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A visit to the USS Slater (DE-766) in Albany NY
So here's what I did this afternoon (actually, I still kind of SMELL like the ship, and should really jump in the shower first, but...whatever). As I've mentioned before, there's a ridiculously large number of maritime museums within two hours of my house, including a few I still haven't been to. After getting turned around a bit in Albany (GPS said we'd arrived at our destination while we were on the bridge over the ship - what was I supposed to do, throw out a rope ladder and climb down), I visited the Slater for the first time.
First, the Wikipedia article for the uninitiated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Slater And the museum's official website: https://www.ussslater.org/ My first view of the ship after arriving in the parking lot. Our tour guide mentioned at one point that, for insurance reasons, no diesel oil is stored aboard, which explains why she's so far out of the water. Notice how you can see the ship's framework through the hull plating. They didn't call them tin cans for nothing! https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1973/4...25181ee0_b.jpg Closeup of the stern, with the depth charge racks and the perfectly drinkable Hudson River water on display. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1919/4...ba65246b_b.jpg The No. 3 3 in/50 mount, along with ready use racks for the K-guns. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1954/4...77b9f448_b.jpg The after superstructure, with more of the streamlined Mark 9 depth charges, a twin 40mm Bofors, life raft, and Mk 51 director for the Bofors just above the life raft. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1918/4...f6a89029_b.jpg The middle part of the superstructure looking forward. The portside signal halyards show the ship's radio callsign (which I can't remember), while the starboard flags display the hull number (DE 766). The tubular containers attached to the sides of the gun tubs would contain spare barrels for the Oerlikon guns in wartime. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1910/4...9b502353_b.jpg A slightly better view of the foremast and funnel. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1952/4...66fa9861_b.jpg I missed the first couple minutes of the previous tour. Apparently, my guide, Carl, had already taken visitors through the galley, but when I came onboard, he was explaining how the 3-inch guns operated. The ship doesn't offer "self-guided" tours, which is a bit of a bummer, but thankfully Carl was guided talkative, engaged, and answered a lot of visitor's questions. I was already seeing a lot of the great attention to detail inherant in the restoration. Notice the bearing numbers and helmet racks on the inside of the tub, the electrical cables running up the pedestal, and the quality of the paintwork and (almost) total lack of rust on the gun itself. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1966/4...ebf1018d_b.jpg Closeup of the Hedgehog projectiles. As Carl was easily able to pick one up with one hand, I'm assuming they're all replicas. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1905/4...904ee2a7_b.jpg A better view of the 3"/50. The device with the shell sticking out of it was used to set the fuzes on AA shells. Once again, barely a speck of rust or dirt to be seen. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1930/4...762911b4_b.jpg Looking at the bow from the No. 1 3" mount. Which they'd give visitors a bit more roaming time, as I would have loved to get a picture of the ship from the very front of the ship. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1908/4...6d6d1929_b.jpg More to come in a little bit! |
The officer's wardroom as it would have appeared in harbor. At sea they would have used wooden boards with holes for dishes and utensils, which due the poor lighting in the corridor, I couldn't get a good picture of. The photo on the bulkhead is of the ship's namesake, Frank O Slater, who was killed aboard the USS San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1966/4...fe16e356_b.jpg A better view of the wardroom from the other side. The medical locker and surgical lamps aren't for show - the ship was too small to have a fully equipped sickbay. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1929/4...3549910a_b.jpg The wardroom pantry. Not the most exciting thing imaginable, but the volunteers have done an excellent job restoration many of the purely domestic areas of the ship. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1912/4...44a4bcd4_b.jpg Going down to the First Platform, we enter one of the crew's messing and birthing spaces. Once again, I'm amazed at how good the restoration work is. The fire hoses, piping and wiring, lights, clocks, fuze boxes...etc are all either authentic or are exceptionally fine reproductions. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1952/4...fb69e38d_b.jpg Carl explains some of the finer points of cooking and serving food aboard a tiny, pitching, rolling ship. The guy in the black shirt seemed to have a perpetual serial killer look to him, and I was getting genuinely creeped out by the end of the tour. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1933/3...64970de1_b.jpg I know I'm probably belaboring the point by now, but I'm amazed the interior looks as good as it does considering the ship was a rusting hulk back in the 90s. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1977/3...2395d13f_b.jpg Carl explained that the strap seen over the pillow was meant to restain crewmen in heavy seas, but more often than not they didn't work. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1956/3...c09c6815_b.jpg Not sure why I took so many pictures of this compartment, but it's still fascinating to see just how cramped these ships were. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1961/3...bb8aaa34_b.jpg The scullery, where they'd scrub those dishes beyond the call of duty. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1978/4...9ef67d30_b.jpg My mother says I was obsessed with poles as a child. Don't think it ever really wore off! https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1902/4...63bb56d1_b.jpg |
Two views of the main radio room. Unlike many museum ships, there are no glass panels smeared with fingerprints blocking your view of each compartment. Although most of the rooms are blocked off with a chain, you can still stick your head inside and get a good view.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1933/4...12440b69_b.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1954/3...d3b904ee_b.jpg A quick peak inside the captain's cabin. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1913/4...99388a78_b.jpg Inside the Combat Information Center with Jeffrey Dahmer. The radar doesn't actually work, but once again, the quality of the restoration is to a high standard. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1934/3...217c1988_b.jpg By the way, the CIC is roughly the size of two cubicles mashed together, had 10 men inside at General Quarters, and seemed to have the lowest overhead of any room on the ship. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1924/4...b5a37c39_b.jpg Carl explains how some of the controls in the pilothouse worked. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1940/3...6afee0ec_b.jpg Closeup of the steering stand, compass, and RPM indicators. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1944/3...6cbb1f1d_b.jpg One of the 24-inch searchlights on the signal bridge. Carl pointed out that, as the searchlights were so powerful, the ship was electric powered, and had limited generating capacity, using them would have limit the ship's maximum speed! https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1929/3...560dbc07_b.jpg Looking aft from the signal bridge. The large object in the middle of the photo is designed to train crews on how to load the 3-inch guns. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1979/3...dca6c744_b.jpg ...And yet another view of the foremast! https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1962/4...6e013559_b.jpg |
Outstanding! Much smaller than the full-fledged WW 2 destroyer I served on (a Gearng) but still so many similarities. My great regret of the Houston SubSim meet ten years ago was not being able to go aboard their DE.
