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andystanberg · 6 years

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Red Hair and Hand Me Downs: Chapter 3

The Surprise Slytherin

Chapter 2 | Read on AO3 | Read on Wattpad | Chapter 4

Chapter Summary:

Harry enters Hogwarts and gets Sorted. The Great Hall are in for a surprise.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before the train pulled up to a small platform surrounded by a forest. For the last five minutes or so, he, Ron and Draco had been staring out the window trying to get a glimpse of the castle, but either the trees were too tall or the sky was too dark, for they hadn’t seen a thing.

Harry and Ron followed Draco out of the train and onto the platform. Just as they were about to ask someone where they had to go, a great booming voice called out over the crowd, “Firs’-years! Firs’-years over here! All right there, Harry?”

Harry looked up into Hagrid’s beaming face and smiled. Ron leant over and whispered in his ear, “Harry, who’s this?” Harry didn’t get a chance to reply.

“It seems yeh’ve made another friend!” Hagrid exclaimed upon seeing Ron. “Would yer look at tha’, you have the same hair!” Harry had a feeling he’d be getting that a lot. “C’mon, follow me – any more firs’-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs’-years follow me!” Hagrid continued to round up the tiny first-years and then lead them down a steep, narrow path. Harry wondered why none of the other, older students were taking this way.

“Yeh’ll get yer firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a sec,” Hagrid called over his shoulder, “Jus’ round this bend here.”

When they did go round, there was a collective “Oh!” from the students. The path had led them to the side of a giant lake. More interestingly, on the other side of the lake, there was a giant castle. Its huge windows sparkled and Harry noted that it had many turrets and towers. His heart raced in excitement. Even Draco, who Harry knew must be quite rich, looked on in awe.

“No more’n four to a boat!” Hagrid called out suddenly, and Harry finally spotted a small fleet of boats bobbing in the water near the shore.

“Draco!” Two voices shouted suddenly, and the trio spun around to see two brutish boys coming towards them.

“Crabbe, Goyle,” Draco greeted coolly, nodding at each in turn. Harry thought that he didn’t seem too pleased with them.

“Where’d you go in such a rush?” One of them – Crabbe – asked.

When they said that, a pug-nosed girl with neat, dark-brown hair spun around to face them. “There you are, Malfoy! How dare you leave like that?” she exclaimed furiously.

“Calm down, Pansy. I just went to find Potter, of course,” Draco explained. Pansy’s eyes widened in shock. She looked behind Draco to where Harry and Ron were standing, then proceeded to size them up.

“Potter? That’s a weird name,” Crabbe noted. Everyone but Goyle glared at him. Draco rolled his eyes.

“Which one is –“ Pansy’s question was never finished as she caught sight of Harry’s small and embarrassed wave. “You don’t mean that you’re–“ she started in disbelief. She paused. Collecting herself, she stuck out her hand. “I’m Pansy, as you know. Pansy Parkinson.”

Harry shook it as Ron snorted, “Are all the other purebloods this stuck-up?”

Harry didn’t say anything, but he did agree. He smiled to himself as he remembered how Draco had introduced himself.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Pansy narrowed her eyes at Ron. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Anyway,” she turned back to Harry, “did you know that Draco went on and on about you to me for weeks after meeting you in Diagon Alley? I believe your first conversation took place in Madam Malkin? He said that your name was Harry, but he never thought to inform me that you were the Harry Potter! I can see what he meant by shy, but not in the annoying way and oh, Draco, you were right, he really does have the most hazel eyes to ever exist. In fact, I can almost see them sparkle golden in the light, just like you said they would.”

Draco covered Pansy’s mouth before she could say anything else. Harry got the feeling that Pansy had been purposefully trying to embarrass Draco as payback for ditching her and the other two boys.

“Hurry up, into the boats!”

They all whirled around to see Hagrid and the other first-years waiting impatiently, all of them already in their own boats. Harry, Ron, Draco and Pansy clambered into the only empty boat left, leaving Crabbe and Goyle to hop in with Neville and Hermione. Harry grimaced sympathetically.

“Everyone in?” shouted Hagrid. “Right then – FORWARD!”

Harry clutched the side of his boat as they suddenly jolted forward, and before he knew it, they were gliding across the lake.

“Right,” Pansy said, drawing the attention back to her. “I already know Draco and Harry, now who are you?” she asked Ron.

“Ron Weasley,” he replied.

Pansy’s face was one of disgust as she opened her mouth to speak. Quickly, Draco cut in. “He’s all right, you know, for a Weasley.” He sent a meaningful nod towards Harry and Pansy followed with her eyes.

“Oh. That’s right. Halfblood, forgot.” Pansy settled back down. Ron frowned at this.

