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Post by Karl Welteke on Jun 27, 2011 5:05:55 GMT 8
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Post by rickthelibrarian on Sept 12, 2011 3:45:48 GMT 8
Very interesting pictures ... especially those of the 10" and 3" guns which now reside at Fort Casey! Someone told me that when the 10" and 3" guns were removed in the late 1960s that those doing the work weren't aware of the 6' guns present or a couple of them might have been removed at well. I think of that, every time I pass by Battery Valleau at Fort Casey!!
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Post by fireball on Nov 13, 2011 15:54:22 GMT 8
Battery Flake: its interesting how graffiti changes from vandalism to historical interest. USS Intrepid was (so my internet tells me) on Vietnam duty that year. At present its only PHP200 for the day trip. I am planning to return within the next couple of weeks if anyone is interested (driving from Manila) Attachments:
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Post by chadhill on Nov 14, 2011 0:54:29 GMT 8
This list of Subic Bay wrecks was circulating in the Subic/Cubi Dive Club during the mid 1980s. The GPS coordinates may differ a bit today...
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Post by fots2 on Nov 14, 2011 8:33:41 GMT 8
What was going on in 1946 that resulted in so many ships being sunk. Was it a typhoon or intentional scuttling?
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Post by okla on Nov 14, 2011 11:14:08 GMT 8
Hey Fots....I agree with you about why so many vessels were "deep sixed" in 1946. Surely, it was a typhoon. Hey Chad.... If so many craft were scuttled, you would think that they would have been taken to sea and the plug pulled. Not being a sea faring man, except for two weeks going and two weeks returning on a troop ship, I am curious as to just what type boat/vessel is a YMS. I was also puzzled about the "Cruiser Rochester". I thought she must have been some older, perhaps out of commission (de-comissioned), former USN ship of the line, and found that she was, indeed, a Spanish American War era relic. This ship, according to my source, stated that the Rochester was blown up by the Marines when they evacuated Subic prior to relocating to Corregidor in late December 1941. This list says she met her demise in May 1942. Another little tidbit to gnaw at my "innards". Wasn't that schooner, Lanakai, the so called "spy ship", outfitted to supposedly prowl around the South China Sea in attempt to monitor Japanese Naval activity??? Seems like, somewhere on this forum, there is something about the remains of this vessel being found. Might be hallucinating on this point, though.
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Post by fots2 on Nov 14, 2011 15:02:11 GMT 8
okla, here is some information I found on the internet regarding the Lanikai. Ship HistoryTwo masted wooden schooner built by W. F. Stone, Oakland, California and launched during 1914, for the Williams-Diamond Company, agents for the trading company Jaluit-Gesellschaft of Hamburg, Germany. Used as a copra trader ship in the Pacific. During April 1917, the ship was at port at Honolulu when the United States entered World War I and the ship was seized by the US Navy and commissioned as USS Hermes on April 1, 1918 with Lt. John T. Diggs as captain. Originally intended as a submarine patrol vessel, Hermes performed this duty out of Honolulu during the summer of 1918. On 31 August she sailed on a cruise among the islands northwest of Hawaii, including Laysan and Wake, to search for survivors of shipwrecks, signs of enemy activity, and to conduct a survey on wildlife and birds for the US Biological Survey Commission. Decommissioned on January 16, 1919 and placed at the disposal of the Hawaiian territorial government for use as a tender to leper colonies. When the territorial government decided they could not afford her upkeep, Hermes was turned over to the Pacific Air Detachment, whom she served as a store ship and general auxiliary craft. Sold on October 21, 1926 to the Lanikai Fish Company and renamed USS Lanikai. Next sold during 1929 to the Hawaiian Sea Products Company. Laid up in 1931 and sold in 1933 to Northrup Castle of Honolulu. Then sold in 1936 to Harry W. Crosby of Seattle, Washington. In 1937 she was sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM Studios) for use in making the film The Hurricane, starring Jon Hall and Dorothy Lamour. Following completion of the film she was used as the MGM yacht until sold on April 6, 1939 to E. M. Grim of Luzon Stevedoring Company, Manila, Philippines and departed for the Philippines. Wartime HistoryOn December 2, 1941 President Roosevelt ordered Admiral Harold R. Stark to "charter three small vessels to form a defensive information patrol... to observe and report by radio Japanese movements in the west China Sea and Gulf of Siam." At the Cavite Navy Yard the ship was commissioned on December 5, 1941 with Lt. Kemp Tolley in command. The schooner patrolled approaches to Manila Bay and served as a dispatch vessel within the harbor and survived the Japanese air raid on Cavite on December 10. On Christmas Day, she assisted in the evacuation of Manila, carrying Army Officers and equipment to Corregidor. Hastily armed, the ship had two 30 caliber machine guns and a Spanish-American war era 3 pound gun mounted. Manned by a crew of 18, plus twelve Filipinos: Hilario Velarmino, Mario Pamero, Simplicio Gomez, Prudencio Tumbagahan, Crispin Malto Tipay, Armando Alcantara, Vicente Magtulis, Demetrio Taleon, Baldomero Belarmino, Santiago Reyes Profeta, Marciano Matos Pelarca, Crispin Guzman Almadin. On December 26, Lanikai attempt to escape the Philippines carrying one Dutch and three American officers, Departed Mariveles Harbor, hiding in friendly coves during day and traveling at night. On February 3, 1942 off Surabaya, Java three Japanese aircraft bombs straddled the schooner. On 1 March, about 200 miles east of Christmas Island, a Japanese task force was sighted and evasive action was successful. On March, 18 after 82 days, Lanikai arrived at Fremantle. After replenishment and repairs, she departed on April 4, to cruise along the northwest Australian and search for possible Japanese coast watchers. Lt. Comdr. Adair relieved Lt Comdr. Tolley of command of the vessel on 27 April and continued the search into mid-May. Lanikai was decommissioned at Fremantle on August 22, and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy, and renamed HMAS Lanikai. For the rest of the war, the ship helped maintain harbor defense. PostwarAt the end of the war, Lanikai was sent back to the Philippines, and returned to her previous owner at Manila in 1946, but the owner refused to accept her in such poor condition. Sinking HistoryDuring a 1947 typhoon Lanikai sank in Subic Bay off Nabasan wharf. ShipwreckDiscovered by Johan, from Baloy at 100' depth. Later, portions of wreckage were salvaged by divers led by Brian Homan on March 22-26, 2004. Recovered were port holes and the ship's wheel. DisplaySeveral items from the ship including portholes, wheel and other artifacts are displayed at the Subic Bay Historical Center. Also recovered were a fire extinguisher, jar and lavatory. ReferencesCruise of the Lanikai by Kemp Tolley Source: www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/usn/lanikai.htmlFor lots of other information, have a look at the rest of Justin's web site. He is doing a good job. www.pacificwrecks.com/
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Post by EXO on Nov 14, 2011 19:10:22 GMT 8
Okla, a YMS is a minesweeper. Here's a photo of a YMS from the Emmett Wester Collection in our public archive section, and the caption. THE MINESWEEPER YMS-316 passes alongside the troopship USAT SEA CAT. The scenery looks a lot like the Brisbane River looking in a southerly direction. In all, 561 wooden-hulled minesweepers were built, all essentially of the same design - 136 ft long, 24'6" beam, draft 8', displacing 270 tons, and with a speed of 13 knots. YMS-316, a Mk. II, was completed in August 1943 (and was struck from the Navy Register December 1947.) On 29 January 1945, escorted by the Australian sloop HMAS WARREGO, it marked inshore shoals for the US landings at Subic Bay, Philippines. The following day both vessels carried out inshore surveys and buoyed wrecks off Bataan Peninsula while US troops fought their way off the landing beaches.The vessels continued this activity until 19 February, often landing armed parties in areas not cleared of the enemy to erect survey markers.(I have to apologize for the condition of this print as the original was so poor as to have been almost completely useless. Though experienced, I am not an expert at photo retouching and this print was one of the worst I have ever had to begin with. Normally I wouldn't have bothered - except for the fact that in my research of the history of the minesweeper YMS-316, I was unable to find any photograph of it available anywhere on the internet - so this one might well be unique in the public domain. Generallly, processing black and white film is relatively easy when the basic technique is followed, and it requires little in the way of experience. However, with numerous of the private WWII photographs I have seen, there is a gamut of darkroom errors, probably brought about by extreme conditions of heat and humidity, contaminated and exhausted chemicals, water impurities, skill and luck. - Ed.)
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Post by okla on Nov 15, 2011 1:18:39 GMT 8
Hey Fots...Many thanks for the update on the background/history of this old vessel. I find it rather ironic that here were plenty of larger/better equipped/more costly to build/etc ships that have war records that can't touch that of this old tub. Good for her. EXO...I appreciate the poop as pertaining to YMS's. I shoulda figured out the MS (mine sweeper), but the Y, I drew a blank. Thanks again. Again, I am intrigued why so many vessels went down in 1946. Also the story about the Ex-USS Rochester might be interesting. Thanks again to both of you guys for keeping this old goat abreast of affairs from that long ago time. Cheers.
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Post by fots2 on Nov 15, 2011 9:03:45 GMT 8
Here is some more information for you okla. USS RochesterShip HistoryBuilt by William Cramp and Sons at Philidelphia. Laid down on September 19, 1890. Launched on December 2, 1891 and comissioned on August 1, 1893 with Captain John Philip in command. Officially designated as Armored Cruiser No. 2, began her career on December 2, 1891 when she was launched from a Philadelphia shipyard as USS New York. After serving as Admiral Sampson's flagship during the Spanish-American War, she steamed to Yokohama and became the US Navy flagship of the Asiatic Fleet. World War I ServiceIn February, 1911 she was formally renamed USS Saratoga. During World War I she served with the Pacific Patrol Force, and in December, 1917 underwent yet another name change, becoming USS Rochester. Following service with the Atlantic Fleet and in the Caribbean, Rochester returned to Asiatic waters in June 1932 and served off the Yangtze River in China. The following year she moved to Cavite, just outside Manila, and was officially decommissioned there on April 29, 1933. She was then towed to Subic Bay and moored off the Olongapo Naval Station, where she served for the next eight years as an auxiliary power plant and machine shop. Wartime ServiceIn December, 1941, as Japanese forces approached Subic Bay, she moved by tug boats into Subic Bay and scuttled to prevent capture. ShipwreckIn the late 1960's the wreck was partially demolished to clear Subic Bay. Tony Basi Adds: "About 10 of July 1967 to about the 22 of July 1967 the outfit I was in Harbor Clearance Unit-1 began and finished demolition on the USS New York or Rochester as she was called, although the reporter who did the story said the heavy cruiser was blown up, I do not recall him being aboard when we were making the charge and the divers were planting the charges on the wreak. I was able to get two shots off of the waterspout. I was not a diver I was one of the crew on the YLLC-2 and packed the hose charges that were used. She was too big and too tough to blow completely up, the bow was pointed upwards and had to be pushed down to make room for a POL Buoy." The Rochester rested forgotten for more than 30 years, until rediscovered by divers in the early 1970s. Dale Sanders, made numerous dives on the hull between 1973 and 1978. The Rochester rests on her side, her 384' hull half buried in the sand. "Much of the superstructure is lying apart from the hull, and said that her smokestacks are also visible. Her guns, however, are gone, although some have been spotted in the sandy bottom close to the hull. During their years of exploring the Rochester, Sanders and his fellow divers were able to recover a number of items from the ship - brass portholes and fittings, porcelain coffee cups, and miscellaneous smaller items. Many of these items were on display at the Subic Bay Yacht Club." Although US Navy officials placed the Rochester off limits to divers, that prohibition ended in the fall of 1992 when the Navy vacated Subic Bay and returned the base to the Philippines. The ship lies on her side in 15 fathoms of water. www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/usn/rochester.html
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