USS Fletcher Final Crashback

On July 22, 2004 the USS Fletcher DD 992 completed her final family cruise with a demonstration of a crashback operation. The CO moved Fletcher off track to run the ship astern at a relatively high speed to splash the fantail with waves of water. Great time had by all. Fletcher was later decommissioned on October 1, 2004 and sunk as a target in July 2008 as part of the RIMPAC 2008.

[@loyalrammy]

This was my ship in the mid 80’s and I can’t believe they sunk her for target practice. I spent years cleaning, waxing, chipping, painting, PMS’ing,installing and repairing. I was in Combat Systems division and my work spaces were Repair 8, Comms, Transmitter rooms. All that care and work sunk off Hawaii when she was still a very functional warship.

[@USNVA11]

I hear you brother. They decom’d my ship, USS Ponce, three years ago. I’m not sure of her current disposition, but she was scheduled for scrapping. She was a good ship that served the nation for nearly fifty years ! One of the best times of my life serving aboard her. I was an Electronics Technician and primarily maintained the radar systems.

[@oldfarmer4700]

Well at least she will still live on as a reef for the fish. I would rather that than what is happening to my old ship. CV-67 sold as scrap for a penny. The two last super carriers were sold as scrap and the only two with the possibility of being a museum. I would rather it be scuttled like the America and become a reef.

[@richardcline1337]

The original USS Fletcher, was scrapped in 1972. USS Fletcher (DD/DDE-445), named for Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, was the lead Fletcher-class destroyer, and served in the Pacific during World War II. She received fifteen battle stars for World War II service, and five for Korean War service. How quickly we seem to forget these great ships that worked so hard to save our country.

[@robertyoung3992]

The USS The Sullivans DD-537 is in Buffalo,NY

[@6120mcghee]

Was on the Radford(DD-968) when we did this. The deck below me was shaking so hard that I though she was breaking apart!! Those Spruance's were the best!! We even took on a Burke Destroyer to a race and WON!

[@stomper1351]

USA Benfold 98-99 couldn't beat our ship. Lol. Jk

[@richardbaldock7287]

I was on an Knox, ya'll prob faster, we could do 31 ish knotts

[@thedude5869]

Hey hey, fancy seein you here fellow Radfordian, haha, the cracking fuel tanks didn’t like that shakin though!!

[@jamespollock2500]

Good video brings back memories. Gentle back, was on CG and we had to do an emergency back. Was on watch mer1 the catwalk flexed enough that it squashed 2 light fixtures above main reduction gear.

[@markfleishman8196]

I remember doing that on DD-972 qualifying for the next deployment !

[@scdevon]

Imagine the stress on the shafts and struts. This is amazing. Great engineering and I like the civilian family cruise.

[@1vester1]

ya been ther done that on DD 971 she did not like it I was on her in 95-98 westpack

[@1vester1]

97 westpack

[@darthgrundle2349]

Amazing, too stop thousands of ton of steel likes that! Turbine propulsion is great, extremely light, compact and very powerful. The only drawback is Turbines are very thirsty. I can only imagine the crew is extremely well versed in underway refuelling.

[@bobbycv64]

@Charles Walker, BRAVO ZULU, best recording I have seen, forward and backward COMPLETE. Bobby Estey USS Constellation CV64

[@johnschneider6610]

Great vid. I was on the USS LAWRENCE DDG 4 and we did this several times.

[@kevinmobley2241]

Fun fun.was on the USS RICKETTS DDG5 good memories..

[@howarddavis7960]

Hello Chuck! Found you again, from GMT1 Howard Davis then. Now from the old days GMC. I have been out for a long time now. I miss our old ship!

[@johnmoore8016]

80.000 shaft horse power at work. not bad. those four gas turbines done what they were supposed to do. was on throttle watch a few time on the CG's and DDG' when they done this

[@jimwjohnq.public]

I don't know if that was a full blown crash back or not. We did one on the USS Elliot (DD967). The captain said if we wanted to watch it, we had to watch it from the flight deck. We went from flank 3 to all back full and it buried the fantail.

[@toddf9321]

Yes, I was on two Spru-cans, USS O'Bannon and USS Nicholson...a proper crash-back buries the fantail with wake. QM1

[@chrispearson3813]

First I've ever heard of Flank 3. We had Flank. That's everything she's got. How did Flank 3 work?