“What have you got against halfbloods?” he challenged. Harry desperately wished that whenever he met someone knew, his friends didn’t have to try and pick a fight.

“Sorry, but what do you mean by halfblood and pureblood?” Harry asked. It didn’t seem to be the right thing to say, as Ron’s scowl grew.

“Yeah, go on, tell Harry Potter, the most famous person you’ll ever set your eyes on, a halfblood, about it.”

Draco and Pansy shifted uncomfortably in their seats. “Look, I’m sure Pansy didn’t mean anything about, and besides, it’s not like most purebloods have a choice in their views. Most of the time it’s their parents and –“

“So are you saying you’re one of them too?” Ron seethed. He then placed a protective arm around Harry.

“No, no, of course not, it’s just –“

“Your father is? I know.” Seeing Draco’s pleading face, Ron sighed. “Fine. You haven’t said anything too insulting so far. However, don’t expect me to be all chummy with her.” He jerked his head in the direction of Pansy.

“Hey! Look, I’m sorry, okay? It’s just my mother and father are always telling me horrible things about the Weasleys and –“ she cut herself off. “Never mind. I’m sure your family isn’t too bad. This has gone off to a bad start. Let’s talk about something else. I heard there’s a giant squid in this lake.”

As soon as she said this, they heard a great splash. It appeared that the boat with Neville, Hermione, Crabbe and Goyle had capsized. Harry had a good idea on what – or rather, who – was responsible for this. Hagrid called the boats to a stop and steered his as close as he could get to the upturned boat. He flipped it over and not a second later, a humongous tentacle burst through the water and dumped the sopping lot onto the boat. Hagrid took off his coat and gave it to them, before the boats started moving again.

All collectively coming to the wordless agreement that the argument was over, Pansy, Draco, Ron and Harry started talking about their excitement of what was to come. The purebloods described to Harry all they knew of Hogwarts, Ron pitching on secret passageways Fred and George had told him about, Pansy gossiping away about their future classmates and the ghosts, and Draco giving them information on the teachers and houses.

“Oh yeah, that reminds me, how are we sorted?” Harry asked.

“Fred and George told me we have to battle a troll,” Ron squeaked out in a small voice. “I’ve been trying not to think about it.”

Harry felt himself go pale. He didn’t even know any magic yet! How was he supposed to battle a troll?! Draco and Pansy’s laughter broke into his panic-filled haze.

“They did, did they?” Draco snorted. “Well, I guess the magical creatures department shouldn’t be around any more, because apparently first-years are all now expected to fight them! Pansy, Pansy, can you believe?” The girl was laughing too hard to respond. Catching the other two’s confused expressions, Draco explained. “Don’t worry Weasley, Potter, you’re not expected to fight a troll. I’m pretty sure neither are seventh-years, for heaven’s sake! All you have to do is put on the Sorting Hat. It – it’s, to put it simply, a magical hat that can read your mind. It looks at your traits and decides which house you belong in.”

Harry and Ron breathed out in relief. In hindsight, it was rather stupid to believe that the school would put a bunch of eleven-year-olds in danger.

–

Hagrid had led them to a great oaken door. It had swung open to reveal a stern-looking witch in emerald-green robes. She thanked Hagrid and then led the bunch of small first-years inside, showing them the huge Entrance Hall. The stone walls were lined with flaming torches and the ceiling was so high Harry thought you must have been able to fit twenty Hagrids all standing on top of each other and they would still have room for more.

Currently, they were in an empty chamber coming off the Hall. On the way, Harry had heard the undecipherable chatter of what must have been the rest of the students.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” said Professor McGonagall, in a rather terse, uncomforting voice. She then explained the whole house deal, which, of course, Harry, Draco, Pansy and Ron already knew. There were a few stern warnings about points, which Harry didn’t know, but overall, it was nothing he hadn’t heard before. (Except, maybe this speech was more formal and drawn out. And more frightening. Harry preferred it when his friends were explaining it.)

“I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly,” Professor McGonagall finished.

Harry looked around and saw that most of the first-years seemed to share the same thought he had had a few moments ago. There wasn’t a lot of talking. Everyone else looked too nervous to utter a word – excluding Hermione Granger. She was muttering quickly under her breath. Neville was beside her, doing his very best to listen and take notes. Harry figured the girl was revising spells. They both looked deathly pale.

Feeling bad, Harry broke away from his three friends to talk to them.

Hermione saw him first. “Hold still,” she ordered. She raised her wand, aiming right at Harry’s face. Before he had time to react, perhaps runaway, she said clearly, “Oculus reparo.” In an instant, Harry noticed the difference. The cracks that had previously just been a part of his world disappeared from his glasses. The broken bit that rested on his nose and was taped together was as good as new.

“Thanks!” Harry blinked and admired his glasses, astonished.

