USS Caiman (SS 323) au large du chantier naval de Mare Island – Vallejo – Californie – États-Unis – Printemps 1951

©United States Navy

Crappy watercolor I did of a scene from my friend’s story Skipjack. Yes, that is a Balao-class submarine being skycraned Curiosity-style onto the ocean of a terraformed Mars. It’s that kind of story.

USS KRAKEN (SS-370) being launched at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was sponsored by Mrs. John Z. Anderson (wife of Congressmen Anderson of California).

She had a cool name and insignia.

Date: April 30, 1944.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 72319, NH 65248-KN

A Balao-class submarine, USS Lionfish was laid down on 15 December 1942, launched on 7 November 1943, and commissioned on 1 November 1944. Her first captain was Lcdr. Edward D. Spruance, son of the famous World War II admiral, Raymond Spruance.

After completing her shakedown cruise off of New England, she headed to the Pacific and commenced her first war patrol in Japanese waters on 1 April 1945. Ten days later, she dodged two torpedoes fired at her by a Japanese submarine and on 1 May destroyed a Japanese schooner with her deck guns. After a rendezvous with the submarine Ray, she transported B-29 survivors to Saipan and then made her way to Midway Island for replenishment.

​On 2 June she started her second war patrol, and on 10 July she fired torpedoes at a surfaced Japanese submarine, after which Lionfish’s crew heard explosions and observed smoke through their periscope. She subsequently fired on two more Japanese submarines and ended her second and last war patrol performing lifeguard duty (the rescue of downed fliers) off the coast of Japan. When hostilities ended on 15 August she headed for San Francisco and was decommissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard on 16 January 1946.

​Lionfish was recommissioned on 31 January 1951, and headed for the East Coast for training cruises. After participating in NATO exercises and a Mediterranean cruise, she returned to the East Coast and was decommissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 15 December 1953.

​In 1960, the venerable submarine was called to duty again, this time serving as a reserve training submarine at Providence, Rhode Island. In 1971, she was stricken from the Navy Register, and in 1973, she was unveiled for permanent display as a memorial at Battleship Cove, where she has evolved into one of the museum’s most popular exhibits and a revered monument to all submariners.

THIRD GRADE TEACHER IN AUSTIN, TEXAS GETS REPRIMANDED FOR TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR ‘LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS’: ‘I’M CONCERNED THAT THEY FIND THAT CONCERNING’ (<- Link)

Article by Neia Balao

Published on Apr 24, 2023

Part 1 (see bottom if post for uploaded video)

Part 2

Sophie Marie (@soph4president), a third-grade teacher in Austin, Texas, recently came under fire for certain ways she conducts her class. Her attire was also a point of contention.

“you’d think I was teaching way out west but this is downtown Austin…,” she writes.

“OK, so today I got pulled into a ‘check-in meeting’ with my administrator at school, and she had this lovely list of concerns that she wanted to bring to my attention,” Sophie explains in the video.

Included in the list is the concern that Sophie is “intentionally” teaching her third-grade students about their rights.

“But my favorite amongst them is, ‘We’ve noticed an intentional attempt at teaching your students about their legal and constitutional rights.’ That’s the concern,” she reveals. “Why are you concerned? Why is that a concern? Why does that concern you?”

Sophie, who is “queer until proven straight,” is outspoken about human rights on her social media platforms. She covers a plethora of current events, including the Queer Capitol March and Texas legislation.

“I have no other choice but to be political. life is depending on it,” reads her Instagram bio. “unwilling to die for the dow. abortion advocate.”

“I’m concerned that they find that concerning”

Commenters are equally upset that the notion of teaching young students about their own rights is seen as threatening. Others are unsurprised by this behavior, especially given that it’s taking place in the state of Texas.

“It’s such a mystery why there is a teacher shortage,” one user wrote sarcastically.

“Former Texas teacher here. This is why I can’t anymore,” a fellow teacher declared. “Also, leaving Texas this summer.”

“Are you not allowed to read Harry Potter to your students? My 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Papish read us HP & I fell in love with reading,” someone asked, referencing Sophie’s administrator’s questioning of the book series’ relevance to “grade level lesson plans.”

“I 100% wanna know what bs they had to say about your clothes too lol,” another TikTok user wrote regarding the write-up about Sophie’s “dress code” violation.

Despite Sophie’s best efforts, it seems the educational system in Texas views her integrity as a threat to the development of their youth. In actuality, however, educators like Sophie deserve an even greater platform — and stifling their practices feels dangerously ill-advised

For the Part 1 Video so you don’t have to click on the link

Okay, continuing my game of "poke the dead blog with a stick to see what happens." Japanese model kit company Aoshima makes several 1/700 waterline kits of WW2 warships. Several of these kits' box art (Dorsetshire and Exeter and the balao class shows a sinking merchantman) depicts the ships in question sinking in battle, as they historically did. As they did in battle against Japan, I must add. Am I just a pearl clutching puritan no good hippie scumbag or is that super fucking tasteless?

