One of the mightiest warships of the U.S. Navy was also ironically the least useful.
The USS
Alaska and her sister ship USS Guam were the largest cruisers constructed by U.S. shipyards during World War II, ironically to counter a threat that never materialized. Although fast and powerful in their own right, the ships were rendered obsolete as offensive weapons by naval airpower and served out the war as escorts for aircraft carriers.
The cruiser warship was conceived in the nineteenth century, as the advent of steam powder, shells, and other naval innovations reshaped seapower. The cruiser was conceived as a fast, heavily armed, but relatively lightly armored ship that could take on smaller groups of destroyers, protect civilian merchant ships, and carry out scouting missions. The cruiser was a ship that provided an important “economy of force” option that allowed naval commanders to detach them for missions that didn’t quite rate a battleship’s attention.
The Sad Tale of That One U.S. Battlecruiser That Did Nothing
In hindsight it was an error to order six battlecruisers on the basis of an unsubstantiated rumor.
Here s What You Need to Remember: Outsticked by airpower’s long reach, the cruisers became guardians of the very ships and aircraft that made them obsolete.
Alaska and her sister ships were well-armed for their time, each sporting three turrets (two facing forward, one rearward) armed with three twelve-inch guns.
One of the mightiest warships of the U.S. Navy was also ironically the least useful.
The USS
Alaska and her sister ship USS Guam were the largest cruisers constructed by U.S. shipyards during World War II, ironically to counter a threat that never materialized. Although fast and powerful in their own right, the ships were rendered obsolete as offensive weapons by naval airpower and served out the war as escorts for aircraft carriers.
Photo: Joe Haupt (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking the public s help in determining the future of the world s first nuclear-powered merchant ship.
The NS Savannah was built by New York Shipbuilding Corp. and launched in 1959 as part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower s Atoms for Peace Program to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The ship was removed from service in 1971 and the reactor was defueled. Registered as a National Historic Landmark since 1991, the ship is currently part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) in retention status. All that remains of the vessel s nuclear power plant are its systems, structures and components.
Today:
Tonight:
Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
High temperatures are expected to peak on Friday, followed by a gradual drop back into the 60s by the middle of the coming week.
Red Flag Warning in effect from January 14, 04:00 PM PST until January 15, 04:00 PM PST
Courtesy of HistoryNet:
1741 Birth of Benedict Arnold, American Colonial General turned traitor.
1864 Confederate President Jefferson Davis writes to General Joseph E. Johnson, observing that troops may need to be sent to Alabama or Mississippi.
1911 The USS
1919 Birth of Andy Rooney, American humorist, author and television personality (60 Minutes).
1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders all aliens in the U.S. to register with the government.