Posted on 01/14/2007 4:59:19 PM PST by maquiladora
Couple of years ago I toured the U.S.S. Alabama. Man what a weapon.
Don't think they could get it working again though. Not enough old talent that knows how to get it working.
Todays aluminum ships would fall apart if a battery like theirs shot off.
Lots of folks needed to keep it going in a war footing but man what a statement.
I happened to land in the middle of the holy wars debating whether the Captain's proper place was on the bridge (that glass room) or in Combat Information Center. The best place to fight a modern ship of any size at all is from CIC, but it was regarded by certain senior members as being a failure of leadership not to be up taking shrapnel with the conning crew. Things are somewhat different today.
On the ancient heavy cruiser on which I served the longest my General Quarters station was in CIC belowdecks behind 6 inches of steel armor. The good news - not much could get in. The bad news - you couldn't get out.
"Warships" not "battleships." The ignorance of many journalists is appalling.
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