Countdown to Kickoff

[kingofnerf]

USS Portland, CA-33.

USS Portland (CL/CA–33) was the lead ship of the Portland class of cruiser and the first ship of the United States Navy named after the city of Portland, Maine. Launched in 1932, she completed a number of training and goodwill cruises in the interwar period before seeing extensive service during World War II, beginning with the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942, where she escorted the aircraft carrier Yorktown and picked up survivors from the sunken carrier Lexington. She screened for Yorktown again in the Battle of Midway, picking up her survivors as well. She then supported the carrier Enterprise during the initial phase of the Guadalcanal Campaign later that year, and was torpedoed during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The torpedo inflicted heavy damage which put her out of action for six months as she was repaired in Sydney, Australia, and later San Diego, California.

Returning to combat in mid-1943, Portland saw action in many of the major engagements of the Pacific War, conducting shore bombardments in support of campaigns at the Aleutian Islands, Gilbert and Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, and New Guinea. She was involved in the October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf, engaging Japanese ships in the decisive Battle of Surigao Strait. She then conducted shore bombardments at Lingayen Gulf and Corregidor Island, and in 1945 supported landings during the Battle of Okinawa until the end of the war.

Following World War II, Portland accepted the Japanese surrender in the Caroline Islands and then undertook several Operation Magic Carpet cruises to bring U.S. troops home. She was decommissioned in 1946 and scrapped by 1962. In her extensive service she accrued 16 battle stars, making her one of the most decorated ships in the U.S. fleet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Portland_(CA-33)

 

[gamecock88]

 

[kingofnerf]

1 hour ago, gamecock88 said:

UGA commentator:  "Lay down you guys!"

LOL

 

[Swayin]

BB-33, USS Arkansas. Arkansas conducted Neutrality Patrols in the Atlantic prior to America's entry into the war. Thereafter, she escorted convoys to Europe through 1944; in June, she supported the invasion of Normandy (photo below), and in August she provided gunfire support to the invasion of southern France. In 1945, she transferred to the Pacific, and bombarded Japanese positions during the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After the end of the war, she ferried troops back to the United States as part of Operation Magic Carpet. Arkansas was expended as a target in Operation Crossroads, a pair of nuclear weapon tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946.

 

[Swayin]

Saturday, Nov. 30, 2014: USC 31, Clemson 17, Carolina's 33rd win over the course of three seasons. 

 Turning three of Clemson turnovers into touchdowns, No. 10/9 South Carolina (10-2) used 14 unanswered fourth-quarter points to claim a 31-17 win over the No. 6/4 Tigers (10-2) on Saturday evening in front of 84,174 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecocks' fifth straight in the series against their archrivals.

Gamecock senior quarterback Connor Shaw posted 246 yards of total offense in the win, running for one touchdown and passing for another, his 26th as a starter for South Carolina and his 17th at home, never losing a start at Williams-Brice Stadium.

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Kearsarge, CV-33.

USS Kearsarge (CV/CVA/CVS-33) was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the third US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for a Civil War-era steam sloop. Kearsarge was commissioned in March 1946. Modernized in the early 1950s as an attack carrier (CVA), she served in the Korean War, for which she earned two battle stars. In the late 1950s she was further modified to become an anti-submarine carrier (CVS). Kearsarge was the recovery ship for the last two manned Project Mercury space missions in 1962–1963. She completed her career serving in the Vietnam War, earning five battle stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kearsarge_(CV-33)

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Fox, CG-33.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Fox_(CG-33)

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Trippe, DD-33.

World War I

The warship had only one verified scrape with German U-boats. On 18 September 1917, she and Jacob Jones were steaming in company some 350 mi (560 km) west of Brest, France, when — shortly after 0200 — she sighted the distinctive wake of the periscope of a submarine running on a parallel course, but in the opposite direction. Trippe dropped depth charges, but without "visible results", and continued on to rendezvous with an eastbound convoy. That night, she dueled with another adversary — the sea. In a raging storm, waves carried her starboard waist gun platform overboard. Trippe, however, successfully shepherded her convoy into Quiberon Bay, France, made repairs quickly, and resumed her grueling routine.

Through the final year of the war, Trippe and her sister ships slowly bested the enemy. Convoys of merchant ships carried troops and supplies to France, where the armies of the Allies grew steadily. By the fall of 1918, they reached a point of overwhelming superiority over those of the Central Powers. On 11 November, the day of the signing of the armistice, Trippe was in port at Queenstown. Just over a month later, she cleared that Irish port, refueled at the Azores and Bermuda, and returned to Boston on 3 January 1919.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Trippe_(DD-33)

 

[kingofnerf]

USS George E. Badger, APD-33.  Formerly DD-196/AVP-16.  The unique naval aviation star insignia can be seen painted on her bow as she was a seaplane tender during WW2.

