What's in a name?

It was my fualt Manny. I made a crack at a former, impeached President. That started the whole "thing". You probably blinked and that is why you missed it.

Attention All Hands, The Fun Lamp Is Out Until Further Notice... 

Ok, I'm done. I have a Big Ol' Bismarck to tackle. 

nah, was not me, my skin is thick enough except on my right tigh where I dropped my Xcto blade last night. That sucker went in deep.

Cool story about the Nimitz though, few post above.

I remember couple years ago some people complaining on the sinking of the USS America CV-66 after being target practice, due to its "namesake". There is a grassroots movement to name carrier CVN 78 "America" (and you can insert here the appropriate "better than name it for so and so" comment ;)

http://www.cvn78.com/page26/page26.html

Manny and others,

It has nothing to do with lack of fun or people needing to grow thicker skin. Our guidelines clearly state politics should be left off the Forum. There are plenty of places on the Web where those discussions are welcome. The primary role of this site is to encourage modeling among all members. If by a choice of words or a joke another modeler is discouraged and leaves the Forum the poster has ruined the experience for that person, and taken a potential resource out of the loop. I love and relish political discussions as much as anyone, but there is a time and a place for it AND THIS IS NOT IT.

Regards,

I also missed any political reference.  I thought we were discussing the lack of any naming system in the USN.

Bill Morrison

warshipguy wrote:

I also missed any political reference.  I thought we were discussing the lack of any naming system in the USN. Bill Morrison

It's not that there isn't "any" naming system, it's just that the system is followed so loosely.

Yankee Clipper wrote:

Don't forget the story about Admiral Rickover and his testimony on Capital Hill before a congressional committee. When asked by a congressman, "Admiral Rickover, I have notice recently that the Navy has started to name its submarines after cities rather than the custom of naming them after species of fish. Why is that sir? Rickover and only as Rickover was, moved forward to the microphone and said, "Because fish don't vote". "I have no further questions for the Admiral, Mr. Chairman".

LOL !!!  Good story. 

And for the posting police, I feel that was a politically neutral story...the "voters" Rickover was referring to could be from any party...

And also because nuclear cruisers (originally designated guided missile destroyer leaders) were being named after states in lieu of cities. The Los Angeles class SSN took up that mantle (with the exception of the USS Rickover) until the new Trident boomers took over the state names. Then came the new Virginia class SSN and it has changed again.

The USS Triton wasn't named for a fish either, although she was an early nuke back in the day of fish named nukes. Is anyone keeping score? There have been a slew of submarines named for all kinds of things since the nuclear navy came into being. And not just submarines. What a mess!

Remember too that there is a Trident sub named for Senator Henry M "Scoop" Jackson.  Scoop Jackson of Washington State was a strong friend of defense. 

He died soon after the Korean Airliner shoot-down (1983)  He was honored with the Trident sub.   I thing Rhode Island is the name which is burned into her keel.   Rhode Island did get one of the last Tridents. 

The Royal Navy has the best names for their ships by far. I mean names like Courageous, Audacity and my favorite: Indefatigable. I dare the US Navy to come up with a name like that one! It just rolls off the tongue like a load of boulders.

subfixer wrote:

The Royal Navy has the best names for their ships by far. I mean names like Courageous, Audacity and my favorite: Indefatigable. I dare the US Navy to come up with a name like that one! It just rolls off the tongue like a load of boulders.

How about USS Bon Homme Richard? Anyone know the story behind this one?

subfixer wrote:

The Royal Navy has the best names for their ships by far. I mean names like Courageous, Audacity and my favorite: Indefatigable. I dare the US Navy to come up with a name like that one! It just rolls off the tongue like a load of boulders.

We could beat that, just need to name a ship the USS Chuck Norris

(sorry meant ship, that was a typo!)

subfixer wrote:

The Royal Navy has the best names for their ships by far. I mean names like Courageous, Audacity and my favorite: Indefatigable. I dare the US Navy to come up with a name like that one! It just rolls off the tongue like a load of boulders.

I like the idea of naming ships after concepts, ideas and principals better than Senators...

NOTE: The term Senator, initself, is politically neutral, as the Senator(s) in question could be from any political standing or point of view.  

Phil_H wrote:

subfixer wrote: The Royal Navy has the best names for their ships by far. I mean names like Courageous, Audacity and my favorite: Indefatigable. I dare the US Navy to come up with a name like that one! It just rolls off the tongue like a load of boulders. How about USS Bon Homme Richard? Anyone know the story behind this one?

