I served in three Gearing class destroyers as a Boiler Technician. I was privileged to be allowed to visit Kidd’s After Fireroom during a visit in the early 2000’s. Since the plants on both the Fletcher and Gearing classes were pretty much identical, I was amazed to find that I still remembered how to light off the boilers after fifty years.
What a undescribable feeling. In the 70's was an EM and in the 80's was going to USAF avionics school. Took a few classmates to the BB Alabama. There was a display of Damage Control gear from the 40's. Was able to tell them what each thing did and was able to explain a lot of what they saw. Got to the area with the mechanical firing computers. A couple were missing and a sign said they were put to use in the fleet as the electronic stuff couldn't do a better job. The mechanical units even took into consideration the Earth's rotation. Also in the 80's one of the BB's was being reactivated and had missiles installed. They asked an old Gunner's Mate to come back to active duty and teach the young lads how to maintain the 16 inch guns. I'm sure he was 'walking on air' doing the same job in the late stages of his life as he did when he was a youngster.
As a Navy Veteran, shipyard worker, and member of the USS Turner Joy Museum crew I have to say that this video is great. I love how it not only covers the History of the ship and the name, including the story behind the Pirate persona carried on through the years, but you receive a virtual walkthrough of the ship herself. Added bonus, I know of Parks through his work on Titanic and I think it's great he's involved with the USS Kidd. Thank you to the entire crew of the USS Kidd for what you do to keep History alive for future generations.
@@usskidd661 I was docent for the final two days of the 2018 conference and have been looking for an opportunity to attend more, but life matters take priority. Now I also aid in maintenance and our curatorial committee. Glad you enjoyed our ship, let us know if you make your way back up to Washington. Hopefully one day I'll have the privilege of stepping foot aboard USS Kidd.
Your maintenance crew is doing a nice job. I served on the Uhlmann DD-687. Good to see some of these ships survive. I was a QM and since we had to have exact time for navigation, we also got to go around and wind all the clocks. So when I was a boot QM went into the engine and boiler rooms (and anywhere there was a clock) once a week. I liked WWII built destroyer duty. QMs slept forward so it was quiet except in heavy weather when the anchors would bang. The fwd head was much further forward and in heavy weather you needed a seat belt to sit on the toilet. When the bow went down and the ship dipped into a big wave you could hit your head on the overhead. The bow might travel 20' up and down. If you slept in the stern you got the propeller noise and at speed they made all the locker doors rattle. Peace time crew is about 100 fewer people. The Uhlmann and most active Fletchers lost mount 53 and got 3 twin 3" mounts. All the 20mm and 40mm were removed before 1960. We also lost 3 bunks in each compartment to an AC unit. The ship was fun to steer during ASW when we tried to line up for depth charge or Hedgehog runs on subs. Lots of full rudder turns, ship would lean way over. Seeing your video and pics really bring the memories back. Thanks.
Very glad to see the Kidd preserved and in such good shape. I experienced two weeks aboard her in the summer of 1960. She was home ported in Philadelphia at the time and being used for training. We held gunnery practice somewhere off the Carolina's I believe, and had liberty in D.C. on the dissecting weekend. My bunk was in 1st div. up in the bow, will never forget that ride. I am very fortunate because the ship I served 2 years active duty aboard is also preserved,- the USS Little Rock CLG-4 and is berthed in Buffalo, N.Y. I went on board her in November of that same year, became an FT, experienced a Med cruise, and had extended active service due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. I enjoyed having reunited with her in Buffalo and spending time onboard again, only this time with my wife as volunteers on spring work parties. It has been an Honor. USNR 1959 - 1965. CLG-4 1960 - 1962. J.B. [ Also, USS The Sullivans DD 537, another Fletcher class, rests there. ]
JB, great history aboard 2 great historically preserved ships! What are the odds? Hope to see you aboard the Sully or LR this spring as I head to or from the work week at the USS SLATER. Will try for the Kidd later this year as we have a trip over to Europe also planned.
Very well narrated tour, probably the best of all the museum ships online. One minor correction however, seawater passes through the tubes in the condenser, not steam. There is a very specific pattern of tubes within the condenser to expose the greatest surface area to the steam. If you open one of the manholes in the inlet or outlet head you will see the open ends of several thousand tubes, seawater flows through those tubes and condensate forms on the outside of the tubes then drops down to the hotwell from which the condensate pumps take a suction. You should note that the condenser operates under a vacuum and the temperature of the condensate may only be around 80 degrees F - making the interior of the condenser the coolest place in the engine room.
I was aboard the Kidd this morning, the ship's looking great! Of course, I had to take a pic of the infamous ice cream machine, having heard about it in some of your other videos ;)
One of my family members was a 1932 graduate of the USNA and retired from the Navy in 1962. One of his many assignments was as the first commanding officer of the Fletcher class destroyer USS Porter DD 800 from it’s commissioning in June 1944 to Dec 1945. Glad to see the USS Kidd was saved and I hope to visit there.
Wonderful presentation! My Dad was Ltcdr Root Chief Engineer aboard the USS Chauncey during WW2.....I am so glad you have this ship to show the public. I would love to visit it someday soon I am from New England.
I second this! Really well done Parks and Tim. Very informative in great detail. I appreciate learning the history of the ship and seeing the passion and depth of care that is put into Kidd, including the fabrication of the deck top components. Happy 80th anniversary to the remaining Fletcher Class Destroyers!
The story about the 2 Japanese planes pretending to dogfight was amazing (and at the same time somewhat frightening) to hear about! I've never heard of this tactic before and I wonder if it has been used elsewhere in the war.
Thank you very much, Tim and Parks, for all you do to educate us on these topics. Your knowledge is invaluable and much appreciated by so many. This is an awesome way of preserving that knowledge and passing it on from generation to generation. Take care, God bless!
Thank YOU! It takes a village. From Molly handling the camera and editing, to everyone who handles tours and Overnight encampments, to Nathan and Orrin doing wasted metal repairs aboard ship, to everyone handling the business / admin duties, to our volunteers, to those of you out there who donate, like, subscribe, and share. These museum ships belong to us all and NEED us all. 🙂❤️
@@usskidd661 Well said and received! This history and knowledge needs to be preserved, and it truly takes an "army" to do so. Thanks again to the frontline personnel that do the heavy lifting, as well as the vast number of other supporters. ❤️
The engine room looks great. The Kidd has come a long way. I would love get back on board, the last time I was there was 2005, before being deployed for OIF III-IV. Thank all of the crew for the great work that ya'll have done and are doing.
I had the pleasure of visiting Kidd and the Veterans Museum last month. Twice, in fact, as the first time she was closed for repairs so I had to come back! Regardless, being able to see all the work that has been put into preserving Kidd, to tell her and her crew's story and the stories of other veterans in the museum building, I can't quite put into words how incredible of an experience it was. I do hope to come back and visit her again in the future.
i just visited this past november and i must say, Park is a fabulous man for the ship. my dad was a BT 1951-1955 on DE-698 USS Raby and APD-106 Walter B. Cobb (APDs were DEs without rear 3" guns and a 5"/38 on the bow in place of the open mount 3". had instead berthing for up to 200 marines and also had 4 LCVPs) the Cobb had UDTs on board. i wanted to see the fire room since thats where my dad was but alas, it wasnt going to be. i hope you can get your funding for dry-docking and all of your projects can be accomplished. the hand-built 'replacement' parts look amazing! thanks for the quick tour!
I'd love to see an episode describing the contributions of WW2 destroyers, especially Fletchers, Sumners and Gearings. An episode about Kidd's movie history would be great, too, especially if Sony would let you use clips.
Check out our Live section. You'll find the first two of a planned five-installment podcast series from Museum Ship Mafia that will span the whole year. These episodes will be discussing the 80th anniversaries of all four surviving Fletchers, plus an episode discussing JOHNSTON and the other 18 Fletchers that were lost in WWII.
