Haze Gray Mystery Pictures 1 through 9
Answers


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #1
This ship is the seaplane carrier HMS Campania. Built as a liner in 1893, she was purchased from a shipbreaker in 1914 for conversion to a seaplane carrier. The picture shows her after the flying-off deck was extended by removing the bridge and splitting the forward funnel in two. She was lost 5 Nov 1918 when she dragged her anchors during a gale in the Firth of Forth and impaled herself on the bow of the battleship HMS Revenge.


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #2
This ship is HMS Warrior, the world's first armored iron ship. She remains in existence today.


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #3
This ship is the Chilean training ship General Baquedano. The President of Chile is aboard to review the US battleships of the Great White Fleet. Valparaiso, February 1908.


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #4
This ship is NOT HMS Hermes. She is the merchant ship SS Mamari, also known as Fleet Tender C, fitted with a false flight deck and island. This decoy ship, and two fake "R" class battleships, were meant to distract the Luftwaffe. Close examination of the stern will show this ship to be a fake.


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #5
This ship a the Russian/Soviet "Beluga" class trials submarine, with a "Foxtrot" behind. This sub looks somewhat like an "Alfa", but is diesel powered.


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #6
This is the Japanese battleship Tosa at her launching. Cancelled under the Washington Treaty, she was expended as a target.


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #7
This was an easy one. The ship is USS Mississippi, formerly BB 41, as a missile test ship (designated AG 128). Following WWII she was converted to a gun test and training ship, serving in that role from 1947 to 1952. In 1952 she was outfitted to test the new Terrier missile, a role she filled until her decommissioning in 1956. Because of her missile battery, she is often referred to as "BBG 1".


 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #8
This is the German torpedo boat TA-20, formerly the Italian Audace. She was captured by the Germans 12 September 1943, and was sunk by the Royal Navy 1 November 1944. She had been laid down as the Japanese Kawakaze and renamed Intrepido prior to being acquired by the Italians 3 July 1916. Many people confuse this ship with TA-21, ex Italian Indomito, which was visually similar. The aircraft is an Arado Ar196 A-3.




 [THUMBNAIL] Mystery Picture #9
This ship is the Taiwanese escort Yung Ching. She was built just before WWII as the Japanese Hirashima class minelayer/netlayer/escort Saishu. In 1947 she was transferred to the Chinese, and she became a Taiwanese ship in 1949. She was rearmed with US weapons, and eventually served as a light frigate. She was scrapped in 1964.


Back to the Mystery Pictures Main Page

This section of the HG&UW site created and maintained by Andrew Toppan.
Copyright © 1997-2003, Andrew Toppan. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction, reuse, or distribution without permission is prohibited.