Hauptmann

Historical marker dedicated to sailors killed in USS Iowa explosion http://news.yahoo.co...n-29016421.html

This March 31, 2010 photo shows the battleship USS Iowa anchored with the "ghost fleet" at the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Benicia, Calif. After being shunned by the city of San Francisco in 2005, the USS Iowa will be transferred from the Bay Area to the Port of Los Angeles to stand as a permanent museum and memorial. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) In this July 18, 2003 file photo, the battleship USS Iowa, bottom left, sits anchored with the mothball fleet in Suisun Bay, Calif. The 887-foot long ship that once carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a World War II summit to meet with Churchill and Stalin is coming to life once again for what is most likely her final voyage this month to become a floating museum in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File) This April 21, 2001 file photo shows the battleship USS Iowa being towed through the Carquinez Straits near Benicia, Calif., as it makes its way toward the mothball fleet in Suisun Bay. The 887-foot long ship that once carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a World War II summit to meet with Churchill and Stalin is coming to life once again for what is most likely her final voyage this month to become a floating museum in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File) The USS Iowa crosses the Panama Canal at Miraflores Lock near Panama City, Panama Wednesday, March 28, 2001. At 108.2 feet wide, the Iowa-class battleships are the largest vessels ever to scrape their way through the 110-foot-wide locks of the canal. They were designed so that they could just fit through the waterway. (AP Photo/Tomas Munita)

A delegation from the state of Iowa looks on as a crane on a floating barge lifts a mast toward the top of the battleship USS Iowa for reattachment in Richmond, Calif., Tuesday, April 24, 2012. The historic battleship is undergoing renovation before it will be towed next month to the Port of Los Angeles where it will become a museum at the Pacific Battleship Center in San Pedro. Opening to the public is expected in July. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) In this photo taken Tuesday, March, 27, 2012, gun turrets one and two are shown near the bow of the battleship USS Iowa under renovation in Richmond, Calif. The 887-foot long ship that once carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a World War II summit to meet with Churchill and Stalin is coming to life once again for what is most likely her final voyage this month to become a floating museum in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) The battleship USS Iowa is pushed by tugboats beside the Benicia-Martinez bridge on Suisun Bay Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, in Benicia, Calif. After resting in the Suisun Bay Reserve "mothball fleet" for a decade, the famous battleship is taking the first leg of its journey to southern California, where the Pacific Battleship Center intends to transform the vessel into an interactive museum permanently based at Berth 87 in Los Angeles. The Iowa will be towed to Richmond, Calif., on Friday for significant refurbishment until at least the end of the year and possibly through the first part of 2012 before the move south. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) The battleship USS Iowa is pushed stern first by tugboats on Suisun Bay Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, in Benicia, Calif. After resting in the Suisun Bay Reserve "mothball fleet" for a decade, the famous battleship is taking the first leg of its journey to southern California, where the Pacific Battleship Center intends to transform the vessel into an interactive museum permanently based at Berth 87 in Los Angeles. The Iowa will be towed to Richmond, Calif., on Friday for significant refurbishment until at least the end of the year and possibly through the first part of 2012 before the move south. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

In this Dec. 16, 1987 file photo, the battleship USS Iowa fires its 16-inch guns during duty in the Persian Gulf. The 887-foot long ship that once carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a World War II summit to meet with Churchill and Stalin is coming to life once again for what is most likely her final voyage this month to become a floating museum in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File) This April 21, 2001 file photo shows the battleship USS Iowa being towed through the Carquinez Straits near Benicia, Calif., as it makes its way toward the mothball fleet in Suisun Bay. The 887-foot long ship that once carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a World War II summit to meet with Churchill and Stalin is coming to life once again for what is most likely her final voyage this month to become a floating museum in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File) A crane on a floating barge lifts a mast back on top of the battleship USS Iowa for reattachment in Richmond, Calif., Tuesday April 24, 2012. The historic battleship is undergoing renovation before it will be towed next month to the Port of Los Angeles where it will become a museum at the Pacific Battleship Center in San Pedro. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) In this Dec. 16, 1987 file photo, the battleship USS Iowa fires its 16-inch guns during duty in the Persian Gulf. The 887-foot long ship that once carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a World War II summit to meet with Churchill and Stalin is coming to life once again for what is most likely her final voyage this month to become a floating museum in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