Tim and Parks, this is a well done, highly informative video! Just beggs for a visit to the beautiful museum setting and ship. Also love the A-7 Corsair 2 out front. Machinery spaces look well done and your fabrication of the deck replicated equipment is great as well. Hats off to the crew for that as well and explanation of the torpedo launcher operation.
Being out of water long-term will hog her hull. An indoor situation would require a pool where she could float AND sit down in a cradle for maintenance. That's an exhorbatently high ticket building.
RADM Kidd was nicknamed Cap going all the way back to Annapolis in reference to Captain Kidd as evident in his Annapolis Collage Yearbook so the nickname and the pirate persona came well before WW2
Agreed, but the crew members weren't aware of that when they asked Mrs. Kidd of her opinion of their choice of mascot, so as to not be disrespectful of the Admiral. They arrived at the mascot choice independently, and she made the connection for them to the Admiral's nickname at the Academy. Then, she went to bat for them for the stack art and extended the request to include the Jolly Roger, which was NOT something they had originally requested. 🙂🏴☠️
I'm always interested in anything to do with Fletcher class destroyers. There is a TH-cam channel, max miller's tasting history, that has a ww2 usn ice cream recipe. I'm looking forward to seeing more episodes about these ships. I must have watched 8 you tube videos about the Battle off Samar. Fletchers contributed in so many ways. The Sumner and Gearings were better, but when they arrived, the war was already won. And of course, they were only modified Fletchers anyway!
Hi , I was on the Kidd in 1964 in the summer before they decommissioned it in Philadelphia but I work on decommissioning . But went on to the Abbot 629
one of just four remaining Fletcher Class Destroyers still around the Cassin Young in Boston the USS The Sullivans Buffalo, NY your lady the USS Kidd and in Athens Greece the Velos ex USS Charrette
The skull and crossbones was never used as a pirate flag, that is a Hollywood invention The skull and crossbones was the flag used by the fleet of the Knights Templar Many of the Templar graves in Scotland going as far back as 800 years, long before the Caribbean pirate myth appeared, have the skull and crossbones carved on them
💯 RADM Kidd's exhibit in the KIDD Exhibition Room dates back 30 years. It is the last remaining exhibit referencing the "Congressional" MOH. It is slated for replacement, relocation, and reinterpretation in the next year or two, as time allows around drydocking the ship. 🙂 Sharp eyes!
I served in three Gearing class destroyers as a Boiler Technician. I was privileged to be allowed to visit Kidd’s After Fireroom during a visit in the early 2000’s. Since the plants on both the Fletcher and Gearing classes were pretty much identical, I was amazed to find that I still remembered how to light off the boilers after fifty years.
What a undescribable feeling. In the 70's was an EM and in the 80's was going to USAF avionics school. Took a few classmates to the BB Alabama. There was a display of Damage Control gear from the 40's. Was able to tell them what each thing did and was able to explain a lot of what they saw.
Got to the area with the mechanical firing computers. A couple were missing and a sign said they were put to use in the fleet as the electronic stuff couldn't do a better job. The mechanical units even took into consideration the Earth's rotation.
Also in the 80's one of the BB's was being reactivated and had missiles installed. They asked an old Gunner's Mate to come back to active duty and teach the young lads how to maintain the 16 inch guns.
I'm sure he was 'walking on air' doing the same job in the late stages of his life as he did when he was a youngster.
As a Navy Veteran, shipyard worker, and member of the USS Turner Joy Museum crew I have to say that this video is great. I love how it not only covers the History of the ship and the name, including the story behind the Pirate persona carried on through the years, but you receive a virtual walkthrough of the ship herself. Added bonus, I know of Parks through his work on Titanic and I think it's great he's involved with the USS Kidd. Thank you to the entire crew of the USS Kidd for what you do to keep History alive for future generations.