“No problem. Besides, I needed to practice. Who knows what kind of test we’ll be expected to take in there? I have to be prepared.”

“About that,” Harry said, “you don’t need to know any magic yet.” At this, Neville relaxed, although Hermione still looked unsure.

“Are you certain?” she asked.

“Yes, well, Draco and Pansy told me. You only have to put on the Sorting Hat. It can, er, read your mind, I guess. Basically, it finds out all your traits and decides which house would suit you best.”

Mollified, Hermione and Neville thanked him furiously, but Harry just waved them off, saying it was no problem. He then hurried back over to where his friends were watching.

“That was rather kind of you,” Pansy noted.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have thought to have done that,” Ron added.

“Honestly, Potter. You’re such a Hufflepuff!” Draco exclaimed. None of those things were said in a mean way, but Harry still felt he had to defend himself.

“I was only doing the right thing!” Harry protested. It was true. He just wanted to help them out. Neville and Hermione deserved that, at the very least, especially after everything that had happened. They got dumped in freezing lake water on their first day at Hogwarts! Surely they had suffered enough.

“We know,” Draco chuckled fondly.

At that moment, several first-years started screaming. Everyone swung around to see numerous transparent figures gliding in and out of the walls and across the room. Ghosts, Harry realised, just as one – who appeared to be in an argument with another – passed through him. Harry gasped. It was like having a cold shower, except for your insides, if that made sense.

“- gives us all a bad name and you know, he’s not even really a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?” the ghost asked. Nobody answered. Harry was still trying to get over the strange feeling of something passing through him.

“New students!” exclaimed the ghost’s companion. “About to be sorted, I suppose?” A few people nodded. “Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know.” The ghosts then started to drift through the walls and into the Great Hall.

“Move along now,” shooed Professor McGonagall, who had just come back. “The Sorting Ceremony is about to start.”

The remaining few ghosts were gone in an instant. They all appeared to have a certain level of respect for the elderly witch, and Harry could see why. At McGonagall’s demand, the first-years all got into a line and shuffled into the Great Hall.

Harry looked around and gasped along with the others. The Great Hall was even bigger than the Entrance Hall! They may not have been able to determine the height of the last Hall’s ceiling, but this one had no end whatsoever, as it opened up onto the night sky above.

At least, that’s what Harry (and probably many others) thought before Hermione whispered, “It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.”

The first-years attention was drawn back to Professor McGonagall as she silently placed a stool at the front of the Hall – and all its inhabitants. On top of this stool, she placed a ragged, pointed hat, which looked very out of place with the general elegance surrounding Hogwarts.

Harry certainly didn’t want that hat anywhere near his head, and, after a quick glance behind him to where Draco, Pansy and Ron were standing, his friends looked like they agreed. It didn’t even look that special – in fact, it was rather dirty and frayed. He briefly wondered why the hall of students was silent, because surely this hat didn’t do anything too spectacular, when a rip near the brim opened.

The hat began to sing. After its song, Harry concluded two things:

First, Draco was right about the reading minds thing, if “there’s nothing hidden in your head, the Sorting Hat can’t see,” was to be believed and second, that Hufflepuff and Gryffindor didn’t appear to be as bad as the blond had made them out to be.

Once the applause had died down, Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

“When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,” she announced. “Abbott, Hannah!”

While a small girl with pigtails stumbled out of the line of first-years and put on the hat, Harry turned to his friends.

“I bet you a Sickle that she gets sorted into Hufflepuff,” Draco whispered to Pansy.

“Hey, that’s so unfair, I was going to say –“ Pansy’s protest was cut off by the Sorting Hat shouting out “Hufflepuff!”

Draco smugly held out his hand. Pansy rolled her eyes and fished around in her robes before pulling out a silver coin. “Whatever,” she muttered.

“Harry!” Draco exclaimed, catching his eye. “Do you want to take a bet?” The boy was grinning – a stark contrast to how Harry and Ron looked. Realising this, Draco rolled his eyes. “Oh, chin up. It’ll be fine. The only thing you have to worry about is a hatstall.”

“A what?!” both redheads cried.

“A hatstall. It’s what wizards call a new student who takes longer than five minutes to be sorted. They’re quite rare, so there’s no point agonising over it.” This information didn’t help either of them. “Look, Harry, just be glad you won’t be one of the last ones sorted, like Weasley over here.”

“Hey!”

“Shush, Ron. It’ll be my turn soon and you already have brothers to console you,” Draco said. “Potter, however, doesn’t.” Ron and Draco then started arguing, and Harry got distracted by the Sorting once more. He was glad he looked over when he did, because it was Hermione’s turn now.

When she sat down on the stool, Harry gave her a small, reassuring smile. She returned it just before the hat covered her eyes.

A few minutes later, the Sorting Hat declared her to be a Gryffindor. Ron groaned.

