Ship Trivia Quiz

Well, this is the vortex I didn't want to get sucked into.  Warhorse nicely summarized the missile variants (although I would have forgotten the Northampton)

But previous to those were the gun variants.  And I am just going to major versions - there were certainly many updates that could qualify as "variants", depending on the mood of the questioner.

CL?  During the war, there were round bridge and square bridge variants.  Then the Fargo class with the single stack.

(Shall we count Atlanta IX 104 in her final days as an experimental ship with all those different ship types' upperworks?)

 For the CA, I guess I'm happy naming the two stack ships with one aircraft crane (round stern - Pittsburgh) and those with two (square stern - Baltimore)

Then the single stack Oregon City class.

For all of them, 20mm came and went, 40mm came and went, 3"50 came and went, various radar suites evolved, various aircraft handling facilities evolved, and Regulus came and went. 

Rick 

I hope this is what you're after. There were 6 Cleveland class ships converted, and these were further divided into 2 subclasses. The first was the conversion of the Galveston CL93/CLG3  and the Topeka CL67/CLG8 to guided missile cruisers carrying 46 Talos missiles while retaining some of the 6 inch guns. The second was the conversion of Providence CL82/CLG6, Little Rock CL92/CLG4, Springfield CL66/CLG7, and Oklahoma City CL91/CLG5 to carry 120 Terrier missles. These last 4 ships were later modified into flagships. The Baltimore class  also  had 6 ships converted. Boston CA69/CG1 and Canberra CA70/CG2 carried  Terriers losing all of the 8 inch and most of the 5 inch guns. The Albany CA123/CG10, Chicago CA136/CG11 and Columbus CA74/CG12 lost their guns to carry Talos and Tartar missiles. The Northampton CA125/CLC1/CL1 was converted to a task force command ship.                                                     

this is a 2 part question as it deals with 2 classes & 2 types of ships, us light & heavy cruisers.

part 1: using the hull of the cleveland class cruiser, how many versions of that ship thru upgrades besides the independence class was there?

part 2: using the hull of the baltimore class criuser, how many versions of that ship thru upgrades besides the cvl was there?

I would suppose that this thread is on the verge of dying if it is not resuscitated. Runkel submitted the last correct question about a week and a half ago but bailed out before submitting a new one. I am going to take it upon myself to ask a simple one (a kind of "jump ball") to get this thread going again.

OK...    What ship is this?

runkel wrote:

Thanks Rick Sorry I have no question ready, so someone please post one to keep it alive. I'm off for the long weekend. Every one enjoy the 4th.

Even you Brits! I would guess you are probably relieved to rid of us Yanks.

Thanks Rick

Sorry I have no question ready, so someone please post one to keep it alive. I'm off for the long weekend. Every one enjoy the 4th.

That didn't take long, Runkel! Over to you...

Rick

Port and Starboard: General Order, 18 February 1846

It having been represented to the Department, that confusion arises from the use of the words "Larboard" and "Starboard," in consequence of the similiarity of sound, the word "Port" is hereafter to be substituted for "Larboard."

The term was not officially adopted by the Royal Navy until 1844 (Ray Parkin, H. M. Bark Endeavour). Robert FitzRoy, Captain of Darwin's HMS Beagle, is said to have taught his crew to use the term port instead of larboard, thus propelling the use of the word into the Naval Services vocabulary.

OK....

The Royal Navy abandoned this in November 1844, the US Navy in February 1846. What passed into history?

Rick

Or, as we used to sing in my RAF days in the 1960s (we had no love for the RN, I'm afraid)....

    So roll on the Rodney, Repulse and Renown,

    You can't sink the Hood, 'cos the bas**rds gone down!

However, times have changed, so an RN question will probably be along shortly.

Rick

If we're going to have Johnny Horton in the Ship Forum we need a ship song.

In May of nineteen forty-one the war had just begun,
The Germans had the biggest ship,
They had the biggest guns.
The Bismarck was the fastest ship,
That ever sailed the seas,
On her deck were guns as big as steers,
And shells as big as trees.
Out of the cold and foggy night,
Came the British ship the Hood.
And ev'ry British seaman he knew and understood,
They had to sink the Bismarck, the terror of the sea.
Stop those guns as big as steers,
And those shells as big as trees.

