USS Mississippi (BB-41) in World War II

Entering service in 1917, USS Mississippi (BB-41) was the second ship of the New Mexico-class. After seeing brief service in World War I, the battleship later spent the majority of its career in the Pacific. During World War II, Mississippi took part in the US Navys island-hopping campaign across the Pacific and repeatedly clashed with Japanese forces.  Retained for several years after the war, the battleship found a second life as a test platform for the US Navys early missile systems. A New Approach After designing and building  five classes of dreadnought battleships (South Carolina-, Delaware-, Florida-, Wyoming-, and New York- classes), the US Navy decided that future designs should make use of a set of standardized tactical and operational characteristics. This would permit these ships to operate together in combat and would simplify logistics. Dubbed the Standard-type, the next five classes were powered by  oil-fired boilers instead of coal, eliminated amidships turrets, and possessed an â€Å"all or nothing† armor scheme. Among these changes, the shift to oil was made with the goal of increasing the vessel’s range as the US Navy felt that this would be critical in any future naval conflict with Japan. As a result, Standard-type ships were capable of cruising 8,000 nautical miles at an economical speed. The new all or nothing armor scheme called for key  areas of the vessel, such as magazines and engineering, to be heavily armored while less important spaces were left unprotected. Also, Standard-type battleships were to be capable of a  minimum top speed of 21 knots and have a tactical turn radius of 700 yards. Design The characteristics of the Standard-type were first used in the  Nevada-  and  Pennsylvania-classes. As a follow-on to the latter, the  New Mexico-class at first was envisioned as the US Navys first class to mount 16 guns. A new weapon, the 16/45 caliber gun had been successfully tested in 1914. Heavier than the 14 guns used on previous classes, employment of the 16 gun would require a vessel with a larger displacement. This would significantly increase construction costs. Due to extended debates  over designs and anticipated rising costs, Secretary of the Navy  Josephus Daniels decided to forgo using the new guns and instructed that the new type replicate the  Pennsylvania-class with only minor changes. As a result, the three vessels  of the  New Mexico-class, USS  New Mexico  (BB-40), USS  Mississippi  (BB-41), and USS  Idaho  (BB-42), each carried a main armament of twelve 14 guns placed in four triple turrets. These were supported by a secondary battery of fourteen 5 guns which were mounted in enclosed casemates in the vessels superstructure. Additional armament came in the form of four 3 guns and two Mark 8 21 torpedo tubes. While  New Mexico  received an experimental turbo-electric transmission as part of its power plant,  the other two vessels used more traditional geared turbines. Construction  Ã‚   Assigned to Newport News Shipbuilding, the construction of Mississippi commenced  on April 5,  1915. Work moved forward over the next twenty-one months  and on January 25, 1917, the new battleship entered  the water with Camelle McBeath, daughter of the Chairman of the Mississippi State Highway Commission, serving as sponsor.  As work continued, the United States became embroiled in World War I. Finished late that year, Mississippi  entered commission on December 18, 1917, with Captain Joseph L. Jayne  in command. USS Mississippi  (BB-41) Overview Basic Facts Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  Newport News ShipbuildingLaid Down:  April 5, 1915Launched:  January 25, 1917Commissioned:  December 18, 1917Fate:  Sold for scrap Specifications (as built) Displacement:  32,000 tonsLength:  624  ft.Beam:  97.4 ft.Draft:  30 ft.Propulsion:  Geared  turbines turning 4 propellersSpeed:  21  knotsComplement:  1,081  men Armament 12  Ãƒâ€" 14 in. gun (4  Ãƒâ€" 3)14 Ãâ€" 5 in. guns2 Ãâ€" 21 in. torpedo tubes World War I Early Service Finishing its shakedown cruise,  Mississippi  conducted exercises along the Virginia coast in early 1918. It then shifted south to Cuban waters for further training. Steaming back to Hampton Roads in April, the battleship was retained on the East Coast during the final months of World War I. With the end of the conflict, it moved through winter exercises in the Caribbean before receiving orders to join the Pacific Fleet at San Pedro, CA. Departing in July 1919,  Mississippi  spent the next four years operating along the West Coast.  In 1923, it took part in a demonstration during which it sank USS Iowa  (BB-4).  The following year, tragedy struck  Mississippi  when on June 12 an explosion occurred in Turret Number 2 which killed 48 of the battleships crew. Interwar Years Repaired,  Mississippi  sailed with several American battleships in April for war games off Hawaii followed by a goodwill cruise to New Zealand and Australia. Ordered east in 1931, the battleship entered the Norfolk Navy Yard on March 30 for an extensive modernization. This saw alterations to the battleships superstructure and  changes to the secondary armament. Completed in mid-1933,  Mississippi resumed active duty and began training exercises. In October 1934, it returned to San Pedro and rejoined the Pacific Fleet. Mississippi  continued to serve in the Pacific until mid-1941. Directed to sail for Norfolk,  Mississippi  arrived there on June 16 and prepared for service with the Neutrality Patrol. Operating in the North Atlantic, the battleship also escorted American convoys to Iceland.  Safely reaching Iceland in late September,  Mississippi  stayed in the vicinity for most of the fall. There when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7 and the United States entered World War II, it promptly departed for the West Coast and reached San Francisco on January 22, 1942. Tasked with training and protecting convoys, the battleship also had its anti-aircraft defenses enhanced. To the Pacific Employed in this duty for the early part of 1942,  Mississippi  then escorted convoys to Fiji in December and operated in the southwest Pacific.  Returning to  Pearl Harbor  in March 1943, the battleship commenced training for operations in the Aleutian Islands. Steaming north in May,  Mississippi  participated in the bombardment of Kiska on July 22 and aided in compelling the Japanese to evacuate. With the successful conclusion of the campaign, it underwent a brief overhaul at San Francisco before joining forces bound for the Gilbert Islands. Supporting American troops during the Battle of Makin on November 20, Mississippi  sustained a turret explosion that killed 43 people. Island Hopping Undergoing repairs,  Mississippi  returned to action in January 1944 when it provided fire support for the invasion of Kwajalein. A month later, it bombarded Taroa and Wotje before striking Kavieng, New Ireland on March 15. Ordered to Puget Sound that summer,  Mississippi  had its 5 battery expanded. Sailing for the Palaus, it aided in the Battle of Peleliu  in September. After replenishing at Manus, Mississippi  moved to the Philippines where it bombarded Leyte on October 19. Five nights later, it took part in the victory over the Japanese at the Battle of Surigao Strait. In the fighting, it joined five Pearl Harbor veterans in sinking two enemy battleships as well as a heavy cruiser. During the action,  Mississippi  fired the final salvos by a battleship against other heavy warships. Philippines Okinawa Continuing to support operations in the Philippines through late fall,  Mississippi  then moved to take part in the landings at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. Steaming into the gulf on January 6, 1945, it pounded Japanese shore positions prior to the Allied landings. Remaining offshore, it sustained a kamikaze hit near the waterline but continued to strike targets until February 10. Ordered back to Pearl Harbor for repairs, Mississippi remained out of action until May. Arriving off Okinawa on May 6, it commenced firing on Japanese positions including Shuri Castle. Continuing to support Allied forces ashore, Mississippi took another kamikaze hit on June 5. This struck the ships starboard side, but did not force it to retire. The battleship stayed off Okinawa bombarding targets until June 16. With the end of the war in August, Mississippi steamed north to Japan and was present in Tokyo Bay on September 2 when the Japanese surrendered aboard USS Missouri (BB-63). Later Career  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Departing for the United States on September 6, Mississippi ultimately arrived at Norfolk on November 27. Once there, it underwent conversion into an auxiliary ship with the designation AG-128.  Operating from Norfolk, the old battleship conducted gunnery tests and served as a test platform for new missile systems. It remained active in this role until 1956. On September 17, Mississippi was decommissioned at Norfolk. When plans to convert the battleship into a museum fell through, the US Navy elected to sell it for scrap to Bethlehem Steel on November 28.