“No offense, Harry, but I’d rather not have her in what is likely to be my house,” he explained once he saw Harry’s disapproving expression.

A couple more sortings passed, and then it was Neville’s turn. Harry grimaced sympathetically when the boy tripped over his own feet on his way to the stool. Harry felt even sorrier for Neville when he ran off after being sorted into Gryffindor still wearing the hat.

The sortings flew by after him. Soon, “MacDougal, Morag,” was called and Harry immediately felt Draco tense up ever-so-slightly. It would be the blond boy’s turn next, so Harry understood his apparent nervousness.

However, when “Malfoy, Draco,” was finally called, it was like a switch had been flicked. Now that the school’s eyes were on him, he straightened and confidently strode up. Harry wondered how he could possibly look so composed. He watched with interest as the Sorting Hat was placed on Draco’s head and – no, it had barely even touched a single hair when it screamed, “Slytherin!” out to the Great Hall.

Harry clapped with pride. Draco shot him a grin as he went to join Crabbe and Goyle.

Then Pansy’s turn came, but not even ten seconds later, and she was sorted into Slytherin too. Harry wished desperately to be in Slytherin, or maybe Gryffindor with Hermione, Neville and (probably) Ron. His stomach twisted as the P’s were flying by, because surely it couldn’t be long now and then –

“Potter, Harry.”

He stepped forward. His anxiety only worsened when he heard the sudden silence. It didn’t last for long, as soon whispers were being passed not-so-secretly. All of them went a little something like:

“Potter, did she say?”

“The Harry Potter?”

The Sorting Hat was soon dropped over his eyes, but not before he saw almost every student in the Hall craning to get a good look. Some were even standing up.

“Hmm.” Harry jumped slightly when he heard a small voice in his ear. “Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There’s talent, oh my goodness yes,” Harry doubted this, “and a thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting… So where shall I put you?”

Harry knew that the Sorting Hat was asking this rhetorically, but he couldn’t help but to think desperately, ‘Slytherin, please. Or Gryffindor. Slytherin or Gryffindor, Slytherin or Gryffindor.’

“Yes, yes, I’m trying to choose between the two,” the Hat said. After a moment of deliberation, it spoke again. “You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that…”

‘Slytherin, then. Please.’

“Oh, I had already decided to put you in there, don’t worry. I merely wanted to make sure.” Not a second later, and the Sorting Hat held true to what it had said, as it had announced to a stunned Hall, “Slytherin!”

#harry potter #drarry #draco malfoy #harry potter fic #drarry fic #harry potter au #rhahmd #my works

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bigjohnsadventuresintravel · 4 years

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Remembering Pearl Harbor

On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service launched a surprise, preemptive strike on the US. Pacific Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. All around the island of Oahu, other US military bases and strategic locations of defense were simutaneously attacked by Japanese aircraft. The attack began at 0748 hrs., when the first of 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft , (consisting of two waves of fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo planes), broke through the clouds and began wreaking havoc on their unsuspecting targets below.

A japanese bomber soars up and over battleship row after releasing its payload.

In the aftermath of the Sunday morning attack, all 8 US Navy battleship were damaged with 4 sunk. The Japanese also sank 3 destroyers, 3 cruisers, 1 minelayer, and an anti-aircaft training ship. 188 US aircraft had also been destroyed in the attack; 2,403 Americans were killed, and another 1,178 others were wounded. By attacking the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese had hoped to prevent the United States from interfering with its planned military campaigns in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. One day after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on the Empire of Japan.

Big John at Pearl Harbor Memorial, Hawaii

Blessed with the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time on the island of Oahu, I made it my priority to explore the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as other areas directly affected by the December 7 attack. These are just a few of the photos I captured along the way. It was my intention that these photos cause readers to pause and reflect on this momentous event that led the United States into World War II.

Although some of the sites at the Pearl Harbor Memorial are paid attractions, the USS Arizona Memorial is entirely free. If you plan on visiting the site, I highly recommended that you get there as early in the morning as possible as the tickets to the USS Arizona are all on a first come – first serve basis. The later it is that you reach the park, the longer it is that you will most likely have to wait. While waiting your turn to see the USS Arizona, there are a number of museum-quality displays to explore, as well as the USS Bowfin submarine, and a gift shop and cafe.

Going out to the USS Arizona is a very solemn experience. First visitors will be ushered into a theater where they will watch a moving documentary of the Pearl Harbor attack on a large screen. After the film, visitors will board a boat where US Navy sailors will take them out to the wreckage. During the entire tour of the USS Arizona, all talking and texting is highly discouraged. Photographs are encouraged and permitted.

US Navy sailors ferry visitors to and from the USS Arizona

Battleship USS West Virginia sunk and burning at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. In background is the battleship USS Tennessee.