World War II

Ordered to Charleston, on 26 May 1942, she escorted convoys along the eastern seaboard, in the Gulf of Mexico, and to Recife and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, until returning to Norfolk on 15 January 1943 to be fitted out for Atlantic convoy duty. Through the spring of 1943 she operated out of Argentia escorting convoys bound for the United Kingdom. In June, she underwent overhaul at Norfolk, then sailed on 13 July for North Africa. Steaming with Bogue and Clemson, she sank U-613 on 23 July 1943 after four depth charge attacks broke up the deep-running submarine southwest of Sao Miguel, Azores; all 48 crew on board died. This victory came just a few hours before planes from Bogue attacked and sank U-521 not far away.

After a landfall at Casablanca, Badger returned to New York on 23 August. During the next two months she made another escort voyage from New York to Casablanca, then returned to New York on 21 October. Departing Hampton Roads on 14 November, she sailed for North Africa with Bogue, Osmond Ingram, Du Pont, and Clemson on an offensive anti-submarine patrol. On 12 December 1943, in the mid-Atlantic west of the Canary Islands this patrol engaged U-172. A protracted fight ensued, with Grumman TBF Avenger and Grumman F4F Wildcat aircraft from Bogue dropping depth charges and Fido homing torpedoes, and the destroyers expending roughly 200 depth charges in total. After 27 hours, the submarine was sunk with the loss of 13 crew (46 survived the action).

After escorting another convoy from Norfolk to North Africa and back, Badger underwent conversion to high speed transport at Charleston and was re-designated APD-33 on 19 May 1944. Sailing for duty in the Pacific, she steamed via the West Coast and Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal where she arrived on 12 August. From there she carried to the Palau Islands. Reaching Angaur Island on 12 September, she screened warships bombarding the island and from 14 to 16 September sent her frogmen ashore for reconnaissance and demolition work. Intelligence was gathered and obstacles on the beach removed before the ship got underway on 12 October for Leyte, where until 18 October she supported the reconnaissance and bombardment of the east coast of that strategic island and again landed her frogmen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_George_E._Badger_(DD-196)

 

[kingofnerf]

The submarine USS S-33.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_S-33_(SS-138)

 

[kingofnerf]

Sikorsky S-33 "Messenger" aircraft.

The Sikorsky S-33 Messenger was an American two-seat biplane designed and built by the Sikorsky Manufacturing Corporation in 1925.

The first of two examples built participated in the Sixth Pulitzer Trophy Race at Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York on October 12, 1925 and was piloted by Al Krapish, an employee of Sikorsky.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-33_Messenger

 

[kingofnerf]

U. S. Navy Air Anti-Submarine Squadron Thirty-Three (VS-33) "Screwbirds".

A VS-33 S-3A Viking launches a Zuni missile in 1981.

Since commissioning in 1960, the Screwbirds have earned the title "World Famous and Internationally Traveled Screwbirds" by conducting operations around the globe. During seventeen major forward deployments, the Screwbirds have made their home on many aircraft carriers including USS HORNET (CVS-12), USS BENNINGTON (CVS-20), USS RANGER (CV-61), USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63), USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64), USS AMERICA (CV-66), USS NIMITZ (CVN-68), and USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN-74).

http://www.uss-bennington.org/vs-33.htm

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[kingofnerf]

A little diversion here.  Here's how a true artist/craftsman creates 3-D art with a cheap plastic model.

This is the kind of professional craftsman who worked for Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic in the early days of Star Wars and other films.

 

[kingofnerf]

One last one for Swayin'.

 

[Swayin]

I'm blown away! Those are just incredible.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

32nd Division - made up of NG soldiers from Wisconsin and Michigan

"The division was among the first divisions to engage the enemy and were still fighting holdouts after the official Japanese surrender. The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II, more than any other United States Army division."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32nd_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

 

[kingofnerf]

#32 RB Kent Hagood (Easley, SC) elevates over the ECU Pirates during the 1984 season.

Hagood took an option pitch for 74 yards to put the Gamecocks up 7-0 early in the 1st quarter, but ECU would stiffen up for a tough game.  However, the Gamecocks would eventually prevail 42-20 to go to 7-0 on the season.

Hagood was thought to be the heir apparent to George Rogers, but missed the 1982 season due to a broken leg.

