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OT For Naval folks only

The San Diego Union Tribune ran a good article recently. Minesweepers are being trnasferred from Texas to San Diego and placed under the command of the submarine-warfare boys.

My thoughts: At the start of every oceanic war we have been faced with sinking ships and dead/missing sailors because we let the minewarfare forces dwindle to nearly nothing after the last war. This will happen again. MInes are not just the steel balls with horns that we may have seen in movies. They are sneaky devices that lurk deep, waiting for the USS Neversail to leave San Diego for the third time between April 21st and September 2nd.

Minesweeping is dirty, dangerous, uncomfortable and boring. Career advancement is made by getting into something more exciting. Did you ever see a US movie laid on a minesweeper? (You probably did, a very famous four-star movie, but didn't even notice. That's how thrilling mine warfare is.)

Remember the Wonson "invasion?" It was actually an "administrative landing" because the army fought their way there before the US Navy could get around weapons "obsolete in WWI laid by craft in use at the tme of Christ."

Well, I guess we have enough oil to fight the next war on hand.

Karl

Reply to
midlant
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The Caine Mutiny... got the movie, got the original movie poster and 3 of the 8 lobby cards.

Lee

Reply to
Lee Aanderud

Righto, Lee! One of my Dads ships, DD141- USS Hamilton - a four stacker, was turned into a DM for WWII. "Where the fleet goes, we've been."

Now, what 4 star movie was based on a supply ship? (There may be more than one, but the one I'm thinking of was the best known.)

I best like "The Eternal Sea" where a four-striper puts it to Navy overly-strict regulations concerning the proper number of legs. Sterling Hayden starred. Haydens character,Hoskins, in real life ended up as adrimal of the naval forces off Korea in 1950.

Karl

Lee Aanderud wrote:

Reply to
midlant

In article , snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net says... (SNIP)

(SNIP)

"Mr. Roberts" ship was formerly an AKL supply ship. One of less than two dozen small ships that were built originally under an Army contract and later transferred to the Navy. The ship looks a lot larger in the movie but was only about 175' with a 33' beam.

Three of those little ships were converted for information gathering by the Naval Security Group: AGER-1 Banner, AGER-2 Pueblo and AGER-3 Palm Beach. (Rumor had it that the Banner was the same ship that was used in the movie but I don't know if it is true.)

AGER-2 Pueblo is probably the only surviving ship and remains tied up in Won Son harbor as a guest of North Korea. It is still commissioned.

I had the privilege of some duty on the Plam Beach and on the USNS Valdez, another information research ship.

Reply to
Lark Parker

I don't even know what the Navy has for minesweepers anymore. I guess all the MSO's and MSC's are gone? Looks like they're calling them AG's now? They sure don't belong in that classification!

Reply to
Dwain G.

Reply to
midlant

I too am sure Mr. Roberts ship was an AKL. Others have told me it was a refitted commercial ship, and I've forgotten the name they told me. There used to be a vessel at the sub base that was used to retrieve practice torpedos. They would come to town and tie up at the First street dock during Armed Forces week and give tours. They claimed to be Mr. Roberts ship, complete with potted palm. I never did learn if that was fact or fiction.

Reply to
Dwain G.

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