Warship Appreciation Thread

[Spartan303]

Geez thats a lot of rust for a ship leaving port

Salt water and any climate approaching Tropical are hard as hell on Ship hulls. Specialized treatments in a shipyard are needed to remove layers of rust, but shipyards are backed up to hell and back for much more important things than cosmetic treatments. We simply don't have the shipyards to take care of everything in a timely manner.

So ship crews, in particularly one ship crew has taken another approach and is regularly applying
paints as needed to keep the ship looking good. 6 days a week.

How one Navy warship is taking ‘busting rust’ to a whole new level

 

[Sailor.X]

DDG 95 leaving Toulon two days ago.

I am extremely disappointed in their Deck Department, OPs officers, XO and CO. That is shameful to let that much rust show on a ship. Back in my day that was not tolerated.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

I am extremely disappointed in their Deck Department, OPs officers, XO and CO. That is shameful to let that much rust show on a ship. Back in my day that was not tolerated.

especially since they're leaving port. its not like they've been at sea for a month or three

 

[Aaron Fox]

The problem is that there are simply not enough docks to undertake the process. Especially since the '70s was the disastrous privatization binge that only made things worse (and only got worse because people still think that's a good thing despite evidence to the contrary).

At this point, you'll need to nationalize the shipbuilding industry and start doing a massive expansion program come hell or high water.

 

[Bacle]

I am extremely disappointed in their Deck Department, OPs officers, XO and CO. That is shameful to let that much rust show on a ship. Back in my day that was not tolerated.

I've heard that these days most painting jobs are done by contractors at the dock, not the crew itself, so that likely plays a role in this sort of stuff.

When ships are dealing with nearly skeleton crews a lot of the time, 'cosmetic' issues fall way down the priority list.

 

[Sailor.X]

I've heard that these days most painting jobs are done by contractors at the dock, not the crew itself, so that likely plays a role in this sort of stuff.

When ships are dealing with nearly skeleton crews a lot of the time, 'cosmetic' issues fall way down the priority list.

I find it heartbreaking. I expect better from the Navy.

 

[Morphic Tide]

I find myself honestly curious what challenges a "serious" ship with a fully non-corroding exterior made of a composite like fiberglass or carbon fiber would face. Even if it's just a thin "skin" instead of replacing the outer hull entirely, there's definitely some argument to be made to the bean-counters about maintenance costs coming down from not having the hull dissolve on you.

 

[Doomsought]

I find myself honestly curious what challenges a "serious" ship with a fully non-corroding exterior made of a composite like fiberglass or carbon fiber would face. Even if it's just a thin "skin" instead of replacing the outer hull entirely, there's definitely some argument to be made to the bean-counters about maintenance costs coming down from not having the hull dissolve on you.

non metals tend to be more vulnerable to mechanical stress. Composites also are a pain in the ass to shape and almost impossible to repair to full strength- patches are a lasting weak point at best. You often are better off just replacing an entire part rather than trying to repair it.

Steel has an amazing ability to ignore low levels of stress without accumulating damage over time, and can be welded. Even aluminum, which is infamously difficult to weld, can still be welded and thus is easier to repair than fiber composites.

There are also techniques for preventing the rust of steel, such as coatings and sacrificial anodes. For the ship above, I wouldn't be surprised if the dockyard workers skimped on proper surface prep for the protective coating on the hull (surface prep is half the difference between a protective coating and a paint job).

 

[Aaron Fox]

I've heard that these days most painting jobs are done by contractors at the dock, not the crew itself, so that likely plays a role in this sort of stuff.

When ships are dealing with nearly skeleton crews a lot of the time, 'cosmetic' issues fall way down the priority list.

This is what happens when you choop budgets unnecessarily and decide to run governments like businesses.

 

[paulobrito]

Two Victorio Veneto warships.

 

[ShadowArxxy]

Something like her, yes, although I think a British equivalent would end up being slightly bigger and heavier.

The British equivalent would be the Town-class light cruisers, which were *quite a bit* bigger at 9,100 tons, versus 7,500 tons for La Argentina and 6,665 tons for the original Arethusa class.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

The British equivalent would be the Town-class light cruisers, which were *quite a bit* bigger at 9,100 tons, versus 7,500 tons for La Argentina and 6,665 tons for the original Arethusa class.

and yet la arentina was smaller than the leander class but had 1 more gun.

 

[ShadowArxxy]

and yet la arentina was smaller than the leander class but had 1 more gun.

La Argentina is essentially an enlarged Arethusa class, duplicating the comprehensively reduced armor protection and alll other weight-saaving tradeoffs which that class made as a low-cost derivative of the Leander. Her increase in main guns is due to adopting more weight-efficient triple turrets, Arethusa having been cut back from Leander's four twin turrets to just three for a minimal six gun broadside.

She's a pretty impressive ship for her tonnage, but the Town class showcases what the British were capable of designing with triple turrets on Leander-level tonnage: four triple turrets (with limited high angle capability, even) *and* superior armor protection, greater speed, superior secondary and tertiary armament.

 

[paulobrito]

If we are talking about the Town class light cruisers, let me present you one of the most if not the most famous.
HMS Belfast

 

[PsihoKekec]

La Valletta harbour?

 

[ShadowArxxy]

If we are talking about the Town class light cruisers, let me present you one of the most if not the most famous.
HMS Belfast

Really quite impressive ships, although my personal preference is for the American cruisers.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

Really quite impressive ships, although my personal preference is for the American cruisers.

Having been Salem, Olympia, and Belfast I can safely say that they all have their charm and Damm good looks

 

[bintananth]

Really quite impressive ships, although my personal preference is for the American cruisers.

My favorite cruiser design from 1930s would be the Brooklyn-class.

15x6"/47 Mk16 anyone? 135-ish 130lb 6" shells downrange every minute because ... fuck you.

There's a lot of spent brass on that deck.

 

[gral]

The British equivalent would be the Town-class light cruisers, which were *quite a bit* bigger at 9,100 tons, versus 7,500 tons for La Argentina and 6,665 tons for the original Arethusa class.

The Towns were too big to be an equivalent of the La Argentina. I was thinking something about 1,000 tons smaller.

 

[ShadowArxxy]

The Towns were too big to be an equivalent of the La Argentina. I was thinking something about 1,000 tons smaller.

La Argentina was an enlarged and improved derivative of the Arethusa class with a considerable increase in firepower thanks to the adoption of triple turrets.

The Town class is her direct counterpart in Royal Navy service, an enlarged and improved successor to the Arethusa class with a considerable increase in firepower thanks to the adoption of triple turrets.