|
USS Hercules (AK-41)
USS Hercules (AK-41) was an ''Hercules''-class transport commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering necessary goods and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone. ''Hercules'' (AK-41), ex-'' SS Exporter'', was launched 18 July 1939 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, Massachusetts, for American Export Lines Inc. Acquired by the Navy 15 July 1941, she continued to be operated by civilian crews until 30 November 1942, when she commissioned at San Francisco, California. World War II Pacific Theatre operations Departing San Francisco 18 December, ''Hercules'' reached Noumea, New Caledonia, 6 January 1943 to discharge her cargo. She returned to San Francisco 20 February and repeated the voyage from 11 March to 5 July. ''Hercules'' sailed for Pearl Harbor 6 August and reached Hawaii 6 days later. As flagship for Admiral Willis A. Lee, CTF 11, she sailed for action 25 August and on 1 September was off Baker ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
5"/38-caliber Gun
The Mark 12 5"/38 caliber gun was a United States dual-purpose naval gun, but also installed in single-purpose mounts on a handful of ships. The 38 caliber barrel was a mid-length compromise between the previous United States standard 5"/51 low-angle gun and 5"/25 anti-aircraft gun. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile in diameter, and the barrel was 38 calibers long. The increased barrel length provided greatly improved performance in both anti-aircraft and anti-surface roles compared to the 5"/25 gun. However, except for the barrel length and the use of semi-fixed ammunition, the 5"/38 gun was derived from the 5"/25 gun. Both weapons had power ramming, which enabled rapid fire at high angles against aircraft. The 5"/38 entered service on , commissioned in 1934, the first new destroyer design since the last ''Clemson'' was built in 1922. The base ring mount, which improved the effective rate of fire, entered service on , commissioned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