John Paul Jones first ship (a frigate), formerly Duc de Duras  during her days as an Indianman merchant ship.

"Jones renamed her Bon Homme Richard- usually rendered in more correct French as Bonhomme Richard, to honor Benjamin Franklin, the American Commissioner at Paris whose almanac, Poor Richard's Almanac had been published in France under the title Les Maximes du Bonhomme Richard."

The US Navy had ships named for such concepts;  Fury,  Tenacity, Dauntless, Courage,  Ready,  Restless.  

They were former Royal Navy Flower-class corvettes (reverse Lend-Lease) with names such as Larkspur,  Candytuft, Periwinkle, Pansy ...

My guess is that they were trying to change their image

EdGrune wrote:

The US Navy had ships named for such concepts;  Fury,  Tenacity, Dauntless, Courage,  Ready,  Restless.   They were former Royal Navy Flower-class corvettes (reverse Lend-Lease) with names such as Larkspur,  Candytuft, Periwinkle, Pansy ... My guess is that they were trying to change their image

NOTE: The Victoria Cross could be awarded to anyone regardless of political affiliation.

Yes. 

CVE-63 was laid down as the Chapin Bay, and was renamed Midway on 3APR43.  She was launched in 17Aug43.   Sailed several cruises in the Pacific as the Midway,  Was renamed 10OCT44 as StLo to clear the name for the large carrier under constriction. 

"After a refueling period, MIDWAY resumed air operations in the Palaus until returning to Seeadler Harbor, 3 October.  There, word arrived that the escort carrier had been renamed
ST. LO, 10 October, to free the name MIDWAY for a new giant attack carrier and to commemorate an important victory of American troops in France who had captured the strongly
defended town, ST. LO, 18 July 1944."

quote DANFS entry via NAVSOURCE

subfixer wrote:

Naval communication protocol doesn't allow the use of the ship's name to be used over the radio so that does not come into play. Ship to ship radio traffic is scrambled and even then code names are assigned to each ship. Each ship has its own unique electronic personality (so to say) that anyone with the database could use to identify an individual ship. Like sonar profiles, a vessel has an electronic profile. Emission controls are very important when a ship is trying to be incognito. A vessel can mimic the emission profile of another to confuse an opponent. I remember the USS Forrestal coming into port with its hull numbers changed to look like the Saratoga. All kinds of cat and mouse stuff goes on out at sea. It makes no difference what the ship's name is.

EdGrune wrote:

Yes.  CVE-63 was laid down as the Chapin Bay, and was renamed Midway on 3APR43.  She was launched in 17Aug43.   Sailed several cruises in the Pacific as the Midway,  Was renamed 10OCT44 as StLo to clear the name for the large carrier under constriction.  "After a refueling period, MIDWAY resumed air operations in the Palaus until returning to Seeadler Harbor, 3 October.  There, word arrived that the escort carrier had been renamed ST. LO, 10 October, to free the name MIDWAY for a new giant attack carrier and to commemorate an important victory of American troops in France who had captured the strongly defended town, ST. LO, 18 July 1944." quote DANFS entry via NAVSOURCE

 Manstein, wrong.

Fate: Sunk by a Japanese kamikaze off Samar, Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 25, 1944

USS St. Lo and the other ships and aircraft of "Taffy 3," aided by planes of "Taffy 2," gallantly fought and stopped the powerful Japanese Center Force, and inflicted significant losses on the enemy. But at 1050 the task unit came under a concentrated air attack; one plane crashed through St. Lo's flight deck and exploded her torpedo and bomb magazine, mortally wounding the carrier. St. Lo was engulfed in flames and sank half an hour later.

One hundred and twenty-six men were lost with the ship and remain on active duty.

ddp59 wrote:

Manstein, wrong. Fate: Sunk by a Japanese kamikaze off Samar, Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 25, 1944 USS St. Lo and the other ships and aircraft of "Taffy 3," aided by planes of "Taffy 2," gallantly fought and stopped the powerful Japanese Center Force, and inflicted significant losses on the enemy. But at 1050 the task unit came under a concentrated air attack; one plane crashed through St. Lo's flight deck and exploded her torpedo and bomb magazine, mortally wounding the carrier. St. Lo was engulfed in flames and sank half an hour later. One hundred and twenty-six men were lost with the ship and remain on active duty.

"...the world wonders..."