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Author Topic: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick  (Read 3993 times)

Colin Bishop

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USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« on: March 26, 2015, 08:06:50 pm »

I visited the Isle of Wight today and the car ferry gave a good view of the USS Theodore Roosevelt which has inherited the nickname of 'The Big Stick' from the battleship USS Iowa.

Anyone interested can see a full set of photos on the Model Boats Website: http://www.modelboats.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=105649#1806201

Colin

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derekwarner

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Re: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2015, 09:07:52 pm »

Would be interesting to read what was on her bunker list

Av Gas, Lube oil & more Av gas

I understand all food requirements arrive by helo.........[originating from State side] that way they do not need to security screen any local providores merchandise %)

Derek
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Derek Warner

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www.ils.org.au

Colin Bishop

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Re: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2015, 09:29:29 pm »

There was a local tanker alongside, Rossini, which is classed as a chemical tanker. Local tour boats appeared to be taking the crew ashore, one of the shots shows one of the Gosport ferries and there were several of the vessels that normally maintain the Portsmouth waterbus service. Crew members on shore leave were all in 'civvies' but stood out a mile. Most of them we saw when driving around the Hard were very young. Still, glad they are on our side, the Roosevelt is a very impressive ship. I have previously seen another of the class and back in the 1980s was privileged to go aboard USS Iowa, the original 'Big Stick', which made it into the harbour and I did an article for Radio Control Boat Modeller at the time. An amazing experience.

A bit earlier, back in 1959, I remember seeing HMS Vanguard being towed away for scrapping. I was building sandcastles on the Isle of Wight at the time!

Roosevelt is due to sail at 05:30 tomorrow which I think is around high tide. No doubt USS Winston Churchill will come out of Portsmouth to join her. WS always has an RN navigating officer aboard who I believe is a female at the moment.

Colin
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NFMike

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Re: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2015, 10:41:59 pm »

WS always has an RN navigating officer aboard who I believe is a female at the moment.

You could have phrased that better  :-)


Interesting pictures and info though.


There was a local tanker alongside, Rossini, which is classed as a chemical tanker.

Oil is a feedstock for the chemical industry, so fair enough.
We lived in Gibraltar when I was young and they were (probably still are) fairly self-sufficient for water - taking none from Spain. In the odd year levels got a bit low and an oil tanker would be sent from the UK with a few gallons to top up the reservoirs a bit. I have no idea how they cleaned the tanks (assuming they did) before putting the water in.

dodes

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Re: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2015, 04:21:49 pm »

With respect to Gib water, they now have a desalination plant and the old water catchments have long been demolished with the sand used in recent construction there. Remember one of the large RFA tankers being tank cleaned in Devonport in the early 1980's to transport fresh water from UK to Gib, apparently there was no new built tankers to transport water out there when enroute to the Gulf and due to a long dry spell they were desperate for water. But Colin, would it not been better to have the new CVS built as a small version of her, with a mix of aircraft to cover all eventualities.
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dodes

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Re: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2015, 08:01:58 pm »

Hi Colin,
Was talking to my nephew, late of the Andrew, while discussing this American flat top, he reminisced about when he was on the Invincible. Apparently they exercised together in the Mediterranean and when it was over, the Americans launched all their aircraft and id a fly by for the Invincible,s crew. He said it was very impressive watching tomcats etc. passing close and at flight deck level, but it was finished they stacked all the aircraft above the USS Theodore Roosevelt in one stack, then it took a very long time to retrieve them at one at a time. He said apparently at the time she carried the equivalent number of planes to the eighth largest Air Force in the world. Another event he remembered was a very large number of B29,s, having flown from the states fly in at about 500ft and carpet bomb a small peninsular of Sardinia then fly back to the States.   
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steve pickstock

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Re: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2015, 02:11:31 pm »

I visited the Isle of Wight today and the car ferry gave a good view of the USS Theodore Roosevelt which has inherited the nickname of 'The Big Stick' from the battleship USS Iowa.

Colin

While the Iowa may have been called the Big Stick the Roosevelt gets the name from Teddy himself who described diplomacy in terms of foreign policy: "speak softly, and carry a big stick." The Roosevelt in this case being both 'stick' and bearing the man's name as well.

Iowa was just the stick.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Big Stick
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2015, 02:51:33 pm »

As far as I was aware the Iowa was called 'The Big Stick' from way back, certainly it was when I visited the vessel in the 1980s. They had a baseball bat mounted at the head of the gangway.

I am well aware of the reference to Roosevelt.

Colin
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