USS Guardian has run aground

Re: US military news thread

Air Force Brat said:

I'd say she's in trouble, coral is not kind to wooden hulled vessels, and fiberglass abraids easily, I find it odd that someone hasn't pulled her off already, so she may already have a breach, possibly waiting for more floatation?

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Not sure how much time is left for a ship like her to still be considered salvageable under that constant wave pounding as evident in the pics?

Re: US military news thread

Air Force Brat said:

I'd say she's in trouble, coral is not kind to wooden hulled vessels, and fiberglass abraids easily, I find it odd that someone hasn't pulled her off already, so she may already have a breach, possibly waiting for more floatation.

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Well, unfortunately she is taking on water and flooding, I hope one of our ancient mariners will chime in here as I am out of my area of expertise, very sad for Captain and crew, with the Politically Correct military, the superceeding of don't ask don't tell, who knows who or what is going on. The US military needs to shake its self free from this garbage and somehow we have to help it, political correctness and military readiness are two mutually exclusive formulas, you can bet your bottom dollar that our potential adversaries are falling all over themselves saying "see, I told you so"! AFB

Re: US military news thread

ManilaBoy45 said:

USS Guardian is Now Parallel to the Reef at 90 Degrees After Being Battered by Strong Waves ...

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Well, we all knew that if the sea states there got bad, she was going to be in real trouble.

A good healthy tug should have been there long before now IMHO, surely, since we are back in Subic Bay, we have something there to pull this vessel off that reef. She is not that big a ship.

I spoke with a retired US Marine friend of mine whose was on an old LSD vessel and was similarly stranded 80 miles out of Subic Bay in the 1950s. He said they tried to get themselves off and couldn't and had a sea going tug out to them the next day that jerked them right off the reef with no hassles.

They had shored her up internally where she was damaged and had the leaks under control with shoring and pumps. As it turned out, they needed dry dock time and they had to be hauled to Sydney Australia to get done what they had to get done! He said it was a long haul at 8 knots.

Re: US military news thread

Jeff Head said:

Well, we all knew that if the sea states there got bad, she was going to be in real trouble.

A good healthy tug should have been there long before now IMHO, surely, since we are back in Subic Bay, we have something there to pull this vessel off that reef. She is not that big a ship.

I spoke with a retired US Marine frioend of mine whosewa on an old LSD vessel and was similarly stranded 80 miles out of Subic Bay in the 1950s. He said they tried to get themselves off and couldn't and had a sea going tug out to them the next day that jerked them right off the reef with no hassles.

They had siored her up internally where she was damaged and had the leaks under control with shoring and pumps. As it turned out, they needed dry dock time and they had to be hauled to Sydney Australia to get done what they had to get done! He sid it was a long haul at 8 knots.

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Right, they no doubt hit the reef at a pretty good clip driving her in from the looks of the early pix, I bet this is more PC garbage about preserving the corral and jacking the USN with a hefty fine, the more damage the more the Fine, as you know this type of beating will "kill" her if it continues, jerk her off and let her fight, she will likely need floatation of some sort, as she likely has damage from stem to stern. I can't explain why this makes me so ANGRY, but I could just spit nails!

Re: US military news thread

Air Force Brat said:

Right, they no doubt hit the reef at a pretty good clip driving her in from the looks of the early pix, I bet this is more PC garbage about preserving the corral and jacking the USN with a hefty fine, the more damage the more the Fine, as you know this type of beating will "kill" her if it continues, jerk her off and let her fight, she will likely need floatation of some sort, as she likely has damage from stem to stern. I can't explain why this makes me so ANGRY, but I could just spit nails!

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It's been over three days...almost four now. Surely they could have gotten some vessel to her by now that had the umph to pull her off, particularly before she got cross-wise like that.

Almost like they want us to be embarassed and pay a large fine. I wish I knew what we had in Subic Bay...heck, by this time they could have help from Taiwan or Japan.

They're going to let her get beat to death if they do not hurry and get help there that can get her off that reef.

Re: US military news thread

I agree with Jeff...this is going to slow. I'm hoping for more news tomorrow where as today is a holiday. I know the USS Mustin (DDG 89) was sent to the area.

Re: US military news thread

bd popeye said:

I agree with Jeff...this is going to slow. I'm hoping for more news tomorrow where as today is a holiday. I know the USS Mustin (DDG 89) was sent to the area.

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The Mustin, a Flight IIA Burke, will certainly have more than enough power to pull her off...they will just have to rig it up properly.

Hopefully she is not too damaged and they can take her in tow back to wherever they need to go to get her repaired.

Glad to hear this news!



Just for grins, take a look at that pic (and you will need to zoom in) and tell me how many .50 cals you see on the port side.

Re: US military news thread

Jeff Head said:

The Mustin, a Flight IIA Burke, will certainly have more than enough power to pull her off...they will just have to rig it up properly.

Hopefully she is not too damaged and they can take her in tow back to wherever they need to go to get her repaired.

Glad to hear this news!

Just for grins, take a look at that pic (and you will need to zoom in) and tell me how many .50 cals you see on the port side.

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4--one on the bow? May have to pull her off forward, with her listing to port, that could get exciting! AFB

Re: US military news thread

Well I see three..

Any way I checked navy.mil and still no news on the Guardian.. Something IMO is amiss in this whole situation.. I would not be surprised if the USN loses this ship. The news is just to slow forth coming.

Re: US military news thread

bd popeye said:

Well I see three..

Any way I check navy.mil and still no news on the Guardian.. Something IMO is amiss in this whole situation.. I would not be surprised if the USN lost this ship. The news is just to slow forth coming.

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I agree...certainly amiss...you do nt just leave a vessel like that out there to break up on a reef for this long.

I hope they do not lose it.

As to the .50s. There are three shown on the port side. One on the second deck, forward and above the the helo flight deck and straight across from the forward end of the VLS cells. One amidships on the main deck between the stacks and just forward of the three tube torpedoe launcher, and one just forward of the main deck house.

A fourth is shown, but it is on the starboard side across from the aftermost .50 cal already mentioned.

Generally they will have two more on the bow on either side in port, and two more on the helo deck just aft of the hangar on either side.

Also, generally the Burkes and Ticos also have a Mk-38 25mm chain gun amidships in that location where the .50 cal is forward of the torpedoe launcher. I do not know why this pic shows a .50 there, but it may be an older pic before the Mk-38 was added. There's one on each side. This is for close in anti-surface work to make sure any boat like attacked the Cole cannot get close enough to do so. The .50s would hurt such a vessel and maybe sink her, the .25mm chain gun would tear it apart.


Some of these are being replaced now by a fully automated versions of the MK-38, which are now being located just in front of the Phased Array Rada, on the deck below them and on either side.


These weapons are critical for close in ship protection, closer than the main gun can lower its muzzle, and/or closer than the CIWS can operate.