Norfolk Naval Base - sailing past
Several years ago, the container steamer Maersk Denver that I worked on made several visits to the port of Norfolk, Virginia. At first, it somehow happened that we went in and out at night, and we could not see anything interesting.
And finally I succeeded, and I took quite a lot of photos there.
Photos quietly lay in my computer until I remembered about them.
I remembered and thought - but not show this to all those who regret it?
Surely not everyone was able to see something like this.
First, as expected, we will determine on the ground:
We enter from the east side (for overland people - on the right) and follow to the place marked with a yellow paper clip.
Don't be discouraged by the fact that on the way, you had to cross two squiggles at the entrance, connecting Norfolk and Hampton. In the picture, they look like highways, even the designations are appropriate.
These are, in fact, highways, but in the right place they dive under the water and turn into a tunnel. The tunnels begin and end on the man-made islands; the length of the underwater part is a little more than 2 kilometers.
From the outside it looks like this:
The bridge and the tunnel are paired, and movement along them occurs only in one direction.
And the most interesting thing begins later - we pass by the berths of the naval base, and this base is the largest on the east coast. But now it’s evening, we’ll see tomorrow, when we leave the port, in the daylight.
I took the photo without any ulterior motive, but then I wondered what it was that was shown to us, and at my leisure I looked for possible information on the Internet.
So, the next day, after loading and unloading, we follow the exit from the port, and I, with my camera at the ready, stand openly on the deck and click everything.
Why be shy?
You can still see everything from the satellite ...
The first thing that catches the eye is something auxiliary and transport. Either a lighter carrier, or a dock ship, or a combination of them.
I'm still leaning towards the lighter carrier.
There is a space behind the stern where you can shove the lighter (lichter) - a non-self-propelled cargo seagoing vessel used for the carriage of goods by means of tugboats, and the platform is visible, moving along the guides up and down.
Most likely, this is a sea bee-type lighter carrier - a sea bee, this is his way of loading. The platform is lowered into the water, the lighter is pushed by a tug into this depression, rises to the desired level and then moves horizontally. The cargo platform is served by powerful winches, which can also be seen along the sides of the vessel.
At the same time, a vertical line is visible, dividing the stern into two suspiciously flat parts. It is quite possible that this is a gate, and then we have a dock ship in front of us. However, it is painted in naval colors.
In the lighter, by the way, you can freely load a pair tanks Abrams. In Soviet times, the Danube Shipping Company had two such lighter carriers, and so, the carrying capacity of one lighter was 1 tons.
This is how it looks from a different angle.
And there you can see two absolutely non-streamlined boxes between the pipes - so the lighters were found. And the loading platform is clearly visible.
And then we have before us the ancestor of all modern American destroyers - nothing more than Arleigh Burke in person.
A boom is visible around the ship - this, of course, is not a protective perimeter, but rather a protection of the environment from the ship itself. Others do not have such a fence, but here, apparently, repair work is underway.
Further - something incomprehensible.
A lot of different antennas, weapons not visible, but there is a helicopter hangar and a large helipad, and something like a ramp at the stern.
It must be something landing.
Let's try to search.
The Americans encrypt the landing ships with the letters LPD, and the number is visible on board, so we are looking for the USS LPD-15.
Answer: this is our transport dock ship USS Ponce - the only ship in the fleetnamed after a city in the state of Puerto Rico. Although this is not a state at all, but a free-associated state. They took this and were completely free to associate with the United States. And most likely, they themselves were associated and did not even ask ...
The ship was built in 1970, even with a boiler and turbine installation ... Wow, how much fuel oil he eats ... 900 marines are carrying, and its length is only 172 meters - where are they, poor people, huddling.
What do they write next?
... I took part in testing laser weapons ... The commander and senior assistant were dismissed due to investigations of hazing cases (wow!) ... Well, while the photos were gathering dust in my laptop, the USS Ponce was solemnly commissioned. You can probably put the photo up for auction.
And here is a more modern landing ship.
Reliable "Wikipedia" suggests that this is the LPD-17 San Antonio.
The site of the ship says that it was laid down in 2000, launched in 2003, and commissioned already in 2006 - look, not only we have a long-term construction, however. Length - 208 m, width - 32 m, power plant - 4 medium-speed diesel engines with a total capacity of 41 600 hp. sec., speed 22 knots.
I said, the diesel must be installed! The technology is "stealth", all antennas are hidden in two structures, which are called AEMS (Advanced Enclosed Mast / Sensor) - and I thought that only our military loved all sorts of tricky abbreviations, such as "device No. ...", which turns out to be an ordinary switch, even without a protective cover.
