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Briana with her hair tied back in a very long braid.
It took a long time to do and her hair was very difficult to handle.
"I had no idea that my hair had grown so long" was Briana's reaction when she saw this picture. She was rather surprised that despite having her hair braided, which reduces some of the length, it still reached all the way down to her bottom. She exclaimed "I didn't think it would still be butt-length once we finished doing the braid."
Vessel NS IONA (IMO: 9657636, MMSI: 319060600) is an offshore tug/supply ship built in 2014 and currently sailing under the flag of Cayman Islands. NS IONA has 97m length overall and beam of 20m. Her gross tonnage is 5165 tons.
BP celebrated the official naming of its two new, purpose-built platform support vessels (‘PSVs’) at a ceremony in Aberdeen on Friday 27 June.
The vessels will be used to support the oil company’s operations west of Shetland.
NS Elida, which has been operating in the Region since January, and NS Iona were both commissioned by BP for an exclusive 15-year bareboat term charter. The NS Iona, which set sail from the Hyundai Mipo Dockland in Ulsan, South Korea, in late April and arrived in Aberdeen early June, will enter service this week
At the Aberdeen harbour ceremony the vessels were officially christened with good luck bestowed upon them and all who sails on them.
Mark Hardie, BP’s UK Logistics and Infrastructure Manager said: “The delivery of these two vessels completes our long term marine strategy. The PSVs – together with other redeployed vessels – will be used west of Shetland to support cargo delivery, rescue and recovery operations, oil spill response and collision risk management in the area. The capability and flexibility these vessels offer, which is not currently available from the market, is a critical component of our wider marine strategy.”
The vessels, which will be based and maintained in Aberdeen, will also bring a number of business and local benefits to the UK and Norway, with nearly 80% of the total project and operating costs being spent there. The operating and maintenance work will be locally supplied, and officers and crew will be UK and Norwegian qualified mariners.
Both vessels also have special tanks to transport chemicals required for the planned enhanced oil recovery (EOR) schemes at Schiehallion and Clair.
Trevor Garlick, Regional President for BP’s North Sea business said: “Our long term commitment to the region gives us the confidence to make major investments in vital support services. These new vessels provide us with a number of safety and commercial benefits, but also allow for the greater deployment of technology, improving our capability to recover more oil from our reservoirs – which is crucial to the future of the North Sea.”
July 02, 2014
Railfanning, on February 12th, 2026: (After Work Specials✅🚂️)
At CN Hampton BC, MP109.2 CNR Yale Subdivision.
TRAIN 1: CPKC Train 309-12 West (CPKC Grain, Loads) CP (ES44) 9363, Mid DPU CP (ES44) 8828, & End DPU CP (ES44) 8861. Axle count 618. (Length 8,572ft) (150 cars, G3 loads) (At 2:55PM) (South Track) (Killer K5HLB!!!) (50mph!)
TRAIN 2: CN Train C73151-12 West (CPKC Coal, Loads) CP (ES44) 8916, Mid DPU CP (ES44) 8890, & End DPU CP (ES44) 8837. Axle count 622. (Length 8,281ft) (151 cars, coalers) (At 4:15PM) (South Track) (Noice K5HL!) (50mph!)
TRAIN 3: CN Train M35651-12 East (CN Mixed, Freight) CN (DC) 2331, & Mid DPU CN (SD70) 8864. Axle count 408. (Length 8,528ft) (99 cars, mix bag) (At 4:20PM) (North Track) (Noice K5HL!) (30mph)
Railfanning, on February 13th, 2026: (After Work Specials✅🚂️)
At CN Port Kells BC, MP107.7 CNR Yale Subdivision.
TRAIN 1: CN Train C73051-13 East (CPKC Coal, Empty’s) CP (ES44) 8872, Mid DPU CP (ES44/CL) 8800, & End DPU CP (ES44/STRATHY) 8939. Axle count 626. (Length 8,291ft) (152 cars, coalers) (At 4:25PM) (South Track) (Noice K3LA!) (50mph!)
TRAIN 2: VIA Train P00251-13 East (The Canadian, Passenger) VIA (F40/LTW) 6454, & VIA (F40) 6404. Axle count 56. (Length 1,212ft) (12 coaches) (At 4:45PM) (South Track) (Epic K3 action!) (60mph!)
Railfanning, on February 14th, 2026: (An Outing Trackside✅🚂️)
At CN Hampton BC, MP’s110.35/109.2 CNR Yale Subdivision.
TRAIN 1: CN Train C73151-14 West (CPKC Coal, Loads) CP (ES44) 8707, Mid DPU CP (AC44/) 9737, & End DPU CP (CWM) 8202. Axle count 626. (Length 8,291ft) (152 cars, coalers) (At 3:00PM) (South Track) (Noice K5HL!) (50mph!)
TRAIN 2: CN Train C73051-14 East (CPKC Coal, Empty’s) CP (ES44) 8738, Mid DPU CP (AC44/) 9769, & End DPU CP (ES44) 8720. Axle count 626. (Length 8,291ft) (152 cars, coalers) (At 4:00PM) (North/South Track) (Noice K5HL!) (50mph!)
TRAIN 3: CPKC Train 303-14 West (CPKC Grain, Loads) KCSM (ES44) 4673, & End DPU KCSM (ES44) 4915. Axle count 468. (Length 6,600ft) (114 cars, grainers) (At 4:30PM) (North Track) (Noice K5HL!) (30mph)
Railfanning, on February 15th, 2026: (Adventures On BNSF’s Stevens Pass✅🚂️)
MP1758.0
TRAIN 1: BN STACKER West (BNSF Intermodal’s) BNSF (ES44) 8050, BNSF (Trash9/H2) 5276, BNSF (Trash9/H2) 4628, & End DPU BNSF (ES44) 7972. Axle count 324. (Length 8,060ft) (109 cars, stackers) (At 7:05AM) (Main) (Noice K5HL!) (60mph!)
MP1750.9
TRAIN 2: BN AUTORACK West (BNSF Autorack, Empty’s) BNSF (ES44) 6909, BNSF (ES44) 7725, & BNSF (SD70) 8434. Axle count 326. (Length 8,650ft) (77 cars, rackers) (At 7:50AM) (Main) (Noice K5HL!) (50mph!)
MP1753.2
TRAIN 3: BN STACKER East (BNSF Intermodal’s) BNSF (ES44) 8388, BNSF (T4) 3888, BNSF (ES44) 6979, & End DPU BNSF (ES44) 7606. Axle count 324. (Length 8,060ft) (109 cars, stackers) (At 8:15AM) (Main) (Noice K5HL!) (30mph)
MP1740.0
TRAIN 4: AMTRAK BUILDER West (The Empire Builder, Passenger) WDTX (CHARGER) 343. Axle count 24. (Length 600ft) (5 coaches) (At 9:00AM) (Main) (30mph)
MP1700.0
TRAIN 5: BN OIL East (BNSF Crude Oil, Empty’s) BNSF (T4) 3962, BNSF (SD70) 8419, & End DPU’s BNSF (ES44) 7296, BNSF (ES44) 7116. Axle count 464. (Length 6,340ft) (110 cars, 2 buffers, 108 tankers) (At 11:45AM) (Main) (Noice K5HL!) (15mph)
MP1722.0
TRAIN 6: BN GRAINER East (BNSF Grain, Empty’s) BNSF (Trash9/H2) 4689, BNSF (Trash9/H2) 5414, & End DPU BNSF (ES44) 8357. Axle count 466. (Length 6,570ft) (112 cars, grainers) (At 12:30PM) (Main) (Noice K5HL!) (30mph)
MP1728.0
TRAIN 7: BN COALER East (BNSF Coal, Empty’s) BNSF (ES44) 7080, BNSF (ES44) 7909, BNSF (SD70) 9156, & End DPU BNSF (ES44) 7027. Axle count 584. (Length 7,970ft) (140 cars, coalers) (At 2:35PM) (Main) (30mph)
MP50.0
TRAIN 8: BN LOCAL North (BNSF Local, Mixed) BNSF (GP38/H1) 2293, BNSF (GP38/GREEN) 2806, & BNSF (GP38/H3) 2586. Axle count 192. (Length 2,450ft) (45 cars, Sumas goods) (At 4:00PM) (Main) (65mph!)
Railfanning, on February 16th, 2026: (After Work Specials✅🚂️)
At CPKC Maple Meadows BC, MP106.1 CPKC Cascade Subdivision.
TRAIN 1: CN Train S70051-16 East (CN Sulphur, Empty’s) CN (T4) 3242, & CN (T4) 3071. Axle count 472. (Length 6,765ft) (115 cars, sulphs) (At 1:25PM) (North Track) (50mph!)
TRAIN 2: CPKC Train 301-16 West (CPKC Grain, Loads) CP (T4) 7492, & End DPU KCS (ES44) 4788. Axle count 612. (Length 9,620ft) (150 cars, grainers) (At 1:35PM) (South Track) (30mph)
TRAIN 3: CPKC Train A84-16 East (CPKC Local, Freight) CP (ECO) 5019, & CP (ECO) 5002. Axle count 124. (Length 2,480ft) (28 cars, Sumas goods) (At 2:00PM) (South Track) (Noice K3!) (50mph!)
TRAIN 4: CPKC Train 112-16 East (CPKC Intermodal’s) CP (T4) 7481, CP (T4) 7529, Mid DPU CP (T4) 7451, & End DPU CP (AC44/) 9701. Axle count 468. (Length 10,420ft) (165 cars, stackers) (At 3:55PM) (North Track) (Noice K5HL!) (15mph)
TRAIN 5: CPKC Train 600-16 East (CPKC Potash, Empty’s) CP (ES44) 9358, CP (ES44) 8953, & CP (CWM) 8117. Axle count 698. (Length 7,870ft) (170 cars, pots) (At 4:10PM) (South Track) (50mph!)
At CN Hampton BC, MP109.2 CNR Yale Subdivision.
TRAIN 6: VIA Train P00251-16 East (The Canadian, Passenger) VIA (F40) 6448, VIA (F40) 6415, & VIA (F40) 6459. Axle count 68. (Length 1,700ft) (14 coaches) (At 4:35PM) (North Track) (Noice K3!) (50mph!)
Railfanning, on February 17th, 2026: (After Work Specials✅🚂️)
At CN Hampton BC, MP’s109.2/110.35 CNR Yale Subdivision.
TRAIN 1: CN Train L51051-17 West (CN Local, Freight) CN (GP40) 9666, & CN (GP40) 9540. Axle count 52. (Length 1,300ft) (11 cars, Port Kells goods) (At 3:10PM) (North Track) (Killer K5LLA!) (40mph)
TRAIN 2: CN Train M35651-17 East (CN Mixed, Freight) CN (T4) 3231, & End DPU CN (ES44/CITI) 3937. Axle count 268. (Length 5,410ft) (64 cars, mix bag) (At 3:55PM) (North Track) (Noice K5HL!) (45mph)
TRAIN 3: CN Train C73051-17 East (CPKC Coal, Empty’s) CP (ES44) 9366, Mid DPU CP (ES44) 8748, & End DPU CP (ES44) 8929. Axle count 622. (Length 8,238ft) (151 cars, coalers) (At 5:35PM) (North Track) (Noice K5HL!) (40mph)
TRAIN 4: CN Train C73151-17 West (CPKC Coal, Loads) CP (CWM) 8154, Mid DPU CP (CWM) 8011, & End DPU CP (CWM) 8010. Axle count 622. (Length 8,238ft) (151 cars, coalers) (At 5:45PM) (South Track) (Classical K3L!) (30mph)
TRAIN 5: CN Train M30151-17 West (CN Mixed, Freight) CN (T4) 3241, & Mid DPU CN (ES44) 2850. Axle count 682. (Length 11,710ft) (166 cars, mix bag) (At 6:15PM) (North Track) (Noice K5HL!) (40mph)
Railfanning, on February 18th, 2026: (After Work Specials✅🚂️)
At CN Port Kells BC, MP108.15 CNR Yale Subdivision:
TRAIN 1: CN Train C73151-18 West (CPKC Coal, Loads) CP (ES44) 9354, Mid DPU CP (AC44/) 9740, & End DPU CP (ES44) 8887. Axle count 626. (Length 8,291ft) (152 cars, coalers) (At 1:20PM) (North Track) (Noice K3!) (50mph!)
TRAIN 2: CN Train L51051-18 West (CN Local, Freight) CN (GP40) 9666, & CN (GP40) 9540. Axle count 64. (Length 1,600ft) (14 cars, Port Kells goods) (At 1:50PM) (North Track) (Killer K5LLA!) (15mph)
The 36-inch Yapp Reflector; Aperture 910mm, 4.57m focal length, f/15.
The Yapp 36-inch reflecting telescope situated in Dome B of the Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux Castle, is open to the public during the day. Built in 1932 by Grubb Parsons of Newcastle-upon Tyne at a cost of about £15,000 (including the dome), the 36-inch reflector was a gift from Mr William Yapp, a prominent industrialist. The telescope was moved to Herstmonceux in 1958 after 21 years of service in Greenwich, where it had been the largest working telescope.
There is a large concave mirror - the primary mirror - at the bottom of the telescope, facing upwards. Light from the stars falls onto this large mirror and is bounced back up the tube where a smaller mirror near the top reflects this light back through the a hole in the centre of the main mirror. The primary mirror aperture measures 91cm with a focal length of 4.6m and a cassegrain focus of f/15.
This telescope was used for astronomical research - mainly stellar spectroscopy and photometry - and later as a test bed for equipment developed for use elsewhere, particularly the Isaac Newton telescope, installed at Herstmonceux in 1967. Astronomers used this telescope mainly to find out about individual stars.
The Royal Observatory was founded by King Charles II at Greenwich in 1675. Observing conditions at Greenwich deteriorated following the urban growth of London, and plans were made in the early 20th century to relocate the observatory to a rural location with clearer, darker skies. Herstmonceux Castle and estate were put up for sale by their private owners and were sold in 1946 to the Admiralty, which then operated the Royal Observatory on behalf of the British government. The relocation of the observatory took place over a decade, and was complete by 1957. A number of new buildings were erected in the castle grounds. The institution at Herstmonceux Castle was known as the Royal Greenwich Observatory, where it remained until 1988, when the observatory relocated to Cambridge.
Several of the telescopes remain but the largest telescope, the 100 inch (254 cm) aperture Isaac Newton Telescope was moved to La Palma, in the Canary Islands, in the 1970s. The estate provides housing for the Equatorial Telescope Buildings, which have been converted for use as an interactive science centre for schoolchildren. The empty dome for the Newton Telescope remains on this site and is a landmark, visible from afar.
www.the-observatory.org/dome-b
Exif data
Camera Canon EOS 1000D
Exposure 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture f/4.5
Focal Length 60 mm
ISO Speed 100
All rights reserved to me,
Please do not use image without my consent
Focal length multiplier 1.6
Fastest - Slowest speed (s) 1/8000 - 30.0
Frame rate (fps) 8.0
Exposure bracketing 63 area Eval
Exposure compensation -3 to +3 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps
Drive modes single, continuous, self timer
Recording medium
Compact Flash (Type I or II),
UDMA, Microdrive cards
Leistung trifft Leidenschaft.
Canon Farben - lebendige Farbwelt mit sattem Gelb
18-Megapixel-Sensor, Reihenaufnahmen mit bis zu 8 Bildern pro Sekunde, ISO-Bereich erweiterbar bis 12.800, intelligenter Sucher und 1080p Full-HD-Videos mit einstellbaren Bildfrequenzen.
Schnelle, hochauflösende Allround DSLR. Leistung pur für kreative Möglichkeiten:
die gebrauchte EOS 7D Mark I.
Semi professionell
APS-C CMOS Bildsensor (der neue CMOS-Sensor nutzt eine überarbeitete Fotodioden- und Mikrolinsenkonstruktion, was die Bildergebnisse auch bei hohen ISO-Werten verbessern soll),
Sucher: Dachkantprisma mit 100% Gesichtsfeld und einer Vergrößerung von 1,0fach, 1,6fache Brennweitenverlängerung,
Autofokus: 19 AF-Kreuzsensoren (Empfindlichkeit bei mittigem Sensor bis Lichtstärke 1:2,8), Belichtungsmessung: TTL-Offenblendmessung mit 63 Messsektoren (Dual Layer),
ein Videofilm kann maximal 29 Minuten und 59 Sekunden lang oder höchstens 4GB groß sein, integrierter Tiefpassfilter,
Gehäusematerial: Magnesiumlegierung, Sensorreinigung: EOS Integrated Cleaning System mit Fluorbeschichtung, dualer DIGIC 4 Bildprozessor, 100% Live View Bildfeld, Live View Anzeige mit 30 Bilder pro Sekunde, manuelle Scharfstellung bei Live View (5fache oder 10fache Lupenfunktion im gesamten Monitorbereich),
Live View Autofokus: Quick oder Live oder automatische Gesichtserkennung,
2 verschiedene Gitternetzanzeigen und Live Histogrammanzeige bei Live View, automatische Belichtungsreihe: 3 Aufnahmen mit +/-3 Blenden in halben oder Drittelstufen, Weißabgleich-Bracketing-Funktion,
elektronische 3D Wasserwaage,
Displayhelligkeit in 7 Stufen wählbar, Blitzleitzahl 12 (bei ISO 100), Serienbildgeschwindigkeit: bis zu 8 Bilder pro Sekunde :
Geschwindigkeit wird für maximal 126 JPEG bzw. 15 RAW Aufnahmen beibehalten wenn UDMA kompatible Speicherkarte verwendet wird,
Custom-Funktionen: 27 mit 70 Einstellungen, Staub-/Spritzwasserschutz,
intelligenter Orientierungssensor, Lupenfunktion bei Wiedergabe: 1,5 bis 10fach,
25 Menüsprachen.
Ab Anfang Oktober 2009 wird die Canon EOS 7D ohne Objektiv (nur der Kamerabody) für 1.649,00 Euro (UVP) erhältlich sein.
Im Kit mit dem EF-S 18-135 IS Objektiv wird die Kamera 1.999,00 Euro (UVP)
Used
2020 Zwei Objektive:
18-135 3.5-5.6 plus 50 mm 1.8 STM
inklusive CF Speicherkarte +
Plus Wifi SD Karte Flashair Toshiba Plus Adapter
und Vertikal Batterie Griff mit dann zwei Batterien für 2000 Fotos
für zusammen etwa 500 €.
Integrierter Speedlite Transmitter
Blitzfotografie mit EOS-Speedlites
Im Kit mit dem EF-S 15-85 IS USM Objektiv 2.299,00 Euro (UVP) kosten.
specs
The Canon EOS 7D’s AF system allows numerous AF area selection modes never seen before in an EOS SLR camera.
AF
Spot AF mode reduces the size of a single AF point to focus on small subjects like an animal in a cage.
The Tokay Gecko is the second largest Gecko species, attaining lengths of about 11–20 inches (28–51 cm) for males, and 7–19 inches (18–48 cm) for females, with weights of only 150–400 grams (5.3–14.1 oz). They are distinctive in appearance, with a bluish or grayish body, sporting spots ranging from light yellow to bright red. The male is more brightly colored than the female. They have large eyes with a vertical slit pupil. Eyes are brown to greenish brown and can be orange or yellow.[citation needed]
Males are very territorial, and will attack other male Tokays as well as other Gecko species, as well as anything else in their territory. They are solitary and only meet during the mating season. Females lay clutches of one or two hard shelled eggs which are guarded until they hatch. Tokay Geckos feed on insects and small vertebrates.Their strong bite is needed to crack the shell of hard cockroaches that live in the rainforests. They are also extremely strong climbers and their foot pads can support their entire weight on a vertical surface for a long amount of time without any effort. Compared to other gecko species, the Tokay has a robust build, with a semi-prehensile tail, a large head and muscular jaws; though common in the pet trade, Tokays are reputed to be capable of inflicting a painful bite, making them ill-suited for inexperienced keepers.
