USS Tennessee in Korea

[Joe C-P]

USS Tennessee in Korean War

Due to the Soviets building new battleships and battlecruisers NATO and other western powers retained fast battleships.  While the Iowas were upgraded to BBGs and SoDaks to BBHs, the Alaskas and NoCal patrolled the Atlantic until the Korean War broke out.  At first cruisers provided gunfire support, but some targets resisted their shells so NoCal and Washington were sent to Korea as USS New Jersey and Massachusetts had returned to service in the Atlantic.

Washington was in California for overhaul when a catastrophic failure of North Carolina's shafts due to hidden damage from the WW2 torpedo strike forced her to limp home, leaving no BBs available for fire support.  NJ and Mass could not leave the Atlantic, the other BBGs and BBHs months from completion.

As the USN considered how to hurry along those upgrades a supply clerk reported a large stock of 14" shells still available.  The most modernized such-armed ships Tennessee and California were evaluated, Tennessee being chosen for an austere refit of de-mothballing and limited support.  She was made ready in under two months and sails for Korea in late 1952.  All 40mm and nearly all 20mm removed, two of the four main mounts functional, the others being worked on underway, enough gun crew to service half the 5" twins, and a minimal staff.

Accompanied by the similarly-restored light cruiser USS Vicksburg she sails for Korea.  Together they give much-needed fire support, destroying infrastructure, gun emplacements, and sinking a pair of North Korean patrol boats.

In November 1952 a surprise sails from Vladivostok: the former Japanese fast battleship Haruna.  Taken by the Soviets at the end of WW2 as reparations, she was supposed to be scrapped, but the Soviet Navy had repaired and returned him to service, and now, escorted by a Sverdlov class cruiser, was sailing on course for Korea.

Tennessee and Vicksburg were sent to intercept the potential threat.  Before dawn on Nov 13 radar picks up the Soviet pair cruising slowly southward, and the American pair plot an intercept course.  As the sky brightens they spot the potential threat, ex-Haruna in the lead, so Tennessee's captain directs Vicksburg to similarly tail her, battleship facing battleship and cruiser to cruiser.  It is noted that Haruna's X turret is missing; later intelligence experts reviewing photos of her determine that turret had been heavily damaged.  The Soviet ships continue on course, ignoring hails and signals, and accelerate.  Originally cruising at 14 knots, they steadily add speed, Tennessee and Vicksburg keeping pace; 16, 18, 20, 22 knots, the foursome sail onward, closer and closer to Korea.  With no other response from the Soviets, Tennessee and Vicksburg turn all their main turrets toward their potential opponents, guns raised to maximum elevation so they are directed to fire well over their counterparts, yet able to quickly drop and fire before their foes can similarly react.  The Soviets reach 24 knots, Tennessee barely keeping up, engines strained to their limits, and her captain wonders if he'll need to fire before their potentially much faster opponent breaks away.  As they reach a point about 62 miles off the Korean coast, the Soviet ships raise their own main guns, keeping them fore and aft, lower them again, and turn away to the east and then back north.  The USN captains turn to follow, escorting the withdrawing Soviets until a call comes in for fire support.

Tennessee is relieved two days later by Washington and Alabama, and returns to a hero's welcome to retire one last time as more newer battleships returned to service.

Years later at a diplomatic meeting the captains of the two old battleships meet.  The Soviet captain expressed surprise at how Tennessee had kept pace, and worked all four main turrets when their intelligence indicated she only had two functional.  Tennessee's captain explained how overnight he'd shifted crew from Vicksburg to man the turrets, how his ship's engines had been damaged by the excessive strain, and she likely would have had to abandon the chase within another hour.  The Soviet captain laughed, confessing his own engines had also been pushed, nearly burning out, and his main guns had nearly no shells, the after mount actually unable to fire.  Their new friendship lasted until they passed away the same day in 1962.

1/1800 scale models of the four ships.




I am not working in this scale again.  My eyes won't get down to it any more!   

[NARSES2]

Neat read Jo 

[Old Wombat]

 

[Pellson]

It is so good to see you back, Joe. And the ships are awesome! 

[JayBee]