The FReeper Foxhole Studies USS Alaska CB-1

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[Professional Engineer]

A little item for sale on ebay.

[colorado tanker]

Thanks for the interesting details. A fine ship!

[colorado tanker]

We always took signs like that to mean no smoking - at the ammo dump.

[Iris7]

Nice, Alpha. You have a way with images.

A bit of general background on the Alaskas -

Naval studies done mostly before 1939 indicated that enemy commercial and logistical destruction could most effectively be done with a combination of surface warships and submarines. Convoys were made to work during the war against U-Boat attack but would have been utterly and helplessly destroyed by a Graf Spee type Panzerschiffe.



Study of the Battle of the River Platte is useful. Graf Spee could out gun any warship she could not run away from. Her armor and made attack upon her with less than 8" high velocity rifles simply wasteful. Battlecruisers with their long range heavy weapons and great speed would get the job done nicely but were very few and expensive and vital to the main job of keeping the Kriegsmarine in port. Recollect Hood and Bismark. Instead cruisers got the job done at the River Platte just fine but it took lots of luck and fine Royal Navy cunning in the old tradition. And plenty of guts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_River_Plate

It became likely that Panzerschiffe would rapidly evolve into machines totally outmatching the largest 8" heavy cruisers. Enter Alaska.

With hindsight one sees that the Alaska ships had inadequate anti-aircraft capability. Six turrets with twin mount 5" 38 caliber guns and scads of 40mm seemed like ridiculous overkill in 1938 but proved inadequate in '43 - '45. I does appear that Alaska was a darn fine shot with her anti-aircraft batteries. Such is the tradition of the United States Navy.

Naval surface to air technique in WWII were an American show. If one has the chance take a look at Navy anti-aircraft gunnery control equipment from 1944. Open the inspection covers and look inside the computers. You will never see better workmanship or design. (No digital equipment available in those days.) The Imperial Japanese Navy was a good teacher, if strict, shall we say.

Much has been learned over the years from Royal Navy gunnery and anti-submarine practice just as compartmentalization, ammunition and propellant storage and handling, damage control technique etc. were learned from the Germans. The Navy is stupid on occasion, the torpedo problems in the Pacific War for example, but not often and rarely for very long. I am still embarrassed by the torpedo story, damn their eyes.

[Iris7]

You put your finger exactly on Alaska's design goals. German and Japanese versions of Panzerschiffe were her designed meat and potatoes.

Good to see us back on the history track. Am thinking about an 1861 - '65 piece. Hard for me to write except on the level of manic particulars!!

Hmm, maybe something starting about the time The Iron Brigade arrived at Gettysburg?

Been looking at Robert Edward Lee's movement into Pennsylvania from a logistics viewpoint. That mess is hard to understand. Right now to me the events leading to Gettysburg look irresponsible. I do not believe Stonewall would have allowed it. Now there was a man who understood logistics! General Jackson was a true master of time and distance. The harder and longer I look at the Valley in the spring of '62 the more impressed I am. Compared to Jackson Napoleon looks like an amateur.

I speak well of the Grey and Blue with all respect for my deceased relatives who wore both Blue and Grey. While Jackson was a master of the Operational Art it was Ulysses S. Grant who put his finger right on the Confederate jugular (actually carotid artery, heh heh) with forts Donelson and Henry. The amazing Bedford Forrest saw this plainly and analyzed the situation and ramifications right from the front line and as far as I can see did so instantly.

Grant's crossing of the Mississippi and investment of Vicksburg was as brilliant (on all levels of war) as anything I know of. Grant is seen as fundamentally the butcher of Cold Harbor only by idiots. Another long story!!!

[Iris7]

I had not considered comparing Alaska and Warspite. Indeed your point is well taken.

Perhaps Alaska was "You think you know how to build a pocket battleship? Look at this Lady and weep." Stick them in the eye with a stick with a grin on your face and twelve inch guns at your back.

[Iris7]

Enjoyed your #28 and #32. Hope to see your material again.

Speaking of the large Naval rifles of the late 1920s I once spent some time with an internet copy of the Iowa class main turret manual. Most interesting.

After Surigao Strait Oldendorf was said to be nearly shot out when Kurita showed up. Reloading the inside the casement turret projectile magazines must have taken about five backbreaking days. The Battle of Samar was one lucky day for us, whew.

One must keep in mind Hoel, Roberts, and Johnston.

[SampleMan]

One must keep in mind Hoel, Roberts, and Johnston.

Indeed.

