The mystery of the USS Pampanito deck gun.

[Quagmire]

OK. This is wierd. I was reading Basilios thread on his recent visit to the USS Pampanito when I noticed that the deck gun was not as I remembered from my visit this year in March. Does anyone know why the deck gun was removed and replaced with another one between now and March 2006?

Pic from my visit in March 06:
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/7981/deckgunmarpm6.jpg

Basilios pic from three weeks ago:

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/9661/deckgunauggw0.jpg

So, whats the frequency, Kenneth?

[tedhealy]

http://queenfish.org/noframes/surface_armament02.html

There's the 2 different guns. First one looks to be the 4" 50cal, 2nd one a 5" 25cal. No idea why they'd switch 'em.

http://www.maritime.org/restmiss.htm

mentions the original 4" was from tautog and that seems to lead one to believe the 4" was correct....

http://www.steelnavy.com/Pampanito.htm

However many pictures show her with the more powerful 5"/25 caliber gun. She was fitted with this 5"/25 during her last refit and was on her way back to the war zone when the hostilities ceased. She has been restored to her appearance during her war patrols, hence she carries a 4"/50 main gun.

So there ya go, either one could be considered correct. I guess that doesn't answer why they exactly made the switch though.


EDIT:
http://www.maritime.org/pamphome.htm

Pampanito is being restored to a specific point in time, late summer, 1945, to represent the height of WW II submarine development. The Maritime Park Association has scoured the country in search of missing equipment and spare parts. Almost all of the missing items have now been replaced and much of the equipment on board has been restored to operation.
So that may be the answer. They wanted to restore to late summer '45, so you'd go with the 5"/25 gun.