Naval awesome

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Last Stand is a good book, read that one too.

[Matthew Carberry]

Couldn't help but tear up reading that book.  More than one of the 'Cans had all their torpedos gone, most of their superstructure shot away and only secondary armament operating. 

With their ships afire and much of the crew dead or injured they could by all rights have honorably turned and ran at that point, yet they reversed course again and again and attacked back into the teeth of the Japanese fleet to give the carriers more time.

For some acts of courage there are no words.

[K Frame]

I put in a couple of years with Navy Federal Credit Union.

One of the women I worked with was named Evans.

She was the daughter in law of Ernest Evans, commander of the Johnston. Evans' son became a colonel in the Marine Corps. Not a very pleasant guy when I had to deal with him, unfortunately. But his wife was a sweetheart.

[K Frame]

"The Yamato - the largest and most powerful battleship ever to see surface combat - alone displaced as much as all of Taffy 3's ships put together"

First time I read that my mind went BS! BS to the MAX!

Then I got to looking...

Taffy 3 had 13 ships, total weight of approximately 61,395 tons.

Yamato? Standard combat displacement of 64,000 tons.

Wow.

[Scout26]

Couldn't help but tear up reading that book.  More than one of the 'Cans had all their torpedos gone, most of their superstructure shot away and only secondary armament operating. 

With their ships afire and much of the crew dead or injured they could by all rights have honorably turned and ran at that point, yet they reversed course again and again and attacked back into the teeth of the Japanese fleet to give the carriers more time.

For some acts of courage there are no words.

Don't forget the Naval Aviators from Taffy 3....Out of bombs, bullets, and low on fuel,  They repeatedly braved AAA to make runs on the Japanese ships to keep them occupied and changing course.   

Like I said, damn near everyone on the American side had huge brass ones that day.

[roo_ster]

Just re-read an account of Leyte.

Both indescribably ballsy and a wonder of execution.  Destroyers and destroyer escorts severely mauling capital ships at the naval equivalent of knife range.

[Manedwolf]

Just re-read an account of Leyte.

Both indescribably ballsy and a wonder of execution.  Destroyers and destroyer escorts severely mauling capital ships at the naval equivalent of knife range.

And a spectacular demonstration of vapor ignition, after someone on a Japanese carrier opened all the vents to try to get rid of gasoline fumes from damaged tankage.

The term "lifted out of the water", when applied to a carrier, is something not often seen.

One constant in all of those battles, the Japanese carriers seemed to blow up, burn, or otherwise be destroyed in spectacular fashion.

[280plus]

One constant in all of those battles, the Japanese carriers seemed to blow up, burn, or otherwise be destroyed in spectacular fashion.

Aw geez, that really breaks my heart... 

[Manedwolf]

Oops...actually, that carrier gas fume thing was the Battle of the Philippine Sea, not Leyte.

Meanwhile, a novice took over the damage-control work. He thought the best way to handle gasoline fumes was to open up the ship's ventilation system and let them disperse. When he did, the fumes spread all through the ship. Unknown to anybody on board, Taihō became a floating time bomb. About 3:30 that afternoon, Taihō was jolted by a severe explosion. A senior staff officer on the bridge saw the flight deck heave up. The sides blew out. Taihō dropped out of formation and began to settle in the water, clearly doomed. Though Admiral Ozawa wanted to go down with the ship, his staff prevailed on him to survive and to shift his quarters to the cruiser Haguro. Taking the Emperor's portrait, Ozawa transferred to Haguro by destroyer. After he left, Taihō was torn by a second thunderous explosion and sank stern first, carrying down 1,650 officers and men.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

There is a memorial to Taffy 3 here in San Diego. 




http://www.portofsandiego.org/public-art/view-the-art-directory/775-battle-of-leyte-gulf-memorial-by-taffy-3-a-admiral-sprague-bust-by-moon-kim-.html

Those guys had some balls.  Serious, major balls.

[Hutch]

If anyone read "War and Remembrance", Wouk had a stirring, mostly accurate description of both Midway and Leyte.  There was a comment made by a character in the book that I can only paraphrase.  His comment is made during the present, about the battle: "People today think that we (USN) have no stomach for a fight, except with our current overwhelming superiority.  <account of the "charge of the light brigade DD's and DE's>.  Our children should be taught this history.  Our enemies should ponder it."

The original work by Wouk is much more stirring.  I recommend it to all, without qualification.

[K Frame]

Gasoline fumes also got the Lady Lex at the battle of the Coral Sea.

Oddly enough, Midway was on American Movie Classics last night.

No, not a great movie, but it did have some very good moments.

[Matthew Carberry]

There is a memorial to Taffy 3 here in San Diego. 

Those guys had some balls.  Serious, major balls.

When I was in 'Dago I never knew.

Next time I'm there I will visit.

The ships may change from wood to steel, but the men are still of iron.

[280plus]

When I was in 'Dago I never knew.

Me neither, unless it wasn't there yet when I was. Anyone know when it went in and where exactly it is? The background in the pic looks strangely familiar.

[Scout26]

The ships in the background of the second pic is USS Hopper (DDG-70) and in the third pic is the USS Midway (CV-41).

I think the Love Boat is in the other pics. 

[Big Hairy Bee]

Outstanding!  I didn't know there was such a memorial to the sailors off Samar.  It will definitely be a stop when I take my class to San Diego next year.