Author Topic: Cobia's new torpedoes  (Read 7072 times)

Offline Lance Dean

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Cobia's new torpedoes
« on: December 03, 2010, 11:37:36 PM »
Way to go!

http://www.htrnews.com/article/20101203/MAN0101/12030479/Museum-installs-vintage-torpedoes-on-USS-Cobia

Museum installs vintage torpedoes on USS Cobia
Donations make restoration a possibility

By Emily Ann Holman • Herald Times Reporter • December 3, 2010

MANITOWOC — Two Manitowoc couples and maritime enthusiasts donated nearly $10,000 for the installation of three World War II torpedoes on the USS Cobia docked at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, said Karen Duvalle, submarine curator.

Duvalle said the museum housed the vintage MK-14 torpedoes for five years but didn't have the money for installation until museum co-workers Luke and Johanna Harris donated $5,000.

Longtime volunteers, Bob and Grace Peppard, added $4,500 to the contribution. The museum raised about $500. Duvalle said the project is part of the ongoing restoration of the Cobia, a restored WWII submarine on display.

The 2,000-pound, 21-foot torpedoes took McMullen and Pitz Construction crew and museum personnel about four hours to install Wednesday, bringing the submarine's torpedo count to seven. It can carry as many as 24.

"We previously had four up front (of the submarine), and didn't have any in the back," Duvalle said. "We wanted to put two in the back and one up front. It was quite a process to get all of them in there."

Duvalle said although the donations were made during the summer, museum personnel waited until the off-season because the submarine had to close Wednesday and Thursday.

"We needed to have a barge alongside (the submarine) with a crane on it to lift and lower them into the submarine," Duvalle said. "Also, because it's fitted with stairs, they had to be removed to make room for the torpedoes."

Duvalle also said the crew removed a deck gun for restoration, including sand blasting, repair work and a paint job.

The museum also is raising money for a 2011 dry-docking of the USS Cobia. Repairs would include replacing the weather deck, cutting out and replacing steel in the outer hull, welding seams on the conning tower and cleaning and painting the hull with a 30-year treatment.

"We applied for a federal grant for $150,000 we would need to match," Duvalle said. "We won't know until January. We still need more funds than we have."

For more information or to donate, call (920) 684-0218 or visit www.wisconsinmaritime.org.

Offline Karen D.

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Re: Cobia's new torpedoes
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2010, 11:40:25 AM »
Thanks Lance! I was going to get around to posting an update eventually.  ;) It's been a busy week around here. I found out Monday morning that they wanted to load them on Wednesday. So we spent all day Tuesday moving everything out of the way, all day Wednesday freezing our butts off (why didn't we do this in October when it was still warm?  ::)), and all day Thursday putting everything back to normal. Whew!  Since we had the crane here we removed the 40 mm gun so that we can restore it indoors over the winter. There are more photos on our Facebook page.

This weekend we also had the Navy Reservists from Green Bay here for a long awaited work weekend. This group was very active here from about 1999 to 2005, but priorities changed and we lost their support. The orginal group got our engines running again and completey restored the crew's quarters. We've spent the last few years developing a strong relationship with them again in hopes of getting them back here to work. Hopefully this weekend isn't a one time deal...

Karen

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: Cobia's new torpedoes
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2010, 12:44:03 AM »
It makes me glad to see COBIA coming along and looking so good!   :smitten:


Now can we have our anchor back?     :-*

WELL DONE COBIA!  and Karen!
Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Karen D.

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Re: Cobia's new torpedoes
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2010, 12:27:25 PM »
 :knuppel2: Sorry Paul, but that anchor is not going anywhere! Mine!  ;D

Offline Darrin

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Re: Cobia's new torpedoes
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2011, 11:15:31 PM »
Karen,

I am very proud of the Cobia for loading weapons onboard once more, I can only hope that what we were able to discuss on this bbs that Lance has given all of us was able to help you in your load out. if not then no worries, a very hearty GOOD JOB or in naval speak BZ to you and your crew :coolsmiley:

Darrin