Random Thoughts

[B-Man]

 

 

SUNKEN SUBMARINE USS HARDER

IN SOUTH CHINA SEA:

 

The final resting place of an iconic U.S. Navy submarine that was sunk 80 years ago during World War II was located 3,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, the Naval History and Heritage Command said Thursday. . . .

The USS Harder, led by famed Cmdr. Samuel D. Dealey, earned a legendary reputation during its fifth patrol when it sunk three destroyers and heavily damaged two others in just four days, forcing a Japanese fleet to leave the area ahead of schedule, the command said. That early departure forced the Japanese commander to delay his carrier force in the Philippine Sea, which ultimately led to Japan being defeated in the ensuing battle.

But Harder’s fortunes changed in late August 1944. Early on Aug. 22, Harder and USS Haddo destroyed three escort ships off the coast of Bataan. Joined by USS Hake later that night, the three vessels headed for Caiman Point, Luzon, before Haddo left to replenish its torpedo stockpile. Before dawn on Aug. 24, Hake sighted an enemy escort ship and patrol boat and plunged deep into the ocean to escape.

Japanese records later revealed Harder fired three times at the Japanese escort ship, but it evaded the torpedoes and began a series of depth charge attacks, sinking Harder and killing all 79 crewmembers.

 

Submarines were highly effective in the Pacific, but submarine duty was very dangerous.

 

 

[MothersMilk]

Had this happen to me 1 time, but it was a half ounce of gold. He said he put it in the burner barrel, was I ever pissed. A leopard pipe too. Good ol Dad haha. 

 

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

On 5/24/2024 at 5:07 PM, B-Man said:

 

 

 

SUNKEN SUBMARINE USS HARDER

IN SOUTH CHINA SEA:

 

The final resting place of an iconic U.S. Navy submarine that was sunk 80 years ago during World War II was located 3,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, the Naval History and Heritage Command said Thursday. . . .

The USS Harder, led by famed Cmdr. Samuel D. Dealey, earned a legendary reputation during its fifth patrol when it sunk three destroyers and heavily damaged two others in just four days, forcing a Japanese fleet to leave the area ahead of schedule, the command said. That early departure forced the Japanese commander to delay his carrier force in the Philippine Sea, which ultimately led to Japan being defeated in the ensuing battle.

But Harder’s fortunes changed in late August 1944. Early on Aug. 22, Harder and USS Haddo destroyed three escort ships off the coast of Bataan. Joined by USS Hake later that night, the three vessels headed for Caiman Point, Luzon, before Haddo left to replenish its torpedo stockpile. Before dawn on Aug. 24, Hake sighted an enemy escort ship and patrol boat and plunged deep into the ocean to escape.

Japanese records later revealed Harder fired three times at the Japanese escort ship, but it evaded the torpedoes and began a series of depth charge attacks, sinking Harder and killing all 79 crewmembers.

 

Submarines were highly effective in the Pacific, but submarine duty was very dangerous.

 

 

 

Just finished Eugene Fluckey's Thunder Below, a summary of his patrol reports commanding USS Barb.  Fascinating read.  Barb is the only submarine in WW2 to destroy a train and a paper mill. 

 

Also good reading is Dick O'Kane's memiors...his last patrol in USS Tang was one of the most successful patrols of the war, right up until Tang sunk herself with her last torpedo (circular run - US torpedoes in WW2 were atrociously bad.  Interesting story in itself).  

 

US submarine losses were some 20% of the submarine force.  The highest loss rate by far in the US armed forces, but pales in comparison to the Ubootwaffe, in which some 90% of the personnel died.  Submarines just suck.

[Fansince88]

On 5/17/2024 at 4:51 PM, Crap Throwing Clavin said:

Amazon has an Oral B Alexa-enabled electric toothrbrush on sale.

 

And I'm tempted to buy it just to answer the question: for what possible &#%$ing reason do you need to Alexa-enabled a toothbrush?  

This works for me:

https://youtu.be/ihS1BDXk_ug?si=fgKdFRHof9kWFB0R

[MothersMilk]

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

On 5/28/2024 at 11:16 AM, MothersMilk said:

 

Completely untrue.  The phrase dates back about a century earlier (1850 or so).

