New RFM Podcast--A Whale of a Tale

[_Doctor Steuss]

[...] the USS Marion County [...]

Wow, very cool.

Found this picture of the LST-975 that I thought was pretty neet-o.

Link.

Picture was found here (there are a few others).

[_oliblish]

So can you see the screws from the deck on that ship?

[_consiglieri]

Wow, very cool.

Found this picture of the LST-975 that I thought was pretty neet-o.

Link.

Picture was found here (there are a few others).

Nice pictures. I can almost see Ensign Blair hanging off the back to look at the propellers.

But here is something odd.

The story as related in General Conference talked about their being three engines. One konked out; one was at half-speed and the third was still working.

How does that match up with the following details of the ship from the same web page you linked?

Propulsion two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines single Falk Main Reduction Gears three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators two propellers, 1,700shp twin rudders

It seems to say there are three generators but only two engines.

Am I missing something?

[_Doctor Steuss]

Am I missing something?

I don't believe so.

From what little I can find, the LST class ships never had three engines for propulsion. In the 1950s they were redesigned to have four engines (and then in the 60's, it grew to six engines), but prior to that they all had the two diesel engines.

Here is a list of ships that I looked through on Nav Source. I tried to get a very wide sample of the different types of LST ships; ranging from LST-1 Class to LST-542 Class.

A few of them had smaller output diesel, but all of them had two engines for propulsion. Build start ("laid down") dates in parenthesis.

* LST-10 (August 1942). Originally built as a tank landing ship, it was rebuilt in January 1943 as a repair ship (ARL-1). Both versions had two engines.
* LST-12 (August 1942)
* LST-28 (December 1942)
* LST-34 (March 1943)
* LST-81 (March 1943)
* LST-84 (April 1943)
* LST-119 (May 1943)
* LST-132 (June 1943)
* LST-209 (September 1942)
* LST-230 (June 1943)
* LST-231 (June 1943). Redesigned as the ARL-7 in November 1943. Both versions had two engines.
* LST-266 (November 1942)
* LST-306 (July 1942)
* LST-310 (September 1942)
* LST-402 (August 1942)
* LST-415 (October 1942)
* LST-448 (July 1942)
* LST-472 (October 1942)
* LST-512 (July 1943)
* LST-542 (November 1943)
* LST-545 (December 1943)
* LST-546 (December 1943)
* LST-548 (December 1943)
* LST-550 (November 1943)
* LST-568 (March 1944)
* LST-569 (March 1944)
* LST-601 (October 1943)
* LST-645 (June 1944). This was redesigned into the ARL-15 (repair ship) in August 1944. Initial build, and redesign both had two engines.
* LST-701 (April 1944)
* LST-734 (January 1944)
* LST-772 (August 1944)
* LST-802 (September 1944)
* LST-930 (June 1944)
* LST-947 (August 1944)
* LST-1104 (December 1944)
* LST-1133 (December 1944)


(ETA: Added more ships.)

[Reflexzero]

Your keen-eyed observation about the engine count sent me spelunking through the other types of transport ships that I was able to find that were used in the Korean War. This is likely in no way a complete list, but there was only one that I found that had three engines for propulsion. The ship type only had one propeller though, and was used as a floating command post.

USS Achernar (AKA-53). An attack cargo ship that was used to transport troops and cargo.. Engine Count: One.

USS Cabildo (LSD-16). This type of ship was used to transport the ships that transported vehicles. Any type of beaching craft that was meant to deliver vehicles but couldn’t travel long distances in the open ocean would be transported by one of these types of beast. Engine Count: Four.

USS Begor (DE-711/APD-127). High speed transport ship. Engine Count: Four.

USS Clarion River (LSM(R)-409). This type of ship was used to transport just about anything that fit its role as a medium landing ship, including vehicles and troops. Engine Count: Two.

USS Eldorado (AGC-11). These ship types were used as a command hub for large scale amphibious operations. Engine Count: Three.

USNS Geiger (T-AP-197). Transport ship, capable of carrying up to an impressive 2000 troops. This was a strict transport ship, and didn’t have any type of armament. Engine Count: One.

USS George Clymer (APA-27). All-around troop and cargo transport ship with attack capabilities. Engine Count: Two.

[_I have a question]

Elder Larry Wilson got totally punk’d

[_consiglieri]

Thanks for the great research, Herr Doktor!

Another thing that occurs to me.

The only way Ensign Blair could see the props is if they were out of the water.

The only way the props could be out of the water is if the stern of the boat was on the crest of a wave.

(If the ship is level, the props are under water. If the bow of the boat is going up a wave, the props are still under water.)

So the only time Ensign Blair could see the props would be when the stern of the ship was at the crest of a forty-five foot wave.

That means if Ensign Blair is leaning way over the stern railing, which is the closest he could come to getting a view line on the props, the rest of the ship behind him would be canted down at a crazy angle on the wave.

I am not sure how he is managing these acrobatic moves in such a position . . . at night . . . in a typhoon . . . with forty-five foot waves.

And tied by a rope, don't forget. I am not sure how that rope is remaining secure and taught during Ensign Blair's on-deck excursion, either, since he was apparently alone.

But regardless, the miracle story of the Holy Spirit's promptings pale in comparison to the miracles that would have been required for Ensign Blair to actually see the propellers.

[_Doctor Steuss]

Speaking of propellers, Nav Source has a picture of the LST-325 with its rear end out of the water. The Holy Ghost has nothing on the priesthood power that made seeing both propellers possible.

Direct Picture Link

http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160325.htm

[_consiglieri]

You sunk my battleship!!!

OMG!

That picture is worth a MILLION words!

If the LST-325 is anything like the LST-975 (which is what the USS Marion County was), I think this pretty much puts the final nail in the coffin.

BRILLIANT!!!

[Reflexzero]

If the LST-325 is anything like the LST-975 (which is what the USS Marion County was), I think this pretty much puts the final nail in the coffin.

BRILLIANT!!!

There appeared to be two Classes of LST ships during the war. The LST-1 (which is what the LST-325 was), and the LST-542 (which the LST-975 was).

This is the only picture I have been able to find of the back of an LST-542 Class out of the water. It appears to share the same design elements with propeller and rudder placement, which I imagine was necessary to protect them while landing.




Also, here's a link to a PDF of the general plans for a LST-542 Class. On page 4, you can see (yet again) how the propellers and rudders are tucked underneath.

Booklet of General Plans


And finally, an overhead view of the tuchus plans for a LSM-1 Class ship. It seems that tucking the propellers and rudders underneath the ship was a pretty standard aspect of the designs for the various transport ships.



Thank you Consiglieri for the opportunity to go on a fun little learning adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found out a lot of cool stuff along the way.