bwross11 wrote:The basic reason that all ships in the class didn't receive the ASROC magazine was due in large part to weight. During the 1970-77 class upgrades all ships received their AAW modernizations. What this required was superstructure extensions to accommodate the NTDS equipment; it also required larger ship-service turbo generators to accommodate the electrical requirement increases. And finally, the SPQ-5A radars were replaced with the SPG-55 to improve the capability of the Terrier system. All of this tied in with the SPS-48 radar on the foremast meant that the class was getting top-heavy. With the Farragut they found that the instability wasn't desirable and made the decision not to equip the remaining nine with the magazine.
Now, on a personal note; I can attest to the class being top-heavy! On Preble, when we got underway you could feel the ship rolling almost as soon as we passed the mouth of the channel! It was always good for laughs to get boots watching the inclinometer in CIC; even in relatively clam seas our normal roll was in the area of 10-12 degrees from plum. Add some cigars and greasy lunch and the job was done!
Good times,
Bruce Ross
OSC(USN-Ret)
USS Preble DLG-15/DDG-46
Bruce,
I would open up a can of sardines too for the boots too! Adams class rolled just as bad. I am glad I was able to serve on both class of ships.
I was in USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DLG-13) as a Seaman in First Division, and made the WESTPAC cruise in 1967-68. The FARRAGUT was originally scheduled to go to Vietnam from Mayport, but we went instead; Thank Goodness!
Anyway, I was only a deck seaman, and I still have no clue what all that weapons stuff was. (sorry- ha ha) Couldn't pass the exams for BM3.
Retired as a Deck Officer (Mate), US Merchant Marine 2005, after another several decades in the deck force on civilian vessels.
Fred Lehman, Sneads Ferry, North Carolina (formerly Schenectady New York)
??? i know this class was designed in the late 50's but several things have bugged me... 1. If these beast where so top heavy and had listing problems esp in regular sea states.. A. Why did they never add stablizers like on knox or perry classes..
B. Why they never replaced the AN/SQS-23 two dome sonar with a single blubous bow type ie AN-SQS-26 aka KNOX class or Garcia ... or even better the 53...
C. lastly I would think that by removing the MK-10 launcher and replacing it with a MK-26 would had reduced some weight and maybe extended this class a few more years..
I agree they were a classey ship,, I was lucky to be transfered for a couple of weeks during a Major Yard period on to the USS KIng for some cross training...
Would suspect cost vs hull life played a major part in any modernization plans.
My understanding of what killed off both the F/C and Adams classes was the 1200psi boilers.
Navy dumped everything except carriers with those plants in the early 90's. Manpower and maintenance costs.
Here she is: From Niko the USS Coontz 1/700 scale resin.
In the early 1990s the USN decided to get rid of 1200psi steam plants. The gas turbines (GE LM2500) had proven themselves in the Spruance/Kidd/Ticonderoga/OH Perry classes. Last major surface vessel with a 1200psi system was the Kitty Hawk CV-63.
I heard a sea story about a race that used to happen between ships returning from Hawaii to the San Diego. A nuke and a oil fired steam ship would race each other on the last day and the winner was always the nuke. One time though a new Spruance DD joined the race. While the older DDG was putting out tons of black smoke going full trying to keep up with the nuke the Spruance DD was keeping up the nuke and was barely putting out any smoke at all. I know that the gas turbines have much lower manning requirements and eliminate the need for feed water.
sorry but there was 3 tubes on the dlg-6, sat on them many times
snipechief wrote:Garry, your question that a preliminary design for the DLG-6 could have included Weapon Alfa and torpedo tubes prompted me to double check Norman Freidman's book "U.S. Destroyers." There is nothing stated about torpedo tubes for the DLG-6. The ASROC launcher was the primary anti-submarine defense system.
As for additional information - The Farragut had the misfortune to be the lead ship of a new class with a new main propulsion system design. The 1200 psi boilers were controlled by a new pneumatic control system known as the Automatic Combustion Control System. It was a nightmare for the fireroom crews to operate until the "bugs" were worked out. As a result of many problems with the Automatic Combustion Control System, DLG-6 became known as "Building 6" because it spent so much time along side the pier for repairs.
Carl, thanks for the kind words. I too was a MM. I opted to not volunteer for the nuke program because I did not want to sign on for a six year obligation program when I entered A School in '61. It never entered my mind that I would serve a whole lot more than six years ....as a conventional monkey mate.
I was a radioman on the USS Preble from 1972 to 1975 and depart the day she became DDG-46. I remember her very easily for being top heavy. Radio Central was across from the Officer's Wardroom, the Bridge two decks about that. The CIC was one deck above the Bridge. One time I had to bring a message to the CIC and almost got seasick just going 3 decks up. One radioman loved smoking cigars around the new kids when we first get to sea. He enjoyed himself when they turned green and ran away.
