Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
This is the SS Black Point, a collier and not an ocean going beauty by any definition.
She has a place in history as the last commercial ship sunk in the Battle of the Atlantic. Torpedoed by U-853 on 5 May 1945, after Donitz's message to all u-boats to cease operations and any aggressive action. Within a day, U-853 was sunk with all hands.
Here she is, on the floor of the ocean off Rhode Island:
Regrettably, the wreck - a grave for at least 53 of the crew members - has been somewhat pillaged. Story here: https://smallstatebighistory.com/german-u-boat-u-853-stripped-of-some-of-its-major-artifacts/
She has a place in history as the last commercial ship sunk in the Battle of the Atlantic. Torpedoed by U-853 on 5 May 1945, after Donitz's message to all u-boats to cease operations and any aggressive action. Within a day, U-853 was sunk with all hands.
Here she is, on the floor of the ocean off Rhode Island:
Regrettably, the wreck - a grave for at least 53 of the crew members - has been somewhat pillaged. Story here: https://smallstatebighistory.com/german-u-boat-u-853-stripped-of-some-of-its-major-artifacts/
That wouldn't be surprising. The French built an awful lot of those bunkers. Pre-WWII, hardening a steel part that large would likely have been a lot more difficult and expensive than it would be today. And we all know how govt loves the lowest bidder.
21 gun salute, 'Jersey style:
"The day before New Jersey pulled into Seattle, another historic "first" was recorded when the Battleship conducted a 21-gun dual-broadside -- all nine 16 inch guns and all 12 five inch guns fired simultaneously. A total weight of 73,442 pounds of ammunition was expended in the demonstration, witnessed by some 8,000 sailors aboard Constellation and Ranger."
It's an interesting tale. It was done specifically as a photo op. In order for this to happen, a lot of safety mechanisms had to be disabled, and the firing solenoids of all guns had to be direct wired to a single "button." Normally, there's both mechanical and electrical mechanisms in place to prevent this from happening, because under normal circumstances firing all the guns of a main battery at once would cause the shock waves from each barrel to "push" against each other's shells, causing a massive increase in dispersion and decrease in accuracy. In standard firing, there's a half second delay from one barrel to the next.
Full story on the "Battleship New Jersey" YouTube channel:
"The day before New Jersey pulled into Seattle, another historic "first" was recorded when the Battleship conducted a 21-gun dual-broadside -- all nine 16 inch guns and all 12 five inch guns fired simultaneously. A total weight of 73,442 pounds of ammunition was expended in the demonstration, witnessed by some 8,000 sailors aboard Constellation and Ranger."
It's an interesting tale. It was done specifically as a photo op. In order for this to happen, a lot of safety mechanisms had to be disabled, and the firing solenoids of all guns had to be direct wired to a single "button." Normally, there's both mechanical and electrical mechanisms in place to prevent this from happening, because under normal circumstances firing all the guns of a main battery at once would cause the shock waves from each barrel to "push" against each other's shells, causing a massive increase in dispersion and decrease in accuracy. In standard firing, there's a half second delay from one barrel to the next.
Full story on the "Battleship New Jersey" YouTube channel:
Attachments
That is interesting. I would never have guessed.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
The Ford 9N was a staple of farming from 1939 to, well, in smaller plots I suppose it still "does what it says on the box". Handy wee things.
It hit the market in 1939. Then WW2 hit, and the basic tractor was brought into military service as the BNO-40 aircraft tug:
Such a thing would be a fun project. Handy for towing heavy things around paved areas, too.
It hit the market in 1939. Then WW2 hit, and the basic tractor was brought into military service as the BNO-40 aircraft tug:
Such a thing would be a fun project. Handy for towing heavy things around paved areas, too.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
They aint no fun in Mexican overdrive on a 1/2 long river hill, former employer had one we used periodically to move construction camp stuff and unknown to me, it had a nasty habit of jumping out of high gear all the time...dont know how fast I was going at the bottom when I crossed that bridge but bridge girders were just a blur.
The tractor had been ridden hard before you came along, to many road miles for that gear range.
The Ford 9N was a staple of farming from 1939 to, well, in smaller plots I suppose it still "does what it says on the box". Handy wee things.
It hit the market in 1939. Then WW2 hit, and the basic tractor was brought into military service as the BNO-40 aircraft tug:
Such a thing would be a fun project. Handy for towing heavy things around paved areas, too.
I wish I had the means to take a photo over 55 years ago.
We had one of those that had been modified by taking off the fenders and adapting single, larger diameter, nobby tires and replacing the front tires with taller ones as well, Made for a great garden tractor and winter snow plow.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Meanwhile, in Burma...
If the wings come off 'er, might as well build a bar.
If the wings come off 'er, might as well build a bar.
Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
Drove into the parking lot once for a closer peek. Was closed at that time, so never checked it out. Kinda regret it now...
Ford Island, day before yesterday,The old girl is pretty fragile but mostly there.
Grizz
Wow!
How is it in as good a condition as it is....after 'landing' in a swamp?
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
And several decades of exposure and neglect?
Swamps are kinda squishy, I guess. She won't fly again, but there's still an identifiable plane there. That's something.
Swamps are kinda squishy, I guess. She won't fly again, but there's still an identifiable plane there. That's something.
Another pic from Pearl Harbour. Until you see a MIG 15 you don't appreciate what a small aircraft it really was. The cockpit must have been really cozy for the pilot.
Grizz
The F86 and F104 fighters weren't much larger.
You want, "way smaller than you ever thought", go stand beside an ME109. They are shockingly small.
