Retro Wednesday

Through 050602AUG09, or longer if my readers find more stuff - I am going to open up a new weekly series, "Retro Wednesday" - 0602 every Wednesday.

Retro Wednesday will focus on the Navy in the immediate post-WWII period prior to The Korean War as seen by those who where there. Just simple pics with little to any commentary.

I have to thank Sid for these; these are from his collection.

For the opening punch, a little something for the ladies and perhaps others.

The frustration of being selected for fighters, but due to war's end, ending up as plowbacks in N2S's at "U.S.N.A.S." Corpus Christi not evident:

Come back next week for another shot at America and her Navy; flush with victory and promise.

Oh, and next time you see the old fella with the oxygen tube in his nose and sitting in a scooter outside the Exchange; give him a nod. That is what his 6-pack looked like when he was in his early 20s - how about yours?

Retro Wednesday

Remember, if you have pictures from the 1945 to 1955 timeframe that you think would work for Retro Wednesday, send them in. I only have three more weeks until the well goes dry. The next three weeks come via AT1.

Right after the Korean war ... F9F's making the turn at the break to land at Radford Field as NAS Cubi Point, The ship in the background is the USS Boxer, CV-21, tied up at NS Subic Bay.

Retro Wednesday: Cold War Edition

We haven't done a combo Retro Wednesday and RECCE quiz in awhile. This one will be fun.

See the below, and then see if you can guess what you are looking at before you read the text below it.

I remember that thing as a young MIDN when I first read about it. Just a grainy pic and a little hyperbole - a lot of things about tremendous speed and quick strike ability in the littorals or some such transformationalism ....

Yes my friends, its the Caspian Sea Monster; the Ekranoplan - more great pics here.

Note the background - it reminds me of my trip to Russia a couple of years ago - the smell of imperial decay is thick. Heck - how many old Soviet Republics have I been in - four? They all have "that" look.

Retro Wednesday

As Brad said last Saturday,

My God, it's full of WIN!!!

As they come up, we'll post them on Wednesday.

To review, to celebrate 100 Years of Naval Aviation, the Navy is painting some of its aircraft in retro-paint schemes. Today, the T-45C.



First off the block - the S-3B. More to follow.

Retro Wednesday

You know an aircraft has been around awhile when you can paint it in a retro paint scheme and have that be accurate to that aircraft.

In Cuban Missile Crisis Era colors - a P-3C Orion at NAS Jax earlier this week.

BTW, is it just me - or have we not produced a motivating paint scheme since, well - Vietnam? That thing actually looks good.

Hat tip Lee.

Retro Wednesday

Nice.

HSC-84's retro paint job for the Centennial of Naval Aviation. Red Wolf 202 is painted like a HAL Huey from Vietnam.

Of note - we have been at war longer now than we were in Vietnam - depending on how you measure it.

In Vietnam, the Navy created and developed fixed and rotary wing squadrons to meet the unique requirements of the war at hand. What have we done? What were our priorities while USA and allied forces bled out due to a lack of proper RW, or were killed outright due to lack of air support - like HAL provided in Vietnam?

Priorities, I presume.



Hat tip BA.

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UPDATE: At the 3:30 point, you can see the Seawolves in action - but you should just watch the whole thing.

Retro Wednesday

There is so much here I really don't know where to start.

OK, the Navy made this - so you can use it for GMT, right? Who cares if it was made in 1965 ... I am sure that it is fine now.

From the source as well at BTHBTS.

Retro Wednesday

From AT1:

... aviation ordancemen and aircrew helping to load ammo belts for aircraft. I have no idea which ship this was shot on, but the time frame is approximately early 1950. Interesting to note the blue shirt in the foreground is wearing a old school dungarees with his name stenciled across the back of the shirt, also on his head is the old cloth flight deck helmet. Also in the background near who I the officer in khakis with the combination cover (who I suspect is CAG Gunnery Officer) is a blue shirt wearing a white cover. That makes me kind of wish we could go back to wearing a white cover with our utilities.

Retro Wednesday

F-18G, circa 1944, I believe.

Admit it - you wish they all looked like that.

Retro Wednesday: ASW .... Old School Baby!

Is that a tasty cig I see in CIC ~ the 1 minute mark? Sigh.

Hat tip Stuart.

Retro Wednesday

OK folks ... let's us review an important aspect of the Operational Art; Planning Assumptions.

Click the map for larger.

Hat tip Stacey Pettyjohn.

Retro Wednesday

Aviation Greens. Note the embroidered wings. Also the then popular pipe/mustache style:

A note from Phib: yea, I thought of that song too.

Retro Wednesday

VR-8 social life.

Retro Wednesday

Your grandkids will ask why you looked goofy too

Retro Wednesday

I would have made the drive.

Nobody tells me things until its too late. I'm going to have a good pout.

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Hat tip Darryl.

Retro Wednesday

Panorama of Pearl ~1947. Never really noticed before I took this out to scan, but the two large ships are the New York and Nevada which had been brought back nuke damaged from Bikini in '46 for study. They were sunk as targets in '48. Kinda scary that survivable nuclear warfare is once again being seriously contemplated...

Just a note from Phib: that pic looks like it was taken VERY close to where I once lived.

Retro Wednesday: I Relieve You Sir

Timeless lessons.

In the darkness of early morning on June 3, 1969, destroyer USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754) collided with the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne (R21) in a joint exercise in the South China Sea, resulting in the loss of 74 lives. This 1975 Navy training film recreates the events surrounding the collision. Names of the officers involved in the collision have been changed. Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Photographic Section, UMO-40.

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UPDATE: Here is the gif from wikipedia C-14 mentioned. Thanks Commodore!



Hat tip Mike.

Retro Wednesday: Those Innocent Soviet "trawlers"

All you old Cold Warriors ... remember those innocent "tattletales" that always seemed to want to collect "Electronic Intelligence" on our HVU?


What's a few torpedo tubes between friends? This was in dry dock in St. Petersburg in the middle of last decade. I am pretty sure this was just a test and development ship - at least that is what a quickie search about the hull number says.

I tend to believe that - because I really don't see how you could hide that for long. Remember what part of the world they were found in more than not? You see the underside of every hull eventually.

Still though .... Innocent? Sure they were!



Hat tip RS and other dudes in email.

Retro Wednesday

Well ... some things don't change that much ... and I think that bratty kid at the end is Skippy.


Hat tip MD.

Retro Wednesday: Save the HMS CAROLINE

As we continue to watch the USS OLYMPIA rust away, it is good to see another nation making the extra effort to preserve part of her very rich history.

She was commissioned in 1914 and with the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, fought in 1916 in the Battle of Jutland. On an off duty, she was finally and at last decommissioned in 2011.

We discussed her a couple of years ago - but I wanted to bring her up again so you could see this great photospread via the TelegraphUK. More via the DailyMail.