Friday, July 6, 2018

And the Littoral Combat Ships

I found the spot in Menominee where I could get pictures of the Littoral Combat Ships.  I didn't really want to walk too far in the heat, so I wanted to find a spot where I could just get a picture of them.
 First up is LCS-17.  This one will be known as the USS Indianapolis and is named after the ship of the same name that was sunk in World War II.  She is also the fourth ship to be named USS Indianapolis.  The one in World War II was a cruiser and was tasked with carrying the atomic bomb to Tinian.  Because of the secrecy of her mission, her whereabouts was unknown.  Her captain was told that he was travelling through a safe area, so he didn't need to take submarine precautions.  She was torpedoed and because of security precautions, it was a while before the Navy was able to rescue her crew.  Her captain was court martialed but later exonerated after his death.
The last USS Indianapolis was a Los Angeles class attack submarine.
 Next up is LCS-13, the USS Wichita.  She is the third ship to be named after Wichita, Kansas.  The first ship was a heavy cruiser that saw action during World War II and was built in 1939.  Prior to the US entry to the war, she participated in Neutrality Patrols.  The first part of the war, she spent on Atlantic Convoys.  During the Battle of Casablanca, she engaged the French battleship the Jean Bart.  In 1943, she was transferred to the Pacific.   She was a participant in the battle of Okinawa.  She was decommissioned in 1959.
The next Wichita was an oiler.
The last ship is LCS-11, the USS Sioux City.  She is the first ship to be named after Sioux City, Iowa.

All of these ships are in various stages of construction.

2 comments:

Kevin Hammer said...

Just FYI, Fest of Sail in Sandusky next week.
https://festofsailsandusky.com

dowdy49581@gmail.com. said...

I enjoy pics of the heavy ships.