The USS West Virginia was hit with seven type 91torpedoes on her port side while bombers struck her with a pair of 16 in (410 mm) armor piercing shells. The ship was sunk but did not capsize. The crippling damage to the USS West Virginia caused it to sink upright to the harbor floor During the attack, 106 sailors lost their lives. The USS West Virginia was eventually repaired and saw action during many World War II battles in the Pacific.

Survivors of Pearl Harbor described the scene as a literal hell on earth. Everywhere there were explosions, screams and fire. Sailors jumped from their ships into the harbor, covered in oil and fully engulfed in flames. All the while, Japanese planes continued their onslaught while brave sailors, Marines, and aviators tried to repel their attack.

The USS Arizona (BB-39) explodes violently as a Japanese bomb detonates inside a powder magazine.

For 1,177 officers and crew of the USS Arizona, there would be no future war stories to be told. For the men that died aboard the USS Arizona, the war ended even before it had begun. Unlike many of the other ships that were sunk on December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona was well beyond repair. The wreckage of the ship, along with her valiant men, still lie at the bottom of Pearl Harbor.

The USS Arizona Memorial with USS Missouri in the background.

The USS Arizona Memorial is an actual gravesite as many sailors are still entombed inside the hull of the ship. The memorial was designed by Alfred Preis, an Austrian-born architect who was sent to a US internment camp after the Pearl Harbor attack.

Although the memorial is positioned directly over the wreckage of the USS Arizona, no part of its structure actually rests on the ship.

To this day, considerable amounts of oil from the ship still seep to the water’s surface.

The names of all lost who served aboard the USS Arizona and lost their lives on December 7, 1941.

An actual anchor belonging to the USS Arizona that was recovered in Pearl Harbor.

The USS Bowfin (SS-287), a Balao-class submarine, saw action in the Pacfic and is now moored at Pearl Harbor, HI.

The lone sailor now stands watch over Pearl Harbor and is a tribute to all those who served in the sea services.

A WWII era torpedo

Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, American Naval Command believed that Pearl Harbor was too shallow for a successful torpedo attack. In planning their operation, the Japanese modified their torpedoes to operate effectively in only about 40 feet of water. The Type 91 torpedo, which was deployed in the attack, was an aerial torpedo designed to be launched from an airplane. The torpedo’s wooden stabilizers were shed from the tail fins immediately upon water entry and the weapon power-glided towards its target just below the water’s surface.

Map showing the December 7, 1941 attack on the island of Oahu.

The Pearl Harbor Naval Base wasn’t the only thing on Oahu attacked on December 7, 1941. The Japanese also struck Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hickam Airfield, Bellows Field, Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, and Ewa Mooring Mast Field. Along with the numerous military personnel killed and wounded, there were also 49 civilians who lost their lives that day.

A restored Japanese Zero at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum on Ford Island, Hawaii.

Many Japanese pilots carried these “good-luck” banners with them inside the cockpits of their planes.

Actual wreckage from a Japanese fighter plane.

On December 8, 1941, Sakamaki became the first Japanese prisoner-of-war as he stumbled out of his beached mini-submarine at Bellows Air Station, Hawaii.

Sakamaki was commanding a 79-foot submarine armed with twin 18-inch torpedoes. His mission to destroy the USS Pennsylvania was cut short when it got stuck on reefs at Belllows Air Station and them bombed by US piloys patrolling the area.

My son, Jonah, stands in the same spot the Japanese submarine washed to shore.

This map was found in the beached submarine showing the entrance to Pearl Harbor.

The big barracks at Hickam Field was set ablaze after being strafed and bombed by Japanese aircraft.

During the attack on the barracks, a bomb directly struck the mess hall during breakfast and killed 35 men. In total, the casualties on Hickam Field totaled 121 men killed, 274 wounded and 37 missing.

Today, the Hickam barracks serve as the Headquarters for the Pacific Air Force.

This flag, which once flew proudly over Hickam barracks, was rescued from destruction on the day of infamy.

The Courtyard of Heroes inside the courtyard of the Pacific Air Force Headquarters Building (formerly Hickam barracks).

Those that view the bullet holes and shrapnel damage to these walls are reminded to always stay vigilant.

A wall of remembrance at the Pacific Air Force Headquarters Building

A Japanese dive bomber aims for the runway at Ford Island and Battleship Row.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (Photo courtesy of www.worldwar2database.com)

This view was captured from from the top of Ford Island’s control tower as Hangar 6 burned after being struck by multiple bombs. Men can be seen pushing planes away from the carnage while trying to fight back the flames. Imperial Japanese Navy Captain Mitsuo Fuchida broadcasted the words, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!) to signal a successful surprise attack. Captain Fuchida later recalled, “When Lieutenant Commander Takahashi and his dive-bombing group mistook my signal and thought we were making a non-surprise attack, his fifty-three planes lost no time in dashing forward.”

