Can anyone tell me what the square items attached at an angle to the front of the superstructure, just below the bridge are?
This is the USCG Northland, location and date unknown.

USCG Northland

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Best Regards,
JW

I can find plenty of info on the Northland but not on the 'boxes'. But here's a clearer view from 1944

Attached Images

wpg49listcolor.jpg (27.3 KB, 40 views)

Might these be, maybe some sort of cages or metal frames just folded to save room?

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That's a better pic, Amrit. Wonder if they could be life rafts? They look like they are set in a slipway. Awfully big, though.

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Best Regards,
JW

There are a number of pictures here but no explanation:

1 Older USCG Cutters/Craft

my guess is either collapsed "shark cages", or "Crab pots".
You know the Navy...prepare for anything.

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There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says "Yes", you know he's a crook. Groucho Marx

Or the captain's luggage

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Almost certainly they are life rafts similar to the Carley Float. The above photo shows a ship about 1943 or 44. Note the SO radar on the foremast and the ESM antennas and YE homing beacon on the main mast. Also, the ship is in a Thayer scheme that did not get approved for US use until late in 1942 and as it is a standard version it would be about 43 for this ship to be in it at the earliest.

They look like box-type life rafts. I believe a similar type was used on Liberty ships.

JT

I spent a bunch of time looking but didn't find much, and no other pictures. I believe they are (as was said) life raft/floats.
They are at an angle...supposed to fall freely either side after 15 degree list after chalks removed.
Survivable...dropped at and angle to the sea from 60 feet.
Reversable... floats either side up
probably...balsa wood, muslin wraped, water-proofed.
Webbing...3 inch for 10-15 person units, able to support 40 percent of each individual while not in water.
Required... enough for 25 percent of crew.
By those parameters, it seems likely they are floats for that size boat.
Bigger ships had more smaller ones (to hit 25 percent), but since room was at a premium on this size, to meet requirements with space available, I believe this is the only configuration that worked.

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There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says "Yes", you know he's a crook. Groucho Marx

I would tend to agree with y'alls assumption that it is a life raft. It just looks more appropriate for it to be that, based on location, size, shape, and the way it is mounted.

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Best Regards,
JW

It is well prepared for sinking as it has two more life boats mid ships and a bi-plane at the rear of the ship. Unusual for such a small ship.

Perhaps it was used as a trainer to train new crews how to launch boats and aircraft.

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I wonder if this is a way of adding depth charges to the cutter. There is also a possibility of signal buoys for marking sites.

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They would be "kite" or "otter" boards for streaming minesweeping wires.

Algerine Class Fleet Minesweepers - The Art of Minesweeping

Thanks Fer-D, for the information. I dropped a dink on your reputation-o-meter (the green dot in the upper right of your posts).

Go to the new member forum and tell us about yourself.

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Best Regards,
JW

Well done, Fer-D!

...and welcome to the forum.

-Lou

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5 out of 4 people have difficulty with fractions.

Thanks guys, for the welcome.

Self-intro as requested ... now everyone can start heckling ...
Hi

Mine warfare is a fascinating topic. WWII saw some of the greatest technological advances (up to that time). The Allied countermeasures effort was able to match German advances in mines through magnetic, then acoustic and finally pressure fuses. While no-one figured out how to sweep pressure mines (and they still can't - not more than one anyway), the Allies did figure out that by traveling at slow speeds, they could avoid actuating the pressure mine fuse. (The bigger the displacement the slower the safe speed.)

In contrast, the Japanese were not able to keep up in the race and was basically starved of resources in the final months of the war. US Navy long range PB4Y aircraft and USAAF B-29 sowed some of the most advanced sea mines of the period in Japanese waters. As a result, the Japanese could not even safely transfer coal from Manchuria to the home islands.

Good book to read:

Hartmann, Gregory K
Weapons That Wait: Mine Warfare in the U. S. Navy
Imprint: Annapolis, Naval Institute Press, 1979
Edition: 1st Edition
ISBN: 0870217534

ah not so sure I agree with the Allied attempts to keep on par with German mines.......or am I misunderstanding your statement ? must find my photo/drawings listing of German mines to post somewhere

fer I know your interests are US/Japanese pacific but do you have the Koehler Verlag: Minen-schiffe 39-45. what a book, covers every German ship that laid mines with many route laying maps and in the first part of the book discuss's at some length the different mines used by the KM.

also are you by chance interested at all in the Km Aux ships that sailed in the Asian waters in the early 40's ?

Great find, and I thought "Paravanes" were the only mine sweeping tool available. They must of came later?
Learn something everyday, or your not trying.
Good thing that cable (which now I see) is below the height of the deck or when they dump em they'd sweep all with them.
Your site was an interesting read. It seems like an overly "busy" method to go about it, and at 4-6 Knots slow ?
The back of that ship is cluttered, is that all part of the necessary equipment ?
Mines are a nasty/impersonal weapon that work 24/7, I imagine anything that rids them is welcome indeed.
Again ...great find, that particular little thing has been bugging me since it was posted. I can now bury it.

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There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says "Yes", you know he's a crook. Groucho Marx