I feel like most WW2 merchandise is tasteless tbh but then again I hate the military

Japan’s Underwater Aircraft Carrier / part-one — Pacific Paratrooper

Japan’s Underwater Aircraft Carrier / part-one — Pacific Paratrooper

I-400 Series Super-submarine Lieutenant Commander Stephen L. Johnson had a problem on his hands; a very large problem. His Balao-class submarine, the Segundo, had just picked up a large radar contact on the surface about 100 miles off Honshu, one of Japan’s home islands, heading south toward Tokyo.  World War II in the Pacific had just ended, […] Japan’s Underwater Aircraft Carrier / part-one —…

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Inside submarine

“They idle at 300 rpm and the governor limits them at 400 rpm” The smaller fifth diesel provides the submarine with all the electrical power to run the lights and auxiliary onboard equipment. The bore is 5 1/4 inches and the stroke 7 1/4 inches.ĭuring normal operation on the surface, two of the main diesel engines drive the motor generators to turn the shaft another two turn the motor generators to charge the batteries. This is a 7-cylinder, opposed piston, air-starting engine rated at 440HP. Along with one ship’s service diesel is an auxiliary engine, Model 38E 5-1/4, (also supplied by Fairbanks, Morse and Company). Bore and stroke are 8 1/8 and 10 inches respectively. They are opposed piston, in-line, 10-cylinder engine employing air starting. The USS Pampanito has four Fairbanks Morse 38D 8 1/8 model motors. Each vessel took only two years to build from beginning to completion. One such submarine with the reliable power plant engine was the USS Pampanito (SS-383), a World War II Balao class Fleet submarine built from 1942 to 1944. But without a dependable diesel engine, the crew would not have had a chance to survive in the depths of the ocean. So in 1944, when World War II neared its climax, the navies required just that for their submarines. “This boat has the ability to store up to 110,000 gallons of raw dirty bunker fuel for all five of the diesels.” When it comes to military frontlines or emergency first responders, you need a power plant you can count on.

USS Trepang (SS-412) au large du chantier naval de Mare Island – Vallejo – Californie – 12 juillet 1944

©US Navy - 4476-44

USS Kraken (SS-370) running surfaced in Lake Michigan, Michigan, circa September 1944.

NHHC: NH 72321

In addition to torpedoes and the deck gun, the Balao-class submarine USS Blenny (SS-324) used a shotgun to sink Japanese vessels during WWII. Armed with a 12 gauge, the sub's boarding party sank several enemy junks by blasting holes in the bottom of the boats.

Shaw being a bastard one-shot (I've just gotta know)

I actually made a fic idea post about it. But, its basically Pre-First Class Dadneto, where Erik is still hunting down Shaw. Shaw hasn’t left Europe yet because he’s going out in style with Caspartina yacht/sub and if you look at it. To me it seems like a converted Balao Class Submarine, which ran on diesel. 

Second, nuclear subs have a totally different profile than diesel engines; much more sleeker. Third, does any else find it a bit suspicious that in the nuclear reactor room that there’s a button where Shaw and grab hold the core and charge; that’s a little too specific and the core is WAY to small for a that size of nuclear sub, which normally takes up a 1/4 of the total space on a sub its just that big. To me this seems like a custom order. 

Anyway, sorry for geeking out. 

So, Erik and Pietro is still in France, but in Bordeaux near the Spanish’s border. Erik thinks he is nearly to the end of his journey of getting revenge against Shaw that he can practically feel it. Erik’s been meeting with some French Resistance Contacts, but when Erik comes to pick up Pietro from school his son doesn’t come out. As the school yard is beginning to empty a teacher comes to him and tells that a friend of his has picked up his son. Panicking, Erik flies back to their hotel room. He hears Pietro’s laughing and having fun, before tearing open the door. 

Where Erik sees Shaw playing with his son. 

Any fight that Erik had within dies, he doesn’t want to harm his son, his future. 

Shaw knowing that he has complete control over the situation taunts and comments on Pietro’s hair and how his son would make an excellent assassin.  

After Shaw leaves, Erik breaks down sobbing at just how close he was to losing his son to the man he loathes with all his being. Pietro wants to know why his father is crying? Before using his superspeed to get Kleenex. Pietro is pulled into a hug. Erik instructs not to trust strangers that he himself hasn’t introduced because he could have been hurt, kidnapped or worse. Erik steels himself and raises his voice saying that they need to pack up because they are leaving its not safe anymore. 

Now, Shaw got him on the defenses and he and Pietro are force underground to hide for awhile. 

During naval exercises off Key West in April 1956, a US Navy Sikorsky H-34 helicopter, serial number 51, made an emergency landing on the deck if Balao-class submarine USS Corporal (SS-346) because it experienced serious mechanical problems during an anti-submarine warfare exercise in which the Corporal had been serving as the opposing force. After close cooperation by radio and hasty preparations by the submariners, the distressed helicopter managed to touch down safely aft of the submarine's sail. The incident marked "the first time a helicopter made an emergency landing on a submarine.

The second image shows just how little margin of error there was for the entire scenario, since the Sikorsky was about as wide as Corporal’s deck.

Explorers find Cold War-era submarine wreck off the coast of Oahu

A team of explorers have found the wreck of a United States Navy submarine that sank more than 60 years ago in deep water near the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

USS Stickleback, a Balao-class submarine with the hull number SS-415, sank on May 28, 1958, after an accidental collision with another U.S. Navy ship, the USS Silverstein. Both the Stickleback and the Silverstein were taking part in an antisubmarine warfare exercise at the time.

The Stickleback is the sixth submarine wreck found by the Lost 52 Project, a private group based in New York that hopes to find all 52 of the missing U.S. submarines that sank during World War II, and all four U.S. submarines that sank during the Cold War.

The wreck of the Stickleback was found resting on the seafloor under about 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) of water, according to a statement from Lost 52 Project founder Tim Turner. Read more.