DSK wrote:
snave wrote:

Here's the scoop on the wooden minesweepers- 14 Avenger class in
service:
Displacement: 1,360-1,440 tons full load
Dimensions: 224.25 x 39 x 11.25 feet/68.35 x 11.9 x 3.4 meters
Propulsion: 4 diesels, 2 shafts, 2,600 bhp, 13.5 knots
Crew: 81
Sonar: SQQ-32 mine detection
Armament: 2 12.7mm MG
Concept/Program: Large, highly capable multirole minesweepers/hunters,
capable of overseas deployment. They have suffered numerous technical
problems, some of which remain unresolved, and it is reported that
maintenance is being badly underfunded. Four are based overseas, the
others in Texas.

Builders: Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, WI; Marinette Marine, WI
(MCM 2, 4, 7).

Who describes those ships as "wood"? They were entering
service when I was in the Navy (and that was a long time
ago, although it doesn't seem like it to me) and there was a
lot of hoopla about them being fiberglass.

I have also seen them described as "fiberglass reinforced
wood" construction.

And Navy ships maintenance is always underfunded.

DS

Info from http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/

On Thu, 09 Mar 2006 13:48:21 +0000, Fred Miller wrote:


I believe that our navy continues to employ minesweepers with wood hulls
and bronze and stainless steel metallic parts to minimize their magnetic
signature for obvious reasons. See, for example,
http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02idx.htm

I believe they have all been decommissioned.

http://www.indwes.edu/Faculty/bcupp/Story/combflt.htm

Interestingly, since WWII, 14 U.S. ships have been sunk or damaged by
mines, and only two have been sunk by enemy fire. Yet, our mine sweeping
capabilities are quite limited.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...storyId=943641

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/mso-422.htm