Thanks! We enjoyed touring the TURNER JOY back during HNSA 2018. Beautiful gray lady. ❤️ COMANCHE was a gorgeous old gal as well. ❤❤❤
@@usskidd661 I was docent for the final two days of the 2018 conference and have been looking for an opportunity to attend more, but life matters take priority. Now I also aid in maintenance and our curatorial committee. Glad you enjoyed our ship, let us know if you make your way back up to Washington. Hopefully one day I'll have the privilege of stepping foot aboard USS Kidd.
@@usskidd661 Regarding the Comanche I believe she is moored in Tacoma. Haven't seen the old Coast Guard tug for sometime though.
Your maintenance crew is doing a nice job. I served on the Uhlmann DD-687. Good to see some of these ships survive. I was a QM and since we had to have exact time for navigation, we also got to go around and wind all the clocks. So when I was a boot QM went into the engine and boiler rooms (and anywhere there was a clock) once a week. I liked WWII built destroyer duty. QMs slept forward so it was quiet except in heavy weather when the anchors would bang. The fwd head was much further forward and in heavy weather you needed a seat belt to sit on the toilet. When the bow went down and the ship dipped into a big wave you could hit your head on the overhead. The bow might travel 20' up and down. If you slept in the stern you got the propeller noise and at speed they made all the locker doors rattle. Peace time crew is about 100 fewer people. The Uhlmann and most active Fletchers lost mount 53 and got 3 twin 3" mounts. All the 20mm and 40mm were removed before 1960. We also lost 3 bunks in each compartment to an AC unit. The ship was fun to steer during ASW when we tried to line up for depth charge or Hedgehog runs on subs. Lots of full rudder turns, ship would lean way over. Seeing your video and pics really bring the memories back. Thanks.
Thank YOU! The UHLMANN was the last Fletcher to see active service in the USN. Love our DESDIV 152 sisterships. ❤️❤️❤️
Great Video! I loved seeing the ice cream machine after hearing the stories about it. Thanks to all
Very glad to see the Kidd preserved and in such good shape. I experienced two weeks aboard her in the summer of 1960. She was home ported in Philadelphia at the time and being
used for training. We held gunnery practice somewhere off the Carolina's I believe, and had liberty in D.C. on the dissecting weekend. My bunk was in 1st div. up in the bow, will never
forget that ride. I am very fortunate because the ship I served 2 years active duty aboard is also preserved,- the USS Little Rock CLG-4 and is berthed in Buffalo, N.Y. I went on board
her in November of that same year, became an FT, experienced a Med cruise, and had extended active service due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. I enjoyed having reunited with her in
Buffalo and spending time onboard again, only this time with my wife as volunteers on spring work parties. It has been an Honor. USNR 1959 - 1965. CLG-4 1960 - 1962. J.B.
[ Also, USS The Sullivans DD 537, another Fletcher class, rests there. ]
Let us know when you head to Baton Rouge to reunite with KIDD! 😀❤❤❤
@BuffaloNavalPark - We share a crew member!
Thank's, I will. A 'bucket list' wish will be realized!!! 🙂@@usskidd661
JB, great history aboard 2 great historically preserved ships! What are the odds? Hope to see you aboard the Sully or LR this spring as I head to or from the work week at the USS SLATER. Will try for the Kidd later this year as we have a trip over to Europe also planned.
Very well narrated tour, probably the best of all the museum ships online. One minor correction however, seawater passes through the tubes in the condenser, not steam. There is a very specific pattern of tubes within the condenser to expose the greatest surface area to the steam. If you open one of the manholes in the inlet or outlet head you will see the open ends of several thousand tubes, seawater flows through those tubes and condensate forms on the outside of the tubes then drops down to the hotwell from which the condensate pumps take a suction. You should note that the condenser operates under a vacuum and the temperature of the condensate may only be around 80 degrees F - making the interior of the condenser the coolest place in the engine room.