Sony RX-100 MK3 pocket compact camera
Aperture ƒ/1.8
Focal length 8.8 mm
Shutter 1/30
ISO 500
The sight of the Astrovan's shiny silver exterior and bold NASA emblem evoked pride and excitement in those who watched it wind its way toward the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Before each space shuttle launch, astronauts smiled and waved as they boarded the van that carried them to meet their fully fuelled ride to space.
Since 1984, each shuttle crew has travelled those nine miles, from their crew quarters to the launch pad, aboard the same vehicle. A modified Airstream motor home, the "Astrovan" as it is called has only racked up about 26,500 miles in its 27 years of service. That's because it was solely used to transport the astronauts on three occasions: to the launch pad for launch dress rehearsal, on launch day and after landing.
The current vehicle's appeal is rooted in its tradition rather than its décor. Dark-gold drapes frame the windows and dark-wood panelling lines the walls. The interior's narrow-center aisle is paralleled by long benches that sport dark-blue upholstery.
Employed by space shuttle contractor United Space Alliance, Astrovan driver Ronnie King is one of five drivers called upon to pilot the vehicle. On shuttle launch day, the Astrovan was the centerpiece of a motorcade. Escorted by security as it travelled toward the seaside launch pad, they stayed in constant communication with the NASA test director via radio.
According to King, the astronauts like the history-filled, if somewhat dated, vehicle just fine. "We were staged to get a new one," says the 13-year veteran driver. But, according to King, word came that the rookie astronauts wanted to keep the vehicle that was steeped in the tradition of the astronauts who traveled those nine miles to the pad before them.
The final space shuttle crew members seem to agree.
"I would like to keep this tradition," says Hurley. "I don't know if any of us will get to fly on the next U.S. vehicle, whatever that vehicle may be. It would be kind of neat to have some of it be the same."
Model: NIKON D3 Lens?s focal length: 24.00 - 70.00 mm f/2.8 Aperture: 2.8 Exposure time: 1/160 s ISO: 800 Focal length: 48.00 mm Exposure mode: Manual exposure
"The length of this magnificent fabric, from east to west, is five hundred and forty-five feet; of these, our Lady's chapel includes fifty-four, and the choir one hundred and thirty six. (..) The length of the transepts is an hundred and eighty-six feet. (..) The exact height of the tower is one hundred and thirty-eight feet and a half and its breadth fifty feet by forty-eight. This tower is carried up but a very little height above the roof, not more than twenty-six feet, and has ho proper finishing, but covered in as if the building had been left off; which, very probably, might be the case, for there is strength enough below to support a steeple higher than that of Salisbury." Wavell
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Our little Poppy (Popsicle) ... trying on yet another "look" ... this time, a medium length pink mohair !??!
and wearing a VERY special PINK HAT that we received from Christine <3
Christine, of Forty Winks Doll Studios ... who also customized Poppy ... AND who, along with Mandy, included me in the "Think Pink Traveling Blythe" named HOPE Campaign earlier this year ...
sent me this specially made pink version of one of Andie's (Little Ditzies) hats ... and although I did not do a great photographic close-up this time of the gorgeous details ... the little button says "Hope" !
THANK YOU Christine, it was my pleasure !! We enjoyed every single moment of Hope's visit (as you KNOW!!) :) ... and we feel truly blessed to have this special memento to remember it always :)
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TODAY'S BLYTHE-A-DAY theme is:
PRETTY ~ IN ~ PINK ... and what a wonderful theme this is for our Blythe girls!!! I have enjoyed looking at everyone's entries ... it is nearly impossible for anyone to not look ... PRETTY in PINK !!
I found Poppy's special outfit (top, shorts, socks (backpack and tennis shoes not shown) ... at the 99 Cent store! Seriously! It is from the now-defunct "B.F.C. Ink" 10" dolls ... (Best Friends Club) ... who also made 18" "American Girl" size dolls and outfits.) We found quite a FEW different packages of fashion outfits, each one including shoes, accessories, and they ALL fit Blythe!
(For reference: Poppy has a Licca body... The tops would probably fit pure neemo, but shorts/pants would be too small for the pure neemo thighs ... shoes are ample size.)
[ The pink canvas rubber-toe shoes Poppy is wearing in this photo are by Ruby Red. ]
You know I like to share our "treasure finds" with you all ... so if you are near a 99 Cents Only Stores (the purple sign ones), THIS is where we scored these awesome fashion sets !! ONE DOLLAR!!!
:)
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sail 2015, tallship parade amsterdam 2015
Guayas Ecuador
Length: 79.50m | Rig: Barque 3
The Guayas is a beautiful three-masted barque. She was built in Bilbao, Spain and is named after the river on which the Ecuadorian Naval School is situated.
She has been taking cadets from this college since she was launched in 1976. The school was founded by the liberator of South America, Simon Bolivar and since 1822 has a history of training youngsters for a naval career.
Divers 2023 - April
Photos of April 2023
Photos de avril 2023
( Divers albums de photos prisent en 2023 sans sujet precis.
Various albums of pictures taken in 2023 without subject. )
Hey here's novel idea, how about ten-car intercity service in the morning and afternoon peaks ... thirty years ago, a 10-car V set descended the grade from Cheltenham to Epping on a weekday morning service from the Central Coast.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Career
Name: RMS Olympic
Owner: White Star flag NEW.svg White Star Line 1911–1934
Cunard White Star Line Logo.JPG Cunard White Star Line 1934–1935
Port of registry: United Kingdom Liverpool, United Kingdom
Route: Southampton to New York
Ordered: 1906
Builder: Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Yard number: 400
Laid down: 16 December 1908
Launched: 20 October 1910
Completed: May 1911
Maiden voyage: 14 June 1911
In service: 1911
Out of service: 1935
Identification: Official Number 131346
Code Letters HSRP
ICS Hotel.svgICS Sierra.svgICS Romeo.svgICS Papa.svg
Radio callsign "MKC"
Fate: Retired at Southampton after 24 years service & scrapped. Superstructure dismantled at Jarrow, England, and the hull at Inverkeithing, Scotland.
Status: scrapped (besides the Second Class Lounge)
General characteristics
Class & type: Olympic-class ocean liner
Tonnage: 45,324 gross register tons; 46,358 after 1913; 46,439 after 1920
Displacement: 52,067 tons
Length: 882 ft 6 in (269.0 m)
Beam: 92 ft 6 in (28.2 m)
Height: 175 ft (53.3 m) (keel to top of funnels)
Draught: 34 ft 7 in (10.5 m)
Decks: 10 decks (1 crew deck)
Installed power: 24 double-ended (six furnace) and 5 single-ended (three furnace) Scotch boilers. Two four-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engines each producing 15,000 hp for the two outboard wing propellers at 75 revolutions per minute. One low-pressure turbine producing 16,000 h. 59,000 hp produced at maximum revolutions.[1]
Propulsion: Two bronze triple-blade wing propellers. One bronze quadruple-blade centre propeller.
Speed:
21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) (maximum)
Capacity: 2,435 passengers
Crew: 950
RMS Olympic was a transatlantic ocean liner, the lead ship of the White Star Line's trio of Olympic-class liners. Unlike her younger sister ships, the Olympic enjoyed a long and illustrious career, spanning 24 years from 1911 to 1935. This included service as a troopship during World War I, which gained her the nickname "Old Reliable". Olympic returned to civilian service after the war and served successfully as an ocean liner throughout the 1920s and into the first half of the 1930s, although increased competition, and the slump in trade during the Great Depression after 1930, made her operation increasingly unprofitable.
She was the largest ocean liner in the world for two periods during 1911–13, interrupted only by the brief tenure of the slightly larger Titanic (which had the same dimensions but higher gross tonnage due to revised interior configurations), and then outsized by the SS Imperator. Olympic also retained the title of the largest British-built liner until the RMS Queen Mary was launched in 1934, interrupted only by the short careers of her slightly larger sister ships.[2][3]
By contrast with Olympic, the other ships in the class, Titanic and Britannic, did not have long service lives. On the night of 14/15 April 1912, Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank, claiming 1,500 lives; Britannic struck a mine and sank in the Kea Channel in the Mediterranean on 21 November 1916, killing 30 people.
Background
Built in Belfast, Ireland, the RMS Olympic was the first of the three Olympic-class ocean liners – the others were the RMS Titanic and the HMHS Britannic.[4] They were by far the largest vessels of the British shipping company White Star Line's fleet, which comprised 29 steamers and tenders in 1912.[5] The three ships had their genesis in a discussion in mid-1907 between the White Star Line's chairman, J. Bruce Ismay, and the American financier J. Pierpont Morgan, who controlled the White Star Line's parent corporation, the International Mercantile Marine Co. The White Star Line faced a growing challenge from its main rivals Cunard, which had just launched Lusitania and Mauretania – the fastest passenger ships then in service – and the German lines Hamburg America and Norddeutscher Lloyd. Ismay preferred to compete on size rather than speed and proposed to commission a new class of liners that would be bigger than anything that had gone before as well as being the last word in comfort and luxury.[6] The company sought an upgrade in their fleet primarily in response to the Cunard giants but also to replace their largest and now outclassed ships from 1890, the SS Teutonic and SS Majestic. The former was replaced by Olympic while Majestic was replaced by Titanic. Majestic would be brought back into her old spot on White Star's New York service after Titanic's loss.
The ships were constructed by the Belfast shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, who had a long-established relationship with the White Star Line dating back to 1867.[7] Harland and Wolff were given a great deal of latitude in designing ships for the White Star Line; the usual approach was for the latter to sketch out a general concept which the former would take away and turn into a ship design. Cost considerations were relatively low on the agenda and Harland and Wolff was authorised to spend what it needed on the ships, plus a five percent profit margin.[7] In the case of the Olympic-class ships, a cost of £3 million for the first two ships was agreed plus "extras to contract" and the usual five percent fee.[8]
The launch of Olympic on 20 October 1910
Harland and Wolff put their leading designers to work designing the Olympic-class vessels. It was overseen by Lord Pirrie, a director of both Harland and Wolff and the White Star Line; naval architect Thomas Andrews, the managing director of Harland and Wolff's design department; Edward Wilding, Andrews' deputy and responsible for calculating the ship's design, stability and trim; and Alexander Carlisle, the shipyard's chief draughtsman and general manager.[9] Carlisle's responsibilities included the decorations, equipment and all general arrangements, including the implementation of an efficient lifeboat davit design.[10]
On 29 July 1908, Harland and Wolff presented the drawings to J. Bruce Ismay and other White Star Line executives. Ismay approved the design and signed three "letters of agreement" two days later authorising the start of construction.[11] At this point the first ship – which was later to become Olympic – had no name, but was referred to simply as "Number 400", as it was Harland and Wolff's four hundredth hull. Titanic was based on a revised version of the same design and was given the number 401.[12] Bruce Ismay's father Thomas Henry Ismay had previously planned to build a ship named Olympic as a sister ship to the Oceanic. The senior Ismay died in 1899 and the order for the ship was cancelled.[13]
Construction of the Olympic began three months before Titanic to ease pressures on the shipyard. Several years would pass before Britannic would be launched. In order to accommodate the construction of the class, Harland and Wolff upgraded their facility in Belfast; the most dramatic change was the combining of three slipways into two larger ones. Olympic's keel was laid in December 1908 and she was launched on 20 October 1910.[4] For her launch, the hull was painted in a light grey colour for photographic purposes; a common practice of the day for the first ship in a new class, as it made the lines of the ship clearer in the black and white photographs. Her hull was repainted black following the launch.[3]
The Olympic was designed as a luxury ship; her passenger facilities, fittings, deck plans and technical facilities were largely identical to those of her more famous sister Titanic, although with some small variations.[14] The first-class passengers enjoyed luxurious cabins, and some were equipped with private bathrooms. First-class passengers could have meals in the ship's large and luxurious dining room or in the more intimate A La Carte Restaurant. There was a lavish Grand Staircase, built only for the Olympic-class ships, along with three elevators that ran behind the staircase down to E deck,[15] a Georgian-style smoking room, a Veranda Café decorated with palm trees,[16] a swimming pool, Turkish bath,[17] gymnasium,[18] and several other places for meals and entertainment.
The second-class facilities included a smoking room, a library, a spacious dining room, and an elevator.[3][19]
Finally, the third-class passengers enjoyed reasonable accommodation compared to other ships, if not up to the second and first classes. Instead of large dormitories offered by most ships of the time, the third-class passengers of the Olympic travelled in cabins containing two to ten bunks. Facilities for the third class included a smoking room, a common area, and a dining room.[3][19]
Olympic had a cleaner, sleeker look than other ships of the day: rather than fitting her with bulky exterior air vents, Harland and Wolff used smaller air vents with electric fans, with a "dummy" fourth funnel used for additional ventilation. For the power plant Harland and Wolff employed a combination of reciprocating engines with a centre low-pressure turbine, as opposed to the steam turbines used on Cunard's Lusitania and Mauretania.[20] White Star had successfully tested this engine set up on an earlier liner SS Laurentic, where it was found to be more economical than expansion engines or turbines alone. Olympic consumed 650 tons of coal per 24 hours with an average speed of 21.7 knots on her maiden voyage, compared to 1000 tons of coal per 24 hours for both the Lusitania and Mauretania.[21]
Although Olympic and Titanic were nearly identical, and were based on the same design, a few alterations were made to Titanic (and later on Britannic) based on experience gained from Olympic's first year in service. The most noticeable of these was that the forward half of the Titanic's A Deck promenade was enclosed by a steel screen with sliding windows, to provide additional shelter, whereas the Olympic's promenade deck remained open along its whole length. Also the promenades on the Titanic's B Deck were reduced in size, and the space used for additional cabins and public rooms, including two luxury suites with private promenades. A number of other variations existed between the two ships layouts and fittings. These differences meant that Titanic had a slightly higher gross tonnage of 46,328 tons, compared to Olympic's 45,324 tons.[22]
Olympic on her sea trials in Belfast in 1911
Career
Following completion, Olympic started her sea trials on 29 May 1911, which she successfully completed; Olympic then left Belfast bound for Liverpool, her port of registration, on 31 May 1911. As a publicity stunt the White Star Line deliberately timed the start of this first voyage to coincide with the launch of Titanic. After spending a day in Liverpool, open to the public, Olympic sailed to Southampton, where she arrived on 3 June, to be made ready for her maiden voyage.[23] The deep-water dock at Southampton, then known as the "White Star Dock" had been specially constructed to accommodate the new Olympic-class liners, and had opened in 1911.[24]
Her maiden voyage commenced on 14 June 1911 from Southampton, calling at Cherbourg and Queenstown, reaching New York on 21 June.[25] The maiden voyage was captained by Edward Smith who would lose his life the following year in the Titanic disaster.[26] Designer Thomas Andrews was present for the passage to New York and return, along with a number of engineers, as part of Harland and Wolff's "Guarantee Group" to spot any problems or areas for improvement. Andrews would also lose his life in the Titanic disaster.[27]
As the largest ship in the world, and the first in a new class of superliners. Olympic's maiden voyage attracted considerable worldwide attention from the press and public. Following her arrival in New York, Olympic was opened up to the public and received over 8,000 visitors. More than 10,000 spectators watched her depart from New York harbour, for her first return trip.[28]
Hawke collision
Photographs documenting the damage to the Olympic (left) and the Hawke (right) following their collision (alternate view)
Olympic's first major mishap occurred on her fifth voyage on 20 September 1911, when she collided with a British warship, HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight. The collision took place as Olympic and Hawke were running parallel to each other through the Solent. As Olympic turned to starboard, the wide radius of her turn took the commander of the Hawke by surprise, and he was unable to take sufficient avoiding action.[29] The Hawke's bow, which had been designed to sink ships by ramming them, collided with Olympic's starboard side near the stern, tearing two large holes in Olympic's hull, below and above the waterline respectively, resulting in the flooding of two of her watertight compartments and a twisted propeller shaft. HMS Hawke suffered severe damage to her bow and nearly capsized. Despite this, Olympic was able to return to Southampton under her own power, and no-one was seriously injured or killed.[14][30]
Captain Edward Smith was still in command of Olympic at the time of the incident. One crew member, Violet Jessop, survived not only the collision with the Hawke but also the later sinking of Titanic and the 1916 sinking of Britannic, the third ship of the class.[31]
At the subsequent inquiry the Royal Navy blamed Olympic for the incident, alleging that her large displacement generated a suction that pulled Hawke into her side.[32][33] The Hawke incident was a financial disaster for Olympic's operator. A legal argument ensued which decided that the blame for the incident lay with Olympic, and although the ship was technically under the control of the pilot, the White Star Line was faced with large legal bills and the cost of repairing the ship, and keeping her out of revenue service made matters worse.[29] However, the fact that Olympic endured such a serious collision and stayed afloat, appeared to vindicate the design of the Olympic-class liners and reinforced their "unsinkable" reputation.[29]
Olympic (left) returning to Belfast for repairs in March 1912, and Titanic (right) This was the last time the two sister ships would be seen together
It took two weeks for the damage to Olympic to be patched up sufficiently to allow her to return to Belfast for permanent repairs, which took just over six weeks to complete. To speed up the repairs, Harland and Wolff was forced to delay Titanic's completion in order to use her propeller shaft for Olympic. By 29 November she was back in service, however in February 1912, Olympic suffered another setback when she lost a propeller blade on an eastbound voyage from New York, and once again returned to her builder for repairs. To get her back to service as soon as possible, Harland & Wolff again had to pull resources from Titanic, delaying her maiden voyage from 20 March 1912 to 10 April 1912.[34]
Titanic disaster
Main article: Sinking of the RMS Titanic
On 14 April 1912, Olympic, now under the command of Herbert James Haddock, was on a return trip from New York. Wireless operator Ernest James Moore[35] received the distress call from her sister Titanic, when she was approximately 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) west by south of Titanic's location.[36] Haddock calculated a new course, ordered the ship's engines to be set to full power and headed to assist in the rescue.[37]
When Olympic was about 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) away from Titanic's last known position, she received a message from Captain Rostron captain of Cunard Liner RMS Carpathia, explaining that continuing on course to Titanic would gain nothing, as "All boats accounted for. About 675 souls saved [...] Titanic foundered about 2.20 am."[36] Rostron requested that the message be forwarded to White Star and Cunard. He said that he was returning to harbour in New York.[36] Subsequently, the wireless room aboard the Olympic operated as a clearing room for radio messages.[36]
When Olympic offered to take on the survivors, she was heatedly turned down by an appalled Rostron, who was concerned that it would cause panic amongst the survivors of the disaster to see a virtual mirror-image of the Titanic appear and ask them to board. Olympic then resumed her voyage to Southampton, with all concerts cancelled as a mark of respect, arriving on 21 April.[3]
Over the next few months, Olympic assisted with both the American and British inquiries into the disaster. Deputations from both inquiries inspected Olympic's lifeboats, watertight doors and bulkheads and other equipment which were identical to those on Titanic.[38] Sea tests were performed for the British enquiry in May 1912, to establish how quickly the ship could turn two points at various speeds, to approximate how long it would have taken the Titanic to turn when it sighted the iceberg.[39]
1912 "mutiny"
Olympic, like Titanic, did not carry enough lifeboats for everyone on board, and was hurriedly equipped with additional, second-hand collapsible lifeboats following her return to Britain. Toward the end of April 1912, as she was about to sail from Southampton to New York, 284 of the ship's firemen went on strike because of fears that the ship's new collapsible lifeboats were not seaworthy. 100 non-union crew were hastily hired from Southampton as replacements, with more being hired from Liverpool.[40]
The 40 collapsible lifeboats were secondhand, having been transferred from troopships, and many were rotten and could not open. The crewmen instead sent a request to the Southampton manager of the White Star Line that the collapsible boats be replaced by wooden lifeboats; the manager replied that this was impossible and that the collapsible boats had been passed as seaworthy by a Board of Trade inspector. The men were not satisfied and ceased work in protest.[41]
