Ahoy mates and welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Let’s see what going on today.
OPERATION: Pearl Harbor 2008
The site wide Pearl Harbor group build is off and running. If you haven’t had the chance to sign up for this annual memorial build then now is your chance. It’s a wonderful way to honor those who served and died on that fateful day on both sides of the conflict.
"OPERATION: Pearl Harbor 2008"
New Reference CD from Still Motions
Still Motions Photography has released the latest in their fine line of digital naval reference material. CD SMP 36 Boomers: L.A. and Ohio Classes & Tenders contains 250 reference photos for the modeler at the retail cost of $26.10.
New Classic Re-Release from Revell
Revell Models has announced the latest re-release of their classic US Navy Hospital Ship Hope. Revell has scheduled for this kit to hit the stores early October of 2008.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1812 - USS Constitution captures and destroys brig Lady Warren.
1877 - Professor Asaph Hall of Naval Observatory discovers first of two satellites of Mars. He found the second one within a week.
1921 - Carrier arresting gear first tested at Hampton Roads.
1960 - USNS Longview (T-AGM 3), using Navy helicopters and frogmen, recovers a Discover satellite capsule after 17 orbits. This is first recovery of U.S. satellite from orbit.
A Royal Navy Hero from Petersfield
A Royal Navy hero from Petersfield, who rescued an injured marine in Afghanistan by helicopter while under heavy enemy fire, has been awarded a medal for gallantry.
Lieutenant Nichol Benzie, a Royal Navy pilot on exchange with the Royal Air Force at RAF Odiham, was given the Distinguished Flying Cross for his act of courage.
Lieut Benzie (32) captained a Chinook crew that flew a rescue mission to save the seriously wounded marine on November 9, 2007.
Two casualties had been sustained by forces on the ground that day, and Lieut Benzie’s Chinook crew set off to collect the wounded.
They were forced to wait near the combat zone for over an hour because of heavy anti-aircraft fire, and while the Chinook hovered they were told one marine’s condition was worsening.
Lieut Benzie realised it would soon be too dark for him to make the rescue and he had to act quickly. The citation for Lieut Benzie’s award stated: “Lieut Benzie therefore made a conscious decision to attempt a recovery despite the continued enemy activity.
“The helicopter landing site was in the centre of the cultivated ‘green zone’ and Lieut Benzie had to manoeuvre aggressively, yet precisely, to avoid enemy positions and land in a small gap between the crops.
“This in itself required exceptional piloting skills but, when coupled with the ferocity of enemy fire, was exceptional.
“The casualties were then successfully extracted, despite the aircraft being repeatedly engaged with small arms fire as it left the area.”
The next day Lieut Benzie and the crew went out to resupply ground forces with ammunition. They were told more casualties had been sustained and Lieut Benzie decided to make an extra attempt to rescue them.
The citation said: “The dust cloud caused by the landing made it impossible for the crew to see any potential threat and only when they heard and felt a loud thud through the airframe did they realise that the landing site had come under indirect enemy fire.
“Though still engulfed by dust, the aircraft departed rapidly, unfortunately before all the casualties had been loaded. Although the low illumination levels would normally have prevented another attempt at extracting the remaining casualties, Lieut Benzie elected to recover them.”
The Distinguished Flying Cross is the third highest honour the military can bestow on service personnel for bravery in the face of the enemy.
It is his second award for gallantry after he was Mentioned in Dispatches in December 2006 for a similar mission in Afghanistan.
A Greener and Leaner St Albans Rejoins the Fleet
Royal Navy Frigate HMS St Albans is being welcomed back into the fold of the Operational Fleet, following a successful inspection and a considerable refit in Scotland.
During the docking period the Type 23 frigate received some significant upgrades including an improved air conditioning system for the crew.
The Royal Navy's Type 23 class of frigate was originally designed to operate in the North West approaches in the depths of winter and are now more commonly deployed to the significantly higher temperatures of the Gulf regions on maritime security duties. Personnel on board will welcome the new air conditioning and vent upgrade which has increased the capacity of the system and will allow the ship to be kept cool when operating in extremely hot areas.
HMS St Albans' new sonar system increases the ship's ability to detect submarines, while the addition of an automatically controlled 30mm gun, boasting an electro optic device with a TV and Infra red camera which can be fired from the bridge or operations room, will boost the frigate's defence against any hostile fast-moving surface vessels encountered whilst operating close to the shore. The advanced targetting system allows the gun's accurate use day or night and in severe weather.
Changes to the ship's stern have vastly improved the flow of water over the hull and increased the ship's fuel efficiency at lower speeds. Together with other engineering modifications, these changes have increased the frigate's top speed.
HMS St Albans's Commanding Officer, Commander Adrian Pierce, said: "This is an excellent start, to return to Portsmouth and achieve acceptance back into the Fleet after a successful Inspection.
"We have a much improved and modernised ship, well fitted out for the tasks ahead. I am looking forward to bringing together the ship's company as a team, becoming experts on the new equipment and deploying successfully to meet the UK's Maritime Security requirements."
The docking period was carried out by Babcock Ltd operating closely with the ship's company and members of the DE&S organisation in Rosyth.
Commodore of the Portsmouth Flotilla, Andrew Cameron, who was the Fleet's inspecting officer, said: "The ship was very well presented and we are pleased with the condition that the ship has been handed back to the Fleet from refit ... We welcome her back into the Fleet."
Now that the Portsmouth-based warship has rejoined the Fleet, it will undergo operational sea training in the South West approaches of the UK in the autumn. This demanding period will prepare the ship's personnel to train as a cohesive team facing a variety of challenging warfare and humanitarian scenarios prior to deploying in 2009.
Photo of the Day
An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the "Blue Blasters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 34 soars into the night's sky.
As our final news story of the day, our youngest crew mate, Ian Loup, had to be hospitalized yesterday. He spiked a fever yesterday morning which caused a febrile seizure. Good news is that the seizure caused no damage and that the cause of the fever is viral. Ian is in the pediatric ICU in Lake Charles receiving IV antibiotics while watching Spongebob Squarepants.
Gator