Thanks so much for posting these. |
More of the funnel and quarterdeck.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1951/4...3cf36bc3_b.jpg Carl demonstrates the twin Oerlikon. All of the Oerlikons on the ship still have their magazines and still elevate and traverse, which is a rarity for museum ships. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1905/4...f7ef8309_b.jpg Ready use lockers for 20mm Oerlikon magazines. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1937/3...b0a0b675_b.jpg One of the three twin 40mm Bofors guns. All three are in varying condition. This one is probably the best restored, but the aftermost one is pretty rough. Carl allowed the group to handle inert examples of each kind of ammunition used aboard. The Oerlikon shell was a pretty trifling thing, but I almost dropped the Bofors clip he handed me onto the deck! You could tell right away how much more effective the 40mm was in comparison with the 20mm, even if the mount was heavier, required a larger crew, and didn't fire as fast. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1906/4...af5b7ca2_b.jpg Some ready use containers for 40mm clips. You've probably noticed that there are ready use lockers and containers everywhere on the decks. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1917/4...757cf6d6_b.jpg A view from the superstructure deck looking at the stern of the ship. The tower structure on the right side of the photo contains another Mk 51 director for the Bofors astern of it. Between the two is a compass pedestal. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1905/4...abfe24dc_b.jpg Ready racks for the depth charge throwers. Interestingly enough, all of the depth charges in the stern tracks are of the older Mk 6 type, while those launched from the side are the newer streamlined Mk 9. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1910/4...1578d05a_b.jpg A closer look at two Mk 9 depth charges. Kind of adorable, if not for the 200 pounds of high explosive. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1935/4...0e6da47b_b.jpg The aftermost part of the superstructure. The big wicker basket thing was a "floater net," which was generally filled with ropes and other items that would, well, float off the ship if it sank. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't enough liferafts were everyone onboard, so they had to resort to measures such as this. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1956/4...6825264e_b.jpg The depth setting ring on the Mk 9. Later versions had a maximum depth of 600 feet. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1913/4...972dea50_b.jpg Have about 10 more pictures to share. Will post the rest in the morning! |
Cool pix. Love the hedge hogs.
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That is some seriously excellent restoration work on display here and your pictures almost gave me the feeling I was there.
Much appreciate you posting and sharing with the community :yeah: |
I’m the guy you called “Jeffrey Dahmer”...
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One of the two twin Oerlikons on the quarterdeck. You'd think after 10 years of owning my own camera I'd be able to get the exposure settings right by now!
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1913/4...335c7537_b.jpg The winch for the FXR torpedo decoy. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1930/4...b2b60f2e_b.jpg One of the K-guns and more ready use depth charges. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1928/3...a13d8efc_b.jpg An assortment of damage control tools. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1956/4...cfacbd78_b.jpg One of four showers for the entire crew. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1929/4...365f838c_b.jpg The crew's washroom and battle dressing station. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1918/4...6c07b014_b.jpg A crappy picture of the engineer's office, basically to show that, yes, there is a picture of Betty Grable somewhere on the ship. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1925/4...e37ba81a_b.jpg The Slater's 26 foot motor whaleboat. Although something like 26,000 were built, this is the only one in the world still afloat and running. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1975/4...3f569fa6_b.jpg For an extra six dollars, you can get a 20 minute tour of Engine Room B3 and Motor Room B4. These areas are still works and progress, and I'm assuming the extra fee goes towards restoring them. It was rather dark down there, but I managed to get two decent pictures of the two big General Motors 16-278A diesels in B3. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1973/4...c1060030_b.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1951/4...1d895004_b.jpg All in all, I really enjoyed touring the Slater, although I'm a little dissapointed I wasn't able to see all the areas accessible to vistors, and that the tour went a little too fast for my taste. The ship's website has a lot of excellent 360 degree panoramas, so I'm not totally heartbroken. |
Excellent report. Thanks for sharing. :salute:
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Given our penchant for Naval History, I too was thinking "wouldn't it be funny if that was actually a fellow subsim member?". I'm assuming Mat is joking, given where he's from, but you never know. Excellent trip report and photos. Quote:
Why would such a small ship need 26000 of those things? Where'd they store them all? :D |
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Grandiose pictures - thank you!
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