Thanks! 🙂
I just took a tour of the Kidd today and I had a great time
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed it! 😀❤️
I was aboard the Kidd this morning, the ship's looking great! Of course, I had to take a pic of the infamous ice cream machine, having heard about it in some of your other videos ;)
My dad was a Chief Machinist Mate on the Walker from the Atlantic through the canal to Toyko Bay. Retired 12-7-49.
Fantastic video! My only regret is not having watched it BEFORE visiting the ship last month. Was an unforgettable experience!
So glad you enjoyed the visit AND the video! 😀
One of my family members was a 1932 graduate of the USNA and retired from the Navy in 1962. One of his many assignments was as the first commanding officer of the Fletcher class destroyer USS Porter DD 800 from it’s commissioning in June 1944 to Dec 1945. Glad to see the USS Kidd was saved and I hope to visit there.
Come see us!!!
Wonderful presentation! My Dad was Ltcdr Root Chief Engineer aboard the USS Chauncey during WW2.....I am so glad you have this ship to show the public. I would love to visit it someday soon I am from New England.
Nice job, Parks, Tim, and the entire crew of USS KIDD!
I second this!
Really well done Parks and Tim. Very informative in great detail. I appreciate learning the history of the ship and seeing the passion and depth of care that is put into Kidd, including the fabrication of the deck top components.
Happy 80th anniversary to the remaining Fletcher Class Destroyers!
The story about the 2 Japanese planes pretending to dogfight was amazing (and at the same time somewhat frightening) to hear about! I've never heard of this tactic before and I wonder if it has been used elsewhere in the war.
I saw the Kidd being moved on TH-cam and made my way here. Great behind the scenes video, it kept my interest all the way through.
Well done Tim and Parks! Great video with some great stories!
I second this comment!
Very informative tour. Especially nice to see machinery spaces. Thanks.
Thank you very much, Tim and Parks, for all you do to educate us on these topics. Your knowledge is invaluable and much appreciated by so many. This is an awesome way of preserving that knowledge and passing it on from generation to generation. Take care, God bless!
Thank YOU! It takes a village. From Molly handling the camera and editing, to everyone who handles tours and Overnight encampments, to Nathan and Orrin doing wasted metal repairs aboard ship, to everyone handling the business / admin duties, to our volunteers, to those of you out there who donate, like, subscribe, and share. These museum ships belong to us all and NEED us all. 🙂❤️
@@usskidd661 Well said and received! This history and knowledge needs to be preserved, and it truly takes an "army" to do so. Thanks again to the frontline personnel that do the heavy lifting, as well as the vast number of other supporters. ❤️
The engine room looks great. The Kidd has come a long way. I would love get back on board, the last time I was there was 2005, before being deployed for OIF III-IV. Thank all of the crew for the great work that ya'll have done and are doing.
I had the pleasure of visiting Kidd and the Veterans Museum last month. Twice, in fact, as the first time she was closed for repairs so I had to come back! Regardless, being able to see all the work that has been put into preserving Kidd, to tell her and her crew's story and the stories of other veterans in the museum building, I can't quite put into words how incredible of an experience it was. I do hope to come back and visit her again in the future.
i just visited this past november and i must say, Park is a fabulous man for the ship.
my dad was a BT 1951-1955 on DE-698 USS Raby and APD-106 Walter B. Cobb (APDs were DEs without rear 3" guns and a 5"/38 on the bow in place of the open mount 3". had instead berthing for up to 200 marines and also had 4 LCVPs) the Cobb had UDTs on board.
i wanted to see the fire room since thats where my dad was but alas, it wasnt going to be.
i hope you can get your funding for dry-docking and all of your projects can be accomplished. the hand-built 'replacement' parts look amazing!
thanks for the quick tour!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Let your friends and family and neighbors and total strangers know they can support our drydocking at www.usskidd.com! 😃🇺🇲🏴☠️
I'd love to see an episode describing the contributions of WW2 destroyers, especially Fletchers, Sumners and Gearings.
