Mystery Ship: Next Carrier on Ebay?
 

This morning I sighted this ship heading under the Bay Bridge, presumably either down the Peninsula or to the East Bay. She's seen better days, but perhaps it was just the bleak wet weather and all the work on deck that gave that impression.

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/2561/carrier1.jpg

I still have not been able to ID her. Here's a close-up of the island, in case that helps:

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5539/mysteryisland.jpg

Looks like an Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship to me...:hmmm:

She is the USS Tripoli. Now a trials ship for launches of Scud type missiles.

Just figured that out...yep, ex-Tripoli!

Well done, TLAM, I had a feeling you'd know the answer! :up: I had ruled out amphibious carriers because of the lack of a ramp at the stern. But I missed the Iwo Jima class!

Man, a launching platform... well, better than the scrapyard, I guess.

The Iwo Jimas were the only ones with out them (off the top of my head at least). They were from a time before the LCAC and the Heli was the fastest way to get troops ashore. But any heavy gear would have to come in on a LST or a standard landing craft.

Yea, its part of the BMD program. They launch Scuds at that test range in Hawaii.

Interesting use for an assault carrier, better than being turned into razor blades though. Would have thought it would be cheaper to use an old oiler though... :hmmm:

The USN has a history of using carriers to launch ballistic missiles...
http://www.midwaysailor.com/midway1940/opsandy.html
http://cv41.org/photos/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=17451

Those were just tests, there were real plans to install Regulus and latter Polaris missiles on Carriers and Cruisers. Yes the USN very nearly had CVBN and DLGBNs. :rock:

Well, I'll be, I never knew that. I know they did contemplate cruise missiles on carriers for a while, but it was the Russians that went more into that than the USN, but I never knew they did TBM tests back that far.

Compared to subs that don't make much sense. But they would have looked pretty cool :)

In hindsight yes but when they were thinking this stuff up and someone mentioned "launching missiles from submarines" THIS:
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4...k3b0834807.jpg
was as advanced as it got...