"but, the plethora of fire control radars in and around Haiphong overwhelmed the four missiles that we had at the ready"
hmmm. as many have noted, Red Sea actions now point towards the same thing. Too many targets, not enough magazine. (and that's now. future looks bleak )
Reading about Rowan covering for Newport News reminded me of a conversation I had as a 3rd Class Mid in USS Somers (DDG-34). I was doing my rotation thru Ops Department and in a GQ drill one of the officers explained to me that our job in the event of incoming aircraft or missiles was to stand between the threat and the carrier. Sobering. And something that came to mind as Navigator in John Young (DD-973). We do what we do.
I just found a picture of the first USS Rowan (TB-8). Tin can, indeed! Built in Seattle by Moran Brothers, intended for the Spanish-American War. She was commission too late (1 April 1899), decommissioned 1 May 1899. Recommissioned 23 April 1908, finally decommissioned 28 October 1912.
.... gobsmackingly common case of institutional amnesia.
Is history still taught at the USNA? Where is the NHHC? Don't they have a museum in the Navy Yard to preserve the past and prevent amnesia? Why didn't CHINFO arrange for a naval historian to provide Miss O'Donnell with the necessary background to the conflict? Why didn't the admiral's PAO prevent him from making a ridiculous comment about the Red Sea being the biggest naval combat operation since WWII? I do realize that your foxhole is always the most important one in the world. However, these kinds of slips detract from the overall message.
I'd like to put in a request for a full-bore Friday on either the D-Day Cans, Satterlee etal, or the Taffy 3 DE's, assuming that neither has been covered. Oh and DD-139, USS Ward, with her comprehensive message, something like:
"Have spotted, engaged, shelled and depth charged unknown submarine operating in the exclusion zone..."
Nice article. I'd never heard of Shrike on Board, so I went looking. Couldn't find much, but I did find mention in an NWC pub, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA238425.pdf. Redeye, Stinger's daddy, was also interesting. I wouldn't have guessed it would have been deployed on a DD in a Vietnamese harbor at night. Great stuff.
A great piece of writing. The professionalism and valor of the crews is keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Navy. The humble opinion of an old hermit.
Man that is a great story. I recall the sounds if my frigate during operations and the description of the blowers changing tone as the ship increased speed reminds me of the smell and the sensation. I recall having to keep our helo doors cracked open when firing the 5 inch to prevent the back blast from cracking the windscreen. Good times.
Excelent writing, thank the authors. Seems like a forgotten era, to be honest, but so close in time!
Sporty night!
Shrikes and Redeyes on a DD? Didn't know we did that, but damn good idea
Excellent! I was watertight and airtight as I read this!
"but, the plethora of fire control radars in and around Haiphong overwhelmed the four missiles that we had at the ready"
hmmm. as many have noted, Red Sea actions now point towards the same thing. Too many targets, not enough magazine. (and that's now. future looks bleak )
Reading about Rowan covering for Newport News reminded me of a conversation I had as a 3rd Class Mid in USS Somers (DDG-34). I was doing my rotation thru Ops Department and in a GQ drill one of the officers explained to me that our job in the event of incoming aircraft or missiles was to stand between the threat and the carrier. Sobering. And something that came to mind as Navigator in John Young (DD-973). We do what we do.
I just found a picture of the first USS Rowan (TB-8). Tin can, indeed! Built in Seattle by Moran Brothers, intended for the Spanish-American War. She was commission too late (1 April 1899), decommissioned 1 May 1899. Recommissioned 23 April 1908, finally decommissioned 28 October 1912.
Tin can porn at its finest!
Have to do a series on what live fire the Spru-can Navy did sometime!
At the cost of sounding a bit pedantic--but precise: the boat "heeled" instead of "healed". Thank you for the great writeup, CDR!
.... gobsmackingly common case of institutional amnesia.
Is history still taught at the USNA? Where is the NHHC? Don't they have a museum in the Navy Yard to preserve the past and prevent amnesia? Why didn't CHINFO arrange for a naval historian to provide Miss O'Donnell with the necessary background to the conflict? Why didn't the admiral's PAO prevent him from making a ridiculous comment about the Red Sea being the biggest naval combat operation since WWII? I do realize that your foxhole is always the most important one in the world. However, these kinds of slips detract from the overall message.
The description of battle action is superb, and certainly makes the point that the US Navy has been in action since WWII.
I'd like to put in a request for a full-bore Friday on either the D-Day Cans, Satterlee etal, or the Taffy 3 DE's, assuming that neither has been covered. Oh and DD-139, USS Ward, with her comprehensive message, something like:
"Have spotted, engaged, shelled and depth charged unknown submarine operating in the exclusion zone..."
Not much vagueness in that one
Nice article. I'd never heard of Shrike on Board, so I went looking. Couldn't find much, but I did find mention in an NWC pub, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA238425.pdf. Redeye, Stinger's daddy, was also interesting. I wouldn't have guessed it would have been deployed on a DD in a Vietnamese harbor at night. Great stuff.
Another nice write-up. Too bad we don't have another Hornfischer covering 1950-1991.
A great piece of writing. The professionalism and valor of the crews is keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Navy. The humble opinion of an old hermit.
Not only were Shrikes fired from the DD's, but the mammoth Talos was modified as an antiradiaton missile...
https://garlanddavis.net/2016/07/14/thefirst-talos-rgm-8hanti-radiation-missile-combat-firing/
Man that is a great story. I recall the sounds if my frigate during operations and the description of the blowers changing tone as the ship increased speed reminds me of the smell and the sensation. I recall having to keep our helo doors cracked open when firing the 5 inch to prevent the back blast from cracking the windscreen. Good times.
I wish I served in Rowan.