Unconscionable

[salmon]

I saw a news article that the some vandals flooded the U.S.S Ling and stole some plaques honoring those that lost their lives in WWII.
I am outraged!

[JWLaRue]

Tom,

I saw that news article as well. Unbelievable what some people will do these days.

-Jeff

[salmon]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/16/world-war-ii-era-submarine-flooded-by-vandals-in-new-jersey.html

[sam reichart]

Idiots among us. Unfortunately, all too many these days.

[tom dougherty]

In fact, the Balao class Ling has been in very bad shape for the past several years. The Ling was moved to the Hackensack location in the 1970's through an existing dredge channel. That channel has silted up and the Ling is stuck where she is. The hull is in poor shape, leaking and rusty. The museum closed several years ago, damaged by hurricane Sandy. Meanwhile, the descendants of the man who originally brought the sub to Hackensack have evicted the museum from the property, as they want to build luxury condominiums (it's always about money). BTW, the family name of the condo builders is Borg (no, I am NOT making that up), so, Resistance is Futile. The submarine is not part of the property (it's in the river) but access to it is. The sub is stuck in the bottom mud, moving it would be extremely difficult and the hull is leaking. I strongly suspect it will be sold for scrap at some point.

Ling's sister ship (also built by Cramp Shipbuilding in Philadelphia, Pa.) is the Lionfish. Lionfish is a museum ship in Fall River, Ma., and well kept up. She is periodically painted and dry-docked. Lionfish made it into the Pacific late in the war; Ling never did.

Meanwhile, the one and only surviving Guppy III conversion, USS Clamagore (SS-343) is planned to be sunk as an artificial reef off of Florida. Sad times, but the upkeep on these submarines is expensive and their stories not widely known.

[subdude]

Wait, what? Clamagore isn't at Patriot's Point any more?

[tom dougherty]

AFAIK, It still is, but plans are well along to move and sink it. I will be in SC in October and hope to take my trusty Nikon D7200 and reel off hundreds of shots before she is sunk. But I may be too late.

One of the smartest preservations I know of is USS Albacore. Up on concrete pylons, high and dry. Periodically, crews from subs undergoing overhauls at PNSY volunteer to repaint her. They need some brushes, rollers, and some ladders. Not a dry dock. Leave them in the water and it becomes very hard to control corrosion and wear.

Here's the latest link to Clamagore's fate: https://www.postandcourier.com/busin...40de1fcee.html

Note the obvious corrosion at the waterline. I will probably make it before they move it, as hurricane season has started and it is still in South Carolina.

Here's the link to the reef project: https://www.clamagorereef.com