waynea@cadnetix.COM (Wayne Angevine) (11/06/89)
From: waynea@cadnetix.COM (Wayne Angevine) I have two requests for information. These are for model building and documentation purposes and for my general curiousity. I would like references to books showing the types of Coast Guard vessels in use from approximately WWII to the present. I'd prefer something a bit more entertaining than a Jane's, and a lot of color pictures would be helpful. Secondly, I'd like to know how naval vessels are classified. (Perhaps I should say "categorized.") What, for example, makes a destroyer a destroyer, not a frigate or a cruiser? Thanks.
terryr@ogccse.ogc.edu (Terry Rooker) (11/09/89)
From: terryr@ogccse.ogc.edu (Terry Rooker) In article <11145@cbnews.ATT.COM> waynea@cadnetix.COM (Wayne Angevine) writes: > > >From: waynea@cadnetix.COM (Wayne Angevine) > > I would like references to books showing the types of Coast > Guard vessels in use from approximately WWII to the present. > I'd prefer something a bit more entertaining than a Jane's, > and a lot of color pictures would be helpful. You can try US Samll Combatants, by Friedman (USNI). It is a thourough account of small vessels from the turn of the century on to the present. The emphasis is on naval vessels, but he does include information on coast guard vessels. He has excellant anecdotal information and the details are usually good. Beware, for modelling purposes he is occasionally lax about exactly the sort of detail modelers want. In one of his articles he noted a .30 cal mg in the aft position of a PBR, and the picture clearly showed a M2HB .50 cal mg. > Secondly, I'd like to know how naval vessels are classified. > (Perhaps I should say "categorized.") What, for example, > makes a destroyer a destroyer, not a frigate or a cruiser? It used to be size (through the early sixties), and function. Now it is more a matter of the intended role of the ship (and unfortunatley political concerns). An ASW escort is a frigate or corvette (if very small). A general purpose class is a destroyer, although individual classes may specialize. The Spruance class DD are ASW vessels, while the Kidd class built on the same hull are AAW vessels. AAW battle group escorts are called cruisers. Aviation ships that carry more than about a dozen aircraft are called carriers (of various types). Politics enters into it for various reasons. In the US it is usually because there is some trend in Congress, and the budget request has to satisfy that trend. Because of the committment to nuclear powered carriers the navy was trying to build a fleet of CGN's as escorts. They would have the aegis system. They were too expensive, so the navy switch to the conventional Spruance hull and built the Ticonderoga class. There had been talk about building a class of DD's with the aegis system, but that had to be concelled with the Ticonderoga class. Instead the Burke class is under construction with a simpler version of the aegis. The Soviets call their large helicopter carriers ASW cruisers so they can pass through the Dardenelles. The boundaries aren't very firm, so if anyone is confused by the name categories you are justifiably confused. -- Terry Rooker terryr@cse.ogc.edu
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (11/14/89)
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) >From: terryr@ogccse.ogc.edu (Terry Rooker) >... Aviation ships that carry more than about a dozen >aircraft are called carriers (of various types). > >Politics enters into it for various reasons. In the US it is usually >because there is some trend in Congress... Or because there is some religious issue in the services. As witness the USMC's carriers, which are "amphibious assault ships" or something to that effect, even though they are quite substantial aircraft carriers by the standards of anyone but the USN. No hint of competition for the USN's supercarriers is allowed. >... The Soviets call their large helicopter carriers ASW cruisers > so they can pass through the Dardenelles. The British called the Invincible class "through-deck cruisers" for some time, because "aircraft carrier" was a dirty word after the great political battle over retiring the RN's last conventional carriers. Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu