Wednesday 17 November 2010

Ship Spotting


Now for something completely different.


What is it?

25 comments:

D. E. Reddick said...

Is the ship in a lock of the Kiel Canal?

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

yes.
But you don't get points for identifying the lock!


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

Oh,

I'm just eliminating options...

Chuck Hill said...

Looks like an AOR. The ship in the background looks like it has a Dutch radar.

D. E. Reddick said...

I've seen an identification picture of this ship class before, but for the life of me I just can't recall anything about it or readily find it, again.

Chuck, I tend to agree that it's an AOR or similar auxiliary. But, what ship in the background are you referring to? I've been looking at the full-sized JPEG and there does not appear to be another vessel present.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

though it's role would be described as "auxiliary",this was a commissioned "warship".


GrandLogistics.

Chuck Hill said...

DER, what I was looking at was just to the left of the starboard stack. Now I'm not sure what it is.

My guess is that it was built late 50s or early 60s.

The frame (kingposts) that might have carried fuel hoses doesn't seem to have any.

Looks like a large helo hanger aft.

It looks a little smaller than most AORs. I only see the one set of kingposts.

For some reason I seem to associate this ship with ASW, perhaps an early towed array.

D. E. Reddick said...

Chuck,

It's that frame or kingposts which seem familiar to me. Perhaps she was an USN AG classification. Although, the bridge and superstructure strongly suggest western European origins.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

the ship's architecture should also give some idea of her age.


GrandLogistics.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

what I think D.E.Reddick called an other ship's radar is actually part of this ship.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

Huh,

What? It was Chuck who suggested that there was another vessel present. I see no evidence of another vessel in the background.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

I got you two mixed up there,the thing Chuck Hill thought was a radar on another ship is actually part of this ship.


GrandLogistics.

Chuck Hill said...

Cable layer for the SOSUS program

GrandLogistics said...

Hello Chuck Hill,

no.


GrandLogistics.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

it looks like this one is a little too challenging.
Some clues are in order.

Look at the ship's boat,boat crane,radar,flat horizontal decks,straight line construction and rounded uptakes.
They should give big clues to this ship's age.
The distinctive bridge should be a clue to it's origins.

One more clue.
This vessel has never been to the Aral Sea.


GrandLogistics.

Chuck Hill said...

Is it Canadian?
Commonwealth?

GrandLogistics said...

Hello Chuck Hill,

it is not Canadian.


GrandLogistics.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

another clue.

This vessel is still in use today but is no longer a commissioned warship.


GrandLogistics.

steve said...

She's the Challenger...

......a Seabed Operations Vessel.

steve said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Challenger_%28K07%29

GrandLogistics said...

Hello steve,

well done,H.M.S. Challenger.
A very challenging vessel indeed.
The Royal Navy's submarine rescue ship had a very short carreer,entering service in 1984 and decommissioning in 1990.

There is a better picture of her here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15068801@N00/742012060/


GrandLogistics.

steve said...

A proper dive ship......

http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/images/HMS%20Reclaim%20under%20sail%20lge.jpg


:)

Chuck Hill said...

I did have a reference with two pictures of it, just didn't look in the right place. I really thought it was older, since the bridge looked like it could have come off of a type 12 or type 61 frigate from the '50s.

steve said...

Oh I didn't google or wiki Challenger.

I recognized her and check in Brown's Rebuilding the Navy.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello Chuck Hill,

if only you had thought about a Type 22 instead!


GrandLogistics.