Hypothetical: The Navy drafted you in WWII.

[Rain Man]

I found a database of major American WWII ships the other day and pulled it into Excel. Then I found information on crew sizes. Now I have a simple simulator.

So if you were drafted into the Navy in World War II and were assigned to a large ship (e.g., submarine, destroyer, cruiser, or larger), I can now randomly assign you to a ship. Report in this thread to get your assignment.

I'll tell you your ship, and then it's up to you to look it up and see where it went and what happened to it. If the ship took casualties, let me know how many were killed and wounded and I'll do a random draw to see if you would have survived.


As for me, I would have been one of 700 sailors aboard:

Juneau** Atlanta-class Light Cruiser**

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Juneau_(CL-52)

That's not really a good thing. I hung out with a nice set of five brothers from Iowa, the Sullivans, but we saw some bad things.

We launched early in 1942 and did some early runs in the Atlantic and Caribbean before heading to the Pacific Theater. Right out of the gate in the Pacific we had to rescue sailors from an aircraft carrier that sank from a sub attack, and then we headed to Guadalcanal.

Our task force fought off four attacks from the Japanese, one of which took down another aircraft carrier.

Then another big Japanese group attacked, and we took a torpedo. We headed off toward Vanuatu for repairs, running with two other damaged ships, when we were attacked again by a Japanese sub. We took another torpedo which blew the ship to smithereens and we sank in 20 seconds.

The other two ships assumed there were no survivors and took off running. In actuality, 100 of the crew survived the sinking, but only about 10 survived the next eight days until rescue aircraft found them.

Based on a random dice roll, I went down with the ship, so my naval career ended late in 1942. I hope America won.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by oldandslow

Among the sailors that I commanded was the only unelected president in US history...Gerald Ford. That was cool.

Saw action in the Battle of the Philippines along with several other smaller skirmishes...

No battle casualties, but seven crew members (out of 1560) were swept overboard during a big storm (the future President Ford almost was).

I think my command overall was a pretty damn successful one.

(Rolling dice.) Good news. You weren't swept overboard. And Jerry Ford anchored a mighty fine shipboard football team.

[bevischief]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Massachusetts** South Dakota-class Battleship**


South Dakota class? Is that one of the older battleships? I have to look that up.

Eh, pretty new. 1938. I'm used to always hearing about Iowa-class battleships. This one had some interesting assignments, including attacking the French Navy. That's kind of unusual.

The South Dakota-class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th State; the first designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty.

The class comprised four ships: South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Alabama. They were more compact and better protected than the preceding North Carolina class, but had the same main battery, nine 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 guns in triple turrets. The ships can be visually distinguished from the earlier vessels by their single funnel, compared to twin funnels in the North Carolinas. According to authors William Garzke and Robert Dulin, the South Dakota design was the best "treaty battleship" ever built.[1]

Construction began shortly before World War II, with Fiscal Year (FY) 1939 appropriations. Commissioning through the summer of 1942, the four ships served in both the Atlantic, ready to intercept possible German capital ship sorties, and the Pacific, in carrier groups and shore bombardments. All four ships were retired post-war; South Dakota and Indiana were scrapped, Massachusetts and Alabama retained as museum ships.

Main battery
South Dakota shows the range of independent elevation of her main guns

The South Dakota class battleships carried a main battery of nine 16-in (406 mm)/45 caliber Mark 6 guns in three triple turrets. Two of these turrets were placed in a superfiring pair forward; the third turret was mounted aft of the main superstructure. These guns fired a 2,700 lb (1,200 kg) Mark 8 armor-piercing (AP) shell at a rate of two per minute per gun. The guns could either use a full propellant charge of 535 lb (243 kg), a reduced charge of 295 lb (134 kg), or a reduced flashless charge of 315 lb (143 kg). This provided a muzzle velocity of 2,300 feet per second (700 meters per second) for the AP shell with the full propellant charge, while the reduced version provided a correspondingly lower muzzle velocity of 1,800 ft/s (549 m/s). 130 shells were stowed for each gun, which came to a total of 1,170. The guns in all three turrets could elevate to 45 degrees, but only I and III turrets could depress to −2 degrees; the superfiring II turret was not able to depress. This enabled a maximum range of 36,900 yards or 18.2 nmi (20.9 mi; 33.7 km) with the Mark 8 projectile. The turrets were able to train 150 degrees in both directions from the centerline, which enabled a wide arc of fire. The guns could be elevated or depressed at a rate of 12 degrees per second, and the turrets could train at 4 degrees per second.