http://news.yahoo.com/historic-battleship-becoming-naval-museum-socal-150141738.html Historic Battleship Becoming Naval Museum in SoCal By ERIC RISBERG | Associated Press – 8 hrs ago RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) — Firing its 16-inch guns in the Arabian Sea, the U.S.S. Iowa shuddered. As the sky turned orange, a blast of heat from the massive guns washed over the battleship. This was the Iowa of the late 1980s, at the end of its active duty as it escorted reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq war. Some 25 years later, following years of aging in the San Francisco Bay area's "mothball fleet," the 887-foot long ship that once carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a World War II summit to meet with Churchill, Stalin and Chiang Kai Shek is coming to life once again as it is being prepared for what is most likely its final voyage. Not far from where "Rosie the Riveters" built ships in the 1940s at the Port of Richmond, the 58,000-ton battlewagon is undergoing restoration for towing May 20 through the Golden Gate, then several hundred miles south to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. There it is to be transformed into an interactive naval museum. On May 1, ownership of the Iowa was officially transferred from the U.S. Navy to the Pacific Battleship Center, the nonprofit organization that has been restoring the boat for its new mission. "This means everything — it's going to be saved," John Wolfinbarger, 87, of San Martin, Calif., who served aboard the USS Iowa for almost two years in the mid-1940s and recently began giving public tours of the old ship during repairs here. "When it gets down to San Pedro, it's going to be the happiest day of my life, like coming home!" he said, watching the mast being reattached. For the past decade, the lead ship of her battleship class known as "The Big Stick" has sat in the cold and fog, anchored with other mothballed ships in nearby Suisun Bay. This spring, workers began scrubbing and painting the Iowa's exterior, replacing the teak deck and reattaching the mast in preparation for the museum commissioning on July 4. Jonathan Williams, executive officer of Pacific Battleship Group, has been overseeing the project, which will exceed $4 million upon completion. Williams credited his dedicated his staff and volunteers, along with the financial contributions from the state of Iowa, for making the restoration possible. "The U.S. Navy, MARAD (United States Maritime Administration) and the crew that mothballed the battleship over the past 22 years did an excellent job and kept the heart and soul of Iowa alive," said Williams. "Things are on track and we are following our schedule as planned," he added. "We are trying to make sure nothing is missed as the process is complex." The fast Iowa-class battleships, ordered by the Navy in 1939 and 1940, could travel at a speed of 33 knots. The Iowa, first commissioned in 1943 and again in 1951 and 1984, saw duty in World War II and the Korean War. It took part in escorting tankers in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war before being decommissioned in 1990. During World War II, when transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1944, the ship shelled beachheads at Kwajalein and Eniwetok in advance of Allied amphibious landings and screened aircraft carriers operating in the Marshall Islands. It was one of two ships of its class camouflaged during World War II— and it also was the only one with a bathtub, which was put in for President Roosevelt. The Iowa also served as the Third Fleet flagship, flying Adm. William F. Halsey's flag as it accompanied the Missouri at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. A dark part of the ship's history took place in 1989, when 47 sailors were killed in an explosion in the No. 2 gun turret. After the blast, the Navy alleged a crewmember caused the explosion as a result of a failed relationship with another male crewmember. A follow-up investigation found the explosion was most likely the result of human error. Most visitors are immediately drawn to the sight and firepower of the Iowa's nine16-inch guns, which could send an armor-piercing shell the weight of a small car 24 miles. When the ship was modernized during the 1980s, it was outfitted with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Phalanx gun mounts. It was also one of the first ships outfitted to carry a drone for reconnaissance flights. Future plans for the Iowa include an interactive tour experience that will allow the visitor to experience what life at sea was like during active duty. Among the highlights will be viewing the inside of one of the main gun turrets, seeing the 17.5-inch armored conning station on the bridge and viewing Roosevelt's stateroom. There will also be tours of secondary weapons, missiles, engineering, armor and special spaces. An ADA accessibility plan calls for an elevator to be installed from the main deck to one below for access to the main exhibit areas. The museum is scheduled to open on July 7. ____ Web link: pacificbattleship.com http://pacificbattleship.com/page/museum http://pacificbattleship.com/page/tours