The tower on Ford Island as it appears today.

These glass panes still carry bullet holes from the December 7, 1941 attack.

The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum on Ford Island houses a Boeing B17 Flying Fortress. Visitors to the museum can see this heavy bomber, along with many other planes that helped America win the war in the Pacific.

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was one of WWII’s most famous fighters.

This Douglas SBD (slow-but-deadly) Dauntless was the navy’s premier dive bomber of that day.

This massive burial ceremony was performed for the men killed at NAS Kaneohe Bay during the December 7th attack.

This signpost represents the crossroads to war in the Pacific.

Following the vicious attacks on Pearl Harbor, nearly every able-bodied American rushed to the recruiting office to do their part for the war effort.

My maternal grandfather, Robert Triebull, (on the right), crouches for a snapshot outside the Lan Ting restaurant, Waikiki, Hawaii.

Robert Triebull enlisted in the navy. He drove Marines to shore on landing craft (LCVP) during seven major battles in the Pacific. Click on the following link to read more of his story:

Diary of a Higgins Boat Sailor in the Pacific

My paternal Grandfather, Richard Cutler, serving as a Marine in the jungles of the Pacific.

Richard Cutler joined the Marines when the war broke out. He served as a rifleman and also played the saxophone in the Marine Corps band. Read more of his story by clicking this link:

A Leatherneck with a Saxophone Takes to the Pacific

Many scenes from the Pacific Theater can be revisited at Pearl Harbor Memorial.

The USS Missouri (BB-63) is now permanently moored at Ford Island, Hawaii, USA.

Signing an end to WWII aboard the USS Missouri Battleship.

On September 2, 1945, the Japanese joined with allied forces aboard the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) to sign the Instruments of Surrender. This event marked the allies’ victory over Japan and the ended the war.

Big John takes his mother to meet Sterling Cale, one of the last remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor Attack.

Sterling Cale is a true American Hero. He went on to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, only to serve again in both the Korean War and Vietnam. On the day of our visit, Sterling Cale was at the park signing autographs for his inspiring autobiography.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

Through the passing of time, historical events can become so distant that they adopt an almost abstract quality to them. In remembering Pearl Harbor, I hope we always remember that the men that died there, and those men and women that ultimately served and sacrificed in the Second World War, were not some abstract figures in some bygone, abstract event. The attack on Pearl Harbor – the day that will live in infamy – involved the very heart of America, our very own families and friends.

Happy travels,

Big John

#Hawaii #Oahu #pearl harbor #WW2

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ohmargaery · 5 years

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Black Fleet

Black Fleet is the 2th game published by Space Cowboys : Just after the successful family game "+" Splendor and before the very good and very "Expert" Elysium. The first visuals of the game had also capsized more than one player because the illustrations -signed Denis Zilber- are simply to die for. It must be said that the guy has-among other- worked for Dreamworks and Universal Pictures: it throws on a C.V. And then the first news about the game came with an item that will be the cause of big badly heard: the box displays "14 years is +". Thus, many players began to extrapolate before the release of the game that Black Fleet would be an "Expert" game ... So be clear right away, Black Fleet Is NOT a gamers game. It will not burn any neuron (And as I do not have much, it's good!). Far from it. This game is primarily a game of Piracy and " Pick and delivery ". A family game so with a hint of opportunism and malice. Now that the situation is clarified, let's see what in the belly this game that Sebastian Bleasdale, the author of the game, took 10 years (!) To develop.

When we open the box Black Fleet, we are happy: metal duplicates (the same as that proposed as an option for the release of the game « Libertalia "), Plastic boats of very good quality, a substantial game board and a myriad of cards for moves, special effects and improvements. VERY beautiful stuff! It would almost feel like opening a box of Days Of Wonder (specialists in this field). The end of the end, the thermoforming of the box represents a skull of Pirate: High class ! Once the game is in place, we have only one desire: to play any ceasing business!

The mechanics of Black Fleet is very simple. In turn, the player plays a moving card on the two he owns. This allows him to play, in the order of his choice, the following boats of the number of squares indicated:

Move your merchant ship: If he arrives at a port, he sells all his goods at the price indicated and refuel instantly with the goods of the port of arrival. Move Pirate Ship : to attack an opposing merchant ship and steal one of his cargo. The pirate ship will earn money for attacking this ship but also burying her loot in a safe place. Move one of the two frigates: These belong to all players and are in charge of casting the enemy pirate ships. Each Pirate so catch up will be sunk and the player will earn money. Added to this is the fact that the player can use "Fortune de Mer" cards often offering very (too much) effective benefits.

