Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Feature - Explanation of My Thoughts...
MSW crew member Ed Hughes (Navyman834) shares with us something special. So sit back and enjoy.
Review
Aircraft Carriers of World War II In Color
Today’s website is Aircraft Carriers of World War II In Color. This webpage should be a wonderful reference for our new flattops campaign. Enjoy.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1799 - USS Constellation, commanded by Capt. Thomas Truxtun, captures the French warship l'Insurgente.
1943 - The organized Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal ends.
1947 - Carrier USS Wright (CVL 49) is commissioned.
1978 - A new era in naval communications begins with the launching of the first satellite of the Navy's Fleet Satellite Communications System.
1984 - Destroyer USS Moosbrugger (DD 980) fires approximately 150 shells at Syrian artillery positions east of Beirut.
Bataan ESG Partners with French, Launches COMPTUEX
Source: U.S Navy
NORFOLK --- The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and embarked Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) departed Norfolk Feb. 3 to participate in a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) with the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina.
COMPTUEX is the second of three at-sea training evolutions designed to prepare the strike group for its scheduled deployment later this year.
"While fleet units must be able to operate and fight effectively during major combat and high-end deterrence operations, they are also called on to operate in smaller units, often individually, in support of global maritime security operations," said Capt. Jack Sotherland, Bataan ESG commodore. "COMPTUEX helps us address the divergent nature of our tasking by training to the standard of major combat operations to ensure that we will dominate and deliver access through the sea, while providing broad deterrent capabilities from the sea."
In addition to the ships from the Bataan ESG, a host of other U.S. ships and two French ships will participate in COMPTUEX.
"Working with the crew of French Naval ship FS Tonnerre (L 9014) and FS La Motte-Piquet (D 645) will ensure increased interoperability with other countries Navies and prepare the Bataan ESG for future maritime partnerships," said Sotherland. "No one nation can do it alone. The success of our maritime strategy depends on continued interaction with the world's navies."
The Bataan ESG is comprised of Bataan; amphibious transport dock ship USS Ponce (LPD 15); amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43); guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68); guided-missile destroyers USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95); the Los Angeles class fast-attack submarine USS San Juan (751); a Marine Landing Force from 22 MEU; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, Tactical Squadron 21, Fleet Surgical Team 6, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2, ACU 4 and Beachmaster Unit 2.
History, Ethos And Leadership – HMS Ark Royal Visits Scapa Flow
Source: Royal Navy
It is 70 years ago this year that one of the most daring coups in naval warfare saw Kapt Lt Günther Prien steer his submarine, U.47, into the heart of the then Home Fleet’s base where the mighty battleship HMS Royal Oak lay at anchor.
He fired six torpedoes, immediately sinking the ship with the devastating loss of 24 officers and 809 men.
He returned to Germany a hero and his strike was seen as symbolic revenge for the event 20 years earlier, 90 years ago this year, when Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the scuttling of 51 ships of the German High Seas Fleet.
Thankfully, on that occasion, they sank without loss of life and the wrecks are now a magnet for divers from all over the world. The Royal Oak is a war grave and is strictly off limits.
But Scapa Flow’s history goes much further back than the last century. Its name has its origins in Old Norse and the Vikings were amongst the first to use what is considered to this day to be one of the world’s finest natural anchorages.
As HMS Ark Royal prepared to anchor over the historic site, her Commanding Officer, Captain John Clink OBE said:
“There is not a sailor alive who will not feel the hairs on the back of his neck tingle as he drops anchor in Scapa Flow,”
“Scapa Flow does not have links with naval history – Scapa Flow is naval history.”
The purpose of Ark’s visit was to allow the ship’s Command, Leadership and Management (CLM) team to flex their creative muscles and allow the Ship’s Company some time to learn the history, visit local schools and conduct leadership training. With the SAFEGUARD rule firmly in force, the scenario was played out:
“MAYDAY, MAYDAY”
At 0900 on 27 January 09 a “MAYDAY” signal was sent from a downed Harrier GR9, its last location put it somewhere in the vicinity of Flotta, a small island in the Orkneys off the north coast of Scotland. The distress call was received by the Fleet Flagship, HMS Ark Royal, which was at anchor in Scapa Flow and a Rescue Team was immediately sent ashore to assist the downed pilot.
Thankfully this was only for exercise and the downed pilot was actually “Fred” the man-overboard dummy. The Exercise was part of HMS Ark Royal’s CLM Training Programme, implemented to enhance the development of all Ranks and Rates through various workshops and exercises.
The Team consisting of a Naval Airman, two Logistician (Supply Chain), two Logistician (Catering Services) and an URNU Student were landed on the island by sea boat at approx 1200, briefed on their mission and the last known location of the pilot to the nearest square kilometre.
They were issued with some basic equipment including some wooden staffs, handheld radios, extra clothing and ration packs, and left to formulate a plan on how they would locate and evacuate the casualty back to HMS Ark Royal.