Can take away to distant lands and land 800 Marines with all their equipment and weapons. Not only helicopters, but also Osprey vertical take-off transport aircraft can take off from its deck. There are also two hovercraft landing craft hiding inside.
This toy costs (this is already from our sources) 800 million American dollars - one million for each infantryman.
Another interesting fact: in the construction of the same type of USS New York, steel obtained from the rubble of the towers of the shopping center was used. Symbol.
Here, there is not a fence around the ship, but a barrier - this is in case someone decides to ram the United States ship. Now everyone is afraid of terrorists.
And here, by the way, and the patrol.
It is strange that without a machine gun. They don't pay attention to me, but just in case I wave my hand at them and smile, as wide as possible.
But this is not a patrol.
This thing will easily jump over the fence.
And if there is a bomb?
Ah ah ah.
Then we have two ships of the same type with numbers 55 and 60.
While studying at DVVIMU (now this institution proudly bears the name of the Maritime University), we had a course of naval training. The merchant fleet would easily become the military and all that. So, as far as I remember from the course of the VMP, such a characteristic superstructure have the cruisers URO of the "Ticonderoga" type, acting under the designation CG. So, we request USS CG-55 - we get USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55) (a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser).
Named after the naval battle in Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Sea, where the Americans and Japanese kicked each other's asses great.
Incidentally, the twin battleships Musashi and Yamato took part there. Musashi was unlucky and the Yamato was damaged. For the first time, the Japanese used the kamikaze tactics en masse, but the Americans eventually won and called it “the largest battle in stories».
Its twin is called USS Normandy.
Another Ticonderoga-class cruiser, this time a view from the stern:
And here are the silent, quiet, invisible killers.
Well, here I passed, neither the number nor the name can be seen, and I cannot recognize them by the silhouette.
Based on some of the elegance of the case, it seems that this is a multipurpose, type "Los Angeles". The Ohio missile carriers should probably be fatter. The Virginias and Seawulf have a distinctive bend in the deckhouse, so it's definitely not them. Although the one that turned stern towards us is somehow different from the others - but the picture, as luck would have it, turned out to be not very clear. Something distracted me ...
And this, in my opinion, is again a destroyer.
Trying USS DDG-79, we get an answer in pure Russian USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) - the 29th destroyer from the series of 13 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers planned for September 2002, 62. The Internet is a wonderful thing!
Now again we see an auxiliary vessel, this time it is the USNS Laramie (T-AO-203, a Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler). Although the description contains the word oiler, that is, a tanker, in fact, this vessel can be called a supplier in a very broad sense of the word. Eighteen such ships were built, and they bring everything they need to warships. The transhipment takes place on the move, at a speed of up to 18 knots and when the sea is rough up to 18 points. The crew is mixed there, most of them are civilians.
This is a 127 mm gun, either of a destroyer or a cruiser. Actually, it is the same for both. The rate of fire is 20 rounds per minute (wow!), The range is 33 km, and if you shoot with active-rocket ammunition, that's as much as 115 km (once again - wow).
Another transport.
The name is not visible, but there is something indistinct on board: either the letter "I", or the number "1".
An image search, however, reveals that it is one of 14 Lewis and Clark-class transports named after famous American explorers and operated by the US Navy Sealift Command, the shipping command.
These ships (the language cannot be called ships) are built according to civilian standards, although they have some features that allow them to survive in a "hostile environment." The hull has been strengthened and the ability to control roll and trim has been increased, protection against atomic / chemical / biological weapons has been added (apparently, sealing the superstructure and pressurizing with air purified in the FVU is a familiar thing).
Full electric propulsion using high-voltage (6,6 kV) equipment. Speed - 20 knots, "run" - 20 miles. Although it is called "dry cargo", it has cargo tanks for 000 tons of fuel. Crew - 85 people, all civilians. How can you not recall the epic with the supply of the Syrian group ... And whoever was not thrown there. Eh ....
Meanwhile, we are approaching the borders of the naval base, where ever larger ships are located. Before us is the following exhibit: USS Bataan (LHD-5, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship).
However, they love this word assault, that is, attack, attack ...
LHD stands for landing helicopter dock, and we call it a universal landing craft.
When landing, the food is heated, the aft gate opens, and everything that was prepared inside for a potential enemy floats out. They also use helicopters, Osprey vertical takeoff aircraft, hovercraft, and, in addition, there are Harrier vertical takeoff attack aircraft on board.
One of them is just on the deck.
Here is another side view of the same.
And in more detail.
In vain, or what, I have an 18x zoom?
The final picture on the deckhouse says Beware of jet blast and rotors. From this alone one can judge by what means the ship has.
