Page 22. MAINE COASTAL NEWS October 2016 U. S. N N Continued from Page 21.


sank somewhere in the North Sea. Her logs were not updated in her fi nal hours and so her fi nal location remains unknown. NHHC, located at the Washington Navy


Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowl- edge foundation for the Navy by main- taining historically relevant resources and products that refl ect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history, and supports the fl eet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Oper- ational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus.


PCU Illinois (SSN 786) Delivered Early to the Navy


From Team Submarine Public Aff airs


GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- The Navy ac- cepted delivery of Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Illinois (SSN 786), the 13th subma- rine of the Virginia class Aug. 27, early to its contract delivery date. Illinois is the ninth consecutive Virgin-


ia-class submarine to deliver early to the Navy.


“Illinois’ delivery continues the pro-


gram’s success of delivering Virginia-class submarines ahead of schedule and within budget,” said Capt. Michael J. Stevens, program manager. “Our plan is to have Illinois out on operations next year, going from construction start to mission --- ready in just over six years.” Illinois is the third of eight Virgin-


ia-class Block III submarines and the seventh of the class to be delivered to the Navy by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. Illinois is scheduled to


be commissioned Oct. 29 in Groton. The submarine is the second Navy ves-


sel to bear the Prairie State’s name. Illinois is home to the Navy’s only Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, where every en- listed Sailor begins Navy service. Illinois’ sponsor is First Lady Michelle Obama, a Chicago native and long-time supporter of military service members and their families. Her husband, President Barack Obama, is a former Illinois state and U.S. Senator. Illinois successfully completed the in-


dependent Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) trials, which evaluate the submarine’s seaworthiness and operational capabilities, Aug. 21. During INSURV tri- als, the crew took the submarine to test depth and tested the submarine’s propulsion plant and material readiness. Block III submarines feature a rede-


signed bow, which replaces 12 individual launch tubes with two large-diameter Virginia Payload Tubes, each capable of launching six Tomahawk cruise missiles. This, among other design changes reduced the submarines’ acquisition cost while maintaining their outstanding warfi ghting capabilities. Virginia-class submarines are built to


operate in the world’s littorals and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operation forces support; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnais- sance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Their inherent stealth, endurance, mo-


bility, and fi repower directly enable them to support fi ve of the six maritime strategy core capabilities -- sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.


Remember the Maine! Historic Ship’s Gun on the Road to Conservation August 8, 2016


WASHINGTON– A century-old, 6-inch, 30 caliber gun from the U.S. Navy battleship Maine left the Washington Navy Yard for conservation Aug. 7.


By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Lockwood,


Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division Conservators from the Warren Lash


Conservation Center (WLCC) in Charles- ton, South Carolina, worked with the Naval History and Heritage Command to remove the gun for conservation. “I think cultural heritage is like bringing


history to the next generation,” said Stépha- nie Cretté, the director of WLCC, “and con- serving it is kind of like bringing an object to life for the next generation. I hope this is a full success, and we continue on with other conservation processes with the Navy.” Planning to remove the gun from the


Yard started in February of 2015. Envi- ronmental reviews, soil sampling, digging permits, training contractors in the specifi c work, safety reviews, reviewing hazardous material concerns and weight calculations were required to plan for the conservation of the gun. “Its overall condition was very poor,”


said Karen France, the head of NHHC cu- rator branch. “It was obviously in need of conservation.” The process started off by digging


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MATERIAL HANDLING


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around the gun, seeing how far down it had settled, and how much concrete was present. The team from WLCC confronted a foot thick layer of soil that they carefully removed to disclose the underlying concrete base. The gun was craned onto a fl atbed the morning of Aug. 6 for its long drive down to Charleston. “This required collaboration between


many diff erent folks,” France said. “It’s a fairly complex evolution. We’re really glad it’s all fi nally come together.”


Now that it’s gone, the WLCC team will


start arresting its condition issues. They’ll start off by removing existing paint, as much rust as is prudent, and inhibiting the extant corrosion. In short, they’ll be resuscitating it for future generations. The whole process is expected to take anywhere from four to six months. The Maine gun’s story began in 1888


when the ship was commissioned, but the ship rose to prominence on the evening of Feb. 15, 1898 while anchored in Havana harbor, Cuba. At 9:40 p.m. an explosion ripped through Maine’s hull, causing it to sink and killing 252 men immediately and 14 more, soon after. After a month, a Navy board of inquiry


came to the conclusion that the explosion was caused by a mine. Though the board fi xed no blame, newspapers across the U.S. fed into public opinion that the Spanish gov- ernment was to blame, causing an outcry of rage from the American people. “Remember the Maine!” would act as the catalyst that led the United States to declare war on Spain on April 21, 1898, starting the Spanish-Ameri- can War. The Naval History and Heritage Com-


mand, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that refl ect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history, and supports the fl eet by assisting with and delivering professional research, anal- ysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Oper- ational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, nine museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus.


WANTED


MARITIME BOOKS, MAGAZINES, DOCUMENTS, POSTCARDS and PHOTOGRAPHS


International Maritime Library P.O. Box 710, Winterport, Maine 04496 (207) 223-8846


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