USS Des Moines to be scrapped in Brownsville

[Avery Boyer]

Somebody do something!!! The US Navy has announced that the Daisy Mae will be scrapped in Brownsville Texas beginning in August. If the Navy is bent on scrapping her, then they'll do everything they can to see this scheme through. Remember, this ship was built in 1946, and has tremendous historical value. I believe I speak for most of the ship modeling community ( and all ship enthusiasts) when I say that this cannot happen. if anybody has any good ideas, then I'll willingly help them carry it off (dark humour). The other orginisation has given up, switching to USS Edison, which doesn't need saving in the first place. The Des Moines is worth much more than the USS Oriskany and is in much better condition. If there no ging to give her up as a memorial, then at least they could make her useful and reef her or send her to sinkex...

The USN has already scrapped several historical vessels, but this should never have even been considered. I don't see why they want to scrap her, it's cheaper to preserve them as museums. Who knows how long she'll sit in thre harbor waiting for her turn at the breakers. If we're lucky her 60 year old hull will rust through and she'll sink.



Sorry for getting so agitated about this

Avery

http://www.ussdesmoines.com/movement.html

http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/CA134.htm

[Werner]

Very sad. I'm sure everybody knows my affection for this ship.

The problem is the current political environment makes any effort to save a military artifact equal to support for the current administration.

[Avery Boyer]

Smebody (I'm not sure whom) in pursuing an investigation into the navy's handling of their attempts to save the ship. They're also attempting to halt the scrapping until the investigation is complete, at which point they will presumably get her back on donation hold. Found this out in the guestbook on a des moines site.
Here's the link to the site:http://ussdesmoines.com/ just go to the guest book. I'm thinking of sending the guy an e-mail thanking him for not giving up on the Daisy Mae.

[Werner]

If this ship is scrapped, her sister Salem is the only gun cruiser to be preserved except Olympia from the previous century. There is also Little Rock, a missile cruiser modification formerly of the Cleveland class, but she was modified beyond recognition.

It's sad that only these two or three ships could be saved out of over a hundred of the type.

I would preserve all the ships, but it seems the SCB 125 Essex ships and nearly useless battleships have been preserved out of all proportions. A Brooklyn or a Cleveland would have made an excellent alternative.

[Rob]

If this ship is scrapped, her sister Salem is the only gun cruiser to be preserved except Olympia from the previous century. There is also Little Rock, a missile cruiser modification formerly of the Cleveland class, but she was modified beyond recognition.

It's sad that only these two or three ships could be saved out of over a hundred of the type.

I would preserve all the ships, but it seems the SCB 125 Essex ships and nearly useless battleships have been preserved out of all proportions. A Brooklyn or a Cleveland would have made an excellent alternative.

A sad state of affairs, but I will commend the US for making more of an effort for preserving its maritime history than anyone else. In Europe, where do you find a preseved dreadnought or aircraft carrier? Very few cruisers have survived, very few destroyers or smaller craft.

Look at what happened in Birkenhead recently.

Cheers,

Rob

[Vlad]

I would like to see Des Moines kept as a museum. Werner is right in saying we need more gun-cruisers around in a good state. The only other I can think of is HMS Belfast.

[Neptune]

Crap I'm the only guy voting for scrap!!! Doesn't mean I'm not serious about it! You can't keep everything you know, and polluting the sea with your old crap is not really an option either... So scrap is the most useful thing to do with old ships. They make shaving knives from it! (and others).

If you really want to restore or keep EVERY ship in your inventory that did something famous then I guess you'll soon be spending more money on retaining that museum fleet than the actual fleet!

And as mentioned, there is already enough dirt in the ocean that we don't need anything extra if we can avoid it.

Des Moines or no Des Moines, the world will keep turning really. Just ask Bill Waldorf to make a model of it, real enough and less costly (also saving space).

[Werner]

I would like to see Des Moines kept as a museum. Werner is right in saying we need more gun-cruisers around in a good state. The only other I can think of is HMS Belfast.

Milwaukee almost took her. The plan died when the lefties thought it not only was an offensive symbol of military aggression, but it would spoil the view from their downtown condominiums.

Iowa got the same treatment in that sterile model of socialism, San Francisco. Look for her to be scrapped soon.

[Vlad]

yes, you are right we can't keep polluting the oceans, but read two posts above and see there are less than half a dozen gun-cruisers left around. I never suggested you keep every single Baltimore for example, thats just silly, but u need a couple. Des Moines in the US, Belfast over here, Avrora in Russia...thats should probably do it.

[Rob]

I would like to see Des Moines kept as a museum. Werner is right in saying we need more gun-cruisers around in a good state. The only other I can think of is HMS Belfast.

Also, there is Averoff

Rob

[Seasick]

The Des Moines has a problem: ishe was sitting around in Catagory X reserve since the 1980s. Since no maintainance is done in catagory x, the Des Moines is in very sad shape. IIRC she was found to be very rusty and in bad repair. Any plan to make her a museum ship would require extensive repairs. There is also no foundation set up for this task.

[Werner]

I will give up Des Moines if someone promises to preserve Enterprise when her day is done.

[Vlad]

I think preserving a Nuke is a bit OTT, youd have to take the reactors out or nobody will visit her, and that will cost a hell of a lot not to mention the fact you then need to use tugs to move 100,000 tons of dead weight to wherever youre gonna put her.

And you dont need to keep a whole Navy going. preserving one, maybe two of the Iowas is suficcient. Also, you only need one CA, not all the class. They can scrap the Des Moines sisters if they wish, but she represents the final phase of the evolution of the big gun cruiser and needs to be kept. Besides, correct me if im wrong, but I dont think theres anything else still around with 8" guns. All the other cruisers listed so far are either 6" "lights" or WWI (or older).

[Jack Ray]

Rob said:

Also, there is Averoff

Hi Rob,

Is that true? What is her state?

Regards,

Jack Ray

[Rob]

Jack,

Your best bet is:


http://www.bsaverof.com/uk/history.htm

Cheers,

Rob

[MartinJQuinn]

I would like to see Des Moines kept as a museum. Werner is right in saying we need more gun-cruisers around in a good state. The only other I can think of is HMS Belfast.

Milwaukee almost took her. The plan died when the lefties thought it not only was an offensive symbol of military aggression, but it would spoil the view from their downtown condominiums.

Our local IPMS chapter in NJ raised some money and donated to the foundation that was trying to bring her to Milwaukee. Heard from a buddy that in July they are going to start stripping her of fittings. He also said he heard she was going to sunk, not scrapped.

Iowa got the same treatment in that sterile model of socialism, San Francisco. Look for her to be scrapped soon.

Doesn't Stockton want her? One of the problems with SF as a location is the saturation of old ships there - the O'Brien, the Pampanito, the sailing ships and then the Hornet across the bay. There is only so many historic ships you can put in one place, before they start to drain vistors from each other.

Anyway, I voted for her to be sunk as a target. Better that than scrap iron, IMO.

[Neptune]

Vlad, maybe there aren't that many cruisers, but if they start doing this with any type of ship you'll have way too many after all! Like this is a guncruiser, but we don't have many battleships, submarines, battlecruisers, destroyers, frigates, gun armed frigates, missile armed frigates and so on. So all in all you'll still get stuck with a whole bunch of ships that will only grow.

As Martin just mentions, there are already places with saturation of old ships, one laying next to the other...

You have to be able to say goodbye to some things sometimes!

[TTTTTTTTTT]

The plan died when the lefties thought it not only was an offensive symbol of military aggression, but it would spoil the view from their downtown condominiums.

Iowa got the same treatment in that sterile model of socialism, San Francisco.

Why do some people continue to interject political insults into otherwise useful discussions? Cheap shots at "downtown condo dwellers" and supposed socialist enclaves are supposed to be restricted to the Rant & Rave section.

Thanks,
Ted

[scottrc]

Crap I'm the only guy voting for scrap!!! Doesn't mean I'm not serious about it! You can't keep everything you know, and polluting the sea with your old crap is not really an option either... So scrap is the most useful thing to do with old ships. They make shaving knives from it! (and others).

If you really want to restore or keep EVERY ship in your inventory that did something famous then I guess you'll soon be spending more money on retaining that museum fleet than the actual fleet!

And as mentioned, there is already enough dirt in the ocean that we don't need anything extra if we can avoid it.

Des Moines or no Des Moines, the world will keep turning really. Just ask Bill Waldorf to make a model of it, real enough and less costly (also saving space).

Nope, I voted to scrap her. I work in the steel industry, and feel that we should be recycling our resources, not sending them to the bottom of the ocean or giving the scrap to third world countries so they can sell it back to us.

Anybody see the price of brass and copper lately????????? With scrap prices going through the roof, expect to see a lot of ships heading to Brownsville or Alang unless the Greenies keep blocking the sales with legislation. That is not working though becasue demand is getting so high, that the politicians are caving in to the markets.

Ships are like family, they must die, and be laid to rest by sinking (like burying) or scrapping (like cremation) and be put into our minds in the forms of memories, pictures, and models. It is just not economically feasable to save them all.

Scott

[Werner]

The plan died when the lefties thought it not only was an offensive symbol of military aggression, but it would spoil the view from their downtown condominiums.

Iowa got the same treatment in that sterile model of socialism, San Francisco.

Why do some people continue to interject political insults into otherwise useful discussions? Cheap shots at "downtown condo dwellers" and supposed socialist enclaves are supposed to be restricted to the Rant & Rave section.

Thanks,
Ted

In this case the shoe fits. My comments are accurate and pertinent to the discussion. If you don't believe me, go and look at the news reports surrounding the votes against Iowa & Des Moines in the San Francisco and Milwaukee city councils. The comments and votes are in the public record. I believe I have reflected the situation accurately.

As for preserving historical (and not so historical) ships, one need only visit a few of the "steam towns" which preserve old railroad locomotives and rolling stock to see there is a public interest in these large artifacts. There is at least one in every state, and several in the Midwest boast hundreds of locomotives (Illinois Railway Museum, The Henry Ford Museum at Greenfield VIllage and the transportation museum in St. Louis), with several steam engines actually operating throughout the summer.