SwiftVets.com

[I B Squidly]

SitD, Parsoneault,

After the Marine barracks disaster the Jersey went batsh!t. It spent several weeks lobbing shells into the Bekkaa. They didn't have forward observors and didn't care.

The thing about the BBs is that no conventional weapon can hurt them. The Missouri shows a scuff mark on the starboard quarter where a kamikase bounced off. The 16" rounds may not have considerable range but they can't be intercepted or diverted and even if they fail to detonate the kinetic energy can flatten a city block. Congress let Reagan bring them back only if they were not used as 'flagships' as they suspected the fleet commanders would use them as personal barges. They developed a doctrine of Battleship Battle Groups where the BB replaced the carrier in a standard group and cruise missles would provide the extended projection. But, box launchers can be bolted on a whaleboat and it was hard to justify keeping the boilers burning in those 60,000 ton monsters with 1500 man crews.

Now, if Hizbollah would neatly arrange themselves for another of those group shots.....

[Jerald L. Parsoneault]

I B Squidly

I enjoyed your reply. It was informative, humorous, and nostalgic.

Oh the romance of it all, a 60,000 ton U.S.Navy Man-of-War lobbing 16
inch shells into a crowd of schreeking Hizbollah.

Reminds me of the old days in the region when an emmisary from the Pasha of Tripoli was told in harsh, undiplomatic terms to go tell the Pasha of Tripoli the only tribute he will receive from the United States Navy is a tribute of "powder and balls."

Nalt