Post by usmc6241 on Oct 10, 2012 8:14:33 GMT -5
What would you say if I told you that there is a task force worth of WWII US Navy ships, all with up to date hull maintenance, working engines, functional galleys and communications equipment, and even working weaponry.
The last of the the WWII ships are about to be decomissioned from the world's Navies. In about an hour's worth of searching, I found 33 ships, deeper investigation would probably find even more. The inventory is:
2 Destroyer escorts, both Cannon class
1 in Thailand, the ex-USS Hemminger (decomissioned in 2008)
1 in the Philippines, the ex-USS Atherton (currently active)
13 Auk class minesweepers, 2 in the Philippines, 11 in Mexico
6 Admirable class minesweepers, all in the Philippines
14 LSTs, 4 in Peru, 5 in Vietnam, 4 in the Philippines, and 1 in Mexico
3 Fleet Tugs, all in Argentina
What do these ships look like today?
The Atherton - upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/BRP_Rajah_Humabon_%28PF_11%29.jpg
The Hemminger
www.navsource.org/archives/06/images/746/0674610.jpg
The two Auk Class minesweepers belonging to the Phils
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/BRP_Rizal_and_Quezon.jpg
One of the Admirable class minesweepers with the Philippine navy
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/PS-28_2009-06-27.jpg
I also know that until recently (and they may still have them, I just haven't found any data on it) the Thais had a bunch of our old LCI's, and of course it doesn't include any of the old liberty ships in the hands of private shipping companies.
Some of the best preserved ships are the ones that can still move. The SS John Brown, the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, and LST 325 typically have better funding than static display ships. why you ask? Same reason why Fifi makes more money than a B-29 parked out somewhere in a musuem, these are moving machines, people want to see them move and they will pay to be in them when they do. You would think that a ship like the USS Cassin Young, a warship with a great battle record, would have more funding than a cargo ship that played a minor role in history like the John Brown, but not true, those working engines are a critical asset. Sure they need some work to undue some of the modernization, but some are pretty good nevertheless (like the Hemminger), and lets be honest, rebuilding some ASW hardware is easier than having to beg for cash for hullwork to keep your ship from sinking at its moorings. If these ships can be had, they could prove incredible assets for both reenacting and naval preservation.
Is it feasible to purchase one of these? Probably. The Hemminger can probably be had for whatever it would cost for her scrap price. The ships in the PI may be harder to get because of her naval situation, but the philippines is attempting to modernize rapidly, they may be had. Realisticly, if you couldn't save several of them, and you couldn't save one of those awesome DE's, the Minesweepers, with their small size (and therefore lower operating and maintenance costs) and complement of 85-100 would allow USN reenactors to have a working warship that is feasible to actually take out of port time to time.
The last of the the WWII ships are about to be decomissioned from the world's Navies. In about an hour's worth of searching, I found 33 ships, deeper investigation would probably find even more. The inventory is:
2 Destroyer escorts, both Cannon class
1 in Thailand, the ex-USS Hemminger (decomissioned in 2008)
1 in the Philippines, the ex-USS Atherton (currently active)
13 Auk class minesweepers, 2 in the Philippines, 11 in Mexico
6 Admirable class minesweepers, all in the Philippines
14 LSTs, 4 in Peru, 5 in Vietnam, 4 in the Philippines, and 1 in Mexico
3 Fleet Tugs, all in Argentina
What do these ships look like today?
The Atherton - upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/BRP_Rajah_Humabon_%28PF_11%29.jpg
The Hemminger
www.navsource.org/archives/06/images/746/0674610.jpg
The two Auk Class minesweepers belonging to the Phils
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/BRP_Rizal_and_Quezon.jpg
One of the Admirable class minesweepers with the Philippine navy
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/PS-28_2009-06-27.jpg
I also know that until recently (and they may still have them, I just haven't found any data on it) the Thais had a bunch of our old LCI's, and of course it doesn't include any of the old liberty ships in the hands of private shipping companies.
Some of the best preserved ships are the ones that can still move. The SS John Brown, the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, and LST 325 typically have better funding than static display ships. why you ask? Same reason why Fifi makes more money than a B-29 parked out somewhere in a musuem, these are moving machines, people want to see them move and they will pay to be in them when they do. You would think that a ship like the USS Cassin Young, a warship with a great battle record, would have more funding than a cargo ship that played a minor role in history like the John Brown, but not true, those working engines are a critical asset. Sure they need some work to undue some of the modernization, but some are pretty good nevertheless (like the Hemminger), and lets be honest, rebuilding some ASW hardware is easier than having to beg for cash for hullwork to keep your ship from sinking at its moorings. If these ships can be had, they could prove incredible assets for both reenacting and naval preservation.
Is it feasible to purchase one of these? Probably. The Hemminger can probably be had for whatever it would cost for her scrap price. The ships in the PI may be harder to get because of her naval situation, but the philippines is attempting to modernize rapidly, they may be had. Realisticly, if you couldn't save several of them, and you couldn't save one of those awesome DE's, the Minesweepers, with their small size (and therefore lower operating and maintenance costs) and complement of 85-100 would allow USN reenactors to have a working warship that is feasible to actually take out of port time to time.