And finally, the highlight of our collection is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
There is nothing to comment on, just look:
That's it, the excursion is over. Hope everyone enjoyed it.
And finally I succeeded, and I took quite a lot of photos there.
Photos quietly lay in my computer until I remembered about them.
I remembered and thought - but not show this to all those who regret it?
Surely not everyone was able to see something like this.
First, as expected, we will determine on the ground:
We enter from the east side (for overland people - on the right) and follow to the place marked with a yellow paper clip.
Don't be discouraged by the fact that on the way, you had to cross two squiggles at the entrance, connecting Norfolk and Hampton. In the picture, they look like highways, even the designations are appropriate.
These are, in fact, highways, but in the right place they dive under the water and turn into a tunnel. The tunnels begin and end on the man-made islands; the length of the underwater part is a little more than 2 kilometers.
From the outside it looks like this:
The bridge and the tunnel are paired, and movement along them occurs only in one direction.
And the most interesting thing begins later - we pass by the berths of the naval base, and this base is the largest on the east coast. But now it’s evening, we’ll see tomorrow, when we leave the port, in the daylight.
I took the photo without any ulterior motive, but then I wondered what it was that was shown to us, and at my leisure I looked for possible information on the Internet.
So, the next day, after loading and unloading, we follow the exit from the port, and I, with my camera at the ready, stand openly on the deck and click everything.
Why be shy?
You can still see everything from the satellite ...
The first thing that catches the eye is something auxiliary and transport. Either a lighter carrier, or a dock ship, or a combination of them.
I'm still leaning towards the lighter carrier.
There is a space behind the stern where you can shove the lighter (lichter) - a non-self-propelled cargo seagoing vessel used for the carriage of goods by means of tugboats, and the platform is visible, moving along the guides up and down.
Most likely, this is a sea bee-type lighter carrier - a sea bee, this is his way of loading. The platform is lowered into the water, the lighter is pushed by a tug into this depression, rises to the desired level and then moves horizontally. The cargo platform is served by powerful winches, which can also be seen along the sides of the vessel.
At the same time, a vertical line is visible, dividing the stern into two suspiciously flat parts. It is quite possible that this is a gate, and then we have a dock ship in front of us. However, it is painted in naval colors.
In the lighter, by the way, you can freely load a pair tanks Abrams. In Soviet times, the Danube Shipping Company had two such lighter carriers, and so, the carrying capacity of one lighter was 1 tons.
This is how it looks from a different angle.
And there you can see two absolutely non-streamlined boxes between the pipes - so the lighters were found. And the loading platform is clearly visible.
And then we have before us the ancestor of all modern American destroyers - nothing more than Arleigh Burke in person.
A boom is visible around the ship - this, of course, is not a protective perimeter, but rather a protection of the environment from the ship itself. Others do not have such a fence, but here, apparently, repair work is underway.
Further - something incomprehensible.
A lot of different antennas, weapons not visible, but there is a helicopter hangar and a large helipad, and something like a ramp at the stern.
It must be something landing.
Let's try to search.
The Americans encrypt the landing ships with the letters LPD, and the number is visible on board, so we are looking for the USS LPD-15.
Answer: this is our transport dock ship USS Ponce - the only ship in the fleetnamed after a city in the state of Puerto Rico. Although this is not a state at all, but a free-associated state. They took this and were completely free to associate with the United States. And most likely, they themselves were associated and did not even ask ...
The ship was built in 1970, even with a boiler and turbine installation ... Wow, how much fuel oil he eats ... 900 marines are carrying, and its length is only 172 meters - where are they, poor people, huddling.
What do they write next?
... I took part in testing laser weapons ... The commander and senior assistant were dismissed due to investigations of hazing cases (wow!) ... Well, while the photos were gathering dust in my laptop, the USS Ponce was solemnly commissioned. You can probably put the photo up for auction.
And here is a more modern landing ship.
Reliable "Wikipedia" suggests that this is the LPD-17 San Antonio.
The site of the ship says that it was laid down in 2000, launched in 2003, and commissioned already in 2006 - look, not only we have a long-term construction, however. Length - 208 m, width - 32 m, power plant - 4 medium-speed diesel engines with a total capacity of 41 600 hp. sec., speed 22 knots.
I said, the diesel must be installed! The technology is "stealth", all antennas are hidden in two structures, which are called AEMS (Advanced Enclosed Mast / Sensor) - and I thought that only our military loved all sorts of tricky abbreviations, such as "device No. ...", which turns out to be an ordinary switch, even without a protective cover.
Can take away to distant lands and land 800 Marines with all their equipment and weapons. Not only helicopters, but also Osprey vertical take-off transport aircraft can take off from its deck. There are also two hovercraft landing craft hiding inside.