If so, then this may be for you: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/195-million-sea-shadow-stealth-sub-sale-only-172525837.html $195 million Sea Shadow stealth ship for sale, only $10,000 deposit required By Eric Pfeiffer | The Sideshow – 8 hrs ago The $195 million Sea Shadow is up for sale. (U.S. Department of Defense) The U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has placed its famous Sea Shadow stealth ship up for auction. And while the high-tech military sea vessel cost more than $195 million to develop, its opening bid was for the relatively tiny sum of $50,000, with only a $10,000 deposit required. The Courier Mail reports that the ship was made famous to a broader audience when it served as the inspiration for the home of James Bond's villainous foil in the film "Tomorrow Never Dies." The General Services Administration auction for the ship is scheduled to end this Thursday, with the current bid at the time of publishing up to just over $100,000. However, before you begin finalizing your plans for global dominance, there is one major catch to the auction: The ship will be dismantled and reduced to scrap before being handed out to the auction's eventual winner. "The ex-Sea Shadow shall be disposed of by completely dismantling and scrapping within the USA," reads the item's description on the GSA website. "Dismantling is defined as reducing the property such as it has no value except for its basic material content." The 164-foot experimental craft was first constructed in 1983 by Lockheed for the U.S. Navy andcontains the same stealth technology used by its more famous aerial counterparts. Although it appears almost flimsy on the surface, it actually contains two submerged twin hulls and is specifically designed to withstand very rough ocean waves of up to 18 feet. NOTE: Seems a hefty sum for what will end up being a bunch of scrap metal. A shame they don't just donate it to a museum or city for display somewhere here in the U.S.

Posting this one for Nick Link (Obergefreiter). I realize there are no reverse views so am contacting him to see if he can provide same. But for now here's the medal bar with matching ribbon bar: Over to you Nick... Dan :cheers:

The "hole" you see on the front does not go all the way through. I suspect it was made back in the day to confirm it was silver and not just plated or a fake. But keep in mind, I'm still very much in the learning stage on these. I've "dabbled" with ancients since the mid 70's but only have two Roman references and one covering Greek coins. Thankfully there seems to be a lot of info on the web. Some collectors may have turned away from this one, but I've always had a soft spot for underdogs... and I think it adds character if it was done for the reasons I suspect. Dan :cheers:

GORDIAN III Silver Antoninianus Virtus RIC 71, RSC 388

My first ancient Greek coin. Bruttium bronze Half-unit circa 214-111, Æ 4.00 g. Diademed head of Nike l. Rev. Zeus striding r., holding thunderbolt and holding sceptre. Scheu 28. Historia Numorum Italy 1982. Condition: Nice VF Dan :cheers:

I'm getting a sudden urge to watch I, Claudius again... can't imagine why... Dan :cheers:

And again, in different lighting:

ANTONINUS PIUS Silver Denarius 138-161 AD:

In different lighting:

My latest additions and the first since 2007 (yes, been WAY too long!). First off a TRAJAN Silver Denarius 97-117 AD:

You might want to check out this forum for the NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc.)... specifically a thread on these clocks: http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?63864-WWII-Seikosha-Aircraft-Clock-(Navy-Model) Out of curiosity, what else was in that lunch box... wish I could find boxes of goodies like this. With my luck... if I found an old lunch box... there would only be the remnants of an old lunch inside. Dan :cheers:

