Returning to the 5"\38's archaeology on USS Little Rock

[@bluerebel01]

Live chat cut off before I could finish typing, lol. It looks like there is always something new to discover on your ships, and exploring and learning about everything is a plus. Thanks to you, Shane, and Evan for our continued learning experience. I look forward to the Crocker videos.

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

Thanks for always being here! So glad you enjoy all these videos!

[@kirkmorrison6131]

Quite interesting,, in The hatches being welded shut and spaces being reused

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

For such a small compartment, it raises such a large batch of questions!

[@kirkmorrison6131]

@@BuffaloNavalPark Yep it looked almost so small, that would have to leave to change your mind

[@jeffgrier8488]

Thanks for a part 2, these videos are really interesting!

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

Thumbs up!

[@larryjohnson7591]

Now that was some very interesting stuff. Thank You.

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

Glad you found it interesting, larryjohnson7591...appreciate your continued support!

[@matthewblaszyk4405]

This series is awesome! Keep it up!

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

Will do...appreciate your continued support!

[@SamuelJKatt99]

I’ve visited the Little Rock several times and always thought it would have been nice if it hadn’t been converted so we could see a WW2 Cleveland class. But it is so much more interesting seeing all the history and uniqueness this vessel has. Thanks for digging into it and I look forward to seeing what you find.

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

Thanks for your support, sam...appreciate you visiting...and agreed that there is much to discuss with this last remaining CLG\Cleveland. Under the main deck scars abound showing her 1945 - 1949 configurations!

[@sirboomsalot4902]

On the other hand, she almost certainly wouldn’t have been preserved had she not been converted.

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

@@sirboomsalot4902 There are some serious considerations to that. She was decommissioned 8 months before we brought her to Buffalo. I believe the Northampton was also available. If not Little Rock, I certainly would have liked to have CLC-1 here!

[@sirboomsalot4902]

@@BuffaloNavalPark That’s true, Northampton would have been a cool museum. IMO the best of both worlds may have been Galveston, as her forward half wasn’t modified much when she was converted and she kept both her forward 6-inch turrets as well as her three forward 5-inch turrets. Of course, she was also out of service several years before the others, and iirc was by far the most unstable of the Galveston-class. There was also Topeka, which iirc also never received the flagship conversion.

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

@@sirboomsalot4902 That's a good thought too! Unconverted in forward superstructure and bow - untouched Turret 61 and 62. Untouched 2nd deck (where our's the barbette for Turret\Mount 62/51 has been removed). Very cool! Thanks for your continued support!

[@wurlycorner]

More fascinating uncovering of the historical changes and mods to the ship. Do you think it's possible that as they shifted the openings from the original 6" locations to the 5" locations and then back to the 6" locations, they actually moved the same two doors and blanks (cut them out, moved them, welded them into the new position and vice versa?) so although they've moved twice, the doors and metal plates you're seeing in the current locations are actually still the original materials? Or do you think they would have brought in new doors and plate each time?

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

Great thoughts. As it's laid out. Lucas really focuses on the 1947 dry dock period. Unfortunately, we don't have a record of the ship's maintenance work during this period except for photographic evidence of the starboard Seahawk and catapult being removed. They are probably in the National Archives, I just have to take the time to get those records from them. Lucas and I believe that in 1947 the ship was going through a partial "de-miling" process...the plane is an example, the crew compliment (shrinking) was probably another, and lightening the load in this Turret 62 spaces and converting it to the three 5" mounts on the forward superstructure for a bit. Hope this helps!

[@uncommon_niagara1581]

It would be nice if someone with the time and resources could draw up new sets of plans reflecting all of these changes made during various yard periods that you are discovering, in order to fill in the gaps in the existing plans.

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

That would be great, and something to add to my five year scope of work plan. It would take years no doubt, but it would be unbelievably comprehensive but a one of a kind document. Thanks!

[@royvogel2023]

Shamefully I didn’t pay attention to the 3” magazines I did daily temperature checks on, as a newly gunners mate it was just a job 🦑

[@BuffaloNavalPark]

Thanks for watching and sharing, royvogel2023! If the job helps keep the ship afloat and the crew safe it's an important job no doubt!