With a plan in hand the Rescue Party sprang into action and trekked to the Grid Square where the search would begin, on arrival they decided that the best and quickest course of action would be to fan out into a line, keeping visual contact with the person either side and slowly walk the area. It did not take long for a member of the team to spot the casualty (thankfully his bright orange overalls helped). Once they had checked that the injuries were not life threatening they devised a plan as to how to get him back to the waiting sea boat. Using the two wooden staffs and a couple of “foulie” jackets they soon constructed a makeshift stretcher and set about making the journey back to the boat.
On return they were greeted with some hot drinks and rations that had been prepared by the waiting sea boat teams before returning to HMS Ark Royal to de-brief the Captain.
PO(SA) Hinton said: “Leadership is fundamental to forging good teamwork to enable us fight and win. Ark Royal’s CLM programme has targeted all levels of the Command chain and greatly assisted the development of team members.”
That same morning, another team from Ark Royal proceeded ashore but with an entirely different mission. They were required to liaise with residents from the nearby village of Lyness and gather information about Scapa Flow and the local area.
After a short but bracing boat transfer, they met their transport to North Walls Community School. The school provides education for children on the island up to the age of 14, of which there are only 24.
Any hopes of a covert entry into the school were lost as the group’s arrival coincided with the morning break time and created quite a stir; the sight of 8 people in black dry-suits and gecko helmets is not common in Lyness.
Ushered Into the cloakroom to quickly remove the dry-suits – some quicker than others – and then to the real work: meet the teachers and talk to the children.
The youngest pupils were busy learning about Burns’ Night and drawing pictures of the mythical creature, the Haggis. They were delighted to have some people to show off their artistic skills to and the team got stuck in with colouring and drawing.
The older children had been learning about the magnificent history of HMS Ark Royal in preparation for the visit and had many questions about the Royal Navy and life at sea. This allowed the Ark Royal team plenty of opportunity to practice their communication and presentation skills as they explained their experiences and roles onboard.
Having answered all of the questions from the children, the team set off to complete the second half of their mission: to gather information about the history of Scapa Flow.
Scapa Flow is still considered to be one of the largest and best natural anchorages in the world. It is also intrinsically linked to Naval history. At the end of World War One, the German High Seas Fleet was escorted and held at Scapa Flow until June 1919 when it was scuttled by its commanding officer, Rear Admiral von Reuter. Most of the Fleet was salvaged in the 1920s and now only 8 ships remain below the waves.
During World War Two, the Home Fleet was based in Scapa Flow to protect the Arctic Convoys to Murmansk. On the night of 13 October 1939, a German U-Boat, U-47, managed to enter the Flow and torpedoed HMS Royal Oak with the loss of 833 lives. The site of her sinking has now become a protected war grave.
The team from Ark Royal spent a couple of hours researching Scapa Flow’s history in the local visitor centre, located in the pumping house of the old Lyness Naval Base. They also visited the Naval Cemetery which is the final resting place for many who served at Scapa Flow and those lost in the attack on the Royal Oak.
They returned to the Ship with their notepads full of information. To consolidate their CLM training, they delivered a presentation to the Ship’s Company about Scapa Flow and the place that it holds in the Royal Navy’s History.
Boeing, US Navy Deliver Proposal to Equip Brazil's Air Force with Super Hornets
Source: Boeing Co.
ST. LOUIS --- Boeing and the U.S. Navy on Feb. 2 delivered a proposal to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) offering the advanced, multirole F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as part of Brazil's F-X2 fighter aircraft competition.
The Super Hornet was one of three aircraft selected by the FAB in October 2008 to be evaluated in the Request for Proposal phase of the F-X2 competition. Brazil's stated requirement is for 36 aircraft; final contract award is expected in late 2009.
"We are pleased to offer the Brazilian Air Force the advanced combat capability the Block II Super Hornet delivers," said Bob Gower, vice president of F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs for Global Strike Systems, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. "We believe this proposal will meet the Brazilian Air Force's operational requirements and reflects the U.S. government's decision to release Super Hornet technology.
"Boeing is looking forward to the opportunity to establish long-term partnerships with the Brazilian Air Force, Brazilian industry and the government of Brazil," Gower added.
The Super Hornet, with core strengths in both performance and technology, is the most advanced multipurpose strike fighter in production today, with a proven performance record through more than 500,000 hours of flight time. It is operated by the U.S. Navy and is currently being built for the Royal Australian Air Force. The Super Hornet program has continued to add capability to the aircraft while decreasing cost over its lifetime. In addition, the Super Hornet is the first operationally deployed strike fighter incorporating next-generation capabilities, including the Raytheon-built APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, which the U.S. government released to Brazil as part of the Super Hornet offering.
Boeing has delivered more than 380 Super Hornets to the U.S. Navy, all on or ahead of the original production delivery schedule. Australia is procuring Super Hornets to bolster its fleet of F/A-18 Hornets. Boeing is in discussions with several other international customers about their interest in procuring the Super Hornet.
Photo of the Day
Early Higgins boat during practice landings.
Source: National Archives
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