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, April 25, 2025
16-inch gun projectiles aboard Battleship New Jersey 1953. Those are big boys indeed.
Those rounds are 2000 lbs each and can hit targets around 20 miles. The USS New Jersey sat off shore on North Vietnam and hammered SAM sites that were firing at our aircraft. I saw that ship in Dry dock being refitted for Vietnam. Stopped by to visit a Navy friend on my way back to Vietnam, He was on a carrier and ths New Jersey was in the next dry dock getting ready to head to Vietnam. I later learned they use black powder in silk bags. You learn something everyday!
My tank was sitting on the shore of the South China Sea in Sept. 1968 when I looked out on the horizon and saw a pretty "good-sized" US Navy ship. The ship turned and all of a sudden, a huge ball of fire flew out of the forward guns. The flames were as long as the ship was long!!! It was the USS New Jersey that had come on station to support our war effort. Later, we were on a sweep operation and needed artillery support. Normally when Naval gunfire is called in, all of the Marines in the field would take cover since the movement of the ships would often cause the projectiles to waiver and sometimes land off target. Well, they called in the New Jersey's 16" guns, and the enemy target was obliterated.
The other thing is that today, the USS New Jersey is permanently docked across from the Philadelphina waterfront in Camden, NJ. She is a floating museum and worth the time and effort to visit her.
I've toured North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri. I would like to add Texas. Because of her berthing, I won't be looking at New Jersey. Too bad because she has a unique history.
yes, and some big guns on the sailor too.
ReplyDeleteOld advice "Never get into a bar fight with an artillery man".
DeleteAt first glance, I thought, what a weird way to operate a buffer.
ReplyDeletePic is deceiving, if the round behind him is 16 inches, then he's a munchkin?
ReplyDeleteThose rounds are 2000 lbs each and can hit targets around 20 miles. The USS New Jersey sat off shore on North Vietnam and hammered SAM sites that were firing at our aircraft. I saw that ship in Dry dock being refitted for Vietnam. Stopped by to visit a Navy friend on my way back to Vietnam, He was on a carrier and ths New Jersey was in the next dry dock getting ready to head to Vietnam. I later learned they use black powder in silk bags. You learn something everyday!
Delete16" in diameter not length.
DeleteNow do that in the midst of Battle, with pitching Seas and evasive maneuvers.
ReplyDeleteThe swabbie is Parbuckling. Yes the camera angle makes the man/16 in shells out of proportion
ReplyDeletei thought so
DeleteMy brother is retired navy and he told me that parbuckling was officially allowed after the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
ReplyDeleteTwo comments on the "Jersey"...
ReplyDeleteMy tank was sitting on the shore of the South China Sea in Sept. 1968 when I looked out on the horizon and saw a pretty "good-sized" US Navy ship. The ship turned and all of a sudden, a huge ball of fire flew out of the forward guns. The flames were as long as the ship was long!!! It was the USS New Jersey that had come on station to support our war effort. Later, we were on a sweep operation and needed artillery support. Normally when Naval gunfire is called in, all of the Marines in the field would take cover since the movement of the ships would often cause the projectiles to waiver and sometimes land off target. Well, they called in the New Jersey's 16" guns, and the enemy target was obliterated.
The other thing is that today, the USS New Jersey is permanently docked across from the Philadelphina waterfront in Camden, NJ. She is a floating museum and worth the time and effort to visit her.
Those are 2,700 pound armor piercing rounds indicated by the yellow, white, red rings. Capable of busting through 30 feet of concrete.
ReplyDeleteSomeone played around with that photo. That fit sailor has a 30-32” waist give or take,how could those projectiles be 16 inches in diameter?
ReplyDeleteCircumference of a 16" diameter circle is a little over 50". So yes, this would be larger than the 32" waist circumference of the sailor.
DeleteI'm 6'2" and the tops of those 16" shells are below my head height, at least on the Alabama and No. Carolina.
ReplyDeleteI've toured North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri. I would like to add Texas. Because of her berthing, I won't be looking at New Jersey. Too bad because she has a unique history.
ReplyDelete