Secondary battery
Massachusetts' 5-inch gun battery

South Dakota was built as a fleet flagship, with an extra deck on her conning tower for extra command space, so her secondary battery had sixteen 5-in (127 mm)/38 caliber Mark 12 guns in eight Mark 28 Mod 0 twin DP mounts, four on either side of the superstructure. This was two turrets fewer than her sister ships who had ten twin DP mounts of twenty guns, five on either side of the ship.[13] These turrets weighed 156,295 lb (70,894 kg) and could depress their guns to −15 degrees and elevate them to 85 degrees. The guns fired a variety of different projectiles, including anti-aircraft (AA), illumination, and white phosphorus (WP) shells, at a rate of fire of 15 to 22 rounds per minute. The AA shells were 20.75 in long (52.7 cm) and weighed between 54 and 55 lb (24–25 kg), depending on the variant. The illumination and white phosphorus shells were slightly smaller, at 20 in (50.8 cm) long; the illumination rounds weighed 54.4 lb (24.7 kg) and the WP shells were 53 lb (24 kg).[14]

The guns used three different charges, depending on the situation: a full charge, a full flashless charge, and a reduced charge. The standard full charge weighed 15.2–15.5 lb (6.9–7.0 kg), the flashless charge was slightly heavier at 16 lb (7.3 kg), and the reduced charge was significantly smaller, at 3.6 lb (1.6 kg). Both full charges provided a muzzle velocity of 2,600 ft/s (790 m/s) in new guns, but as continued fire wore down the barrels, muzzle velocity degraded slightly, to 2,500 ft/s (760 m/s). The reduced charge's muzzle velocity was correspondingly lower, at 1,200 ft/s (370 m/s). Each gun was supplied with 450 rounds, and was expected to fire 4,600 shells before it was worn enough to warrant replacement. At the maximum effective elevation to engage surface targets, 45 degrees, the guns could hit targets up to 17,392 yards (15,903 m) away. The maximum height at which aircraft could be engaged was 37,200 feet (11,900 m).[14]
Anti-aircraft battery
A variety of anti-aircraft weapons on board South Dakota

The ships had a variety of anti-aircraft weapons, and the weapons mounted changed over time. Initially, the ships were designed to mount twelve .50 in (12.7 mm) and twelve 1.1 in (27.9 mm) machine guns. By March 1942, when South Dakota was completed, the anti-aircraft battery was modified to eight .50 in (12.7 mm) and twenty-eight 1.1 in (27.9 mm) machine guns and sixteen 20mm Oerlikon autocannon. In September of that year, the .50 in (12.7 mm) guns were removed and the number of 1.1 in (27.9 mm) guns reduced to 20. In their place, the 20mm guns were increased to 16 weapons, and 16 Bofors 40mm guns were added, in four quadruple mounts.[13]

In February 1943, the 1.1 in (27.9 mm) guns and one 20mm gun were replaced with an additional 52 40mm guns, for a total of 68. In December 1944, the battery was again upgraded, with 72 20mm and 72 Bofors. In March 1945, the battery was modified for the last time: five 20mm were added and four 40mm removed. This provided the maximum number of anti-aircraft guns, at 145 guns. The other three ships followed a similar pattern of upgrades to the anti-aircraft armament.[13]
Armor