The Correspondent as Spokesperson and Mediator in Stephen...

The Correspondent: the Spokesperson and the Mediator in Stephen Crane#146;s #147;The Open Boat#148; Stephen Crane#146;s #147;The Open Boat#148; has long been acclaimed as a fascinating exemplar of Naturalism, generating many studies that range from the indifference of Nature to the #147;psychological growth of the men through the experience#148; (466). The psychological growth happens to every man on the boat, yet is mostly depicted through the voice of the Correspondent and in the form of his questioning and contemplating their desperate situation. Being a correspondent, who is innately able as well as inclined to interpret and communicate ideas, the Correspondent is singled out to articulate the mind of his three†¦show more content†¦So while the Correspondent, after the hope of the life- saving station crashes, realizes the indifference and unconcern of the universe, the captain likewise makes the command to jump clear of the boat and #147;the other silently acquiesced#148;(483). Even the Oiler, portrayed so far as the most skilled rower and the one most assured of him self, discards the false expectations and meaningless guesses, for he has also gone through the journey and come to the place where he, like the others, understands that no power but himself and his fellowmen can save themselves. The four boatmen, vocal or not, dead or alive, #147;could then be the interpreters#148; (487) of the sea- the Nature- in the end. As the mediator of the inside and outside worlds, the Correspondent also assumes an interlocutor by taking on a dialogue with something invisible and perhaps beyond, be it Nature or Fate. The dialogue is one- sided, for the #147;invisible#148; never responds: #147;If I am going to be drowned- if I am going to be drowned- if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees?#148;(477) In this half- question and half- assertion, all #147;I#148; can be replaced by #147;we#148;, referring to the four men, because the danger and

Wilderness versus Civilization Free Essays

Since the time of the first colonizers that set foot in America, there have been great debates regarding the preservation of the Wilderness or the promotion of Civilization. For as far as common sense thinking would be concerned, it is quite impossible for these two to exist at the same place and at the same time. As could be seen in the essay â€Å"Of Plymouth Plantation†, one could see what a civilization or the introduction of civilization has brought to the people. We will write a custom essay sample on Wilderness versus Civilization or any similar topic only for you Order Now If one would follow the story, as civilization was brought from England to the Wilderness of America, there have been wars and competition, along with conflicts of intentions. In this regard, it would not be a good idea to establish civilizations in areas were people have already created their own native traditions. The imposition of a civilization to another would most likely cause chaos. There have also been wide arrays of bloodshed, deception and trickery. Nevertheless, if the civilization was not introduced there would be no America today. The introduction of civilization has led primitive America settlements become more organize and modernized.   The introduction of weapons, as shown in the Plymouth story have improved the hunting skills of Indians and increased their defense. However, it has resulted to more trees being burned and more animals being killed, meaning, the destruction of the wilderness. In light of this, I would like to create a study that would focused on which of the two, between wilderness and civilization, weighs more and must be preserved or supported. As could blatantly be seen, on the story â€Å"Of Plymouth Plantation†, there is a conflict of whether it would be better to leave the forest and tickets as it is with its Indian people or to pursue the goal of introducing a civilization in the area. I would like to study the literary history behind the decision made by the governor of Plymouth not to help the England colonizer nevertheless they have go against the natives who are little by little learning the knowledge and technology that was present during their time. I would also try to locate other conflicts in the story that have affected touch the wilderness versus civilization issue. It could have been the political understatement that could be seen to reflect the different intentions behind the issue. This study is worth of consideration since it would help determine which facet of society one should support. It would also help determine what are the merits and demerits of a civilization and wilderness with respect to the actions and reactions done by the people in Plymouth. At the end of this study, readers would become fully aware if the conflict of wilderness and civilization in the story should be resolved as a political, economical issue or an issue of personal gain. Since the story was about why America would want to go against or become independent from the rule of England, the section regarding the pursuit of belonging and introducing the â€Å"English civilization† is also one aspect that must be looked upon. The author of the story might have believed that introducing an English type of Civilization along with its renowned religion might only damaged the wilderness and the consciousness of the relationships of the people in the new country. Works Cited Oelschlaeger, M. (1992).The Wilderness Condition: Essays On Environment And Civilization. Island Press. Davis, W. C. (1995). A Way Through the Wilderness. Harpercollins. Kowalewski, D. (2000). Deep Power: The Political Ecology of Wilderness and Civilization. Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated. Chapple, C. (1994). Ecological Prospects: Scientific, Religious, and Aesthetic Perspectives. SUNY Press. London, J. (2002). The Call of the Wild. Spark Publishing Group.             How to cite Wilderness versus Civilization, Essay examples