriers. She steamed over 300,000 miles. Although Japanese radio announcements claimed six times that NORTH CAROLINA had been sunk, she survived many close calls and near misses - such as the Japanese torpedo which slammed into the Battleship’s hull on 15 September 1942. A quick response on the part of the crew allowed the mighty Ship to keep up with the fleet. By war’s end, the Ship lost ten men in action and had 67 wounded.  After serving as a training vessel for midshipmen, NORTH CAROLINA was decommissioned 27 June 1947 and placed in the Inactive Reserve Fleet in Bayonne, New Jersey, for the next 14 years until the 1958 announcement of her impending scrapping led to a statewide campaign by citizens of North Carolina to save the ship from the scrappers torches and bring her back to her home state. The Save Our Ship (SOS) campaign was successful and the Battleship arrived in her current berth on 2 October 1961 and was dedicated as the State's memorial to its World War II veterans on 29 April 1962. Vital Statistics Hull Number: BB 55 Keel Laid: October 27, 1937 Launched: June 13, 1940 Commissioned: April 9, 1941 Decommissioned: June 27, 1947 Length: 728 feet 5/8 inches long Extreme Beam: 108 feet 3 7/8 inches wide Mean Draught: 31 feet 7 inches normal, 35 feet 6 inches maximum Displacement: 36,600 tons standard, 44,800 tons full load Complement: 2,339 (144 officers and 2,195 enlisted) Speed: 28 knots Armament: 9 16-inch/45 caliber guns 20 5-inch/38 caliber guns 60 40mm/56 caliber guns 48 20mm/70 caliber guns      |
They did some fancy counterflooding to keep the ship upright.
And they deballasted most of the areas within an hour or two afterwards as damage control got a handle on the affected areas.
Shes a Great ole Gal. I made the journey down from Camp Lejeune to see her many times when I was a kid. Fond Memories...
She's a beauty that's for sure. Been there a few times myself.
LOL!
Yeah, I'm up at an unholy unnatural hour for me.
2 am..
Me too. It's time for bed now though. Good night.
I was wandering far and wide, through old threads long dead looking at poster names I haven't seen in years.
Sleep well, pleasant dreams.
See you in the morning.
My family lived down at Wrightsville Beach in the fall of 1961. I remember when they brought the NC in. As best I can recall, all boats that were docked along the Wilmington waterfront were told to move before the battleship was brought in and swung about. Well, there was one man who was determined not to move his boat. He didn't. The battleship hit it. The man's boat sank.
I have been down and visited her several times. One thing that hit me was how so many of the men actually slept where they worked. The ship's photographer had to sleep in the same room as his chemicals that he used in developing his pictures. There were others that I can't recall that did pretty much the same. I know that she has been refurbished and would be a real point of interest to anyone going to the Azalea Festival that will be happening soon in Wilmington.
Morning Snippy.
Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 AM Tonight. Be sure to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed tonight.
Good morning
Saturday Morning Bump for the Freeper Foxhole.
At the webpage...http://www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm
there is an analysis of the battleships of WW-II. The Iowa class and North Carolina class BBs come in 1 & 2 in the overall rankings.
The link fore the best battleship page is
http://www.combinedfleet.com/baddest.htm
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
I'm reminded, however, that Jesus Christ is the greatest friend of children the world has ever known. No one has done more for them than Jesus. When Jesus' disciples reprimanded people for bringing little ones to Him, the Lord said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14). Jesus valued children as persons of worth. After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Lord accepted the praise of children and reminded those who criticized them that God has ordained praise even "out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants" (Matthew 21:16; Psalm 8:2). Companionship with the Savior is the privilege of everyone who trusts Him with the simple faith of a child. His loving arms and tender heart are ready to embrace every child who accepts Him. He willingly receives all who open their hearts to Him. He is the children's Friend. -David McCasland
To little children at their play, "Come to Me, you will be blessed," So come to us and be our Guest. -Anon. The Creator hides secrets from sages, yet He can be known by children.
God Our Father |
What's daylight savings time? Oh yeah, that unholy concept that would let me have daylight after work and during dinner. /sarcasm
We're stuck in IndiaNoTime.
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on April 02:
0742 Charlemagne 1st Holy Roman emperor (800-14)
1602 Maria de Jesus de Agreda [Maria Coronel] Spanish franciscan
1618 Francesco M Grimaldi mathematician/physicist (light defraction)
1713 Onno Zwier van Haren Frisian poet (Fatherland)
1725 Giacomo Casanova writer/diplomat/adventurer/stud muffin
1805 Hans Christian Andersen Denmark, author of 150 fairy tales
1806 Giacomo Antonelli Italian cardinal/Assistant Secretary of State for Pius IX
1814 Henry Lewis "Old Rock" Benning Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1826 Philip Dale Roddey Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1897
1827 William Holdman Hunt English painter (Light of the World)
1833 Thomas Howard Ruger Brevet Major General (Union volunteers)
1834 Frédéric-Auguste Bertholdi France, sculptor (Statue of Liberty)
1840 Émile Zola France, novelist (Nana, J'Accuse)
1875 Walter Chrysler founded Chrysler car company
1891 Max Ernst Germany, painter/sculptor (founded surrealism)
1894 Walter Mittelholzer Swiss aviation pioneer (Swiss Air)
1905 Serge Lifar Kiev, dancer, choreographer (Paris Opéra Ballet)
1908 Buddy Ebsen Belleville IL, actor (Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones)
1911 Charles "Honi" Coles tap dancer (Tap)
1914 Sir Alec Guinness [de Cuffe] London England, thespian (Colonel Nicholson-Bridge on River Kwai, Obi-Wan Kenobi-Star Wars, George Smiley-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
1920 Jack Webb Santa Monica CA, actor (Joe Friday-Dragnet)
1927 Billy Pierce pitcher (Chicago White Sox) seven time all star
1928 Joseph "Cardinal" Bernardin of Chicago
1930 W Hambleden Smith English newspaper magnate
1935 Sharon Acker Toronto Ontario Canada, actress (Della Street-Perry Mason 1973)
1936 Jack Brabham Australia, race car driver (world champion 1966)
1939 Marvin P Gaye Jr Washington DC, singer (Sexual Healing)
1941 Leon Russell Lawton KS, pianist/singer (Carny, Queen of the Rollerderby, Masquerade)
1943 Larry Coryell Galveston TX, jazz guitarist (11th House)
1945 Don Sutton baseball pitcher (Los Angeles Dodgers)
1945 Linda Hunt Morristown NJ, actress (Bostonians, Eleni, Silverado)
1946 Kurt Winter rocker (The Guess Who)
1947 Emmylou Harris Birmingham AL, country singer (Together Again)
1954 Ron Palillo Cheshire CT, actor (Arnold Horshack-Welcome Back Kotter)
1962 Billy Dean Quincy FL, country singer (Billy the Kid)
1965 Rodney King Sacramento CA, black motorist/crook beaten by Los Angeles cops
1971 Jenny Craig Miss Georgia-USA (1996)
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Today, people around the globe will observe the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. The lessons and encouragement contained in his tales of The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor's New Clothes are still considered a great gift to children everywhere.