[TXnMA]

Ah! " sponson"!! I, too have started the day off well -- by learning something! Thanks!! [Somehow, I suspected that warships didn't have "little balconies"...] LOL!

Now that you mention it, that one does look somewhat like the stabilizing sponsons set low on the sides of the hulls of some seaplanes / flying boats / amphibians...

I *might* have guessed antennae -- but, I never knew warships carried chaff dispensers -- like aircraft do... That's a "twofer!"! Thanks again!

~~~~~~~~~~

Now to head out into the heat, humidity, chiggers & poison ivy -- to continue archaeological excavation on the remains of a WWII (1942-1946) iron ore processing site... (Wednesday, I was on a ca 1854 slave/freedmen church site...)

Never let it be said that life stops at retirement -- or, at 80... '-)

[Presbyterian Reporter]

Here is a blog with an interesting comment. The action described seems consistent the damage seen on the Fitzgerald and the Crystal.

http://www.vesselofinterest.com/2017/06/mapping-acx-crystals-collision-with-uss.html

“”1. Anonymous 24 June 2017 at 22:35:00 GMT-4
My guess, and it’s only a guess without the Fitzgerald’s data, is that Fitgerald got off the Crystal’s bow by bringing engines up to full power and turning away to port. The stern of the Fitzgerald probably didn’t smack the aft port side of the Crystal because the bow of the Crystal started swinging to port, and her stern to starboard, with the auto-pilot trying to get back to the set course. If someone happened to be out on the port bridge wing, they probably would have seen the Fitzgerald peeling off.

The ship going nearly sideways while the Fitsgerald pushed the bow around certainly would scrub off a lot of speed in a hurry. Red light is commonly used while making rough log entries, plotting on paper chart (increasingly rare), and tasks usually done as part of watchstanding duties. I suspect that some watch officers try to catch up on other paperwork perhaps not readily done under a red light. Also, a lot of paperwork these days is done on compute.””

[rlmorel]

You are an inspiration, but then again, 80 is new 60 I’m told...

The platform it rests on could be called a sponson or a catwalk...sponson might be a more substantial structure with an underlying piece of the hull supporting it.

They use chaff dispensers for close in baffling of incoming missile’s radars...if they use that kind.

[UCANSEE2]

Never let it be said that life stops at retirement -- or, at 80... '-)

If you don't use it, you lose it.