A few CVRR pictures and some other related pictures....2

[healey36]

Never heard of them (before now), but that would explain the "T" on the pennant.

My wife recalls taking a steamer from Baltimore to Betterton with her sisters and her grandmother, sometime in the early 1960s (I think the beach resort there closed in 1968). By then, people were heading to the ocean for beach days, forsaking the old beach resorts on the Chesapeake. Places like Betterton, Tolchester, and Chesapeake City saw a sharp decline beginning in the late 1930s, primarily around the time the first automobile ferry across the bay went into service.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Was what happened to the Hiddenburg at the disaster in NJ the reason for the discontinuance of their use in commercial travel? I believe the “mast” that tops the Empire State Building was originally designed as a mooring staff for parking them, though I never could figure out how disembarking passengers nor acquiring them could have been accomplished between the building staff and the cabin at a dirigible’s underbelly (?)
What say yee , gents?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Was what happened to the Hiddenburg at the disaster in NJ the reason for the discontinuance of their use in commercial travel?

The Hindenburg disaster ended the use of hydrogen; helium based blimps continued in use by the Navy up through 1962. That photo of a blimp retrieving a plane is of a US Navy blimp, the USS Akron.

Commercial blimps continue in use - think Goodyear, etc. There has also been a resurgence in interest in their use for commercial freight transport. While commercial passenger traffic was possible, we are an impatient population and travel by airplane was not something a blimp could compete against long term.

[robert.]

It’s always exciting to see a blimp. I cant say for sure but i think they are rarely used. Drones and overhead cameras on wires have made them obsolete. Goodyear and Met life don’t want to be know for using valuable Helium.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Both are intelligent and well-informed replies. Thank you, both.

[healey36]

As far as I know, ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik Gmbh is still in business, developing, constructing, and operating airships. I believe they built Goodyear's current fleet of blimps, probably MetLife's and DirecTV's as well. I don't think there are very many blimps still in operation, primarily, as Robert said, due to the high cost of helium.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

As far as I know, ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik Gmbh is still in business, developing, constructing, and operating airships.

They are and that's who I was referring to building freight airships.

...........the high cost of helium.

Another Nat'l security issue that not enough know about or understand; right up there with rare earths.....

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The USS Yosemite's main deck gun:

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[J. S. Bach]

That view reminded me of two things:
1. I once had a part-time van driver job taking recruits to Ft. Dix from Baltimore once or twice a month. The rest of the time a 40' bus was used and someone else drove that.
2. At a different job (draftsman trainee at Ft Meade), I was responsible for the drawing files and had the plans for that style of barracks in my hands for a bit; I do not remember now as to why I did not run them through the Ozalid machine to get a copy for myself; just the plan and elevation drawings were all that I would have wanted. What is odd is that I did copy a few other drawings of interest.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[healey36]

I was going to ask what ship this might be, but I figured it out from the image file title:



USS Yosemite was one of about a dozen auxiliary cruisers of the USN during Spanish-American War era, effectively a merchant ship subsequently armed and operated by the Navy. What caught my attention was the steel doors that, when closed, hid the 5-inch gun largely from view. This was part of the auxiliary cruiser schtick, as they operated by stealth, creeping up on unsuspecting ships while appearing like just another merchantman. Once at close-range, the doors were opened and the guns trained on its adversary. The German Navy made great use of auxiliary cruisers during WWI (and to some extent WWII), SMS Möwe being perhaps the best example.

Over the years, there's been frequent debate as to whether the USN ever employed auxiliary cruisers. Based on these pictures, the answer must certainly be yes.

Here's another shot of Yosemite from the Wik, sometime before her loss in November, 1900, due to damage suffered during a storm:



Just to belabor this a bit more, auxiliary cruisers should not be confused with Q-ships. These, as developed by the British, operated as decoys, luring unsuspecting surfaced submarines and auxiliary cruisers to close in for inspection, thinking the Q-ship was just another merchant ship. Once within range, the Q-ship would uncover their guns and other weapons and let the raider have it. There were numerous spirited engagements between German raiders and the Q-ships, with the Q frequently besting its opponent.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I was going to ask what ship this might be, but I figured it out from the image file title.

I did include the name of the ship in my post. Thanks for all the info on it