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View Full Version : I kind of take offense to this Galloping Ghost Submariner...


SUBMAN1
07-01-07, 09:57 PM
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bal-md.ob.fluckey01jul01,0,5747925.story?track=rss

This designation is reserved for the USS Houston - the Flag Ship of WWII of the Pacific Fleet. It's feets saved thousands of lives as it went after all those Japanese transport ships and sunk 7 of them before succombing to 11 destroyers and 4 or 5 cruisers. It's survivors were featured in the movie - The Bridge of the River Kwai. This was Roosevelt's favorite ship in the entire Pacific fleet.

The Japanese gave this ship that designation - The Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast. This writer basically stole that designation for his book. The reason they gave the Houston this name is because it always came out of no where, sunk whatever Japanese task force happened to be around, and then disapeared into nothing. The Japanese hated the USS Houston for good reason and hunted it for ages without success.

-S

The Wikipedia page - USS Houston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Houston_%28CA-30%29) - Notice in the very first paragraph what they call it.

August
07-01-07, 11:38 PM
I just finished reading Ship of Ghosts. Those guys along with the survivors of the HMAS Perth went through hell.

CCIP
07-01-07, 11:45 PM
I don't see what the fuss is about. Firstly there's no way the Japanese would give it such a properly-rhyming nickname in English; secondly hey, why not? I don't think this Fluckey deserved the name any less, and I'm sure the nickname was likewise contemporary.

More than one incidence of 'families' of related wartime nicknames I would say... :hmm:

SUBMAN1
07-03-07, 01:15 PM
I just finished reading Ship of Ghosts. Those guys along with the survivors of the HMAS Perth went through hell.
Yep - hell. I won't tell you how (because that is a little personal on a web forum, and would allow one to figure out who I really am), nor have I ever met him for obvious reasons, but I am related to Albert Rooks. Does that name ring a bell? :D

-S

PS. That is why I take a bit of offense to it.

SUBMAN1
07-03-07, 01:16 PM
I don't see what the fuss is about. Firstly there's no way the Japanese would give it such a properly-rhyming nickname in English; secondly hey, why not? I don't think this Fluckey deserved the name any less, and I'm sure the nickname was likewise contemporary.

More than one incidence of 'families' of related wartime nicknames I would say... :hmm:

That is their translation.