Main.Naval Gazing
Probably the most obscure corner of carrier aviation is COD, Carrier Onboard Delivery. This is exactly what it sounds like, the practice of delivering high-priority cargo, mail and personnel from bases ashore to aircraft carriers. The role originated in the immediate postwar years, and was first carried out by TBM Avengers modified to carry six passengers or cargo in the former bomb bay. But it…
In mid-October 1944, the American carriers under Admiral Halsey were operating in the waters between Taiwan (then known as Formosa) and the Philippines, to destroy Japanese power in the area before the US invasion of Leyte . Unfortunately, on October 13th, the heavy cruiser Canberra was torpedoed by Japanese aircraft, flooding both engine rooms . Normal practice would have been to take the crew…
After the Naval Gazing meetup in Dayton, my parents and I headed for Montreal, 1 which meant a road trip, mostly across upstate New York. I've already talked about one of the museums we visited along the way, Old Fort Niagara , but there were several others, none of which deserve a full review of their own. The canal boat at Port Byron The first was only sort of naval-related, but fits well with…
It's time once again for our regular Open Thread. Talk about whatever you want, so long as it isn't culture war. Something of interest to lots of you is Naval Estimates , a new game that is best described as Rule the Waves, but with a much more detailed engineering simulator built in. Or at least that's the plan. Right now, it's just the weapon and ship design simulator that's available, and it's…
When Iraq's 1980 invasion of Iran ended in a bloody stalemate, it was natural for both sides to turn to other ways of bringing pressure on their enemies. These ranged from firing missiles at the other guy's cities to attacking the oil exports that fueled their economies . Iraq had started to route its exports through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and as Iran expanded its attacks to include neutral…
One of the first tasks of a new British prime minister is writing four letters. These "Letters of Last Resort", each identically worded and written by hand after a briefing on the destructive power of the Trident missile , are sealed and delivered to the four British Vanguard class submarines . They contain instructions on what to do in the event of nuclear war, and will only be opened if the…
On October 14th, 1944, the three carrier groups of TF 38 were conducting strikes on Formosa. The operation had been planned to provide distant cover for the approaching landings at Leyte , and had been scheduled to wrap up the previous day. However, heavy cruiser Canberra had been torpedoed during the last set of strikes , and it was decided to tow her home instead of scuttling her, which required…
"For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:" This line from the Declaration of Independence, which we have just celebrated the 250th anniversary of, comes from the practice of trying certain cases relating to navigation, smuggling and the Stamp Act of 1765 in Vice-Admiralty Courts . These operated under a completely different legal system from that of the standard Common…
It's time once again for our regular Open Thread. Talk about whatever you want, so long as it isn't Culture War. Overhauls are Jackie Fisher , Auxiliaries Part 2 , Impressment , The 3T Missiles - Introduction and for 2025, my reviews of Fort Point and Nike Site SF88 , Thoughts on the Israel-Iranian War and The Tanker War Part 1 .
On Friday, October 13th, 1944, TF 38 was conducting strikes off the coast of Formosa (now Taiwan). It was the second and final day of an operation to wipe out Japanese air strength on the island in preparation for the upcoming landings on Leyte , and they had been reasonably successful all day. But as evening fell, a group of Japanese Betty torpedo bombers attacked, coming in so low that radar…