Happy I could help out on this one. As far as restoration... there's probably at least a couple ways of looking at it. If it's as rare as what I've seen indicated on the web then I think I'd consult with folks in the know on these before doing anything. If you do have it done it's definitely worth getting someone to do it right who's familiar with these particular clocks. May cost a good bit but on the other side of things it may increase the value of the clock. But again, always better to check and check again before doing anything permanent. Definitely would love to see the flags... am especially curious about the one you haven't ID'd yet. Dan :cheers:

http://news.yahoo.co...-063753789.html Cutting-edge Navy warship being built in Maine FILE - This file image released by Bath Iron Works shows a rendering of the DDG-1000 Zumwalt, the U.S. Navy's next-generation destroyer, which has been funded to be built at Bath Iron Works in Maine and at Northrop Grumman's shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. The enormous, expensive and technology-laden warship that some Navy leaders once tried to kill because of its cost is now viewed as an important part of the Obama administration's Asia-Pacific strategy, with advanced technology that the Navy’s top officer says represents the Navy’s future. (AP Photo/Bath Iron Works, File) By DAVID SHARP | Associated Press – Thu, Apr 12, 2012 BATH, Maine (AP) — An enormous, expensive and technology-laden warship that some Navy leaders once tried to kill because of its cost is now viewed as an important part of the Obama administration's Asia-Pacific strategy, with advanced capabilities that the Navy's top officer says represent the Navy's future. The stealthy, guided-missile Zumwalt that's taking shape at Bath Iron Works is the biggest destroyer ever built for the U.S. Navy. The low-to-the-water warship will feature a wave-piercing hull, composite deckhouse, electric drive propulsion, advanced sonar, missiles, and powerful guns that fire rocket-propelled warheads as far as 100 miles. It's also longer and heavier than existing destroyers — but will have half the crew because of automated systems. "With its stealth, incredibly capable sonar system, strike capability and lower manning requirements — this is our future," concluded Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, who gave the warship his endorsement on a visit last week to Bath Iron Works, where the ships are being built. It wasn't always this way. The General Accounting Office expressed concerns that the Navy was trying to incorporate too much new technology. Some Navy officials pointed out that it's less capable than existing destroyers when it comes to missile defense, and a defense analyst warned that it would be vulnerable while operating close to shore for fire support. Even its "tumblehome" hull was criticized as potentially unstable in certain situations. The 600-foot-long ships are so big that the General Dynamics-owned shipyard spent $40 million to construct a 106-foot-tall building to assemble the giant hull segments. And then there's the cost, roughly $3.8 billion apiece, according to the Navy's latest proposed budget. Including research and development, the cost grows to $7 billion apiece, said Winslow Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the Center for Defense Information in Washington. Because of cost, the originally envisioned 32 ships dipped to 24 and then seven. Eventually, program was truncated to just three. The first, the Zumwalt, will be christened next year and delivered to the Navy in 2014. But Greenert told reporters that the ship fits perfectly into the new emphasis on bolstering the U.S. military presence in the Pacific in response to Asia's growing economic importance and China's rise as a military power. Greenert didn't go into detail on how the new ship could be used. But the Defense Department has expressed concerns that China is modernizing its Navy with a near-term goal of stopping or delaying U.S. intervention in a conflict involving Taiwan. China considers the self-governing island a renegade province. Defense officials also see a potential flashpoint in the South China Sea, where China's territorial claims overlap with those of other countries including Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. The Zumwalt's new technology will allow the warship to deter and defeat aggression and to maintain operations in areas where an enemy seeks to deny access, both on the open ocean and in operations closer to shore, the Navy says. Jay Korman, industry analyst with The Avascent Group, said the warship uses so much new technology that it's viewed by the Navy as a "silver bullet" answer to threats. The only problem is the cost. "They were looking to introduce so many new technologies at once, and the cost ballooned," he said. "I don't think people have changed their minds that it's a capable ship. It's just too expensive." Unlike another new ship entering the Navy's arsenal — the small and speedy "littoral combat ship" — the Zumwalt will be heavily armored and armed. The Zumwalt's 155 mm deck guns were built to pound the shore with guided projectiles to pave the way for the Marines to arrive in landing craft, and they're far more cost-effective in certain situations than cruise missiles, said Eric Wertheim, author of the "Naval Institute's Guide to Combat Fleets of the World." The smaller crew also represents a substantial cost savings, he added. Down the road, the ship could one day be equipped with an electromagnetic railgun, a powerful weapon that uses a magnetic field and electric current to fire a projectile at several times the speed of sound. Production will stop after three ships, and the Navy will go back to building tried-and-true Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, 510-foot-long ships featuring a versatile Aegis radar system that's being modified for ballistic missile defense. Even with modifications, the ships will cost far less than the Zumwalt-class ships. For Bath's 5,400 workers, the Zumwalt has been both exciting and challenging, with a new design and new construction techniques. In the coming months, workers will take delivery of the composite deck house and helicopter hangar, which are being built at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Mississippi. Those will be placed on the Bath-built hull. "If anybody can do it and do it successfully, then I'm confident that's us," said Jay Wadleigh, vice president of Local S6 of the Machinists Union in Bath. ___ Online: Bath Iron Works: http://www.gdbiw.com