On 25 April a deputation of strikers witnessed a test of four of the collapsible boats. Only one was unseaworthy and they said that they were prepared to recommend the men return to work if it was replaced. However the strikers now objected to the non-union strikebreaker crew which had come on board, and demanded that they be dismissed, which the White Star Line refused. 54 sailors then left the ship, objecting to the non-union crew who they claimed were unqualified and therefore dangerous, and refused to sail with them. This led to the scheduled sailing being cancelled.[40][42]
All 54 sailors were arrested on a charge of mutiny when they went ashore. On 4 May 1912 Portsmouth magistrates found the charges against the mutineers were proven, but discharged them without imprisonment or fine due to the special circumstances of the case.[43] Fearing that public opinion would be on the side of the strikers, the White Star Line let them return to work and the Olympic sailed on 15 May.[39]
Refit
Olympic as she appeared after her refit following the Titanic disaster, with a full complement of lifeboats
On 9 October 1912 White Star withdrew Olympic from service and returned her to her builders at Belfast to be refitted to incorporate lessons learned from the Titanic disaster 6 months prior, and improve safety.[44] The number of lifeboats carried by Olympic was increased from twenty to sixty four (per Carlisle's original number), and extra davits were installed along the boat deck to accommodate them. Also, an inner watertight skin was constructed in the boiler and engine rooms, to create a double hull. Five of the watertight bulkheads were extended up to B-Deck, extending to the entire height of the hull. This corrected a flaw in the original design, in which the bulkheads only rose up as far as E or D-Deck, a short distance above the waterline. This flaw had been exposed during Titanic's sinking, where water spilled over the top of the bulkheads as the ship sank and flooded subsequent compartments. In addition, an extra bulkhead was added to subdivide the electrical dynamo room, bringing the total number of watertight compartments to seventeen. Improvements were also made to the ship's pumping apparatus. These modifications meant that Olympic could survive a collision similar to that of Titanic, in that her first six compartments could be breached and the ship could remain afloat.[45][46]
At the same time, Olympic's B-Deck underwent a refit, which necessitated eliminating her B-Deck promenades – one of the few features that separated her from her sister ship. The refit included extra cabins (the parlour suites which proved popular on the Titanic were added to the Olympic), more cabins were fitted with private bathing facilities, and a Cafe Parisian (another addition that had proved popular on the Titanic) was added, offering another dining option to first class passengers. With these changes, Olympic's gross tonnage rose to 46,359 tons, 31 tons more than Titanic's.[47]
In March 1913, Olympic returned to service and briefly regained the title of largest ocean liner in the world, until the German liner SS Imperator entered passenger service in June 1913. Following her refit, Olympic was marketed as the "new" Olympic and her improved safety features were featured prominently in advertisements. [48][3]
World War I
In August 1914 World War I began. Olympic initially remained in commercial service under Captain Herbert James Haddock. As a wartime measure, Olympic was painted in a grey colour scheme, portholes were blocked, and lights on deck were turned off to make the ship less visible. The schedule was hastily altered to terminate at Liverpool rather than Southampton, and this was later altered again to Glasgow.[3][49]
The first few wartime voyages were packed with Americans trapped in Europe, eager to return home, although the eastbound journeys carried few passengers. By mid-October, bookings had fallen sharply as the threat from German U-boats became increasingly serious, and White Star Line decided to withdraw Olympic from commercial service. On 21 October 1914, she left New York for Glasgow on her last commercial voyage of the war, though carrying only 153 passengers.[50][49]
Audacious incident
On the sixth day of her voyage, 27 October, as the Olympic passed near Lough Swilly off the north coast of Ireland, she received distress signals from the battleship HMS Audacious, which had struck a mine off Tory Island and was taking on water.[51]
The crew of the stricken Audacious take to lifeboats to be rescued by Olympic
The Olympic took off 250 of the Audacious' crew, then the destroyer HMS Fury managed to attach a tow cable between Audacious and Olympic and they headed west for Lough Swilly. However, the cable parted after the Audacious' steering gear failed. A second attempt was made to tow the warship, but the cable became tangled in HMS Liverpool's propellers and was severed. A third attempt was tried but also failed when the cable gave way. By 17:00 the Audacious' quarterdeck was awash and it was decided to evacuate the remaining crew members to Olympic and Liverpool, and at 20:55 there was an explosion aboard the Audacious and she sank.[52]
Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, Commander of the Home Fleet, was anxious to suppress the news of the sinking of Audacious, for fear of the demoralising effect it could have on the British public, so ordered Olympic to be held in custody at Lough Swilly. No communications were permitted and passengers were not allowed to leave the ship. The only people departing her were the crew of the Audacious and Chief Surgeon John Beaumont, who was transferring to RMS Celtic. Steel tycoon Charles M. Schwab, who was travelling aboard the liner, sent word to Jellicoe that he had urgent business in London with the Admiralty, and Jellicoe agreed to release Schwab if he remained silent about the fate of Audacious. Finally, on 2 November, Olympic was allowed to go to Belfast where the passengers disembarked.[53]
HMT Olympic in dazzle camouflage while in service as a troopship during World War I
Naval service
Following Olympic's return to Britain, the White Star Line intended to lay her up in Belfast until the war was over, but in May 1915 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty, to be used as a troop transport, along with the Cunard liners Mauretania and Aquitania. The Admiralty had initially been reluctant to use large ocean liners as troop transports because of their vulnerability to enemy attack, however a shortage of ships gave them little choice. At the same time, Olympic's other sister ship Britannic, which had not yet been completed, was requisitioned as a hospital ship. In that role she would strike a mine and sink the following year.[54]
Stripped of her peacetime fittings, and armed with 12-pounders and 4.7-inch guns, Olympic was converted to a troopship, with the capacity to transport up to 6,000 troops. On 24 September 1915 the newly designated HMT (Hired Military Transport) 2810, now under the command of Bertram Fox Hayes left Liverpool carrying 6,000 soldiers to Mudros, Greece for the Gallipoli Campaign. On 1 October she sighted lifeboats from the French ship Provincia which had been sunk by a U-boat that morning off Cape Matapan and picked up 34 survivors. Hayes was heavily criticised for this action by the British Admiralty, who accused him of putting the ship in danger by stopping it in waters where enemy U-boats were active. The ship's speed was considered to be its best defence against U-boat attack, and such a large ship stopped would have made an unmissable target. However the French Vice-Admiral Louis Dartige du Fournet took a different view, and awarded Hayes with the Gold Medal of Honour. Olympic made several more trooping journeys to the Mediterranean until early 1916, when the Gallipoli Campaign was abandoned.[55]
In 1916, considerations were made to use Olympic to transport troops to India via the Cape of Good Hope. However on investigation it turned out she was unsuitable for this role, because her coal bunkers, which had been designed for transatlantic runs, lacked the capacity for such a long journey at a reasonable speed.[56] Instead, from 1916 to 1917, Olympic was chartered by the Canadian Government to transport troops from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Britain.[57] In 1917 she gained 6-inch guns and was painted with a "dazzle" camouflage scheme to make it more difficult for observers to estimate her speed and heading. Her dazzle colours were brown, dark blue, light blue, and white. Her many visits to Halifax Harbour carrying Canadian troops safely overseas, and back home after the war, made her a favourite symbol in the City of Halifax. Noted Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer made several paintings of her in Halifax. A large dance hall, "Olympic Gardens" was also named in her honour. After the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, Olympic also transported thousands of U.S. troops to Britain.[58]
In the early hours of 12 May 1918, while en route for France with US troops under the command of Captain Hayes, Olympic sighted a surfaced U-boat 500 m (1,600 ft) ahead.[59] Her gunners opened fire at once, and she turned to ram the submarine, which immediately crash dived to 30 m (98 ft) and turned to a parallel course. Almost immediately afterwards Olympic struck the submarine just aft of her conning tower and her port propeller sliced through U-103's pressure hull. The crew of U-103 blew her ballast tanks, scuttled and abandoned the submarine. Olympic returned to Southampton with at least two hull plates dented and her prow twisted to one side, but not breached.[60]
Olympic did not stop to pick up survivors, but continued on to Cherbourg. The USS Davis sighted a distress flare and picked up 31 survivors from U-103. It was discovered that U-103 had been preparing to torpedo the Olympic when she was sighted, but the crew could not flood the two stern torpedo tubes.[61] For this service, Captain Hayes was awarded the DSO.[62] Some American soldiers on board paid for a plaque to be placed in one of Olympic's lounges to commemorate the event, it read:
This tablet presented by the 59th Regiment United States Infantry commemorates the sinking of the German submarine U103 by the Olympic on May 12th 1918 in latitude 49 degrees 16 minutes north longitude 4 degrees 51 minutes west on the voyage from New York to Southampton with American troops...[63]
During the war, Olympic is reported to have carried up to 201,000 troops and other personnel, burning 347,000 tons of coal and travelling about 184,000 miles.[64] Her impressive World War I service earned her the nickname Old Reliable.[65] Her captain was knighted in 1919 for "valuable services in connection with the transport of troops".[66]
Post-war
In August 1919 Olympic returned to Belfast for restoration to civilian service. Her interior was modernised and her boilers were converted to burn oil rather than coal. Oil was cheaper than coal, it lowered the refuelling time from days to hours, and allowed the engine room personnel to be reduced from 350 to 60 people.[67] During the conversion work and drydocking, a dent with a crack at the centre was discovered below her waterline which was later concluded to have been caused by a torpedo that had failed to detonate.[68]
Olympic at Southampton in 1929
Olympic emerged from her refit with an increased tonnage of 46,439, allowing her to retain her claim to the title of largest British built liner afloat, although the Cunard Line's Aquitania was slightly longer. In 1920 she returned to passenger service, on one voyage that year carrying 2,249 passengers.[69] Olympic transported a record 38,000 passengers during 1921, which proved to be the peak year of her career. From 1922 she was joined for an express service by Majestic and Homeric; two former German liners which had been ceded to Britain as war reparations, operating successfully until the Great Depression reduced demand after 1930.[70]
During the 1920s, Olympic remained a popular and fashionable ship, and often attracted the rich and famous of the day; Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and Prince Edward, then Prince of Wales, were among the celebrities that she carried.[71] Prince Edward and Captain Howarth were filmed on the bridge of the Olympic for Pathé News.[72] One of the attractions of the Olympic was the fact that she was nearly identical to the Titanic, and many passengers sailed on the Olympic as a way of vicariously experiencing the voyage of the Olympic's ill-fated sister ship.[73]
On 22 March 1924, Olympic was involved in another collision with a ship, this time at New York. As Olympic was reversing from her berth at New York harbour, her stern collided with the smaller liner Fort St George, which had crossed into her path. The collision caused extensive damage to the smaller ship. At first it appeared that Olympic had sustained only minor damage, but it was later revealed that her sternpost had been fractured, necessitating the replacement of her entire stern frame.[74]
Changes in immigration laws in the United States in the 1920s greatly restricted the number of immigrants allowed to enter. This led to a major reduction in the immigrant trade for the shipping lines, forcing them to cater to the tourist trade to survive.[3] At the turn of 1927–28, Olympic was converted to carry tourist third cabin passengers as well as first, second and third class.[75] Tourist third cabin was an attempt to attract travellers who desired comfort without the accompanying high ticket price. New public rooms were constructed for this class, although tourist third cabin and second class would merge to become 'tourist' by late 1931.
A year later, Olympic's first class cabins were again improved by adding more bathrooms, a dance floor was fitted in the enlarged first class dining saloon, and a number of new suites with private facilities were installed forward on B-deck.[76] More improvements would follow in a later refit, but 1929 saw Olympic's best average passenger lists since 1925.
On 18 November 1929, as the Olympic was travelling westbound near to Titanic's last known position, the ship suddenly started to vibrate violently, and the vibrations continued for two minutes. It was later determined that this had been caused by the 1929 Grand Banks earthquake.[77]
Last years
The shipping trade was badly affected by the Great Depression. Until 1930 there had generally been around one million passengers a year on the transatlantic route, but by 1934 this had dropped by more than half. Furthermore, by the early 1930s, increased competition emerged, in the form of a new generation of larger and faster liners such as Germany's SS Bremen and SS Europa, Italy's SS Rex and France's SS Île de France, and the remaining passengers tended to prefer the more up to date ships. Olympic had averaged around 1,000 passengers per journey until 1930, but this declined by more than half by 1932.[78]
Olympic's running mate Homeric was withdrawn from the transatlantic route as early as 1932, leaving only Olympic and Majestic maintaining White Star Line's Southampton-New York service, although this was occasionally augmented during the summer months by either the MV Britannic or MV Georgic. [79]
At the end of 1932, with passenger traffic in decline, Olympic went for an overhaul and refit that took four months. She returned to service in March 1933 described by her owners as "looking like new." Her engines were performing at their best and she repeatedly recorded speeds in excess of 23 knots, despite averaging less than that in regular transatlantic service. Passenger capacities were given as 618 first class, 447 tourist class and only 382 third class after the decline of the immigrant trade.[80]
Despite this, during 1933 and 1934, Olympic ran at a net operating loss for the first time. 1933 was Olympic's worst year of business – carrying just over 9,000 passengers in total.[81] Passenger numbers rose slightly in 1934, but many crossings still lost money.[79]
Olympic in 1934, passing the lightvessel she struck and sank a few months later
Lightship collision
In 1934, Olympic again struck a ship. The approaches to New York were marked by lightships and Olympic, like other liners, had been known to pass close by these vessels. On 15 May 1934, Olympic, inbound in heavy fog, was homing in on the radio beacon of Nantucket Lightship LV-117.[82] Now under the command of Captain John Binks, the ship failed to turn in time and sliced through the smaller vessel, which broke apart and sank.[83] Four of the lightship's crew went down with the vessel and seven were rescued, of whom three died of their injuries – thus there were seven fatalities out of a crew of eleven.[84] The lightship's surviving crew and the Olympic's captain were interviewed soon after reaching shore. One crewman said it all happened so quickly that they didn't know how it happened. The captain was very sorry it happened but said the Olympic reacted very quickly lowering boats to rescue the crew, which was confirmed by an injured crewman.[85]
Retirement
Olympic (left) and Mauretania laid up in Southampton prior to their scrapping.
In 1934, the White Star Line merged with the Cunard Line at the instigation of the British government, to form Cunard White Star.[86] This merger allowed funds to be granted for the completion of the future RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth. When completed, these two new ships would handle Cunard White Star's transatlantic business, and so their fleet of older liners became redundant and were gradually retired.
Olympic was withdrawn from the transatlantic service, and left New York for the last time on 5 April 1935, returning to Britain to be laid up.[when?] Her new owners considered using her for summer cruises for a short while, but this idea was abandoned and she was put up for sale. Among the potential buyers was a syndicate who proposed to turn her into a floating hotel off the south coast of France, but this came to nothing.[87] After being laid up for five months alongside her former rival Mauretania, she was sold to Sir John Jarvis – Member of Parliament for £97,500, to be partially demolished at Jarrow to provide work for the depressed region.[88] Her superstructure was demolished in 1936, and in 1937, Olympic's hull was towed to Inverkeithing to T.W. Ward's yard for final demolition.[89]
By the time of her retirement, Olympic had completed 257 round trips across the Atlantic, transporting 430,000 passengers on her commercial voyages, travelling 1.8 million miles.[87][90]
Olympic artefacts
Fittings from the ship installed in the Olympic Suite at the White Swan Hotel, Alnwick
The marble fireplace from the Olympic now at the White Swan, Alnwick
The Olympic's fittings were auctioned off immediately before she was scrapped; some of her fittings, namely those of the first-class lounge and part of the aft grand staircase, can be found in the White Swan Hotel, in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. The rest of her fittings found homes in scattered places throughout Great Britain.[91]
In 2000, Celebrity Cruises purchased some of Olympic's original wooden panels to create the RMS Olympic restaurant on board their new cruise ship, Millennium. According to Celebrity Cruise Line, this wood panelling once lined Olympic's à la carte restaurant.[91]
The clock depicting "Honour and Glory Crowning Time" from Olympic's grand staircase is on display at Southampton's SeaCity Museum.[92][93]
Program:Manual
Lens:70-300mm f/4-5.6 G VR
F:8.0
Speed:1/1000
ISO:100
Focal Length:170.0 mm (35 mm equivalent 255.0 mm)
AF Fine Tune Adj:0
Focus Mode:AF-C
AF Area:Dynamic Area (3D-tracking)
Shooting Mode:Single-Frame, Auto ISO
VR:On
EV:-5/3
Metering Mode:Multi-segment
WB:Auto1
Picture Control:Standard
Focus Distance:28.18 m
Dof:8.97 m (24.39 - 33.37)
HyperFocal:180.35 m
Two tugs are pushing HMM Oslo because of heavy wind.
HMM Oslo
Length 399.90m
Beam 61m
Max capacity 23,964 TEU (one of the world largest container vessels)
Male Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara). The common lizard is generally dark brown in colour with a complex pattern of stripes and lines running the length of the body, although this is variable. They grow to a maximum of 20cm (8 in) in length with a long tapering tail which makes up from half to a maximum of two thirds of the overall length. Common lizards occur in a variety of habitats, especially open woodland, abandoned and derelict land, larger gardens and down land, however their preferred habitat is damp heathland. The common lizard occurs throughout Europe including all of the United Kingdom. Although widely distributed, it is not common and can be described as local. The common lizard is found throughout the UK and is the only lizard native to Ireland. It can be found in larger gardens with good vegetative cover, especially if backing onto suitable habitat. Most lizards seen in Surrey will be common lizards. Adults usually have an overall dark brown colour, with complex patterns of lighter or darker brown lines running the length of the body. Juveniles are a uniform dark bronze-brown, the very young are nearly black. The scales of common lizards give them a slightly 'beaded' texture and appearance. The legs are relatively short and stocky, with five tapering toes on each foot, and a long tapering tail that makes up about two-thirds of the total length. Common lizards are quite variable in size and colouration. Adults usually grow to 13-15cm in total length however males can grow up to 20cm. The upper body colour is variable and can be grey, reddish or dark green as well as the usual dark brown colour. Common lizards can show great variety in colour and markings. Some of the extremes are shown here. Melanistic (black) adults are uncommon (although all new-born Common lizards are almost black). Even more unusual are specimens that demonstrate almost no markings. Common lizards can also appear to be very green (especially in certain light conditions). This often leads to an incorrect identification as a Sand lizard. Female common lizards tend to be a little shorter than males and have slightly smaller heads. There are usually differences between the sexes in patterning. Males tend to have a pattern of rows of regular lighter brown spots or dots running the length of the body in broken lines, and to have yellowish or even orange mottled undersides which are particularly prominent in the breeding season. Females tend to have unbroken stripes of lighter or darker brown, particularly along their dorsal line and their flanks, they tend to have no spots, and are plain white underneath. Text courtesy of Surrey ARG. Photo by Nick Dobbs 02-03-21 Dorset
Moscow Maersk
Length 399m, beam 58.60m, BRZ 214.286, tdw 210.000, TEU 20.586
Smit Hudson
Length: 28.67m
Beam: 9.8m
Bollard Pull: 60 tons
Name: The Iron Falcon
Length: 106 studs
Width: 70 studs
Build time: 25 days
Guns: mounts 18
Crew: 640 souls
So I had a blast this year and already can't wait till next SHIPtember! Hope you enjoy my SHIP this year; compared to my last one, it's truly glorious :P !
Today Sydney got her hair cut. She’s been growing her hair out for about two years so that we could have it cut and then donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, so that it could be used to make a wig and given to cancer patients. She’s looks so cute with her little bob haircut. The last time it was this short was in 2007. Sydney likes it, but she said she misses her long hair and that the lady at the salon cut too much.
General information
Built: 1994
Length: o/a 28.50m
Breadth: 9.45m
Moulded depth: 4.27m
Max draught: 2.85m
Min draught: 2.30m
Shell plating: all welded 9.5mm thick
Deck plating: 12.5mm
600mm diameter bow roller for anchor handling
Twin push bows
Towing bitts and quick release tow hook on aft deck
Anchor and capstan winch
Towing winch type ACE c/w 500 metres, 36mm wire
Main Equipment
Twin Doosan main engines
V180TIH series 600HP @ 2000RPM
Two Ulstien 360° propulsion units type US105
Two Doosan generator engines GEC 220 volt DC x 70 KVA
Russell Newbury auxiliary genset x 20 KVA pumps -fire pump, bilge pump, oil transfer pump
120 tonne metre EFFER marine crane c / w
19.45 metre jib, 360° continuous slewing
17T Bollard Pull
Accommodation: Two twin bunk cabins, galley / mess room, toilet & shower
Navigation Equipment, Lifesaving Equipment, All equipment approved by MSA
Deck cargo: 250 tonnes sheltered waters, 150 tonnes coastal waters. Potable water capacity 200 tonnes. Fuel in vessel tanks 54 tonnes
Hydraulic oil, lube oil and fuel oil can be supplied to deck through a meter for fuelling other vessels etc
International Loadline Certification
Approximate Focus Distance : 6.69m
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Lens
ISO Speed 1600
Aperture : f/6.3
Exposure : 1/50 secs
Exposure Bias : -1 EV
Focal Length : 600mm
Severn Class Lifeboat RNLI
Side NumberRNLI 17-28 (Length and Build Number)
Operational Number: ON 1255
ConstructionSingle skin Fibre Reinforced Composite (FRC) below chine. Foam covered sandwich above Chine
Length: 17.3 metres (56 ft 9ins)
Range: 250 miles
Beam: 5.9 metres (19 ft 4 ins)
Crew: 6 + 1 (Doctor Monitoring Position)
Draft: 1.78 metres (5 ft 10 ins)
Construction: FRC (Fibre Reinforced composite)
Displacement: 42 tonnes
Design Speed: 25 knots
Engines: 2 x MTU 1600 hp at 3400 rpm (2018)
Endurance: 12 hours (at Design Speed)
Range: 250 nautical miles
Propulsion:Twin 5 Blade Contra rotating propsGear Box'V' Drive Configuration
Fuel: 5600 litres (2 x 2800 litres) 1232 gals
Consumption: - on serviceDesign Speed - 450 litres per hour
Casualties:Fully secured - 12
Consumption: - on passage20 knots - 350 litres per hour
Inflatable'Y' Class'Y' Class (Outboard15 hp)
London Eye by different Exchangeable image file format (Exif) data:Camera model - NIKON D5100Focal Length - 18mmExposure Time - 1/3 sec.F-Stop - f/5.6 ISO - 1000 — at London Eye.
Eos50d, EF400F5.6L, iso 400, s1/250, f5.6, Focal Length:400mm
Picture taken in Saras Baug, Pune
On Explore
Taken from
Salt Range Wetlands Complex
The Salt Range Wetlands Complex comprises of five independent wetlands: Kallar Kahar, Khabbeki, Ucchali, Jahlar and Namal Lakes. The entire Salt Range Wetlands Complex has a total length of 175 km parallel to the Salt Range Escarpment that runs from Jhelum, in the east, to Kalabagh in the west. The Ucchali Wetlands Complex, constituting of Ucchali, Khabbeki and Jahlar Lakes, has been designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, a distinction it shares with only eighteen other wetlands in Pakistan. The three main lakes of Ucchali Wetlands Complex are situated inside a cup-shaped catchment area called the Soan Valley, while Namal and Kalar Kahar Lakes are located on the periphery of this Valley.
The area is rich in biodiversity and is the habitat of one of the endemic and endangered species of the country, the Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis). Other species, important from the conservation viewpoint are Chinkara (Gazelle bennettii) and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes). These wetlands presently support the wintering flocks of White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala). These lakes also support three other bird species listed in the IUCN Red Data Book the Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monochus), the Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) and the Sociable Plover (Vanellus gregarius). Furthermore, Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber), Pied Harrier (Circus melanoleucos), Greylag Goose (Anser anser) and the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) also visit these wetlands.
Socio-economic conditions in the Salt Range Wetlands Complex present a picture of excessive population pressure combined with intensive use of natural resources for livelihoods and daily needs. The main occupations in the region comprise of agriculture and government service, especially in the armed forces. The level of industrial development is low.
Agricultural plots tend to be small, usually quarter of an acre, and there is a clear trend towards land ownership as a form of wealth even if the land owned is not cultivable. All land in and around the lakes is privately owned, including the lake beds, which becomes available for cultivation when the water level has receded. Principal crops grown in the area are wheat in winter and vegetables in the summer. Wetlands provide a crucial source of irrigation in this essentially semi arid area. Grazing pressure in the region has badly eroded most communal grazing areas. Wood extraction is undertaken extensively both for the domestic fuel market and for supply to urban centres. The effects of deforestation on both shamilat (community forests) and Government forests have been extensive. Lack of infrastructure development has meant that the lakes are used for common household purposes such as watering cattle and washing clothes although the water of several lakes is reportedly too saline for human consumption.
Name: Minneola
Length: 118 studs
Captain: Santiago Tangelo
Pilot/Navigator: Phlem
Engineer: Raph
Deck-hand: Clint
(Number of SHIPs I've built:2)
Excerpt from “Compendium of Space Lugging Tugs, Vol. III”:
“… The Minneola was another notable space barge of hybrid construction. In this case, the custom cargo vessel’s three plasma-pulse-engines had been salvaged from a long distance space battle cruiser, and the main body was from a work-a-day space-yard tug.
This piece has been seen on Flickr before, but it was scarcely recognizable then.
On May 24, 2020, almost six months ago as of this writing, I found it on the beach where the tide had deposited it. At 80 inches (2.03 meters) in length, it wasn't something I could tuck into the ziplock baggie I use for my finds.
It was at the far end of the beach from our place. Dragging it all the way home seemed impossible. With much regret, I pulled it into the water and said goodbye.
To my delight, when we went for a beach walk the next morning, I discovered that the currents had carried it south overnight. It was directly in line with our beach path.
Pledging to bring it home, I set off northward with Frank. True to my word, when we returned I stopped to figure out my next move. Frank shook his head in disbelief and continued on to the house.
At that point the mat was a mess. Not only was it covered in sand, below the sand was a layer of slimy algae. The side that had been submerged was encrusted with tiny marine shells. It wasn't ready for my trophy shelf.
That day I only dragged it far enough so I could hide it behind one of the foredunes. Delighted that no one had swiped it overnight, I pulled it up the foredune the next day, down the other side, along the trail through the beach grass and into the first forest.
I continued down the forest path until I reached a sunny spot on a slope. There I left it exposed to the sun and rain for many weeks. During that time the shells fell off and the algae dried out.
Once the mat had lost the distinctive aroma of a tide flat, I dragged it the rest of the way through the first forest, across the beach-grass clearing, through the second forest and up the hill to the house.
What followed was several months of cleaning. First I scoured it with a large scrub brush of the kind used on floors. Then I got to work on it with a tooth brush. The algae was everywhere, but it was particularly hard to remove wherever the ropes crossed and inside the many nooks and crannies of the countless knots. I found that hot water softened the algae and made it easier to remove.
Soon I set to work on it with a needle, which I used to pry out the algae that concealed the beauty of the yellow and blue nylon rope.
Though the odor of dead fish was long gone, a disagreeable smell of mildew remained. I discovered that sunlight was the best remedy, so I laid it over the plastic Adirondack chairs in the sun when I wasn't working on it.
Not all my methods of cleaning were successful. The Water Pik® was a great disappointment. The breakthrough came when the double-ended stainless steel dental tool arrived. There was no bit of encrusted algae that could not be reached and removed.
Finally the day came when I could declare the cleaning complete. I had already decided to hang it in an unused doorway. The loose weave made it easy to run a dowel through the first row of knots at one end. Using a level, I made sure the row of holes for the heavy-duty hooks wasn't sloping in either direction.
When the moment of truth came and I hung the mat, the dowel slipped easily into the hooks' embrace. But when I stepped back a few yards to admire it, I saw immediately that the bottom was puckered and the loose knotting allowed it to be pinched in the middle. Two more dowels solved those problems.
Today I discovered a Reddit beachcombing group. I wasted no time posting this photo to the group and asking whether anyone knew the mat's origin and purpose.
I will update if and when any new information comes in.
Ocean Park, Washington.
The Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), often simply called "blue tit," is a small and colorful bird belonging to the family Paridae, which includes tits, chickadees, and titmice.
Scientific classification: Cyanistes caeruleus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Cyanistes
Species: C. caeruleus
Physical Description:
Size: Blue Tits are small birds, measuring around 10 to 12 centimeters (4 to 4.7 inches) in length.
Weight: They typically weigh between 9 to 12 grams (0.3 to 0.4 ounces).
Coloration: They have vibrant blue and yellow plumage, with blue wings and tail, a yellow belly, and a distinctive blue cap on the head. The intensity of their colors can vary among individuals and populations.
Distribution: Blue Tits are native to Europe and parts of North Africa and Asia. They are widespread throughout their range.
Habitat: They inhabit a variety of wooded and shrubby areas, including forests, woodlands, parks, gardens, and urban areas. They are adaptable birds and can thrive in diverse habitats.
Diet: Blue Tits are primarily insectivorous, feeding on insects, caterpillars, spiders, and other invertebrates. They also consume seeds, nuts, berries, and occasionally feed on small fruits.
Foraging: They are agile and acrobatic birds, often seen hopping from branch to branch while foraging for food. They may also visit bird feeders, particularly during the winter months.
Breeding: Blue Tits typically breed from late April to June. They nest in tree holes, nest boxes, or other suitable cavities. The female lays a clutch of eggs (usually around 7 to 14 eggs) and incubates them for about two weeks. Both parents participate in feeding the chicks until they fledge, which usually occurs around 16 to 22 days after hatching.
Social Structure: Blue Tits are generally social birds and may form mixed-species flocks, especially during the non-breeding season. They communicate using a variety of vocalizations, including calls and songs.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern. Blue Tits have a large and stable population, and their range extends over a significant geographic area. However, local populations may face threats from habitat loss, pollution, and predation.
Cultural Significance:
Blue Tits are beloved by birdwatchers and are commonly featured in art, literature, and folklore across their range.
They are also important in controlling insect populations, making them beneficial to ecosystems and agriculture.
Overall, the Blue Tit is a charming and adaptable bird known for its vibrant colors, agile behavior, and melodious songs.
I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope you feel the same joy viewing these images as I did while shooting them.
Thank you so much for visiting my gallery, whether you leave a comment, add it to your favorites, or simply take a moment to look around. Your support means a lot to me, and I wish you good luck and beautiful light in all your endeavors.
© All rights belong to R.Ertuğ. Please refrain from using these images without my express written permission. If you are interested in purchasing or using them, feel free to contact me via Flickr mail.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Your comments and criticism are very valuable.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and explore :)
I encountered this Blue Tit early in the morning and observed it through my small binoculars. I managed to capture this intriguing pose with a shutter speed of 1/640. Its focused demeanor and acrobatic stances are captivating to witness; sometimes, I observe them listening attentively. During this season, they are busy and incredibly active, hastily collecting materials for their nests. The pair I observed divides the labor and coordinates their efforts. The male gathers the necessary materials and brings them to the nest, while the female likely tends to the nest materials for minutes at a time. I believe the female will begin incubating soon. Judging by its stance and expression, I'm inclined to believe it's a male! I found it fascinating and couldn't resist sharing it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), often simply called "blue tit," is a small and colorful bird belonging to the family Paridae, which includes tits, chickadees, and titmice.
Scientific classification: Cyanistes caeruleus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Cyanistes
Species: C. caeruleus
Physical Description:
Size: Blue Tits are small birds, measuring around 10 to 12 centimeters (4 to 4.7 inches) in length.
Weight: They typically weigh between 9 to 12 grams (0.3 to 0.4 ounces).
Coloration: They have vibrant blue and yellow plumage, with blue wings and tail, a yellow belly, and a distinctive blue cap on the head. The intensity of their colors can vary among individuals and populations.
Distribution: Blue Tits are native to Europe and parts of North Africa and Asia. They are widespread throughout their range.
Habitat: They inhabit a variety of wooded and shrubby areas, including forests, woodlands, parks, gardens, and urban areas. They are adaptable birds and can thrive in diverse habitats.
Diet: Blue Tits are primarily insectivorous, feeding on insects, caterpillars, spiders, and other invertebrates. They also consume seeds, nuts, berries, and occasionally feed on small fruits.
Foraging: They are agile and acrobatic birds, often seen hopping from branch to branch while foraging for food. They may also visit bird feeders, particularly during the winter months.
Breeding: Blue Tits typically breed from late April to June. They nest in tree holes, nest boxes, or other suitable cavities. The female lays a clutch of eggs (usually around 7 to 14 eggs) and incubates them for about two weeks. Both parents participate in feeding the chicks until they fledge, which usually occurs around 16 to 22 days after hatching.
Social Structure: Blue Tits are generally social birds and may form mixed-species flocks, especially during the non-breeding season. They communicate using a variety of vocalizations, including calls and songs.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern. Blue Tits have a large and stable population, and their range extends over a significant geographic area. However, local populations may face threats from habitat loss, pollution, and predation.
Cultural Significance:
Blue Tits are beloved by birdwatchers and are commonly featured in art, literature, and folklore across their range.
They are also important in controlling insect populations, making them beneficial to ecosystems and agriculture.
Overall, the Blue Tit is a charming and adaptable bird known for its vibrant colors, agile behavior, and melodious songs.
I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope you feel the same joy viewing these images as I did while shooting them.
Thank you so much for visiting my gallery, whether you leave a comment, add it to your favorites, or simply take a moment to look around. Your support means a lot to me, and I wish you good luck and beautiful light in all your endeavors.
© All rights belong to R.Ertuğ. Please refrain from using these images without my express written permission. If you are interested in purchasing or using them, feel free to contact me via Flickr mail.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Your comments and criticism are very valuable.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and explore :)
Reichsbrücke
Coordinates: 48 ° 13 '42 " N, 16 ° 24' 36" E | |
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Empire Bridge, seen from the north bank of
Use motor vehicles in the basement underground,
Cyclists, pedestrians
Road train Lassallestraße - Wagramerstraße (B8 )
Location Vienna, between Leopoldstadt (2nd District)
and Danube City (22 nd District)
Prestressed concrete bridge construction, double deck bridge
Total length 865 meters
Width 26.10 meters
Release 8 November 1980
Altitude 157 m above sea level. A.
Card reichsbrücke.png
Location of the Empire Bridge in Vienna
The Empire Bridge is one of Vienna's most famous bridges. It crosses the Danube, the Danube Island and the New Danube and connects the second District of Vienna, Leopoldstadt, with the 22nd District, Danube city. The building extends from Mexico place at Handelskai (2nd district) in a northeasterly direction to the Danube City and the Vienna International Centre (District 22).
The current kingdom bridge (Reichsbrücke) was opened in 1980, it is the third crossing of the Danube in the same axis, which bears the name kingdom bridge. The first Empire Bridge (also: Crown Prince Rudolf bridge when Project: National Highway Bridge), an iron bridge on current five pillars existed from 1876 until 1937. The second Empire Bridge, a chain bridge with two 30-meter high pylons on two river piers, was opened in 1937, it was next to St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Giant Ferris one of the landmarks of the city of Vienna. After the Second World War it was the only intact Danube river crossing downstream of Linz in Austria and became the busiest stretch of road in Austria. On Sunday, the first August 1976 the bridge collapsed in the early morning hours on full width of the Danube into the water. In the accident, which was not foreseeable by the then state of the art, one person was killed. The meaning and emotional charge, which had received the bridge by its colorful past in the Viennese population, increased further by the collapse.
Prehistory
The Danube before regulation (centric is the location of the Reichsbrücke marked)
Some years after the devastating flood of 1830 was considering Emperor Ferdinand I to regulate the Danube and at the same time to build several bridges over the resulting stream bed. The plan was, among other things, a chain bridge approximately at the site of today's Empire bridge, whose construction costs were estimated at two to three million florins. However, these plans came as well as future intentions, build stable bridges over the unregulated Danube, before the Vienna Danube regulation not for execution, the projects went not beyond the planning stage. All bridges over the Danube, whether for road or since 1838 for the Northern Railway, then had rather provisional character. Jochbrücken Those were trestle bridges made of wood, which were regularly swept away by floods or Eisstößen (bumps of ice chunks) and then re-built.
On 12 September 1868 eventually ordered Emperor Franz Joseph I, the nephew and successor of Ferdinand, the regulation of the Danube. At the same time, eventually, should be built "stable bridges". One of them should represent a direct extension of the hunter line (Jägerzeile) (today: Prater Road and the Schwimmschulstraße (now Lassallestraße). With the choice of this location a central urban axis should be continued, which ranged from the Gloriette in Schonbrunn over St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Prater Stern to the Danube. On the other side of the Danube, the bridge should join to the Vienna, Kagraner and Leopold Auer Reichsstrasse (since 1910 Wagramerstraße), which became a major transit route in the northeastern areas of the monarchy. The name of the bridge was accordingly to "Empire Road bridge" set.
First Reichsbrücke - 1876-1937
Crown Prince Rudolf bridge
Since 6 November 1919 : Reichsbrücke
Crown Prince Rudolf bridge since 6 November 1919: Reichsbrücke
Official name of Crown Prince Rudolf Bridge (1876-1919), since then Reichsbrücke
Use vehicles, trams (from 26 June 1898 on the current bridge single track) and pedestrian
crossing of Handelskai, Danube and floodplain
Construction iron lattice structures (river bridge), 341.20 meters
Total length 1019.75 meter (incl. bridge over Handelskai and floodplain)
Width 11.40 meters
Release 21 August 1876
Closure 11 October 1937
Toll 32 cruisers and 64 Heller per vehicle (up to 1904)
The by Franz Joseph commissioned bridge, which the main part of the 2nd district after the regulation of the Danube with the on the left bank lying part of the city Kaisermuehlen, the now Old Danube and the to 1890/1892 independent community of Kagran connected, was navigable from August 1876 to October, 1937. It has been renamed several times: During the construction period it had the preliminary name of Empire Road bridge, after its opening, it was Crown Prince Rudolf bridge. The term "Empire Bridge" but soon won through in general usage, as was said, for example, the stop of the Donauuferbahn (Railway) at the bridge officially Kommunalbad-Reichsbrücke. After the fall of the monarchy on 6 November 1919 it was officially renamed Empire bridge.
With a total length of nearly 1,020 feet, it was at that time the longest bridge connection over the Danube. It was 11.40 meters wide, the road took 7.60 meters and 3.80 meters, the two sidewalks. The original plan had provided a total width of eight fathoms (15.20 meters), the Parliament decided shortly before the start of the construction to reduce the width because of cost reasons.
The bridge consisted of three parts. The so-called Hubertusdamm, protected the March field against flood, and the flood area created in the Danube regulation (inundation) on the north, the left bank of the river was spanned by a stone, 432 meters long inundation bridge, which consisted of 16 sheets of 23 and 39 m width. Handelskai on the southern right bank of the river spanned the so-called Kaibrücke of stone with a length of 90.4 meters and four arches, each 18.96 m width. The actual current bridge was 341.20 meters long and consisted of four individual iron grating structures that rested on five 3.80 meter thick pillars, three of which were in the water. The distance of each pillar was 79.90 meters.
Construction
The current bridge seen from the north, from the left bank (St Stephen's Cathedral in the background); recording before the summer of 1898, there's no tram track
Construction began in August, 1872. Although at that time the stream bed of the Danube had already been largely completed, but not yet flooded. The Empire bridge was then, as the northern railway bridge Stadlauer Bridge and the Emperor Franz Joseph Bridge (later Floridsdorfer bridge), built in dry construction.
The building was designed by the Road and Hydraulic Engineering Department of Imperial Ministry of Interior, whose boss, Undersecretary Mathias Waniek Ritter von Domyslow, was entrusted with the construction management. Total construction cost of 3.7 million guilders. The metal construction had a total weight of 2,193 tons and was manufactured by Schneider & Co in Burgundy of Belgian welding iron.
The two piers on the banks were about five feet below the river bed, which is about eleven meters founded under the riverbed on so-called "blue Viennese Tegel" (a stiff to semi-solid floor similar to the clay which as sedimentary rock is typical for the Vienna basin). The pillars of the two foreland bridges (Kaibrücke and inundation bridge ) were established in shallow coarse gravel.
Of the four Danube bridges built at that time only the kingdom bridge (Reichsbrücke) was not opened to traffic when the new bed of the Danube on 14 April 1875 was flooded. Until 16 months later, on 21 August 1876, the birthday of the Crown Prince Rudolf, opened the Imperial Governor of Lower Austria , Baron Conrad of Sigmund Eybesfeld, representing the emperor, the bridge and gave her in honor of Crown Prince - contrary to the original plan - the name "Crown Prince Rudolf bridge". The opening ceremony was attended by a delegation from Japan, Minister of War Feldzeugmeister Graf Maximilian von Artur Bylandt-Rheidt and mayor of Vienna Cajetan Felder. The governor read a royal resolution, in which Franz Joseph announced the full imperial satisfaction with Oberbauleiter Waniek and several Engineers and Building Officers were awarded the Imperial Knights Cross. As highlight of the celebration the keystone of the last pillar of the ramp was set - under it were built into a cassette several documents, photos of the bridge, coins and medals.
Bridge operation
The Kaibrücke over the Handelskai on the south, the right bank of the Danube, recording c.1907
The bridge ramp and the four brick arches over the Handels on the south, the right bank of the Danube, it ( right) the bridge over the stream, recording from 1876
After the suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889, the bridge was popularly called "suicide bridge ". It was in the first years of its operation still not a very popular crossing of the Danube. Industry and trade settled slowly to the other side of the Danube. There were also no significant trade routes from north to March Field. Via the Old Danube, which it would have to be crossed, leading to around 1900 only a rickety wooden bridge.
In the first 28 years of its operation, the crossing of the Empire Bridge was charged. 32 cruisers and 64 Heller had to be paid per vehicle, which has been regularly criticized by newspapers in Vienna. Only after the villages north of the Old Danube in the year 1904/1905 than 21st district were incorporated, the crossing was provided free of charge and increased the popularity of the bridge. From 26 June 1898, the bridge was frequented by the tram. The occasion was the 50-year Jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph. The route went (over the current bridge (Strombrücke) just single track ) for the moment to shooting range (Schießstätte) at Arbeiterstrandbadstraße and was on 22 December 1898 extended until Kagraner place. Operator was the Vienna-Kagraner train (WKB), which initially used for six railcars acquired from Hamburg. In 1904, the traffic operation of Vienna-Street Railways WKB.
The end of the bridge
1910 were counted in Vienna over two million inhabitants. On the left, northern bank of the Danube, more and more settlements and commercial enterprises emerged. This increased both the importance and the traffic on the Empire Bridge. Neither the load nor the total roadway width of less than eight meters were sufficient for this additional burden. 1930 damage was discovered at the bridge, which would have necessitated the refurbishment in the near future. In recent years, their stock weight restrictions has been to protect the bridge. Vienna's city government first planned a conversion of the old kingdom bridge. In 1933, under the federal government of Dollfuss a new building was disposed.
During the three years of construction work had the old bridge remain usable - ie the existing 340 meters long by 4,900-ton Strombrücke was there moved by 26 meters downstream in September 1934, and connected with the banks. The move operation lasted only six hours, the traffic interruption to the reusability lasted three days. The suspended bridge was then three years in operation. Immediately after the opening of its successor bridge it was dismantled.
Second Empire Bridge - 1937-1976
Second Reichsbrücke
The second Empire Bridge, circa 1975
Official name Reichsbrücke, from 11 April 1946 to 18 July 1956 the Red Army Bridge
Use private transport (2 lanes next to the tracks, 2 on the tracks), tram (2 tracks in the middle position), pedestrians (sidewalks 2)
Construction through the air: "Spurious" self-anchored chain bridge with reversed horizontal thrust); broadening of the inundation bridge used since 1876
Total length 1225 meters
Width 26.90 meters (including sidewalks)
Longest span 241.2 meters in the central opening, 60.05 and 61.05 meters in the side openings
Construction September 1934
Release 10 October 1937
Closure 1 August 1976 (collapse)
The second realm bridge had a total length of 1255 meters. The current bridge had a length of 373 meters and a maximum span length of 241.2 meters, the construction of the third largest chain bridge in Europe. It had two pylons made of steel with a height of 30 meters above road top, standing on two piers and with the bridge superstructure burd two steel chains carrying.
The bridge was staged as a symbol of the wealth and size of Vienna. So it was yet in the late 1930s next to St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Giant Ferris emblem for the third city of Vienna declared and served as an internationally used symbol on all promotional literature and invitations to the Vienna Exhibition in 1938.
Competition
First, the Commerce Department announced a precompetitive, although that could win the architects Emil Hoppe and Otto Schonthal, the result of which, however, did not correspond with the Ministry and the City of Vienna. The final competition for the construction of the Empire Bridge was finally announced in Spring 1933 and awarded in November. As architectural advisor to the eight-member jury acted the architect Clemens Holzmeister. The jurors selected from 64 submitted, one of which even provided for a tunnel under the river Danube. The winning project was a chain bridge by architects Siegfried Theiss and Hans Jaksch. This design provided only two pillars standing in the water. Three quarters of the full width of the river should be free spans. The bridge would connect directly to the still-to-use, only to be widened inundation bridge of the first Empire bridge over floodplain and Hubertusdamm.
Construction
Construction began on 26 February 1934, two weeks after the civil war-like battles in February. The cost of 24 million shillings were imposed to one third of the city of Vienna, two-thirds came from the federal budget. There were only Austrian companies involved in the construction. The two pillars were erected in caisson construction.
Soon the first difficulties appeared. The ground, especially in the Danube River, on which the bridge piers and anchor blocks for the chains should be founded, proved to be less viable than the planners had anticipated. It was originally planned to have to shoulder a large part of the weight of the Strombrücke, primarily of the area lying between the pillars middle part of the bridge, of two chains that run on both sides of the two pylons and should be anchored right in the river on heavy, solid anchor blocks of concrete. However, it was feared that this abutment on the Danube soft soil by the large tensile forces of 78.5 million N (8,000 t) per chain would start sliding and could not be adequately anchored in the Danube ground.
Professor Paul Fillunger of the Technical University of Vienna became the largest public critic of the building. He was of the opinion that not only the foundation of the anchor blocks, but also the pillars of the Danube in the soft ground was irresponsible because the bridge would not have the necessary stability. Contrasting opinion was his colleague of professors, soil mechanics Karl von Terzaghi. In his view, the nature of the Danube soil was suitable for the pier foundation. The disagreement was part of a personal feud, which was publicly held. Together with his wife Fillunger took in 1937 due to a disciplinary procedure that ran against him at the Technical University of Vienna his life. The construction of the bridge was rescheduled after the proposals Terzaghis: the chains were not fastened to anchor blocks on the Danube ground, but directly to the two main girders of the steel supporting structure, ie on the bridge itself anchored.
In June 1936, the building was overshadowed by a shipwreck: the people steamer "Vienna" DDSG was driven to a pillar. The ship broke up and sank immediately. Six people were killed.
The final link in the chain was composed of 98 members on 16 November 1936 inserted. Thereafter the lowering of the support stand began to displace the chain in tension. The production of the concrete deck slab of the bridge deck and the installation of sidewalks followed in the spring of 1937, in the summer, the bridge was painted dark green.
From 1 to 3 October 1937 the stress test of the building took place in the stretched chains and the pylons were slightly rotated. Were then driven as a load test 84 trucks and 28 loaded with stones streetcars on the bridge and left to stand there for a few hours. All measurements were running satisfactorily, so that on 4 October the first tram of line number 16 was able to drive over the kingdom bridge. A day later, the bridge was unofficially released for streetcar traffic. To traffic it remained locked up to its opening.
Austro-Fascist propaganda
A labor-and cost-intensive project such as the construction of the bridge was fully in line with the spirit of the Austro-fascist regime: the end of 1933, unemployment stood at 38.5 percent. The construction of the second Empire bridge can therefore be seen as a job creation project, similar to the construction of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road or the Vienna High Road.
On 10 October 1937, the Empire Bridge was officially opened. The corporate state government held a solemn state ceremony with President Wilhelm Miklas, Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, the Vienna Vice Mayor Fritz Lahr and Trade Minister Taucher who called the new Reich bridge as a "symbol of creating life force of the new Austria". Present were alongside architects, project managers and designers also a delegation of the opus "New Life" of the Fatherland Front, all workers involved in the construction of the construction companies and 10,000 school children. Soldiers of the armed forces lined the shore.
The Viennese city researcher Peter Payer writes about the pompous production:
"Conspicuously, propagated the carefully staged celebration the new model of society of the Austro-fascist government: the ending of the class struggle and overcoming social barriers through meaningful work and cooperation of all professional groups. [ ...] The completion of the bridge was portrayed as unprecedented cultural achievement, as a joint work of all involved". - Peter Payer.
The event was broadcast live on the radio, the newspapers reported widely about it. At the event, postcards, envelopes, and a commemorative stamp was issued and even a "Reichsbrücke song "composed, in which was said:
"A thousand hammers, wheels, files,
thousand hands had to rush
the great work that was!
Salvation of the work that connects,
Hail to the work, healing our land!"
- Empire Bridge Song
The Empire Bridge in the Second World War
During the Second World War the German army used two support pillars of reinforced concrete under the Empire Bridge into the Danube, so that the building would not completely fall into the water when it was hit, but could be repaired. In addition, at each of the two pylons were erected platforms for anti-aircraft guns.
In early April, 1945, in the last days of the war, Soviet armies were moving from the south and west heading to the city center. The fleeing units of the SS blew up in their retreat to the north gradually almost all Vienna Danube bridges.
For the Nordwestbahnbrücke, the Floridsdorfer bridge and the Nordbahnbrücke the "defenders" of Vienna had by Hitler's headquarters on the 8th April 1945 sought the permission for demolition, the Stadlauer Ostbahnbrücke was also blown up without explicit permission. With the Reichsbrücke, however, Hitler had personally for days the blasting ruled out, still yet at 11 April 1945, just on 13 April afternoon allowed, at a time when the southern bridgehead was already occupied by the Red Army, was the northern bridgehead without coverage in their field of fire and the German troops who had retreated to the left bank of the Danube, north west withdrew, for not beeing closed in by the Red Army. There was therefore no chance to blow. The Red Army occupied the evening of the 13th April also the northern bridgehead.
On 11 April, at the height of the battle of Vienna, the Russian troops with armored boats already had been advanced on the Danube to the Reichsbrücke (officially called by the Russians "Object 56") and had obscured the area. They went on the right bank of the Danube, about 500 meters northwest of the bridge, on land and moved slowly to the building.
Decades later, it was unclear why exactly the Empire bridge was not blown up. The Red Army, the Austrian resistance movement O5 as well as members of the armed forces later claimed they just would have prevented the explosion. One version said that, at the Battle of 11 April some soldiers of the Red Army should have gotten to the beachhead, where they destroyed the explosive lines. Another version was that Red Army soldiers were led by a knowledgeable local Vienna sewer worker sneaked through the sewer system of Vienna to the bridge to prevent the demolition. Clarity created in 2012 the analysis of historical sources with the résumé. Ultimately, it was Hitler himself which had prevented demolition of the bridge until the last moment. The Reichsbrücke was now the only intact bridge crossing over the Danube between Linz and the state border. She was thus given a status symbol, it was a sign of the resilience of Austria.
The city council renamed the Empire Bridge on the anniversary of the liberation of Vienna on 11 April 1946 in honor of the liberators "Bridge of the Red Army Bridge". Was also on this occasion by the city government to the left of the bridge driveway in the 2nd district an obelisk (reddish colored lightweight concrete on wood construction) erected with the Soviet Star on the top of which was in German and Russian to read:
"THE HERO WILL
LANDING GUARD SQUAD
AND SAILORS
IN GRATITUDE
THE EXEMPT
VIENNA "
- Obelisk, then plaque on the bridge
The obelisk was removed after 1955. The inscription was then attached on a bronze plaque that was mounted directly to the bridge. The bridge was at 18 July 1956 re-named Reichsbrücke.
Reichsbrücke in the postwar period
To the rebuilding of Floridsdorfer bridge 1946 the Reichsbrücke was the only way to reach Vienna coming from the northeast on the road. Although it was not blown up, it still suffered numerous losses, primarily by shellfire. In 1946, took place the first rehabilitation of war damage of the bridge, from May 1947 work on a larger scale was made. Thereby five hanging rods have been mended and repaired the vault of the inundation bridge. The smoke control ceiling above the Donauuferbahn has been replaced. At seven chain links had to be renewed a total of 26 blades. For this temporary piers were used on barges, which again ate on the river bed. The work was finished in 1952. On the Reichsbrücke originally was wooden heel patch installed, this was 1958-1960 replaced by granite stone pavement, which resulted in an additional load of 4688 kN for each pylon bearing. The enormous, newly ascended individual traffic led more often hinder the tram traffic on the bridge, therefore the tracks in the sixties by blocking lines have been declared not approved for individual traffic of the roadway. Now, congestion of vehicular traffic was the result.
Empire bridge collapse in 1976
The southern, right after the collapse of the banks, recording August 1976
Bridge debris on the north, left bank, recording August 1976
On Sunday, the first August 1976 Reichsbrücke 4:53 to 4:55 clock crashed to almost full length of the main bridge into the water. The first radio announcement was made at 5:00 clock. An eyewitness described the collapse as". The whole bridge has suddenly lifted a foot and then dropped loud crashing on the entire length".
On the Kaibrücke as well as on the Überschwemmungsbrücke (inundation bridge) the carrier collapsed in several places, but both bridges were standing. The Strombrücke itself broke into three parts, the middle part falling into the water as a whole and and the two outer parts obliquely hanging into the water. The south-facing pylon fell downstream and damaged heavily the stern of a passenger ship, the north side pylon collapsed in the other direction on the flood plain.
At the time of the collapse, five people were in four vehicles on the bridge: a bus driver in an urban articulated, two employees of the ÖAMTC in a roadside assistance vehicle, the driver of a Volkswagen Beetle, which had requested the breakdown service because of a defective tire following an accident as well as the driver of a minibus, who was employed as a driver at the ORF. The bus driver crashed his vehicle into the Danube and was rescued unharmed within hours. The ÖAMTC employees and the VW drivers were on that part of the Kaibrücke, which indeed broke and fell, but not completely destroyed, so that they could save themselves by foot. The ORF driver was trapped in his pickup truck and found his dead the day after the collapse.
Within an hour was a quarter of all vehicles of the in Vienna available Fire Brigade on the site of the collapse, it was the alarm given stage IV. Also, police, ambulance and army were represented by large contingents. The on the bridge located water pipes that supplied drinking water to the north of Vienna, put the Handelskai under water. Explosions were also feared because the gas lines running across the bridge were broken. There was on the scene for days strict non-smoking. First, many people were north of the Danube without gas, electricity, water and telephone. Already on the second August was, however, restored the supply.
Braila
Built 1914 at Turnu Severin
Length : 39.43 m : breadth : 10.9 metres
Engines : Compound Diagonal by Sachsenberg (of Rosslau)
Borcea was originally a royal yacht for King Ferdinand. She was later converted to a passenger ship. Siezed by the Soviets during World War II and towed to Odessa, but returned when she was damaged by fire. Used for cruises and holidays for communist youth organisations until withdrawal in 1971 when she was laid up and faced scrapping. She then had various uses including as a steam generator at a fish-canning factory. She was designated as a national Historical Monument in 1984 and repair work took place intermittently. A sale to Swiss interests failed after the intervention of the Director of the Museum of Braila and work resumed in 2000. By 2005 the structure was fully repaired and money then allocated for a refurbishment of the interior. This contract has erupted in controvery regarding money and the choice of contractor, with the quality of work being claimed to be sub-standard. She is owned by the Ministry of Education and Heritage. She is still in operable condition and in October 2010 was restored sufficiently to be offering schoolchildren short one-hour cruises from Braila.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manufacturer Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, Akron, Ohio
Manufactured 31 October 1929 (commenced)
8 August 1931 (launched)
Serial ZRS-4
First flight 23 September 1931
Owners and operators United States Navy
In service 27 October 1931 (commissioned)
Last flight 4 April 1933
Flights 73
Total hours 1695.8
Aircraft carried 5 x Curtiss F9C 'Sparrowhawk',[1] Consolidated N2Y-1, Waco XJW-1
Fate Crashed off coast of New Jersey, 4 April 1933
USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a helium-filled rigid airship of the U.S. Navy, the lead ship of her class, which operated between September 1931 and April 1933. It was the world's first purpose-built flying aircraft carrier, carrying F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes, which could be launched and recovered while it was in flight. With an overall length of 785 ft (239 m), Akron and her sister ship Macon were among the largest flying objects ever built. Although LZ 129 Hindenburg and LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II were some 18 ft (5.5 m) longer and slightly more voluminous, the two German airships were filled with hydrogen, and so the two US Navy craft still hold the world record for the largest helium-filled airships.[2]
Akron was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on the morning of 4 April 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. The accident involved the greatest loss of life in any airship crash.
