1.
Auxiliary ship
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An auxiliary ship is a naval ship which is designed to operate in any number of roles supporting combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliaries are not primary combatants, although they may have some limited combat capacity, auxiliaries are extremely important for navies of all sizes, as without them, the primary fleet vessels can not be effective. Thus, nearly every navy maintains a fleet of auxiliaries. However, the composition and size of these auxiliary fleets varies depending on the nature of each navy, smaller coastal navies tend to have smaller auxiliary vessels focusing primarily on littoral and training support roles. Larger blue-water navies tend to have large auxiliary fleets comprising longer-range fleet support vessels designed to provide support far beyond territorial waters, replenishment One of the most direct ways that auxiliaries support the fleet is by providing underway replenishment to major fleet units. This allows the fleet to remain on station, with the replenishment vessels bringing up fuel, ammunition, food, oilers are vessels specifically designed to bring fuel oil to the fleet, while the earlier Colliers supplied coal burning steamships. Tenders are specifically designed to support a type of smaller naval unit, most often submarines or seaplanes, transport Supporting forward operating bases requires immense transportation capacity. Transports are often converted merchant ships commissioned into naval service. Tankers are transports specifically designed to ship fuel to forward locations, transports are often employed not only carrying cargo for naval support, but in support of all forces of a nations military. In particular, troopships are used to large number of soldiers to operational theatres. Some transport ships are highly specialized, like the ships employed by the US Navy. Repair vessels range from small equipment ships to floating dry docks and these vessels also help maintain the harbor by dredging channels, maintaining jetties and buoys, and even providing floating platforms for port defense weapons. List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy List of auxiliary ship classes in service Cutler, Deborah W. Cutler, morris, Christopher G. Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology. Media related to Auxiliary ships at Wikimedia Commons
2.
Submarine
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A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability, the term most commonly refers to a large, crewed vessel. It is also used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely operated vehicles and robots, as well as medium-sized or smaller vessels, such as the midget submarine. The noun submarine evolved as a form of submarine boat, by naval tradition, submarines are usually referred to as boats rather than as ships. Although experimental submarines had been built before, submarine design took off during the 19th century, Submarines were first widely used during World War I, and now figure in many navies large and small. Civilian uses for submarines include marine science, salvage, exploration and facility inspection, Submarines can also be modified to perform more specialized functions such as search-and-rescue missions or undersea cable repair. Submarines are also used in tourism, and for undersea archaeology, most large submarines consist of a cylindrical body with hemispherical ends and a vertical structure, usually located amidships, which houses communications and sensing devices as well as periscopes. In modern submarines, this structure is the sail in American usage, a conning tower was a feature of earlier designs, a separate pressure hull above the main body of the boat that allowed the use of shorter periscopes. There is a propeller at the rear, and various hydrodynamic control fins, smaller, deep-diving and specialty submarines may deviate significantly from this traditional layout. Submarines use diving planes and also change the amount of water, Submarines have one of the widest ranges of types and capabilities of any vessel. Submarines can work at greater depths than are survivable or practical for human divers, modern deep-diving submarines derive from the bathyscaphe, which in turn evolved from the diving bell. In 1578, the English mathematician William Bourne recorded in his book Inventions or Devises one of the first plans for an underwater navigation vehicle and its unclear whether he ever carried out his idea. The first submersible of whose construction there exists reliable information was designed and built in 1620 by Cornelis Drebbel and it was propelled by means of oars. By the mid-18th century, over a dozen patents for submarines/submersible boats had been granted in England, in 1747, Nathaniel Symons patented and built the first known working example of the use of a ballast tank for submersion. His design used leather bags that could fill with water to submerge the craft, a mechanism was used to twist the water out of the bags and cause the boat to resurface. In 1749, the Gentlemens Magazine reported that a design had initially been proposed by Giovanni Borelli in 1680. By this point of development, further improvement in design stagnated for over a century, until new industrial technologies for propulsion. The first military submarine was the Turtle, a hand-powered acorn-shaped device designed by the American David Bushnell to accommodate a single person and it was the first verified submarine capable of independent underwater operation and movement, and the first to use screws for propulsion
3.
Destroyer
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Before World War II, destroyers were light vessels with little endurance for unattended ocean operations, typically a number of destroyers and a single destroyer tender operated together. After the war, the advent of the missile allowed destroyers to take on the surface combatant roles previously filled by battleships. This resulted in larger and more powerful guided missile destroyers more capable of independent operation, the emergence and development of the destroyer was related to the invention of the self-propelled torpedo in the 1860s. A navy now had the potential to destroy an enemy battle fleet using steam launches to launch torpedoes. Fast boats armed with torpedoes were built and called torpedo boats, the first seagoing vessel designed to fire the self-propelled Whitehead torpedo was the 33-ton HMS Lightning in 1876. She was armed with two drop collars to launch these weapons, these were replaced in 1879 by a torpedo tube in the bow. By the 1880s, the type had evolved into small ships of 50–100 tons, in response to this new threat, more heavily gunned picket boats called catchers were built which were used to escort the battle fleet at sea. The anti-torpedo boat origin of this type of ship is retained in its name in other languages, including French, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Greek, Dutch and, up until the Second World War, Polish. At that time, and even into World War I, the function of destroyers was to protect their own battle fleet from enemy torpedo attacks. The task of escorting merchant convoys was still in the future, an important development came with the construction of HMS Swift in 1884, later redesignated TB81. This was a torpedo boat with four 47 mm quick-firing guns. At 23.75 knots, while still not fast enough to engage torpedo boats reliably. Another forerunner of the torpedo boat destroyer was the Japanese torpedo boat Kotaka, designed to Japanese specifications and ordered from the London Yarrow shipyards in 1885, she was transported in parts to Japan, where she was assembled and launched in 1887. The 165-foot long vessel was armed with four 1-pounder quick-firing guns and six torpedo tubes, reached 19 knots, in her trials in 1889, Kotaka demonstrated that she could exceed the role of coastal defense, and was capable of accompanying larger warships on the high seas. The Yarrow shipyards, builder of the parts for the Kotaka, the first vessel designed for the explicit purpose of hunting and destroying torpedo boats was the torpedo gunboat. Essentially very small cruisers, torpedo gunboats were equipped with torpedo tubes, by the end of the 1890s torpedo gunboats were made obsolete by their more successful contemporaries, the torpedo boat destroyers, which were much faster. The first example of this was HMS Rattlesnake, designed by Nathaniel Barnaby in 1885, the gunboat was armed with torpedoes and designed for hunting and destroying smaller torpedo boats. Exactly 200 feet long and 23 feet in beam, she displaced 550 tons, built of steel, Rattlesnake was un-armoured with the exception of a 3⁄4-inch protective deck
4.
Minesweeper
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A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to engage in minesweeping. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, although naval warfare has a long history, the earliest known usage of the naval mine dates to the Ming dynasty. Dedicated minesweepers, however, only appear in the record several centuries later, to the Crimean War. In the Crimean War, minesweepers consisted of British rowboats trailing grapnels to snag the mines, despite the use of mines in the American Civil War, there are no records of effective minesweeping being used. Officials in the Union Army attempted to create the first minesweeper but were plagued by flawed designs, minesweeping technology picked up in the Russo-Japanese War, using aging torpedo boats as minesweepers. In Britain, naval leaders recognized before the outbreak of World War I that the development of sea mines was a threat to the nations shipping, sir Arthur Wilson noted the real threat of the time was blockade aided by mines and not invasion. A Trawler Section of the Royal Navy Reserve became the predecessor of the mine sweeping forces with specially designed ships and these reserve Trawler Section fishermen and their trawlers were activated, supplied with mine gear, rifles, uniforms and pay as the first minesweepers. The dedicated, purpose-built minesweeper first appeared during World War I with the Flower-class minesweeping sloop, by the end of the War, naval mine technology had grown beyond the ability of minesweepers to detect and remove. Minesweeping made significant advancements during World War II, combatant nations quickly adapted ships to the task of minesweeping, including Australias 35 civilian ships that became Auxiliary Minesweepers. Both Allied and Axis countries made heavy use of minesweepers throughout the war, historian Gordon Williamson wrote that Germanys minesweepers alone formed a massive proportion of its total strength, and are very much the unsung heroes of the Kriegsmarine. Naval mines remained a threat even after the war ended, after the Second World War, allied countries worked on new classes of minesweepers ranging from 120-ton designs for clearing estuaries to 735-ton oceangoing vessels. The United States Navy even used specialized Mechanized Landing Craft to sweep shallow harbors in, as of June 2012, the U. S. Navy had four minesweepers deployed to the Persian Gulf to address regional instabilities. Minesweepers are equipped with mechanical or electrical devices, known as sweeps, mechanical sweeps are devices designed to cut the anchoring cables of moored mines, and preferably attach a tag to help the subsequent localization and neutralization. They are towed behind the minesweeper, and use a body to maintain the sweep at the desired depth. Influence sweeps are equipment, often towed, that emulate a particular ship signature, the most common such sweeps are magnetic and acoustic generators. There are two modes of operating an influence sweep, MSM and TSM, MSM sweeping is founded on intelligence on a given type of mine, and produces the output required for detonation of this mine. If such intelligence is unavailable, the TSM sweeping instead reproduces the influence of the ship that is about to transit through the area. TSM sweeping thus clears mines directed at this ship without knowledge of the mines, however, mines directed at other ships might remain
5.
Fast attack craft
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A fast attack craft is a small, fast, agile and offensive warship armed with anti-ship missiles, gun or torpedoes. FACs are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the seakeeping and all-round defensive capabilities to survive in blue water, the size of the vessel also limits the fuel, stores and water supplies. In size they are usually between 50–800 tonnes and can reach speeds of 25–50 knots, a fast attack crafts main advantage over other warship types is its affordability. Many FACs can be deployed at a low cost, allowing a navy which is at a disadvantage to effectively defend itself against a larger adversary. A small boat, when equipped with the weapons as its larger counterpart. Their major disadvantages are poor seagoing qualities, cramped quarters and poor ability to defend themselves against aerial threat, as early as the mid-19th century, the Jeune Écoles poussiere navale theory called for a great number of small, agile vessels to break up invading fleets of larger vessels. The idea was first put into action in the 1870s with the torpedo boat. These new vessels proved especially susceptible to rough seas and to have limited utility in scouting due to their short endurance, the potential threat was entirely extinguished with the introduction of the Torpedo Boat Destroyer in 1893, a larger vessel which evolved into the modern destroyer. It could mount guns capable of destroying the boat before it was within range to use its own weapons. The idea was revived shortly before World War I with the craft using new gasoline engines, italy and Great Britain were at the forefront of this design, with the Coastal Motor Boat and the Motobarca Armata Silurante. The outstanding achievement of the class was the sinking of the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Szent István by MAS.15 on June 10,1918. The design matured in the mid-1930s as the Motor Torpedo Boats and Motor Gun Boats of the Royal Navy, the PT boats of the US Navy, with the development of the anti-ship missile FACs were reborn in the Soviet Union as missile boats or missile cutters. The first few boats were originally torpedo boats, with the torpedo tubes replaced by missile launchers. Again, small fast craft could attack and destroy a major warship, the idea was first tested by the Soviet Union which, in August 1957, produced the Komar class which mounted two P-15 Termit missiles on a 25-metre and a top speed of around 40 knots. Endurance was limited to 1,000 nautical miles at 12 knots,110 Komar-class vessels were produced, while over 400 examples were built of the following Osa class with a significant portion of the total being sold to pro-Soviet nations. The Soviet FACs prompted a NATO response, which became more intense after the sinking of Eilat, the Germans and French worked together to produce a new FAC, resulting in 1968 in the La Combattante class fast attack craft. Built on a 47-or-49-metre hull with four MM-38 Exocet missiles, a 76 mm gun forward and 40 mm twin guns aft, built until 1974, a total of 68 Combattante IIs were launched. The design was followed by the Combattante III, and a great many other shipyards produced their own versions of the Combattante
6.
Landing craft
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Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean and this was the high point of the landing craft, with a significant number of different designs produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and United States. Because of the need to run up onto a beach, World War II landing craft were flat-bottomed. This made them difficult to control and very uncomfortable in rough seas, the control point was normally at the extreme rear of the vessel, as were the engines. In all cases, they were known by a derived from the official name rather than by the full title. In the days of sail, the boats were used as landing craft. They transported 1,200 men in the first landing and took on board 600 men in less than 2 hours for the second landing, during World War I, the mass mobilization of troops equipped with rapid-fire weapons quickly rendered such boats obsolete. Initial landings during the Gallipoli campaign took place in unmodified rowing boats that were vulnerable to attack from the Turkish shore defenses. In February 1915, orders were placed for the design of purpose built landing craft, a design was created in four days resulting in an order for 200 X Lighters with a spoon-shaped bow to take shelving beaches and a drop down frontal ramp. The first use took place after they had been towed to the Aegean and performed successfully in the 6 August landing at Suvla Bay of IX Corps, commanded by Commander Edward Unwin. X Lighters, known to the soldiers as Beetles, carried about 500 men, displaced 135 tons and were based on London barges being 105 feet 6 inches long,21 feet wide, the engines mainly ran on heavy oil and ran at a speed of approximately 5 knots. The sides of the ships were bulletproof, and was designed with a ramp on the bow for disembarkation, a plan was devised to land British heavy tanks from pontoons in support of the Third Battle of Ypres, but this was abandoned. Despite this outlook, the British produced the Motor Landing Craft in 1920, the craft could put a medium tank directly onto a beach. From 1924, it was used with landing boats in annual exercises in amphibious landings, a prototype motor landing craft, designed by J. Samuel White of Cowes, was built and first sailed in 1926. It weighed 16 tons and had an appearance, having a square bow. To prevent fouling of the propellers in a craft destined to spend time in surf and possibly be beached, a crude waterjet propulsion system was devised by Whites designers. A Hotchkiss petrol engine drove a pump which produced a jet of water, pushing the craft ahead or astern. Speed was 5-6 knots and its capacity was good
7.
HMAS Platypus (1917)
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HMAS Platypus was a submarine depot ship and base ship operated by the Royal Australian Navy between 1919 and 1946. After the RAN acquired six J class submarines, Platypus was recommissioned as an Australian warship and she was reroled as a destroyer tender after the J class was removed from service in the 1920s, tasked with supporting the two O class submarines during 1929 and 1930. After the submarines were placed in reserve, Platypus was renamed HMAS Penguin, the ship assumed her old name and was relocated to Darwin, then Cairns for use as a base ship. After a refit in 1944, Platypus operated as a vessel in New Guinea waters until she was placed into reserve in 1946. Platypus was sold for scrap in 1958, Platypus was ordered by the Australian government before the outbreak of the war to service the new E class submarines, AE1 and AE2. She was built by John Brown and Company at Clydebank in Scotland, by the time she was completed, both submarines had been lost, and she was instead commissioned into the Royal Navy on 21 March 1917. At the conclusion of the war, the ship was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy and was commissioned into the RAN on 25 March 1919. Platypus’s main role was to support the RANs six J class submarines, Platypus and all six J class submarines were based at Geelong in February 1920. Platypus reverted to her role as a submarine tender in 1929 when the RAN acquired two O class submarines but was used as a depot ship after these submarines were placed into reserve in 1930. She was renamed HMAS Penguin on 15 August 1930, in October 1932, a mutiny occurred aboard Penguin. The mutiny was in protest of the decreases in sailor pay and conditions, Depression-era cutbacks had impacted them harder than officers, the ships commanding officer was sympathetic, promising that he would forward their concerns to the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board and that they would not be punished. She continued as a ship until 26 February 1941 when she was renamed HMAS Platypus. In May 1941, Platypus sailed to Darwin to serve as a base ship and she survived the Japanese attack on Darwin in February 1942 and remained at Darwin until January 1943 when she sailed to Cairns, Queensland where she again served as a base ship until May 1944. In June 1944 Platypus received a refit and sailed to New Guinea as a repair. She operated off New Guinea and Morotai Island until returning to Australia in December 1945, the wartime service of Platypus was later recognised with the battle honour Darwin 1942-43. Platypus was placed into reserve on 13 May 1946, paid off on 1 November 1956 and was sold for scrap on 20 February 1958, Naval Insurrections in Australia and New Zealand. St. Leonards, NSW, Allen & Unwin
8.
United States Navy
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The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U. S. Navy is the largest, most capable navy in the world, the U. S. Navy has the worlds largest aircraft carrier fleet, with ten in service, two in the reserve fleet, and three new carriers under construction. The service has 323,792 personnel on duty and 108,515 in the Navy Reserve. It has 274 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of October 2016, the U. S. Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. It played a role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy. It played the role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan. The 21st century U. S. Navy maintains a global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean. The Navy is administratively managed by the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Navy is itself a division of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense. The Chief of Naval Operations is an admiral and the senior naval officer of the Department of the Navy. The CNO may not be the highest ranking officer in the armed forces if the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, the United States Navy is a seaborne branch of the military of the United States. The Navys three primary areas of responsibility, The preparation of naval forces necessary for the prosecution of war. The development of aircraft, weapons, tactics, technique, organization, U. S. Navy training manuals state that the mission of the U. S. Armed Forces is to prepare and conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest, as part of that establishment, the U. S. Navys functions comprise sea control, power projection and nuclear deterrence, in addition to sealift duties. It follows then as certain as that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, the Navy was rooted in the colonial seafaring tradition, which produced a large community of sailors, captains, and shipbuilders. In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, Massachusetts had its own Massachusetts Naval Militia, the establishment of a national navy was an issue of debate among the members of the Second Continental Congress. Supporters argued that a navy would protect shipping, defend the coast, detractors countered that challenging the British Royal Navy, then the worlds preeminent naval power, was a foolish undertaking. Commander in Chief George Washington resolved the debate when he commissioned the ocean-going schooner USS Hannah to interdict British merchant ships, and reported the captures to the Congress
9.
Pacific Ocean
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The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of the Earths oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, the Mariana Trench in the western North Pacific is the deepest point in the world, reaching a depth of 10,911 metres. Both the center of the Water Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere are in the Pacific Ocean, the oceans current name was coined by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during the Spanish circumnavigation of the world in 1521, as he encountered favourable winds on reaching the ocean. He called it Mar Pacífico, which in both Portuguese and Spanish means peaceful sea, important human migrations occurred in the Pacific in prehistoric times. Long-distance trade developed all along the coast from Mozambique to Japan, trade, and therefore knowledge, extended to the Indonesian islands but apparently not Australia. By at least 878 when there was a significant Islamic settlement in Canton much of trade was controlled by Arabs or Muslims. In 219 BC Xu Fu sailed out into the Pacific searching for the elixir of immortality, from 1404 to 1433 Zheng He led expeditions into the Indian Ocean. The east side of the ocean was discovered by Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513 after his expedition crossed the Isthmus of Panama and he named it Mar del Sur because the ocean was to the south of the coast of the isthmus where he first observed the Pacific. Later, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed the Pacific East to West on a Castilian expedition of world circumnavigation starting in 1519, Magellan called the ocean Pacífico because, after sailing through the stormy seas off Cape Horn, the expedition found calm waters. The ocean was often called the Sea of Magellan in his honor until the eighteenth century, sailing around and east of the Moluccas, between 1525 and 1527, Portuguese expeditions discovered the Caroline Islands, the Aru Islands, and Papua New Guinea. In 1542–43 the Portuguese also reached Japan, in 1564, five Spanish ships consisting of 379 explorers crossed the ocean from Mexico led by Miguel López de Legazpi and sailed to the Philippines and Mariana Islands. The Manila galleons operated for two and a half centuries linking Manila and Acapulco, in one of the longest trade routes in history, Spanish expeditions also discovered Tuvalu, the Marquesas, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, and the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific. In the 16th and 17th century Spain considered the Pacific Ocean a Mare clausum—a sea closed to other naval powers, as the only known entrance from the Atlantic the Strait of Magellan was at times patrolled by fleets sent to prevent entrance of non-Spanish ships. On the western end of the Pacific Ocean the Dutch threatened the Spanish Philippines, Spain also sent expeditions to the Pacific Northwest reaching Vancouver Island in southern Canada, and Alaska. The French explored and settled Polynesia, and the British made three voyages with James Cook to the South Pacific and Australia, Hawaii, and the North American Pacific Northwest, one of the earliest voyages of scientific exploration was organized by Spain in the Malaspina Expedition of 1789–1794. It sailed vast areas of the Pacific, from Cape Horn to Alaska, Guam and the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, and the South Pacific. Growing imperialism during the 19th century resulted in the occupation of much of Oceania by other European powers, and later, Japan, in Oceania, France got a leading position as imperial power after making Tahiti and New Caledonia protectorates in 1842 and 1853 respectively. After navy visits to Easter Island in 1875 and 1887, Chilean navy officer Policarpo Toro managed to negotiate an incorporation of the island into Chile with native Rapanui in 1888, by occupying Easter Island, Chile joined the imperial nations
10.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
11.
Seabee
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United States Naval Construction Battalions - better known as Seabees, a heterograph of the first initials - C. B. comprise US Naval Construction Forces. International law made it illegal for civilians to resist enemy attack, doing so would classify them as guerrillas, the Seabees would consist of skilled workers that would be trained to drop their tools if necessary and take up their weapons at a moments notice to defend themselves. The concept model, A USMC trained Battalion of construction tradesmen that would be capable of, any type of construction, anywhere needed and it was quickly realized that this model could be utilized in every theater of operations as it was seen to be flexible and adaptable. The use of USMC organization allowed for smooth co-ordination, integration or interface of both the NCF and the Marine Corps elements, in addition, Seabee Battalions could be deployed individually or in multiples as the project scope and scale dictated. What distinguishes Seabees from Combat Engineers are the skill sets, Combat Engineering is but a sub-set in the Seabee toolbox. They have a legacy of creative field ingenuity stretching from Normandy and Okinawa to Iraq. Seabees believe that anything they are tasked with they Can Do and they were unique at conception and remain so today. In 2017, the Seabees celebrated 75 years of service and have not changed from Admiral Ben Moreells conceptual model, as far back as the War of 1812, US Navy seamen were employed in large numbers for major shore construction. In 1813, Essex, under command of Captain David Porter, rounded Cape Horn from the Atlantic Ocean, after capturing several British ships he discovered that a British naval squadron had been sent to search for him. Needing to repair and prepare Essex and his squadron, he sailed for the Marquesas Islands to find a suitable site for him to build the US Navys first advanced base. During construction they were attacked by unfriendly natives, during which they would have to lay down their tools. It wasnt until World War I that Navy craftsmen would be employed in large number again, in 1917, the Twelfth Regiment was organized at Naval Training Station Great Lakes. This allowed the Public Works Department to grow to nearly 600 men by July 1917 and they were organized into the Twelfth Regiment, which was essentially the Public Works Department because staff officers could not exercise military command. Lieutenant William C. Davis was appointed commanding officer of the regiment, he exercised military control, in October 1917, the regiment began building Camp Paul Jones. With its completion, on 30 December 1917, the regiment became operational with 1,500 men organized into three battalions. By April 1918, the regiment consisted of 2,400 in five battalions, men were withdrawn for assignments in the US and abroad. In spring of 1918,100 men were given special mechanics and ordnance training before being sent to St. Nazaire, France, later they would join the gun crews and perform combat duties along the railway lines in proximity to the German lines. The Twelfth Regiment reached its peak strength 5 November 1918,55 officers and 6,211 enlisted men formed into 11 battalions, however, with the end of the war on 11 November 1918, the regiment gradually faded away by the end of 1918
12.
