And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Friday, December 1, 2023
Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Birmingham (CL-62), escorted by tugboats, in Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne, Australia, 1945.
If you don’t know, and most people don’t, the Birmingham was one of the fightingest ships in the Navy. 8 battle stars, wore out the guns and had them replaced 3 times, hit by torpedoes and kamazis more than once, served multiple roles in most of the Pacific island hopping campaign, suffered more than 70% casualties over time. Her story is a helluva Navy tale; read the condensed version at Wiki. And when it was all over she got home, lived in the reserves for 14 years, and then got turned into razor blades at the scrap yard.
And I hope you immediately see the similarities between this photo and the 1839 painting by Turner, “The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to her last berth to be broken up. “ The Birmingham was repaired and went right back into the thick of it.
The bilge pumps seem to be operating well.
ReplyDeleteIf you don’t know, and most people don’t, the Birmingham was one of the fightingest ships in the Navy. 8 battle stars, wore out the guns and had them replaced 3 times, hit by torpedoes and kamazis more than once, served multiple roles in most of the Pacific island hopping campaign, suffered more than 70% casualties over time. Her story is a helluva Navy tale; read the condensed version at Wiki. And when it was all over she got home, lived in the reserves for 14 years, and then got turned into razor blades at the scrap yard.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you immediately see the similarities between this photo and the 1839 painting by Turner, “The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to her last berth to be broken up. “ The Birmingham was repaired and went right back into the thick of it.
ReplyDeleteDrew458
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fighting_Temeraire
Notice that even in wartime, no rust on the hull. A ship in today's Navy looks like a rotting fish.
ReplyDelete