Finally, the player can, if he wishes (and especially if he has the means), buy one of his improvement cards making his boats more powerful: One of the essential points of the game.

Then, the player draws a "Move" card and it is the next player's turn.

The victory at Black Fleet is awarded to the player who has managed to buy all his cards of improvement + his card of Victory. In the event of a tie at the end of the round, the player with the most gold coins wins. Logic for Pirates! 😉

A magnificent material (metal parts, pretty boats, superb illustrations),

A large and very readable tray, Very fast implementation, Quick start, A good family game (affordable from 10 years), One hour of play the game, Opportunity and dirt, do you want it? here's ! The collective eagerness on the player starting to get ahead (yes, if, for me, it's a plus! 😉)

The lessers :

3 or 4 players only, Maybe a little too much text on the cards for young players, Some powers of Improvement cards or Fortune de Mer quite unbalanced, The "14 years and more" on the box making believe a game for big players.

I discovered Black Fleet late because I had read too many conflicting opinions on the net. So I waited to have the opportunity to play to decide whether or not to buy the only game of Space Cowboys which was missing from my toy library. Less than a quarter of an hour after completing my first game, I was at my favorite dealer to get a copy of this family game. Why, then ? Well, because I understood that Black Fleet is a game of Pirates in all that this involves: metal coins, sometimes unbalanced and unfair "Sea Fortune" cards such as storms in the ocean, opportunism, low shots and finally a reviving atmosphere my child's soul! Yes, I would have loved to have such a game when I was 10 years old ... today, I have almost 4 times more (I said "almost!", Do not be derogatory) and it does not not stop taking a lot of fun. We win in fun what we probably lose in strategy, that's for sure. On the other hand, the topic of piracy makes me think more of "Injustice" and "opportunism" than "Management" and "Strategy". So you are warned: Black Fleet is a simple game, dynamic and perfectly in its theme. If you are looking for a cerebral experience, go your way, otherwise if the call of the open sea (and the darling) tempts you, then you know what you have to do!

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writenavy · 7 years

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Is it possible for a massive hurricane to sink a battleship? How long would it take and how would it happen? If not a big battleship, how small would the ship have to be to be conquered by the weather alone?

Watertight integrity is important when it comes to containing/combating battle damage, but it works against weather, too. Basically, what that means is that the ship is divided into subsections, and the flooding of any one (or several) subsections would not be enough to sink the ship. You can see those subsections here, in the Iowa-class battleship:

Is it possible for a massive hurricane to sink a battleship?

Hurricanes have sunk ships before, and in a perfect situation, it can happen even to a battleship. The most famous example in the US Navy is what we tend to call Halsey’s Typhoon (there’s even a book with that title, which is pretty good) or Typhoon Cobra. The short version is that in 1944, Admiral Halsey unwittingly sailed his entire fleet right into a huge typhoon. Three destroyers were sunk, and nine other ships were damaged by flooding, high waves hitting them, and fires started by equipment banging around. Almost 800 Sailors died.

This is a picture of USS Sante Fe (a cruiser) rolling in the typhoon. It was pretty brutal - this is the kind of time you find yourself walking on bulkheads:

Is Sante Fe going to capsize? Nope! That’s because all ships are built with what we call a “righting arm”, which helps them snap back onto a (relatively) even keel even when they roll way too hard. There’s a lot more to ship stability than that, but suffice it to say that warships are built to avoid capsizing - unless they’re massive flooding on one side that makes it impossible for the ship to snap back. Which is why sinking a ship always goes back to uncontrollable flooding.

Despite the dramatic pictures and the 100 MPH winds in Typhoon Cobra, only destroyers were lost. Why? Destroyers are much smaller than battleships (modern destroyers are less than 600 feet long, and WWII destroyers were less than 400 feet on average), and they displace a lot less. That means they’re lighter weight and the elements (wind and seas) have a lot greater effect. They get battered and bounced around, which can spring leaks, damage welds, and bend bulkheads. Their armor is less thick, too, which means there’s more chance of the seas winning.

How long would it take and how would it happen?

This answer is going to be kind of counterproductive, but if it’s going to happen, it’s going to be fast. You’ll need progressive flooding to sink a battleship due to a storm, which means flooding that flows from one compartment to the next unchecked. And you’ll need a lot of it in a big hurry. The easiest way to sink a battleship is to break the ship’s keel, but I’ve never heard of weather than can do that. Torpedoes were involved in the sinking of 100% of the US battleships sunk in WWII. A few other major combatants (cruisers and light carriers) were sunk by gunfire alone, but even that required major hits below the waterline - and in a few cases, own ship’s magazines exploding to finish the job off. Contrary to what a lot of people think, it’s not fires or explosions that sink ships - it’s always the water getting into the people space.