An episode about Kidd's movie history would be great, too, especially if Sony would let you use clips.
Check out our Live section. You'll find the first two of a planned five-installment podcast series from Museum Ship Mafia that will span the whole year. These episodes will be discussing the 80th anniversaries of all four surviving Fletchers, plus an episode discussing JOHNSTON and the other 18 Fletchers that were lost in WWII.
By "Sony," we're assuming you mean "Greyhound?" If so, you really mean Apple. We have a few stills with permissions, but not a lot.
Tim and Parks, this is a well done, highly informative video! Just beggs for a visit to the beautiful museum setting and ship. Also love the A-7 Corsair 2 out front. Machinery spaces look well done and your fabrication of the deck replicated equipment is great as well. Hats off to the crew for that as well and explanation of the torpedo launcher operation.
We aught to bring the kidd indoors !
Being out of water long-term will hog her hull. An indoor situation would require a pool where she could float AND sit down in a cradle for maintenance. That's an exhorbatently high ticket building.
RADM Kidd was nicknamed Cap going all the way back to Annapolis in reference to Captain Kidd as evident in his Annapolis Collage Yearbook so the nickname and the pirate persona came well before WW2
Agreed, but the crew members weren't aware of that when they asked Mrs. Kidd of her opinion of their choice of mascot, so as to not be disrespectful of the Admiral. They arrived at the mascot choice independently, and she made the connection for them to the Admiral's nickname at the Academy. Then, she went to bat for them for the stack art and extended the request to include the Jolly Roger, which was NOT something they had originally requested. 🙂🏴☠️
He was the first American Flag Officer killed in WWII his Annapolis ring remains fused to the USS Arizona's bulkhead on the bridge
Great video!
Thanks! Happy holidays! 🎅🤶
Great video thank you , keep up the good work 👍🇬🇧❤️🇺🇲
Thanks for watching!
I'm always interested in anything to do with Fletcher class destroyers. There is a TH-cam channel, max miller's tasting history, that has a ww2 usn ice cream recipe. I'm looking forward to seeing more episodes about these ships. I must have watched 8 you tube videos about the Battle off Samar. Fletchers contributed in so many ways. The Sumner and Gearings were better, but when they arrived, the war was already won. And of course, they were only modified Fletchers anyway!
Did the Destroyers carry torpedo reloads, or just what were in the tubes?
No reloads. Just what were in the tubes.
Hi , I was on the Kidd in 1964 in the summer before they decommissioned it in Philadelphia but I work on decommissioning . But went on to the Abbot 629
So, you had TWO ships to represent at the DESRON 48 reunion! That's great! 😃
Yes , than the abbot got decommissioned in 1965 in Philadelphia then I went on a cruiser the Albany CG10
@@68920281938: Fantastic! We have her whaleboats. 🙂
Greatness
Stop! You'll make me blush and ruin my camouflage! 😊☺️
one of just four remaining Fletcher Class Destroyers still around the Cassin Young in Boston the USS The Sullivans Buffalo, NY your lady the USS Kidd and in Athens Greece the Velos ex USS Charrette
The skull and crossbones was never used as a pirate flag, that is a Hollywood invention
The skull and crossbones was the flag used by the fleet of the Knights Templar
Many of the Templar graves in Scotland going as far back as 800 years, long before the Caribbean pirate myth appeared, have the skull and crossbones carved on them
Our latest exhibit about the origins of KIDD's mascot actually discusses the Hollywood influence on the KIDD crew and the image vs the reality. 🙂
Great museum except the glaring error of “congressional Medal of Honor.” There is no such thing….it’s just the “Medal of Honor”
💯 RADM Kidd's exhibit in the KIDD Exhibition Room dates back 30 years. It is the last remaining exhibit referencing the "Congressional" MOH. It is slated for replacement, relocation, and reinterpretation in the next year or two, as time allows around drydocking the ship. 🙂 Sharp eyes!
Captain Franklin Van Valkenburg was also awarded the MOH