Technical description
The airship's skeleton was built of the new lightweight alloy duralumin 17-SRT.[3] The frame introduced several novel features compared with traditional Zeppelin designs. Rather than being single-girder diamond trusses with radial wire bracing, the main rings of Akron were self-supporting deep frames: triangular Warren trusses 'curled' round to form a ring. Though much heavier than conventional rings, the deep rings promised to be much stronger, a significant attraction to the navy after the in-flight break up of the earlier conventional airships R38/ZR-2 and ZR-1 Shenandoah.[4] The inherent strength of these frames allowed the chief designer, Karl Arnstein, to dispense with the internal cruciform structure used by Zeppelin to support the fins of their ships. Instead, the fins of Akron were cantilevered: mounted entirely externally to the main structure.[5] Graf Zeppelin, Graf Zeppelin II, and Hindenburg used a supplementary axial keel along the hull centerline. However, the Akron used three keels, one running along the top of the hull and one each side, 45 degrees up from the lower centreline. Each keel provided a walkway running almost the entire length of the ship. The electric and telephone wiring, control cables, 110 fuel tanks, 44 water ballast bags, 8 engine rooms, engines, transmissions, and water-recovery devices were placed along the lower keels. The inert gas helium was used instead of flammable hydrogen, which improved streamlining by allowing the engines to be safely placed inside the hull. A generator room, with 2 Westinghouse d.c. generators powered by a 30-h.p. internal combustion engine, was forward of the No. 7 engine room.[6]: 36, 187–197
The main rings were spaced at 22.5 m (74 ft) and between each pair were three intermediate rings of lighter construction. In keeping with conventional practice, 'station numbers' on the airship were measured in meters from zero at the rudder post, positive forward and negative aft. Thus the tip of the tail was at station −23.75 and the nose mooring spindle was at station 210.75. Each ring frame formed a polygon with 36 corners and these (and their associated longitudinal girders) were numbered from 1 (at the bottom centre) to 18 (at the top centre) port and starboard.[7] Thus a position on the hull could be referred to, for example, as "6 port at station 102.5" (the number 1 engine room).
While Germany, France and Britain used goldbeater's skin to gas-proof their gasbags, Akron used Goodyear Tire and Rubber's rubberised cotton, heavier but much cheaper and more durable. Half the gas cells used an experimental cotton-based fabric impregnated with a gelatin-latex compound. This was more expensive than the rubberised cotton but lighter than goldbeater's skin. It was so successful that all the gasbags of Macon were made from it.[8] There were 12 gas cells, numbered 0 to XI, using Roman numerals and starting from the tail.[9] While the 'air volume' of the hull was 7,401,260 cu ft (209,580 m3), the total volume of the gas cells at 100 percent fill was 6,850,000 cu ft (194,000 m3). At a normal 95 percent fill with helium of standard purity, the 6,500,000 cu ft (180,000 m3) of gas would yield a gross lift of 403,000 lb (183,000 kg). Given a structure deadweight of 242,356 lb (109,931 kg),[10] this gives a useful lift of 160,644 lb (72,867 kg) available for fuel, lubricants, ballast, crew, supplies and military load (including the skyhook airplanes)
Eight Maybach VL II 560 hp (420 kW) gasoline engines were mounted inside the hull.[11] Each engine turned a two-bladed, 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m) diameter, fixed pitch, wooden propeller via a driveshaft and bevel gearing which allowed the propeller to swivel from the vertical plane to the horizontal.[12] With the engines' ability to reverse, this allowed thrust to be applied forward, aft, up or down.[13] It appears from photographs that the four propellers on each side were contra-rotating, each one turning the opposite way to the one ahead of it. Thus it would appear that the designers were aware that running the propellers in the air disturbed by the one ahead was not ideal. While the external engine pods of other airships allowed the thrust lines to be staggered, placing all four engine rooms on each side of the ship along the lower keel resulted in Akron's propellers all being in line. This proved problematic in service, as it induced considerable vibration which was especially noticeable in the emergency control position in the lower fin. By 1933, Akron had two of her propellers replaced by more advanced, ground-adjustable, three-bladed, metal propellers.[14] These promised a performance increase and were adopted as standard for Macon.
The outer cover was of cotton cloth, treated with four coats of clear and two coats of aluminum pigmented cellulose dope. The total area of the skin was 330,000 sq ft (31,000 m2) and it weighed, after doping, 113,000 lb (51,000 kg).[15]
The prominent dark vertical bands on the hull were condensers of the system designed to recover water from the engines' exhaust for buoyancy compensation. In-flight fuel consumption continuously reduces an airship's weight and changes in the temperature of the lifting gas can do the same. Normally, expensive helium has to be released to compensate and any way of avoiding this is desirable. In theory, a water recovery system such as this can produce 1 lb of ballast water for every lb of fuel burned, though this is unlikely to be achieved in practice.[13]
Akron could carry up to 20,700 US gal (78,000 L) of gasoline (126,000 lb (57,000 kg)) in 110 separate tanks which were distributed along the lower keels to preserve the ship's trim, giving her a normal range of 5,940 nmi (6,840 mi; 11,000 km) at cruising speed.[16] Theoretical maximum ballast water capacity was 223,000 lb (101,000 kg) in 44 bags, again distributed along her length, though normal ballast load at unmasting was 20,000 lb (9,100 kg).[15] Maximum ballast was never an option, because a full fuel and ballast load would have left only 4,600 lb (2,100 kg) lifting capacity for aircraft, crew, and supplies, and each fully loaded F9C fighter alone weighed 2,800 lb (1,300 kg).
The heart of the ship, and her sole reason for existing, was the airplane hangar and trapeze system. Aft of the control car, in bay VII, between frames 125 and 141.25, was a compartment large enough to accommodate up to five F9C Sparrowhawk airplanes. However, two structural girders partially obstructed Akron's aftmost hangar bays, limiting its capacity to three airplanes (one in each forward corner of the hangar and one on the trapeze). A modification to remove this design flaw was pending at the time of the ship's loss.[17]
The F9C was not the ideal choice, being designed as a 'conventional' carrier-borne fighter. It was heavily built to withstand carrier landings, downward visibility was not very good and it initially lacked an effective radio. But the primary role of Akron's airplanes was long-range naval scouting. What was actually needed was a stable, fast, lightweight scouting airplane with a long range,[18] but none existed capable of fitting between the structural members and into the airship's hangar, as the F9C could.
The trapeze was lowered through the T-shaped door in the bottom of the ship and into the slipstream, with an airplane attached to the crossbar by the 'skyhook' above its top wing, its pilot on board and its engine running. The pilot tripped the hook and the airplane fell away from the ship. On his return, he positioned himself beneath the trapeze and climbed up until he could fly his skyhook onto the crossbar, at which point it automatically latched shut. Now, with the engine idling, the trapeze and airplane were raised into the hangar, the pilot cutting his engine as he passed through the door. Once inside, the airplane was transferred from the trapeze to a trolley, running on an overhead 'monorail' system by which it could be shunted into one of the four corners of the hangar to be refueled and re-armed. Having a single trapeze raised two problems: it limited the rate at which airplanes could be launched and recovered and any fault in the trapeze would leave any airborne scouts with nowhere to land. The solution was a second, fixed trapeze permanently rigged further aft along the bottom of the ship at station 102.5 and known as the 'perch'. By 1933 a perch was fitted and in use. Three more perches were planned (at stations 57.5, 80 and 147.5) but these were never fitted.[17]
Akron revived an idea used, and eventually rejected, by the German Navy zeppelins during World War I: the spähkorb or 'spy basket'.[19] The "angel basket" or "sub-cloud observation car", allowed the airship to remain hidden in a cloud layer, while still observing the enemy below. The small car, rather like an airplane fuselage without wings, could be lowered on a 1000 foot long cable. The observer on board communicated with the ship by telephone. In practice, the device was unstable, almost looping over the airship during its only test flight.[6]
During the design stage, in 1929, the navy requested an alteration to the fins. It was considered desirable for the bottom of the lower fin to be visible from the control car. Charles E. Rosendahl had witnessed, from the control room, Graf Zeppelin almost snagging her fin on high-tension power lines during her heavy take off into an unsuspected but very marked temperature inversion from Mines Field, Los Angeles at the start of the last leg of her round-the-world flight earlier that year.[20] The design change would also allow direct vision between the main control car and the emergency control position in the lower fin. The control car was moved 8 ft (2.4 m) aft and all the fins were shortened and deepened. The leading edge root of the fins no longer coincided with a main (deep) ring and instead the foremost attachment was now to an intermediate ring at frame 28.75. This achieved the required visibility, improved low-speed controllability, due to the increased span of the control surfaces, and simplified stress calculations, by reducing the number of fin attachment points. The designers and the navy's inspectors, led by the very experienced Charles P Burgess, were entirely satisfied with the revised stress calculations. However, this alteration has been the subject of much criticism as an "inherent defect" in the design and is often alleged to have been a major factor in the loss of Akron's sister ship Macon.[21] Construction for both ships amounted to $8,800,000 (in 1931 dollars) with the Akron accounting $5,538,400 of the total.[22]
Construction and commissioning
Construction of ZRS-4 was begun on 31 October 1929 at the Goodyear Airdock in Akron, Ohio by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation.[23] Because it was larger than any airship previously built in the US, a special hangar was constructed.[24] Chief Designer Karl Arnstein and a team of experienced German airship engineers instructed and supported design and construction of both U.S. Navy airships USS Akron and USS Macon.[25]
On 7 November 1929, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, the Chief of the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, drove the "golden rivet" into the main ring of "ZRS4". Erection of the hull sections began in March 1930. Secretary of the Navy Charles Francis Adams chose the name Akron (for the city near where it was being built), and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Ernest Lee Jahncke announced it in May 1930.[6]: 33
Sample of the duralumin from which the frame of USS Akron was built
On 8 August 1931, Akron was launched (floated free of the hangar floor) and christened by First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, the wife of the President of the United States, Herbert Clark Hoover. The maiden flight of Akron took place around Cleveland on the afternoon of 23 September with Secretary of the Navy Adams and Rear Admiral Moffett on board. The airship made ten trial flights, including a 2000-mile journey, over 48 hours, to St. Louis, Chicago, and Milwaukee. On 21 October Akron left the Goodyear Zeppelin Air Dock for the Lakehurst Naval Air Station (NAS), with Lieutenant Commander Charles E. Rosendahl in command, arriving the next day. On Navy Day, 27 October 1931, the Akron was commissioned as a Navy vessel.[6]: 37–43
History of service
.
Maiden voyage
On 2 November 1931, Akron departed on her first cruise down the eastern seaboard to Washington, D.C. On 3 November the Akron took to the air with 207 persons on board. This demonstration was to prove that in an emergency airships could provide limited but high speed airlift of troops to outlying possessions. Over the weeks that followed, some 300 hours aloft were logged in a series of flights, including a 46-hour endurance flight to Mobile, Alabama, and back. The return leg of the trip was made via the valleys of the Mississippi River and the Ohio River.[6]: 47–49
Participation in a search exercise (January 1932)
On the morning of 9 January 1932, Akron departed from Lakehurst to work with the Scouting Fleet on a search exercise. Proceeding to the coast of North Carolina, Akron headed out over the Atlantic where it was assigned to find a group of destroyers bound for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Once these were located, the airship was to shadow them and report their movements. Leaving the coast of North Carolina at about 7:21 on the morning of 10 January, the airship proceeded south, but bad weather prevented sighting the destroyers (contact with them was missed at 12:40 EST, although their crews had sighted Akron) and eventually shaped a course toward the Bahamas by late afternoon. Heading northwesterly into the night, Akron then changed course shortly before midnight and proceeded to the southeast. Ultimately, at 9:08 am on 11 January, the airship succeeded in spotting the light cruiser USS Raleigh and 12 destroyers, positively identifying them on the eastern horizon two minutes later. Sighting a second group of destroyers shortly thereafter, Akron was released from the evaluation about 10:00 a.m., having achieved a "qualified success" in the initial test with the Scouting Fleet, but the performance could have been better with radio detection finding equipment, and scout planes.[6]: 49–51
As the historian Richard K Smith wrote in his definitive study, The Airships Akron and Macon, "...consideration given to the weather, duration of flight, a track of more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) flown, her material deficiencies, and the rudimentary character of aerial navigation at that date, the Akron's performance was remarkable. There was not a military airplane in the world in 1932 which could have given the same performance, operating from the same base."[26]
First accident (February 1932)
Akron was to have taken part in Fleet Problem XIII, but an accident at Lakehurst on 22 February 1932 prevented her participation. While the airship was being taken from her hangar, the tail came loose from her moorings, was caught by the wind, and struck the ground.[27] The heaviest damage was confined to the lower fin area, which required repair. Also, ground handling fittings had been torn from the main frame, necessitating further repairs. Akron was not certified as airworthy again until later in the spring. Her next operation took place on 28 April, when it made a nine-hour flight with Rear Admiral Moffett and Secretary of the Navy Adams aboard.[6]: 53–55
As a result of this accident, a turntable with a walking beam on tracks powered by electric mine locomotives was developed to secure the tail and turn the ship even in high winds so that it could be pulled into the massive hangar at Lakehurst.[28]
Testing of the "spy basket"
Soon after returning to Lakehurst to disembark her distinguished passengers, Akron took off again to conduct a test of the "spy basket"—something like a small airplane fuselage suspended beneath the airship that would enable an observer to serve as the ship's "eyes" below the clouds while the ship herself remained out of sight above them. The first time the basket was tried (with sandbags aboard instead of a man), it oscillated so violently that it put the whole ship in danger. The basket proved "frighteningly unstable", swooping from one side of the airship to the other before the startled gaze of Akron's officers and men and reaching as high as the ship's equator.[19] Though it was later improved by adding a ventral stabilizing fin, the spybasket was never used again.[29]
Akron and Macon (which was still under construction) were regarded as potential "flying aircraft carriers", carrying parasite fighters for reconnaissance. On 3 May 1932, Akron cruised over the coast of New Jersey with Rear Admiral George C. Day, and the Board of Inspection and Survey, on board, and for the first time tested the "trapeze" installation for in-flight handling of aircraft. The aviators who carried out those historic "landings"—first with a Consolidated N2Y trainer and then with the prototype Curtiss XF9C-1 Sparrowhawk—were Lieutenant D. Ward Harrigan and Lieutenant Howard L. Young. The following day, Akron carried out another demonstration flight, this time with members of the House Committee on Naval Affairs on board; this time, Lieutenants Harrigan and Young gave the lawmakers a demonstration of Akron's aircraft hook-on ability.[6]: 55–56
Following the conclusion of those trial flights, Akron departed from Lakehurst, New Jersey on 8 May 1932, for the American west coast. The airship proceeded down the eastern seaboard to Georgia and then across the southern gulf states, continuing over Texas and Arizona. En route to Sunnyvale, California, Akron reached Camp Kearny in San Diego on the morning of 11 May and attempted to moor. Since neither trained ground handlers nor specialized mooring equipment were present, the landing at Camp Kearny was fraught with danger. By the time the crew started the evaluation, the helium gas had been warmed by sunlight, increasing lift. Lightened by 40 short tons (36 t), the amount of fuel spent during the transcontinental trip, Akron was now uncontrollably light.[6]: 56–57
The mooring cable was cut to avert a catastrophic nose-stand by the errant airship which floated upwards. Most of the mooring crew—predominantly "boot" seamen from the Naval Training Station San Diego—released their lines although four did not. One let go at about 15 ft (4.6 m) and suffered a broken arm while the three others were carried further aloft. Of these, Aviation Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class Robert H. Edsall and Apprentice Seaman Nigel M. Henton soon plunged to their deaths while Apprentice Seaman C. M. "Bud" Cowart held on to his line and then secured himself to it[30] before being hoisted on board the airship an hour later.[31] Akron moored at Camp Kearny later that day before proceeding to Sunnyvale, California. Footage from the accident appears in the film Encounters with Disaster, released in 1979 and produced by Sun Classic Pictures.
West Coast flights
Over the weeks that followed, Akron "showed the flag" on the West Coast of the United States, ranging as far north as the Canada–US border before returning south in time to exercise once more with the Scouting Fleet. Serving as part of the "Green Force", the Akron attempted to locate the "White Force". Although opposed by Vought O2U Corsair floatplanes from "enemy" warships, the airship located the opposing forces in just 22 hours, a fact not lost upon some of the participants in the exercise in subsequent critiques.[6]: 58–59
In need of repairs, Akron departed from Sunnyvale on 11 June 1932 bound for Lakehurst, New Jersey, on a return trip that was sprinkled with difficulties, mostly because of unfavorable weather, and having to fly at pressure height while crossing the mountains. Akron arrived on 15 June after a "long and sometimes harrowing" aerial voyage.[6]: 61–62
Akron next underwent a period of voyage repairs before taking part in July in a search for Curlew, a yacht which had failed to reach port at the end of a race to the island of Bermuda. The yacht was later discovered safe off Nantucket.[32] It then resumed operations capturing aircraft on the "trapeze" equipment. Admiral Moffett again boarded Akron on 20 July, but the next day left the airship in one of her N2Y-1s which took him back to Lakehurst after a severe storm had delayed the airship's own return to base.[6]: 65–66
Further tests as "flying aircraft carrier"
Akron entered a new phase of her career that summer of 1932, engaging in intense experimentation with the revolutionary "trapeze" and a full complement of F9C-2s. A key element of the entrance into that new phase was a new commanding officer, Commander Alger Dresel.[6]: 63–65
Third accident (August 1932)
Another accident hampered training on 22 August when Akron's tail fin became fouled by a beam in Lakehurst's massive Hangar No 1 after a premature order to commence towing the ship out of the mooring circle. Nevertheless, rapid repairs enabled eight more flights over the Atlantic during the last three months of 1932. These operations involved intensive work with the trapeze and the F9C-2s, as well as the drilling of lookouts and gun crews.[6]: 66–67
Among the tasks undertaken were the maintenance of two aircraft patrolling and scouting on Akron's flanks. During a seven-hour period on 18 November 1932, the airship and a trio of planes searched a sector 100 mi wide.[6]: 67
Return to the fleet
After local operations out of Lakehurst for the remainder of 1932, Akron was ready to resume operations with the fleet. On the afternoon of 3 January 1933, Commander Frank C. McCord relieved Commander Dresel as commanding officer, the latter becoming the first commanding officer of Akron's sister ship Macon, whose construction was almost complete. Within hours, Akron headed south down the eastern seaboard toward Florida where, after refueling at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Opa-locka, Florida, near Miami, the next day proceeded to Guantánamo Bay for an inspection of base sites. At this time the N2Y-1s were used to provide aerial "taxi" service to ferry members of the inspection party back and forth.[6]: 73
Soon thereafter, Akron returned to Lakehurst for local operations which were interrupted by a two-week overhaul and poor weather. In March, it carried out intensive training with an aviation unit of F9C-2s, honing hook-on skills. During the course of these operations, an overfly of Washington DC was made 4 March 1933, the day Franklin D. Roosevelt first took the oath of office as President of the United States.[6]: 74
On 11 March, Akron departed Lakehurst bound for Panama stopping briefly en route at Opa-locka before proceeding on to Balboa where an inspection party looked over a potential air base site. While returning northward, the airship paused at Opa-locka again for local operations exercising gun crews, with the N2Y-1s serving as targets, before getting underway for Lakehurst on 22 March.[6]: 74–75
Loss
Location of crash
On the evening of 3 April 1933, Akron cast off from the mooring mast to operate along the coast of New England, assisting in the calibration of radio direction finder stations. Rear Admiral Moffett was again on board along with his aide, Commander Henry Barton Cecil, Commander Fred T. Berry, the commanding officer of NAS Lakehurst, and Lieutenant Colonel Alfred F. Masury, U.S. Army Reserve, a guest of the admiral, the vice-president of Mack Trucks, and a strong proponent of the potential civilian uses of rigid airships.[6]: 77–78
After casting off at 19:28, Akron soon encountered fog and then severe weather, which did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey,[33] at 22:00. According to Richard Smith, "Unknown to the men on board the Akron, they were flying ahead of one of the most violent stormfronts to sweep the North Atlantic States in ten years. It would soon envelop them." Enveloped in fog, increased lightning and heavy rain, it became extremely turbulent at 00:15. The Akron began a rapid nose-down descent, reaching 1100 feet while still falling. Ballast was dumped, which stabilized the ship at 700 feet, and climbed back to 1600 feet cruising altitude. Then a second violent descent sent the Akron downwards at 14 feet per second. "Landing stations" alerted the crew, as the ship descended tail-down. The lower fin struck the sea, water entered the fin, and the stern was dragged under. The engines pulled the ship into a nose-high attitude, then the Akron stalled, and crashed into the sea.[6]: 78–80
Akron broke up rapidly and sank in the stormy Atlantic. The crew of the nearby German merchant ship Phoebus saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 00:23 and altered course to starboard to investigate, with her captain believing that he was witnessing an airplane crash. At 00:55, executive officer Lieutenant Commander Herbert V. Wiley was pulled from the water while the ship's boat picked up three more men: Chief Radioman Robert W. Copeland, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Richard E. Deal, and Aviation Metalsmith Second Class Moody E. Erwin. Despite artificial respiration, Copeland never regained consciousness, and he died aboard Phoebus.[6]: 80 Although the German sailors spotted four or five other men in the water, they did not know their ship had chanced upon the crash of Akron until Lt. Commander Wiley regained consciousness half an hour after being rescued. The crew of Phoebus combed the ocean in boats for over five hours in a fruitless search for more survivors. The Navy blimp J-3—sent out to join the search—also crashed, with the loss of two men.[34]
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Tucker—the first American vessel on the scene—arrived at 06:00, taking the airship's survivors and the body of Copeland on board. Among the other ships combing the area for survivors were the heavy cruiser Portland, the destroyer Cole, the Coast Guard cutter Mojave, and the Coast Guard destroyers McDougal and Hunt, as well as two Coast Guard aircraft. The fishing vessel Grace F from Gloucester, Massachusetts, also assisted in the search, using her seining gear in an effort to recover bodies.[35] Most casualties had been caused by drowning and hypothermia, since the crew had not been issued life jackets, and there had not been time to deploy the single life raft. The accident left 73 dead, and only three survivors. Wiley, standing next to the two other survivors, gave a brief account on 6 April.[36]
Aftermath of loss
See also: Cathedral of the Air
Akron's loss spelled the beginning of the end for the rigid airship in the U.S. Navy, especially since one of her leading proponents, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, was among the dead. President Roosevelt said, "The loss of the Akron with her crew of gallant officers and men is a national disaster. I grieve with the Nation and especially with the wives and families of the men who were lost. Ships can be replaced, but the Nation can ill afford to lose such men as Rear Admiral William A. Moffett and his shipmates who died with him upholding to the end the finest traditions of the United States Navy." The loss of the Akron was the largest loss of life in any airship crash.[37]
Macon and other airships received life jackets to avert a repetition of this tragedy. When Macon was damaged in a storm in 1935 and subsequently sank after landing in the sea, 70 of the 72 crew were saved.
