Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
On Display - USS San Saba
MSW crew-mate Anthony Kochevar (AJKOCHEV) shares a fine gallery of images of his 1/700 scale, USS San Saba in this "On Display" Feature!
On Display
Community Build Stats
Ahoy mates! Here are the results of Community Build Session 7 along with the Community Build Stats.
Community Build
Dazzle Camouflage
Today’s website is the Dazzle Camouflage Website. This site chronicles the creation of the dazzle camouflage that was abundant during WW1. Enjoy.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1855 - USS Plymouth crew has skirmish with Chinese troops.
1875 - Cmdr. Edward Lull begins expedition to locate the best ship canal route across Panama.
1943 - In the Southwest Pacific, USS Helena (CL 50) fired first proximity-fused projectile in combat, shooting down a Japanese divebomber in the process.
1968 - Lt. Clarence W. Cote becomes the first male Nurse Corps officer in the regular Navy.
Ships arrive home from Arabian Sea
Source: Canadian Navy
Sailors deployed on Canada’s largest military mission after Afghanistan are now home with their loved ones.
Approximately 1,000 crew members on three ships have arrived back in their home ports after six months of conducting maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea.
HMCS Iroquois returned to Halifax on October 23, while Calgary and Protecteur sailed into Esquimalt on October 24.
The three ships, one of Canada’s largest contributions to the war on terrorism since 9/11, conducted operations with Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, a naval coalition that typically includes ships from nations such as France, Germany, Pakistan, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.
From aboard Iroquois, Commodore Bob Davidson commanded the task force from June 3 to September 15 – the first time a Canadian has ever held the position. During his tenure, 32 ships from seven countries followed his leadership.
Now that the ships are safely home, Cmdre Davidson says the mission was a great success. “We set out with four main objectives: maritime security operations –making the area safer; theatre security cooperation – building regional cooperation with locals and with regional nations’ militaries and coast guards; building maritime influence for Canada by leading the mission and advancing diplomatic objectives; and finally, a public affairs effort to enable all the other objectives. We had excellent results in all four areas.”
While the ships were overseas, they visited 22 nations to improve diplomatic ties and work with regional navies, and also visited (with other allied ships) 200 vessels to build cooperation with local mariners. As well, the ships supported Ville de Québec in the delivery of thousands of metric tons of food to Somalia and deterred numerous piracy attacks.
“As I said in my closing address when I turned over command of CTF 150, the many ships and aircraft, sailors, soldiers and aviators of the combined maritime forces show us each and every day what is possible with a spirit of cooperation,” says Cmdre Davidson.
He adds that Canada’s future contribution and level of effort in the area will be studied based on this mission’s success, and in consideration of other commitments and the level of contribution desired by government.
For now, 1,000 members of three ships’ companies are just glad to be home.
Nazi E-boat saved by military enthusiast
Source: Telegraph UK
The last Nazi E-boat, which took part in an infamous raid during the Second World War, has been saved by a British military enthusiast.
Schnellboot-130, once the fastest vessel in the world, helped attack an Allied convoy off Slapton Sands, in Devon, in a battle in which nearly 1,000 Allied soldiers were killed. On the night of April 27, 1944, the boat was one of nine German vessels patrolling the English Channel when they stumbled upon Operation Tiger, which was the rehearsal for the D-Day landings.
The convoy launched a raid and killed 946 Allied soldiers. Allied chiefs initially covered up the loss, keen to avoid the enemy becoming aware of what it had achieved or getting wind of any planned invasion of Europe.
After the war the Schnellboot was seized by the British and used to land spies behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War but was then left in a dockyard and eventually began to disintegrate.
Enthusiast Kevin Wheatcroft has now come to the rescue of the vessel. Mr Wheatcroft, whose family owns the Donington Grand Prix museum, in Leicestershire, paid just £1 for the hulk but will now spend around £3 million restoring it. He recently acquired the salvage rights on three sunken Schnellboots off the Danish coast and plans to bring up original parts to help the restoration.
The project will take up to five years after which it is hoped the vessel will become a floating museum and visitor attraction. Mr Wheatcroft said: "I've always been fascinated with Schnellboots and she is one of the most famous.
"The intention is to return her to her original state and into a moving museum." He added: "Over the years I have collected a lot of parts including engines, gun platforms, a complete radio and bridge equipment.
"I have acquired salvage rights on three Schnellboot wrecks off the Danish coast. They were sunk after the war in 1948 and 1949, so are not war graves. "I hope to be able to get an armoured bridge, torpedo tubes and mine racks from the sunken ships. S-130 was recently lifted from the water and a building will now be put up around her while the work is carried out a few miles along the coast from Slapton Sands.
The Schnellboots were small, fast and effective – and had been devised as a result of the Versailles restrictions set at the close of the First World War. With the Germans banned from building large warships they embarked on an ingenious naval development programme, resulting in the Schnellboots. The allies called them E-boats – the "E" standing for enemy. They were propelled by three powerful Mercedes diesel engines and could travel at 55 knots, faster than any other naval vessel.
The boats had a wedge on the stern that prevented the bow from rising as it accelerated so the guns fired more accurately. That technology is today used on US destroyers. Wyn Davies, a naval architect and maritime historian, said: "She is the last survivor of a hugely important class of warship that gave our coastal forces quite a headache.
"They introduced several new features, the most useful of which was the use of diesel engines to power them.
"This ended the need for stocking inflammable petrol on board.
"These craft formed the basis for post war development of similar vessels for most Nato navies."
Photo of the Day
American cruiser USS Indianapolis at the anniversary of Statue of Liberty, October 28, 1936.
Gator