[@toddf9321]

@@chrispearson3813 The Spruance Class destroyers are Gas Turbine powered ships. The speed is control through a variable pitch propeller and shaft RPM. 0-12 knots are set with the shaft at 55 RPM and the pitch increases as the speed increase until maximum pitch 100%. So the order would be something like "Set pitch to 33% for 5 knots" as an example. To answer the question about the Flank speed settings: It is an RPM value. It has been 34 years since I qualified as a DD-963 Class Ship's Control Console operator (Helmsman/Lee Helmsman) so I can't recall the exact values. However the ship's true speed in knots was sort of classified. Therefore, the official speed was 30+ knots and the Navy came up with this: flank speed was 30-32 knots also known as flank 1. Flank 2 was 33-34 knots. Flank 3 was 35-36 knots 178 to 183 RPM (this was also 110% of the maximum designed speed). We also had battle over ride speed too...which basically disabled the torque limiters from the shaft and other safety features to give the ship emergency speed. My opinion on the very max speed is about 38 to 40 knots briefly before bad things happen to the plant or propellers.

[@bbaff8622]

@@toddf9321 Officer of the deck, request permission to relieve the helm...... Been there. That all I remember of the spiel after 20 something years. rest was all gyro heading, magnetic heading, RPM, pitch etc.

[@wheels-n-tires1846]

I love how in all the Tiger cruise vids, nobody seems to get the warning about being on the fantail... And nobody seems to think about what's about to happen!!!🤣 Good fun for the civvies though!!!

[@John-zh9xs]

We did power runs on Midway and she shook so bad in 1980 water on fantail all 12 boilers full steam maybe 35 knots we were told. John mcveagh One Baker Boiler Room. Black hole snipe.

[@ricksadler797]

Those were fun 🤩 and didn’t mind cleaning up the mess either

[@ghostdude5767]

What did the guy throw overboard at 00:25 seconds?

[@guntherultraboltnovacrunch5248]

Litterbug @ 0:24

[@DrBeefin]

I bet this line of ship will last the longest. R.I.P Fletcher

[@kevlar6836]

Project Ivory Fletcher lasted way longer no more sprunce in service

[@nitetrane98]

It was more fun on a steam powered ship. Simultaneously slam the ahead throttle closed and open the astern throttle. Try to drag boiler off line.

[@nitetrane98]

@jack tarr Spoken like a true BT. With 400 lb uncontrolled superheat, we had to be gentle.

[@hughroadie2291]

If the throttleman knows his stuff, the boilers hardly know what’s happening. The major problem with sustained astern steam is loss of vacuum.

[@bobberger918]

I stood throttles on dd830 bt's said I slowed up to fast i set off reliefs on stacks

[@chrispearson3813]

@@bobberger918 LOL That's what they're there for. We only had a 400# plant. We tried not to take them below 350.

[@bobberger918]

@@chrispearson3813 600psi boilers people on bridge can hear pop off bt's can't pull burners fast enough we had man overboard drills

[@daneastgate5112]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@QUADEeee]

USS FLETCHER FIRST FLETCHER CLASS STILL SURVIVES!!!

[@MrChickennugget360]

That is not a Fletcher Class. That is a Spruance Class

[@NorthernMtnMan]

No, the first Fletcher was sold for scrap in the 70ies. There are a few (3 in US and 1 in Greece) of the original Fletcher Class around as museum ships but not the original Flecther

[@robertyoung3992]

@@NorthernMtnMan one is the USS The Sullivans DD-537 in Buffalo,NY

[@danielestrada1325]

I was on the Fletcher.

[@raymondgravelle3931]

I wish I could have been there🤗

[@1964jimmyc]

Loved that Chuck! Keep em' coming buddy! :-)

[@HighspeedAnek]

Thats great!

[@QUADEeee]

ASEWOME FOR RIMPAC!

[@yeoldesaltydog7415]

RIMPAC 2004? I was on the Stennis at the time. Saw many vessels no longer with us today. Fife is another. I may have the last two photo's of her leaving Point Loma San Diego.

[@terrylarkin690]

That was cool

[@keithland7620]

Did this on USS EISENHOWER it will rattle your fillings loose

[@foxboy64]

i thought whaling was illegal.

[@ottf24]

tiger cruise edition.......

[@m3b1203]

3:54 めっちゃワロてるしな

[@topbanana4013]

little over acting here