Here are his career Gamecock stats:

#32 RB Kent Hagood (1981-85)





Rushing


 


 


 


 




Year


Att


Yds


Avg


TD




1981


83


336


4


1




1983


105


653


6.2


6




1984


82


551


6.7


4




1985


95


474


5


6




Tot


365


2014


5.5


17




 


 


 


 


 




Receiving


 


 


 




Year


Rec


Yds


Avg


TD




1981


12


202


16.8


1




1983


9


81


9


0




1984


7


79


11.3


0




1985


12


124


10.3


0




Tot


40


486


12.2


1





Sa-lute!

 

[kingofnerf]

USS New Orleans, CA-32.

Battle of Tassafaronga

With four other cruisers and six destroyers, she fought in the Battle of Tassafaronga on the night of 30 November, engaging a Japanese destroyer-transport force. When the flagship Minneapolis was struck by two torpedoes, New Orleans, next astern, was forced to sheer away to avoid collision, and ran into the track of a torpedo which detonated the ship's forward magazines and gasoline tanks. This explosion severed 150 ft (46 m) of her bow just forward of turret No. 2. The severed bow, including Turret No. 1, swung around the port side and punched several holes in the length of New Orleans' hull before sinking at the stern and damaging the port inboard propeller.  With one quarter of her length gone, slowed to 2 kn (2.3 mph; 3.7 km/h), and on fire forward, damage control parties managed to repair the ship enough to sail to Tulagi Harbor near daybreak on 1 December.

The crew camouflaged their ship from air attack, jury-rigged a bow of coconut logs, and worked clearing away wreckage. Eleven days later, New Orleans sailed stern first to avoid sinking to Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, Australia, arriving on 24 December. At Cockatoo, the damaged propeller was replaced and other repairs were made including the installation of a temporary stub bow. On 7 March 1943, she left Sydney for Puget Sound Navy Yard, sailing backward the entire voyage, where a new bow was fitted with the use of Minneapolis' No. 2 Turret. All battle damage was repaired and she was given a major refit involving the reducing of the forward superstructure along the lines of other pre-war cruisers, adding new air-search and surface search radars, as well as numerous 20mm and 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns. In addition, her boilers, machinery, and hull structures were overhauled to almost new condition. She continued to sail with the back portion (aft) riveted and the front portion (bow) welded.

1943

Returning to Pearl Harbor on 31 August for combat training, New Orleans next joined a cruiser-destroyer force to bombard Wake Island on 5–6 October, repulsing a Japanese torpedo-plane attack. Her next sortie from Pearl Harbor came on 10 November when she sailed to fire precision bombardment in the Gilberts on 20 November, then to screen carriers striking the eastern Marshalls on 4 December. In aerial attacks that day, the new Lexington, namesake of the carrier whose men New Orleans had pulled from the Coral Sea, was torpedoed, and New Orleans guarded her successful retirement to repairs at Pearl Harbor, arriving on 9 December.

Awards

New Orleans received 17 battle stars for her war service, placing her among the most decorated US ships of World War II.  Other honors include the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, as well as 5 Navy Crosses, 10 Silver Stars, 1 Bronze Star, 1 Air Medal and 206 Purple Hearts awarded to members of her crew.

Legacy

One Destroyer (DD) and four Destroyer Escorts (DE) were named after USS New Orleans sailors killed in action at the Battle of Tassafaronga.

USS Rogers (DD-876),
USS Hayter (DE-212),
USS Foreman (DE-633),
USS Swenning (DE-394),
USS Haines (DE-792/APD-84).

Diosdado Rome, OCC of New Orleans has been additionally honored by the naming of a Mess Hall at the Naval Station Pearl Harbor in his name, the Diosdado Rome Galley.

The famous song "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" written by Frank Loesser was inspired by those heartening words uttered by chaplain Howell M. Forgy of New Orleans during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.

When New Orleans was sold for scrap, little was saved. However, a few items from the ship are on display at the USS Kidd & Louisiana Veterans Memorial in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In particular are the ship's bell and the builder's model of the ship as well as some mementos of the launching ceremony.

There are some items at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, and at the Navy Marine Corps Memorial in Annapolis, Maryland. A plaque was donated to the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas, by New Orleans Reunion Association. A memorial honoring New Orleans has been installed in the New Orleans Walk of Fame outside the Hilton Hotel in downtown New Orleans.

The flag flown by New Orleans when she was struck by the torpedo on 30 November 1942 is on display in the US Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, Maryland.

She is also featured in the game World of Warships as the seventh US Navy Cruiser available on the nation's ship tree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_New_Orleans_(CA-32)

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.

Sa-lute!