RattlesnakeBob Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 (edited) I’ve just got back from a trip to see my daughter in California and whilst there took the opportunity to investigate the San Francisco Bay area’s wartime past a little. Yes of course I did all the normal everyday usual tourist stuff such as Alcatraz etc but should you ever end up in that district there is a surprising amount of WW2 related things to visit ! J First on the list to do was visit the USS Hornet which is permanently moored up in the former US Navy base at Alameda just down the road a bit from where she lives. If you should find yourself i the area one day please make time for a visit. It is now staffed by volunteers and I was exceptionally lucky to have a lovely old fella show me around. He’d served on a sister ship to the Hornet back in the early 1960s for his military service and was an absolute font of knowledge and happy to answer all my inquisitive (and probably daft) questions! You really need to allow a whole day though because she is huge! Later in the week I also visited the Museum of the Home Front in Richmond Docks more commonly known as ‘Rosie the Riveters Museum’ located in the old Richmond Shipyards and this place was amazing. Part of the works was a Ford factory that was turned over to tank production for the duration and thousands of Sherman and Stuarts/Honeys were produced but...probably the really important work went on in the 4 shipyards outside. Here, they perfected the technique of building the British designed Liberty Ships to the extent that over a 1000 were launched from here during the war years. They also made many other vessels such as landing craft, tugs and the bigger and improved version of the Liberty known as the ’Victory’ ship. Again a visit is highly recommended! Ooops ! Sorry ! I can’t find those pictures Next on the list was the USS Pampanito a WW2 Submarine preserved on Fishermans Wharf over the other side of the bay in San Francisco..far too much too tell of her but again .....go visit ! Then there was the old Battery Chamberlin just behind Baker beach right next to the Golden Gate Bridge with a cracking old ‘disappearing gun’ still in place... On the way around San Francisco one day I spotted 2 DUKWs loading up tourists for a trip. And lastly perhaps the star of the show ...one of only 2 left in the world .a real living breathing Liberty Ship the Jeremiah O’Brien !........what an absolutely fantastic experience and one , as I keep saying ....you should all try and do at least once ! J PS: Sorry....... I don't have a clue as to why some of the links are coming out as 'links' rather than 'pictures'...If you click the second link in each line it seems to work and show you the relevant picture otherwise it says 'no photo exists' for some reason ah well........i never said I was any good at driving computers .....driving excavators and dozers was far more my thing alternatively ....just follow the links to my Photobucket page and click 'view library' Edited September 30, 2013 by RattlesnakeBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrettkitt Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 You did well my brothers still in San Francisco on his hols hes due back this weekend I know he visited Alcatraz but other than that.... Great pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Can't we replace the Clubhouse by the carrier? Just stick it in the pond, a bit of sand and palmtree as wel as a ramp to get on the flightdeck and have Scammell races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 The flight deck is something else isn't it mate?? that one picture of the deck is taken from not even halfway to the front of the ship ....it's really difficult to take photos that convey how big it actually is During the war she was a normal configuration 'straight' deck carrier but she had a pretty extensive rebuild in the 1950s when they removed most of the WW2 armaments and generally modernised her in many ways including the adding on of an 'angled' deck . ..When you wander about on the deck immediately below the flight deck , on the side that the 'angled bit' sticks out from the engineering that was needed to 'stick that extra bit on the side ' is revealed and it is truly incredible it's just like standing under a huge steel railway bridge I'd never seen a WW2 era carrier up close and they are impressive so lord knows what one of the modern US 'Nimitz' class carriers looks like to give you an idea.... USS Hornet carried about 3300 including aircrew,was roughly 870' long and weighed about 36,000 tons loaded up for action ....a Nimitz class carrier has about 5500 including aircrew,is over a 1000' long,over 100' wider overall and weighs over 100,000 tons :shocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I once saw the USS George W Bush at anchor in the Solent; the aircraft on deck and the passing container ships really gave a good sense of scale on just how big it was. The ferry I was on was tiny by comparison! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 (edited) ....a Nimitz class carrier has about 5500 including aircrew,is over a 1000' long,over 100' wider overall and weighs over 100,000 tons :shocked: The Queen Elizabeth class carriers are 920 feet long, 230 feet wide and displace 70,600 tonnes ... :-) Most people don't realise they are built that big as a simple result of Newtonian mechanics. Assuming conventional take-off, the aircraft has to reach a certain take-off speed and there is a maximum force you can impart to the airframe before it breaks. That determines the length of the flight deck and everything else follows. Andy Edited October 2, 2013 by andym Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 (edited) The Queen Elizabeth class carriers are 920 feet long, 230 feet wide and displace 70,600 tonnes ... :-) Most people don't realise they are built that big as a simple result of Newtonian mechanics. Assuming conventional take-off, the aircraft has to reach a certain take-off speed and there is a maximum force you can impart to the airframe before it breaks. That determines the length of the flight deck and everything else follows. Andy and I'll admit it !....I didn't know nor guess nor have a single clue that is why modern carriers are so big ! tsk! obvious really I guess ! :red::red::red: . PS: .....having just wikied them...oooooooooeeeeeeeer!!! they're being built by BAE!!! ....ooohh cripes!!!...dare one ask ?. will they float ? Edited October 2, 2013 by RattlesnakeBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.