We'll find that German battleship,
That's makin' such a fuss.
We gotta sink the Bismarck,
'Cause the world depends on us.
They hit the decks a-runnin' boys,
And spin those guns around.
When we find the Bismarck we gotta cut her down.

The Hood found the Bismarck and on that fatal day.
The Bismarck started firin' fifteen miles away.
We gotta sink the Bismarck was the battle sound.
But when the smoke had cleared away,
The mighty Hood went down.
For six long days and weary nights,
They tried to find her trail.
Churchill told the people put ev'ry ship a-sail,
'Cause somewhere on that ocean,
I know she's gotta be.
We gotta sink the Bismarck to the bottom of the sea.

We'll find that German battleship,
That's makin' such a fuss.
We gotta sink the Bismarck,
'Cause the world depends on us.
They hit the decks a-runnin' boys,
And spin those guns around.
When we find the Bismarck we gotta cut her down.

The fog was gone the seventh day,
And they saw the mornin' sun.
Ten hours away from homeland,
The Bismark made its run.
The Admiral of the British fleet said,
Turn those bows around.
We found that German battleship,
And we're gonna cut her down.

The British guns were aimed,
And the shells were comin' fast.
The first shell hit the Bismarck,
They knew she couldn't last.
That mighty German battleship is just a memory.
Sink the Bismarck was the battle cry,
That shook the seven seas.

We found that German battleship,
Was makin' such a fuss.
We had to sink the Bismarck,
'Cause the world depends on us.
We hit the deck a-runnin' and,
We spun those guns around.
We found the mighty Bismarck,
And then we cut her down.

We found that German battleship,
Was makin' such a fuss.
We had to sink the Bismarck,
'Cause the world depends on us.
We hit the deck a-runnin' and,
We spun those guns around.
We found the mighty Bismarck,
And then we cut her down.

We fired our cannon 'til the barrel melted down,

so we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round.

We filled his head with cannon balls and powdered his behind,

and when we touched the powder off... the gator lost his mind.

Grammy award winning lyrics from Johnny Driftwood and Grammy award winning performance by Johnny Horton. 

It was a different world in 1959. This song was significant , along with songs like the Kingston Trio's "Greenback Dollar" for testing the censors during the early 60's over the use of profanity in the lyrics. Real reason for Grammys?

Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets 'til we looked 'em in the eye
We held our fire 'til we see'd their faces well.
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave 'em hell.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

But at the time it had to go like this...

Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave 'em...(pause)

well... We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin....

The Kingston trio performances had to follow a similar vein.

I don't give a (Pause) about a greenback dollar, spend it fast as I can... 

Anyway back to more relevent history, the Enterprise's participation in Jackson's defense at New Orleans is credited with being the first use of a steam vessel in an American military campaign, even though steamers had been used commercially for nearly a decade.

On January 3, 1815, this side paddle wheel steamer was able to ignore wind and current and ran past British guns to supply the American garrison at Fort Saint Phillip, near New Orleans.

Rick, you are up. 

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

The ship I think you are looking for is Enterprise. Launched in 1814 at Brownsville, Pennsylvania, it was used to transport passengers and cargo to ports between Brownsville and Louisville, Kentucky.

Then, in response to Andrew Jackson's requests from New Orleans for arms and ammunition, on December 21, 1814, the Enterprise departed Pittsburgh with a cargo of firearms and ammunition for American troops to use during the Battle of New Orleans.

After the American victory, the Enterprise became the first steamboat to reach Louisville from New Orleans. Then the Enterprise steamed to Pittsburgh and Brownsville. This voyage, a distance of 2,000 miles from New Orleans, was performed against the powerful currents of the Mississippi, Ohio and Monongahela rivers.

Rick

All this stuff about Obama and patriotism.... It used to be, if your were a real patriot, you named your kids after the sitting president. My Grandfather's middle name was McKinley, and my father in law's middle name is Harding. My generation seems to have been the end of the line for that particular tradition. Actually, I'm thankful that my parents didn't stick me with the ghastly middle name of Eisenhower.