The South Dakota's internal armor belt was inclined 19° from the vertical, and was 12.2 inches (310 mm) thick, with 7/8 inch (22 mm) thick STS plates behind the belt. This was equal to 17.3 inches (440 mm) of vertical belt armor, and was proof against the 2,240 lb projectile fired by the 16-inch 45 cal. guns of the Colorado-class from a distance of 17,700 to 30,900 yd (16.2 to 28.3 km). The immune zone against the super-heavy 16-inch shells fired by the South Dakotas themselves was smaller; the armor was effective only at ranges between 20,500 and 26,400 yd (18.7 and 24.1 km).[13]

The side armor extended to the bottom of the ship, and tapered from its maximum thickness of 12.2 inches down to 1 inch at the lowest portion. This feature was chosen to protect against penetration of heavy-caliber gun projectiles that managed to hit the ship below the waterline. The underwater armor included four torpedo bulkheads, a multi-layered system designed to absorb the energy from an underwater explosion equivalent to 700 pounds of TNT.

South Dakota's keel was laid on 5 July 1939 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey. She was launched on 7 June 1941 and commissioned on 20 March 1942. She went on a shakedown cruise in June after her fitting out was complete. In August–September, the battleship voyaged from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Panama Canal; she struck a coral reef soon after arriving in the Tonga Islands and had to sail to the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for repairs, which took about a month. South Dakota was then assigned to escort the aircraft carrier Enterprise as part of Task Force (TF) 16; joined by TF 17 soon after, the combined fleet—now known as TF 61—was ordered to "make a sweep of the Santa Cruz Islands and then move southwest to block any Japanese forces approaching Guadalcanal." This led to the Battle of Santa Cruz, where in escorting Enterprise, South Dakota was credited with shooting down 26 Japanese planes. The battleship was hit once by a 500 lb (230 kg)-bomb on Turret I during the action.[16][17]

On 30 October, South Dakota and the destroyer Mahan collided while the latter was investigating a sonar contact with a submarine. Both ships were able to continue to Noumea, where Vestal repaired them. The battleship joined formed TF 64 with the North Carolina-class battleship Washington and four destroyers. The ships intercepted a Japanese bombardment force on the night of 14–15 November, and, in a battle now known as the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, they damaged the cruisers Takao and Atago in addition to forcing the battleship Kirishima and destroyer Ayanami to be scuttled. During the battle, a power failure incapacitated South Dakota and she received considerable topside damage—42 shells hit the ship, knocking out radio communications and three fire control radars along with destroying the main radar set.[16]

Partial repairs courtesy of Prometheus' crew allowed South Dakota to sail for New York; after the ship's arrival on 18 December 1942, she was given an overhaul and the battle damage was completely fixed. Departing the yard on 25 February 1943, South Dakota underwent sea trials before escorting Ranger in North Atlantic operations until mid-April, when she joined the British Home Fleet. This deployment lasted until 1 August; the ship then traveled to Norfolk and then the Pacific, arriving at Efate on 14 September. Moving to Fiji on 7 November, she joined Battleship Divisions 8 and 9, which supported Allied forces in the Battle of Tarawa, among other battles.[16]

Along with five other battleships, she fired upon Nauru Island on 6 December. 29 January 1944 saw the ship bombard Roi-Namur before she moved away to protect the carriers assigned to provide air support for multiple amphibious assaults on islands within Kwajalein Atoll. South Dakota provided anti-aircraft support for various fast carrier task forces until June, when she bombarded Saipan and Tinian. The battleship took part in the so-called "Marianas Turkey Shoot", where more than 300 attacking Japanese aircraft were shot down, though she was hit by a 500 pound bomb on the main deck that killed 24 and wounded 27.[16][18]

For the rest of World War II, South Dakota operated in the Pacific mostly as a carrier escort; the only times she did not was when she received an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard from July–August 1944, when five tanks of gunpowder for the 16-inch guns exploded on 6 May (putting the ship out of action until 1 June), and when she bombarded Okinawa (24 March 19 April), the Kamaishi Steel Works on Honshu (14 July and 9 August), and Hamamatsu on Honshū (29–30 July).[16] South Dakota was present at the Surrender of Japan aboard Missouri on 2 September 1945;[19] she left Tokyo Bay on 20 September for the west coast of the United States. The battleship set sail for Philadelphia on 3 January 1946 to be overhauled; she was designated as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet there in June. Decommissioned on 31 January 1947, South Dakota remained idle until she was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 June 1962 and sold for scrap to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers and Company, Inc. on 25 October.

