Appearently, posting pictures of trips to Museum Boats is a thing. [Lucky A]

[AirshipCanon]

So yeah, a while back, I went to the Battleship Memorial Park, the USS Alabama.
 

So here's some pictures.

From the Parking Lot.
The I-10 rolls up on the Lucky A and it's kinda like "HOLY crapGUNS" when you spot her.
 

Pier Pictures

 

]

It'd be nice if this shell was actually in World of Warships, but then Yamato wouldn't be special.

Sometimes you really need to see it to truly see the scale of these things- and remember the SoDaks were "small".

It started raining during the trip. Got to see the drainage system in action. Walls of water just rolling off the vessel.

More Radar than you can shake a stick at.

That Secondary.

]

A Wild FC3 [FC, even though their Submariner counterparts FTs took their rating badge]

Degausser. Because these puns are bad- especially when you Sea Mine.

Turret powder room.

Pin-up poster that would probably be labeled Offensive in this wonderful modern 2017.

And lastly, a Wild Airship Canon Appears...

Gods that's a weird angle, and that ship behind me? Never in WoWs.

 

[Doomlock]

Great pics OP! What is the sub behind you?

[FayFay731]

5 minutes ago, Doomlock said:

Great pics OP! What is the sub behind you?

The one we had earlier in game.

 

23 minutes ago, AirshipCanon said:

Never in WoWs.

It's not too late to change.

[AirshipCanon]

6 minutes ago, Doomlock said:

Great pics OP! What is the sub behind you?

USS Drum.

[Doomlock]

Just now, AirshipCanon said:

USS Drum.

Thanks.

[Lord_Zath]

Love the t-shirt you're wearing!  I need to get me like 5 of them :)

[Jim_Byrnes]

I pass her everyday going to and from work and I never get tired of seeing her! 

[Estimated_Prophet]

1 hour ago, Doomlock said:

Great pics OP! What is the sub behind you?

 

1 hour ago, AirshipCanon said:

USS Drum.

 

Also known as IJN I-58, at least in a not particularly very good, sorta recent movie...

[AirshipCanon]

4 minutes ago, Estimated_Prophet said:

 

 

Also known as IJN I-58, at least in a not particularly very good, sorta recent movie...

 

We don't talk about movies that are starring Nicholas Cage, because they also happen to be starring Nick Cage which means they'll likely suck.

[Doomlock]

11 minutes ago, Estimated_Prophet said:

 

 

Also known as IJN I-58, at least in a not particularly very good, sorta recent movie...

 

1 minute ago, AirshipCanon said:

 

We don't talk about movies that are starring Nicholas Cage, because they also happen to be starring Nick Cage which means they'll likely suck.

 

 

No. It's the one with Alabamapolis isn't it? Grrrrrrr 

[1Sherman]

Reminds me of when I visited the Cutty Sark in April when i was in London.

[Estimated_Prophet]

2 hours ago, Doomlock said:

No. It's the one with Alabamapolis isn't it? Grrrrrrr 

 

Well, it served to remind people about the Indianapolis; but there's not much that can beat Quint's monologue in Jaws.

 

Weak acting, rampant stereotyping, rubber sharks, using a battleship instead of the USS Salem in Quincy, yeah, Men of Courage wasn't exactly good.

[AVR_Project]

4 hours ago, Doomlock said:

Great pics OP! What is the sub behind you?

The USS Drum.  It's the sub that laid mines close to where the Mutsu 'unexpectedly' blew up and sank a couple months later.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence.....   OSI didn't think so.

[Doomlock]

2 minutes ago, AVR_Project said:

The USS Drum.  It's the sub that laid mines close to where the Mutsu 'unexpectedly' blew up and sank a couple months later.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence.....   OSI didn't think so.

The destruction was a fire inside of the third turret, causing a detonation.

 

What caused the fires is anyone's guess, but the point is she was stationary at port and her magazine exploded.

[AVR_Project]

3 minutes ago, Doomlock said:

The destruction was a fire inside of the third turret, causing a detonation.

 

What caused the fires is anyone's guess, but the point is she was stationary at port and her magazine exploded.

The IJN came up with a lot of excuses, from a disgruntled sailor (no, I'm not mixing up the Iowa story), to an Aerial dropped bomb.

Then, they blamed it on the special AA 'Sanshikidan' rounds...  It remained unresolved with everybody pointing fingers at each other.

Yes.  They came to the ultimate conclusion it was a fire.  Mind you, this is in an area of the ship where everything is kept in an air-tight and fire resistant state.

Saying the explosion was caused by a fire is like saying a man was shot because the primer in the bullet was struck.  It's not like the powder magazine is a great place for a clam-bake.

...

Every new US submarine takes on mines in the torpedo tubes on one of the first missions.  They only have to do this dangerous job once per ship.

All officers are debriefed upon returning to port.  The Captain had been on a scouting mission in the harbor earlier and observed a large ship at a bouy location.  When he was ordered to mine the Bungo Straits (i.e. Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster fame) with the USS Drum, he took the initiative to drop a couple further into the harbor where he saw that big ship moored.  They found the spot empty so they planted a couple in that area.  Mine batteries last 4-6 months, and the tethers sometimes break free - especially when the water gets churned up.

After the explosion, a different US submarine scouting mission discovered a crane and a barge at that bouy location..  Didn't report much as those waters were swimming with tin cans.

The OSI put the two reports together and concluded the Drum sunk 'something'.  Comm intel reported heightened concern with safety protocols and recalling certain types of ammo.  Again, they guessed that a ship exploded there.

After the war, it was discovered the Drum's mines inside the harbor were never found.  The Japanese made periodic mine-sweeps of the Bungo Suido (straits), but not inside the port.  It was discovered then that it was the Mutsu, and all this info was passed on to the USN to give the Drum credit.

The USN classified it and decided the evidence was not enough.  They thought it better to let the Japanese blame themselves, since they already had. 

My friend Jack was incredibly pissed, but hey..  It's a job.  He died a few years ago.

 

[Doomlock]

5 minutes ago, AVR_Project said:

 

Hmm. Very interesting! Thanks man!

[1Sherman]

1 hour ago, Estimated_Prophet said:

 

 but there's not much that can beat Quint's monologue in Jaws.

 

 

 

Quint's monologue is chilling and very well delivered, but it's also a bit skewed with regards to history. Most of the crew of the Indy died from exposure, drowning, and thirst rather than shark attacks. As well, the Indy sank in deep water, and tiger sharks, the ones that Quint directly names in the monologue, generally live in shallow waters. The sharks that harassed the crew of the Indy were oceanic whitetips; they're even more dangerous than the tiger shark, but not as common.