This toy costs (this is already from our sources) 800 million American dollars - one million for each infantryman.
Another interesting fact: in the construction of the same type of USS New York, steel obtained from the rubble of the towers of the shopping center was used. Symbol.
Here, there is not a fence around the ship, but a barrier - this is in case someone decides to ram the United States ship. Now everyone is afraid of terrorists.
And here, by the way, and the patrol.
It is strange that without a machine gun. They don't pay attention to me, but just in case I wave my hand at them and smile, as wide as possible.
But this is not a patrol.
This thing will easily jump over the fence.
And if there is a bomb?
Ah ah ah.
Then we have two ships of the same type with numbers 55 and 60.
While studying at DVVIMU (now this institution proudly bears the name of the Maritime University), we had a course of naval training. The merchant fleet would easily become the military and all that. So, as far as I remember from the course of the VMP, such a characteristic superstructure have the cruisers URO of the "Ticonderoga" type, acting under the designation CG. So, we request USS CG-55 - we get USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55) (a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser).
Named after the naval battle in Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Sea, where the Americans and Japanese kicked each other's asses great.
Incidentally, the twin battleships Musashi and Yamato took part there. Musashi was unlucky and the Yamato was damaged. For the first time, the Japanese used the kamikaze tactics en masse, but the Americans eventually won and called it “the largest battle in stories».
Its twin is called USS Normandy.
Another Ticonderoga-class cruiser, this time a view from the stern:
And here are the silent, quiet, invisible killers.
Well, here I passed, neither the number nor the name can be seen, and I cannot recognize them by the silhouette.
Based on some of the elegance of the case, it seems that this is a multipurpose, type "Los Angeles". The Ohio missile carriers should probably be fatter. The Virginias and Seawulf have a distinctive bend in the deckhouse, so it's definitely not them. Although the one that turned stern towards us is somehow different from the others - but the picture, as luck would have it, turned out to be not very clear. Something distracted me ...
And this, in my opinion, is again a destroyer.
Trying USS DDG-79, we get an answer in pure Russian USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) - the 29th destroyer from the series of 13 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers planned for September 2002, 62. The Internet is a wonderful thing!
Now again we see an auxiliary vessel, this time it is the USNS Laramie (T-AO-203, a Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler). Although the description contains the word oiler, that is, a tanker, in fact, this vessel can be called a supplier in a very broad sense of the word. Eighteen such ships were built, and they bring everything they need to warships. The transhipment takes place on the move, at a speed of up to 18 knots and when the sea is rough up to 18 points. The crew is mixed there, most of them are civilians.
This is a 127 mm gun, either of a destroyer or a cruiser. Actually, it is the same for both. The rate of fire is 20 rounds per minute (wow!), The range is 33 km, and if you shoot with active-rocket ammunition, that's as much as 115 km (once again - wow).
Another transport.
The name is not visible, but there is something indistinct on board: either the letter "I", or the number "1".
An image search, however, reveals that it is one of 14 Lewis and Clark-class transports named after famous American explorers and operated by the US Navy Sealift Command, the shipping command.
These ships (the language cannot be called ships) are built according to civilian standards, although they have some features that allow them to survive in a "hostile environment." The hull has been strengthened and the ability to control roll and trim has been increased, protection against atomic / chemical / biological weapons has been added (apparently, sealing the superstructure and pressurizing with air purified in the FVU is a familiar thing).
Full electric propulsion using high-voltage (6,6 kV) equipment. Speed - 20 knots, "run" - 20 miles. Although it is called "dry cargo", it has cargo tanks for 000 tons of fuel. Crew - 85 people, all civilians. How can you not recall the epic with the supply of the Syrian group ... And whoever was not thrown there. Eh ....
Meanwhile, we are approaching the borders of the naval base, where ever larger ships are located. Before us is the following exhibit: USS Bataan (LHD-5, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship).
However, they love this word assault, that is, attack, attack ...
LHD stands for landing helicopter dock, and we call it a universal landing craft.
When landing, the food is heated, the aft gate opens, and everything that was prepared inside for a potential enemy floats out. They also use helicopters, Osprey vertical takeoff aircraft, hovercraft, and, in addition, there are Harrier vertical takeoff attack aircraft on board.
One of them is just on the deck.
Here is another side view of the same.
And in more detail.
In vain, or what, I have an 18x zoom?
The final picture on the deckhouse says Beware of jet blast and rotors. From this alone one can judge by what means the ship has.
And finally, the highlight of our collection is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
There is nothing to comment on, just look:
That's it, the excursion is over. Hope everyone enjoyed it.
Information