Author Topic: USS America (CV-66) BOHICA! (Read 1446 times)

Storm7 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 06, 2005, 12:22:24 AM »

Once they install all of the onboard cameras and telemetry, they will tow her to the testing site. Testing, they say, will take weeks. They are expected to test missiles, torpedoes and mines on her. Needless to say, she will probably look like a big piece os swiss cheese once they finally send her down with explosives. The test site is in 6000 feet of water. I don't think anyone will be diving on her too soon.

I understand she is the only non-nuke super carrier. That ought to make the evironmentalists breath easier.

Mime · « **Reply #16 on:** March 06, 2005, 09:21:40 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Raubvogel
They're not doing it to make an artificial reef dude. .

like totally dude. bogus.

Nilsen · « **Reply #17 on:** March 06, 2005, 09:55:26 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Martlet
Could you imagine wreck diving a carrier?

Nice.

that would be nice. probelm is that you would have trouble diving down to the keel if it was layed flat and the top mast was just under the surface. its huge man..dude man

vatiAH · « **Reply #18 on:** March 06, 2005, 10:40:49 AM »

Storm,

the USN built 8 fossil fuel driven super carriers

4 x Forrestal Class attack carriers

CVA 59 USS Forrestal
CVA 60 USS Saratoga
CVA 61 USS Ranger
CVA 62 USS Indpendence

3x Kitty Hawk class attack carriers

CVA 63 USS Kitty Hawk
CVA 64 Constellation
CVA 66 USS America

All though similar in apperance and often lumped in with the Kitty Hawks , the USS John F Kennedy CVA-67 was built to a much modified design. She was so different internally that she is really a 1 ship class

CVA 67 USS John F Kennedy

Vati

SunTracker · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2005, 10:48:51 AM »

Oriskany will be 200 feet deep. Way past the limits of recreational diving.

Maverick · « **Reply #20 on:** March 06, 2005, 11:12:00 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Nilsen
that would be nice. probelm is that you would have trouble diving down to the keel if it was layed flat and the top mast was just under the surface. its huge man..dude man

That's true, but the top part of the ship would have so much to explore you could dive on it for menths before seeing it all. What a heck of a dive vacation!

eagl · « **Reply #21 on:** March 06, 2005, 12:10:10 PM »

I'm glad they're going to do some real testing because we recently dropped some new live GPS guided bombs on a moving ship, and the intardnet readers around the world weren't the only ones who noticed that after 4-5 direct hits, the boat kept going and wouldn't sink. So maybe we need to re-think some of our weapons, fuzes, or take a hard look at why some ships sink with relatively minor damage and why some stay afloat after getting whacked with multiple direct hits by reasonably modern weapons.

The US military is "transforming" and it wouldn't suprise me to see a new class of carriers get developed that are more responsive to modern needs. Faster, cheaper to operate, requiring fewer crew, etc. It would be nice to incorporate as many lessons as possible into the new designs.

That said, a sunken CV would make a great reef/dive site and it's a shame it's not being sunk in water shallow enough to be suitable as a dive site.

Nilsen · « **Reply #22 on:** March 06, 2005, 12:30:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
That's true, but the top part of the ship would have so much to explore you could dive on it for menths before seeing it all. What a heck of a dive vacation!

I agree.

the danger is that divers, and usually new divers easily loose track of how deep they are and they just wanna go abit deeper and for abit longer if the target is tempting. that goes for all kinds of diving but exciting wrecks are among the most dangerous and tempting.

Engine · « **Reply #23 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:05:00 PM »

Maybe they're sinking it deep so other countries have a hard time gleaning any information as to how well our ships can resist an attack?

Hawklore · « **Reply #24 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:14:16 PM »

Why Blow it up?

Cause it's damn fun!

Maverick · « **Reply #25 on:** March 06, 2005, 03:29:00 PM »

If you were on board, I push the button myself!

Smut · « **Reply #26 on:** March 06, 2005, 04:06:47 PM »

It's a sad but honorable end to a ship I spent nearly a year of my life on underway. Better this than the scrappers torch. What is learned will be passed on to future designs.

I'm also glad she's going deep. RIP.

-Smut

midnight Target · « **Reply #27 on:** March 06, 2005, 06:32:52 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Nilsen
that would be nice. probelm is that you would have trouble diving down to the keel if it was layed flat and the top mast was just under the surface. its huge man..dude man

A friend of mine dove the wreck of the Saratoga off Bikini atoll. I posted pics here once I think.

Hawklore · « **Reply #28 on:** March 06, 2005, 11:53:03 PM »

I belive sending a ship to the bottom is much more honorable then scrapping it..

During war time, thats a different story, but seeing as were allready ****ing up our carriers might as well make it complete..

(still angry about mothballing the JFK)

Del · « **Reply #29 on:** March 07, 2005, 12:16:52 AM »

Ditto Smut,
One of my boats was scrapped... USS Lockwood, sad pics of that.

Send her down to a honorable death. Lets get some info while were at it and then test the info on China's carrier. If it sinks, good deal, if not, back to the drawing board.