21 MAY-15 SEPTEMBER 2011 ARMED FORCES VETERAN EXHIBIT MARICOPA POST 133

At MARICOPA PUBLIC LIBRARY 41600 W. Smith-Enke Rd. Maricopa, AZ 85138

TRACY P. MacPHERSON

EXHIBIT X MODEL NAVY WAR SHIPS PRESENTED BY THE MARICOPA AMERICAN LEGION POST 133 AND MARICOPA VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS POST 12043 SPONSORED BY THE MARICOPA HISTORICAL SOCIETY CONTACT: Robert Weinheimer: AL Post 133 & VFW Post 12043 Historian 602-363-6281

HARRY DIEFFENBACH  MODEL NAVAL SHIP BUILDER   

SEAMAN 2/CLASS HARRY N. DIEFFENBACH WITH HIS SISTER DORIS

U.S. NAVY SERVICE RECORD -- JANUARY 23, 1943 - APRIL 22, 1946 JANUARY 23, 1943 SEAMAN 2/C: BOOT CAMP NTS SAMPSON, N.Y. NTS SAMPSON WAS A SPRAWLING RECRUIT TRAINING CENTER LOCATED ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF LAKE SENECA IN NEW YORK STATE’S FINGER LAKES REGION. CONSTRUCTION HAD BEGUN IN LATE MAY 1942 AND COMPLETED ONLY 270 DAYS LATER. DATES: 3/43 – 8/43 AERM3/C: AEROGRAPHER PRIMARY TRAINING, LAKEHURST, N.J. DATES: 9/43 – 10/44 AERM 2/C: NAVAL AIR STATION, SQUANTUM, MASS, UNIT: HEDRON 14-1 FAW 14. DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR NAS SQUANTUM SERVED AS A MARITIME PATROL AND TRAINING BASE. REGULAR NAVY SQUADRONS VJ-4 AND VS-1D1/VS-31 FLEW ANTI-SUBMARINE PATROLS OVER MASSACHUSETTS BAY AND THE GULF OF MAINE USING GRUMMAN DUCKS, CONSOLIDATED PBY CATALINAS, VOUGHT-SIKORSKI KINGFISHERS, DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS', AND CURTISS HELLDIVERS. IN ADDITION, THE BASE PROVIDED ELIMINATION AND PRIMARY FLIGHT INSTRUCTION FOR NAVAL AVIATION CADETS AS WELL AS ADVANCED TRAINING TO ROYAL NAVY TORPEDO AND DIVE-BOMBER SQUADRONS AND U.S. NAVY FIGHTER, TORPEDO, AND DIVE-BOMBER SQUADRONS. AFTER THE WAR ENDED, NAS SQUANTUM BECAME AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE NEW NAVAL AIR RESERVE TRAINING COMMAND. THE BASE SERVED AS THE FOCUS OF NAVY AND MARINE CORPS RESERVE AVIATION TRAINING ACTIVITY IN NEW ENGLAND UNTIL DECEMBER 1953 WHEN THE RESERVE PROGRAM WAS MOVED TO NEARBY NAS SOUTH WEYMOUTH AND SQUANTUM WAS CLOSED. DATES: 11/44 – 3/45 AERM 2/C:

UNIT: ACORN 57, PORT HUENEME, CA.

DURING WWII, PORT

HUENEME WAS A SMALL, BUT BUSY, NAVAL BASE. IT WAS ALSO HOME TO THE NAVY’S PACIFIC CONSTRUCTION BATTALIONS (SEABEES) AND ACORN UNITS. THE ACORN WAS AN ADVANCED BASE UNIT CONSISTING OF A COMBAT AIRCRAFT SERVICE UNIT AND AN ATTACHMENT OF SEABEES. THEIR RESPONSIBILITY WAS THE ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS, AND MAINTENANCE OF U.S. EXISTING AIRFIELDS OR RECAPTURED JAPANESE AIRFIELDS SUCH AS CLARK FIELD IN THE PHILIPPINES. DATES: 4/45 – 3/46 AERM 2/C: NAVAL AIR BASE, WAKE ISLAND, BASE PERSONNEL DATES: 4/22/46 AERM 2/C: PSC LIDO BEACH, L.I. N.Y. APRIL 22, 1946: HONORABLE DISCHARGE.

U.S.S. WASP (CV-7)

THE WASP (CV-7) WAS LAID DOWN ON 1 APRIL 1936 AT QUINCY, MASS BY THE BETHLEHEM SHIPBUILDING CO.; LAUNCHED ON 4 APRIL 1939 AND COMMISSIONED ON 25 APRIL 1940 IN SOUTH BOSTON, MASS. SHE WAS THE EIGHTH NAVAL VESSEL TO BEAR THAT NAME. DURING THE SUMMER OF 1941 SHE WAS ASSIGNED TO FERRYING 30 CURTISS P-40 FIGHTERS FROM THE AAF 33D PURSUIT SQUADRON TO ICELAND. AT THAT TIME WITH AMERICAN PARTICIPATION IN THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THE UNITED STATES MADE PLANS TO OCCUPY ICELAND TO PROTECT AMERICAN SECURITY AND FREE BRITISH FORCES NEEDED ELSEWHERE. THE P-40'S WERE TO PROVIDE DEFENSIVE FIGHTER COVER FOR THE AMERICAN LANDINGS.

A MULTIPLICITY OF

MINOR ENCOUNTERS WITH NAZIS FORCES IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC WERE MOVING CLOSE TO THE REAL THING. IN APRIL OF 1942 WASP WAS ASSIGNED THE TASK OF FERRYING 47 "SPITFIRE" MK. V FIGHTERS TO THE ISLAND OF MALTA IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. THE SPITFIRES WERE LOADED IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND ON APRIL 13 AND LAUNCHED FOR THE SHORT FLIGHT TO MALTA ON APRIL 20. IN EARLY MAY OF THAT YEAR A SECOND CONTINGENT OF SPITFIRE V'S WERE ENROUTE ON THE WASP TO HELP IN THE DEFENSE OF MALTA. THE WASP RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN EARLY MAY FOR ALTERATIONS AND REPAIRS AND ALSO TO FILL OUT HER COMPLIMENT OF AIRCRAFT.

SHE DEPARTED NORFOLK, VA ON 6 JUNE AND

TRANSITED THE PANAMA CANAL ON 10 JUNE AT WHICH TIME SHE AND HER CONSORTS BECAME TF

18. THE WASP - TOGETHER WITH THE CARRIERS SARATOGA AND ENTERPRISE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SUPPORT FORCE UNDER VICE ADMIRAL FLETCHER. THE CARRIERS WERE TO PROVIDE AIR SUPPORT FOR THE INVASION OF GUADALCANAL - D-DAY 7 AUGUST. LATE ON 8 AUGUST THE 3 CARRIERS RETIRED AND SPENT THE NEXT MONTH ON PATROL AND COVERING OPERATIONS FOR CONVOYS AND SUPPLY UNITS HEADED FOR GUADALCANAL. ON TUESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER WHILE PREPARING TO LAUNCH F4F FIGHTERS, AT 1444, A LOOKOUT CALLED OUT THREE TORPEDOES ......THREE POINTS FORWARD OF THE STARBOARD BOW.

FOUR TORPEDOES FIRED FROM THE

JAPANESE SUBMARINE I-19 CHURNED CLOSER. TWO SMASHED HOME IN THE VICINITY OF GASOLINE TANKS AND MAGAZINES. "ABANDON SHIP" WAS ORDERED AT 1520 AND TOOK NEARLY 40 MINUTES. THE DESTROYER LANSDOWNE DREW THE DUTY OF DESTRUCTION AND FIRED 5 TORPEDOES. THE WASP SUNK AT 2100 BY THE BOW. SHE RECEIVED TWO BATTLE STARS FOR HER WORLD WAR II SERVICE. THE MODEL WAS SCRATCH BUILT UTILIZING PLANS AND PHOTOS FROM THE NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER. THE MODEL IS BUILT TO A SCALE OF 1/144 OR .083" = 1 FOOT. HULL CONSTRUCTION IS TYPICAL PLANK ON FRAME AND THEN COVERED WITH FIBERGLASS AND EPOXY RESIN. THE MODEL IS FULLY OPERATIONAL WITH A 2 CHANNEL RADIO CONTROL SYSTEM PROVIDING FORWARD AND REVERSE PLUS RIGHT AND LEFT RUDDER. SHE IS DRIVEN BY TWIN SCREWS COUPLED TO SMALL DC MOTORS AND POWERED BY 6 VOLT SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERIES. THE MODEL AIRCRAFT ON THE DECK WERE TYPICAL OF THOSE EMPLOYED DURING THE PERIOD NOTED. THE MODELS ARE PLASTIC KITS OF 1/144 SCALE. SHIPS COMPLIMENT OF AIRCRAFT: FIGHTERS: GRUMMAN F4F "WILDCATS DIVE BOMBERS: DOUGLAS SBD "DAUNTLESS" CURTIS SB2C "HELLDIVERS" TORPEDO BOMBERS: GRUMMAN OR GENERAL MOTORS TBF/TBM "AVENGER"

OTHER AIRCRAFT DISPLAYED ON THE DECK THAT WERE NOT PART OF THE CARRIER'S COMPLIMENT BUT WERE IN ACTION DURING THE TIME PERIOD: FIGHTERS

VOUGHT F4U "CORSAIR" SUPERMARINE "SPITFIRE" LOCKHEED P38 "LIGHTNING" NORTH AMERICAN B25 "MITCHELL" BOMBER - SEE WWW.DOOLITTLERAIDER.COM (AIRCRAFT IN FIRST STRIKE AGAINST JAPAN OFF THE CARRIER "HORNET" CV- 8)

THE U.S.S. WATER WITCH

THE USS WATER WITCH, A WOODEN-HULLED SIDE-WHEEL GUNBOAT, WAS USED BY THE UNION NAVY DURING THE CIVIL WAR TO BLOCKADE THE GEORGIA COAST. IN JUNE 1864 THE SHIP WAS CAPTURED BY CONFEDERATE RAIDERS, WHO BURNED IT SIX MONTHS LATER TO PREVENT ITS RECAPTURE BY UNION GENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN'S TROOPS.

THE "WATER WITCH" - A WOODEN HULLED, SIDEWHEELED GUNBOAT, WAS LAUNCHED BY THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD IN 1851 AND WAS COMMISSIONED DURING THE WINTER OF 1852/1853, LT. THOMAS JEFFERSON PAGE IN COMMAND. IN FEBRUARY 1853 SHE SET SAIL FROM NORFOLK, VA FOR AN EXTENDED EXPLORATION AND SURVEY VOYAGE ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF SOUTH AMERICA AND OF THE RIVERS WHICH DRAIN THAT PORTION OF THE CONTINENT. SHE WAS ACTIVE DOING SURVEY MISSIONS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD ON AND OFF UNTIL NOVEMBER OF 1860 WHEN SHE WAS DECOMMISSIONED. SHE RETURNED TO ACTIVE DUTY ON 10 APRIL 1861, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER OPENING THE HOSTILITIES OF THE CIVIL WAR. SHE WAS AN ELEMENT OF GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON OFF PENSACOLA, FL, PROVIDING DISPATCH SERVICE AND SHUTTLING MAIL BETWEEN THE BLOCKADERS, HAVANA, CUBA AND THE BASE AT KEY WEST, FL. ON MARCH 5, 1862 SHE PURSUED AND CAPTURED THE CONFEDERATE SCHOONER, "WILLIAM MALLORY", A BLOCKADE RUNNER.

SHE WAS EVENTUALLY TRANSFERRED TO THE SOUTH

ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON WELL INTO 1864 WHEN ON JUNE 3 SHE WAS ATTACKED BY A CONFEDERATE BOAT FORCE COMMANDED BY FIRST LT. THOMAS PELOT, CSN, WHICH SUCCEEDED IN BOARDING AND CAPTURING "WATER WITCH" IN OSSABAW SOUND, GA. UNDER THE COMMAND OF LT. W.W. GAMES, CSN, SHE SAW SERVICE FOR THE SOUTH AS "WATER WITCH", UNTIL DEC. 19, 1864 WHEN SHE WAS BURNED TO PREVENT CAPTURE. THE MODEL IS BUILT TO A SCALE OF 1/4" = 1 FOOT AND IS A LITTLE OVER 46" LONG INCLUDING THE BOWSPRIT.

THE HULL IS TYPICAL PLANK ON FRAME AND THE MATERIALS USED WERE ANYTHING

THAT WORKED. THE MODEL IS SCRATCH BUILT FROM MUSEUM PLANS AND IS RADIO CONTROLLED USING A TWO CHANNEL SYSTEM FOR SPEED AND RUDDER CONTROL. SHE IS TOP HEAVY AND CAN ONLY BE SAILED IN A DEAD CALM DUE TO TOP HEAVINESS.

SUBMARINE CHASER

Submarine chaser From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

USS PC-815, a US subchaser that served in World War II A SUBMARINE CHASER IS A SMALL AND FAST NAVAL VESSEL SPECIALLY INTENDED FOR ANTISUBMARINE WARFARE. ALTHOUGH SIMILAR VESSELS WERE DESIGNED AND USED BY MANY NATIONS, THIS DESIGNATION WAS MOST FAMOUSLY USED BY SHIPS BUILT BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US). MANY OF THE US WORLD WAR I SUB-CHASERS FOUND THEIR WAY TO FRIENDLY POWERS BY WAY OF LEND-LEASE IN WORLD WAR II. U.S. SUBMARINE CHASERS UNITED STATES SUBMARINE CHASERS WERE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO DESTROY GERMAN SUBMARINES IN WORLD WAR I, AND JAPANESE AND GERMAN SUBMARINES IN WORLD WAR II. THE SMALL 110-FOOT (34 M) PATROL CRAFT OF THE DESIGN FIRST USED IN WORLD WAR I CARRIED THE HULL DESIGNATOR SC (FOR SUBMARINE, CHASER). THEIR MAIN WEAPON WAS THE DEPTH CHARGE. THEY ALSO CARRIED MACHINE GUNS AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS. LARGER 173-FOOT (53 M) SUB CHASERS USED THE PC HULL CLASSIFICATION SYMBOL (FOR PATROL, COASTAL). IN EARLY 1915 THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY SELECTED THE US ELCO COMPANY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 50 MOTOR LAUNCHES FOR ANTI-SUBMARINE WORK, BRITISH INDUSTRY BEING AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY. THIS ORDER WAS THEN INCREASED BY A FURTHER 500. THE WHOLE ORDER WAS COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER 1916 AND ENTERED ROYAL NAVY SERVICE. THE VESSELS WERE 80 FEET (24 M) IN LENGTH AND CAPABLE OF 20 KNOTS (37 KM/H). THEY WERE ARMED IN USE WITH A 3-POUNDER GUN, TOWED PARAVANES AND LATER DEPTH CHARGES. WAR SERVICE THE BRITISH SUB CHASERS WERE OPERATED AROUND THE COAST IN DEFENCE. HOWEVER THEY WERE UNCOMFORTABLE, WET, AND NOT SUITED TO BRITISH SEA CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH USED DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR THEY WERE SOLD OFF WHEN THE WAR ENDED. SUBMARINE CHASERS WERE USED MOSTLY BY THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD IN WORLD WAR II FOR DESTROYING GERMAN U-BOATS THAT WERE STATIONED OFF THE COAST OF THE UNITED STATES, TRYING TO SINK MERCHANT CONVOYS AS THE CONVOYS DEPARTED AMERICAN PORTS. BY THE END OF WORLD WAR II, SUBMARINE CHASERS HAD SUNK AROUND 67 GERMAN U-BOATS. IN THE PACIFIC THEATRE, SUBMARINE CHASERS WERE USED FOR AMPHIBIOUS LANDINGS, COURIER AND ESCORT DUTY. A SMALL NUMBER OF BRITISH FAIRMILE B MOTOR LAUNCHES WERE TRANSFERRED FROM CANADA AND INCLUDED AS THE SC-1466 CLASS OF SUB-CHASERS.

USS PANEY

USS PANAY ON DECEMBER 12, 1937, THE USS PANAY WAS SUNK IN THE YANGTZE RIVER APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES DOWNRIVER FROM NANKING, CHINA. SHE,WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EVACUATE CIVILIANS AND ESCORT MERCHANT VESSELS FROM NANKING, WAS BOMBED BY JAPANESE BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS IN A SURPRISE ATTACK THAT ALMOST PRECIPITATED WW II. THE YANGTZE PATROL WAS MADE UP OF EIGHT SHALLOW DRAFT VESSELS OF VARIOUS DESIGNS. SIX HAD BEEN BUILT IN ASIAN SHJIPYARDS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE YANGTZE PATROL. THE PANAY WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT IN SHANGHAI, CHINA IN 1927 WITH AN APPROX. LENGTH OF 192 FEET, MAXIMUM BEAM OF 28 & 1/2 FEET AND A 5 & 1/2 FOOT DRAFT STEM TO STERN. THE ABSOLUTELY FLAT BOTTOMED HULL WAS MANDATORY FOR NEGOTIATING THE SHALLOWS AND FOR EASE IN ESCAPING SANDBARS OR MUD FLATS. ARMAMENT CONSISTED OF TWO 3 INCH GUNS, ONE MOUNTED FORWARD AND THE OTHER MOUNTED AFT. EIGHT .30 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS MOUNTED ON THE BOAT DECK COMPLETED THE WEAPONS PICTURE EXCEPT FOR SMALL ARMS. THE PANAY INCIDENT, AUTHORED BY HAMILTON DARBY PERRY AND PUBLISHED BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY IN 1969, DETAILS THE PANAY STORY FROM BEGINNING TO END AND IS FASCINATING READING. IF GUNBOATS INTRIGUE YOU THIS BOOK IS A MUST. THE MODEL IS BUILT TO A SCALE OF 1/4"=1 FOOT WITH AN OVERALL LENGTH OF 48". HULL CONSTRUCTION IS CATEGORIZED AS BREAD AND BUTTER WHICH IN TURN IS DEMONSTRATED BY BUILDING THE HULL IN LAYERS RATHER THAN PLANKING ON FRAMES. SUPERSTRUCTURE IS A SERIES OF BOXES CONSTRUCTED OF A VARIETY OF MATERIALS. SHE IS POWERED BY 2 DC MOTORS IN TURN EMPOWERED BY A 6 VOLT WET CELL. CONTROL IS BY RADIO AND PROVIDES STEERING AND FORWAARD AND REVERSE SPEED CONTROL.

USCG CUTTER SEBAGO

U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER "SEBAGO" TEN 250' LAKE-CLASS CRUISING CUTTERS WERE BUILT FOR THE U.S. COAST GUARD BETWEEN 1928 AND 1932. IN 1941 ALL TEN CUTTERS WERE TRANSFERRED TO BRITAIN BY PRESIDENT ROOSVELT AND CLASSIFIED AS ESCORT SLOOPS. TWO OF THE CLASS: THE HARTLAND AND WALNEY (EX PONCHARTRAIN AND SEBAGO) WERE SUNK IN AN ATTACK ON THE HEAVILY FORTIFIED VICHY FRENCH HARBOR OF ORAN IN NORTH AFRICA. THE TWO LIGHTLYARMED/ARMORED SHIPS CARRIED 400 AMERICAN ASSAULT TROOPS; BLUEJACKETS, MARINES AND A BRITISH COMMANDO UNIT WHO WERE ALL MASSACRED IN THE ATTEMPTED ASSAULT. AS MANY MEN WERE KILLED IN THIS OPERATION AS ON MANY OTHER FRONTS DURING THE TAKING OF NORTH AFRICA. THE WORLD WAR II EXPLOITS OF THESE VESSELS OPERATED BY THE BRITISH IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN A BOOK TITLED "THE HAND-MEDOWN-SHIPS" BY KEN REED. THE MODEL WAS SCRATCH BUILT FROM PLANS AND PHOTOGRAPHS PURCHASED FROM THE COAST GUARD MUSEUM IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON AND THE HISTORIANS OFFICE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THE PLANS PURCHASED WERE 1/4"=1 FT. (1/48 SCALE) WHICH I CONVERTED TO 3/16"=1 FT. (1/64 SCALE) TO FIT IN WITH MY OTHER COAST GUARD MODELS. THE COAST GUARD MUSEUM ALSO PROVIDED GREAT PLANS AND PHOTOS FOR THE 5", 3" AND 6 POUNDER WEAPONS.THE MODEL IS JUST LESS THAN 47" IN LENGTH WITH A BEAM OF ABOUT 8". THE MODEL IS POWERED BY A 6 VOLT SEALED LEAD ACID CELL. A DC MOTOR COUPLED TO A 4 BLADED BRASS PROPELLOR, THRU A SPEED CONTROLLER, PROVIDES FORWARD AND REVERSE FUNCTIONS. DIRECTION CONTROL IS THRU A SMALL SERVO COUPLED TO THE RUDDER VIA A LINKAGE. THE 2 CHANNEL RADIO CONTROL SYSTEM IS THE FINAL ELEMENT.