USS Independence departs for Brownsville scrapyard

a reply to: Arnie123

Esco Marine, and International Shipbreaking are the two big breaker yards in the US. Both are in Brownsville. Quite a few never make it there and are sunk in a SinkEx.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks okay so the LHD's are 90's production? What about the LHA's? Also how many have we got? 8 LHD's right? What about LHA's? Are they gonna make more of these, or are they already on to a new design?

a reply to: TheBadCabbie

They're basically the same hull, but one is considered a helicopter assault ship, the other a landing craft dock. The Tarawa class LHAs have been decommissioned, and the America has been commissioned as the first of a new class. The Tripoli is almost complete. Those two won't have a well deck, and only aircraft to move Marines around. Starting with the Bougainville, they'll have a well deck again.

The Wasp class LHD started out as Tarawa LHAs, but were modified to allow for the AV-8B and LCAC to operate from them. The LHD has a wider flight deck, and displaces less than the Tarawa.

originally posted by: ANNED
Wait a couple more years and they could take it through Panama Canal expansion project..

This is just government wasting taxpayers money.

That expansion project is costing many people their lives and is a grievous evil.

Indy is scheduled to arrive in Texas on the 30th.

m.brownsvilleherald.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

I'm heading down there on Sunday to meet her.

Funny, I've been on several CVNs and the JFK. The Indy looks small compared to the Nimitz classes. I cruised on the Stennis and the Ike, and in general, they're not big enough. I CQ'd on the Enterprise and the JFK. It's weird how each one has it's own nuances to land on them.

Although the working spaces look so similar, it's hard to know which is which. The GW versus the Roosevelt versus the Lincoln, on the inside was really not discernable.

Weird that they're towing the Indy with those anchor chains hanging down, and with an anchor on the roof. Thought they recycled those anchors. Too bad she's gotta go.

originally posted by: cosmania

Weird that they're towing the Indy with those anchor chains hanging down, and with an anchor on the roof. Thought they recycled those anchors. Too bad she's gotta go.

Having served on a navy minesweep towing a ship takes less fuel if the tug ship connects the tow wire to the towed ships anchor chain and runs out 1/4 to 1/2 the tow line as the anchor chain.

As the tug takes the tow under away its not pulling the weight of the tow but lifting the anchor chain.
The weight of the anchor chain trying to fall down pulls the tow.
This takes the shock out of the tow cable and make for a very smooth tow

Indy was the first boat that I deployed on in the 80,s. I did a det on the Enterprise in 1983. The Forrestal is gone as well. The only boat that is left that I was on is the Carl Vinson.

a reply to: JIMC5499

They kept varying the arrival time because the tug lost an engine, so I said the heck with it. I have friends who will be there and will send pictures. I'll post some of them when I get them.