So, if it was going to happen, you’d have to have a major wave (think rogue wave) that managed to cause catastrophic flooding that remained unchecked for far too long. Navy crews are really good at damage control, because it’s not like we can just walk off the ship if it sinks. The ship is our home, so we’ve got a lot of motivation to keep the water outside where it belongs. If I was going to write a story where a storm sunk a battleship, I’d probably have the ship have suffered previous damage of some sort, maybe in a collision. Battle damage could do the trick, too, but if you want to look at how hard battleships are to damage/sink with gunfire alone, check out the story of the German battleship Bismarck. The Brits pounded her for hours before she gave in, and the Germans will always swear that they scuttled the ship and the Brits didn’t actually sink her.

This blog actually has a fabulous breakdown of ship sinkings and what it takes to do the job. It’s well researched and quite a fascinating read if you’re a nerd like me.

Here’s a good example of a battleship facing off against pretty big seas. It’s an old video (think 1980s) of USS Missouri in seas that look deceptively small:

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Here’s a video of a much smaller ship, HMNZS Otago, a 279 foot long off-shore patrol vessel facing seas so impressive that they hit the bridge windows. You can even see the windshield wipers break (because yep, warships have windshield wipers!). The entire bow goes under, and yet the ship keeps on trucking. As you can see, it takes a lot of water to sink a warship.

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If not a big battleship, how small would the ship have to be to be conquered by the weather alone?

As you can see above, a typhoon has done destroyers in before, and I think even a modern destroyer could bite the bullet if the storm is nasty enough and they somehow end up crossing through the worst sections. That would take some pretty dumb moves on behalf of the navigator and the captain, but it could happen. It’s harder to stumble into a storm with modern satellites to tell you where it is, though.

The SS El Faro sank just last year in Hurricane Joaquin. Although merchant ships are not nearly as watertight as warships (since they don’t have to be prepared to take battle damage), it does look like progressive flooding did her in. No crew survived, but the wreck has since been found, and they were able to get the voice logs off. Those are a sad read/listen that will make any mariner feel the loss in their bones.

Back to your question. I honestly don’t think a rogue wave could do an old school battleship in; they were built to last. I can see it happening to a destroyer, though, and probably even a modern cruiser, under the right circumstances. It’ll help if the ship is older and poorly maintained, but unless you’re talking a museum battleship, which generally means a lot of rust and a thin hull, I don’t think a “modern” (read: WWII) battleship in its prime would go down. Battleships are generally the biggest and the baddest ships in any navy, designed to sink other ships or bombard targets on shore. No navies actually have any active battleships right now, although the Russian’s big ass Kirov-class battlecruisers (one currently in service, with another in the yards for overhaul), are pretty close.

Your general surface combatants/warships fall into these categories:

Battleship: Designed to be the biggest, baddest ship on the block. With heavy armor and big (usually 14″ plus) guns. Formerly known as Dreadnaughts after HMS Dreadnaught, the first of the modern type of battleships in the early 1900s. The last US battleships left active service after the Gulf War.

Battlecruiser: Armed like a battleship with lighter armor. Most navies abandoned this idea (look at why the HMS Hood sunk so fast if you want to know about that), but the Russians still have their Kirovs, which are the nastiest kids around because there aren’t any more battleships.

Aircraft Carriers: pretty much what it says on the tin. They carry a big variety of planes, but aren’t necessarily good for attacking other ships with their own armament. They can do close-in self-defense, but generally depend on escorts to do so. They’re big, fast, and a little top-heavy due to the flight deck. Nowadays, they’re generally even bigger than your battleships of old.

Cruisers: Scale down a battleship, and this is what you get. Back in the days of WWII, you were looking at around 8″ main batteries, although most these days are more in the 5″ range (although with greater accuracy, and a ton of missiles, including surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and land attack missiles).

Destroyers: Scale down a little further from a cruiser, although these days there’s not as much difference as there used to be. Destroyers are your submarine hunters, your fast “greyhounds” who sprint out and get ahead of a convoy/fleet to hunt for trouble. If they can’t kill it, they can generally run away fast enough to avoid being shrunk. Modern destroyers usually have one or two main guns (usually in the 5″ range) and missiles, although not as many as a cruiser.

Frigates: Smaller size than a destroyer, with smaller guns and fewer (if any) missiles. They do the same sorts of missions as destroyers, although they have fewer capabilities and smaller crews to do it with.

Patrol Craft: These vary in size and mission based on what navy has built them, but they’re smaller than frigates and generally aren’t designed to be self sufficent for a long time at sea.

TLDR: No for a battleship, yes for anything smaller, although a WWII cruiser would probably last a lot longer than a modern cruiser.

#battleships #typhoons #hurricanes #ships in storms #typhoon cobra #types of warship #Anonymous #ask toseehowthestoryends #ships

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