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Random Thoughts, Naval Edition
Oct. 21st, 2013 10:44 amThree random items related to the US Navy, one of which has a bonus thought about science fiction.
Thought #1 - USS Alligator
At a recent trivia game, the question was asked "in what war did the US Navy's first submarine serve?" The answer (unknown to me) was the US Civil War, and the ship was the USS Alligator. Unlike the much-more famous CSS Hunley, the Alligator accomplished little, although it managed to avoid killing its crew. Thus, the Alligator was a perfect trivia question.
Thought #2 - The Chinese Navy
The PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) which is "Communist*" China's navy, is held out as a big threat for the US Navy. And they are probably the biggest threat around. However, they have a ways to go before they are a true blue-water navy. Latest example - the Chinese sent their first ever task force around the Straights of Magellan. The first US passage of those waters happened during the War of 1812.
Thought #3 - USS Zumwalt with Bonus! Science fiction aspects
The USS Zumwalt, first of a class of three destroyers, will be launching soon. At 14,000 tons, it's the size of a WWI dreadnought. It's not at all clear who or what this ship will fight, which is part of the reason we're only building three of them. Color me unconvinced that we need even one of these ships.
The bonus SF aspect of this is in ship names. We're calling Zumwalt a destroyer. That type of vessel started prior to WWI as a "torpedo-boat destroyer" and well into WWII destroyers were small vessels of 1,000 tons displacement. Now, only a few navies even operate destroyers, and for most of those that do, the destroyer is the largest surface combatant they possess. In short, ship types change over time.
* I'm not sure that China is really Communist anymore, at least beyond the name. It's more old-school authoritarian than communist.
Thought #1 - USS Alligator
At a recent trivia game, the question was asked "in what war did the US Navy's first submarine serve?" The answer (unknown to me) was the US Civil War, and the ship was the USS Alligator. Unlike the much-more famous CSS Hunley, the Alligator accomplished little, although it managed to avoid killing its crew. Thus, the Alligator was a perfect trivia question.
Thought #2 - The Chinese Navy
The PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) which is "Communist*" China's navy, is held out as a big threat for the US Navy. And they are probably the biggest threat around. However, they have a ways to go before they are a true blue-water navy. Latest example - the Chinese sent their first ever task force around the Straights of Magellan. The first US passage of those waters happened during the War of 1812.
Thought #3 - USS Zumwalt with Bonus! Science fiction aspects
The USS Zumwalt, first of a class of three destroyers, will be launching soon. At 14,000 tons, it's the size of a WWI dreadnought. It's not at all clear who or what this ship will fight, which is part of the reason we're only building three of them. Color me unconvinced that we need even one of these ships.
The bonus SF aspect of this is in ship names. We're calling Zumwalt a destroyer. That type of vessel started prior to WWI as a "torpedo-boat destroyer" and well into WWII destroyers were small vessels of 1,000 tons displacement. Now, only a few navies even operate destroyers, and for most of those that do, the destroyer is the largest surface combatant they possess. In short, ship types change over time.
* I'm not sure that China is really Communist anymore, at least beyond the name. It's more old-school authoritarian than communist.
