Shipbucket

By the end of 1922, the Texas Air Force had four fighter squadrons on active service, each equipped with the Curtiss-Orenco Model D built in the United States. Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Thirteenth and Seventeenth Squadrons would use the type by 1924. The last models would be withdrawn from service in 1929.



In an ironic twist of the AU existence, the 96 airframes produced for Texas were the only ones actually built by ORENCO (Ordnance Engineering Company), though the order was not sufficient to keep them from going out of business. The aircraft built by Curtiss for the US Army Air Corps had a different wing design which was prone to catastrophic failure, which forced the Americans to take their 50 Model D's out of service.

Any thoughts about airships? Texas will have some major helium deposits at its disposal. They could prove useful for patrolling the Gulf and Caribbean.

I hadn't actually thought about them, but there are barrage ballon squadrons in the Air Force. I'll see if there's an opportunity to bring them into play.

In 1925, while the Hallettsville destroyers were taking to the water on the Sabine River, Gray's Iron Works launched two light cruisers into Galveston harbor after two years on the stocks:



The Nueces Class represented a series of both firsts and lasts. She was the first ship designed from the keel up to support floatplane spotters and scouting aircraft, anti-torpedo bulkheads and centralized main battery fire control. They were the last capital ships built without turrets, and the last to use hammocks in crew berthing. They were also the last capital ships built by Gray's until their slips were enlarged to take on ships of up to 10,000 tons displacement.

They stretched the limits of what could be accomplished on 4000 tons without turrets or other consolidating measures, and were slow at only 25 knots maximum speed. Their decks were extremely congested. Only two were built to these specifications...subsequent light cruisers were longer (for increased speed and better use of deck space) and utilized multi-gun turrets, though they used many of the same design principles for internal arrangement and survivability.

A total of 32 Vought VE-7G floatplanes equipped two Naval Observation Squadrons, 16th and 19th. Their first assignments were to the RTX Nueces and Paluxy, each ship carrying two for spotting and scouting:



They capitalized on the familiarity and reliability of the VE-7 trainers used by 1st Training Squadron. Based at Moody field just west of the Galveston Navy yard, they were a common sight practicing take-offs and landings in the sheltered waters between the Island and the mainland.

Love the CLs!

-Matt

Interesting CL design. Great work Redhorse!

Here is the fleet as it looked from 1916 to 1925, minus the 6 auxiliaries (4 oilers and 2 destroyer tenders). I wanted to post this before I published ships commissioned in 1926:



It's a decent look at a Navy undergoing changes - from the wartime refits and camouflage to the growth of the vessel types. Each successive class gets larger and larger to incorporate more capabilities.

Amazing...I can't wait to see the new batch of ships!

Really great work!