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We went to Bremerton WA on our vacation; the Missus to visit a friend who wisely moved from California some years ago and I to visit the U.S.S. Turner Joy. The TJ was involved in the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 which ramped up the U.S. involvement in Vietnam and also fired the last naval round of the U.S. part of the war in 1973. The whole ship is open for viewing except the engineering spaces. It is a Sherman class destroyer and the last of the all-gun U.S. destroyers armed with three 5" rapid fire guns.


Three carriers tied up at the navy yard waiting to be turned into Toyota bumpers. One is the Kittyhawk, I didn't have time to stop and check them out.


Me before boarding the Turner Joy


A nod to the ship's all gun armament


The 5" guns with an autoload feature. Originally intended to be used on both air, land, and sea targets; the air capability was deleted in the 70s.


Helmsman's position


A nice looking ship that gave honorable service

I have just decoded the signal flags and it reads:

"We are unable to speak English correctly and misspell many words. Apologies to Queen Elizabeth II"

This is HMS Belfast on the Thames

I visited the Belfast back in the 70s on a trip to London from Germany. Somewhere around this house there is a picture of a much younger me with it!

A few more of HMS Belfast.




















Finally, the newly refurbished Cutty Sark.

bobbob wrote:A few more of HMS Belfast.

Good to see that the Belfast "crew" know their signal flags ... C35 GGCN

Last time we went on HMS Belfast was late one evening to visit friends of Christel's on the Christian Radich which was tied up alongside, I am always surprised at just how small Destroyers are really.

ovenpaa wrote:Last time we went on HMS Belfast was late one evening to visit friends of Christel's on the Christian Radich which was tied up alongside, I am always surprised at just how small Destroyers are really.

HMS Belfast is a Cruiser ...

My mistake, my father would have corrected me on the spot as naval history is his passion.

I dug some photos out of the old album from our visit in May 1980 to the H.M.S. Belfast. Time has not been kind to the prints and the camera was pretty cheap to begin with but here's my proof that we were there!


The Missus and I on the ferry from Belgium 32 years ago. She has weathered the years a lot better than me!


The H.M.S. Belfast and another ship alongside her.


My father and the Missus. He was a young 68 years old then and enjoyed visiting us in Germany and touring with us when I could get leave. The Missus looks thrilled to be on an old ship, doesn't she?