The songwriter Bob Miller wrote and recorded a song, "The Crash of the Akron", within one day of the disaster.[38]
In 2003, the U.S. submarine NR-1 surveyed the wreck site and performed sonar imaging of the Akron's girders.[39]
Assessment
For numerous reasons, in the opinion of U.S. naval aviation historian Richard K. Smith,[40] Akron never got the chance to show what it was capable of. Initially, the idea had been to use her as a scout for the fleet, just as the German Navy zeppelins had been used during World War I, with her airplanes being simply useful auxiliaries capable of extending her range of vision or of defending her against attacking enemy aircraft.[41] Gradually, in the minds of the more forward-thinking officers familiar with airship and scouting fleet operations, that was reversed, it and Macon came to be regarded as aircraft carriers, whose sole job was to get the scouting airplanes to the search area and then to support them in their flights.[42][43] The mothership herself should stay in the background, out of sight of enemy surface units, and act merely as a mobile advanced base for the airplanes, which should do all of the actual searching.[44] Any aircraft carrier could do that, but only an airship could do it so quickly since her speed was at least twice that of a surface ship, enabling her to get to the scene or be switched from flank to flank quickly. However, it was an experimental ship, a prototype, and it took time for the doctrine and suitable tactics to evolve. It also took time to develop the techniques of navigating, controlling, and coordinating the scouts. At first, developments were hampered by inadequate radio equipment,[45] as well as the difficulties encountered by the scout pilots in navigating, scouting, and communicating from their cramped open cockpits.[46]
Some politicians, some senior officers, and some sections of the press seemed predisposed to judge the airship experiment a failure without regard to the evidence.[47] Even within the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, many opposed spending so much on a single asset.[40] Smith also asserts that political pressure inside and outside the navy led to the ship being pushed too early to attempt too much.[48] Little allowance seems to have been made for the fact that this was a prototype, an experimental system, and that tactics for her use were being developed "on the hoof." As a result, the airship's performance in fleet exercises was not all that some had hoped and gave an exaggerated impression of the ship's vulnerability and failed to demonstrate her strengths.[49]
Specifications (as built)
Data based on the book The Story of the Airship by Hugh Allen.[50]
General characteristics
Crew: 60
Length: 785 ft (239 m)
Diameter: 132 ft 11 in (40 m)
Height: 146.5 ft (44.7 m)
Volume: 6,500,000 cu ft (180,000 m3)
Gross weight: 403,000 lb (182,798 kg)
Useful lift: 182,000 lb (83,000 kg)
Powerplant: 8 × Maybach VL II 60 deg. V12 water-cooled engines, 560 hp (420 kW) each
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch, rotatable wooden propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
Cruise speed: 43 kn (50 mph, 80 km/h)
Range: 9,190 nmi (10,580 mi, 17,030 km) at 50 miles per hour (80 km/h)
Armament
Guns: 8 x.30-cal machine guns
Builder: State Railway Company
Built: 1895
Weight: 71.5t
Length over buffers: 15.1 m
Maximum speed: 45 km/h
Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum). Length 11-12 mm. A large and distinctive purple-brown and greenish shieldbug which is covered with long hairs. The antennae and connexivum are banded black and white. During the winter, the ground colour becomes uniformly dull brown. This bug overwinters as an adult, emerging in the spring. Larvae, which are also hairy, may be found on numerous plants besides Blackthorn, particularly those in the Roasaceae family. The new generation is complete from August onwards.Photo by Nick Dobbs, Arne 13-09-2025
Camera: Nikon 1 J4
Aperture: f/2.0
Exposure: ¹⁄₃₂₀ sec at f/2.0
ISO: 400
Lens: 1 NIKKOR 18.5mm f/1.8
Focal Length: 18.5mm (49mm in 35mm equivalent)
Two half-timbered houses on Place Saint-Sauveur at the port of Saint-Goustan, Brittany, France
Some background information:
The port of Saint-Goustan is a former fishing harbour and trading centre located beside the Auray river. It is named after Saint Goustan, the patron saint of sailors and fishermen and dates back at least to the 12th century. In modern times Saint-Goustan has become one of the quarters of the town of Auray in the French department of Morbihan in Brittany.
The Breton name of the Auray river is Loc’h. It has its source near the commune of Plaudren from where it flows southwestern bound into the Gulf of Morbihan near the little harbour town of Locmariaquer and hence, into the Atlantic Ocean. The river has a length of 56 kilometres (35 miles) and its estuary is more than 10 kilometres (6 miles) long. Saint-Goustan is alreay situated at the river’s estuary and from there the river has to cover just a distance of another 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) before it reaches the Gulf of Morbihan.
A documented examination of port taxation in 1537 illustrates the commercial activity in Saint-Goustan: At that time, wine, salt, leather, iron and Biscay steel where imported, while conversely, wheat, rye, oats, butter, meat, fish, cloth and fabrics were exported. In 1641, the development of a larger port was completed, with the construction of a wharf and two ramps between the old pier, which had been built in 1615. Around 1680, the dock in front of the Place Saint-Sauveur was extended further.
In 1776, the famous diplomat, physicist and engineer Benjamin Franklin landed in Saint-Goustain to ask for French aid in the American War of Independence. Today, the port’s wharf is named after him. In 1936, it collapsed, but its reconstruction was already completed in 1939. The dock is adjacent to restaurants and hotels now. And it has also become a venue for markets, art exhibitions, sales of postcards, a carousel and other seasonal activities, as well as sailing instruction.
The town of Auray, to which the port of Saint-Goustan belongs, is located about 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) to the west of the city of Vannes, about 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) to the southeast of the city of Lorient and about 7 kilmetres (4.3 miles) to the north of the Gulf of Morbihan. It has more than 23,000 residents and is traversed by the Auray river. The town is situated on the river’s first crossing point from the mouth of the river located downstream. Hence, it always had a strategically important position through the centuries.
Auray was first mentioned in a document in 1069. In 1168, the town was taken by the Henry II, King of England. Originally, Auray was located on a promontory at the edge of a plateau, from where the coastal river and the port of Saint-Goustan could be overlooked. At the time, when it was occuppied by the troops of Henry II, it already had a castle, which was erected in the 11th century. In 1201, the castle was rebuilt for Arthur I, Duke of Brittany and the designated heir to the throne of England. In the decades that followed, the castle was the residence of several dukes of Brittany.
In 1341 Charles de Blois, the legitimate candidate for the crown of Brittany, took possession of the Château d'Auray. He resided there until his death in 1364 at the Battle of Auray. This battle took place on the nearby plateau of Rostevel. It ended with the defeat of the troops of Charles de Blois and Bertrand du Guesclin by the english troops of John V, Earl of Montfort-l’Amaury and alo Earl of Richmond. The Battle of Auray also put an end to the War of the Breton Succession and John V became the new Duke of Brittany.
In 1442, the Château d'Auray was the location of the wedding of Francis I, Duke of Brittany, and Isabella of Scotland. But subsequently, the castle fell into decay. In the 16th century, its demolition was decided and in 1559, its stones were sold and transported to the island of Belle-Île, where they were used to build a fort. In 1626, a Capuchin convent was founded in Auray, and in 1632, also a Clarisse convent was brought into being.
In 1776, at the beginning of the American War of Independence, Benjamin Franklin landed at the port of Saint-Goustan, to request military aid from France under Louis XVI. In 1778, France actually intervened in the war, and hence, was jointly responsible for the British defeat of 1781. After the French Revolution, Auray became the capital of a district from 1790 to 1795.
The second Battle of Auray took place in 1795, during the so-called Chouannerie, which was an armed revolt of Catholic royalists. After a royalist division hat entrenched themselves behind the walls of Auray, the town was attached by Republican forces. The royalist revolt was finally broken and the counterrevolution was put to a stop. A third Battle of Auray was waged during the Chouannerie of 1815. But the result remained the same and the royalists were defeated again.
During World War II, the railway station of Auray was a transit point for the concrete used to build numerous bunkers of the Atlantic Wall on the coast of the region. On March 1, 2020, the town of Auray was one of the first French centres of the coronavirus epidemic. The town still has a beautiful historic district and serves as the gateway to the popular Presqu'île de Quiberon. Furthermore, it benefits from its privileged position between the cities of Lorient and Vannes.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
History
United States
Name: USS Enterprise
Ordered: 1933
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down: 16 July 1934
Launched: 3 October 1936
Commissioned: 12 May 1938
Decommissioned: 17 February 1947
Identification: Hull number: CV-6
Nickname(s):
The Big E
Lucky E
The Grey Ghost
The Galloping Ghost
Honors and
awards:
Bronze-service-star-3d.png 20 Battle Stars
United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Navy Unit Commendation
American Defense Service ribbon.svg American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War II Victory Medal
Task Force 16 Citation
British Admiralty Pennant
Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines).svg Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Phliber rib.png Philippine Liberation Medal
Fate: Scrapped 1958–1960
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type: Yorktown-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:
19,800 tons standard
25,500 tons full load
From October 1943:
21,000 tons standard
32,060 tons full load
Length:
770 ft (234.7 m) waterline
824 ft 9 in (251.4 m) overall
From July 1942:
827 ft 5 in (252.2 m) overall length
Beam:
83 ft 3 in (25.4 m)
109 ft 6 in (33.4 m) overall
From October 1942:
114 ft 5 in (34.9 m) overall width
From October 1943:
95 ft 5 in (29.1 m) waterline
Draft: 25 ft 11.5 in (7.9 m)
Installed power:
120,000 shp (89,484 kW)
9 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Propulsion: 4 × shafts; 4 × Parsons geared steam turbines
Speed: 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range: 12,500 nmi (23,200 km; 14,400 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 2,217 officers and men (1941)
Sensors and
processing systems: CXAM-1 RADAR[1]
Armament:
8 × single 5 in/38 cal guns
4 × quad 1.1 in/75 cal guns
24 × .50 caliber machine guns
From April 1942:
8 × 5 in/38 cal
4 × quad 1.1 in/75 cal
30 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannons
From mid-June 1942 to mid-September 1942:
8 × 5 in/38 cal
5 × quad 1.1 in/75 cal
32 × 20 mm Oerlikons
From mid-September 1942:
8 × 5 in/38 cal
4 × quad 40 mm Bofors guns
1 × quad 1.1 in/75 cal
44 × 20 mm Oerlikons(46 from 11/42)
From October 1943:
8 × 5 in/38 cal
40 × 40 mm Bofors (8×2, 6×4)
50 × 20 mm Oerlikon
From September 1945:
8 × 5 in/38 cal
54 × 40 mm Bofors (5×2, 11×4)
32 × 20 mm Oerlikons (16×2)
Armor:
2.5–4 in belt
60 lb protective decks
4 in bulkheads
4 in side and 2 in top round conning tower
4 in side over steering gear
Aircraft carried: 90 aircraft
Aviation facilities:
3 × elevators
2 × flight deck hydraulic catapults
1 × hangar deck hydraulic catapults
USS Enterprise (CV-6), was the seventh U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. Colloquially called "the Big E", she was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. A Yorktown-class carrier, she was launched in 1936 and was one of only three American carriers commissioned before World War II to survive the war (the others being Saratoga and Ranger). She participated in more major actions of the war against Japan than any other United States ship. These actions included the Attack on Pearl Harbor (18 dive bombers of VS-6 were over the harbor, 6 were shot down with a loss of eleven men, making her the only American Aircraft carrier with men at Pearl Harbor during the Attack and the first to receive casualties during the Pacific War), the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, various other air-sea engagements during the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Enterprise earned 20 battle stars, the most for any U.S. warship in World War II, and was the most decorated U.S. ship of World War II, She is also the first American ship to sink an enemy vessel during the Pacific War, the sole surviving pilot of the six planes shot down over Pearl Harbor sank Japanese submarine I-70 on 10 December 1941. On three occasions during the Pacific War, the Japanese announced that she had been sunk in battle, resulting in her being named "The Grey Ghost".
Construction and commissioning
The second carrier of the Yorktown-class, Enterprise was launched on 3 October 1936 at Newport News Shipbuilding, sponsored by Lulie Swanson, wife of Secretary of the Navy Claude A. Swanson, and commissioned on 12 May 1938 with Captain Newton H. White in command. Enterprise sailed south on a shakedown cruise which took her to Rio de Janeiro. After her return, she operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean until April 1939, when she was ordered to duty in the Pacific.[2]
Service history
Enterprise was one of fourteen ships to receive the early RCA CXAM-1 Radar.[1] Based first at San Diego (where she was used in the filming of Dive Bomber, starring Errol Flynn and Fred MacMurray) and then at Pearl Harbor after President Roosevelt ordered the Fleet to be "forward based," the carrier and her aircraft squadrons trained intensively and transported aircraft among the island bases of the Pacific. Enterprise was completing one such mission when she left Pearl Harbor on 28 November 1941. It was while returning to Hawaii after delivering Marine Fighter Squadron 211 (VMF-211) to Wake Island, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7.[2]
World War II
Enterprise was at sea on the morning of 7 December 1941[3] and received a radio message from Pearl Harbor, reporting that the base was under attack. The next evening, Enterprise, screened by six of her Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters, put into Pearl Harbor for fuel and supplies (VADM Halsey ordered every able bodied man on board to help rearm and refuel the Enterprise, the entire 24 hour process took only 7 hours)[4]. The aircraft were fired on by anti-aircraft defenses, and one pilot radioed in, reporting that his aircraft was an American aircraft.[5] She sailed early the next morning to patrol against possible additional attacks in the Hawaiian Islands. Although the group encountered no surface ships, Enterprise aircraft sank Japanese submarine I-70 at 23°45′N 155°35′W on 10 December 1941.
During the last two weeks of December 1941, Enterprise and her group steamed west of Hawaii to cover the islands while two other carrier groups made a belated attempt to relieve Wake Island. After a brief layover at Pearl Harbor, the Enterprise group sailed on 11 January, protecting convoys reinforcing Samoa.[2]
On 16 January 1942, one of her TBD Devastators of Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6),[6] piloted by Chief Harold F. Dixon, got lost on patrol, ran out of fuel, and ditched. Dixon and his two crewmates, bombardier Anthony J. Pastula and gunner Gene Aldrich, survived for 34 days in a small rubber raft that had no stored food or water, before drifting ashore on Pukapuka atoll. Dixon was awarded the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism, exceptional determination, resourcefulness, skilled seamanship, excellent judgment and highest quality of leadership."[7][8]
On 1 February, Enterprise's Task Force 8 raided Kwajalein, Wotje, and Maloelap in the Marshall Islands, sinking three ships, damaging eight, and destroying numerous airplanes and ground facilities. Enterprise received only minor damage in the Japanese counterattack, as her group retired to Pearl Harbor.
The next month, the Enterprise group swept the central Pacific, attacking enemy installations on Wake and Marcus Islands.
After minor alterations and repairs at Pearl Harbor, Enterprise departed on 8 April 1942 to rendezvous with her sister ship Hornet and sail west, escorting Hornet on the mission to launch 16 Army B-25 Mitchells in the "Doolittle Raid" on Tokyo. While fighters from Enterprise flew combat air patrol, the B-25s launched on 18 April, and flew undetected the remaining 600 miles (1,000 km) to the target. The task force, its presence known to the enemy after a sighting by small vessels, reversed course and returned to Pearl Harbor on 25 April.[2]
The Battle of Midway
Five days later, Enterprise sortied toward the South Pacific to reinforce U.S. carriers operating in the Coral Sea. However, the Battle of the Coral Sea was over before Enterprise arrived. After executing, with Hornet, a feint towards Nauru and Banaba (Ocean) islands which caused the Japanese to delay Operation RY to seize the two islands, Enterprise returned to Pearl Harbor on 26 May, and began intensive preparation to meet the expected Japanese thrust at Midway Island.
VT-6 TBDs on USS Enterprise during the Battle of Midway
On 28 May, Enterprise sortied as Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance's flagship with orders "to hold Midway and inflict maximum damage on the enemy by strong attrition tactics". With Enterprise in CTF 16 were Hornet, six cruisers, and 10 destroyers. On 30 May, Task Force 17 (TF17), with Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher in Yorktown, left Pearl with two cruisers and six destroyers as CTF-17; as senior officer present, Rear Admiral Fletcher became "Officer in Tactical Command."[2] The usual commander of the Enterprise task force, Vice Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, was kept in hospital at Pearl with a stress-related skin condition.