But the Eisenhower years are relevant to the current trivia question. Hint number one:

Both a singer and songwriter received Grammys for a humorous ballad about the battle in question during one of the Eisenhower years.

How our culture has changed in half a century.

Nope... earlier

Are we looking at the 1840s?

Rick

Subfixer,

Excellent answer, but not the one I am looking for.  Ticonderoga was almost the first steam warship in the world. 

Ticonderoga was rigged as a normal schooner, mounting 17 guns, at the Battle of Lake Champlain.

Her hull was under construction by the Steamboat Company of Lake Champlain when the Governor of New York recommended her use by the Navy.

But, Lt. Thomas Macdonough chose to complete her under sail power, only... not wanting to wait for the delivery of her steam machinery and considering the fact that a steamboat already in service on the lake "rarely completed a voyage without a breakdown".

For more info, see: Robert Malcomson, Warships of the Great Lakes, 1754-1834, Naval Institute Press, 2001

As you mention, the Fulton's active service was very limited. As far as I know, she was never involved in a real military operation.

The steam vessel that I am looking for saw active service in support of a famous battle. 

schoonerbumm wrote:

who is she? She (also a British Cruizer class brig) was a nymph, the daughter of the Titan Atlas (British Duke Class Second Rate, 90 guns). She lived on the island of Ogygia. After the last of Odysseus' men had perished at sea, Odysseus (German fighter director ship) himself was washed ashore on Ogygia, where she became enamored of him, taking him as her lover and promising him immortality if he would stay with her. Odysseus refused her offer, wishing to return home to Ithaca and to his wife, Penelope (British Cruiser). But she refused to let him leave, and held him prisoner for seven years (kinky, eh?). Finally Athena (British aircraft transport) complained of Odysseus' plight to Zeus (no ships named for Zeus!), and Zeus sent Hermes (British Aircraft carrier) to Ogygia to order her to set Odysseus free. She complied reluctantly, allowing Odysseus to construct a small boat and set sail from the island.

This has nothing to do with the current question, but as I was looking for references to the current question, I found that there was indeed a Zeus. USS Zeus (ARB-4) was a battle damage repair ship that served in the Pacific during WWII. She is still in use today as a seafood processing ship in Alaska under the name Snopac Innovator. Here is a photo of her sister ship Aristaeus (ARB-1):

There is also a USNS Zeus (ARC-7), which is a cable laying ship operated by the MIlitary Sealift Command.

Now, back to the current question.

Next question....

What was the first use of a steam powered vessel in an American military operation?

Name the vessel, its role and the associated battle.

HMY vs. HMS...  well you learn something new every day. 

Janes does list Alexandra as a Royal Navy vessel in their 1914 edition.

This was a great question. FSM could do an interesting article or column from this thread.

I'm offline for the rest of the day. I'll try to have something equally diabolical posted tonight.

Right again, Alan....well mostly!

The steel screw sloop HMS Cadmus, launched 29th April 1903 was, I believe, the last ship to enter service with a figurehead. She was sold in 1921. Here she is, in all her glory.

Her sister ship, HMS Fantome, I believe to be the last RN ship with a figurehead (discounting HMS Victory). She was sold in 1925.

HMY (not HMS) Alexandra was completed in 1908 and also sold in 1925. I guess we can argue as to whether or not she was technically a Royal Navy ship - she was certainly crewed by the RN. She later served as a luxury Norwegian cruise vessel, Prins Olav  and later still as a flagship of the Norwegian hurtigruten  (Coastal Express) fleet.

HMS Alexandra was a broadside ironclad launched in 1875 and sold in 1908.

So, it's over to you to try and keep this going.

Rick

Based on the reference to Thebes, I think that you may be referring to the sloop HMS Cadmus, sister ship to Espiegle, but entering service three years later (1903 vs. 1900) and taken out of service two years before Espiegle (1921 vs. 1923).

But there is at least one later vessel entering service with a figurehead, HMS Alexandra, a royal yacht built in 1907.