Royal Navy
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The Royal Navy is the United Kingdoms naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the English kings from the medieval period. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century, from the middle decades of the 17th century and through the 18th century, the Royal Navy vied with the Dutch Navy and later with the French Navy for maritime supremacy. From the mid 18th century it was the worlds most powerful navy until surpassed by the United States Navy during the Second World War. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing the British Empire as the world power during the 19th. Due to this historical prominence, it is common, even among non-Britons, following World War I, the Royal Navy was significantly reduced in size, although at the onset of the Second World War it was still the worlds largest. By the end of the war, however, the United States Navy had emerged as the worlds largest, during the Cold War, the Royal Navy transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines, mostly active in the GIUK gap. The Royal Navy is part of Her Majestys Naval Service, which includes the Royal Marines. The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Lord, the Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence. The strength of the fleet of the Kingdom of England was an important element in the power in the 10th century. English naval power declined as a result of the Norman conquest. Medieval fleets, in England as elsewhere, were almost entirely composed of merchant ships enlisted into service in time of war. Englands naval organisation was haphazard and the mobilisation of fleets when war broke out was slow, early in the war French plans for an invasion of England failed when Edward III of England destroyed the French fleet in the Battle of Sluys in 1340. Major fighting was confined to French soil and Englands naval capabilities sufficed to transport armies and supplies safely to their continental destinations. Such raids halted finally only with the occupation of northern France by Henry V. Henry VII deserves a large share of credit in the establishment of a standing navy and he embarked on a program of building ships larger than heretofore. He also invested in dockyards, and commissioned the oldest surviving dry dock in 1495 at Portsmouth, a standing Navy Royal, with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, emerged during the reign of Henry VIII. Under Elizabeth I England became involved in a war with Spain, the new regimes introduction of Navigation Acts, providing that all merchant shipping to and from England or her colonies should be carried out by English ships, led to war with the Dutch Republic. In the early stages of this First Anglo-Dutch War, the superiority of the large, heavily armed English ships was offset by superior Dutch tactical organisation and the fighting was inconclusive
13.
British Pacific Fleet
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The British Pacific Fleet was a Royal Navy formation which saw action against Japan during the Second World War. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels, the BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944. Its main base was at Sydney, Australia, with a base at Manus Island. The US was liberating British territories in the Pacific and extending its influence and it was therefore seen as a political and military imperative by the British Government to restore a British presence in the region and to deploy British forces against Japan. The British Government was determined that British territories, such as Hong Kong, the British Government was not initially unanimous on the commitment of the BPF. Churchill, in particular, argued against it, not wishing to be a junior partner in what had been exclusively the United States battle. He also considered that a British presence would be unwelcome and should be concentrated on Burma, the Admiralty had proposed a British role in the Pacific in early 1944 but the initial USN response had been discouraging. These were eventually overcome or discounted and at a meeting, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt intervened to say that the British Fleet was no sooner offered than accepted, in this, though the fact was not mentioned, he overruled Admiral Kings opinion. The Australian Government had sought US military assistance in 1942, when it was faced with the possibility of Japanese invasion, while Australia had made a significant contribution to the Pacific War, it had never been an equal partner with its US counterparts in strategy. It was argued that a British presence would act as a counterbalance to the powerful and he later transferred his flag to a more suitable vessel, the battleship Howe. The Eastern Fleet was based in Ceylon, and reorganised into the British East Indies Fleet, the BPF operated against targets in Sumatra, gaining experience until early 1945, when it departed Trincomalee for Sydney. With its larger vessels integrated with United States Navy formations since 1942, a high proportion of naval aviators were New Zealanders and Canadians. The USN also contributed to the BPF, as did personnel from the South African Navy, port facilities in Australia and New Zealand also made vital contributions in support of the British Pacific Fleet. During World War II, the fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, in practice, command of the fleet in action devolved to Vice-Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings, with Vice-Admiral Sir Philip Vian in charge of air operations by the Royal Navys Fleet Air Arm. The fighting end of the fleet was referred to as Task Force 37 or 57, the 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron was the lead carrier formation. No.300 Wing RAF was established in Australia in late 1944 to fly aircraft in support of the BPF. The wing was expanded to a group in 1945 and conducted regular flights from Sydney to the forward bases. The requirement that the BPF be self-sufficient meant the establishment of a train that could support a naval force at sea for weeks or months
14.
Field ration
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A field ration, combat ration or ration pack is a canned or pre-packaged meal, easily prepared and eaten, transported by military troops on the battlefield. Most armies in the world today now field some form of pre-packaged combat ration, traditionally Hexamine has been the preferred solid fuel for cooking rations. The Ración de Combate was introduced in 2003, consisting of a gray plastic-foil laminate pouch containing a mix of canned and dehydrated foods, plus minimal supplements, all products in the RC are domestically produced, commercially available items. Menu #1 contains, corned beef, meat pate, crisp water crackers, menu #2 includes, roasted beef in gravy, meat pate, whole wheat crackers, and quick-cooking polenta in cheese sauce. Canada provides each soldier with a complete pre-cooked meal known as the IMP, there are 5 breakfast menus,6 lunch menus, and 6 supper menus. Canadian rations provide generous portions and contain a number of commercially available items. Like the US ration, the meal is precooked and ready-to-eat. Canadian ration packs also contain a book of cardboard matches, colombia issues the Ración de Campaña, a very dark olive green plastic bag weighing between 1092 and 1205 grams and providing 3,097 to 3,515 kcal. Inside are the MRE-like retort pouch main courses and supplements needed by 1 soldier for 1 day, the ration also includes bread products, beverage mixes, candy and accessories. All items except the beverage mixes require no preparation and can be eaten either hot or cold. The beverage powders must be mixed with hot or cold water before consumption, the Mexican defense department issues the Ración Diaria Individual de Combate box or individual soldiers daily combat meal box. Each individual meal package contains two main retort pouches which are meant to be eaten each other. The first retort pouch contains a meat product the second retort pouch contains a staple food. The United States Meal, Ready-to-Eat is packaged similarly to the Canadian ration, each sealed plastic bag contains one entire precooked meal, with a number of supplements and accessories. The original 12 menus have been expanded to 24 and now contain a variety of ethnic, Kosher/Halal and Vegetarian menus are also provided. A chemical heater is packed with every meal, the First Strike Ration is a compact, eat-on-the-move ration to be used for no more than three days during initial periods of highly intense, highly mobile combat assaults. A single FSR is about 50% of the size and weight of three MREs, each FSR provides 2,900 kcal, versus the 3,800 kcal in three MREs, and has a two-year shelf life when stored at 80 °F. The FSR comes in three menus, After joining NATO, the Czechs developed a combat ration known as the Bojová Dávka Potravin, a modified version of the BDP known as the KDP is also used
15.
Deck (ship)
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A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary or upper deck is the structure that forms the roof of the hull, strengthening it. Decks for some purposes have specific names, the main purpose of the upper or primary deck is structural, and only secondarily to provide weather-tightness and support people and equipment. The deck serves as the lid to the box girder which is the hull. It resists tension, compression, and racking forces, the decks scantling is usually the same as the topsides, or might be heavier if the deck is expected to carry heavier loads. The deck will be reinforced around deck fittings such as the capstan, cleats, on ships with more than one level, deck refers to the level itself. The actual floor surface is called the sole, the term refers to a structural member tying the ships frames or ribs together over the keel. In modern ships, the decks are usually numbered from the primary deck. So the first deck below the deck will be #2. Some merchant ships may alternatively designate decks below the deck, usually machinery spaces, by numbers. Ships may also call decks by common names, or may invent fanciful and romantic names for a deck or area of that specific ship. Equipment mounted on deck, such as the wheel, binnacle, fife rails. Eastern designs developed earlier, with efficient middle decks and minimalist fore, in vessels having more than one deck there are various naming conventions, numerically, alphabetically, etc. However, there are various common historical names and types of decks,01 level is the term used in naval services to refer to the deck above the main deck. The next higher decks are referred to as the 02 level, the 03 level, afterdeck an open deck area toward the stern-aft. Berth deck, A deck next below the gun deck, where the hammocks of the crew are slung, Boat deck, Especially on ships with sponsons, the deck area where lifeboats or the ships gig are stored. Boiler deck, The passenger deck above the vessels boilers, may also refer to the deck of a bridge. Flight deck, A deck from which aircraft take off or land, flush deck, Any continuous unbroken deck from stem to stern
16.
Head (watercraft)
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The head is a ships toilet. The name derives from sailing ships in which the area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the ship. In sailing ships, the toilet was placed in the bow somewhat above the line with vents or slots cut near the floor level allowing normal wave action to wash out the facility. Only the captain had a private toilet near his quarters, at the stern of the ship in the quarter gallery, in small boats the pump is often hand operated. The pump on a marine toilet operates in a wet mode, the cleaning mechanism is easily blocked if too much toilet paper or other fibrous material is put down the pan. Submarine heads face the problem that at greater depths higher water pressure makes it harder to pump the waste out through the hull. As a result, early systems could be complicated, with the head fitted to the US Navy S class submarine being described as almost taking an engineer to operate, making a mistake resulted in waste or seawater being forcibly expelled back into the hull of the submarine. This caused the loss of German submarine U-1206, as a result, many submarines only used the heads as an extra storage space for provisions
17.
Repair ship
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A repair ship is a naval auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to warships. The United States Navy became aware of the need for ships to maintain Asiatic Fleet ships stationed in the Philippines. Two colliers were converted to USS Prometheus and Vestal in 1913 before the purpose-built USS Medusa was completed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in 1923, the pre-dreadnought battleship Asahi was modified and recommissioned as a repair ship in 1938. British and Dominion Warships of World War II, watts, Anthony J. Japanese Warships of World War II
18.
Net laying ship
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A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender, gate ship or boom defence vessel was a type of small auxiliary ship. A net layers primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets, nets could be laid around an individual ship at anchor, or around harbors or other anchorages. Net laying was potentially dangerous work, and net laying seamen were experts at dealing with blocks, tackles, knots and splicing. As World War II progressed, net layers were pressed into a variety of roles including salvage, troop and cargo transport, buoy maintenance. Net layers initially received the classification symbol YN but were later reclassified AN. The British Admiralty knew such ships as a “boom defence vessel, the first 32, all launched in 1940, were built of steel. Due to the shortage of steel during the war, the next 30 were built of wood. The last 15, laid down in 1944 and 1945, were constructed of steel. A total of 77 net layers of all served with the US Navy during the war. The vessels served in all theatres of war but particularly in the Pacific, many of the ships were decommissioned after the war, but some continued in service for several more decades. Net layers were made redundant by advances in underwater detection technology. Net layers have two prominent steel horns on the bow, used in laying nets, World War II Net Tenders, Navsource Online. Photos of HMNZS Endeavour, Antarctic support ship, ex-US netlayer
19.
Greenock
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Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It forms part of an urban area with Gourock to the west. The 2011 census showed that Greenock had a population of 44,248 and it lies on the south bank of the Clyde at the Tail of the Bank where the River Clyde expands into the Firth of Clyde. The name of the town has had various spellings over time and it was printed in early Acts of Parliament as Grinok, Greenhok, Grinock, Greenhoke, Greinnock, and later as Greinok. Old Presbyterial records used Grenok, a common spelling until it was changed to Greenock around 1700 and it has also been suggested that Grian cnoc or sunny hill could refer to the hill on which the castle and mansion house stood, but this has not found much support. The towns modern indoor shopping centre is called The Oak Mall, the name is also recalled in a local song. Significantly, no green oak appears on the coat of arms which features the three chalices of the Shaw Stewarts, a sailing ship in full sail and two herring above the motto God Speed Greenock. Hugh de Grenock was created a Scottish Baron in 1296, around 1540 the adjoining barony of Finnart was passed to the Schaw family, extending their holdings westward to the boundary of Gourock, and in 1542 Sir John Schaw founded Wester Greenock castle. The coast of Greenock formed a bay with three smaller indentations, the Bay of Quick was known as a safe anchorage as far back as 1164. To its east, a sandy bay ran eastwards from the Old Kirk, the fishing village of Greenock developed along this bay, and around 1635 Sir John Schaw had a jetty built into the bay which became known as Sir Johns Bay. In that year he obtained a Charter raising Greenock to a Burgh of Barony with rights to a weekly market, further east, Saint Laurence Bay curved round past the Crawfurd Barony of Easter Greenock to Garvel Point. When a pier was built making the bay an important harbour, in 1642 it was made into the Burgh of Barony of Crawfurdsdyke, and part of the ill-fated Darien Scheme set out from this pier in 1697. This town was later renamed Cartsdyke, the fishing trade grew prosperous, with barrels of salted herring exported widely, and shipping trade developed. As seagoing ships could not go further up the River Clyde, a separate Barony of Cartsburn was created, the first baron being Thomas Craufurd. The work was completed in 1710, with quays extended out into Sir Johns Bay to enclose the harbour, in 1711 the shipbuilding industry was founded when Scotts leased ground between the harbour and the West Burn to build fishing boats. A whaling business operated for about 40 years, in 1714 Greenock became a custom house port as a branch of Port Glasgow, and for a period this operated from rooms leased in Greenock. Receipts rose rapidly from the 1770s, and in 1778 the custom house moved to new premises at the West Quay of the harbour. By 1791 a new pier was constructed at the East Quay, in 1812 Europes first steamboat service was introduced by PS Comet with frequent sailings between Glasgow, Greenock and Helensburgh, and as trade built up the pier became known as Steamboat Quay
20.
Boom (navigational barrier)
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A boom or a chain is an obstacle strung across a navigable stretch of water to control or block navigation. Booms could be military in nature, with the goal of denying access to an enemys ships, booms could also be used, especially along rivers, to force passing vessels to pay a toll. A boom generally floats on the surface, while a chain can be on the surface or below the water, a chain could be made to float with rafts, logs, ships or other wood, making the chain a boom as well. Especially in medieval times, the end of a chain could be attached to a tower or boom tower. This allowed safe raising or lowering of the chain, as they were heavily fortified. By raising or lowering a chain or boom, access could be selectively granted rather than rendering the stretch of water completely inaccessible. The raising and lowering could be accomplished by a mechanism or a capstan. The boom at the siege of Londonderry, for example, was cut by sailors in a longboat, as a key portion of defences, booms were usually heavily defended. This involved shore-based chain towers, batteries or forts, in the Age of Sail, a boom protecting a harbour could have several ships defending it with their broadsides, discouraging assaults on the boom. On some occasions, multiple booms spanned a single stretch of water. ^ Some sources have the chain being dismantled instead of broken by a ship in the Siege of Damietta and in the Raid on the Medway
21.
Singapore
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Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, sometimes referred to as the Lion City or the Little Red Dot, is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia. It lies one degree north of the equator, at the tip of peninsular Malaysia. Singapores territory consists of one island along with 62 other islets. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its size by 23%. During the Second World War, Singapore was occupied by Japan, after early years of turbulence, and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, based on external trade and its workforce. Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub, the country has also been identified as a tax haven. Singapore ranks 5th internationally and first in Asia on the UN Human Development Index and it is ranked highly in education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety, and housing, but does not fare well on the Democracy index. Although income inequality is high, 90% of homes are owner-occupied, 38% of Singapores 5.6 million residents are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. There are four languages on the island, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil. English is its language, most Singaporeans are bilingual. Singapore is a multiparty parliamentary republic, with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The Peoples Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959, however, it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island, Sang Nila Utama, the Srivijayan prince said to have founded and named the island Singapura, perhaps saw a Malayan tiger. There are however other suggestions for the origin of the name, the central island has also been called Pulau Ujong as far back as the third century CE, literally island at the end in Malay. In 1299, according to the Malay Annals, the Kingdom of Singapura was founded on the island by Sang Nila Utama and these Indianized Kingdoms, a term coined by George Cœdès were characterized by surprising resilience, political integrity and administrative stability. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burned down the settlement, which by then was part of the Johor Sultanate. The wider maritime region and much trade was under Dutch control for the following period, in 1824 the entire island, as well as the Temenggong, became a British possession after a further treaty with the Sultan. In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India, prior to Raffles arrival, there were only about a thousand people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along with a handful of Chinese. By 1860 the population had swelled to over 80,000, many of these early immigrants came to work on the pepper and gambier plantations
22.
Mediterranean Sea
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The sea is sometimes considered a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it is usually identified as a separate body of water. The name Mediterranean is derived from the Latin mediterraneus, meaning inland or in the middle of land and it covers an approximate area of 2.5 million km2, but its connection to the Atlantic is only 14 km wide. The Strait of Gibraltar is a strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar. In oceanography, it is called the Eurafrican Mediterranean Sea or the European Mediterranean Sea to distinguish it from mediterranean seas elsewhere. The Mediterranean Sea has a depth of 1,500 m. The sea is bordered on the north by Europe, the east by Asia and it is located between latitudes 30° and 46° N and longitudes 6° W and 36° E. Its west-east length, from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Gulf of Iskenderun, the seas average north-south length, from Croatia’s southern shore to Libya, is approximately 800 km. The Mediterranean Sea, including the Sea of Marmara, has an area of approximately 2,510,000 square km. The sea was an important route for merchants and travelers of ancient times that allowed for trade, the history of the Mediterranean region is crucial to understanding the origins and development of many modern societies. In addition, the Gaza Strip and the British Overseas Territories of Gibraltar and Akrotiri, the term Mediterranean derives from the Latin word mediterraneus, meaning amid the earth or between land, as it is between the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. The Ancient Greek name Mesogeios, is similarly from μέσο, between + γη, land, earth) and it can be compared with the Ancient Greek name Mesopotamia, meaning between rivers. The Mediterranean Sea has historically had several names, for example, the Carthaginians called it the Syrian Sea and latter Romans commonly called it Mare Nostrum, and occasionally Mare Internum. Another name was the Sea of the Philistines, from the people inhabiting a large portion of its shores near the Israelites, the sea is also called the Great Sea in the General Prologue by Geoffrey Chaucer. In Ottoman Turkish, it has also been called Bahr-i Sefid, in Modern Hebrew, it has been called HaYam HaTikhon, the Middle Sea, reflecting the Seas name in ancient Greek, Latin, and modern languages in both Europe and the Middle East. Similarly, in Modern Arabic, it is known as al-Baḥr al-Mutawassiṭ, in Turkish, it is known as Akdeniz, the White Sea since among Turks the white colour represents the west. Several ancient civilisations were located around the Mediterranean shores, and were influenced by their proximity to the sea. It provided routes for trade, colonisation, and war, as well as food for numerous communities throughout the ages, due to the shared climate, geology, and access to the sea, cultures centered on the Mediterranean tended to have some extent of intertwined culture and history. Two of the most notable Mediterranean civilisations in classical antiquity were the Greek city states, later, when Augustus founded the Roman Empire, the Romans referred to the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum
23.
Coastal Forces of the Royal Navy
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Coastal Forces was a division of the Royal Navy instially established during World War I and then again in World War II under the command of Rear-Admiral Coastal Forces. The Royal Navy had previously operated flotillas of small torpedo- and depth-charge-armed craft during World War I and they operated as often in action against the enemy coast as in defence of British coastal areas. During World War II, the first Coastal Forces headquarters was set up at HMS Vernon in 1940 under Rear Admiral Piers Kekewich, Royal Navy Coastal Forces craft operated mainly in the English Channel and North Sea waters, especially in the build up to the Normandy invasion of 1944. They were also used in the Mediterranean and off Norwegian coastline and they raided St. Nazaire and Dieppe. They were used to attack German convoys and their S-boat escorts, carry out raids and landings. The coastal craft were manned by various Allied nationalities including Dutch, Norwegian, Canadian, Australian, a number of Captain-class frigates were configured to operate as Coastal Forces Control Frigates. By 1944 Coastal Forces numbered 3,000 officers and 22,000 ratings, altogether there were 2,000 British Coastal Forces craft. Affectionately known as the Royal Navys Little Ships, they fought over 900 actions and sank around 400 enemy vessels and they fired 1,169 torpedoes, shot down 32 enemy aircraft and carried out many mine laying operations. 170 of the Little Ships were sunk or otherwise destroyed, after World War II, the Royal Navy redesignated all its motor torpedo boats and motor gun boats as fast patrol boats. The Brave-class fast patrol boats were the last craft to be built for the Coastal Forces, and these could typically maintain 40 knots and were armed with two torpedo tubes. They were built mainly by the British Power Boat Company, Vospers, in 1940 a modified craft, the Motor Gun Boat, was introduced. These were armed with such as the 0.5 in Vickers machine gun,2 pounder pom pom. It was also apparent that larger craft were needed as the capability of the short boats was too restricted by sea conditions. Fairmile designed a series of larger craft, up to 120 feet long. The Fairmile A Type and B Type were motor launches and the C Type was a gun boat. In 1943 the Fairmile D Type appeared and it was a motor torpedo boat – nicknamed the Dog Boat – and was designed as a counter to the German S-boat. It could be fitted as either a gun or a boat, so the designation MGB disappeared. It was a sea boat and could maintain 30 knots at full load
24.
Fort William, Highland
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Fort William is the second largest settlement in the Highlands of Scotland with around 10,000 inhabitants – and the largest town, only the city of Inverness is larger. Fort William is a major tourist centre, with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the east and Glenfinnan to the west and it is a centre for hillwalking and climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and many other Munro mountains. It is also known for its downhill mountain bike track. It is the start/end of both the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way, around 726 people can speak Gaelic. Questions over the towns English name are various, the post-Glorious Revolution fort was named Fort William after William of Orange, and the settlement that grew around it was called Maryburgh, after his wife. This settlement was later renamed Gordonsburgh, and then Duncansburgh before being renamed Fort William, given these origins, there have been various suggestions over the years to rename the town. These proposals have led to nothing, questions over the towns Gaelic name are also quite interesting. The Gaelic name for the town is An Gearasdan, this is an adaptation of the French term garnison, French loanwords that took root during the Norman ascendancy in the British Isles and the Auld Alliance are far more common in the Scots language than in Gaelic. Historically, this area of Lochaber was strongly Clan Cameron country, the nearby settlement of Inverlochy was the main settlement in the area before the building of the fort, and was also site of the Battle of Inverlochy. In the Jacobite rising known as the Forty-Five, Fort William was besieged for two weeks by the Jacobites, from 20 March to 3 April 1746. However, although the Jacobites had captured both of the forts in the chain of three Great Glen fortifications they failed to take Fort William. During the Second World War, Fort William was the home of HMS St Christopher which was a base for Royal Navy Coastal Forces. More on the history of the town and the region can be found in the West Highland Museum on the High Street, on 2 June 2006, a fire destroyed McTavishs Restaurant in Fort William High Street along with the two shops which were part of the building. The restaurant had been open since the 1970s and prior to that the building had been Frasers Cafe since the 1920s, development work began in 2012 on new hotel accommodation and street-level shops and these opened in 2014. A Waterfront development was proposed by the Council, but there was no overwhelming support for this in the town, the development would have included a hotel, some shops and some housing, but it was stated early in 2008 that it was unlikely to be completed before 2020. It was announced in April 2010 that the project had been abandoned and they join in the intertidal zone and briefly become one river before discharging to the sea. The town and its suburbs are surrounded by picturesque mountains and it is also on the shore of Loch Eil. It is close to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, Glen Nevis, when the railway opened to Fort William on 7 August 1894, the station was given prime position at the south end of the town
25.
Dartmouth, Devon
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Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the bank of the estuary of the River Dart. Their combined population at the census was 6,822. Dartmouth was of importance as a deep-water port for sailing vessels. The port was used as the point for the Crusades of 1147 and 1190. The narrow mouth of the Dart is protected by two fortified castles, Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle, originally Dartmouths only wharf was Bayards Cove, a relatively small area protected by a fort at the southern end of the town. In 1373 Geoffrey Chaucer visited and among the pilgrims in his Canterbury Tales A schipman was ther, wonyng fer by weste, For ought I wost, notwithstanding Dartmouths connections with the crown and respectable society, it was a major base for privateering in medieval times. John Hawley or Hauley, a privateer and sometime mayor of Dartmouth is reputed to be a model for Chaucers schipman. The earliest street in Dartmouth to be recorded by name is Smith Street, several of the houses on the street are originally late 16th century or early 17th century and probably rebuilt on the site of earlier medieval dwellings. The street name derives from the smiths and shipwrights who built. Smith Street was also the site of the pillory in medieval times. St Saviours Church was constructed in 1335 and consecrated in 1372 and it contains a pre-Reformation oak rood screen built in 1480 and several monuments including the tomb of John Hawley and his two wives, covered with a large brass plate effigy of all three. A large medieval ironwork door is decorated with two leopards of the Plantagenets and is possibly the original portal, although it is dated 1631, this is thought to be the date of a subsequent refurbishment coincidental with major renovations of the church in the 17th century. In 1592 the Madre de Deus, a Portuguese treasure ship captured by the English in the Azores, still, ten freighters were needed to carry the treasure to London. Henry Hudson put in to Dartmouth on his return from North America, the Pilgrim Fathers put in to Dartmouths Bayards Cove, en route from Southampton to America. They rested a while before setting off on their journey in the Mayflower, about 300 miles west of Lands End, upon realising that the Speedwell was unseaworthy, it returned to Plymouth. The Mayflower departed alone to complete the crossing to Cape Cod, Dartmouths sister city is Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The town contains many medieval and Elizabethan streetscapes and is a patchwork of narrow lanes, a significant number of the historic buildings are listed
26.