It's a WW2 Japanese aircraft clock. Hopefully someone can translate the manufacturers plate in the last pic. It's missing it's face and hands as well as a cover for the back to protect the movement. I'm thinking perhaps the knob, although sideways to the mechanism may be how it's wound. Seikosha (精工舎 Seikōsha?) was a branch of the Japanese company Seiko that produces clocks, watches, shutters, computer printers and other devices. It was the root of the manufacturing companies of the Seiko Group. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikosha Here's several pics of a case which contains, among other things a complete example of the clock you have: http://goldsmithwatchworks.com/JAPANESE-OCTOBER/WWII%20IMPERIAL%20JAPAN%20MILITARY%20HATTORI%20SEIKOSHA%20COLLECTION%20MAP%20ID%20MEDALS%20CARDS.htm Go about half way down the page and you'll see a series of close up photos from several angles of the complete clock. These folks do repairs and restorations on military clocks: http://www.historictimekeepers.com/Aircraft_clocks.htm Hope this helps. Dan :cheers:

That site is a terrific idea... and although it has an English option it only comes up with some of the page in English. Bad part is that the form to fill in to get information is still all in Russian. I'd LOVE to recheck the pieces I have that I've got research / a name for but no idea what to put in what blank, so I've been dead in the water. I pray they'll make it all come up in English at some point as I'd LOVE to be able to use the site. Great group Paul! :jumping: I don't know about most Soviet collectors but to me, a lot of the beauty of them is the SN's and being able to (in most cases) find out the history behind the award(s). Unlike most ODM's that come our way that are anonymous with these you can fill in the blanks. To me, it doesn't matter if it was for long service as it still makes a very personal connection to it's history... not just some nameless individual in the depths of the past. This is especially true when a picture(s) comes back with the research. To me, it's always worth doing it. Yes, great to get a super hero or famous individual... but honestly, how often does that generally happen. It took a lot of folks both in the front lines as well as behind them to keep things moving and to make the history we've all studied for so long. Just like my LS ORB... about the only way I could be more pleased is if one of the pics showed him wearing that ORB that I now have. Otherwise... I love it just as much as if it had come back to a General or Marshal or some guy that single handedly captured half the German army. I can see the face... I can read his history and holding the award in my hand makes a very strong connection. Plus... he's now remembered whereas before he may not have been. If it were me... I'd say go for it. But I agree... check the site first... you might luck out. Good luck! Can't wait to hear more. :jumping: Dan :cheers:

Chris, if you don't already have one I'd suggest a Broomhandle Mauser complete with wooden shoulder stock and leather rig for it. They look very impression and exotic and were definitely used throughout the war and into WW2 as well. Dan :cheers:

Looks like a W to me Chris... if so I'd think it would be Wagner in Berlin. Although there appears to be a smaller mark beside it... could it be an a... if so I think that would still be Wagner in Berlin as I believe they used both marks. Dan :cheers: