Since we were on a Navy trend, here's a picture of my Dad's ship. He served from March 25 1941 (date after ship was comissioned) to 1945.

I found this and many others while doing a bit of research so I can put together an historical legacy for my kids. They never had a chance to meet my dad, since he passed away many years ago.

Nice pic. How did they launch the planes? There is no runway like a carrier. I only see a crane of somesort. Did they spin the planes around and around until their airspeed was high enough and then cut them loose? LOL

Look closely, the planes have pontoons. They'd get beat to hell or lost in a storm.

Took another look. That sure is a lot of gun mounts!

Thats Cool Rayder... I'm not for sure but didn't that ship get retired and then sold to Argentina.. along with some more of our WWII Ships and they kicked the **** out of the British modern day ships!!!!

http://www.naval-history.net/NAVAL1982FALKLANDS.htm 

Until the British started using our Anti Ship Missiles on their Ships!!! long time ago and cannot remember for sure...But I do know the Argentines sank 2 or 3 British ships with Our Old Vessels!!!!!

thats cool that you are tracing back your Dads History like that...I often wondered over these past 5 yrs weather my kids would just toss my things when I pass into an Auction... not one of my Kids have come to see me off or return on my last 3 deployments...

Thats Cool though!!!!

Hog

Here's a site I was looking for...

http://www.warships1.com/UScl040_Brooklyn.htm 

also check here...
http://www.hazegray.org/ 

Hog

This ship went to mothballs for a while then was scrapped, I think in Seattle well after the war.
The planes were launched with real short catapults. They angles them away, into the wind and shot 'em off. Thank goodness for a slow stall speed on the Kingfisher (The plane). They landed relatively close to the ship and were recovered by the cranes.

That cruised was bristling with 5" guns and a ton of AA batteries. nothing fancy...just a pure war ship.

My Dad was an emancipated Juvenile at the strt of the war. He joined the NAvy at 15 years old (he may have lied a little about his age). He didn't climb the ranks much. Went from Pharmacist mate to Medic during the war.

thats probably why I couldn't pull much up on it...

here's what I got...

http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/denver/logjul44.htm 

http://www.hazegray.org/cgi-bin/haze-cgi.pl 

Hog

Here's where she went:
CL 63 Mobile Built by Newport News. Laid down 14 April 1941, launched 15 May 1942, commissioned 24 March 1943. Decommissioned 9 May 1947, stricken 1 March 1959, sold 19 Jan 1960, scrapped at Portland, OR.

http://www.navyhistory.com/cruiser/Mobile.html 

Thats cool Rayder....

I've always loved the Ships... my Fav is the USS Missouri.. Mighty MO... she has a fantastic History behind her and one of these days I will be able to go see her Docked at Fords Island Pearl Harbor
my Dad is the one who got me into the Ship thing.. he could draw the old ones out just like they were real..
His Favorite was the German Battleship the Bismark
he used to tell me story's when I was little how that battle ship could fire a shell the size of a volkswagon for 20 miles...

Hog