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~ Cool Warships thread ~


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Inspired by SegaProphet's 'awesome aircraft thread'

Post pictures of your fav warships, I'll start with the INS Vikramaditya.

INS_Vikramaditya_during_trials.jpg

Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet and later with the Russian Navies (as Admiral Gorshkov) before the Indians purchased, modified and modernized it to be the Indian Navy's Flagship. It can carry upto 36 aircraft (30 × Mikoyan MiG-29K multi-role fighters 6 × Kamov Ka-31 AEW&C and Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopters )

Edited by Tech Support
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Good idea!

The USS Enterprise (CV-6):

USS_Enterprise_(CV-6)_in_Puget_Sound,_September_1945.jpg

Probably the greatest US warship of WW2, instrumental in many Pacific battles, so feared by the IJN that they claimed to have sunk her on several occasions. Sadly the "Big E" was sold and scrapped after retirement rather than being preserved, IMO she should have gotten the same treatment as the USS Constitution or the HMS Victory.

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The French submarine Surcouf, one of the most fascinating ships of WWII:

maquette%20sous%20marin.jpg

Surcouf was the largest submarine in the World at the time, with 12 torpedo tubes, a 5 meter motorboat, two 37mm AA guns, twin 203mm (8 inch) guns and even a pressurized seaplane hangar. She was so big that she was categorized as an "underwater cruiser" in the French Navy nomenclature.

Surcouf was in drydock when the Germans invaded Brest in WWII, but the crew managed to get her out to sea at night and surface-sailed to England on a single electric engine, where she was captured by the British Royal Navy alongside the rest of the French fleet. The British weren't keen on keeping her, because of the lack of spare parts and trained sailors, so she was handed over to the French Free Forces where she served in the North Atlantic.

SURCOUF+sur2.JPG

She was lost at sea in 1942 near Panama Canal. The official story says that she was rammed by a cargo, but it seems more likely that was sunk by friendly fire from an American PBY Catalina that mistake her for a Japanese or German sub.

Edited by Nibb31
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Nice thread, it's good to see that so many ship enthusiasts are amoung us. :)

My favourite ship is SMS Szent István, the only dreadnought built in Hungary. She served in the KuK (Austro-Hungarian) Navy in the WWI. She sank after a hit by a torpedo launched by an Italian MAS in 1918. Her fate was captured on film (

). As other ships in her class, she had very powerful armament at the price of her center of mass being way too high, which increased the risk of capsizing.

Szent_Istvan.jpg

Edited by jmiki8
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The Wasp class amphibious carrier (this example is the USS Bataan LHD-5):

138781216621792_2wasp_class_l5.jpg

The centerpiece of an amphibious group, she carries the core of a USMC battalion, including armor and artillery, and operates STOVLs and helicopters from her flight deck and surface landing craft from the docking well at her stern. The pictured example has traded her helos for additional Harriers during an exercise. The ship also has a hospital facility with an extensive trauma unit, useful in both combat and humanitarian aid roles.

Edited by Red Iron Crown
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I'm going with the SSGN refit of the Ohio class SSBN.

Capable of sailing anywhere in the world on a single voyage undetected, carries up to 154 tomahawk cruise misses with nuclear capability, plus Harpoon and torpedoes.

The single most dangerous ship in terms of destructive capability to ever enter the water.

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I'm going with the SSGN refit of the Ohio class SSBN.

Capable of sailing anywhere in the world on a single voyage undetected, carries up to 154 tomahawk cruise misses with nuclear capability, plus Harpoon and torpedoes.

The single most dangerous ship in terms of destructive capability to ever enter the water.

I think the SLBM version was potentially more destructive, with 288 nuclear warheads and intercontinental range. Too destructive really, the SSGN version is more likely to provide useful services in a conventional war while still performing nuclear deterrence.

While on submarines, the Lira/Alfa class:

alfad.jpg

This Cold War nuclear hunter-killer sub was the fastest ever produced, clocking at over 40 knots (almost as fast as torpedoes of the time). The hull was made of titanium for both strength and stealth from magnetic detection. Unusually, the 31-man crew consisted entirely of officers, with no enlisted men. Who cleaned the heads?

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Since I don't have any pictures from the Cavalla that's a few miles from me, I'll post this one I visited a few years back

SS-383 USS Pampanito, Balao Class Fleet Submarine

Docked in San Fransisco

sanjoseandsanfrancisco0.jpg

sanjoseandsanfrancisco0.jpg

I started talking to one of the guides that was there, and our group was let up onto the bridge and conning tower.

sanjoseandsanfrancisco0.jpg

The Pampanito has a rare example of a working Torpedo Data Computer. A truly amazing machine for solving fire-control problems.

sanjoseandsanfrancisco0l.jpg

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I think the SLBM version was potentially more destructive, with 288 nuclear warheads and intercontinental range. Too destructive really, the SSGN version is more likely to provide useful services in a conventional war while still performing nuclear deterrence.

Yeah, I was leaning that way...but Tomahawks...

This Cold War nuclear hunter-killer sub was the fastest ever produced, clocking at over 40 knots (almost as fast as torpedoes of the time). The hull was made of titanium for both strength and stealth from magnetic detection. Unusually, the 31-man crew consisted entirely of officers, with no enlisted men. Who cleaned the heads?

The Sovs had a carrier killer torpedo that ran at 60 knots, I don't remember the name of it. It was supposed to be fired from behind and aimed at the screws.

Unfortunately, the Alphas were so noisy they got picked up by SOSUS before they could get to the GIUK and could be tracked by Orions forever. The Norweigens and Brits would have eaten them alive.

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The HMS Astute, the jewel of the Navy's Nuclear subs.

astute_cutaway_1786751a.jpg

It can spend an entire year underwater through water and air purifing, but its food supply is only 3 months.

This thing also has SONAR that could detect boats leaving New York Harbour from the english channel, hence Astute.

It isn't so big on armament though, with only 38 weapons.

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The Sovs had a carrier killer torpedo that ran at 60 knots, I don't remember the name of it. It was supposed to be fired from behind and aimed at the screws.

Shkval. Between a large fleet of subs and swarms of Backfire-launched ASMs, the US carrier groups were likely in for a bad time in the North Atlantic. Superior tech only offsets numerical advantage by so much.

Unfortunately, the Alphas were so noisy they got picked up by SOSUS before they could get to the GIUK and could be tracked by Orions forever. The Norweigens and Brits would have eaten them alive.

Yeah, they probably weren't all that combat effective due to poor noise characteristics. Still awesome, though. :)

New post, new ship:

The Zubr class hovercraft:

zubr-hovercraft-920-15.jpg

Just another lazy day at the beach an-OMG IS THAT A 400 TON HOVERCRAFT SPEWING AFVs AT ME?

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