Loch-class frigate
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The Loch class was a class of anti-submarine frigate built for the Royal Navy and her Allies during World War II. They were a design based on the experience of three years of fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic and attendant technological advances. Accordingly, as many curves as possible were eliminated, producing a noticeable kink in the deck where the increased sheer forwards met the level abreast the bridge. The fighting capability of the Loch class was a jump forward. Previously, escorts had attacked with depth charges, requiring the attacking vessel to pass over the submerged submarine, consequently, the ahead-looking ASDIC set lost contact at the vital moment before the weapons were launched, allowing a skilled submarine commander to take successful evasive action. Squid, however, lobbed three 12-inch,390 pound warheads up to 600 yards ahead of the launching vessel falling in a pattern with sides of 40 yards. As the clockwork fuses detonated the warheads at a depth determined by the ships ASDIC set, two mortars were carried, with the bombs set to explode at different depths in order to create a convergent pressure wave to crush the hull of a submarine. The first successful kill was by Loch Killin on 31 July 1944, the weapons outfit was completed with a single QF 4-inch Mark V gun forwards. In addition to the new weaponry, the Lochs also carried new sensors, the increased weight of the stabilised antenna array and the carriage of HF/DF at the masthead meant that a lattice mast was stepped in lieu of the traditional tripod or pole. Some vessels completed with Radar Type 271 or 272 and the associated lantern radome until Type 277 became available, ASDIC Type 144 was carried for search and attack functions with Type 147B used for depth finding. As with the previous wartime escort designs, mercantile machinery was adopted to speed construction, one advantage of the use of mercantile machinery was that it was instantly familiar to the mainly reservist and volunteer crews who manned these ships. Of the one hundred and ten vessels ordered, twenty-eight were built as frigates, another two – Loch Assynt and Loch Torridon – were converted while building and completed as Coastal Forces Depot Ships, being renamed Derby Haven and Woodbridge Haven. A further fifty-four Loch-class vessels were cancelled in 1945, Loch Ard, Loch Boisdale and Loch Cree were transferred to South Africa as Transvaal, Good Hope and Natal respectively on completion. In 1948, six vessels, including two of the ex-Royal Canadian Navy trio, were refitted from reserve and transferred to New Zealand, during the Korean War, the Royal Navy reactivated several vessels and transferred them to the Mediterranean where they released Ch-class destroyers for war duties. In 1964 Loch Insh was transferred to Malaysia, in 1953, seven vessels were modernised, Loch Alvie, Loch Fada, Loch Fyne, Loch Insh, Loch Killisport, Loch Lomond and Loch Ruthven. Radar Type 277 was fitted with the new ANU antenna array, Loch Killisport sported a gunshield manufactured from GRP to test this material for suitability of constructing the housing of the new 4. 5-inch gun Mark 8. Loch Fada paid off in 1967 and was used to test an early vertical launch variant of the new Sea Wolf missile. 1942 War Programme, HMS Loch Fada – built by John Brown, Clydebank, laid down 8 June 1943, launched 14 December 1943, sold 21 May 1970 for breaking up at Faslane
27.
USS Altair (AD-11)
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The USS Altair was the lead ship of a class of three destroyer tenders. She was named for Altair, the brightest star in the constellation Aquila, launched on 10 May 1919, the Edisto came under naval scrutiny in the 13th Naval District, being given the identification number 4156 and initially earmarked for potential service as a collier. After a brief period of operation by the USSB, the Edisto was transferred to the Navy by executive order on 29 October 1921 and renamed the Altair on 2 November 1921. She then proceeded to the west coast of the United States via Newport, Rhode Island, Hampton Roads and the Panama Canal Zone, reaching San Diego, California, on 17 December 1922. She was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 12, Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet — a unit of 19 destroyers operating at that time with 84% complements as part of the rotating reserve, from 1922 to 1939, the Altair followed her charges and provided support services wherever required. During this time, to have her own capabilities maintained, she underwent yearly upkeep at the Mare Island Navy Yard. In 1926, the events in Nicaragua prompted the dispatch of a sailors and Marines from ships of the Special Service Squadron, however, as the danger points moved inland, the Secretary of the Navys report for 1928 states, it became advisable to use marines for this duty. Accordingly, a Marine expeditionary force, some 3, 000-men strong, was dispatched to Nicaragua early in 1927. When World War II began in Europe in the autumn of 1939, in March 1940, however, to service the destroyers of the Hawaiian Detachment sent to Pearl Harbor in December of the previous year, the Altair was shifted to Pearl. En route to her new duty station, she served as guard for Navy Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats being ferried to Oahu. She tended destroyers there through the end of the year 1940, overhauled at Mare Island Navy Yard from 6 April to 6 June 1941, the Altair returned to Pearl Harbor on 26 June. For the next three months the destroyer tender discharged her duty there until she departed Hawaiian waters on 30 September for the west coast, jones, which escorted the tender of Trinidad, where she arrived on 11 July. Except for brief periods at Aruba and Curaçao, in the Dutch West Indies, in early September, providing tender services at Guantanamo Bay until 3 May 1945, the Altair then returned to the Norfolk Navy Yard to be prepared for service in the Pacific theater. While the ship was on her way, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally, prepared for distant service, the Altair emerged from the Norfolk Navy Yard on 26 July and set course for the Pacific. The Altair sailed for Pearl Harbor on 15 August 1945, the Altair reached Pearl Harbor on 6 September 1945 and provided tender services to small ships and craft into the early spring of 1946. She departed Hawaiian waters for the last time on 27 April 1946 and reached San Francisco, California on 8 May and this article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here
28.
Destroyer tender
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A destroyer tender, or destroyer depot ship in British English, is an auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of class has faded from its peak in the first half of the 20th century as the roles of small combatants have evolved. As the industrial revolution progressed, steam-powered steel ships replaced sail-powered wooden ships, the first large warship to be sunk by a torpedo was the Chilean ironclad Blanco Encalada in 1891. These torpedo boat destroyers were so full of machinery, coal, quick-firing guns, Destroyer tenders with berthing and dining accommodations for the destroyer crews joined the fleet train of colliers accompanying the battle fleet. The destroyer tenders also carried cooks, administrative and medical personnel, although individual destroyers were too small for these specialized personnel, the skills of those aboard the tender were available to the whole destroyer flotilla. The tender also carried a supply of parts for destroyer machinery. When the Great White Fleet circled the globe in 1907, it was accompanied by a tender, the USS Yankton, and a repair ship, repair ships carried a fully equipped machine shop and foundry capable of completing any repair not requiring a drydock. Destroyer displacement had increased to 1,000 tons by World War I, United States destroyer tenders of World War II carried some destroyer ammunition and depth charges, and performed torpedo maintenance and resupply, but focused on repair work. These tenders operated stills and electric generators to supply fresh water, each increment of size enabled destroyers to carry more of the personnel and equipment previously found on the tender. Destroyers reached the size of cruisers during the war. Surviving tenders became functionally indistinguishable from repair ships, some destroyer tenders were designed and built to attend a flotilla of destroyers, while others were converted from ships built for other purposes. Tabled below is a comparison of ships designed as destroyer tenders, List of United States Navy Destroyer Tenders Submarine tender Blackman, cooney, David M. Ships, Aircraft and Weapons of the United States Navy. The Ships and Aircraft of the U. S. Fleet, British and Dominion Warships of World War II. Garden City, New York, Doubleday & Company, garden City, New York, Doubleday & Company
29.
USS Alcor (AD-34)
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USS Alcor was a destroyer tender, the lone ship in her class, named for a star in the constellation Ursa Major. The vessel was commissioned as USS Alcor on 4 September 1941 with Commander Edward A. Mitchell in command, the ship got underway on 7 December to sail to Casco Bay, Maine. After completing shakedown training, she shaped a course for Norfolk, Virginia and, upon reaching port on 19 December, became the flagship of Commander, Train. Re-classified a repair ship and redesignated AR-10 on 22 December 1941 Alcor began a tour of duty at Norfolk that lasted for more than 30 months and her protracted sojourn at Norfolk came to an end on 4 July 1944 when the repair ship got underway for the New England coast. She reached Casco Bay on 14 July and became the flagship of Commander, Destroyers and she remained in Casco Bay for the next five months making repairs for various ships of the fleet. While carrying out this assignment, her designation was changed to AD-34 on 6 November 1944, in early January,1945 the destroyer tender left the east coast, bound for the Pacific. She transited the Panama Canal and joined the Pacific Fleet on 16 January, Alcor continued on to Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 February. She provided tender services there until 4 June, when she sailed for the Philippine Islands, while en route, the vessel was diverted to Eniwetok. After a four-day layover for a construction project, the tender resumed her original course. There, she reported to Service Squadron 10 for duty and began work for various ships. During Alcors service in the Philippines, Japan capitulated on 15 August 1945, Alcor left Philippine waters on 14 September and headed for Okinawa. She reached Buckner Bay on the 18th and resumed her tender duties and she sailed for Japan on 28 February 1946. Her first stop was at Sasebo, where she carried out repair work through late March, Alcor then moved her operations to Yokosuka. The tender finished her tour there on 8 May, then shaped a course for the United States, after a pause en route at Pearl Harbor, the ship reached San Diego on 3 June. She sailed back through the Panama Canal and reached Norfolk on 22 June, preparations were begun for her deactivation, and Alcor was decommissioned on 5 August 1946. The vessel was sold on 6 August 1946 and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 August 1946, she was later scrapped in 1950. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. AG-34 / AR-10 / AD-34 Alcor, list of auxiliaries of the United States Navy
30.
Atlantic
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The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the worlds oceans with a total area of about 106,460,000 square kilometres. It covers approximately 20 percent of the Earths surface and about 29 percent of its surface area. It separates the Old World from the New World, the Atlantic Ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending longitudinally between Eurasia and Africa to the east, and the Americas to the west. The Equatorial Counter Current subdivides it into the North Atlantic Ocean, in contrast, the term Atlantic originally referred specifically to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and the sea off the Strait of Gibraltar and the North African coast. The Greek word thalassa has been reused by scientists for the huge Panthalassa ocean that surrounded the supercontinent Pangaea hundreds of years ago. The term Aethiopian Ocean, derived from Ancient Ethiopia, was applied to the Southern Atlantic as late as the mid-19th century, many Irish or British people refer to the United States and Canada as across the pond, and vice versa. The Black Atlantic refers to the role of ocean in shaping black peoples history. Irish migration to the US is meant when the term The Green Atlantic is used, the term Red Atlantic has been used in reference to the Marxian concept of an Atlantic working class, as well as to the Atlantic experience of indigenous Americans. Correspondingly, the extent and number of oceans and seas varies, the Atlantic Ocean is bounded on the west by North and South America. It connects to the Arctic Ocean through the Denmark Strait, Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea, to the east, the boundaries of the ocean proper are Europe, the Strait of Gibraltar and Africa. In the southeast, the Atlantic merges into the Indian Ocean, the 20° East meridian, running south from Cape Agulhas to Antarctica defines its border. In the 1953 definition it extends south to Antarctica, while in later maps it is bounded at the 60° parallel by the Southern Ocean, the Atlantic has irregular coasts indented by numerous bays, gulfs, and seas. Including these marginal seas the coast line of the Atlantic measures 111,866 km compared to 135,663 km for the Pacific. Including its marginal seas, the Atlantic covers an area of 106,460,000 km2 or 23. 5% of the ocean and has a volume of 310,410,900 km3 or 23. 3%. Excluding its marginal seas, the Atlantic covers 81,760,000 km2 and has a volume of 305,811,900 km3, the North Atlantic covers 41,490,000 km2 and the South Atlantic 40,270,000 km2. The average depth is 3,646 m and the maximum depth, the bathymetry of the Atlantic is dominated by a submarine mountain range called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It runs from 87°N or 300 km south of the North Pole to the subantarctic Bouvet Island at 42°S, the MAR divides the Atlantic longitudinally into two halves, in each of which a series of basins are delimited by secondary, transverse ridges. The MAR reaches above 2000 m along most of its length, the MAR is a barrier for bottom water, but at these two transform faults deep water currents can pass from one side to the other
31.
USS Black Hawk (AD-9)
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USS Black Hawk was a destroyer tender that was launched in 1913 as SS Santa Catalina by William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Co. Philadelphia, purchased by the U. S. Navy on 3 December 1917, assigned as tender and flagship to the Mine Force, Black Hawk departed Boston in June 1918 to take station at Inverness, Scotland. She remained there until the end of World War I and then shifted her base to Kirkwall, Orkney Islands and she returned to New York in November 1919 and served as flagship and tender for the Atlantic Fleet destroyers in reserve at Philadelphia. She served mainly in Caribbean and Panamanian waters until June 1922 when she left Newport, Rhode Island, via the Suez Canal, Black Hawk remained in the Far East for twenty years during which she tended Destroyer Squadrons 5 and 29. On 7 December 1941 Black Hawk was at Balikpapan, Borneo and she operated as a tender and repair ship at Java until 31 December 1941, at Darwin, Australia, Java, and in Australian waters. Leaving Australia she steamed to Pearl Harbor, arriving 15 June 1942 and she was assigned tender duty in Alaskan waters and arrived at Kodiak on 29 July 1942. Remaining there until 4 November 1942 she then returned to San Francisco, California, for repairs, completing her overhaul 16 March 1943, Black Hawk returned to Alaskan waters, arriving 10 April 1943. Except for a stay at Pearl Harbor, she remained at Adak until 21 March 1945. Following repairs at Alameda, California, she arrived at Pearl Harbor 30 May 1945, remained there until 11 September, Black Hawk served in the Far East tending vessels at Okinawa and in China until 20 May 1946 when she headed home for the last time. Decommissioned on 15 August 1946, she was transferred to Maritime Commission on 4 September 1947, the entry can be found here
32.
United States Asiatic Fleet
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The United States Asiatic Fleet was a fleet of the United States Navy during much of the first half of the 20th century. Before World War II, the fleet patrolled the Philippine Islands, the fleet was created when its predecessor, the Asiatic Squadron, was upgraded to fleet status in 1902. In early 1907, the fleet was downgraded and became the First Squadron of the United States Pacific Fleet, however, on 28 January 1910, the ships of that squadron were again organized as the Asiatic Fleet. In 1904, all armored cruisers were withdrawn from the Far East, gunboats patrolled the Yangtze River in the Yangtze Patrol. After Rear Admiral Charles J. Train became commander-in-chief of the fleet in March 1905, when the Asiatic Fleet landed 40 United States Marines to rescue the officers, the villagers attacked them with pitchforks and the Marines fired two shots. Local Chinese officials refused to return the guns, but Train. The governor of Nanking later apologized for the actions, returned the American officers guns. On 4 August 1906, Train died in Yantai, China, in early 1907, the Asiatic Fleet was abolished, and its ships and personnel became the First Squadron of the United States Pacific Fleet. On 28 January 1910, the United States Asiatic Fleet was reestablished, in December 1922, when the U. S. Navy was restructured, with the U. S. Pacific Fleet and United States Atlantic Fleet combining to form a unified United States Fleet, the Asiatic Fleet remained a separate entity and was charged with defending the Philippines and Guam and with upholding the Open Door Policy in China. The visit was unsuccessful in deterring further Japanese military operations in either area, on 25 July 1939, Admiral Thomas C. Hart was appointed the commander-in-chief of the fleet. It was based at Cavite Naval Base and Olongapo Naval Station on Luzon, on 22 July 1941, the Mariveles Naval Base was completed and the Asiatic Fleet began to use it as well. Hart had permission to withdraw to the Indian Ocean, in the event of war with Japan, harts submarines, commanded by Commander, Submarines, Asiatic Fleet Captain John E. Wilkes were six elderly S-class submarines and seven Porpoises. In October 1941,12 Salmons or Sargos—in Captain Stuart Sunshine Murrays Submarine Division 15 and Captain Joseph A. Connollys Submarine Division 16, walter E. Red Doyle was assigned as Wilkes relief. When war began, Doyles inexperience in Asian waters meant Wilkes remained de facto COMSUBAF, problems were encountered almost from the beginning. No boats were placed in Lingayen Gulf, widely expected to be where the Japanese would land, in the event, several S-boats, nor were any boats off ports of Japanese-held Formosa, despite more than a weeks warning of impending hostilities. Successes were few in the days of the war. The classic film The Sand Pebbles is a dramatization on the life of the China Sailors, the U. S. military also created several awards and decorations to recognize those personnel who had performed duty in China
33.
Alaska
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Alaska is a U. S. state located in the northwest extremity of North America. To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort seas–the southern parts of the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean lies to the south and southwest. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area, the 3rd least populous, approximately half of Alaskas residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. Alaskas economy is dominated by the fishing, natural gas, military bases and tourism are also a significant part of the economy. The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30,1867, the area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11,1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U. S. on January 3,1959, the name Alaska was introduced in the Russian colonial period when it was used to refer to the peninsula. It was derived from an Aleut, or Unangam idiom, which refers to the mainland of Alaska. Literally, it means object to which the action of the sea is directed, Alaska is the northernmost and westernmost state in the United States and has the most easterly longitude in the United States because the Aleutian Islands extend into the Eastern Hemisphere. Alaska is the only non-contiguous U. S. state on continental North America and it is technically part of the continental U. S. but is sometimes not included in colloquial use, Alaska is not part of the contiguous U. S. often called the Lower 48. The capital city, Juneau, is situated on the mainland of the North American continent but is not connected by road to the rest of the North American highway system. Alaskas territorial waters touch Russias territorial waters in the Bering Strait, as the Russian Big Diomede Island, Alaska has a longer coastline than all the other U. S. states combined. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by total area at 663,268 square miles, over twice the size of Texas, Alaska is larger than all but 18 sovereign countries. Counting territorial waters, Alaska is larger than the area of the next three largest states, Texas, California, and Montana. It is also larger than the area of the 22 smallest U. S. states. Also referred to as the Panhandle or Inside Passage, this is the region of Alaska closest to the rest of the United States, as such, this was where most of the initial non-indigenous settlement occurred in the years following the Alaska Purchase. The region is dominated by the Alexander Archipelago as well as the Tongass National Forest and it contains the state capital Juneau, the former capital Sitka, and Ketchikan, at one time Alaskas largest city. The Alaska Marine Highway provides a vital transportation link throughout the area. The Interior is the largest region of Alaska, much of it is uninhabited wilderness, Fairbanks is the only large city in the region
34.
Home Fleet
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The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated in the United Kingdoms territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. Rear-Admiral George Atkinson-Willes was Second-in-Command of the Home Fleet, with his flag in the battleship HMS Empress of India, in May 1903 Noel was succeeded as Commander-in-Chief by Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson. On 14 December 1904, the Channel Fleet was re-styled the Atlantic Fleet, in 1907, the Home Fleet was reformed with Vice-Admiral Francis Bridgeman in command, succeeded by Admiral Sir William May in 1909. Bridgeman took command again in 1911, and in the year was succeeded by Admiral Sir George Callaghan. On 4 August 1914, as the First World War was breaking out, John Jellicoe was ordered to command of the Fleet. The name Home Fleet was resurrected in March 1932, as the new name for the Atlantic Fleet, the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet in 1933 was Admiral Sir John Kelly. Its chief responsibility was to keep Nazi Germanys Kriegsmarine from breaking out of the North Sea, for this purpose, the First World War base at Scapa Flow was reactivated as it was well placed for interceptions of ships trying to run the blockade. The operational areas of the Home Fleet were not circumscribed, only with the destruction of the German battleship Tirpitz in 1944 did the Home Fleet assume a lower priority, and most of its heavy units were withdrawn to be sent to the Far East. With the Cold War, greater emphasis was placed on protecting the North Atlantic from the Soviet Union in concert with other countries as part of NATO, Admiral Sir Rhoderick McGrigor supervised combined Western Union exercises involving ships from the British, French, and Dutch navies in June–July 1949. Admiral McGrigor flew his flag from the aircraft carrier Implacable, also taking part in the exercises were Victorious and Anson, along with cruisers and destroyers. During the exercise, the combined force paid a visit to Mounts Bay in Cornwall from 30 June-4 July 1949, Admiral Sir Philip Vian, who was Commander-in-Chief from 1950-1952, flew his flag in Vanguard. In late 1951, Theseus joined the fleet as flagship of the 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron, the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet still flew his flag however in Tyne at Portsmouth. During Exercise Mainbrace in 1952, NATO naval forces came together for the first time to practice the defence of northern Europe, Denmark, navys Atlantic Fleet, in his NATO position as SACLANT, by the end of 1952. The submarine tender Maidstone was the flagship in 1956. In 1960, C-in-C Home Fleet moved to Northwood, and in 1966 the NATO Channel Command moved to Northwood from Portsmouth, in April 1963, the naval unit at the Northwood Headquarters was commissioned as HMS Warrior under the command of the then Captain of the Fleet. The Home Fleet was amalgamated with the Mediterranean Fleet in 1967, the British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 –1995
35.
Iceland
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Iceland is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of 332,529 and an area of 103,000 km2, the capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Reykjavík and the areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active, the interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence still keeps summers chilly, with most of the archipelago having a tundra climate. According to the ancient manuscript Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in the year 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. In the following centuries, Norwegians, and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, emigrated to Iceland, the island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the Althing, one of the worlds oldest functioning legislative assemblies. Following a period of strife, Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century. The establishment of the Kalmar Union in 1397 united the kingdoms of Norway, Denmark, Iceland thus followed Norways integration to that Union and came under Danish rule after Swedens secession from that union in 1523. In the wake of the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars, Icelands struggle for independence took form and culminated in independence in 1918, until the 20th century, Iceland relied largely on subsistence fishing and agriculture, and was among the poorest in Europe. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity, in 1994, it became a part of the European Economic Area, which further diversified the economy into sectors such as finance, biotechnology, and manufacturing. Iceland has an economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries. It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides health care. Iceland ranks high in economic, political and social stability and equality, in 2013, it was ranked as the 13th most-developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index. Iceland runs almost completely on renewable energy, some bankers were jailed, and the economy has made a significant recovery, in large part due to a surge in tourism. Icelandic culture is founded upon the nations Scandinavian heritage, most Icelanders are descendants of Germanic and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is descended from Old Norse and is related to Faroese
36.
USS Cascade (AD-16)
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USS Cascade, the only ship of its class, was a destroyer tender in the United States Navy. Originally designed as a passenger-freighter, the Cascade was launched on 6 June 1942 by Western Pipe and Steel Company in San Francisco, the ship was sponsored by Mrs. Charles W. Crosse, wife of Rear Admiral Charles W. Crosse, USN. It was turned over to the Matson Navigation Company of San Francisco, California, the Cascade was commissioned on 12 March 1943, Captain S. B. Cascade cleared San Francisco on 12 June 1943 for Pearl Harbor, as the war moved westward, Cascade followed, bringing her support close to the action areas. Cascade was part of Service Squadron 10, in June 1945, Cascade sailed to Okinawa, where she endured the suicide raids and typhoon weather. She left Okinawan waters in September to serve in Wakayama, Japan and later at Tokyo, Japan, supporting the occupation until March 1946, Cascade was decommissioned and placed in service in reserve at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 12 February 1947. Recommissioned on 5 April 1951, Cascade was based in Newport, Rhode Island, from Newport she cruised to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean to support the destroyers deployed there. During this time Cascade served as flagship, and carried the flag of Commander, Service Force, 6th Fleet, and she also served as flagship for Commander, Destroyer Force, Atlantic. She served in this role as flagship and tender up through 1963, from 1970 to 1974, the Cascade was forward deployed to the Mediterranean, homeported in Naples Italy. When was in the port of Naples Cascade was used even like a set for a scene of Italian Movie Polvere di stelle in 1973 with Alberto Sordi, Monica Vitti, the Cascade was decommissioned on 22 November 1974 and struck from the Naval Register on 23 November 1974. She was subsequently sold for scrap to Luria Brother of Brooklyn, New York, Cascade received one battle star for World War II service. J. Hudson Beaton 27 August 1974 -22 November 1974 In the autumn of 1943 Admiral Nimitz ordered the creation of two service squadrons. These two squadrons would provide service to the fleet as it moved across the Pacific — with one service as fleet base while the second remained to the rear. As the fleet captured new sites the rear squadron would move to the front, Service Squadron 4 was commissioned on 1 November 1943. The squadron was made up of 24 vessels and would be based in Funafuti Atoll, the USS Cascade, Captain Samuel Ogden, was the flagship for the squadron and Captain Ogden was also chief staff officer for the Squadron. The repair ships Phaon and Vestal and 21 other ships comprised the squadron, on 21 November 1943 the Cascade arrived at Funafuti where she remained until February 1944. During the stay at Funafuti the Cascade serviced numerous fleet vessels — including 10 destroyers and 8 destroyer escorts, during this period Captain Worrall Reed Carter, was organizing the second service squadron. Service Squadron 10 was commissioned on 15 January 1944 at Pearl Harbor, after the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 the Cascade moved from Funafuti to Kwajalein
37.
USS Denebola (AD-12)
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USS Denebola was an Altair-class destroyer tender named for Denebola, the second-brightest star in the constellation Leo. Originally built in 1919 as SS Edgewood by Skinner and Eddy of Seattle, Washington, then transferred from the Shipping Board on 4 November 1921 and she was commissioned as USS Denebola on 28 November 1921 with Commander J. F. Daniels in command. Denebola served on the Atlantic Coast until 21 November 1922 when she cleared Philadelphia for the Mediterranean and duty as tender and repair ship to the U. S. Naval Detachment in Turkish waters. She got underway from Constantinople 18 November 1923 and called at Bizerte and Tunis, Tunisia, Gibraltar, and the Azores on her way to New York, Denebola joined in winter maneuvers in the Caribbean in 1924. She was placed out of commission in reserve at Philadelphia on 9 August and she was commissioned in ordinary there 18 January 1940 for overhaul and refit. Again in full commission, on 6 April 1940 Denebola sailed to Norfolk for shakedown exercises in Chesapeake Bay, then returned to Baltimore to have flag quarters installed. On 14 August she arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard and reported to Commander, Destroyers, Atlantic Squadron, U. S. Fleet, to overhaul destroyers and serve as flagship. On 1 September she sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving five days later, to prepare and she was visited by the Earl of Athlone, Governor General of Canada, on 8 September. Returning to Norfolk 3 November, she made two trips to Halifax in the next month and a half. During early 1941 Denebola served at Norfolk, tending destroyers and conducting schools in work, cruising to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, once. She arrived in Casco Bay, Maine on 12 September to serve as tender to destroyers, Denebola sailed from Norfolk on 24 July 1944 for duty in the Mediterranean, furnishing tender services at Cagliari, Sardinia, during the invasion of southern France. She continued this duty at Ajaccio, Corsica, and St. Tropez, France and she returned to Casco Bay, Maine 1 December. Arriving at Boston 30 April 1945 for repairs, Denebola got underway 13 May for the Pacific and she provided upkeep and repair services to destroyers and other ships until 6 November when she sailed for San Diego, arriving 26 November. She aided in preparing ships for decommissioning until 14 February 1946 when she got underway for San Francisco, Denebola was decommissioned there 10 April 1946 and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 1 July 1946. Denebola received one star for World War II service. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
38.
USS Dixie (AD-14)
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The second USS Dixie was a destroyer tender in the United States Navy. Dixie was launched on 27 May 1939 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, pickens, and commissioned on 25 April 1940, with Lieutenant Commander G. H. Bahm in command. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, she was undergoing overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard, in March 1942 she returned to Pearl Harbor to tend destroyers and other ships of the Fleet until November. Dixie alternated between Nouméa and Espiritu Santo in support of the operations in the Solomons from November 1942 to March 1944, in September she arrived at the huge fleet base at Ulithi, serving there until February 1945. Her essential services were given at San Pedro Bay, Leyte. She served ships on duty at Okinawa and Shanghai, then returned to the west coast in December 1945. In the summer of 1946, Dixie sailed to Bikini Atoll for atomic weapons experiments, in 1947 and in 1949 she cruised to the Far East and was based at Tsingtao to serve destroyers on patrol off the Chinese coast. Dixie was the last U. S. vessel to leave China when the Communist advance forced the evacuation of Americans from the mainland. It would take 37 years before U. S. naval vessels would once again visit China when USS Rentz, USS Reeves, following her departure from China, she acted as headquarters for the American consul and chargé daffaires at Hong Kong. During two of these western Pacific tours, she rendered assistance to the ships of the United Nations operating off Korea. In 1959 and again in 1960, in addition to serving at San Diego, Dixie received five battle stars for Korean War service. From about the early 1960s to 1982 Dixie was homeported at Subic Bay in the Philippines where she served as a ship for destroyers in the 7th Fleet. USS Dixie Ad-14 was home ported out of San Diego California 1969-1973 at least and was Flag Ship for COMCRUSDESPAC usually tied up at pier 4. In 1981, she was the first ship to be awarded the First Navy Jack as the ship with the longest active service in the Navy, Dixie was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 June 1982. She was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan and this article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here
39.
USS Dobbin (AD-3)
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USS Dobbin is the name of a United States Navy destroyer tender of World War II, named after James Cochrane Dobbin, the Secretary of the Navy from 1853 to 1857. Dobbin was launched on 5 May 1921 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard and she was commissioned on 23 July 1924, and served for 22 years before being decommissioned on 27 September 1946, and transferred to the United States Maritime Commission for disposal. Dobbin was launched on 5 May 1921 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. H. H. James and she was commissioned on 23 July 1924 with Commander D. C. She joined that squadron at Guantanamo Bay, and took part in practice with the destroyers. From this base, on 13 February 1925, Dobbin steamed to the Panama Canal, after maneuvers at sea with the Scouting Fleet she arrived at San Diego on 9 March 1925 for 4 months of tender service along the west coast and at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Dobbin returned to the east coast in July 1925 and operated in the Atlantic Ocean for the next 7 years, during this time she participated in radio experiments and continued her services to the destroyers of the Scouting Fleet. In 1932, Dobbin returned to San Diego, arriving 1 September, at that time she was transferred to Hawaii and based on Pearl Harbor. In July 1941 Commander Thomas C, Latimore, Dobbins captain, disappeared while hiking the local Aiea Hills. His body was never found and was the subject of local news coverage. Commander Latimore was declared dead in July 1942. Dobbin was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, at the time of the attack she was moored northeast of Ford Island with five destroyers, USS Phelps, USS Macdonough, USS Worden, USS Dewey and USS Hull. Dobbins crew watched helplessly as Japanese planes targeted Battleship Row, seeing that the ship had admiral flags, the aircraft tried to bomb Dobbin, but the ship only took shrapnel damage. Dobbins small craft spent the morning picking up survivors and taking the wounded to shore, the ship picked up hundreds of sailors from other ships, and when she left the harbor in search of the Japanese fleet,200 men from USS Raleigh alone were aboard. After the attack, Dobbin served in the Hawaiian area until May 1942 and then she was sent to Sydney, Dobbin was one of several Allied vessels located in Sydney Harbor during the Japanese midget submarine attack of 31 May 1942. On 25 June 1943 she was sent to Brisbane, Mackay, Townsville and she stayed near New Guinea until 14 February 1945, at which point she moved to Subic Bay in the Philippines. She served a Subic Bay from 24 February to 3 November 1945, Dobbin returned to San Diego on 7 December 1945 and was decommissioned on 27 September 1946. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal on 24 December 1946, the entry can be found here
40.
Scapa Flow
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Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Scapa Flow is one of Britains most historic stretches of water - located within the Orkney Islands and its sheltered waters have been used by ships since prehistory and it has played an important role in travel, trade and conflict throughout the centuries - especially during both World Wars. It is currently a world-famous diving location, with the wrecks of the scuttled German Fleet offering unique diving challenges, Scapa Flow is also a major oil port serving the Flotta Oil Terminal, and is a prime location of ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil product and liquefied natural gas. The world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of LNG took place in Scapa Flow in 2007. Vikings anchored their longships in Scapa Flow more than a thousand years ago, the facility was closed in 1956. The Viking expeditions to Orkney are recorded in detail in the 11th century Orkneyinga sagas, en route back to Norway Haakon anchored some of his fleet in Scapa Flow for the winter, but he died that December whilst staying at the Bishops Palace in Kirkwall. The enterprise ended in failure and rout at the Battle of Carbisdale, historically, the main British naval bases were located near the English Channel to better face Britains old enemies, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. First Rosyth was considered for the base, then Invergordon at Cromarty Firth, john Rushworth Jellicoe, admiral of the Grand Fleet, was perpetually nervous about the possibility of submarine or destroyer attacks on Scapa Flow. These blocked approaches were backed by minefields, artillery, and concrete barriers, only two attempts to enter the harbour were made by German U-boats during the war, and neither was successful. U-18 tried to enter in November 1914, but a trawler searching for submarines rammed it, causing U-18 to flee, uB-116 made the second attempt in October 1918 but encountered the sophisticated defences then in place. It was detected by hydrophones before entering the anchorage, then destroyed by shore-triggered mines, after waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, he gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. Nine German sailors died when British forces opened fire as they attempted to scuttle their ship, SMS Emden was amongst the ships the British managed to beach. This Emden should not be confused with her predecessor, destroyed in the Battle of Cocos on 9 November 1914 by the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney, at least seven of the scuttled German ships, and a number of sunken British ships, can be visited by scuba divers. These ships posed a hazard to navigation, and small boats, trawlers and drifters, moving around the Flow regularly became snagged on them with the rise. The Admiralty initially declared that there would be no attempt at salvage, in the first few years after the war, there was abundant scrap metal as a result of the huge quantities of leftover tanks, artillery and ordnance. By the early 1920s, the situation had changed, in 1922, the Admiralty invited tenders from interested parties for the salvage of the sunken ships, although at the time few believed that it would be possible to raise the deeper wrecks. During the next eight years, Cox and his workforce of divers, engineers, in this fashion the submerged hulls were made into air-tight chambers and raised with compressed air, still inverted, back to the surface. Cox endured bad luck and frequent fierce storms which often ruined his work, swamping and re-sinking ships which had just been raised
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Canada
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Canada is a country in the northern half of North America. Canadas border with the United States is the worlds longest binational land border, the majority of the country has a cold or severely cold winter climate, but southerly areas are warm in summer. Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its territory being dominated by forest and tundra. It is highly urbanized with 82 per cent of the 35.15 million people concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, One third of the population lives in the three largest cities, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Its capital is Ottawa, and other urban areas include Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg. Various aboriginal peoples had inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years prior to European colonization. Pursuant to the British North America Act, on July 1,1867, the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick and this began an accretion of provinces and territories to the mostly self-governing Dominion to the present ten provinces and three territories forming modern Canada. With the Constitution Act 1982, Canada took over authority, removing the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II being the head of state. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level and it is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries. Its advanced economy is the eleventh largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources, Canadas long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture. Canada is a country and has the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, Canada is an influential nation in the world, primarily due to its inclusive values, years of prosperity and stability, stable economy, and efficient military. While a variety of theories have been postulated for the origins of Canada. In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadacona, from the 16th to the early 18th century Canada referred to the part of New France that lay along the St. Lawrence River. In 1791, the area became two British colonies called Upper Canada and Lower Canada collectively named The Canadas, until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, Canada was adopted as the name for the new country at the London Conference. The transition away from the use of Dominion was formally reflected in 1982 with the passage of the Canada Act, later that year, the name of national holiday was changed from Dominion Day to Canada Day
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USS Hamul (AD-20)
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USS Hamul was the lead ship of a class of two destroyer tenders, she was most likely named after Hamal, the brightest star in the constellation Aries. Laid down on 6 March 1940 as SS Sea Panther, a Maritime Commission type hull under Maritime Commission contract by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company of Kearney, launched in May 1940 she was delivered to the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company of New Orleans and renamed Doctor Lykes. After two trips to the Orient she was acquired by the United States Navy and commissioned as a ship, USS Hamul, on 14 June 1941 at Charleston, South Carolina. In July 1941, Hamul rendered logistical support for the occupation of Iceland and this mission completed, the cargo ship returned to the States via Chile, while she loaded 10,000 tons of nitrate. Hamul discharged the cargo at Mobile, Alabama and remained there for conversion to a destroyer tender. In the following 19 months she tended some 348 DDs as well as removing demolition charges from U-505 and this German submarine was the first capture of a regular enemy warship on the high seas by the U. S. Navy since 1815. After overhaul at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Hamul sailed for the Pacific 1 January 1945 reaching Saipan 12 February via the Panama Canal, Pearl Harbor and she remained there preparing amphibious craft for the massive Iwo Jima invasion until 27 March, when she sailed to Ulithi. At Ulithi Hamul kept busy repairing damaged craft returning from the Okinawa campaign until 6 May, Hamul reached Okinawa on 10 May 1945 and remained there until February,1946 to repair battle-damaged ships. With over 400 homeward bound veterans aboard, she departed Okinawa 10 February 1946, after discharging them at San Diego she proceeded to Jacksonville, Florida and subsequently Orange, Texas to prepare for decommissioning. As Hamul entered the stages of the decommissioning process, she was called back into active service as station ship at Plymouth. Reaching the British port on 17 April 1947, Hamul remained there for three years tending various American ships and making quarterly cruises to Atlantic and Mediterranean ports. Again ordered to decommission, Hamul departed Plymouth on 17 July 1950, going west via Norfolk, Hamul reached Sasebo, Japan on 23 October and began servicing the fleet operating off the Korean coast. During the active fighting in Korea and the Cold War afterwards, Hamul decommissioned on 9 June 1962 at Long Beach. Returned to the Maritime Administration, she was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay in Benicia, California, Hamul earned one battle star for World War II service and one battle star for Korean War service. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, the entry can be found here
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Operation Torch
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Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa during the North African Campaign of the Second World War which started on 8 November 1942. The Soviet Union had pressed the United States and United Kingdom to start operations in Europe, while the American commanders favored Operation Sledgehammer, landing in Occupied Europe as soon as possible, the British commanders believed that such a course would end in disaster. The U. S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, suspected the African operation would rule out an invasion of Europe in 1943 but agreed to support the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Allies planned an Anglo-American invasion of north-western Africa — Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, with much of North Africa already under Allied control, this would allow the Allies to carry out a pincer operation against Axis forces in North Africa. These forces included 60,000 troops in Morocco,15,000 in Tunisia, in addition, there were 10 or so warships and 11 submarines at Casablanca. The Allies believed that the Vichy French forces would not fight, the French were former Allies of the U. S. and the American troops were instructed not to fire unless they were fired upon. However, they harbored suspicions that the Vichy French navy would bear a grudge over the British action at Mers-el-Kebir in 1940, an assessment of the sympathies of the French forces in North Africa was essential, and plans were made to secure their cooperation, rather than resistance. German support for the Vichy French came in the shape of air support, several Luftwaffe bomber wings undertook anti-shipping strikes against Allied ports in Algiers and along the North African coast. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was given command of the operation, the Allied Naval Commander of the Expeditionary Force would be Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, his deputy was Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, who would plan the amphibious landings. Planners identified Oran and also Algiers and Casablanca as key targets, ideally there would also be a landing at Tunis to secure Tunisia and facilitate the rapid interdiction of supplies travelling via Tripoli to Rommels forces in Libya. However, Tunis was much too close to the Axis airfields in Sicily, a compromise would be to land at Bône, some 300 miles closer to Tunis than Algiers. They therefore chose the Casablanca option as the less risky since the forces in Algeria and Tunisia could be supplied overland from Casablanca in the event of closure of the straits. In July 1941, Mieczysław Słowikowski set up Agency Africa, one of the Second World Wars most successful intelligence organizations and his Polish allies in these endeavors included Lt. Col. Gwido Langer and Major Maksymilian Ciężki. The information gathered by the Agency was used by the Americans, to gauge the feeling of the Vichy French forces, Murphy was appointed to the American consulate in Algeria. His covert mission was to determine the mood of the French forces and he succeeded in contacting several French officers, including General Charles Mast, the French commander-in-chief in Algiers. These officers were willing to support the Allies, but asked for a conference with a senior Allied General in Algeria. However, Giraud would take no position lower than commander in chief of all the invading forces, when he was refused, he decided to remain a spectator in this affair. The Allies organized three amphibious task forces to seize the key ports and airports of Morocco and Algeria simultaneously, targeting Casablanca, Oran, successful completion of these operations was to be followed by an advance eastwards into Tunisia
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USS Markab
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USS Markab was a Hamul-class destroyer tender named for Markab, the third-brightest star in the constellation Pegasus. Markab operated with Atlantic amphibious forces in the Hampton Roads area until 1 October 1941 and she then loaded cargo at Jersey City, New Jersey for delivery to American troops recently stationed in Greenland. Returning to Brooklyn, New York on 21 November, she took on supplies for distribution to various bases in the Caribbean. World War II engulfed the United States before Markab steamed into Ensenada Honda, Puerto Rico, the new wartime demands on the Navy caused this voyage to terminate at Mobile, Alabama on 8 January 1942 where she was converted to a destroyer tender. Sixteen days later she was redesignated AD-21, but it was 27 September before Commander Brown again commanded a fully commissioned vessel, after shakedown Markab transited the Panama Canal on 27 October to join Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Ships recently returned from the battle for the Solomon Islands made use of her facilities for three months prior to her departure on 6 February 1943 to service the North Pacific Force. In the year she remained in the Aleutians, she rendered noteworthy service in helping to prepare vessels for both the Attu and Kiska invasions, steaming to San Francisco late in January,1944 the ship prepared for an even more extensive Pacific tour. She departed the West Coast on 26 February and worked her way toward the war zone, having assisted in preparing and sustaining the ships fighting in the bloody conquests of the Marianas and Iwo Jima, she sailed for the Philippines on 16 February 1945. Her work force now overhauled and readied landing craft for the assault on Okinawa, during June she played an important part in preparing TF38 for the last great raids on Japan. Following the Japanese surrender, Markab refitted and restocked ships bound for the areas of Japan, Korea. Steaming in their wake, she arrived Sasebo, Japan on 1 November and early in January 1946 joined the 7th Fleet at Shanghai and her services in the western Pacific ended 2 April as Markab commenced the long voyage home for inactivation. The ship off loaded at New Orleans beginning 6 May, at Orange, Texas on January,1947 she decommissioned and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. When the Cold War turned hot in Korea, the resultant expansion of the Navy brought the temporary reactivation of Markab, recommissioned on 26 February 1952 with Captain Melvyn H. McCoy in command, she remained on the East Coast servicing Destroyer Force ships. Operating initially at Newport, Rhode Island and after April,1955 at Fall River, Massachusetts, on 9 February she departed on a voyage to Charleston where she decommissioned on 31 July. Into a crisis-beset world she emerged again in 1960, towed to Mare Island Navy Yard in California, she was redesignated as Repair Ship AR-23 on 15 April and recommissioned on 1 July with Captain Edwin Monroe Westbrook, Jr. in command. Homeported at Alameda Naval Air Station, the ship sailed to Pearl Harbor late in October. Between 5 July 1962 and 14 September 1966 she projected her services even more widely, on the first such voyage Markab returned a priceless Chinese art treasures exhibit to Taiwan. On the next two tours, ships returning from combat patrol off the coast of Vietnam increasingly required her facilities, interspersed with the work periods in the Philippines and Japan were brief rest and rehabilitation periods at Hong Kong and Buckner Bay, Okinawa
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USS Melville (AD-2)
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USS Melville was a United States Navy destroyer tender that saw service in both World Wars. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, Melville reported to Newport, in January 1916, on 11 May 1917, a month after the United States entered World War I, the destroyer tender got underway for Queenstown, Ireland, arriving on the 22nd. She carried out repair and support operations and served as flagship for Vice Admiral William Sims, Commander of U. S. Naval Forces in European waters, from 10 September-4 January 1919. Melville departed Southampton, England, on 7 January 1919 with troops embarked for the east coast and she then operated at Newport and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba until 30 April, when she departed Tompkinsville, N. Y. for the Azores. There she prepared flying boat NC-4 for the leg of her long transatlantic journey from New York to Europe and embarked crippled NC-3 for return to the east coast. Reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, the tender stood out from Hampton Roads, Virginia. En route one of her boilers exploded injuring six men, five of them fatally, the collier Orion took her in tow for repairs at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. With the threat of American involvement in World War II, Melville steamed from the Caribbean for the east coast in November 1940. She arrived at Norfolk on 9 December for operations with the Patrol Force, U. S. Fleet, Melville got underway on 12 January 1942 for Europe, reaching Derry, Northern Ireland on 31 January to begin tending escort ships of Allied convoys crossing the submarine infested Atlantic. On 1 May 1944, Melville sailed from Rosneath for Portland, England to begin the task of preparing the Allied minesweepers. For the next year, she was maintaining and repairing landing craft for the Allied push toward Germany. The destroyer tender was at Portland when Germany surrendered on 7 May 1945, Melville continued her support duties, now servicing the amphibious craft for final operations in the Pacific theater. On 7 July, Melville steamed for New York arriving the 20th to ready for assignment to the central Pacific, after Japan capitulated on 15 August, she sailed on 1 October for Jacksonville, Florida, where she assisted in the inactivation of escort ships. She got underway from Jacksonville on 13 July 1946 for Norfolk, Melville decommissioned there on 9 August, was struck from the Navy List on 23 April 1947, and was turned over to the Maritime Commission on 30 March 1948. On 19 August 1948 she was sold to Patapsco Scrap Corp. of Baltimore, Maryland and this article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here, janes Fighting Ships of World War II. London, Random House Group, Ltd.2001, navSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive Photo gallery at Naval Historical Center
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Freetown
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Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leones major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and political centre, the city proper had a population of 1,050,301 at the 2015 census. The citys economy revolves largely around its harbor, which occupies a part of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River in one of the worlds largest natural deep water harbors, the population of Freetown is ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse. The city is home to a significant population of all of Sierra Leones ethnic groups. As in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language is Freetowns primary language of communication and is by far the most widely spoken language in the city. The city of Freetown was founded as a land for freed African American and West Indian slaves, Freetown is the oldest capital to be founded by African Americans, having been founded thirty years before Monrovia, Liberia. The city of Freetown is locally governed by an elected city council municipality, known as the Freetown City Council. Members of the Freetown City Council and the Mayor are elected every four years, the current mayor of Freetown is Franklyn Bode Gibson, of the APC, who was elected mayor with 68. 25% of the votes, in the 2012 Freetown municipal mayoral election. The City of Freetown is divided into three regions, the East End, Central, and the West End. The East End is both the most populous, and the most densely populous of the three regions within Freetown, the East End is home to the countrys harbor. Central Freetown is home to the State House, the House of Parliament, the Supreme Court, the National Stadium, the Bank of Sierra Leone, the West of Freetown is the least populous of the three regions within Freetown. The West End is home to the countrys Lumley Beach, Fourah Bay College, and these blacks were African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Africans, Southeast Asians, and blacks born in Britain. They established the Province of Freedom and the settlement of Granville Town on land purchased from local Koya Temne subchief King Tom, the British understood the purchase was to mean that their new settlers had the land for ever. King Toms successor, King Jimmy, burnt the settlement to the ground in 1789 and these 1787 settlers did not formally establish Freetown, even though the bicentennial of Freetown was celebrated in 1987. But formally, Freetown was founded in 1792, in 1791, Thomas Peters, an African American who had served in the Black Pioneers, went to England to report the grievances of the black population in Nova Scotia. Some of these African Americans were ex-slaves who had escaped to the British forces who had given their freedom. Land grants and assistance in starting the settlements had been intermittent, during his visit, Peters met with the directors of the Sierra Leone Company and learned of proposals for a new settlement at Sierra Leone
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