Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.



Feature – Chinese Type 071 LPD

MSW Crewmember David J. Salvin (djandj) shares his build story of Dream Model, People''s Liberation Army/Navy, PLAN, Chinese Type 071 LPD in this MSW Feature.


Review – Volume 72: CGNs of the USN

MSW Managing Editor Jim Adams (goldenpony) offers us his multi-media review of Still Motions Photographics Volume 72: CGNs of the USN USS Long Beach to USS Arkansas.




Restoration of historic Ford Island tower starts this week
Source: Associated Press

The Pacific Aviation Museum says the stabilization of the historic Ford Island Control Tower in Pearl Harbor is due to officially begin this week.

The tower is where a radioman issued the first radio broadcast of the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack.
The museum is housed in a nearby hangar and has made restoring the tower a priority. It plans to hold a blessing ceremony for the project on Friday.



The museum estimates it will cost $7.5 million to completely restore the tower. The project has received $3.8 million from the Defense Department.

The tower's steel stairs, landings, ladders, beams, and other areas are experiencing severe corrosion. The museum says must be repaired, refinished and in some cases replaced.


Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS William P. Lawrence
Source: Naval Air Systems Command

PASCAGOULA, Miss. --- The Navy officially accepted delivery of the future USS William P. Lawrence from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding during a ceremony in Pascagoula, Miss, Feb. 23.

Designated DDG 110, William P. Lawrence is the 60th ship of the Arleigh Burke class.

Delivery of DDG 110 follows the successful completion of combined "super trials" in the Gulf of Mexico, Jan. 21. Throughout the three-day evolution, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey tested the ship and its systems, including the communications, combat and propulsion systems, to demonstrate the ship's operational capability.

DDG 110 exhibited significant improvements in the level of completion, final finish and performance compared to previous ships of the class.

"DDG 110 proved her operational worth last month in a rigorous round of sea trial evolutions, so we know she can perform as designed," said Capt. Pete Lyle, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships DDG 51 Class program manager. "Delivering William P. Lawrence marks a great success for the Navy and will provide the fleet with a highly capable combatant to guarantee freedom of the seas."

Accepting delivery of DDG 110 represents the official transfer from the shipbuilder to the Navy and is a major milestone in William P. Lawrence's transition to operational status.

William P. Lawrence is a multi-mission guided-missile destroyer designed to operate in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface environments. The ship is equipped with the Navy's Aegis Combat System, the world's foremost integrated naval weapon system. The class provides outstanding combat capability and survivability characteristics while minimizing procurement and lifetime support costs due to the program's maturity. The DDG 51 program continues to reinforce affordability and efficiency, with a commitment to deliver ships at the highest possible quality.

As one of DoD's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships, an affiliated PEO of the Naval Sea Systems Command, is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all major surface combatants, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and special warfare craft.

Currently, the majority of shipbuilding programs managed by PEO Ships are benefiting from serial production efficiencies, which are critical to delivering ships on cost and schedule.




The sinking of U-656

On March 1, 1942, U656 was bombed and sunk by a PBO-1 Hudson (VP-82 USN, pilot Ens William Tepuni, USNR) on an anti-submarine sweep from Argentia south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The PBO-1 Hudsons were 20 Hudson Mk.IIIA diverted from Lend-Lease to equip the VP-82 USN, which sank the first two U-boats sunk by US forces, U-656 on 1 March and U-503 on 15 March 1942.




Mare Island Historic Park Foundation

Today’s website is the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation. Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1859 - The first Navy ship built on the West Coast of the United States, Saginaw, is launched at Mare Island, Calif.
1867 - The Navy Civil Engineering Corps is established.
1899 - An act of Congress creates the rank "Admiral of the Navy" for George Dewey.
1973 - Women begin pilot training in the Navy.


Diorama Idea of the Day



Sailors charge fire hoses to simulate fighting a class bravo fire aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42).

Gator