 

And different planes had different ammo loadouts (hell, one plane might have different ammo loads for different guns of the same caliber - the Mustang had fewer rounds for the two outboard guns than the four inboard.)  For a .50 cal, a 100 round belt was about 92 inches, or 7 2/3 feet.  So...

• In the P-47 Thunderbolt, about 33 feet per gun
• The P-51, 29 feet for the inboard and 21 feet for the outboard.
• The F4F Wildcat, about 35 feet.
• The P-38, about 38 feet.

Bomber gunners...there's no set number.  The equivalent of 35 feet (six boxes) would have been standard, but ammo loadouts on the B-24 an B-17 varied widely by mission.  

 

For .30 cal or the equivalent British .303, about 52 inches per 100 rounds.  So the early P-39's .30 cal wing guns would have had belts of about 11 feet (250 rounds per gun), the Spitfire I, 13 feet (300 rounds per gun).  

 

So it's just not true.

 

Honestly...no one knows where the phrase comes from.  Another popular theory is that it comes from the 19th century British textile industry, where bolts of cloth were nine-yard lengths, so to buy the entire bolt was to buy "the whole nine yards."  I doubt that's true, just because that's a horribly inefficient size to ship - wrap nine yards of cotton around a hollow spindle, and you have more empty space than cloth.

 

[MothersMilk]

36 minutes ago, Crap Throwing Clavin said:

no one knows where the phrase comes from.

After all that, if no one knows, then I'll stick to the theory I like the best.

 

[B-Man]

 

 

HILARIOUS.

 

 

 

[MothersMilk]

I saw an interview with one of these guys on PBS. Makes me think of what a bunch of Starbucks Iphone video games loving fools getting raised nowadays, they can barely handle a small crisis like someone getting their order wrong with 3 extra sauces instead of 4 at the drive through window.

 

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/capital-region/news/2024/06/04/the-last-wwii-vets-converge-on-normandy-for-d-day

[Uncle Joe]

1 hour ago, MothersMilk said:

I saw an interview with one of these guys on PBS. Makes me think of what a bunch of Starbucks Iphone video games loving fools getting raised nowadays, they can barely handle a small crisis like someone getting their order wrong with 3 extra sauces instead of 4 at the drive through window.

 

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/capital-region/news/2024/06/04/the-last-wwii-vets-converge-on-normandy-for-d-day

I saw an interview with 104 year old D-Day survivor Steve Melnikoff today. He pretty much shook his head when asked about today's youth.

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

17 hours ago, Uncle Joe said:

I saw an interview with 104 year old D-Day survivor Steve Melnikoff today. He pretty much shook his head when asked about today's youth.

 

Today's kids, invading Normandy, would glue themselves to the LCVP ramps to protest the lack of trans representation in the invasion force.

[Uncle Joe]

2 hours ago, Crap Throwing Clavin said:

 

Today's kids, invading Normandy, would glue themselves to the LCVP ramps to protest the lack of trans representation in the invasion force.

They would also have to bring their parents. 

[devnull]

5 hours ago, Crap Throwing Clavin said:

 

Today's kids, invading Normandy, would glue themselves to the LCVP ramps to protest the lack of trans representation in the invasion force.

 

3 hours ago, Uncle Joe said:

They would also have to bring their parents. 

 

And complain about the carbon footprint of the landing force

[MothersMilk]

[MothersMilk]

Nice stitch work here.

 

[devnull]

11 hours ago, MothersMilk said:

 

 

[B-Man]

 

 

[B-Man]

 

 

The Mighty Moo: The USS Cowpens and Her Epic World War II Journey from Jinx Ship to the Navy’s First Carrier into Tokyo Bay.

 

 

.

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

50 minutes ago, B-Man said:

 

 

The Mighty Moo: The USS Cowpens and Her Epic World War II Journey from Jinx Ship to the Navy’s First Carrier into Tokyo Bay.

 

 

.

 

 

 

Cowpens record was actually rather normal, as carrier combat records go.  12 battle stars (typical for a post-treaty carrier), nothing really notable.  

 

Never buy a military history book with the word "Epic" in the title.  They're usually sensationalist crap.  Also anything that says "The...who won the war."

 

 

[devnull]

13 minutes ago, Crap Throwing Clavin said:

Never buy a military history book with the word "Epic" in the title.  They're usually sensationalist crap. 

What about history books with "quantum" in the title