The M17 and the USS Olympia

[njpilot 671]

I just read the article in last May's American Rifleman.

Went online to read this story mentioned in the article. Thought it was worth reading and remembering the sacrifices of so many.

Sorry if this was previously posted.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2019/4/16/known-but-to-god-the-unknown-soldier-and-the-uss-olympia/

[Zeke 5,504]

14 minutes ago, njpilot said:

I just read the article in last May's American Rifleman.

Went online to read this story mentioned in the article. Thought it was worth reading and remembering the sacrifices of so many.

Sorry if this was previously posted.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2019/4/16/known-but-to-god-the-unknown-soldier-and-the-uss-olympia/

Sig muscle @Lakota

[Scorpio64 5,155]

Does nobody see the irony that the tomb of at least one soldier kia in germany is being guarded with a german sidearm?  Did the US run out of 1911s?

[Zeke 5,504]

4 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said:

Does nobody see the irony that the tomb of at least one soldier kia in germany is being guarded with a german sidearm?  Did the US run out of 1911s?

They are made here dude! Don’t dis sig!

[10X 3,296]

Cool article; as mentioned way down in the text, the USS Olympia is moored at Penn's Landing, and open for tours, as is the WWII sub Becuna which is moored next to it.  Both are fascinating to visit; I recommend them highly.

A little harder to visit, but also fascinating, is the Olympia's sister ship, the USS San Diego (commissioned as the USS California).  It was sunk in 1918 off the south shore of Long Island, probably by a mine laid by a German U-boat that was operating in the area, though some still think it could have been a torpedo, or even sabotage.  It's very popular with divers, though unfortunately it sank upside down so much of the superstructure is crushed beneath the hull, and while the big guns are visible, they're right down in the sand.   

It's a huge wreck, 500' in length, but it was starting to collapse a bit when I was diving it in the 90's and I'm sure it's worse now.  Time was that divers would bring up enormous amounts of small arms ammo, larger cased ammo (4" and I believe also 6" cartridges) rusted small arms, china, etc.   It's pretty well stripped now, and the Navy has since prohibited taking of artifacts from sunken naval vessels.  It remains a treacherous wreck to penetrate--very easy to get lost inside, most divers are better off exploring from the outside only.  It's 110' to the sand, though the keel is only 65' or so below the surface.

It, like the Olympia, are armored cruisers, a class of warship that was discontinued after WWI.   They're smaller than a battleship,  and only the mid-section is armored, perhaps 2/3rds of the ship, in what was called the 'bathtub', which protected engines, fuel, ammo magazines, etc.   Crew quarters were for and aft, outside of the armored portion of the hull.