[Kman34]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

(Dice roll.) Yeah, you died.

Going down in a typhoon seems like a bad way to go. That must've been one heck of a storm to sink three US Navy destroyers. It's one of the zillion interesting WWII stories that I didn't know.

This is cool....Need to do an Air Force version... I always thought I was a pilot in WW ll in a past life. My favorite planes are German though, so I might have flown a FW 190....

[TheUte]

Is it too late to join up?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by oldandslow

Among the sailors that I commanded was the only unelected president in US history...Gerald Ford. That was cool.

Saw action in the Battle of the Philippines along with several other smaller skirmishes...

No battle casualties, but seven crew members (out of 1560) were swept overboard during a big storm (the future President Ford almost was).

I think my command overall was a pretty damn successful one.

It looks like it was the same storm that killed kman34 a few posts ago.

Man, that was a heckuva storm. Check out this article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Cobra_(1944). It looks like it killed over 700 sailors, sank three destroyers, caused major damage to nine other ships, and started a fire on the Monterey.

[Marcellus]

Hit me Rainman. Dying on a ship is better than watching his ass kicking on TNF.

[Kman34]

I wonder how much damage a 16'' projectile would do to say.... Invesco Field

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by bevischief

For the rest of World War II, South Dakota operated in the Pacific mostly as a carrier escort; the only times she did not was when she received an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard from July–August 1944, when five tanks of gunpowder for the 16-inch guns exploded on 6 May (putting the ship out of action until 1 June), and when she bombarded Okinawa (24 March 19 April), the Kamaishi Steel Works on Honshu (14 July and 9 August), and Hamamatsu on Honshū (29–30 July).[16] South Dakota was present at the Surrender of Japan aboard Missouri on 2 September 1945;[19] she left Tokyo Bay on 20 September for the west coast of the United States. The battleship set sail for Philadelphia on 3 January 1946 to be overhauled; she was designated as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet there in June. Decommissioned on 31 January 1947, South Dakota remained idle until she was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 June 1962 and sold for scrap to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers and Company, Inc. on 25 October.

I had no idea that we had battleship bombardments of the main islands of Japan.

[saphojunkie]

Gimme my ******* white uniform!

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by TheUte

Is it too late to join up?

It's never too late. Well, as long as it's 1945 or earlier.

Maryland** Colorado-class Battleship**

I bet you were at Pearl Harbor.

[KChiefs1]

KChiefs1 reporting for duty.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Hit me Rainman. Dying on a ship is better than watching his ass kicking on TNF.

Barbero** Balao-class Submarine**

Sounds like a fun ride. Hopefully your surfaces were equal in number to your descents.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

Gimme my ******* white uniform!

Doneff** Evarts-class Destroyer Escort**


Oh, now that's a new one. We haven't seen a destroyer escort yet.

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by stumppy

Now that I think about it she's a beaut.

Upon further reading it looks like she had a pretty active role in The Guadalcanal campaign and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.

Badass.

[TrebMaxx]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Albert W. Grant** Fletcher-class Destroyer**


Cool. We don't have many destroyer members yet.

Originally Posted by Rain Man

It looks like it was the same storm that killed kman34 a few posts ago.

Man, that was a heckuva storm. Check out this article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Cobra_(1944). It looks like it killed over 700 sailors, sank three destroyers, caused major damage to nine other ships, and started a fire on the Monterey.

I didn't mention this in my short version of the USS Albert W. Grant history but while en route to Leyte, damaged and limping on one engine the Grant weathered Typhoon Cobra before reaching the anchorage.