I spent 20 years aboard submarines while in the U.S. Navy. I've been working on naval nuclear vessels in the shipyard since retiring from Active Duty in 2005. Which means I have over three decades combined experience in operating, maintaining, repairing, and upgrading these ships of our fine navy. And it still amazes me not only what they and their crews are capable of, but how they compare to the Navy of yesteryear.
My parents were both WWII veterans...and I once had a chance to take Dad on a three day dependents cruise when the USS Narwhal (SSN-671) did a change of home port from Charleston, SC to Norfolk, VA back in 1994. I never knew how much that three day trip aboard a nuclear submarine impressed him until weeks later, when I talked to Mom on the phone and she said that was all Dad talked about whenever one of my uncles came over for a visit.
The capabilities compared to his WWII experiences were truly phenomenal...but how many people really think about how radically our Navy has advanced over our history as a nation? I mean REALLY thought about it?
Take, for example, the USS Constitution...a 44-gun fast-frigate. Top of the line in her day when she was launched in 1797. 304 feet long, 43 feet 6 inches wide, 220 feet to top of main mast. She displaced 2,200 tons and her hull 21 inches thick.
So, how does that compare to modern vessels?
Obviously, the most extreme would be one of our supercarriers. A Nimitz class carrier is 1,092 feet long, 252 feet wide, and displaces 95,000 tons. From keel to top of the island, 24 stories tall. Capable of staying at sea effectively indefinitely, with the ability to replenish any and all supplies by air and never having to refuel for 25 years.
Submarines? The extreme there would be an Ohio class submarine. 560 feet long, 42 feet wide, and displacing 18,750 tonnes displacement submerged. Also effectively capable of staying at sea indefinitely while submerged.
44 guns? Pfft! Ship-to-ship weapons with an effective range of just under 2,000 yards.Try armaments today which can destroy entire nations more than 4,000 nautical miles away. Aircraft which have onboard guns capable of slicing through that 24 inch oak hull in strafing runs...not counting smart bombs capable of being precision guided right through a deck hatch from altitudes high enough they couldn't effectively spot the aircraft.
450 man crew? How about 5 THOUSAND aboard an aircraft carrier?
A 15 mile horizon when viewed from the crows nest? Pfft! Over-the-horizon radar, not to mention satellite imagery with literally a worldwide span.
We can navigate underwater for months on end, circumnavigate the planet at 30 + knot speeds (surfaced or submerged), communicate instantaneously, sound the depths accurately with sonar, eat/sleep/train/entertain in air conditioned or heated comfort, eat fresh foods, and more. All things not even dreamed of in 1797.
And now we're moving towards offensive weaponry with effectively unlimited range and ammunition (rail guns and lasers) within our own lifetimes.
We live with these things today and take them for granted. Yet...how many people here TRULY comprehend what it would be like to wander around aboard a warship 1,092 feet long?
Impressive?
H*ll, it's down right unimaginable fantasy in 1797.
So far advanced...and yet, maybe not quite so unimaginable. After all, the first iron clad came about a mere 62 years after the USS Constitution was launched. The Glorie, a French vessel, launched in 1859. And the British made the decision to an all armored battle fleet starting in 1861.
My parents were both WWII veterans...and I once had a chance to take Dad on a three day dependents cruise when the USS Narwhal (SSN-671) did a change of home port from Charleston, SC to Norfolk, VA back in 1994. I never knew how much that three day trip aboard a nuclear submarine impressed him until weeks later, when I talked to Mom on the phone and she said that was all Dad talked about whenever one of my uncles came over for a visit.
The capabilities compared to his WWII experiences were truly phenomenal...but how many people really think about how radically our Navy has advanced over our history as a nation? I mean REALLY thought about it?
Take, for example, the USS Constitution...a 44-gun fast-frigate. Top of the line in her day when she was launched in 1797. 304 feet long, 43 feet 6 inches wide, 220 feet to top of main mast. She displaced 2,200 tons and her hull 21 inches thick.
So, how does that compare to modern vessels?
Obviously, the most extreme would be one of our supercarriers. A Nimitz class carrier is 1,092 feet long, 252 feet wide, and displaces 95,000 tons. From keel to top of the island, 24 stories tall. Capable of staying at sea effectively indefinitely, with the ability to replenish any and all supplies by air and never having to refuel for 25 years.
Submarines? The extreme there would be an Ohio class submarine. 560 feet long, 42 feet wide, and displacing 18,750 tonnes displacement submerged. Also effectively capable of staying at sea indefinitely while submerged.
44 guns? Pfft! Ship-to-ship weapons with an effective range of just under 2,000 yards.Try armaments today which can destroy entire nations more than 4,000 nautical miles away. Aircraft which have onboard guns capable of slicing through that 24 inch oak hull in strafing runs...not counting smart bombs capable of being precision guided right through a deck hatch from altitudes high enough they couldn't effectively spot the aircraft.
450 man crew? How about 5 THOUSAND aboard an aircraft carrier?
A 15 mile horizon when viewed from the crows nest? Pfft! Over-the-horizon radar, not to mention satellite imagery with literally a worldwide span.
We can navigate underwater for months on end, circumnavigate the planet at 30 + knot speeds (surfaced or submerged), communicate instantaneously, sound the depths accurately with sonar, eat/sleep/train/entertain in air conditioned or heated comfort, eat fresh foods, and more. All things not even dreamed of in 1797.
And now we're moving towards offensive weaponry with effectively unlimited range and ammunition (rail guns and lasers) within our own lifetimes.
We live with these things today and take them for granted. Yet...how many people here TRULY comprehend what it would be like to wander around aboard a warship 1,092 feet long?
Impressive?
H*ll, it's down right unimaginable fantasy in 1797.
So far advanced...and yet, maybe not quite so unimaginable. After all, the first iron clad came about a mere 62 years after the USS Constitution was launched. The Glorie, a French vessel, launched in 1859. And the British made the decision to an all armored battle fleet starting in 1861.
Last edited:
_conducts_operations_at_sea_May_30,_2013,_in_the_Gulf_of_Aden_130530-N-SB587-594.jpg//1280px-The_amphibious_assault_ship_USS_Kearsarge_(LHD_3)_conducts_operations_at_sea_May_30,_2013,_in_the_Gulf_of_Aden_130530-N-SB587-594.jpg)