Each side launched air attacks during the day in a decisive battle. Though the forces were in contact until 7 June, by 10:45am on 4 June the outcome had been decided. Three Japanese carriers were burning and it was only a matter of time until a fourth was caught and knocked out. The Battle of Midway began on the morning of 4 June 1942, when four Japanese carriers, unaware of the presence of U.S. naval forces, launched attacks on Midway Island. Shortly after the first bomb fell on Midway, the first wave of planes from Midway Island attacked, unsuccessfully. Several more groups attacked, again failing to damage their targets. Planes from the U.S. carriers attacked next. Enterprise torpedo bombers attacked first, scoring no hits and suffering heavy losses. Soon after, Enterprise dive bombers attacked and disabled the Japanese carriers Kaga and Akagi, leaving them ablaze. Within an hour, the one remaining Japanese carrier, Hiryu, launched air strikes that crippled Yorktown with three bombs and two torpedoes striking home during two separate attacks. In late afternoon, a mixed squadron of Enterprise and Yorktown bombers, flying from Enterprise, disabled Hiryu, leaving her burning. (Aircraft from Yorktown had also disabled the Japanese aircraft carrier Sōryū at the same time as the Enterprise planes were bombing Akagi and Kaga, again leaving it burning and dead in the water). The following day Enterprise dive bombers alone sank cruiser Mikuma. While Yorktown and Hammann were the only American ships sunk, TF 16 and TF 17 lost a total of 113 planes, 61 of them in combat, during the battle. Japanese losses were much larger: four carriers (all scuttled), one cruiser and 272 carrier aircraft.[9] Despite losses to her aircraft squadrons, Enterprise came through undamaged and returned to Pearl Harbor on 13 June 1942.[2]
South Pacific
October 1942.
After a month of rest and overhaul, Enterprise sailed on 15 July 1942 for the South Pacific, where she joined TF 61 to support the amphibious landings in the Solomon Islands on 8 August. For the next two weeks, the carrier and her planes guarded seaborne communication lines southwest of the Solomons. On 24 August, a strong Japanese force was discovered some 200 miles (300 km) north of Guadalcanal, and TF 61 sent planes to the attack.[2] This was the first time that the Grim Reapers of VF-10 deployed from Enterprise under commanding officer James H. Flatley, who became known as "Reaper Leader."[10] In the ensuing Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the light carrier Ryūjō was sunk, and the Japanese troops intended for Guadalcanal were forced back. Enterprise suffered most heavily of the American ships; three direct bomb hits and four near misses killed 74, wounded 95, and inflicted serious damage on the carrier. Quick, hard work by damage control parties patched her up so that she was able to return to Hawaii under her own power.[2]
Repaired at Pearl Harbor from 10 September-16 October 1942, Enterprise departed once more for the South Pacific, where with Hornet she formed TF 61. On 26 October, Enterprise scout planes located a Japanese carrier force and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands was under way. Enterprise aircraft struck carriers and cruisers during the struggle, while the Big E herself underwent intensive attack. Hit twice by bombs, Enterprise lost 44 men and had 75 wounded. Despite serious damage, she continued in action and took on board a large number of planes and crewmen from Hornet when that carrier was sunk. Though the American losses of a carrier and a destroyer were more severe than the Japanese loss of one light cruiser, the battle gained time to reinforce Guadalcanal against the next enemy onslaught,[2] and nearby Henderson Field was therefore secure from the Japanese bombardment. The loss of the Hornet meant Enterprise was now the only functioning (albeit damaged) US carrier in the Pacific Theater.[note 1] On the flight deck, the crew posted a sign: "Enterprise vs Japan."[11][12][13][14]
Enterprise reached Nouméa, New Caledonia on 30 October for repairs, but a new Japanese thrust at the Solomons demanded her presence and she sailed on 11 November, with repair crews from Vestal still working on board. Part of the repair crew comprised a 75-man Seabee detachment from Company B of the 3rd Construction Battalion because adequate regular repair forces were lacking.[15][note 2] Underway with orders to engage the enemy, the Seabees continued their repair work even during the forthcoming battle. Ship repairs fell under the round-the-clock supervision of her damage control officer Lieutenant Commander Herschel Albert Smith, USN (USNA- Class 1922, Michigan).[16] "She made the open sea with her decks still shaking and echoing to air hammers, with welders' arcs still sparking, with a big bulge in her right side forward, without water tight integrity and one oil tank still leaking, and with her forward elevator still jammed as it had been since the bomb at Santa Cruz broke in half.".[17]
The commanding officer of Enterprise, Captain Osborne Bennett "Ozzie B" "Oby" Hardison, USN (USNA- Class 1916, North Carolina)[18] notified the Navy Department that "The emergency repairs accomplished by this skillful, well-trained, and enthusiastically energetic force have placed this vessel in condition for further action against the enemy".[19][note 3] This remarkable job later won the praise of Vice Admiral William Halsey, Jr., USN, Commander South Pacific Area and the South Pacific Force, who sent a dispatch to the OIC of the Seabee detachment stating: "Your commander wishes to express to you and the men of the Construction Battalion serving under you his appreciation for the services rendered by you in effecting emergency repairs during action against the enemy. The repairs were completed by these men with speed and efficiency. I hereby commend them for their willingness, zeal, and capability."[20]
On 13 November, aviators from Enterprise helped to sink the Hiei, the first Japanese battleship lost during the war. When the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal ended on 15 November 1942, Enterprise had shared in sinking sixteen ships and damaging eight more. The carrier returned to Nouméa on 16 November to complete her repairs.
Sailing again on 4 December, Enterprise trained out of Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, until 28 January 1943, when she departed for the Solomons area. On 30 January, her fighters flew combat air patrol for a cruiser–destroyer group during the Battle of Rennell Island. Despite the destruction of most of the attacking Japanese bombers by Enterprise planes, the heavy cruiser Chicago was sunk by aerial torpedoes.
Detached after the battle, the carrier arrived at Espiritu Santo on 1 February, and for the next three months operated out of that base, covering U.S. surface forces up to the Solomons. Enterprise then steamed to Pearl Harbor where, on 27 May 1943, Admiral Chester Nimitz presented the ship with the first Presidential Unit citation awarded to an aircraft carrier.
In the summer of 1943, with the new Essex-class and Independence-class carriers joining the American Pacific Fleet, Enterprise was temporarily relieved of duty, and on 20 July, she entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for a much-needed overhaul.[2] Over the course of several months, Enterprise received an extensive refit, which included, among other upgrades, new anti-aircraft weapons and an anti-torpedo blister that significantly improved her underwater protection.[note 4]
Return to duty
Back in waters by mid-November, Enterprise joined in providing close air support to the 27th Infantry Division landing on Makin Atoll, during the Battle of Makin, from 19–21 November 1943. On the night of 26 November, Enterprise introduced carrier-based night fighters to the Pacific when a three-plane team from the ship broke up a large group of land-based bombers attacking TG 50.2. Two of the three planes returned to the ship, with LCDR Edward "Butch" O'Hare the only casualty. After a heavy strike by aircraft of TF 50 against Kwajalein on 4 December, Enterprise returned to Pearl Harbor five days later.
The carrier's next operation was with the Fast Carrier Task Force in softening up the Marshall Islands and supporting the landings on Kwajalein, from 29 January-3 February 1944. Then, Enterprise sailed, still with TF 58, to strike the Japanese naval base at Truk Lagoon in the Caroline Islands, on 17 February. Again Enterprise made aviation history, when she launched the first night radar bombing attack from a U.S. carrier. The twelve torpedo bombers in this strike achieved excellent results, accounting for nearly one-third of the 200,000 tons of shipping destroyed by aircraft.
Detached from TF 58 with escorts, Enterprise launched raids on Jaluit Atoll on 20 February, then steamed to Majuro and Espiritu Santo. Sailing on 15 March in TG 36.1, she provided air cover and close support for the landings on Emirau Island (19–25 March). The carrier rejoined TF 58 on 26 March, and for the next 12 days, joined in a series of strikes against the islands of Yap, Ulithi, Woleai, and Palau. After a week's rest and replenishment at Majuro, Enterprise sailed on 14 April to support landings in the Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) area of New Guinea, and then hit Truk again from 29–30 April.
On 6 June 1944, she and her companions of TG 58.3 sortied from Majuro to join the rest of TF 58 in attacking the Marianas Islands. Striking Saipan, Rota, and Guam from 11–14 June, Enterprise pilots gave direct support to the landings on Saipan on 15 June, and covered the troops ashore for the next two days.
Aware of a major Japanese attempt to break up the invasion of Saipan, Admiral Spruance, now Commander 5th Fleet, positioned TF 58 to meet the threat.[2]
The Battle of the Philippine Sea
On 19 June 1944, Enterprise was one of four carriers of Task Group 58.3 under the command of Rear Admiral John W. Reeves' during the largest carrier aircraft battle in history: the Battle of the Philippine Sea. For over eight hours, airmen of the United States and Imperial Japanese navies fought in the skies over TF 58 and the Marianas. Over the course of two days, a total of six American ships were damaged, and 130 planes and a total of 76 pilots and aircrew were lost. In sharp contrast, American carrier aircraft, with a major assist from U.S. submarines, sank three Japanese carriers (Hiyō, Shōkaku, and Taihō), and destroyed 426 carrier aircraft, losses from which Japanese naval aviation would never recover.
Enterprise participated both in the defense of the fleet and in the subsequent early-evening strike against the Japanese task forces. During the chaotic after-dark recovery of the air strike, a fighter and a bomber came aboard simultaneously, but fortunately did not cause an accident. A planned midnight strike against the Japanese fleet by night-flying Enterprise pilots was cancelled because of the recovery and rescue operations required after the dusk attack. After the battle, Enterprise and her Task Group continued to provide air support for the invasion of Saipan through 5 July. She then sailed for Pearl Harbor and a month of rest and overhaul. Back in action on 24 August, the carrier sailed with TF 38 in that force's aerial assault on the Volcano and Bonin Islands from 31 August – 2 September, and Yap, Ulithi, and the Palaus from 6–8 September.[2]
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
After operating west of the Palau Islands, Enterprise joined other units of TF 38 on 7 October and set course to the north. From 10–20 October, her aviators flew over Okinawa, Formosa, and the Philippines, blasting enemy airfields, shore installations, and shipping in preparation for the assault on Leyte. After supporting the Leyte landings on 20 October, Enterprise headed for Ulithi to replenish, but the approach of the Japanese fleet on 23 October called her back to action.
In the Battle of Leyte Gulf (23–26 October), Enterprise planes struck all three groups of enemy forces, battering battleships and destroyers before the action ended. The carrier remained on patrol east of Samar and Leyte until the end of October, then retired to Ulithi for supplies. During November, her aircraft struck targets in the Manila area, and at the island of Yap. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 6 December 1944.
Sailing on 24 December for the Philippines, Enterprise carried an air group specially trained in night carrier operations; as the only carrier capable of night operations, she left Oahu with her hull code changed from CV to CV(N), the "N" representing "Night".[21][22] She joined TG 38.5 and swept the waters north of Luzon and of the South China Sea during January 1945, striking shore targets and shipping from Formosa to Indo-China including an attack on Macau.[23] After a brief visit to Ulithi, Enterprise joined TG 58.5 on 10 February 1945, and provided day and night combat air patrol for TF 58 as it struck Tokyo on 16–17 February. She then supported the Marines in the Battle of Iwo Jima from 19 February – 9 March, when she sailed for Ulithi. During one part of that period, Enterprise kept aircraft aloft continuously over Iwo Jima for 174 hours.
Departing Ulithi on 15 March, the carrier continued her night work in raids against Kyūshū, Honshū, and shipping in the Inland Sea of Japan. Damaged lightly by an enemy bomb on 18 March, Enterprise entered Ulithi six days later for repairs. Back in action on 5 April, she supported the Okinawa operation until she was damaged on 11 April—this time by a kamikaze—and was forced back to Ulithi.[24] Off Okinawa once more on 6 May, Enterprise flew patrols around the clock as kamikaze attacks increased. On 14 May 1945, she suffered her last wound of World War II when a kamikaze Zero, piloted by Lt. J.G. Shunsuke Tomiyasu, destroyed her forward elevator, killing 14 and wounding 34.
The carrier sailed for and was fully repaired at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. Near ready, with all planes aboard at the degaussing/demagnetizing range off the Strait of Juan de Fuca when the Nagasaki bombing ended the war on August 9, 1945.[2]
Post war
Operation Magic Carpet
Enterprise and Washington in Panama Canal
Enterprise and Washington pass through the Panama Canal en route to New York in October 1945
Enterprise awaiting disposal
Restored to peak condition, Enterprise voyaged to Pearl Harbor, returning to the States with some 1,141 servicemen due for discharge, including hospital patients and former POWs, then sailed on to New York on 25 September 1945 via the Panama Canal arriving on 17 October 1945. Two weeks later, she proceeded to Boston for installation of additional berthing facilities, then began a series of three Operation Magic Carpet voyages to Europe, bringing more than 10,000 veterans home in her final service to her country.[2]
The first European voyage returned 4,668 servicemen from Southampton, England in November 1945.[25] On the second trip to Europe, she was boarded by the British First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Albert Alexander in Southampton, who presented Enterprise with a British Admiralty pennant that was hoisted when a majority of the Admiralty Board members were present. The pennant was given to the Big E as a token of respect from several high-ranking officers of an ally. She returned to New York on 25 December 1945 with 4,413 servicemen.[25] On this nine-day trip, she encountered four storms, some with winds of 80mph that caused 75 foot waves that swamped the forecastle deck in water up to 10 feet deep. According to damage control officer John U. Monro, the storms smashed sections of walkways and railings, and swept loose objects overboard.[26] Her last voyage was to the Azores, and returned 3,557 personnel, including 212 WACs to New York on 17 January 1946[25]
The end of the "Big E"
With the commissioning of over two dozen larger and more advanced aircraft carriers by end of 1945, Enterprise was deemed surplus for the post-war needs of America's navy. She entered the New York Naval Shipyard on 18 January 1946 for deactivation, and was decommissioned on 17 February 1947. In 1946, she had been scheduled to be handed over to the state of New York as a permanent memorial, but this plan was suspended in 1949.[27] Subsequent attempts were made at preserving the ship as a museum or memorial, but fund-raising efforts failed to raise enough money to buy the vessel from the Navy, and the "Big E" was sold on 1 July 1958 to the Lipsett Corporation of New York City for scrapping at Kearny, New Jersey.
A promise was made to save the distinctive tripod mast for inclusion in the Naval Academy's new football stadium, but was never fulfilled; instead, a memorial plaque was installed at the base of what is still called "Enterprise Tower." Scrapping was complete as of May 1960. In 1984, a permanent "Enterprise Exhibit" was dedicated at the Naval Aviation Museum, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida to house artifacts, photos and other items of historical interest.
Jersey.
Surviving Enterprise artifacts include the ship's bell, which resides at the U.S. Naval Academy,[28] where it is traditionally rung only after Midshipmen victories over West Point; and the sixteen-foot, one-ton nameplate from the ship's stern, which sits near a Little League park in River Vale, New Jersey.[29] Her commissioning plaque and one of her anchors are on display at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
Successors to the "Big E"
The name was revived in February 1958 when the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was laid down as the eighth Enterprise; this ship was commissioned in November 1961. Also nicknamed the "Big E", various artifacts and mementos were kept aboard from her predecessor. The port holes in the captain's in-port cabin and conference room are only one example. She was inactivated and removed from service on 1 December 2012 after being in the fleet for 51 years. Due to needs involving reactor removal, she cannot be turned into a memorial. At her inactivation, it was announced that the ninth ship to bear the name Enterprise would be the planned Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN-80.[30] It has not been confirmed what, if any, artifacts from USS Enterprise (CV-6) will be incorporated into this next generation aircraft carrier, although a time capsule containing mementos from both CV-6 and CVN-65 will be presented to the first captain of the new Enterprise. The aforementioned port holes aboard the CVN-65 will be removed and returned to the Boston Navy Yard Museum.
Awards and commendations
The ship's insignia of Enterprise
Bronze star
Silver star
Silver star
Silver star
Silver star
Presidential Unit Citation Navy Unit Commendation
American Defense Service Medal
with "Fleet" clasp American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
with twenty stars
World War II Victory Medal Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Philippine Liberation Medal
British Admiralty Pennant
Enterprise was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for her service during World War II.[31] The citation states:
“ For consistently outstanding performance and distinguished achievement during repeated action against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific war area, 7 December 1941, to 15 November 1942. Participating in nearly every major carrier engagement in the first year of the war, the Enterprise and her air group, exclusive of far-flung destruction of hostile shore installations throughout the battle area, did sink or damage on her own a total of 35 Japanese vessels and shot down a total of 185 Japanese aircraft. Her aggressive spirit and superb combat efficiency are fitting tribute to the officers and men who so gallantly established her as an ahead bulwark in the defense of the American nation. ”
In addition to her Presidential Unit Citation, Enterprise received the Navy Unit Commendation and 20 battle stars for World War II service, making her the highest decorated US ship ever.
Finally, she was presented with a British Admiralty pennant that was hoisted when a majority of the Admiralty Board members were present. The pennant was given to the "Big E" as an unofficial token of respect from an ally.
List of Commanding Officers
Commanding Officer[32] Dates of Command Notable Events
Captain Newton H. White, Jr., USN 12 May 1938 - 21 Dec. 1938 Commissioning, Shakedown Cruise
Captain Charles A. Pownall, USN 21 Dec. 1938 - 21 March 1941 Winter Maneuvers, Pacific Fleet Exercises and Patrols
Captain George D. Murray, USN 21 March 1941 - 30 June 1942 Pearl Harbor, Marshall Islands Raid, Wake and Marcus Island Raids, Doolittle Raid, Midway
Captain Arthur C. Davis, USN 30 June 1942 - 21 Oct. 1942 Guadalcanal Landings, Eastern Solomons
Captain Osborne B. Hardison, USN 21 Oct. 1942 - 7 April 1943 Santa Cruz, Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Rennell Island
Captain Carlos W. Wieber, USN 7 April 1943 - 16 April 1943
Captain Samuel P. Ginder, USN 16 April 1943 - 7 Nov. 1943 Pearl Harbor Repairs, Bremerton Refit
Captain Matthias B. Gardner, USN 7 Nov. 1943 - 10 July 1944 Gilberts Landings, Marshall and Truk Islands Raids, Marianas Landings, Philippine Sea
Commander Thomas J. Hamilton, USN 10 July 1944 - 29 July 1944 Pearl Harbor Repairs
Captain Cato D. Glover, USN 29 July 1944 - 14 Dec. 1944 Bonin Islands Raids, Leyte Landings, Leyte Gulf
Captain Grover B. H. Hall, USN 14 Dec. 1944 - 25 Sep. 1945 Luzon Invasion, South China Raids, Tokyo Raids, Iwo Jima, Kyushu Raids, Okinawa, Bremerton Repairs
Captain William A. Rees, USN 25 Sep. 1945 - 20 Feb. 1946 Navy Day Celebrations, Operation Magic Carpet
Captain Francis E. Bardwell, USN 20 Feb. 1946 - 10 June 1946 Docked in Bayonne, New Jersey
Commander Conrad W. Craven, USN 10 June 1946 - 31 Jan. 1947
Commander Lewis F. Davis, USN 31 Jan. 1947 - 17 Feb. 1947 Decommissioning