Destroyers were also big players with the sinking of the Hiei at Guadalcanal. Historical accounts tend to simply mention that the Hiei was sunk by aircraft the next day, but it wasn't. During the previous night, US Destroyers put perhaps hundreds of 5" rounds into the Battleship from point blank range and a torpedo. It was crippled to 5 knots, and a large number of the crew were killed or wounded. A few hits were scored by aircraft from Henderson field, but it was the Japanses who scuttled the ship due to the damage done by the US Destroyers.

[SampleMan]

If you want a very interesting comparison look at the Scharnhorst versus the Alaska.

[Iris7]

I had not been aware of Hiei's fate. Indeed the story as I have seen it written is that the Cactus Air Force finished her.

The First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal scared the hell out of Navy men. O'Callaghan was destroyed as easily as if the US Navy was made up of cockroaches.

Serious fear flicks back and forth to and from blood anger in my experience. There develops a blood lust, a true lust but a lust incomparably more intense than the desire of a young man for a young woman. There develops an ice cold, liquid helium cold, self consuming fire. The self we believe is our self is immolated. It never comes back. The attention becomes focused for the first time.

The Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal where Hiei sank was fought by a Navy no longer merely professional. One recollects Mush Morton's central reality - "Kill the sons of bitches!" Or the more polished (can't recollect who said it) "Japanese will become a language spoken only in Hell." A war where no surrender was possible. A war where enemy combatants were captured only for their military intelligence value and quickly gone after their usefulness ended. The Japanese were worse.

LeMay's firebombing. Once when I was very young in Japan one of the maids pointed into the sky to show the height of the brilliant red light, brighter than fireworks, that was the core of Tokyo being incinerated. The angle she indicated was forty five degrees. The center of Tokyo, the burned over area, which when I saw it was more desolate than Death Valley, was twenty miles from where we stood. The firestorm glowed with fierce intensity high into the stratosphere.

Johnston's skipper, Commander Ernest Evans, announced to the crew after General Quarters was set that "There can be no expectation of survival." Then Johnston went in. She kept up the fight until she was destroyed.

I am sure that what I have said is not new for you. I went to see the portable Viet Nam wall last Sunday. Perhaps what I write will be an encouragement to our youngsters. I think it will be, at least for the good ones.

When I first saw photos of Scharnhorst I was struck by how small she was. The drawings of Bismark show an old fashioned ship more like the old Texas than like the Alaska.

[alfa6]

Hump day bump for the Freeper Foxhole

Nice pic of a Dannish Dakota taking off, Hat tip to Alf Blume for the pic

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[The Mayor]

September 13, 2006

Coping While Caring

LISTEN TO ODB RADIO: Real | MP3 | WMA

READ: Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. —Psalm 46:1

A survey titled “Caregiving in the US” estimates that more than 44 million Americans are unpaid caregivers, and a majority of them currently work or have worked while providing care. The survey also found that God, family, and friends were most often cited as sources of strength by people who are caring for others.

Three-fourths of the respondents said they relied on prayer to deal with the demands of caregiving. “Prayer is the best way to refresh yourself,” said one person. “I find a quiet place and pray and cry and get relief. Then I can go back into the room calm.”

“God is our refuge and strength,” wrote the psalmist, “a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). Eugene Peterson’s vivid paraphrase says: “God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need Him.”

Through prayer, we can step into the calming presence of the Lord and find strength to go on. As we bring our heartaches and needs to God, He meets us where we are and gives us His peace. He is an ever-present help who cares for us in every situation.

Caregiving is a high calling and a difficult task. But there is strength from the Lord to help us as we care for those who need us. —David C. McCasland

I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me,
He ever loves and cares for His own.  —Hoffman

Prayer puts us in touch with God—our greatest caregiver.

Bible in One Year: Bible in One Year:   Proverbs 16-18; 2 Corinthians 6

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning!

[The Mayor]

September 14, 2006

For His Eyes Only

LISTEN TO ODB RADIO: Real | MP3 | WMA

READ: Matthew 6:1-8,16-18

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. —Matthew 6:18

Typically, as we age we lose our prominence and our positions of influence. Even those of us who have never sought the limelight seem increasingly to fade into the shadows.

Obscurity and anonymity are good, however, for it is difficult to perform in public without wondering what impression we’re making on others. We fret over the extent that our reputations are being enhanced or damaged. And therein lies our peril: To the degree that we seek human recognition, we forfeit God’s approval. On the other hand, to lose the admiration of men and women may turn us to seek God’s approval only.

Here is a test for our gifts, our prayers, our fasts: Are they done for God’s eyes only? If so, though overlooked and unnoticed by others, we have our Father’s acknowledgment and reward.

