Tag: Greece

last voyage of TCG Kocatepe 1974

jwh197510 Comments

Fratricide, sometimes called “blue-blue” or in colloquial civilian “friendly fire”, has been a terrible and unfortunately, not completely avoidable aspect of warfare probably as long as organized conflict has existed.

During WWII the ranges over which naval battles were undertaken expanded immensely, and the first steps to develop electronic technologies allowing battle without hitting visually-unseen friendly assets were started.

Since WWII, from time to time this has still been a challenge. An added burden is rare instances when antagonists are using the same warships, aircraft, and electronics – as during the 1974 Cyprus conflict.

harwoodearly

(USS Harwood (DD-861) during WWII.)

kocatepeattack

(TCG Kocatepe, the ex-USS Harwood, on fire during the 1974 Cyprus conflict.)

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WWII CVEs into AKVs: Korean & Vietnam wars

jwh197517 Comments

cover2card

(USS Card departs San Francisco, CA with a load of F-102 Delta Dagger fighters on the wooden WWII flight deck. The supersonic F-102 was based at home, at overseas airbases in Japan, West Germany, and the Philippines; and during the Vietnam War in South Vietnam. It was also exported to Greece and Turkey.)

After WWII, some of the US Navy’s escort carriers were converted for aircraft ferry use. While not the most glamorous mission, they filled an important niche in the use of American airpower during the Cold War.

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