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End of the road, Trip 1, Bringing the Rodgers Home

By The Armorer on July 31, 2006 | | Comments (22) | TrackBacks (2)

We're packing now to head to the airport and home. It will be a long day, as I'm routed via Charlotte...

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I've shown you the condition of the Cuitlahuac/Rodgers, which was really pretty good. Just to make that point clear... here are some shots, without the flash, that give you a better sense of what we were working through in the bowels of the other destroyer - the ex-USS Voegelgesang - when we were taking usable parts for the Rodgers or trading purposes.

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The heartbreaker, for me, is that this beautiful instrument is going to go to the bottom of the ocean. Sigh. I wish we'd had the tools to at least get one section of her for display.

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But it's not all bad - I got to get my twin 40's working... mechanically - no firing locks, no ammo. The Mexicans knew better. Who talked?

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I scrounged the missing seats, found most of the missing cranks, replaced all but two of the missing spiders - and made sure they could all train and elevate, breeches worked, etc. They are, of course, not shootable, but other than that... I'm happy.

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Ultimate Gun Blogger from Confederate Yankee on July 31, 2006 1:47 PM

If it ever makes it as a Weblog Awards category, John Donovan of Argghhh! wins, without a doubt.... Read More

Post-retirement interservice transfer from CDR Salamander on August 3, 2006 5:42 AM

If you have not been following the return of the Fletcher Class DD the USS John Rogers over at Argghhh!!!, you are missing out on a great story, one that covers drink'n, history, ships, sweating, and trying to engage an Mi-8 Hip with a 40mm Bofors. Y... Read More

22 Comments

By AFSister on July 31, 2006 8:56 AM
DAMN! They're gonna scuttle that huge instrument? What a shame. It does look rather large and difficult to remove though. DARN! Safe travels, John!
 
By Neffi on July 31, 2006 9:05 AM
Too bad you didn't bring a b-i-i-i-ig suitcase; a twin 40 would look mighty nice on the donjon...
 
By Boquisucio on July 31, 2006 9:24 AM
Just gimme a crowbar, and this little Rican will pry it out like a set of hubcaps on a Lincoln.
 
By JimC on July 31, 2006 9:31 AM
John, you look very at home between those twin 40's. Great reporting. I am sorry you are returning today and the stories stop. Get some linament.
 
By John Shaffer on July 31, 2006 11:31 AM
What you are looking in the 3rd and 4th pictures is a MK 1A fire control computer. My first job in the Fire Control gang on USS Henry W. Tucker DDR875 in 1955 was to run the daily tests on the this mechanical work of engineering art. John Shaffer CWO3 USN Ret Fire Control Gunner
 
By John Shaffer on July 31, 2006 11:31 AM
What you are looking in the 3rd and 4th pictures is a MK 1A fire control computer. My first job in the Fire Control gang on USS Henry W. Tucker DDR875 in 1955 was to run the daily tests on the this mechanical work of engineering art. John Shaffer CWO3 USN Ret Fire Control Gunner
 
By John Shaffer on July 31, 2006 11:31 AM
What you are looking in the 3rd and 4th pictures is a MK 1A fire control computer. My first job in the Fire Control gang on USS Henry W. Tucker DDR875 in 1955 was to run the daily tests on the this mechanical work of engineering art. John Shaffer CWO3 USN Ret Fire Control Gunner
 
By AFSister on July 31, 2006 12:25 PM
Can anyone tell me what's in the 3rd and 4th picture? just kidding, John- the Castle Echo catches ALL of us. Thanks for the info!
 
By 74 on July 31, 2006 6:38 PM
That last picture brings new meaining to the phrase "gun tub." ;-)
 
By Justthisguy on July 31, 2006 8:31 PM
74: Shame on you! JoA: Do you need a second? (You'll have to find yer own surgeon.) Just kiddin', but I hear you can still get away with it in Paraguay. Sorry, sometimes I think about the ex-brother in ways of which my lawyer would not approve. There seems to be some crosstalk into my other thoughts. To delope, or not to delope; that is the question.
 