Three times Jesus repeated to His disciples: “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:4,6,18). This is our assurance as well. Every unobserved gift of time, energy, and love; every petition we whisper in our Father’s ears; every secret, inward struggle against sin and self-indulgence will be fully rewarded in due time. In the end, His “Well done, good and faithful servant” is all that will matter (Matt. 25:21). —David H. Roper

All service rendered to the Lord
Is sure to gain His rich reward;
And if we work with motives pure,
Our weakest efforts will endure.  —D. De Haan

There is no reward from God to those who seek it from men.  —Spurgeon

Bible in One Year: Bible in One Year:  Proverbs 19-21; 2 Corinthians 7

[alfa6]

It's a Friday Bump for Freeper Foxhole

A pic of the Wake Island Airfield Terminal after the super typhoon went by last week

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[The Mayor]

September 15, 2006

Garden Of Prayer

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READ: Acts 12:5-17

Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. —Acts 12:5

When I was a pastor, I often visited residents in rest homes. I’ll never forget one dear elderly lady I met. She was blind and had been bedridden for 7 years, yet she remained sweet and radiant. One day she told me about a dream she had. She was in a beautiful garden, where the grass was a luxuriant carpet beneath her and the fragrance of flowers filled the air.

She dropped to her knees, entranced by the scene. As her thoughts were drawn heavenward, she felt the need to pray for her own pastor, for me, and for others. When she awakened, however, she discovered that she was still in her hospital bed. With a smile she said to me, “You know, Pastor, at first I was a bit disappointed. But in a sense the dream was true. This old bed has been a garden of prayer these 7 years!” Prayer had made her room a holy place of meditation and blessing.

Prayer also made a difference when Peter was in prison (Acts 12). It isn’t always easy to pray, for real intercession takes self-discipline. Many of us lapse into saying fine-sounding words without truly praying. God often drives us to our knees through the press of circumstances, where we are to “seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore” (1 Chron. 16:11). —Herbert Vander Lugt

There’s a beautiful garden of fellowship sweet,
Where our prayers plant the seeds of reward;
And if there we will frequently make our retreat,
We shall gather rich store from the Lord!  —Bosch

God and prayer go together; to neglect one is to neglect the other.

Bible in One Year: Bible in One Year;   Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8

[Peanut Gallery]

Oh wow! That's horrible.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning, FOXHOLE!

[The Mayor]

September 16, 2006

“They”

READ: Genesis 17:4-7,15-19

I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants . . . to be God to you. —Genesis 17:7

A self-employed inventor from  Branson, Missouri, decided to change his name to “They.” He said he did it for fun to address the common reference that people make to “they.” He remarked, “People say, ‘They do this,’ or ‘They’re to blame for that.’ ‘They’ accomplish such great things. Somebody had to be responsible.” When his friends call his home, they ask, “Is They there?” His new name must drive grammarians crazy.

Abram’s name was changed, but not on a whim. The Lord changed it. In biblical times, God often changed a person’s name to indicate what He was going to do through that person.

Abram’s name (“exalted father”) was changed to Abraham (“father of many”) because God had promised to make him a father of many nations (Gen. 17:5) through whom “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (12:3).

In fulfillment of God’s promise, Jesus came from the line of Abraham and blessed the nations by giving His life for our sins. When we believe in Him, we are blessed and are promised eternal life with Him. God now calls us by new names: “My people” and “sons of the living God” (Rom. 9:25-26). As His people, we can be used by Him to bless others. —Anne Cetas

Bless me, Lord, and make me a blessing;
I’ll gladly your message convey;
Use me to help some poor needy soul,
And make me a blessing today.  —Anon.

God gives blessings to us so that we can give blessings to others.

Bible in One Year: Bible in One Year;   Proverbs 25-26; 2 Corinthians 9

[The Mayor]

September 17, 2006

Scattered!

READ: Acts 8:1-8

Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word. —Acts 8:4

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the US Gulf Coast and displaced an estimated 1.3 million households. With cities and towns evacuated, homes destroyed, and jobs gone, people relocated to communities in every state including Alaska and Hawaii. Because Christians are not immune to the storms of life, it’s likely that thousands of people who love the Lord found themselves in places they never expected to live.

Yet many of those same people whose hopes and plans were shattered by Katrina would also bring God’s love to others across the US. Like the early Christians who were forced out of Jerusalem by persecution, it could be said of them: “Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4).

While none of us would choose this kind of financial loss and disruption, would we see it as an opportunity to share the hope Jesus Christ has given us?

The apostle Peter’s letter reminded Christians who had been scattered among the nations to “be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

If we are uprooted, we can scatter the seeds of the gospel wherever we go. —David C. McCasland

We’re always sowing seeds in life
By everything we do and say,
So let’s make sure we sow God’s Word
Among the ones we meet each day.  —Hess

There’s no wrong place to share the gospel.

Bible in One Year: Bible in One Year;   Proverbs 27-29; 2 Corinthians 10