Ships!

[Staggerwing]

This is cool

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/15410/himars-goes-to-sea-us-marines-now-fire-guided-artillery-rockets-from-ships

"Box O'Rockets"

Love it!

[BanzaiCat]

All of Germany's submarines are currently down.

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2017/10/20/all-of-germanys-submarines-are-currently-down/

COLOGNE, Germany ― The German Navy's six-strong fleet of submarines is completely out of commission after the only operational sub had an accident off the coast of Norway on Sunday.

The U-35 was moved into ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems' shipyard in Kiel after a rudder blade was damaged during a diving maneuver, the newspaper Kieler Nachrichten reported. The submarine was scheduled to participate in exercises in the Skagerrak, the strait between southern Norway, southeast Sweden and Denmark.

The U-35 is a 212A-class boat, the same type that TKMS will build for Norway under a multibillion-dollar deal announced early this year. Italy also operates two boats of the class.

[mirth]

HMS Inflexible in 1881 showing 1 of her centrally placed turrets and the outer and inner structures

[mirth]

USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) prepares to launch FM-2 Wildcat fighters during the action of the Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944. In the center distance, Japanese shells are splashing near USS White Plains (CVE-66).

[mirth]

Virginia-class battleship USS Georgia (BB-15) being launched at Bath Iron Works, Maine, 1904

[GDS_Starfury]

its like they built it in someones back yard.

[bob48]

Its another one of Tuna's unfinished kits.

[Staggerwing]

"Noah!... I want you to build me a Pre-dreadnought!"

[mirth]

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/15542/russia-supposedly-bringing-back-giant-ekranoplans-for-arctic-missions

[mirth]

Landing a 155 mm gun at Sedd-el Bahr during the Gallipoli Campaign.

[mirth]

USS Constitution during mast stepping, Boston, 1930

[besilarius]

A Salty Sea Story:

Now shipmates this ain't no shit. Late in the fall of '66 we found
ourselves off Yankee Station, enjoying libs in dear old Olongapo City,
aka "Sailors' Disneyland." Now you know the bar girls always enjoined
us not to be "butterfly boys:" you set up with a girl and you're not
expected to do the horizontal dance with anyone else.

My base of operations was the Tri-V Club, about halfway down on the
right hand side. Mila was my ...ahem... special friend. But one night
I thought I'd see what was going on elsewhere in town so I dropped in
to New Pauline's and had, well, an interesting evening. I vaguely
recalled getting a hickey or two in the process.

On the way back to the ship, I thought I'd have a beer at the Tri-V,
get three sticks of monkey meat and then call it a night. Sooooo I
sauntered in to the Tri-V, plopped down, and asked for a San Miguel.
No sooner had I taken my second swig than Mila appeared and sat down.
Pleasantries exchanged, she suddenly snapped "What this?" and pulled
my trop white shirt to one side – to reveal a line of hickeys from
earlobe to shoulder, kinda sorta like a red drippy epaulet!

Before I could say anything, she picked up an empty beer bottle and
broke it on the table edge, and with her other hand pulled out and
whirled open one huge 11" butterfly knife. Aptly named... "You
summabeech, gonna keel you!" she howled, and I grabbed my white hat
and sprinted for the door, she hard on my heels.

Down Magsaysay Drive I ran, screams and yells not far behind me. As I neared the guard shack, I fumbled for my pocket. "Fuck the ID,
buddy!" shouted the Marine guard. "She's gaining on you!" The crowds were making a hole for me, clapping rhythmically and chanting "Go! Go! Go!" Redoubling
my efforts, I skidded past the shack just as the (thrown) half bottle
smashed to twinkling shards against one of the columns holding the
shelter up.

Mila stormed off muttering as I hauled out my DD2N and displayed it.
"Whoo, pal, musta been good libs," commented the gyrene. "Anytime you
come back just ahead of a blade and a broken bottle you KNOW you had a
helluva time," I panted.

[besilarius]

USS Katahdin, a coastal defence ram.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Katahdin_(1893)

I continue to blame Admiral Tegetthof for winning the battle of Lissa with ram tactics.  Leading a generation of naval designers down a black hole.

[Staggerwing]

Ram tactics worked pretty well against the Enemy in the Battle of River Blackwater Estuary, with a 2-1 kill ratio. Admittedly, there was only one ram present, so...

[besilarius]

Ram tactics could be very successful in a small engagment.  Fast, nimble vessels always maneuver better, and faster, than heavyweights.
Making the choice that every major warship should be a ram is akin to Ernst Udet decreeing that all Luftwaffe bombers had to be dive bombers.  It was unnecessary and made some promising designs unworkable.
As it turned out, arming all heavy ships with rams was an utter waste.  The only heavy ships sunk by ram were in the same navy as the ramming ship.