Posted 7 years ago
pw-collector
(297 items)
SpiritBear, this is the "Bear" watch fob I promised to show you.
This fob is a commemorative of the launching of the U.S.S. California on November 20, 1919, Navy Yard Mare Island, California.
Today Mare Island Navy Yard is a graveyard for Navy Ships.
Dave
P.S.
History from Wikipedia:
United States
Name: California
Namesake: State of California
Ordered: 28 December 1915
Builder: Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Laid down: 25 October 1916
Launched: 20 November 1919
Sponsored by: Barbara Stephens Zane
Commissioned: 10 August 1921
Decommissioned: 14 February 1947
Struck: 1 March 1959
Identification:
Hull symbol:BB-44
Code letters:NAFT
ICS November.svgICS Alpha.svgICS Foxtrot.svgICS Tango.svg
Nickname(s): "The Prune Barge"
Honors and
awards:
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with
10 × battle stars
World War II Victory Medal
American Campaign Medal
Navy Occupation Medal w/ Asia Clasp
Fate: Sold 10 July 1959
Status: Broken up for scrap
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Tennessee-class battleship
Displacement:
33,190 long tons (33,723 t) (original)
40,950 long tons (41,607 t) (rebuilt)
Length:
600 ft (180 m) pp
624 ft (190 m) oa
Beam:
97 ft 5 in (29.69 m) (original)
114 ft (35 m) (rebuilt)
Draft: 30.3 ft (9.2 m)
Installed power:
26,800 shp (20,000 kW) (original)
29,000 shp (22,000 kW) (rebuilt)
Propulsion:
4 × turbo-electric transmission
4 × screws
Speed: 21 kn (24 mph; 39 km/h)
Complement: 57 officers, 1,026 men
Sensors and
processing systems: CXAM radar from 1940[2]
Armament:
12 × 14 in (356 mm)/50 cal guns
14 × 5 in (127 mm)/51 cal guns
4 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal guns
2 × Mark 15 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
After reconstruction:
12 × 14 in (356 mm)/50 cal guns
16 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal Mark 12 guns (8×2)
56 × Bofors 40 mm (1.57 in) anti-aircraft guns (11×4, 5×2)
31 × Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons
Armor:
Belt: 8–13.5 in (203–343 mm)
Barbettes: 13 in (330 mm)
Turret face: 18 in (457 mm)
Turret sides: 9–10 in (229–254 mm)
Turret top: 5 in (127 mm)
Turret rear 9 in (229 mm)
Conning tower: 11.5 in (292 mm)
Decks: 3.5 in (89 mm)
Very nice piece of history !
Quite a bit of info. Thanks!
Manikin & SpiritBear, thanks for stopping by & for the appreciation.
Well having served in the Royal Navy and liking items of nautical history, and being passionate about wildlife, this is right up my street! A lovely thing.
Hamish, I'm glad you enjoyed this.
Thanks for the appreciation
Mrstyndall
vetraio50
Nice pw-collector, I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those watch fobs, it's great! :^D
I go past Mare Island, at least once a month, and now because it belongs to the city of Vallejo, Calif. I can drive through it to get to highway 37, from highway 780, on my way up to visit my sister in Santa Rosa, Calif. There's not many ships there anymore, and the Mothball Fleet, that was north of Benicia, Calif. in the Sacramento River, has gone from in the 100's, in the 1950's, to maybe a dozen now. It's sad to see those old ships, go to scrap, and it's a landmark and a piece of history gone forever! :^(
I just took some pictures of a few of the collection of bears that we have, I'll post them in a little bit! Thank you for your post! :^)
Thanks for the appreciation:
lisa
roddyq
billretirecoll: I just remember seeing so many rusting away.
rniederman
officialfuel
Thanks for the appreciation:
buckethead
fortapache
mikelv85
TassieDevil
jscott0363
Caperkid
aura
Thanks Vintagefran for the appreciation.
Thanks ho2cultcha for the appreciation.