By Neffi on July 31, 2006 9:08 PM
Bugger deloping, JTG- put it through the heart! You might not get another chance... ;)
 
By 1sg keith on July 31, 2006 10:15 PM
Very cool 40's, John. That's the same as we had on the M42 Dusters. Looks likes they did a little modification to the loader. Would make it very difficult for a cannoneer to load while firing, which kinda defeats the purpose. Nice setup anyway. Wouldn't mind playing with THAT pair......
 
By Justthisguy on July 31, 2006 10:30 PM
Oh, Neffi, I've written at other places (maybe TheHighRoad.org was one of them) that I'm *theoretically* in favor of bringing back duelling, but then I remember the many times I've been horribly rude to people who nonetheless let me live. I do admit to having some 18th-century feelings about that, uh, genetically similar person I have referred to. I will and shall, of course, observe and obey all of the laws of the State of Florida and the United States of America in my dealings with that, uh, "person." However, "Die Gedanken sind frei!" and I'll continue to think whatever evil nasty thoughts I like, about anybody.
 
By Trias on July 31, 2006 10:33 PM
You look very much at home by those guns.
 
By John S. on July 31, 2006 11:11 PM
1sgt Keith- Thanks for your service. The large chutes folded up above the gun are (I believe) chutes that are folded down prior to firing. They guide the fired cases out away from under the mount where they may pile up and jam something. Facilitates housekeeping to be able to throw the fired brass overboard. Navy guys like to keep things "ship shape", you know...
 
By Justthisguy on July 31, 2006 11:15 PM
Amen, Trias, and let's not ask him what he was thinking. Unless he chooses to share, and then of course we'll be all over him. In a polite, sensitive, understanding way. Snork. Nah. That ain't right, either. JoA is playing Mr. Fellers, Major League baseball player and 40mm gunner, gittin' them Kates and Judys before they can git him. Or something. I dunno.
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 31, 2006 11:16 PM
If we're talking the large chutes sticking up top - those are indeed the feed chutes. The ejected empties come out of tubes at the base of the mount and pile up around the base of the mount (which is geared inside, I assume to minimize jamming issues but I'll leave that to Sailors who manned these guns). They are indeed larger than the chutes on the Duster. They're meant to hold more in readiness for firing. Unless I missed something (and it's late, I might have).
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 31, 2006 11:47 PM
JTG, mostly, I was reveling in how smooth she worked in train and elevation - especially once I freed up the bearings in the hand grips, and was just enjoying the side to side motion while someone saw me and took a picture. It had nothing at *all* to do with the fact there was a HIP flying by, and all my career those were... targets.
 
By ry on August 1, 2006 1:09 AM
"a HIP flying by, and all my career those were... targets." Bwahahahaha. I can see the film version now. "Feed me! And for Gawd's sake bring me a cold 'ritta!"(cue heroic music and wind machine)
 
By AFSister on August 1, 2006 8:29 AM
HAHAHHAHAHA!!! Ry nailed it. Oh man... can't you just see our Drunken Sailor/Armorer, taking a swig o' 'rita and then taking a swipe at the HIP? LMAO.... now *that's* good television!
 
By Casey Tompkins on August 1, 2006 9:55 PM
Not to throw a wet towel on things, but didn't twin 40s turn out not to be so effective against kamikazee attacks during the Okinawa campaign? On the other hand, there's the the story of the destroyer crew -exasperated by Flying Crysanthemum pilots who dived on the first ship they saw, usually a destroyer or destroyer escort on radar picket patrol- who put up a giant sign on the side of their ship saying JAP PILOTS: TASK FORCE 52 THIS WAY!, with a huge arrow under it.
 
By John of Argghhh! on August 2, 2006 7:49 AM
I don't know about any of those stories, nor do I care. Those guns were put under my charge. There was a MI-8 flying by. I had fun. 'Nuff said.