Ken Owens
Hey guys, I was looking through some old photos and i found some that Dad took while aboard the Pratt in the 1970's. PM with an e-mail for high-res versions.
Transiting the Panama Canal (East to West) en route to UNITAS XVI 1975.
Weathering a nasty storm in Naples, Italy in 1976-77.
CG-10 is not pictured but was moored on the other side of FFG-5.
Enjoy guys!
-Mike
Drawing Board:
1/700 Whiff USS Leyte and escorts 1984
1/700 Whiff USN Modernized CAs 1984
1/700 Whiff ASW Showdown - FFs vs SSGN 1984
Slipway:
1/700 Whiff USN ASW Hunter Killer Group Dio 1984
Certainly NOT an ASROC mag. Only Farragut had one and it was a very pronounced deck house taking up almost all of the space between the bridge and the ASROC launcher. I'm not sure what that little deck house is but there is a re-fueling station directly aft of it, port side so maybe its associated? Don't know for sure, just a guess.
Drawing Board:
1/700 Whiff USS Leyte and escorts 1984
1/700 Whiff USN Modernized CAs 1984
1/700 Whiff ASW Showdown - FFs vs SSGN 1984
Slipway:
1/700 Whiff USN ASW Hunter Killer Group Dio 1984
I would not be surprised if it was the early ASROC reload locker. It is very similar to the set-up on FRAMed Gearings, down to the deck fitting between it and the ASROC launcher. That fitting (seen in the second pic) guides and moves the reload from the magazine to the launcher on the Gearings.
Here are pictures of the ones on a museum Gearing I was on in Turkey.
I forgot that I had a set of plans for the King According to them, that deck house is the "ASROC Rammer Rail Locker" for what I can only guess is for reloading the launcher. No reloads were carried for the launcher though, save for Farragut. That's directly from DDG-44's former Weapons Officer.
Drawing Board:
1/700 Whiff USS Leyte and escorts 1984
1/700 Whiff USN Modernized CAs 1984
1/700 Whiff ASW Showdown - FFs vs SSGN 1984
Slipway:
1/700 Whiff USN ASW Hunter Killer Group Dio 1984
Well those are certainly neat! The set I have I have are USN General Booklet of Plans from the Floating Drydock. Those CAD drawings are very nice though! Love the detailed drawing of the Terrier and the fact that the 3"/50s are still aboard in the other drawing. My plans newer than that and have Harpoons and other upgrades on them. Thanks for sharing man!
Drawing Board:
1/700 Whiff USS Leyte and escorts 1984
1/700 Whiff USN Modernized CAs 1984
1/700 Whiff ASW Showdown - FFs vs SSGN 1984
Slipway:
1/700 Whiff USN ASW Hunter Killer Group Dio 1984
I was going back through some old picture files and found these progress pictures of my 1/700 scratchbuild of my ship USS Preble. I drew up the plans based on an old Wiswesser plan and from spending a lot of time studying old pictures I have that I took during my time aboard. Also, since I was a modeler before I went in the service I did a lot of drawings of various parts of the ship with rough measurements.
Port Bow
Port side amidships
Plan is to eventually put the model on a seascape base. The model has the hull and main deck painted now and the 01 level is being painted. Above there the details are slowly being added. A trivial fact: the main mast is constructed of 102 individual parts...I know I counted them!
enjoy,
Bruce
Bruce
OSC USN-Ret
Currently on the building ways:
1/144 USS Stevens DD-479
1/144 USS Cook Inlet AVP-36
1/144 USS Walke DD-416
1/144 USS Preble DDG-46
bwross11, good job!
I started 1/200 model of this class destroyer (last modification) two months ago. Likely, it will be "William V. Pratt"... don't know while.
I need many detaled pics.
I had the pleasure to serve two-and-a-half months on USS FARRAGUT in the Yards at Portsmouth, VA. She was behind sked for ROH so the CO rented some baby Nucs waiting for NAVNUCPWRSCOL at NTC Orlando. I was an MM3, assigned to A-Gang. Chipping paint. Painting. Standing Sounding and Security watch. Good times.
Recently a friend asked me to help with a build in 1/96, for R/C. I have a wireframe model done in AutoCAD which was used to cut parts in plexiglass. He's on Warship Models Underway, so I'll ask him to register here and post pictures of the build.
I went on to serve on the USS CALIFORNIA (CGN-36). I just finished a mold for a fiberglass hull for her, however that's another thread. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your builds.
According to them, that deck house is the "ASROC Rammer Rail Locker" for what I can only guess is for reloading the launcher. No reloads were carried for the launcher though, save for Farragut. That's directly from DDG-44's former Weapons Officer.
