United States News 1939

Professional

Friday, September 24th 2010, 7:02am

(Hope I didn't leave anything out here of import)
Few in naval circles were surprised when it was announced that the new Montana Class Battleships would not carry the eight 18" guns originally planned for them. Instead they would mount a dozen 16" guns carrying a new style of shell considered the equal to the 18" in terms of penetration. There had been numerous reports of trouble with the 18" gun program which while popular with politicians, had never enjoyed much support within the Navy Department. The massive cannon suffered from a short barrel life, its shell was massive and the machinery to transfer it from the magazine to turret was equally massive. Worst of all was the appalling muzzle blast which it was feared would harm exposed crew on deck and possibly damage the ship itself. Congressional complaints were soon silenced for the most part after the Navy fully explained the advantages of the 16” Super-Heavy shell. Its penetration was comparable to the 18”, it was lighter, and the 50% increase in the number of barrels would improve accuracy and rate of fire.

The massive expansion of the Avondale Shipyard near New Orleans generated tremendous publicity for the many jobs created in the area and the fact that it would represent the largest shipyard on the Gulf coast. However, there were reports in the local media of construction shortcuts and financial irregularities at the yard and question about the owner's ties to the Long Administration. Local New Orleans media, no friend of President Long, was especially vocal in their criticisms. However, after one prominent reporter for the Picayune was found floating in several pieces in the Mississippi River, (a death attributed to accidental drowning and subsequent alligator attack by the police) the stories about the yard trickled off and it fell out of the public eye as other events came to the fore. It would remain an obscure matter until the tragic events of July 1940,

Rumors that the United States was planning to sell one of its heavy cruisers began to circulate early in the year, causing considerable concern considering the relatively small number of heavy cruisers in the US fleet. Although the Long Administration denied the rumors at first, and it was unclear who the interested parties would be, an uproar emerged in several articles backed up by leaked documents in major New York and Washington DC based papers Suspected to have come from opponents to the sales within the Navy and State department, the documents detailed that Pensacola had been sold to Persia, with articles suggesting the sale was motivated by a desire to establish an American foothold in Persian oil markets, and partially as a response to the recent nationalization of oil interests in Mexico (The Mexican government having made known an interest in acquiring any surplus US cruisers several years ago). The articles further revealed that Salt Lake City was being sold to predominantly Catholic Ireland, allegedly with back-room dealing facilitated by well-known Long supporter and radio personality Father Charles Coughlin. While the Irish sale did not draw an overly negative reaction, the sale to Persia became further mired when articles exposed that there was 'concern' amongst the British Commonwealth and other friendly NATO powers that a relatively powerful naval unit was being sold to, as a Senior Canadian official termed, "An unstable, expansionist power". The issue was further compounded by the revelation that the less controversial South American country of Chile (A nation with an otherwise long and happy history of supporting American interests and industry) had made offers on both ships, and indeed offers in excess of what either Ireland or Persia had bid. When it became clear that Congress would not approve the Persian sale and was split on the Irish sale, the Long administration declared that the ships were obsolete and as such could be sold without Congressional approval. After promises of lucrative new warship construction projects to congressmen from shipbuilding states and rumors of bribes to several well placed Senators and Representatives, the most vocal opposition was confined to editorials in Proceedings magazine and the usual opponents of the Long administration.

Tensions in Southeast Asia took a surreal turn in the waning weeks of 1939, when disputes between the Commonwealth and China spilled into a confrontation with India at the League of Nations, and culminating with the appearance of two Japanese warships being spotted off the West Coast. In what can only be described as a cognitive disconnect between the Long administration and the 'professional' Navy, as the US Pacific Fleet was being prepared to sortie and conduct an exercise in Alaskan waters, the airship Merritt Island made contact with the two Japanese ships- 30 miles from the Golden Gate. Without informing the Pacific Fleet commands, the State Department had issued an invitation for the wayward Japanese ships to visit San Francisco, and the resulting chaos in San Francisco was capped with Mayor Rossi having to issue a hasty speech to a startled public as the two ships came into sight of the city, while Navy and City officials frantically attempted to communicate with Washington on the matter, only barely averting a major incident. A Congressional Inquiry of the entire incident would come in the coming year and bring to light the serious disconnect between the military and civilian authorities.

Finally, the end of the year saw the arrival of America's greatest transatlantic super liner, the S.S. America. Weighing in at over 90,000 tons fully loaded, America was one of the fastest ships ever built with a top speed of over forty miles per hour. Despite her incredible size and speed she would have a hard time seizing back the famed Blue Riband since she was only one of several super-ships racing across the Atlantic. She did achieve something unique during her maiden voyage, the first live radio program to originate from the middle of the North Atlantic. On December 15th a musical program staring some of America's greatest singers and musicians, including Judy Garland and Glen Miller, was broadcast from her massive ballroom on the NBC network. Plans were immediately announced for another liner, somewhat smaller, to be completed in 1945 and named United States while the older Columbia and Liberty would see major refits to improve their performance and accommodations. The elderly, four-stack liners Constitution and Independence would be retired after the completion of the United States. They would prove to be the last of their era to serve the Atlantic sealanes after Olympic and Aquitania were retired in the 1930's.