yes! may 7, 1942 - Japanese planes from the Shokaku and Zuikaku sank the US oiler Neosho (and destroyer Sims).
you are up!

Just so you won't think I was yanking any chains, Archeology Magazine in the March/April 2008 issue ran an article on the reconstruction of a replica of one of Zheng Hes' massive Treasure Ships with a $10 Million budget and 3 year completion time. They have also been unearthing two of the shipyards where the massive ships were constructed and are seeking to rediscover a part of their history that was lost in time.

While the original ships were supposedly calculated to be some 400 feet overall, the replica is only going to be 233 feet long in order to comply with current Chinese Maritime regulations on overall size of wooden ships. There is also the simple question of physics, any longer and they have questions as to whether or not the ship would buckle under its' own massive size, one of those "Pyramid" type things, they don't know how they did it but nonetheless, they did and it worked back then. There have been inquiries into making more of these large ships once the first is complete, a cultural bureau from New Yorks' Chinatown is among those expressing interest in getting its' own ship. Once completed, they plan on having the replica follow Zheng He's voyages to express China's peaceful intentions and historic past.

Here is an interesting fact. I was the last Naval person to take fuel from the newer Neosho. I touched it fueling probe for the last time before it she was decommed.

I will put out a question tomorrow sometime.

Five US warships share my name. Another ship named for me helped to inspire a nautical tale about revenge. I am located in one of the original 13 colonies.

Famous leaders have sailed on the decks of my namesakes.

The Brisish have had 4 ships with my name, although thier reason for using my name is similar to that of the US, it is different.

One small hint, I am originally from Mass.

Who/what/where am I?

Jim , neat story about the Neosho, very cool!

I will take a stab with USS Maine... found 4 warships with her name; revenge "remember the Maine"; Maine was part of NewEngland/Mass waaay back (I know Im reaching

James...

It is not a ship I am looking for. It is either a person or a place.

=======================================================================
On that last refueling with the Neosho we took the fuel and the rig captain handed me a USS Scott bumber sticker. I cleaned off a spot on the probe and put on the sticker. She pulled the probe back over and we dropped the cable back to her.

We saluted her and pulled away. Less than a month later we saw her high in the water stripped of her hose and rigging being towed to the breakers.

Hint

I am a place in Mass. One of my namesakes became the first US warship to prowl the Pacific.

Essex?

That is correct. Essex county Mass. Of course there is also an Essex England, that is where the British ships get thier name.

Just a bump, see if we can ressurect the trivia thread....

Ask away, James! Let's see what happens. Couldn't hurt, right?

Jim

hello all,
the thread got dropped with all of the campaigns started IE:Community Build,Pre Dread etc.
looking back through the thread ,Jimb answered correct last.so either one of you go ahead and ask.
i should have been keeping an eye on it but the real world kind of shacked me in the face late last year.
sorry about that.
so who's got a question?
cheers,
Bruce

Ok, I have one:

I am a long range 2 Dimensional radar that provide target detection and tracking for long range surveillance, self defense, and fire control system designation. I was replaced in most ships in the 90s during the New Threat Upgrade.

who am I ?

Um, no takers? Hint…. I am featured on several modern USN ships.. and you can replace me with suitable PE from GMM and TMM

hello Jim,
are you asking about the Aegis radar system?
cheers,
Bruce

nope, but on the right track
Hint…. I am featured on several modern USN ships.. and you can replace me with suitable PE from GMM and TMM

Is it the AN/SPS-49 search radar?

Lest anybody think I know anything at all about modern equipment I found this by going to GMM's website, looking up a PE set for modern ships, then cross referencing anything listed in the parts list with Wikopedia until I found this item.

No clue on the answer but 2 marks to Halfyank for using his resources...

blast from the past! LOL

I remember typing that question when i was building my samuel adams kit.

well, you get to ask the next one!

I had to look over the entire thread to see what had been posted in my long absence. There were some very good questions here.

Ok, here is one.

My uncle and I both received our countries highest award for valor in the same campaign. Our names were nearly identical. My uncle had a famous class of ship named for him. Although I received the highest award for valor in a later war I was, probably rightly, criticized for being too timid on several occasions.

Who am I?

You are Fletcher.

The medals were awarded for the Vera Cruz landings in 1914, but this was a time when American military decoration standards were in a state of flux. Up until the early 20th Century, the U. S. military was exceedingly stingy on decorations and other than the Purple Heart, the only other widely recognized award was the Medal of Honor.

About the time of America's entry into World War One, Congress approved most of the decorations we know today such as the DSC, Navy Cross, DFC, Silver Star, etc. However, even then the criteria for these new awards were vague: for example, a notable flag officer from World War II was actually recommended for a Navy Cross as a Lieutenant Commander in 1918 for his staff work as a convoy planner in Washington!

The MOH was an embarrassment to Frank Jack Fletcher and he suspected it caused needless acrimony amongst his peers while coming up during the inter-war years.

Here's a new one:

My crew opted to stop fighting and go home early, although my officers objected and I got cold stares from my allies on the way home. What ship am I?

--Karl

Right you are Karl. I didn't think this one would take too long.

I found out a couple things about Fletcher that I didn't know when I looked this question up. I always thought it was his father, not his uncle, that was the other famous Frank Fletcher. I also didn't realize his uncle had the middle name Friday, which explains why the younger Fletcher is always referred to as Frank "Jack" Fletcher, to distinguish him from Frank "Friday" Fletcher.

I've always had a high regard for almost anybody who received the Medal of Honor. (I would have said everybody who won it but I can't stomach the fact MacArthur was awarded it for what was pretty much political reasons.) Frank Jack Fletcher though he might have had great physical courage showed what could be termed moral cowardice when he pulled his carriers out early after the initial landing at Guadalcanal. Fletcher certainly wasn't helped by having one of the worst looking photos being the one that most people think of when they think of him. He looks like a total loser in that photo.

I haven't a clue about your question Karl. I'm looking forward to some sort of clue.

Don't have a clue on Karl's question. Something I recall reading stated the the MOH originated around the end of the Civil War and that veterans could self nominate for recognition. They didn't appear to need the usual chain of command endorsements that current medals require. Sounds like it got 'organized' between 1914 and 1917.

I am glad this thread was "resurrected"... great info on Fletchers! Learn something new every day..... As for the new question, I recall (maybe?) some of the Russian vessels turning around during their action with the japanese?

Here's a clue to the obtuse set-up for my query:

The event happened in the Pacific War.

--Karl